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West Ham United have a new target on their radar it seems, with The Athletic reporting they are now keeping a close eye on Chelsea's Ian Maatsen, who starred on loan at Burnley last season.

How many goals has Ian Maatsen scored for Burnley?

The 21-year-old has come up through the ranks with Chelsea but has still yet to make his Premier League debut for his parent club. He's had to make do with only reserve team showings for the Blues and a variety of loan spells to get regular minutes and experience.

Given the chance to play a prominent role for Burnley, he grasped it with both hands. The left-back helped the Clarets to a Championship title and promotion, with the defender featuring in 39 games. It led to him bagging four goals and six assists, despite the fact he was a part of their backline. It marked the first time he had hit a double digit amount of goal contributions in his career.

It isn't the first time he has proven to be a solid option in the Championship either. A year earlier, he spent some time with Coventry and missed only six games throughout the entire league season for the Sky Blues. He didn't bag as many goals or assists – he hit the back of the net three times and teed up a teammate once – but was still a reliable option and featured heavily for his side as they finished 12th.

Are West Ham United signing Ian Maatsen?

Now, he could have the chance to play in the Premier League for the first time in his career. That's because West Ham have entered the race to sign Maatsen this summer, with Burnley also still keen. The Clarets have been linked with a move for most of the summer, but according to a report from The Athletic, the Hammers have recently added him to their own transfer wanted list.

No official bid is on the table yet, from the Irons or any other club, but there appear to be a handful of sides all monitoring the situation of the left-back now. Whether he does leave or stay with Chelsea could depend on whether they offer him more gametime, or whether any other players in his position are shown the door by Mauricio Pochettino before the transfer window shuts.

It has been his showings with Burnley that really seem to have caught the attention of many. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig highlighted that Maatsen bagged a "superb" brace for the Clarets during their run to the Championship title and also picked on the fact he had four goals and assists for the club at the time.

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It shows that he has really shone when given the opportunity to play regularly in the second tier, and may now have earned the opportunity to try his luck more frequently further up the pyramid. That could now come with West Ham, as the Hammers look to build on their European success and push on next season.

Manchester United are believed to be interested in Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund who is set to change his agent ahead of the summer transfer window.

Have United for the striker for the future?

Going into the summer transfer window, it is believed the Red Devils will be setting their focus on finding themselves a new number nine.

And one of the players who could potentially be an option over the coming months is the young Danish striker, Hojlund, according to reports in Denmark (via SportWitness).

The striker only made the move to the Serie A side in the previous summer transfer window but it seems as if they may come under pressure to sell him.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the 20-year-old could be putting plans in place to potentially aid a possible move away from Atalanta in the summer:

(1:20) "From what I understand, many clubs around Europe are following him with Atalanta, with the Danish national team, clubs from England clubs from Germany. So there is a lot of movement around Rasmus Hojlund."

"I'm told and this is important information, that Rasmus Hojlund is set to pick a new agent in the next days/weeks ahead of the summer transfer window and we know how important are agents to decide about the next move."

Should Hojlund be a target this summer?

United's biggest issue this season has been their lack of goals coming from an out-and-out striker with a heavy reliance put on the shoulders of Marcus Rashford.

This has led to reports suggesting the club are going into the summer with an interest in the likes of Harry Kane who has shown consistent returns in the Premier League over his career.

Given United have been linked to players of Kane's calibre, it would be interesting to see whether Hojlund may be seen as too big of a risk to take at this stage in his career.

The 20-year-old has not even completed one season yet in one of Europe's big five leagues, but he is showing a lot of promise.

Hojlund has made 23 appearances in Serie A this season with 14 of those coming from the starting XI and his returns have been on the up since the turn of the year (via Transfermarkt).

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The Danish striker has returned seven goals in the league thus far but six of those have come since the turn of the year in the space of 12 games.

Reports suggest his recent form in Italy has garnered him interest from other Premier League sides with both Arsenal and Newcastle United also believed to have him on their radars.

Hojlund has also carried his impressive form into the international break where he has netted five goals in their two games against Finland and Kazakhstan.

And this has seen the Danish press grow increasingly excited for the potential player their national side could have for the future with the outlet B.T. hailing him as "magic".

Everton now seem to be closing on their first signing of the January transfer window…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to issue an update on Frank Lampard’s pursuit of Arnaut Danjuma as the Toffees are in talks to sign the Villarreal sensation.

With the numerous clubs that had reportedly shown an interest in the Dutchman, this claim from the Italian journalist will be a welcome one for Evertonians who are yet to see their team make any steps into the market.

Romano wrote:

“Crucial hours for Danjuma’s future. He will make a decision very soon, Everton are in advanced position and working on clubs side with Villarreal to get it done.

“There are other clubs in the race, up to Danjuma — Everton have medical tests booked”.

The Spanish club hope to recover the bulk of the €20m (£18m) they spent to acquire him, but may have to wait for that payment.

“Pure magic” to Goodison

With all the unrest surrounding the club, it seems strange to see a glimmer of hope emerge from the misery.

Sitting joint-bottom of the table and in the midst of an ongoing feud between the fans and the board of directors, Everton is a club fragmented.

But, the addition of such a maverick presence like Danjuma could be the catalyst to repair these connections, hoping to bring back that winning feeling to Goodison Park that will allow him to thrive.

The 25-year-old has been described as able to “conjure moments of pure magic out of absolutely nothing” by journalist Casey Evans, which is something that could finally get fans excited about returning to their home ground once more.

This is a statement supported by his last season in England, where he tore up the Championship for AFC Bournemouth.

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Whilst scoring 15 and assisting seven, the trickster would also record 1.5 key passes per game as well as a 46% dribble success rate, as he was named in the division’s Team of the Season.

With this, he would earn his big move to Villarreal, where he translated that form into success in Spain. He would score a further 16 and assist four in all competitions on his way to a Champions League semi-final too.

With pedigree and ability beyond most in the Everton dressing room, Danjuma’s potential signing comes as a huge but welcome surprise.

He could truly be the one to return the feel-good factor to Goodison Park, with his magic ability in the final third, and hopefully be the saviour to drag them out of another relegation battle.

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has confirmed that Patrick Roberts could travel with the squad for the Championship fixture against Luton Town on Saturday after injury.

The Lowdown: Knock in training

Speaking to the media after his team’s 4-2 defeat against Burnley at the Stadium of Light last weekend, Mowbray confirmed that the 25-year-old had ‘picked up a knock in training’, meaning that he had to sit out the game.

The Black Cats boss added that he would have to see how the week develops before deciding whether to bring Roberts back into the squad for the trip to Kenilworth Road.

The Latest: Could travel

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match at the weekend, Mowbray has stated that both Roberts and Ellis Simms could travel with the Sunderland squad and play a part against Luton, after stepping up their recoveries from injury.

The 58-year-old said: “We hope Ellis will be back. He has felt it a bit on occasion, but he’s trained all week. When he does come back will be a huge boost for us.

“Patrick trained on Thursday and came through well. If there’s no reaction on his hamstring, he’ll travel for the game. It seemed more fatigue-based than an injury, but you always have to be careful with a hamstring issue. Burnley was too soon to risk him.”

The Verdict: Big boost for Sunderland

To have Roberts back in the squad along with Simms would be a big boost for Sunderland.

The former Manchester City winger had started the Black Cats’ previous eight games in the league before the defeat to Burnley, picking up two goals and one assist (Transfermarkt) as he established himself as a key player under Mowbray.

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Roberts currently ranks as Sunderland’s fifth-best performer in the Championship, ranking highly among his team-mates for average shots and key passes per match, while nobody at the club dribbles more than him per outing (WhoScored).

Adding him and Simms to the attack should give the Wearsiders a huge goal threat against Luton on Saturday, with the duo having netted five league goals between them so far this term.

Journalist Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express has heavily criticised West Ham United after a big exit development involving midfielder Nikola Vlasic.

The Lowdown: Hammers reach Vlasic agreement…

The east Londoners have agreed a deal to loan out the Croatia international to Serie A after a season of little opportunity under manager David Moyes.

Vlasic started just six Premier League games last season, playing just 555 minutes in total, with Moyes now green-lighting his departure.

Torino will take Vlasic on a temporary basis and it is believed the deal includes a roughly £15 million option to buy the attacker.

The Latest: Taylor slams ‘ridiculously poor’ Vlasic business…

Taking to social media, Taylor has slammed West Ham’s decision to let Vlasic go with Torino having the option to sign him permanently for half of what the east Londoners paid a year ago.

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He explained (via Twitter):

“This is ridiculously poor business from West Ham. Vlašić deserves a fair crack, makes zero sense to offload without a replacement – particularly for 50% of total outlay paid just one year ago.”

The Verdict: Correct?

Given Vlasic can really turn it on at his very best, as evidenced by his impressive numbers in the Russian top flight prior to joining West Ham, this could be seen as a hasty decision given the lack of replacement.

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Links currently surround the likes of Conor Gallagher as the Irons reportedly chase an attacking midfielder but allowing Vlasic to leave the London Stadium before officially bringing in a like-for-like heir through the door is certainly unwise, and could even lead to GSB once again paying over the odds with selling teams knowing they’re desperate.

Leeds United are making moves to sign a ‘Premier League centre-forward’, The Athletic’s Phil Hay reports. 

The lowdown

Leeds can now put their summer plans into action after confirming their Premier League status with a final-day victory over Brentford.

Jesse Marsch will be overseeing his first transfer window at Elland Road, having taken over from Marcelo Bielsa at the start of March.

They’ve already agreed a fee for RB Salzburg’s Brendan Aaronson, who’s consequently poised to be their first summer signing.

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The latest

In addition to Aaronson, Marsch wants to strengthen his defence and his frontline, reports Hay.

The club have been ‘working on’ a move for Aberdeen right-back Calvin Ramsay as well as a top-flight striker.

The verdict

Why do Leeds want to bolster their no. 9 options?

Well, Patrick Bamford may have enjoyed a fine 2020/21 campaign, scoring 17 goals and providing eight assists, but he was ravaged by injury this time around.

The Englishman spent three lengthy spells on the sidelines and was only able to start seven Premier League games.

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Leeds looked to Dan James to fill the void, but he’s predominantly a winger and he was only able to score four goals.

Joe Gelhardt is an option too, but perhaps the Whites are reluctant to potentially rely on the 20-year-old at this early stage of his career.

In other news, Phil Hay reacts to what he saw Raphinha do on Sunday.

Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino has emerged as an unlikely hero in recent weeks, popping up with some big goals in cup games – including a brace against Norwich City in the week – leading him to be dubbed a “new Luis Suarez” due to the former Kop hero’s history of also terrorising the Canaries.

The Japan international has netted a goal every 47 minutes this season in the Premier League, as well as a goal every 68 minutes in the FA Cup and every 77 minutes in the Carabao Cup – and it would be harsh to pin that all down to him mainly appearing off the bench when teams are already tired.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp labelled him “incredible” after the match in midweek, while experienced midfielder James Milner also gave him some high praise, saying: “What a guy, what a player. He’s patient. Every time he comes in and he delivers.

“He just carried on. He’s brilliant in training. Great temperament. I’m absolutely delighted for him.”

The performance should be enough for Klopp to decide on giving him more chances in the Premier League from the start, beginning with this evening’s game against West Ham, where he could really give Pablo Fornals and Aaron Cresswell nightmares should he be given the nod.

Statistically, Minamino is one of the best wingers in the world right now at pressing high and defending from the front, ranking in the top 1% in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for successful pressures with 7.88 per 90; and also for pressures in the middle third, with 12.82 per 90.

With an attack as good as Liverpool’s, it’s hard to pick a player to drop. However, one man who could benefit from a rest is Diogo Jota. The Portuguese forward has suffered a slight dip in form since his brace against Leicester in the second week of February, failing to register a goal or assist in his four games since.

The 25-year-old has featured in every single Liverpool league game since mid-October and covered well for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane while the star duo were at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Minamino’s recent form could provide Klopp with a good opportunity to not only rest Jota over the next few weeks, but also test out whether or not the 27-year-old can truly reach a new level of his game and put in some equally impressive performances in the Premier League with goals and assists.

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If the Japanese maestro carries his cup form into this evening’s clash and is given an overdue first league start of the campaign, he could terrorise West Ham’s backline.

In other news: Liverpool dealt big injury setback ahead of West Ham clash, fans surely gutted

As per 90min, West Ham United, and by extension head of recruitment Rob Newman, now have their eyes on another striking target in Flamengo star Gabriel Barbosa.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye striker move…

The Hammers have confirmed some major off-field developments over the last few months with Newman arriving to help oversee West Ham’s transfer activity and Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky investing into the club with his 27% minority stake.

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Both arrivals have been tipped to bolster manager David Moyes’ chances in January as Newman comes in with a plethora of experience in the market whilst Kretinsky’s arrival could also gift West Ham a small boost next window.

As such, the Irons could feasibly end their year-long search for a backup forward which has been ongoing since club record signing Sebastien Haller departed east London last winter.

They’ve been linked with many names, including the likes of Arthur Cabral and Adam Hlozek most prevalently in recent weeks, but some news has now emerged on West Ham and Newman could also swoop for.

The Latest: West Ham weigh offer for ‘big name’ Barbosa…

As per 90min transfer journalist Graeme Bailey, West Ham, and by extension their head of recruitment Newman, are one of the Premier League sides ‘considering a bid’ for Barbosa.

It is believed that the 25-year-old is eyeing a return to Europe and Bailey believes he could one of the ‘big names’ to move in January.

Agents are apparently weighing all options behind the scenes and West Ham have a ‘long standing’ interest in the prolific South American.

The Verdict: Ideal option?

Amid their serious links to FC Basel forward Cabral, news that Newman also has eyes on another in-form Brazilian certainly comes as enticing.

Scoring a career total of 129 at club level, Barbosa has certainly come on leaps and bounds since a largely regrettable spell at Inter Milan.

Indeed, the Flamengo man has since re-established himself on the international stage thanks to his stellar club form – last being selected for the Brazil squad in October.

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Barbosa’s brilliant record of 29 goals across all competitions in 2021 alone highlights his obvious ability, and at 25, Barbosa would even come with some potential to sell-on.

90min claim he is valued by Flamengo upwards of £30m but that could be a small price to pay for a striker so in-form and pushing for a January move away.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Siuuuu’, ‘Tears’…West Ham fans go wild as ‘massive’ off-field news comes to light, find out more here.

Alan Hutton has sung the praises of Robby McCrorie after the 23-year-old impressed in goal for Glasgow Rangers recently.

The Lowdown: Clean sheets

McCrorie has started in the last two games for the Ibrox outfit against Alashkert in the second leg of their Europa League qualifier, and at home in the Old Firm derby last weekend.

In those matches, he managed to keep two clean sheets, with the 0-0 draw at Alashkert followed up by the 1-0 win against bitter rivals Celtic (Sofascore rating of 7.4, the fourth-highest of any player on the day.

The Latest: Hutton on McCrorie

Speaking to Football Insider, former Rangers right-back Hutton hailed McCrorie after his impressive performances, and even went as far as to suggest that Steven Gerrard may decide against sending him out on loan again. The 36-year-old said:

“Gerrard will be very impressed with him.

“I think it was a little bit sink or swim for him, it was just left up to him with the two other experienced goalkeepers missing.

“He’s been out on loan, he’s had that experience and that’s led to his first Rangers game.

“The Old Firm game is different to anything else, but he’s taken it all in his stride and I thought it was an excellent performance.

“He stepped up and made some decent saves, so overall he must be very happy with his performance.

“Gerrard, Gary McAllister and those guys must be seeing what kind of goalkeeper that he’s capable of being in the future.

“They know that he can step up and be trusted. I’m really happy for him.

“To be able to go out in those situations and make big saves is bound to make him a better goalkeeper.”

The Verdict: Keep

After being sent out on loan to Berwick Rangers, Morton, Queen of the South and Livingston throughout his Gers career so far (Transfermarkt), McCrorie has shown that he can now perform for his parent club.

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With the seasoned pro of Allan McGregor as a role model, the 23-year-old should only benefit from watching the veteran stopper in training, hopefully getting more minutes on the pitch as the season progresses.

He should be kept at the club at all costs rather than farmed out on loan again, so long as he can continue putting in impressive displays for the first team.

In other news, Rangers may find it ‘difficult’ to keep this ace at Ibrox

If Rafa Benitez becomes the new manager of Everton football club then Farhad Moshiri and co should be wary of fan power.

Supporters have already been left dismayed by the club’s pursuit of the Spaniard but the Toffees aren’t pulling away from a deal just yet.

What’s the word?

Everton’s search for a new manager is now into its fourth week but at last, the hierarchy are on the verge of concluding a deal.

Last week it was reported by Jim White that they were incredibly close to announcing Benitez as the new boss but that has since been met with concern from supporters.

Unfortunately, the board appear to be unrelenting in their desire to hire the 61-year-old.

Another backer now includes Alisher Usmanov. The Standard reported on Wednesday that the Uzbek billionaire was a supporter of the controversial move to appoint Benitez.

Usmanov isn’t a shareholder on the board but his companies provide huge sums of money in sponsorship for Everton so his backing should be a worry for fans who are not in favour of Benitez being hired as their club’s nee manager.

Fans must be livid

Everton’s hunt for a new manager has been incredibly perplexing.

The Toffees were close to hiring former Wolves boss Nuno Santo but after talks stalled, they made their move for Benitez.

The 61-year-old famously dubbed the Merseyside outfit ‘small’ all the way back in 2007 and as a result, supporters have been keen to display their annoyance at the board for considering him.

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Benitez has won a Champions League and has multiple honours across the domestic scene in Europe so you can understand why he’s being considered from a CV point of view.

However, perhaps Moshiri ought to look towards what Chairman Bill Kenwright is keen on.

He initially had discussions with David Moyes but a move for the Scot is now off the table after he signed a new contract with West Ham United.

Kenwright has also been a fan of Roberto Martinez as they attempt to replace Carlo Ancelotti.

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The Belgium manager ended up losing his job in Merseyside during his first spell in charge of Everton but he knows the scenery and clearly still holds an excellent relationship with one of the club’s key board members.

Supporters may have grown tired of his stubborn tactics but at the moment, it feels like anyone would be preferable ahead of Benitez.

The trouble is, with major investors in Everton keen on seeing the former Liverpool manager arrive, Moshiri may not have much choice.

Hiring somebody else and watching them fail could leave to decreased sponsorship; something that could hurt the Toffees immensely from a financial point of view. This feels like a catch 22 situation.

AND in other news, Toffees may be hit with massive blow after Everton news emerges, Brands will be livid…