All posts by n8rngtd.top

West Ham set to join Edouard race

According to a report by the Daily Star, West Ham are set to push for Celtic star Odsonne Edouard before the end of January – with GSB now potentially about to join the race for a striker also currently linked with a move to Leicester City (talkSPORT).

Edouard, who has debatably been one of Celtic’s only positive points this season, still managing to net seven goals in 12 SPFL starts despite the Hoops currently being some way off arch-rivals Rangers, is now attracting even more interest – this time from West Ham.

West Ham set to join Edouard race

As per the Daily Star, David Moyes is ‘desperate’ to sign a forward this month, with the club now turning to Edouard as a solution and they are expected to push for him in a late January move.

However, while this report claims that the 23-year-old is yearning for a Premier League switch and ‘fancies’ a move to London in particular, it doesn’t appear to be for a transfer ti the Irons.

Indeed, Edouard is apparently more keen on English capital rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, but that is only his ideal scenario – with a move to West Ham seemingly not ruled out.

Given the fact Celtic are ‘ready’ to ‘cash in now’ for the correct bid, and that both north London clubs won’t be able to move until summer, West Ham could hold a slender hope in potentially signing him.

As a result, GSB are reportedly set to attempt a swoop before the closure of this transfer window, with Moyes reportedly having him watched north of the border on several occasions.

Transfer Tavern take

Recently described by Hoops boss Neil Lennon as ‘magnificent’ after a 3-0 win over Hamilton in December (Glasgow Live), it’s little wonder why Moyes is keen – especially taking into account his excellent goal tally over 2020/2021 (WhoScored).

However, a late swoop may prove difficult – with it being hard to imagine GSB forking out his £35 million price tag.

In other news: West Ham have been ‘offered’ this striker, Di Canio is a huge fan…find out more here.

Aston Villa to snub January transfer move for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard

According to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans, Aston Villa won’t be pursuing a move for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard in the January transfer window.

Johan Lange won’t pay up

Reports over the summer suggested that the Frenchman was a potential target for Dean Smith’s side, with Celtic boss Neil Lennon admitting that he was hopeful he would stay at Parkhead.

In the end, Edouard stayed put, and Evans now claims that Villa won’t be reigniting their interest in the centre-forward when the January transfer window opens in just over a week’s time.

Although it’s claimed that Villa will look to be proactive, they “are not expected to spend the sort of money that would be required to sign” Edouard, and that’s a major mistake from Johan Lange.

Smith must be fuming

Given the incredible start Villa have enjoyed to the Premier League season, Smith will surely feel he’s done more than enough to see the club’s owners and sporting director to release some of the club’s transfer warchest.

The Midlands club currently find themselves in ninth place, but were they to win both their games in hand on those sides above them in the table, would be just three points off leaders Liverpool.

Ollie Watkins has proven to be a masterstroke of a signing since his arrival from Brentford, bagging eight goals in 15 games. And whilst the Englishman has led the line superbly, bringing in Edouard in January would strengthen Villa’s firepower up top no end.

He’s fired in nine goals in 19 matches for Celtic, and the man described as a “special talent” would significantly boost Villa’s chances of breaking up the Premier League’s big six and finishing in a European place this season.

If it comes to the end of the season, and Villa miss out because they didn’t strengthen up front, then Smith would understandably be furious with those in charge at the club.

Meanwhile, Villa must desperately sell this £40k-p/w flop, Dean Smith has “seen enough”.

Glasgow Rangers dodged a bullet in Royal Antwerp winger Manuel Benson

Ross Wilson dodged a massive bullet by not signing Manuel Benson in the summer after it emerged that Glasgow Rangers were reportedly eyeing up a move for the Royal Antwerp winger.

According to a report at the time from The Daily Record, Rangers were ‘exploring’ a swoop for the Belgian as Steven Gerrard tried to stop Celtic winning ten titles in a row.

Wilson sought to bolster Gerrard’s firepower last year by plotting a double raid on the Belgian top-flight as it seems the Gers were also considering a bid for former Stoke City and West Brom striker Saido Berahino at the same time.

However, they soon cooled their interest after the arrivals of Ianis Hagi and Kemar Roofe.

It would have been a challenge for Rangers to acquire the services of Benson, anyway, as his boss Ivan Leko was reluctant to sell his prized asset.  Yet it appears they have dodged a bullet in doing so given his struggles this season thus far.

Benson, who is a former teammate of Hagi, has previously been praised by his national coach Johan Walem for being part of a “talented” group of Belgian youngsters before the U21 European Championships last year.

However, it’s fair to say that he has struggled to hit the ground running this season, as goals have been hard to come by during an injury-disrupted campaign. Benson spent a brief spell on the sidelines and has yet to score since the 3-1 win at home to Ludogorets in the Europa League.

The 23-year-old has provided two goals and two assists in 24 appearances across all competitions for Antwerp, via Transfermarkt.

Leko has recently taken to benching the former Belgium U21 international in an attempt to trigger a reaction, with Benson being left on the bench as an unused substitute on seven occasions in the Belgian top-flight so far.

He has even suffered the ignominy of being dropped from the matchday squads as he was left out of the sides to face Waasland-Beveren and RSC Charleroi before the turn of the year, so the Gers can count themselves lucky they decided against signing the misfiring £1.5m-rated ace.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers dealt huge injury blow after Old Firm clash with Celtic…

Barry Bannan stars in shock Sheff Weds win

Sheffield Wednesday caused one of the shocks of the Championship season so far on Tuesday night as they downed a promotion favourite to move one step closer to safety.

Substitute striker Jordan Rhodes came off the bench to score a 90th-minute winner for Neil Thompson’s Owls side at AFC Bournemouth. The victory moved them up into the final relegation place, just three points behind Birmingham with a game in hand, too.

The severity of the result was seen after full-time as the home side sacked their manager, Jason Tindall.

ExaminerLive’s Dom Howson rated Keiren Westwood as his ‘Man of the Match’ in his post-match ratings, grading him an 8/10. He wrote: ‘Pulled off a string of fine saves after the break to frustrate Bournemouth.’

This echoed the thoughts of several of the Hillsborough faithful who were watching from home: one supporter dubbed him the “best keeper in the league” whilst another claimed the veteran continues to prove Garry Monk wrong.

While his influence was vital – especially with that last-minute save to seal the win – it was another Owls star who ran the show on the night.

Barry Bannan was as influential as ever as Wednesday’s captain in the heart of the engine room.

No Owls player was as involved as much as the Scotsman. He recorded 56 touches, ten more than any other visiting starter on the night.

He also made one key pass, proving to be as creative as ever, and won 75% of his duels, meaning he had the better of the likes of Jack Wilshere and Lewis Cook, and put in three tackles, via SofaScore.

Industrious.

Bannan topped the charts for tackles in this match, so he clearly had a major influence on dictating the play and thwarting whatever the Cherries threw at them during the 90 minutes.

Not even central defensive duo Tom Lees and Sam Hutchinson combined for as many as the 31-year-old’s three, as per SofaScore.

The midfield beast, who is valued at £1.8m by Transfermarkt, has started all 26 of the Owls’ league outings and it’s hardly a surprise given the impact he has on this team.

He was Thompson’s star man once again as he stole the show on the south coast.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Palmer drops Sheffield Wednesday manager claim

Tottenham Hotspur: Darren Bent raves over Harry Kane’s form

Tottenham star Harry Kane is former Spurs man Darren Bent’s top pick for Player of the Month for October.

Kane has helped the Lilywhites climb to third in the Premier League with seven games played.

Bent’s thoughts on Harry Kane

Bent spoke to Give Me Sport, saying: “I’d have to probably go for Harry Kane you know. He’s got a lot of goals as well but the assists is the one. You know what I mean? He’s not been renowned.

“He’s always been technically very good, but his range of passing at the minute. He’s got eyes in the back of his head and other players are benefiting from that, which is probably why Spurs are doing so well.

“He’s dropping into an area where he’s really intelligent. He’s dropping into that number ten role knowing that one of the defenders has to come with him. That’s just leaving space. If you talk about the whole round package goals and assists, I’ll have to go with Harry Kane.”

Does the forward deserve the award?

Kane has had a phenomenal start to the season, picking up the best average rating across the 2020/21 campaign so far with an 8.26 rating (SofaScore). October continued to follow in the same suit as he scored three assists in England’s top flight.

He has really adapted his game in 2020/21, adding a lot of assists to his name and becoming a playmaker while continuing what has always been his finest trait – his goalscoring.

Bent isn’t the first pundit to drool over the striker’s displays so far, as Noel Whelan was in awe of the Englishman too: “He seems like he is coming back into his best form. If Tottenham are going to push that top four they need Harry Kane in that sort of form. He makes a huge difference to that side when he is in the groove.”

Win a shirt of your choice! Vote for your Player of the Month for October here! 

West Ham United: Hammers still maintain transfer interest in Brentford’s Said Benrahma

West Ham United have only signed two players so far this transfer window, and with the international window now shut, they will have to look domestically for any late additions.

Due to this, recents reports suggest they are still pursuing a player that they have been interested throughout the summer in the shape of Said Benrahma.

The Mirror has reported that the Hammers are still interested in the Championship winger, but they face competition for his signature. Fellow Premier League sides and London rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Crystal Palace are also monitoring the situation.

The deadline for transfers between Premier League and EFL sides is the 16th October. This means the Irons still have time to make a move for the player.

There is no doubting the terrific campaign Benrahma had last season for the Bees as he scored 17 goals and also picked up eight assists, per WhoScored. He looked a menace for opposition defences as he managed on average 3.8 shots, 2.1 key passes and a whopping 3 dribbles per game.

The fact that sides like Chelsea and Arsenal are interested in the 25 year-old highlights his huge potential. Therefore supporters should be excited that West Ham are also tracking him. His manager Thomas Frank clearly loves having the player at his club too, as he called him ‘magnificent’ earlier this year.

For now no bid has been made, but Felipe Anderson moved to FC Porto on loan, whilst academy prospect Grady Diangana’s departure to West Bromwich Albion left many annoyed, including captain Mark Noble.

This means the winger position is lacking depth, and the signing of Benrahma would both improve that position and also please the Irons fan base following their frustrations throughout the summer.

West Ham fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Let us know down below!

Glasgow Rangers: West Ham set to make offer for James Tavernier

According to TEAMtalk, West Ham United are considering a bid for Glasgow Rangers captain James Tavernier.

As the transfer deadline closes in, the Hammers remain in need of defensive reinforcements, and Tavernier has been pinpointed as one of the men who could help them in that department.

Steven Gerrard would fight to keep the right-back, of course, but the Irons are set to test the Ibrox outfit’s resolve with an offer.

The 28-year-old could hardly have hoped for a better start to the season north of the border. In his first 11 games in all competitions, he has scored six times, whilst he has created a further four. That now leaves his career total for the 54-time Scottish champions at 52 strikes and 78 assists – there are few defenders who could claim to have anything close to that kind of output.

Currently valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, Tavernier still has two years left on his contract with the Gers and, as the armband indicates, he is an influential figure at the club. West Ham would likely need to make a significant bid to convince Steven Gerrard and co to part ways – it remains to be seen whether they do just that.

Let us know what you think below!

Spurs: Recent Mourinho comment could spell trouble for Serge Aurier

Jose Mourinho delivered a rather interesting take on Japhet Tanganga’s current situation within the club. Speaking in his press conference ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Ludogorets, the boss admitted that he doesn’t view the 21-year-old as a typical centre-back option.

“For me he’s a full-back,” Mourinho said. “Can he play centre-back? Yes he can, of course he can, and he will if we need and we will need.”

The Spurs manager touches on the idea that he will call upon Tanganga if and when the team require him to play centrally. However, if there was ever a time they might need him, it would be now. But despite Toby Alderweireld’s injury, Mourinho appears happy with the options he has in Eric Dier, Joe Rodon and Davinson Sanchez.

Tanganga is an incredibly versatile defender and can play anywhere across the back four. Being able to play at both left and right-back is a valuable asset for Spurs, but could now put a lot of pressure on Serge Aurier.

The Ivorian continued to be linked with a move away to AC Milan following the closure of the summer transfer window following the arrival of summer signing Matt Doherty. However, between Aurier and a player in the same position who is six years his junior, it’s all but clear where Mourinho will place his focus.

Tanganga has a lot of potential to become a key player for Spurs and with the former first choice right-back already linked to an exit, the cards don’t look good for him. Indeed, Aurier is contracted with the club until 2022, but if he loses his value in the team, Daniel Levy will start weighing up his options.

The defender is currently valued at £14.4million and could bring in a handsome amount if he is to leave in either January or the summer. But if his current deal is left to tick down after this, panic will set in. Spurs will then be scrambling to land a sale before he is eligible to negotiate pre-contract terms. But however they choose to do their business, it looks highly unlikely that there will be much room for Aurier at Spurs once Doherty returns from injury and Tanganga continues to impress.

In other news, Ryan Sessegnon on-loan form could spell trouble for Ben Davies…

Glasgow Rangers: Journalist confirms club interest in Josh Maja

Earlier this week, Glasgow Rangers were linked with Bordeaux striker Josh Maja, and supporters of the Scottish side were excited by this rumour. Now they might be about to get even happier following the latest update on the forward.

French football journalist Hanif Berkane was speaking to WebGirondins and talking about the possible transfer, and he said: “For Maja, it’s very real. I think that if Lille have made official the transfer of Morelos, the offer will quickly arrive on Bordeaux’s desk”

Alfredo Morelos looks likely to be heading to Lille, and it looks like Maja could be the number one replacement on Steven Gerrard’s list following Berkane’s quotes.

The former Sunderland man is only 21, per Transfermarkt, but is showing glimpses that he can perform in a top league as he has managed nine goals in 31 appearances for the French side.

He is seen as more of a substitute at the moment as he has only started eight times, per WhoScored, so to be still picking up goals does highlight the potential he has. Added to that, he also scored 17 goals for Sunderland before leaving, so has 26 first team goals in 80 appearances across his time at both clubs.

Transfermarkt value the Nigerian at £5.67 million, and if Glasgow Rangers get the £20 million that they want for Morelos, then they may be able to acquire the player and even buy another forward if necessary as it is going to be very hard to replace the Colombian who managed 77 goals in only 137 games.

Maja is young, showing potential and looks to be quite prolific, so he could be a very decent striker for the Scottish side to sign this summer.

Glasgow Rangers fans, would you like Maja? Comment below!

Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs interested in Cherries ace Callum Wilson amid interest from Premier League rivals

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Callum Wilson from Bournemouth this summer, according to Sky Sports as relayed by Ricky Sacks. 

Recent reports revealed Tottenham are leading the race to sign the Cherries ace, although Daniel Levy will face a transfer battle with Premier League rivals Newcastle United and West Ham if he wishes to secure his signature.

After his side finished in the top six on the final day of the campaign, Jose Mourinho is preparing for his first summer window in charge of Spurs as he turns his attention to next season.

Levy has insisted he will not be spending “rivers of money” in the summer so Mourinho has a tough task on his hands as he will have to hunt for bargains, look for free agents and sort out swap deals to improve his squad.

Wilson was widely tipped to move to north London last year as reports suggested Mauricio Pochettino was preparing an £80m swoop for two Bournemouth players. As a move failed to materialise, Mourinho wants to succeed where his predecessor could not, as he is determined to get his man before the start of next season.

The Cherries have rejected any attempts to sign their star striker in the past but they are now in a precarious position as they have been relegated to the Championship.

The England international earns wages worth £110,000-a-week and he may have to take a considerable pay cut if he wants to remain in the Premier League. In comparison, Harry Kane is one of the club’s highest-paid earners with his latest contract earning him £200,000 per week.

Wilson, 28, has struggled for goals this season, as he has only scored eight times in the English top flight, having managed nearly double that total last year.

Will he want to play second fiddle to Kane? That remains to be seen, as this is a problem that has plagued Spurs for several years. Eddie Howe’s side will sell the forward for £20m as they seek to get rid of his salary as soon as possible.

The 26-year-old’s absence showed the Lilywhites lack real depth in the striking department and they must find suitable cover and competition for their talisman at all costs.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Wilson in the summer? Let us know down below!

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