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According to The Sun, West Ham United are interested in signing Mohamed Bayo from Clermont Foot.

The Lowdown: Lack of depth upfront

Michail Antonio has had a fantastic start to the 2021/22 campaign, scoring six goals in just six matches in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

However, he is the only forward David Moyes has at his disposal after the Hammers failed to bring in another striker during the summer transfer window, leaving the Irons short on depth with four competitions on deck this season.

The Latest: Hammers eye Bayo

As per this latest report, the Irons are looking to bring in Bayo from Clermont.

Aged 23, the Ligue 1 outfit are looking for £10m to part ways with the Guinea international, but the forward’s departure to the Africa Cup of Nations in January may make things difficult.

The Verdict: New blood needed

Antonio’s performances for West Ham show he has what it takes to lead the line. He is the club’s record goalscorer in the Premier League with 51 strikes, with 26 coming in the last three terms, including this one.

However, given he has missed 26 games in the top flight over the past two full campaigns, Moyes can expect to lose him for parts of the term.

The lack of an adequate replacement will cause them problems, but Bayo could fill that hole.

In his last 71 matches, he has 40 goals, and has already found the back of the net four times in seven outings in Ligue 1 this time out. At 6 foot 2 he is a beast in the air, noted for his strong finishing and heading prowess by Whoscored, and so could offer a slightly different option to Antonio as a traditional target man and poacher.

£10m is hardly a huge fee either, and he could be exactly what Moyes needs if wants to continue to surf the crest of this West Ham wave.

In other news, the Hammers are looking at this Premier League striker.

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass is stunned that Jesse Lingard was not among the big-money movers on transfer deadline day.

Manchester United creative midfielder Lingard spent the second half of last season on loan with West Ham United and rediscovered his best form, scoring nine goals and adding five assists in 16 appearances.

Lingard has returned to Old Trafford following the temporary switch and only been handed four minutes of action so far this season.

West Ham boss David Moyes confirmed that he was still keen to make a late swoop for the 28-year-old, who is thought to be on £75,000-a-week at United, less than two weeks before the transfer window slammed shut.

Although the Red Devils put a £25million valuation on Lingard and appeared willing to sell, West Ham plumped for Croatia international Nikola Vlasic on deadline day instead.

Windass believes Lingard will be starved of action with his current employers, particularly following the return of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “I’m surprised he has stayed. Clearly, he didn’t want to go back to West Ham.

“There’s always discussions on the phone behind closed doors and if he had been on the phone to Moyes and said ‘I want to come back’, that deal would have been done. 

“Those discussions never took place and I’m very surprised. I can’t see Jesse getting a game at United.”

Taking to Twitter, journalist Toby Cudworth of 90min has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

The Lowdown: West Ham in summer striker hunt…

It is no secret that failing to sign a striker comes as possibly the only down side to what ended up being quite a productive transfer window.

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For the majority of the summer, West Ham had just Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris-Saint Germain to show for their efforts, but in the last hurdle, everything changed.

Indeed, manager David Moyes managed to bring in the likes of Kurt Zouma, Alex Kral and Nikola Vlasic very late on – but unfortunately for the Scotsman, his side are still without an alternative to Michail Antonio up front.

The Latest: Cudworth drops Hlozek transfer claim…

Writing on his social media, 90min’s Cudworth explains that West Ham still have their eyes on forward options even after the window’s closure.

One of the options linked with a summer move, exciting young Sparta striker Hlozek, is apparently still very much on GSB’s transfer radar as West Ham continue to scour the Czech Republic.

“WHUFC still very interested in teenage sensation Adam Hlozek, despite not making a move this summer,” explained the reporter.

“I have no doubt agents Soucek, Coufal and now Kral know their mission for current and future Czech international duties.”

The Verdict: Good option?

The teenage sensation, while coming as a very promising talent, can also hold on his own at senior level judging by his goalscoring record last year.

He bagged a quite incredible 15 goals and eight assists in just 19 Fortuna Liga appearances over 2020/2021 and has started this campaign equally well – netting three and assisting another two already (Transfermarkt).

Lauded as ‘extraordinary’ by agent Pavel Paska (Aktualne.cz), Hlozek comes as a very exciting target for West Ham and it will be interesting to see how January pans out.

In other news: ‘Unbelievable’, ‘This is the one’…BBC pundit in awe of what has happened at West Ham, find out more here.

Everton are unlikely to spend a seismic sum in the remaining weeks of the transfer window.

It’s a frustrating time for every supporter at Goodison Park who were keen on seeing a positive start under Rafa Benitez.

What’s the word?

The Toffees look set to miss out on Denzel Dumfries this summer with Inter Milan now leading the race to sign the Dutchman.

Unfortunately, Benitez and co face further competition to sign another of their main targets, Denis Zakaria.

The Switzerland midfielder was linked with a move to Everton courtesy of German journalist Christian Falk on Wednesday.

Taking to social media, he said: “Arsenal, Spurs, Everton are in talks for a transfer of Denis Zakaria (24). Competitors from Italy: Roma and Napoli.”

Currently of Borussia Monchengladbach, he is rated at £27m via Transfermarkt.

Their next Idrissa Gueye

Everton currently have two tough-tackling midfielders in their ranks in the form of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

However, not since Idrissa Gueye left for PSG in 2019 have they had a proper replacement.

The Senegal international has quickly become one of the most underrated defensive midfielders in European footballers, earning a move to the French giants after starring in the Premier League.

He is a mean tackler of the ball and during his final campaign in Merseyside, won a whopping 4.3 tackles per game and won 2.2 interceptions a match.

Those are phenomenal numbers for a player who has now shone in the Champions League for PSG as well.

Zakaria might not have the same sort of statistics but the numbers still dictate that he can do a similar job to Gueye at Goodison Park.

Described as a “rare talent” by GIFN editor, Kaustubh Pandey, he won as many as 2.1 tackles an outing in the 2019/20 Bundesliga.

With a pass success rate of 88% under his belt too, Everton would clearly be in very safe hands if they lured the 24-year-old to English football.

He has plenty of room to grow and would add plenty to Benitez’s midfield.

AND in other news, Benitez closes in on Everton’s 4th summer signing, fans must be angry…

An update has emerged on Celtic defender Leo Hjelde, regarding Leeds’ interest in the teenage prospect.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, Leeds United have opened talks with Leo Hjelde over a move to Elland Road from Celtic, with his contract at the Scottish club expiring next summer.

The report does not state whether Leeds are attempting to sign him in the current window or if they are prepared to wait and land him for a compensation fee in 2022.

Fans would be fuming

Ange Postecoglou must avoid a nightmare scenario with Hjelde over the next 12 months. He cannot allow the young defender to join Leeds without, at least, putting up a fight.

The Australian boss must work hard with the club to pin the teenager down to a new contract by offering potential first-team football and higher wages to convince him to turn Leeds down and stay in Scotland.

There is no need for Hjelde to rush into a Premier League move as Celtic have proven to be a good pathway for players in recent years.

The Hoops have sold the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Kieran Tierney, Fraser Forster and Victor Wanyama to the English top-flight, with Kristoffer Ajer becoming the latest export following his transfer to Brentford earlier this month.

The young defender played 11 games on loan at Ross County in the Scottish Premiership last season, averaging a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.47. However, his performances are nothing to worry about at such a young age and it is only worth taking note of the fact he played 11 games, as it shows that his manager was willing to trust him despite his inexperience.

Earlier this year, County boss John Hughes made a bold claim that Hjelde is going to be the next Van Dijk, with the Dutchman now at Liverpool. He said:

“Leo is going to be the next Van Dijk – trust me on that.

“The quality he has shown, the physical challenge, playing real men’s football and standing up to it – it’s been a wonderful experience for Leo.

“Before he came, Leeds United were after him. I think he had to sign an extension to his contract for the loan to go through.”

Therefore, fans would be gutted if Celtic allowed the 17-year-old powerhouse to depart easily, as he could be the next star player on the production line.

Instead of selling him or watching him run down his contract, the Hoops could offer him first-team opportunities in the hope that he grasps them and does become the next Van Dijk.

Postecoglou must do all he can to keep him, or he’ll be facing fury from the Celtic Park faithful…

AND in other news, Celtic must axe £14k-p/w beast whose career is in “freefall”, his time’s up…

The Transfer Tavern’s EFL spy reckons that a move to Fulham could interest Sheffield United striker Lys Mousset.

The Frenchman has spent the previous five seasons in England with Bournemouth and the Blades but has managed a less than inspiring goal return of just 11 in more than 100 appearances, although nine of those came in the Premier League.

Last season, Mousset played just 342 minutes across all competitions for the United, which would suggest he’s surplus to requirements at Bramall Lane, especially with a host of strikers available to Slavisa Jokanovic’s disposal.

On the other hand, Jokanovic’s former side, Fulham, don’t have many attacking options, with Aleksander Mitrovic their only recognised number nine in their squad after Josh Maja returned to France following his loan spell from January.

Mousset joined Sheffield United in £10m deal two years ago, which was a club-record fee, but with just 12 months remaining on his current contract, the Cottagers would surely be able to sign him for considerably less.

When asked whether the 25-year-old could be an option for Marco Silva, the EFL insider exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“Mousset is still struggling at Sheffield United, but he’s still a very good technician who might fancy the bright lights of London instead of Sheffield United.”

The Nuno Santo era at Tottenham Hotspur got off to the most perfect start as they began the new Premier League season with a bang.

Spurs defeated defending champions Manchester City in North London to hand the Portuguese head coach his first win in his first competitive game in charge.

The visitors’ boss Pep Guardiola started £100m summer signing Jack Grealish but left some big names like Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and John Stones on the bench.

It was Heung-min Son who stepped up in the absence of Harry Kane to fire Spurs to the victory in the 55th minute. A long ball over the top found a rampaging Steven Bergwijn, who ran from deep before feeding the South Korean attacker.

He ran on through, Ake backed off, Dias caused havoc and Son angled the ball past Ederson from the edge of the area – a neat, rapid counter-attack.

The 29-year-old, who committed to the club for the long-term during the off-season, will reap plenty of plaudits, as will young Hotspur Way youth product Japhet Tanganga who kept £150m-worth of talent in Grealish and Raheem Sterling at bay throughout his time on the pitch.

He would go onto earn Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville’s ‘Man of the Match’ award.

However, there was another name who deserves just as much credit as the aforementioned Spurs duo as he was largely an unsung hero throughout the shock victory.

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Lucas Moura, who has been linked with an exit from the club throughout the summer transfer window, was electric on the right flank and proved to be a constant thorn in Guardiola’s side.

Aside from Son, the Brazilian winger garnered the highest rating of any Spurs attacker by SofaScore (7.0), which was more than Dele Alli (6.2) and Steven Bergwijn (6.7).

Not only did he contribute in the final third, where he completed five of his eight dribbling attempts, recorded three shots in total, and provided a squad-high three key passes but he also managed to do an industrious job defensively, too.

Also per SofaScore, the £18m-rated dynamo chipped in with a further three clearances, one interception and one tackle. He also won a whopping 14 duels in total, giving Benjamin Mendy a horrible afternoon at left-back as the Frenchman was graded a shocking 6.5 and that is rather generous for his overall display.

It’s no wonder that Moura has been described as a “nightmare” to play against by teammate and centre-back Eric Dier.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick handed the former PSG star an eight out of ten and lauded him for a “menacing display of direct running”, whilst Alasdair Gold at football.london handed him a slightly better rating of nine and claimed:  He was a constant thorn in the side of City and it was his clever touch to Bergwijn that started the move for Son’s 55th minute goal’ before adding: ‘He was one of Spurs’ best players on the day.’

Indeed he was and that’s why Moura was one of Nuno’s massively unsung heroes on the day.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Sissoko: Spurs eye major midfield upgrade…

Liverpool could land a significant upgrade on Xherdan Shaqiri over the coming months after being linked with a move for Juventus forward Federico Chiesa.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Reds have made contact with the Serie A giants over a possible move for the 23-year-old this summer.

Chiesa spent last season on loan at Juve from Fiorentina, but the Old Lady are set to make the move permanent in a €60m (£51.44m) deal after being impressed by the youngster.

The report states that Jurgen Klopp’s charges lead a group of Premier League clubs interested in acquiring the Italy international’s services, with an asking price possibly exceeding €80m (£68.6m) mooted for the winger, who is valued at £63m by Transfermarkt.

Huge upgrade on Shaqiri

Despite the extensive speculation surrounding Chiesa’s future, it’s also believed that Juventus have no plans to either back out of signing the highly-rated talent or let him leave once the deal has been completed.

Nevertheless, Liverpool’s director of football Michael Edwards is a notoriously astute negotiator, so a potential deal could still be on the cards.

After arriving at the Allianz Stadium 12 months ago, Chiesa has showcased his world-class potential on a regular basis, bagging 15 goals and providing 11 assists in 46 appearances for Juve throughout 2020/21.

His addition to Klopp’s ranks would be a much-welcomed one after the 19-time English champions suffered in front of goal last term.

The usually dependable duo of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino suffered a significant drop-off in form, while their backups Divock Origi and Shaqiri failed to adequately replace them.

In fact, since the beginning of the 2019/20 campaign, Shaqiri has only contributed one goal and two assists in 20 top-flight appearances, highlighting the upgrade Liverpool would be getting should Chiesa make the switch to Merseyside.

After finishing a whopping 17 points behind champions Manchester City in the 2020/21 campaign, the Anfield outfit are expected to be in the market for several signings, and bringing in Chiesa would be a serious statement of intent.

Targetting a player described as “extraordinary” by Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann should certainly excite the club’s supporters, but it remains to be seen whether Liverpool can afford the Euro 2020-winning forward.

In other news… Liverpool plot big-money bid for “complete” £60m machine, Jurgen Klopp will be elated 

Aston Villa forward Jack Grealish has dropped a hint suggesting he could be open to a move away from Villa Park this summer.

What’s been said?

In recent comments cited by The Sun, the 25-year-old revealed that the ultimate goal of his professional footballing career is to win the Champions League at club level, as well as the World Cup or the European Championship with England at international level.

The winger’s remarks come following a number of reports suggesting that Grealish is set for a £100m move to Manchester City this summer, with talkSPORT going as far as to claim that the deal is as good as done.

The Aston Villa star said: “My ultimate goal? It’s got to be a trophy, hasn’t it? I want to win either the Champions League or a major trophy with England, the Euros or the World Cup.

“Obviously, the World Cup would be iconic, wouldn’t it? But I think the Euros is just as good. And then at club level, to win a Champions League.

“My best mate here, [Ben Chilwell], has come off the back of winning [the Champions League]. But yeah, I’ve got to say one of them – winning the Champions League or winning the World Cup or the Euros. So fingers crossed.”

Villa fans will be gutted

Considering just how important Grealish has been for Aston Villa since making his breakthrough with the club, both the 25-year-old’s links with a move away from Villa, as well as his recent admission of wanting to win the Champions League, is likely to have left fans of club gutted.

Indeed, while the Villans do very much appear to be a team on the up under the leadership of Dean Smith, finishing last season in 11th place in the Premier League, as well as having already made something of a statement signing in Emi Buendia this summer, even the most optimistic of Villa supporters is not likely to think that winning the Champions League is a realistic ambition for the club any time soon.

And, considering the fact that Grealish is being heavily linked with a team who reached the final of the competition last season, unfortunately for Villa, it would seem as if all things do indeed point to the England international linking up with Pep Guardiola’s side this summer.

In other news: Lange must sanction Villa swoop for “phenomenal” £45m-rated beast who Smith would love

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in contact over the signing of Miralem Pjanic in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Midfielders wanted

Spurs have recently been linked with moves for the likes of Manuel Locatelli and Franck Kessie, suggesting that they are looking for a new central midfielder to join up with squad.

Nuno Espirito Santo will want to mark the start of his reign with some exciting new additions, and duly get the fans on his side immediately.

The Latest: Pjanic contact

As per AS (via Sport Witness), the north London club have been in contact over the signing of Pjanic, who Fabio Paratici knows well from their mutual time at Juventus.

However, the Bosnia international would prefer a move back to Italy from Barcelona, but there have been no offers from clubs in Serie A as of yet.

The Verdict: Avoid

While Pjanic has had a great footballing career thus far, playing in 80 games in the Champions League for the likes of Barca, Juve and AS Roma, he is 31 years of age now, and Spurs should be targeting a player with more legs who can get around the pitch, especially given the physical demands of the Premier League.

Former Premier League striker Noel Whelan recently described Pjanic as an ‘amazing’ player (Football Insider), which he has been over the past few years, but Tottenham really should be looking at younger targets, ideally with experience of playing in English football.

In other news, find out what big Toby Alderweireld claim has been made