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Many West Ham United fans are far from happy after reliable club insider ExWHUemployee revealed that there is a long way to go before the Hammers complete a move for Alphonse Areola.

The Irons enjoyed a magnificent 2020/21 campaign as they finished sixth in the Premier League, which means they will be competing in the Europa League this season. However, they have not had the best transfer window so far, with no new senior additions brought in this summer.

West Ham have been linked with a move for Areola, but while they are still in for the goalkeeper, ExWHUemployee tweeted in response to a supporter’s query about the 28-year-old: “That is still on. But still some distance to go if it is completed”.

Given that Areola is one of nine goalkeepers on the books at Paris Saint-Germain, it should not be so hard to complete an agreement.

ExWHUemployee’s update about the French ‘keeper attracted plenty of attention from West Ham supporters, many of whom were glum over how the transfer link is progressing.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the update on Areola

“That’s that then, gonna expect 0 signings for the Newcastle game, hopefully be surprised”

Credit: @Irons_Stuff

“Couldn’t negotiate our way out of a paper bag”

Credit: @WestHam_Central

“This club is genuine depression”

Credit: @1bbyWHU

“Looking forward to 12th place this season”

Credit: @HeadshotsStocks

“Living in Spain without the S”

Credit: @TalkinWestHam

“This is the most easy case when club agrees and player wants to join, yet the board can take such a long time. They just want the biggest advantage only and make things difficult”

Credit: @soosweeseng0706

In other news, many West Ham fans were unhappy over this transfer bid.

Leeds United and Southampton have been linked with a move for Blackburn Rovers right-back Ryan Nyambe, The 72 report.

The Lowdown: Nyambe profiled

Nyambe, described as a player with ‘great acceleration’, is 24 years of age and has progressed through the academy at Ewood Park.

The Namibia international is primarily a right-back who can also turn out at centre-back and has made 190 appearances for the club – 21 of which have come this season.

His current deal is set to expire at the end of June, with Nyambe sharing the same agency as Leeds duo Adam Forshaw and Charlie Cresswell.

The Latest: Leeds keen

The 72 shared a story on Wednesday afternoon, revealing Rovers could cash in on Nyambe this month, with Elland Road and St Mary’s named as possible destinations.

Rovers would want £3m for the defender, a fee surely affordable to Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers group, while Leeds are also linked with a move for striker Ben Brereton-Diaz.

The Verdict: Not needed

Marcelo Bielsa has Luke Ayling, Stuart Dallas, youngster Cody Drameh and even Jamie Shackleton as right-back options at Elland Road, so a fifth choice doesn’t seem pivotal this month.

Leeds have other transfer issues to address more urgently too, with Victor Orta after two midfielders over the coming weeks following Kalvin Phillips’ long-term hamstring injury.

Should they get two in, then perhaps a cut-price move for the versatile Nyambe could be looked at, but for now, Radrizzani and co have bigger fish to fry in order to bolster their chances of Premier League survival.

In other news: Orta now eyeing Leeds move for 6 ft 3 beast who stopped Ronaldo; he’s keen on a January switch.

According to reports out of Spain, West Ham United and by extension manager David Moyes have set their sights on Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic as the Galacticos reportedly make a decision on the player’s future.

The Lowdown: West Ham set for interesting summer?

As the Hammers now become outside contenders for a top four place, with London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal seemingly in better positions, their pull in the next transfer window could hinge on whether they qualify for the Europa League or if they even go on to win the competition this season.

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Moyes has reportedly earmarked the signings of a centre-half and striker as major priorities for the club, with moves attempted in the winter, including for the likes of Darwin Nunez (Benfica) and Duvan Zapata (Atalanta).

As those transfers failed to come to fruition, West Ham must now look to the summer in an effort to boost Moyes’ options for 2022/23, with news now surfacing on a brand-new striker target in Galacticos forward Jovic.

The Latest: West Ham ‘fight’ for Jovic…

As per Spanish sources, West Ham and Moyes are eyeing a move for the Serbia international, who is allegedly ‘fed up’ with life at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid, who are also eager to see him leave the capital, are ‘looking for the Balkan striker’s exit’ as the Irons ‘fight’ for his signature alongside their Premier League top-four competitors Spurs and Arsenal.

In addition, with both player and club eager to see Jovic depart, this report claimed that ‘all roads reach an imminent agreement’ with any interested club willing to negotiate.

Indeed, it seems that if West Ham take their interest further, a quick-fire summer deal could be on the cards.

The Verdict: Make a move?

Jovic’s return for Eintracht Frankfurt points towards a striker with much ability when at the very peak of his powers. The 24-year-old notched a brilliant 17 goals and five assists over 25 Bundesliga starts in the 2018/19 season, perhaps illustrating why West Ham and Moyes have set their sights on him.

In more recent times, during Jovic’s brief return to Frankfurt on loan last year, their ex-manager Adi Hutter lavished the forward with praise, branding him a ‘world-class’ player after a brace against Schalke 04.

Still fairly young, and reportedly on the market for around €30m (£25m), West Ham could give Jovic a new lease of life in the English top flight and take advantage of Real Madrid’s willingness to strike a quick agreement.

In other news: Blow for Moyes as journalist says ‘underrated’ West Ham ace is now ‘ready to leave’, find out more here.

West Ham ended their Europa League with their first defeat of the competition as Dinamo Zagreb recorded a 1-0 victory at the London Stadium on Thursday evening.

David Moyes’ much-rotated and youthful-looking Irons outfit were badly let down by some of the team’s senior stars, most notably Andriy Yarmolenko, who disappointed with yet another lacklustre diasterclass.

His time in the claret and blue is surely creeping towards an end, if it wasn’t already. The 32-year-old dud has no right to still be at the club, particularly with him raking in the second-highest amount of wages at £115k-per-week.

Furthermore, having picked up 106 caps for Ukraine, he would have been expected to be a leader as many of the club’s academy prospects featured, including Jamal Baptiste, Sonny Perkins and Harrison Ashby.

It was the former Borussia Dortmund star who was at fault for the Croatian’s only goal of the game. He did absolutely nothing to thwart Mislav Orsic as he cut inside to make the Hammers’ young backline pay with a sensational strike from range.

‘Still can’t kick with his right foot’ and ‘lazy’ is exactly how football.london reporter Tom Clark described Yarmolenko after the game, whilst it is a rather telling tale that it was Moyes’ 17-year-old striker shouting at the veteran to actually move whilst still on the pitch.

His lack of influence was reflected by the fact that he recorded fewer touches (24) than any starter for either team. Even West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola managed 27 touches, with substitute Said Benrahma (36) also eclipsing the Ukraine international with ease, too.

Similarly, the versatile 6 foot 2 attacker managed only nine successful passes, comfortably the worst of the Irons’ starting XI. Again, Benrahma doubled this tally in half the time, having come on after the break. He also failed with all three of his crossing attempts, echoing Clark’s comments on his poor delivery on the right flank.

As revealed by the Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser, who even dubbed him “shocking”, Yarmolenko was even booed off by sections of the London Stadium faithful.

On a night where the result did not matter, that reaction is damning.

Not only was the 32-year-old lazy and uninterested but he was also weak and rather lightweight, having lost four of his seven duels (57%), on top of losing possession 11 times from his 25 touches – once every 2.3 touches, as per SofaScore.

With January fast approaching, it could be time to finally offload the wretched £18m signing. He badly betrayed Moyes and the fanbase this week.

AND in other news, David Moyes dealt triple West Ham blow as injuries pile up…

Leeds United are eyeing a January transfer move for Middlesbrough midfielder Marcus Tavernier, with Victor Orta said to be a big fan of the player.

What’s the story?

According to TEAMtalk, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have joined the chase for the 22-year-old, with the likes of Southampton, Burnley and Brighton all having watched him closely among Premier League suitors.

The report added that Orta is a confirmed fan of the player, having overseen his rise during his time at the Riverside Stadium a few years ago.

Could be Leeds’ own Mason Mount

With the ability to play out wide on either flank, and in the centre of midfield, there’s a lot to like about Tavernier and what he could potentially bring to the table at Elland Road.

His former manager Tony Pulis once stated: “Some days he comes in and he’s brilliant, some days he’s a bit lackadaisical. He’s going to be a top player. He’ll eventually play in the Premier League.”

Indeed, former Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock has even suggested that Tavernier could well end up emulating the success of Mason Mount and the kind of impressive step-up he has made in recent times.

Warnock added: “I think he has a few strings to his bow to be honest. I looked at Mason Mount and how he’s come on in the 12 months, there’s no reason why Tav can’t do that in the next 12 months.

“If he motivates himself and listens he’s got some great attributes and good habits, and one or two not so good. All being well we can put him in the right direction and he’ll become a very good player. Not that he isn’t now but I think he could become even better.”

At 22, Tavernier could come on leaps and bounds under Bielsa’s guidance at Elland Road, and the man with 14 senior goals to his name could possibly enjoy a rapid rise to stardom with a move to Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, Leeds are facing a transfer battle for this Brazilian ace…

After previous reports revealed that Liverpool have an interest in signing Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer, it seems as though the Merseyside club could be getting their hands on the defender for a fairly low price in the near future.

What’s the latest?

It has recently been reported by Italian media outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness) that Bremer could be available to sign for a fee of around €8-10m (£6.7m-£8.4m).

Since joining Torino back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, has made 86 appearances for the Serie A club across all competitions. In that time, he has scored 11 goals and provided four assists, which is a decent return for a defender.

So far this season, Bremer has played in all but one of Torino’s Serie A games, showing how important he is to their side. Furthermore, the Brazilian has racked up an average of 3.9 interceptions and 3.2 clearances per game in the league so far this season, proving himself a vital defensive unit for the club.

His latest appearance saw him make three clearances, seven interceptions and two tackles in Torino’s recent 1-0 defeat against AC Milan, ultimately earning himself an overall match rating of 7/10. That made him their highest-rated defender on the day according to SofaScore as he showcased his defensive talents.

Taking all this into account, we feel that a potential transfer swoop for the defender is something that Liverpool should definitely be considering, especially if they can get him for the fairly low price range being mentioned in this latest report.

Potential Van Dijk partnership?

If Bremer were to move to Anfield, we feel that he could have a very exciting partnership with current Reds defender Virgil van Dijk, who proven himself to be an attacking threat from the defence in the same way Bremer has at Torino, with 13 goals and seven assists under his belt at Liverpool.

Also, with Van Dijk signing a new contract extension at Anfield over the summer, we feel that if Bremer plays with the Dutchman, he could probably learn a lot from the 30-year-old and develop his own game based on how much playing experience Van Dijk has, making him a potential dream signing for the Reds if they pull it off.

In other news: Possession lost 21x: “Dangerous” Liverpool lightweight badly let Klopp down against Preston

Rangers centre-back Leon Balogun sent a strong message to sporting director Ross Wilson on Sunday as he put in a sublime performance against St Mirren.

Steven Gerrard admitted that the centre-back was a doubt heading into the game after he suffered an injury against Brondby last Thursday.

He told The Herald: “We are hoping we have got to it before there is a tweak or any muscle damage.

“We are hoping it is a little bit of tightness and we will know in the next 24 hours. I will certainly be praying tonight. He felt something in his hamstring. That’s what he came off with, but he wasn’t sure if he felt something or whether it was a bit of tightness.

“We will work that out in the next 24 hours and hopefully he will pull through because he is important for us. I thought his performance was top tonight as well.”

The Nigeria international was able to pull through and produce an excellent display at the back alongside Connor Goldson to ensure the Gers won 2-1 and it should serve as a reminder to Wilson that he has a big decision to make.

Balogun is out of contract at the end of the season and the club hold an option to extend it by one year. Firstly, Wilson must trigger this extension and ensure that he stays for another season at least. Secondly, the Gers chief must negotiate a longer-term deal and keep him at Ibrox in the long-run.

At the age of 33, he is still going strong and producing consistently impressive performances in the Scottish Premiership. This suggests that he is not slowing down, despite his age, and could have more than one year left in the tank.

The defender recorded a SofaScore rating of 7.0 against St Mirren and was a rock at the back in front of Jon McLaughlin. Per SofaScore, he won nine of his 14 duels, whilst making two tackles and four clearances throughout the game as no opposition player managed to dribble past him. He also completed 89% of his passes, highlighting the quality he provides in possession as well as out of it.

This was not a one-off performance from the experienced battler. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.10 in the Premiership this term, winning 62% of his duels and completing 86% of his passes over the course of the campaign so far.

He is proving that age is merely a number and Wilson must act now to ensure that he does not end up leaving Rangers and weakening Gerrard’s squad. His departure would be a huge blow for the club, given the nature of his performances on the pitch, and that is why they must act now to secure his future in Glasgow.

AND in other news, Forget Roofe & Morelos: Rangers beast with 82% duels won was immense vs St Mirren…

Many West Ham United fans have been reacting to the news that have been exploring the market for France-based defenders and forwards.

The Hammers have enjoyed a stupendous start to the campaign, winning both of their matches in the Premier League so far this term (whufc.com). That follows on from the previous campaign, when they finished sixth in the top flight to qualify for the Europa League.

However, they have only signed one new player so far this summer in goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. They have been heavily linked with Kurt Zouma (The Athletic), and it now seems they are exploring the market in his home country – reliable West Ham insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that the club are looking at a number of Ligue 1 players as they look to get their squad ready for the rest of the campaign.

The news was shared on Twitter by @central_louis, and it attracted plenty of attention from Irons supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts,

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the update from Ex

“Got more chance exploring Romford Market…”

Credit: @ADAMArchitectUK

“I wonder where our one scout has been looking?”

Credit: @tannerman1uk

“Explored Fc”

Credit: @Callumharvey92

“Shame as I feel we are going to miss out on #Belotti due to Moyes & GSB looking at cheaper options in Ligue 1 or loan options possibly. Trust Moyes but can’t help to imagine what might have been with #Belotti up front in the years to come”

Credit: @DJTiale

“Literally because of the financial scenario, we’ll never progress with this lot in charge.”

Credit: @funkycoolers

“This could have been done months ago, they know exactly when the transfer window opens and shuts. It’ll be easier to say we’re not signing anyone. It’s the disappointment that kills you”

Credit: @gsbout2

In other news, many West Ham fans want the club to sign this winger.

Real Madrid do not intend to allow young forward Rodrygo to join Liverpool in the January transfer window, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Liverpool linked with Rodrygo move

According to a recent report, the Reds are eyeing up a transfer for the Brazilian next month as Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his attacking options ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The 20-year-old has had to make do with a squad role in Madrid so far this season, making just five La Liga starts and 10 substitute appearances in the Spanish top flight.

However, if Romano is to be believed, it doesn’t appear as though Liverpool have much chance of getting their man.

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The Latest: Romano downplays transfer

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Romano claimed that Real Madrid have no intention of selling Rodrygo any time soon, with a new deal potentially on the cards instead. He tweeted:

“Real Madrid have no plan to offload or sell Rodrygo in January, as things stand. There’s no negotiation with Liverpool or any other club.

“His contract will be discussed soon, with a possible extension to be negotiated in the next months.”

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The Verdict: One for the future

Rodrygo is a hugely exciting talent with 11 goals and 14 assists to his name for the Spanish giants, while his manager Carlo Ancelotti hailed the youngster’s “cool-headed” nature in front of goal earlier this year.

The Brazilian could potentially be a long-term successor to the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, both of whom are due to partake in AFCON next month. He possesses the same electric pace and directness in wide areas, and at 20, he should become more polished in the coming years. Neither Salah nor Mane were well-known world stars at Basel and RB Salzburg respectively at the same age, after all.

It looks as though Real Madrid will keep hold of him for the time being, but if the Reds had the chance of signing him further down the line, it could be an inspired piece of business, not least with Liverpool’s African duo both turning 30 next year.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have reacted to a separate transfer rumour. Read more here.

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming as a transfer update emerged on Okay Yokuslu.

As per The Express & Star journalist Liam Keen, reports linking the Celta Vigo midfield player with the Midlands club are ‘wide of the mark’.

It was reported last week that both the Molineux faithful as well as Watford are interested in signing Yokuslu before the summer window ends, and that he would cost a fee in the region of £5m.

While on loan at West Brom in the 2020/21 season, he ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles (2.4), interceptions (2.2), dribbles (1.2), passes (33.1) and pass success (82.5%) per match in the Premier League (Whoscored), and so could prove to be a very handy player to have in Bruno Lage’s current squad.

However, it looks as if the Wanderers are not close to his potential signing.

Wolves fans on Yokuslu transfer update

These WWFC supporters fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘ridiculous’:

“Jesus Christ. We are really going to end up not signing anyone. I’m getting worried”

Credit: @ChriWoodward

“This is getting ridiculous now. We need players, even Dendoncker has come out and said that! I’m not one for ‘pant wetting’ as some on here call it, but even the most positive of Wolves fan must be thinking the same?”

Credit: @app588

“Our transfer windows get worse. It’s a bit embarrassing now after Jeff said trust him as far as strengthening first team. Feel for Bruno”

Credit: @Ianph61

“Got to be the worst window surely?”

Credit: @Alexwwfc_

“Relegation”

Credit: @lewis__wwfc7

“We’re going down”

Credit: @JackRaybould_

In other news, find out what transfer update has Wanderers buzzing here!