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Despite the transfer window closing a week ago, Declan Rice’s long-term future at West Ham United has been thrown into doubt once again.

Back in early July, the Telegraph’s Matt Law claimed that the 22-year-old England international had rejected two new contract offers from the Irons’ hierarchy in an attempt to see if any interest materialised during the summer.

Most of the Premier League’s top dogs have been mooted with a move for the young midfielder in recent times, namely Champions of Europe Chelsea and Manchester United.

And now, fresh reports suggest that Rice expects this current season will be his last at the London Stadium.

According to 90min, the Hammers star is open to signing an extension on the basis that it includes a release clause that would leave the club powerless if any team did come forward with a bid in the future.

Whilst it remains to be seen whether this campaign will indeed be his final one in the claret and blue but you’d be foolish to think that Rice will be sticking around east London for years to come.

That’s because he continues to thrive on the international stage, having earned his 24th cap this week, whilst his Transfermarkt value has soared to £63m thanks to his phenomenal and consistent performances on the pitch in the Premier League. He is so deserving of a team in the Champions League, and if we’re being honest, that may not be the Hammers in the long run.

But perhaps David Moyes and co shouldn’t sweat about it too much. They could well already have his dream successor right under their nose.

Conor Coventry is thought to be very highly-rated among those at the Irons’ Rush Green training base, particularly the Scotsman. But after the arrival of Alex Kral on loan on deadline day, the young academy gem was allowed to join Peterborough United on loan.

He will now get valuable minutes in the Championship, though if West Ham need him, he can be recalled, so that goes to show just how much Moyes thinks of him.

Described as an “exciting talent” by The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas, Coventry excelled during pre-season in the absence of Rice, who was enjoying a well-deserved post-Euro 2020 break.

He has only racked up three senior appearances in the League Cup but the 21-year-old has to be considered the heir to Rice’s throne in the near future. The Hammers faithful have even spotted the similarities in playing style between the pair in the past, so they may well have no problem in him stepping up when the time comes.

Indeed, the Daily Mail’s secret scout claims that the West Ham youth product is “powerful in the challenge” and “is not frightened to surge forward”, which is very much similar to rice.

If Coventry delivers at the Championship outfit this season, then it’ll only bolster his claims to replace the England international in the next few seasons. He could even be granted a first-team spot sooner than this, with club legend Mark Noble set to retire at the end of the season.

Moyes may well already have the Irons’ perfect Rice heir at the club.

AND in other news, Moyes’ deadline day decision has handed West Ham big boost over £35k-p/w “machine”…

Gallagher was not the only player who struggled in front of goal in what was a hugely frustrating day at Wembley

This will hurt Chelsea for a very long time. No matter how many mitigating circumstances – inexperience, bad luck, injuries etc. – you attempt to place on it, their gut-wrenching extra-time defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday was a colossal missed opportunity.

The spurned chances, of which there was so, so many, will be haunting Mauricio Pochettino's dreams tonight, with the injury-ravaged Reds somehow clinging on for long enough for Virgil van Dijk to head home the game's only goal late in the additional period.

In a pulsating first half, Cole Palmer saw a close-ranged effort wonderfully saved by Caoimhin Kelleher and Raheem Sterling had a goal marginally ruled out for offside. Liverpool, had their chances too, with Cody Gakpo hitting the woodwork and Conor Bradley somehow being denied by some heroic Levi Colwill defending.

Incredibly, the intensity was dialled up further after the break. Chelsea let a string of presentable chances go begging either side of Van Dijk's header being controversially chalked off by VAR for an infringement by Wataru Endo. And, in a climatic end to normal time, Liverpool survived a goalmouth scramble of epic proportions, before Conor Gallagher hit the post and then blazed an excellent opening high and wide.

But, after being denied in normal time, Van Dijk would punish Chelsea from a set piece in the 118th minute, nodding home a Kostas Tsimikas corner to send the travelling Reds behind the goal loopy. A few minutes later, with red smoke from the pyrotechnics let of after the goal still covering the Wembley turf, the final whistle was blown and all the Blues could do was trudge off with the bitter taste of disappointment in their mouths.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from a classic final…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Djordje Petrovic (8/10):

  A competent display before making an outstanding save to deny Elliot in the final throes of extra time. Will be devastated to lose his clean sheet.

  Malo Gusto (8/10):

  Excellent. Made a couple of vital defensive contributions and impressed going forward.

  Axel Disasi (6/10):

  Made a couple of unforced errors in possession that, thankfully for him, went unpunished. Other than that, he was fairly dominant.

  Levi Colwill (7/10):

  Got off to a shaky start, but grew into the game and made a stunning block late in the first half.

  Ben Chilwell (6/10):

  Booked for a scuffle with Conor Bradley on the stroke of half-time. Defended diligently and kept plugging away, but his delivery was lacking.

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  Midfield

  Moises Caicedo (6/10):

  Very lucky not to be booked for a clumsy foul on Gravenberch. Went about his work fairly effectively other than that, but wasn't perfect.

  Conor Gallagher (6/10):

  A potent creative force, but he simply had to take one of the two chances he was gifted at the end of normal time. The disappointed shake of the head as he was substituted said it all.

  Enzo Fernandez (6/10):

  Tried to be too clever with a backheeled finish as a second-half chance went begging. Played some incisive passes, but not his best display.

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  Attack

  Raheem Sterling (6/10):

  A couple of really bright moments and would've scored if Jackson had held his run by a split second. Was starting to fade when he was replaced by Christopher Nkunku.

  Nicolas Jackson (7/10):

  So nearly provide a perfect assist for Sterling – but was narrowly offside. Caused Liverpool problems throughout with his direct running.

  Cole Palmer (7/10):

  Had to score past Kelleher in an otherwise quiet first half. Got more into the game as things progressed and carved out some decent openings.

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  Subs & Manager

  Christopher Nkunku (5/10):

  Just could not quite reach Malo Gusto's cross at the end of normal time.

  Mykhailo Mudryk (5/10):

  Hardly in the game.

  Noni Madueke (5/10):

  Carved out one of the only opening on full time with a mazy dribble, but only after his sloppy pass halted a promising attack.

  Trevoh Chalobah (N/A):

  On for a few minutes at the end.

  Mauricio Pochettino (7/10):

  He set his team up well, looking to exploit Liverpool's high line with his pacy forwards. Hard to criticise him too much. The finishing on display will have driven him up the wall.

Joao Cancelo has been slammed for his "attitude problem" at Manchester City and Valencia, with one journalist joking "even God couldn't stand him".

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• Cancelo fell out with Guardiola
• Failed to meet standards set out by manager
• Shipped out on loan to Bayern and Barcelona

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Cancelo, who arrived at Manchester City in August 2019 from Juventus in a €65 million (£56m/$70m) deal, initially thrived under the leadership of manager Pep Guardiola. Regarded as one of Europe's top full-backs, Cancelo played a pivotal role in City's success.

  However, a noticeable shift occurred during the first half of last season when Guardiola began rotating his squad, sidelining the Portuguese defender. This change in status led to public discord between Cancelo and Guardiola, culminating in the Portuguese's loan spells at Bayern Munich and later Barcelona.

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• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Journalist Lu Martín shed light on the situation, attributing Cancelo's exits to attitude and behaviour problems when not selected by managers throughout his career.

  “We have explained it several times,” he said. “It’s a problem of attitude and behaviour. If there’s one thing Pep can’t stand it’s bad behaviour and being overweight. Cancelo’s behaviour was not the right one, although as a footballer he has tremendous quality. The same thing happened to him at Valencia. He didn’t leave because he didn’t play badly, he left because even God couldn’t stand him."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Cancelo is an undisputed starter at Barcelona and has already made 28 appearances across competitions this term. However, Martin asserted that things could quickly change if he is relegated to the bench by Xavi and prefers someone else.

  "At Barca as long as he plays, there is no problem, but the day he stops playing his character will come out," he said. "As long as he doesn’t have competition that won’t happen, but at City it was different, there was a lot of quality there.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Cancelo's reported attitude problem underscores the importance of professionalism and behaviour in football. While Cancelo possesses exceptional quality as a player, his alleged behavioural issues have evidently affected his career trajectory and relationships with managers. Nonetheless, he is enjoying his time in Spain and will be in action on Saturday against Getafe in a La Liga encounter.

Jurgen Klopp has vehemently denied allegations that Trent Alexander-Arnold was ‘forced back' from injury by the Liverpool medical staff.

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• Alexander-Arnold subbed off early against Burnley
• Klopp informed that injury was in "same area" in knee
• Staring at a lengthy spell on the sidelines

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international has managed just two starts since he returned from a knee problem that he picked up against Arsenal in the FA Cup in January. Although Alexander-Arnold bossed in the first half against Burnley duringLiverpool's 3-1 win over the Clarets, Klopp had to take him off at half-time after he complained of having discomfort in the "same area."

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• WHAT KLOPP SAID

  It was speculated that Alexander-Arnold was hurried back into action to bolster Liverpool's campaign as they fight for silverware on multiple fronts. However, Klopp dismissed these claims and said: "I got the news that there was a discussion that we might have forced Trent back because [he had] two setbacks.

  “It’s really unfortunate, nobody wants that and nobody’s doing that (forcing the player back). [There are] different cases, different scenarios, and, as long as I am here, we never forced anybody back and never will."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kopp insisted that the players were given the green signal only because they were "fit" and the medical staff is now working to get both Dominik Szoboszlai, who is nursing a hamstring injury, and Alexander-Arnold back on the pitch as quickly as possible.

  "We work in a high-performance area where, if you had the same injury, you are fit after three days and [the player] is fit after four weeks because they have to sprint and stuff like this," he said.

  “We always try to catch the earliest moment but unfortunately when we catch that moment, nobody speaks about it. Like with Macca (Alexis MacAllister), or recently with Diogo (Diogo Jota), that’s a job we have to do. But the last decision is then always by the player and if we always listen only to the player then they would play after two weeks and then it’s a real problem.

  "So the boys were, at the moment when they played, they were fit. But the situation told us then differently because it happened again. We will never know if it would have happened anyway or if it just happened because there was something before. Very, very unlucky and unfortunate, absolutely, but I had that a couple of times in my time as a manager, not only here. It is not great, but nothing else.

  "It says nothing about the quality of anybody but in the world we are living in there is always [talk about] the medical department. We have to bring the boys as back as soon as possible but never sooner than they are ready.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Alexander-Arnold's injury might force him to miss key fixtures, including the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea and subsequent Premier League clashes against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City. Similarly, Szoboszlai's hamstring problem raises doubts about his availability for the cup final at Wembley on February 25. However, the Reds have been handed a major boost ahead of their clash against Brentford as Mohamed Salah is "back in full training" and will be available for selection.

Serie A giants Juventus have recently looked for information about Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho as he remains unwanted by Erik ten Hag.

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• Sancho currently an outcast at Man Utd
• Juventus interested in the winger
• Want a loan deal; United want permanent move

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international and Ten Hag have had a very publicised falling out, which has led to Sancho being exiled at Old Trafford. According to Fabrizio Romano, Juventus have recently requested information about the player and expressed interest in signing the former Borussia Dortmund star in January. Juventus is currently only interested in a loan agreement where the Red Devils pay a share of the player's wage. Sancho is scheduled to leave United in January.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Having experienced a difficult campaign at Old Trafford since signing from Dortmund, United are waiting to finalise a permanent move for the winger and are also waiting for other teams to enquire about his services.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Jadon Sancho was the last Manchester United forward to score a goal at the Old Trafford in the Premier League. No United forward has scored a league goal at home since his effort against Fulham in the last home game of the 2022-23 season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SANCHO?

  With just over a month left to go for the January transfer window, Sancho's nightmare stint at United looks to finally be coming to an end, regardless of whether he moves to Juventus or elsewhere.

Everton now have just a week and a half to prepare their squad for the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign.

The Toffees have been left behind by their rivals in the transfer window, completing deals at cut-price, rather than spending wildly.

What’s the word?

Everton look set to continue their pursuit of some cheaper options in the open market.

According to Football Insider, they have set their sights on Mexican defender Jorge Sanchez.

The 23-year-old has been playing for his country at the Olympics and is now viewed by the Toffees and Tottenham as a potential signing.

He is currently valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt.

Tough-tackling monster

Sanchez is by no means a household name but his performances for Mexico this summer have been fantastic.

Combine those displays with his form for Club America in his native country and you have a mighty fine player on your hands.

The full-back is capable of playing at left-back or right-back but it’s the former where he’s traditionally played in the last few years.

He is adept at going forward, completing 1.9 dribbles per game this season. With that in mind, he looks every bit the modern defender.

However, Sanchez also possesses all of the attributes you’d associate with a classic defender from days gone by.

His tough-tackling nature is hugely comparable to a player of Phil Neville’s calibre, a man who was never afraid to show his true colours by launching himself into a crunching tackle. Just ask a certain Cristiano Ronaldo what they think of his tackling ability.

Sanchez might not be a nasty player by definition but he is phenomenal when it comes to winning the ball.

The defender has won a whopping 2.5 tackles per match for Club America this term, a tally he’s come close to replicating at Tokyo 2020 with 2.3 successful challenges per game.

Neville wasn’t liked initially at Goodison Park for being a ‘Manc’ but that quickly changed after a famous tackle on Ronaldo.

Sanchez wouldn’t have a label attached to him upon arrival but he’d quickly win over supporters with his favouritism to get stuck into his opponents.

AND in other news, Everton can find a new Rodriguez by signing “magical” 37-goal gem once valued at £119m…

The 47-year-old has been confirmed as Vlatko Andonovski's successor, but takes over a squad that has a lot of question marks hanging over it

After several months of treading water, the U.S. women's national team is finally ready to start pushing in the right direction again. A new coach is on the way in, and she's a good one. After several months of searching, interviewing and discussing, the USWNT brought in one of the world's elite.

On Tuesday, Emma Hayes was officially announced as the USWNT's next head coach following confirmation that she will be leaving Chelsea at the end of the Women's Super League season arrived 10 days earlier. In Hayes, U.S. Soccer has gone out and flexed its muscles, luring in one of the world's most respected and successful leaders to help usher in a new era.

Hayes will know what she's walking into: a situation with unlimited potential, but plenty of pitfalls to navigate along the way. This job isn't easy by any means; there's just so much pressure and so many egos to navigate. Plenty of her predecessors have struggled to adapt, although Hayes does have the advantage of entering a locker room that has been humbled by several years of let-downs.

Because of that, the team that Hayes is inheriting is one that requires some fine-tuning. She isn't taking over a champion; she's taking over a squad that will need to re-learn what it takes to get to the top of the mountain.

But what are the big problems Hayes will have to address, and how might she go about rebuilding one of the world's elite? GOAL looks at some of the keys to Hayes' reign…

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  The Alex Morgan dilemma

  Alex Morgan's spot with the USWNT has been guaranteed for about a decade, but even before Hayes' arrival, it had started to come under question. The striker is in the middle of an 11-game goal drought for the national team, and given the number of rising attacking stars that have emerged in recent times, it's fair to ask whether 34-year-old Morgan's time as the USMNT No.9 is coming to an end,

  Well, maybe not. Morgan still does plenty of strong attributes having evolved her game over the years. The goals will come for a player of her quality, too, even if that is a concern at the moment.

  Still, with young talents like Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Mia Fishel, Jaedyn Shaw and Alyssa Thompson all vying for minutes, what role will Morgan play going forward? Now playing under a coach in Hayes that loves free-flowing attacking play, could this team look better without her in it?

  Hayes will need to figure out what role Morgan will play and how big that role will be. Can she still start? Can she be a key veteran off the bench at a major tournament? Or, with a next generation looming, is time winding down for a player that, no matter what happens, will go down as one of the best the USWNT has ever seen?

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  Choose a No. 6

  The No.6 position in the USWNT has been a problem area for quite some time. The U.S. has been searching for answers ever since Julie Ertz stepped away to give birth, and it'll be up to Hayes to finally find a permanent replacement following the midfielder's post-World Cup retirement.

  Andi Sullivan got the nod at that World Cup, but never quite made the role her own. Emily Sonnett has since stepped up, and to her credit, has looked pretty good. Then there's Sam Coffey, a player that probably should have more caps than she does with the USWNT based on her club form for the Portland Thorns in the NWSL.

  With stars like Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan in midfield, the U.S. can go up against any team in the world, but only if they have that shield defensively to hold things down. Finding that player has been a struggle, but it clearly isn't impossible.

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  Usher in a new generation

  It's no doubt that one of the reasons Hayes took the job in the first place is that the USWNT is absolutely loaded with young talent, and whoever replaced Andonovski would have been tasked with bringing those players along and turning them into killers.

  Doing that, though, is a delicate process. Players move and grow at different speeds, while veterans age and fall off the radar in different ways. Throughout her tenure, Hayes will need to make some tough calls about when and where to throw players in at the deep end.

  The good news is that several players have already experienced the biggest stage. Rodman and Thompson already have World Cup experience, so that's one less thing for Hayes to worry about. However, for players like Shaw, Fishel and Olivia Moultrie, Hayes will need to make big decisions on when they're truly ready to step into the spotlight.

  Shaw and Fishel have gotten a taste, and both have gotten goals to their name already, too. Moultrie was recently in camp and looks like the next player to make the step up. There's a young core starting to develop as Hayes' appointment nears, and piecing that puzzle together will be one of her more fun challenges during her time in charge.

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  Fix the attack

  The wealth of attacking options available to the USWNT is almost unmatched in world football. Morgan, Rodman, Smith, Thompson, Shaw… all current or future stars. You can also toss in Lynn Williams, a potential Olympic starter, as well as Ashley Hatch and Midge Purce. And don't forget about Mallory Swanson, who will be back at some point, too.

  Still, despite all of that firepower, the U.S. has rarely looked like a cohesive attacking unit in recent times. The group struggled to generate much of anything at the World Cup, scoring just four goals in as many games, with three of those coming against minnows Vietnam.

  Hayes will be very aware of that, and throughout her time at Chelsea has shown a willingness to try different systems to get the best out of all areas of her team. Hayes isn't a rigid coach married to one tactical ideal; she's open to adjusting so as to get the most out of what she has. She also is more than ready to think outside of the box and give players freedom, as evidenced by how she handles England stars Fran Kirby and Lauren James, who do not always have defined positions.

  It may take some trial and error, and Hayes may have to experiment with different players formations and ideas to get it all firing, but getting the attack to play at least equal to the sum of its parts will be a big key to getting the USWNT going again.

According to SporX, Glasgow Rangers have rejected two €7m (£6m) offers for Romania international Ianis Hagi.

The Lowdown: Mixed time for Hagi

Hagi’s time at Rangers has so far been mixed. With 13 goals and 18 assists in 61 appearances (Transfermarkt), he has contributed to the Gers’ success in recent times.

However, he has come in for criticism from supporters, and he was probably not too happy when Rangers refused to let him represent his country at the Olympics this summer (The Sunday Post).

The Latest: Bids rejected for Hagi

Now, according to this latest report, the Gers have rejected €7m (£6m) bids from both Sevilla and Lazio for the 22-year-old.

The Gers are believed to be looking for a fee of €11m (£9.4m) if they are to allow the former Genk man to depart.

The Verdict: Plenty to offer

Hagi still has plenty to offer the Gers – no wonder the Ibrox outfit are eager to keep him at the club. In just three games so far this campaign, he already has two goals and one assist – it may just be that he is finally adapting to Scottish football and could well be embarking on his finest run of form yet.

While the Gers may now be out of the Champions League, they are still in with a chance of qualification for the Europa League, and Hagi still has a big role to play.

Clearly, Steven Gerrard, who called him a “top talent” (BBC) when he first arrived at the club in 2020, believes he can play a big role for the club this term and beyond – otherwise, they would have been happy to accept a fee that would have represented a 100% profit on the £3m (The Glasgow Times) they spent on the player.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid with this interview.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has explained his altercation with a supporter during his team's 2-0 defeat against Brentford on Saturday.

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• Chelsea fan insulted Jackson
• Pochettino exchanged words
• Blues beaten 2-0 by Brentford

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Chelsea manager exchanged words with a Blues supporter during the Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge. The spectator said something to Nicolas Jackson while Pochettino was talking to him, sparking an angry reaction from the attacker. The coach had to turn Jackson's head back to face him after being distracted.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The defeat is Chelsea's third on home soil in the Premier League this season and their disappointing results have sparked concern among Blues supporters. Despite the interaction, Pochettino says the fan was respectful when the Argentine confronted him.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  "It was a moment we all feel frustrated because after 40 minutes playing well and creating chances in that moment the energy of the stadium was a bit down," Pochettino told reporters. “Because it was really calm [we could hear that] one fan said: ‘Oh, wake up’ and abuse a little bit. Nicolas was losing a bit of a focus and I was saying: ‘Hey, come on, be focused here’.

  "I repeat again, we need support and to stay behind the team and that’s it. I was very respectful and the fan was respectful … and the player took it in a bad way. It’s normal because the player wanted to score and do a good thing. Nothing more."

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Chelsea will attempt to get back to winning ways when they meet Blackburn in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Arsenal are eyeing up a fresh transfer move for Real Madrid’s Martin Odegaard as they look to bolster their creative options this summer.

What’s the story?

The Norway international joined Mikel Arteta’s side on loan back in the January transfer window, but it had since been claimed in recent weeks that he would not be returning to the Emirates Stadium, instead looking to fight for his place at the Bernabeu.

However, Football.London have now claimed that the Gunners haven’t given up on making a late move for Odegaard, with a belief that Madrid would be open to offers for him.

Arsenal’s new Ozil

Described as a “phenomenon” by Norwegian football writer Lars Sivertsen, Odegaard is the kind of creative playmaker who appears to be tailor-made to come in and finally replace Mesut Ozil – another creator who came to the club from Real Madrid – at the Emirates.

Spanish football journalist Alvaro Montero said: “He’s very similar to Mesut Ozil, he’s left-footed, he plays extremely well between the lines and between the striker and the midfielders. Maybe he even has more goal threat than Mesut Ozil, but he travels a little less. He’s an amazing player and I think he’ll be an amazing player for Arsenal and for Mikel Arteta.”

Having seen him impress during his loan spell at the Emirates, Arteta himself lauded Odegaard’s ability and leadership, saying: “Well, he’s showing that I think from week one. The way he steps on the pitch, he always wants the ball, the way he commands the pressing. He’s been really influential.

“I think we’ve all been a bit surprised because he looks really shy and humble, but when he steps on that pitch he’s a real character and he loves to play football.”

While the Norwegian didn’t exactly set the world alight in his first few months with the Gunners, he showed more than enough, both with his creativity and off-the-ball work, to suggest that he could become a real star over a longer period.

As per WhoScored, Odegaard averaged 1.4 key passes per game in the Premier League, which was the joint-highest of any Arsenal player last season along with Emile Smith Rowe. His 0.9 dribbles per match put him in the top five, while his impressive 90.9% pass accuracy was good enough to place him second in the Gunners’ entire squad.

The £36m-rated star could finally arrive on a permanent deal and banish any lingering thoughts about Ozil at the Emirates.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could sign their new Vieira in this star…