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Liverpool remain interested in West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen, with the club still following his development at the London Stadium this season.

What’s the story?

The Athletic have claimed that, following their summer interest, the Reds have continued to monitor the winger’s progress as they contemplate making a new signing out wide.

He was superb vs Liverpool

During his time at Hull City, Bowen was labelled an “unplayable” attacker by his then-manager Grant McCann, and he lived up to that billing and more with a superb individual display in the 3-2 victory over Liverpool back in November.

He set up two goals on the day as West Ham ended the Reds’ impressive unbeaten run, and his underlying stats were equally impressive.

As per Sofascore, he provided two key passes (the joint-most of any Hammer), while he created two official big chances too – the only player to do so in the game.

That’s not to mention he led the team in the number of crosses he put in, was tied second for successful dribbles, and was fouled the second most of any player too – the kind of exciting display which had Andy Robertson tied up in knots.

The Scotland international finished the game with no shots or crosses whatsoever (the mark of someone who had been pinned back for the entire match), made no tackles or interceptions, and won just the one duel over the course of the 90 minutes.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for The Liverpool Echo, Ian Doyle gave him a four, saying: “Plenty of overlapping down the left flank but delivery first half was inconsistent and had an absolute stinker second half.”

In fact, speaking before the game in his pre-match press conference, Klopp himself said: “I like Bowen a lot. He made his way up from Hull and took not too long to show exactly what kind of player he can be in the Premier League. He made big steps.”

He has scored six goals and provided nine assists in just 22 appearances in the Premier League, while he ranks as the Hammers’ best performing player with an average WhoScored match rating of 7.27.

The £31.5m-rated star could be a superb signing for Klopp’s side.

Meanwhile, James Pearce has dropped a Liverpool transfer update…

With the January transfer window fast appoaching, Bruno Lage and Jeff Shi will be starting to consider players who they could look to bring into Wolverhampton Wanderers in order to give the club the best possible chance of securing a top-half finish in the Premier League this season.

One such position will almost certainly be centre-back, with summer signing Yerson Mosquera being ruled out of action until at least February as a result of a hamstring injury, and both Willy Boly and Romain Saiss more than likely being unavailable for selection in January due to their potential involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.

As such, Lage could well be left with just Conor Coady and Max Kilman as senior options for his three-man defence, something that would undoubtedly be a disaster for the 45-year-old manager.

However, before dipping into the transfer market, perhaps Lage and Shi should consider an option much closer to home – figurative speaking, at least – in the shape of Nigel Lonwijk.

Lonwijk could save Wolves millions

Having joined Wolves from PSV Eindhoven back in January of 2020, there was a considerable amount of hype about the 19-year-old centre-back, with Shi himself stating of the youngster’s signing: “To be able to get somebody of Nigel’s quality across the line was really pleasing and we’re delighted with the signing.

“He’s very good physically, a good defender one-v-one, and has strong technical ability, so we very much see him fitting into how our system as an outside centre-back. He’s got good physicality as well, so ticks the boxes in many of the things we’re looking for in terms of our centre-back positions.”

However, while it is not particularly unusual for a teenager making a move to England from another country, the £90k-rated defender is still yet to make a first-team appearance for the club, being sent on loan to Eredivisie side Fortuna Sittard for the 2021/22 campaign in order to continue his development in senior football.

And, if the 19-year-old’s most recent performance against PEC Zwolle is anything to go by, it would very much appear as if the youngster would make an extremely useful addition to Lage’s current options in the heart of his Wolves defence this winter.

Indeed, over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the former Netherlands U16 international made a whopping 14 clearances, two interceptions, one tackle and won an incredible 11 of his 15 attempted duels.

Aside from this defensive masterclass, the 6 foot 3 centre-back also scored the match-winning goal for Fortuna, while his overall display saw him earn a SofaScore match rating of 8.3 – the highest of any player to feature in the fixture.

As such, with it being clear for all to see that Wolves are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements this January, bringing Lonwijk back to Molineux would very much look to be a smart move by both Lage and Shi, as, should the defender indeed impress when given a chance in the first-team, he could well go on to save Fosun millions of pounds in transfer fees this winter.

In other news: Tim Spiers drops 13-word transfer claim that will leave Wolves fans buzzing

According to The Daily Express, there has been a major development in West Ham United’s hunt to sign Manchester United star Jesse Lingard in January.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Lingard deal…

Numerous reliable sources have backed that manager David Moyes has identified the signing of Lingard on a permanent deal as one of West Ham’s major priorities this month.

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Club insider ExWHUemployee claimed recently that the Irons are set to make a move early this window while reliable reporter Jack Rosser of The Evening Standard reiterates that Moyes is still very much eager.

This comes as Lingard’s current deal at Old Trafford expires in the summer with no sign of fresh terms as The Express now share a major update involving West Ham.

The Latest: West Ham ‘at the front of the queue’…

As per the outlet, West Ham are ‘at the front of the queue’ to sign United’s attacker as they enter pole position for his January signing.

It is believed the Irons are now ‘ready to table’ another bid to sign Lingard as he remains Moyes’ top target, with West Ham’s manager personally ‘working on a package’ to tempt him behind-the-scenes.

The Verdict: Exciting…

Given Moyes’ is currently readying an offer for the 29-year-old as he aims to seal his permanent signing, this update comes as an exciting one with West Ham now favourites.

Lauded as ‘absolutely phenomenal’ and the best player in the Premier League on form at one stage last season (Adrian Durham, talkSPORT), Moyes himself has been very public in his praise for Lingard.

The Scotsman waxed lyrical over England’s international ace, calling him ‘incredible’ for his performances on loan at the London Stadium over 2020/2021.

He bagged a brilliant nine goals and four assists in just 16 English top flight starts, leaving little wonder Moyes wants a return, and Hammers supporters may be hoping he gets his wish before January 31.

In other news: West Ham source: Newman eyeing bid for brand new forward target as club greenlight January sale, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost regarding the injury picked up by Sergio Reguilon on Sunday.

What’s the latest?

In a post on the left-back’s Twitter account, Reguilon revealed that the knock he picked up in Spurs’ 3-0 win over Norwich City this weekend – which saw the defender substituted in the 22nd minute of the clash – is nothing serious, before claiming he would be back to full fitness in a matter of days.

In his post, the 24-year-old said: “I’ll be back in a few days. Don’t sell me in @OfficialFPL.”

This would appear to be an assessment that is supported by Antonio Conte, with the Tottenham manager stating of the Spain international’s injury after the game: “Reguilon is a generous player, because he started the game, and he wasn’t 100 per cent.

“I spoke with him at the end of the game, and we stopped him at the right time. I hope to have him very soon. It’s not an injury, only fatigue in his muscle.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how important a part of the Tottenham side Reguilon has become since his £27m move to north London last summer, the news that the defender’s injury is not serious and will be back in a few days time is sure to have left Spurs fans buzzing.

Indeed, the £22.5m-rated left-back has featured in all but one of Tottenham’s 14 Premier League fixtures so far this season, over which he has helped his side keep four clean sheets, scored one goal, registered three assists and created two big chances for his teammates.

The £68k-per-week man has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of one key pass, 1.9 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and winning 4.1 duels per match, with these returns seeing the 24-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.79.

As such, the news that the former Real Madrid defender could well feature in Spurs’ UEFA Europa Conference League fixture against Rennes on Thursday evening is sure to delight fans and Conte alike, as the Spaniard’s inclusion will undoubtedly provide the club’s chances of picking up all three points from the game with a major boost.

In other news: Paratici makes THFC move for £30m gem who Conte could “achieve incredible things” with

As per Voetbal 24, a transfer update has emerged involving West Ham United and Club Brugges star Hans Vanaken.

The Lowdown: West Ham launch 2020 bid…

Back in the summer window of 2020, the attacking midfield powerhouse was a target for manager David Moyes and GSB with the Irons even lodging a £15 million bid.

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Vanaken himself, speaking to the Daily Mirror, even confirmed that there was an offer from the club in a candid interview – going on to also reveal that he ‘could have signed for West Ham’ and contemplated a move.

Having the opportunity to follow Belgium legends like Kevin de Bruyne and Jan Vertonghen to the Premier League, Vanaken explained it didn’t feel like the logical step given his desire for trophies, but it appears he could now pull a U-turn.

The Latest: West Ham gifted another chance…

As per Voetbal 24, a West Ham transfer ‘no longer seems out of the question’ for the Brugge star given the Irons’ recent success.

Indeed, according to their information, he could reconsider moving to east London after all given Moyes’ side’s involvement in the Europa League and push for a top four place.

The Verdict: Right man?

Coming as a possible alternative to top target Jesse Lingard, would a swoop for Vanaken still be worth the hassle?

Racking up a career tally of 137 goals, the attacker is a consistent goal scorer as well as a threat in the final third – with the 29-year-old even netting three goals and an assist in the Champions League this season (Transfermarkt).

Valued at around £14.4 million by Transfermarkt, you could make the argument that Lingard would still come as a better transfer given there are some suggestions he could leave Man United for just £10 million next month.

Already proven in the Premier League, having enjoyed a prolific spell at West Ham last season, we believe the Red Devils ace should be priotised with Vanaken further down the list.

In other news: ‘Oh my’, ‘Yes yes yes’ – ExWHUemployee’s news on ‘perfect’ striker has fans talking, find out more here.

The previous summer transfer window was a fairly busy one for Southampton with the likes of Danny Ings, Jannik Vestergaard and Ryan Bertrand among others leaving the club and the likes of Romain Perraud, Adam Armstrong and Lyanco joining the Saints.

In addition to those three new players that joined in the summer, Southampton also managed to secure a deal for 18-year-old full-back Valentino Livramento from Chelsea’s U23 side for a reported fee of £5m.

The teenager arrived with a lot of potential and excitement behind him given how Chelsea’s first team manager Thomas Tuchel revealed that the west London club tried their hardest to keep hold of the defender before he made the move to St. Mary’s.

In his short time with the south-coast club, Livramento has already proved himself as an important and impressive member of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad. He’s played more minutes in the Premier League than any other outfield Southampton player and earned himself an overall season rating of 7.05/10 for his performances, making him their second-highest rated player according to WhoScored.

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With this in mind, it seems as though Southampton could be following up their swoop for Livramento with a move for another Chelsea youth star in the near future.

Another masterclass inbound?

It has recently been reported by The Sun that Southampton, alongside fellow Premier League side Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion are interested in signing 19-year-old midfielder Ben Elliott from Chelsea’s U23 side.

As a product of the Blues’ youth academy, as Livramento was, Elliott has made 20 appearances for their U18 team, scoring four goals and providing three assists, showing that he has some attacking talent in him, as well as making eight appearances for their U23 side.

In addition to the trio of Premier League clubs that apparently have their eyes on Elliott, the report also says that Chelsea are keen on securing the midfielder’s future at the west London club which suggests how highly they value the youngster, who described himself as being “hungry” for success after winning the first youth trophy of his career.

Given his age, we feel that Southampton should definitely explore the possibility of signing Elliott whenever they can as he could well follow in the footsteps of Livramento and become an integral part of Southampton’s squad.

A number of Chelsea’s former academy stars are starting to make a name for themselves this term with Marc Guehi stepping up at Crystal Palace and the aforementioned Saints youngster starring too. Thus, there is every reason to believe that Elliott could follow in a similar direction and become a like-minded masterclass in the transfer window.

Considering the age of current Saints midfielder Oriol Romeu (30) who could be on his way out of the club in the next few years, it may pave the way for Elliott to take his place in the team if he does join the club. This would be a deal that makes plenty of sense.

In other news: Forget Armstrong: “Unbelievable” Saints gem who made 4 key passes was Ralph’s hero – opinion

Norwich fans will be looking forward to a new era of football under their shiny new management team made up of Dean Smith and Craig Shakespeare, two reputable, successful and established premier league coaches.

The former Aston Villa manager and his team will be hoping to breathe new life into the struggling side who currently sit bottom of the table taking just five points and one win from their first eleven games in the Premier League this season, and we predicted that the manager will want to shake up the team to inspire a winning culture and grab some points in their upcoming fixtures.

The Canaries suffered the worst defeat of the season so far in an embarrassing 7-0 defeat to Champions League winners, Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with the side conceding 26 goals already.

Dean Smith will be looking to not only improve the disappointing defensive play the side has displayed so far, but also the productivity and capabilities of the midfield three, with their link-up play between the defenders and the attackers being questionable so far.

Unlocking the right midfield to develop play and demand possession could be the key to a more resilient Norwich side who so far have been dominated in every area of the pitch, lacking fight and determination to get back into games.

Kenny Mclean, once dubbed “irreplaceable” by recently dismissed Daniel Farke, could be one of the first to be axed from Smith’s side in the upcoming fixture against Southampton.

The £25k-per-week midfielder has failed to impress fans at Carrow Road and doesn’t inspire creativity or resilience in his role in the side currently.

One Norwich fan, Kelly Whiting tweeted: “Swap Gilmour in for Kenny, hopefully he can pass the ball, rather than just wave his arms around….”

Chelsea wonderkid, Billy Gilmour, has failed to get into the Norwich midfield as a regular starter which has baffled both fans and football media personalities no end, especially since the 20-year-old is showing fantastic ability as a first-team starter in the Scotland international side.

Ex-Spurs boss, Harry Redknapp, recently spoke out on the Gilmour situation at Norwich.

“How he’s not playing there… I saw the kid play when he first got in the Chelsea team, I saw him play in the Euros against England, you’d think if you take him at Norwich you’d have half built your team around him,”

It will be interesting to see how Smith sets up his side going forward with a number of young and talented players in the side currently who, with the right tools and coaching, could save Norwich from relegation this season.

However, removing 29-year-old McLean from the side and unleashing Gilmour instead would certainly put him on the right path to becoming an instant success.

In other news: ‘World class’ Billy Gilmour can save Norwich from relegation

Everton’s record in the transfer window has left a lot to be desired in recent years and one club has benefitted more than most from their haphazard spending.

The Toffees signed Alex Ixobi from Arsenal for £34m in the summer of 2019, but not before they splashed out £20m to secure the services of a 28-year-old Theo Walcott just six months prior.

At first glance, it appeared to be a sensible transfer for the Goodison Park outfit. Director of football Marcel Brands had secured an England international who had scored over 100 goals for the Gunners and was still in his prime years.

However, Walcott’s three-and-a-half-year stay on Merseyside proved to be somewhat of a nightmare for Everton and the player.

The flying winger made a fast start to in a Blue shirt, scoring three goals and providing a further three assists in his first 14 Premier League games for the club, but his promising form failed to carry over into 2018/19.

During his second campaign as an Everton player, Walcott only added a further eight goal contributions despite making 40 appearances in all competitions.

And things got even worse for the now 32-year-old in 2019/20. The Southampton academy graduate scored just two goals and laid on four assists, condemning the forward to one of his least productive campaigns in many years.

It led to Walcott re-joining his boyhood club on a season-long loan last term before making the move permanent following the expiration of his contract over the summer, ending an underwhelming with the Toffees.

He exited Everton with 20 goal contributions in 85 outings for the club and will go down as another expensive dud who promised so much.

And, in other news…Everton increasingly likely to sign £187k-p/w gem, fans surely buzzing 

Newcastle United have set their sights on signing Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba in January, according to Football Insider.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa fans have been giving their thoughts to the rumours on social media.

Football Insider shared a story on Monday after being informed by a Newcastle source, claiming the Magpies have identified Nakamba as a target due to his energy and drive.

It is expected to take an offer of £15m for Villa to part ways with the 27-year-old, who has been in and out of Dean Smith’s side this season.

Nakamba has made just one Premier League start during the current campaign and it seems as if he could make the move north in the New Year.

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared a Newcastle fan reaction to the links on Tuesday morning, asking Villa fans if the club should part ways with the defensive midfielder.

This is what they had to say in reply, with many happy to let him go in January.

“Definitely, he’s OK but not what we need. Take the money and then upgrade in the summer. Luiz as backup is then an upgrade. That’s how you improve as a squad.”

Credit: @Benjmeister85

“Yes all day”

Credit: @morley_kev

“£25m +”

Credit: @AVFCTranstweet

“Yes sell him and El Ghazi for a combined £30m+ and use that to sign a top centre midfielder”

Credit: @keogh29

“He’s a solid enough squad player but £15m seems like good business, so if the lad is happy to go then, yeah”

Credit: @MartynS690706

“I’ll start the engine”

Credit: @Jord210993

In other news: Luke Hatfield makes exciting claim regarding Aston Villa ace who Grealish called ‘unplayable’. 

Everton have been handed an ideal opportunity to bounce back from successive defeats on Saturday afternoon.

That’s because the Toffees will face a Norwich City side who are the only team in the division yet to pick up a single point this season.

Rafa Benitez’s men have been vibrant since the Spaniard took over and they were level on points with the league leaders after matchday four.

Sadly, the Merseyside outfit have hit a stumbling block over the last seven days. They have suffered injuries to some key players in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Seamus Coleman, while they also exited the Carabao Cup at the expense of QPR.

Therefore, how could Everton line up when they take on the Canaries this weekend? Here’s what we’re predicting…

We are tipping Benitez to make six changes to the team which lost to QPR a few days ago.

One huge plus point for Everton is the return of Jordan Pickford, who the manager revealed on Friday had been training. The goalkeeper was initially looking likely to miss two to three weeks but he’s evidently ahead of schedule and ready to dislodge Asmir Begovic.

Lucas Digne is fit to play so there is no alteration needed at left-back, but there are two changes in defence, where Yerry Mina and Michael Keane replace Jonjoe Kenny and Mason Holgate.

Tom Davies was extremely disappointing in the Carabao Cup in midweek so Abdoulaye Doucoure replaces him, while Allan comes back at the expense of Andre Gomes.

Salomon Rondon retains his position up front, with Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin’s injury situations unchanged.

The final change is in the forward line. Demarai Gray comes in for Alex Iwobi in attacking midfield, with Anthony Gordon afforded a rare chance in the Premier League on the left.

He topped the creative charts on Tuesday evening with four key passes and deserves a chance in the side after some languid performances from the £100k-per-week Iwobi.

AND in other news, Forget Iwobi: Rafa must unleash Everton’s rarely-seen 20 y/o with “unbelievable pace”…