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West Ham United will throw the chequebook at Declan Rice in a bid to keep him at the London Stadium for the foreseeable future, according to Irons hero Frank McAvennie…

What’s the word?

During an interview with West Ham Zone this week, the former Hammers striker – who enjoyed two spells in east London – claimed the club were prepared to pay “big bucks” to tie him down for the long-term.

“Listen, from what I’m hearing the club want to keep him and they’re willing to pay big bucks.

“Now, I don’t know if he’s wanting to go somewhere. [But] I think this team [and] this squad of players, could be challenging for the Champions League for the next two or three years. I think they’ve got a decent squad, keeping everyone fit. They’ll buy more players in.

“From what I’m hearing, the owners are willing to give Declan pretty much on a par with everyone else in England, so that’s a good thing.”

Encouraging news

The 22-year-old midfielder has been continually linked with a move away in recent transfer windows, with the likes of Chelsea and both Manchester giants mooted with interest.

All three of these teams made a final of last season’s European competitions. The Blues defeating City in the Champions League, whilst United were beaten by Unai Emery’s Villarreal in the Europa League.

They can clearly offer Rice a better chance of achieving silverware sooner than West Ham can, so it would be no surprise to see him keen to join any of these teams.

During the summer, the £63m-rated star was said to have rejected fresh contract advances from the Irons’ hierarchy and according to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, this was because his salary was not in line with some of the club’s highest-earners, such as the rarely-seen Andriy Yarmolenko, who is thought to earn a whopping £115k-per–week in east London.

However, offering the England international a new deal that would see him match similar quality players in his position is certainly a positive step in the right direction, especially after Ex’s revelation.

Rice is believed to be on just £60k-per-week at the London Stadium, which is poor considering he has now amassed 26 caps for the Three Lions since his debut in March 2019, whilst he continues to be a major influence for West Ham under David Moyes.

Last season, he ranked amongst the Hammers’ four best performers and he has continued that form into the new campaign, where he has already registered two assists in seven starts and averaged a squad-high two interceptions per game, via WhoScored.

He’s also managing the best passing accuracy in the team (92.7%), by quite some margin, too.

If the club are indeed prepared to pay him what he wants and deserves, then it should leave much of the Irons faithful absolutely buzzing as there is the intention to put right their previous offers.

Whether he wants to stay or go remains to be seen, though given he is under contract until 2024, he’s likely to remain for at least the next season or so.

AND in other news, Newman could become an instant hit at West Ham by signing £36m-rated “world-beater”…

The January transfer window is fast approaching and Giovanni van Bronckhorst will have his first opportunity to bring his own players to Rangers.

He joined the club last month after Steven Gerrard’s departure for Aston Villa and that means that he is yet to experience a window at Ibrox as the club’s manager.

Time’s up

With this, the ex-Feyenoord coach has the chance to both sign players and let others go, with certain moves in the market affecting other players in the squad.

One player who has been linked with the club since the 43-year-old’s arrival in Glasgow is Dutch centre-back Wesley Hoedt. The Anderlecht man is reportedly under consideration by the Gers ahead of January, with Ross Wilson having signed him during his time at Southampton in England.

Bringing Hoedt to the club could result in a centre-back being shipped out permanently to offset the place he takes up in the squad. This could mean that Nikola Katic is jettisoned from Glasgow upon the end of his loan spell with Hajduk Split in Croatia.

The 25-year-old was sent out on loan at the start of the campaign and the signing of another central defender could push him further down the pecking order at Ibrox and potentially even mean that his time at the club is up.

Back in 2019, then-Gers boss Gerrard was full of praise for Katic, saying: “The kid is a winner and a warrior. We know what he gives. Anyone his age, after giving the penalty away, might have gone into their shell. It might have affected their performance.

“But if you knock Niko Katic down, he’s gonna get back up and come again. That’s the man, that’s the player.”

As much as he may be a warrior and a leader at the back, the £10k-per-week beast could have a struggle on his hands to force his way back into the first-team picture. Calvin Bassey, Leon Balogun, Jack Simpson, Filip Helander and Hoedt could all be in his way, whilst Connor Goldson’s future also remains undecided with his contract up at the end of the season.

Upon his arrival at Southampton, Les Reed referred to Hoedt as a ‘top quality’ centre-back who had ‘proven’ his talent at Lazio in Italy. The 6 foot 3 colossus has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.02 for Anderlecht in Belgium this season, completing 87% of his passes and making 4.2 clearances per game.

This shows why Rangers may want to sign him in January, as he has previously shown his ability at the top level in Italy and is now thriving in Belgium. His statistics and pedigree also suggest that he would not be coming to Ibrox to sit on the bench, and that is why Van Bronckhorst may be forced to offload Katic, as the prospective signing of Hoedt could leave the Croatian without a route back into the first team picture.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than McLaughlin: Rangers dud with 56% pass accuracy let GvB down badly…

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Michy Batshuayi to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by TEAMtalk, who claim that, with the centre-forward’s current contract at Stamford Bridge set to expire in June of 2023, Chelsea have now greenlit the 28-year-old’s departure this summer, in order for Thomas Tuchel’s side to recoup some of the £33m fee they paid for the Belgium international back in 2016.

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The report goes on to state that this has caught the attention of the likes of Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton, Southampton and Brighton & Hove Albion, as well as unnamed teams in Germany, Italy and Spain, who are all said to be plotting moves for the striker at the end of the current campaign.

“Loves scoring goals”

While it is true that, since Batshuayi’s 2016 move to west London, the centre-forward has failed to ever hold down a place as Chelsea’s first-choice number nine – making just 77 appearances over his five and a half year stay at Stamford Bridge – it is undeniable that, when given the opportunity, the 28-year-old is very much a player who knows how to find the back of the net.

This is something he has proven over his 28 Super Lig outings on loan at Besiktas this season, with the £9m-rated forward scoring 14 goals, registering five assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.3 shots – the second-most in the league – and making one key pass per game.

The £87k-per-week hitman dubbed a “beast” was also in devastating form over 14 fixtures in a temporary spell with Borussia Dortmund back in 2017/18, bagging nine goals and providing one assist for BVB – a record of a direct goal involvement every 117 minutes of football played.

Indeed, it is clear to see that Batshuayi is a player who loves finding the onion bag, something which the centre-forward’s former manager, Frank Lampard, confirmed back in November of 2019:

“He has been very good for us so far, and that positive spirit when you’re not playing regularly is not just important for him, cause that’s tough sometimes, but it’s important for the group. He deserves extra praise for that.

“He’s positive, hard-working, loves scoring goals. That might sound simple for a striker but I’ve seen some who don’t love it quite as much. He loves scoring in training, he always stays out to do extra practice. I’m thankful to have him in the squad.”

Furthermore, upon Leeds’ links with a move for the Belgian back in 2021, the former Leeds midfielder, David Norris, also stated his belief that the Chelsea striker would make an excellent addition to the Whites’ options up top:

“He’s big, strong, powerful and can score goals but also, anyone coming in is going to have to fit in with the way they play and the dressing room because that seems really close, but I think he’d be a great signing.”

And, with Jesse Marsch known to favour a formation that features two centre-forwards, the prospect of Batshuayi linking up with Patrick Bamford at Elland Road will certainly be a mouthwatering one for Leeds supporters.

Indeed, Victor Orta’s signing of the 28-year-old could easily be the formation of a deadly duo in the Leeds attack, one that could very well fire the Whites back to the top half of the Premier League standings next season.

AND in other news: Marsch could unearth Leeds’ next £60m talent in “wonderful” £1.8m-rated sensation

Aston Villa may make a move for Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu in January, according to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans.

And a number of Villa fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

Villa are looking at bolstering their centre-back and central midfield ranks over the next two windows, according to Evans. He revealed in his transfer mailbag last week that Johan Lange will present a number of midfield options to Steven Gerrard, with a move for Romeu possibly being looked at after Villa tracked him in the summer.

The defensive midfielder has been with The Saints since 2015 and is under contract for a further 18 months. He’s made 17 Premier League appearances this season, however, Villa midfielders John McGinn and Douglas Luiz have outperformed Romeu, as per WhoScored.

Romeu, who has racked up 59 Premier League yellow cards throughout his career, also turned 30 in September, and it seems as if a number of Villa fans don’t want to see the Southampton man make the move to the Midlands.

Villa fans react

Total Villa shared Evans’ claim regarding Romeu on Twitter on Wednesday lunchtime. This is what these supporters had to say in reply, with many not exactly thrilled at the links and one describing the Spaniard as a ‘liability’.

“Too old, there’s younger alternatives. We picked up a 29 year old in the summer from there on 100k per week. The epitome of stupidity is to repeat the same mistake twice.”

Credit: @WanyeAVFC

“We can do so much better”

Credit: @KishinJay

“He’s a liability. Gets too many cards and gives away too many fouls.”

Credit: @LoseLbsMakePar

“Not for me”

Credit: @NathanCotterill

“Doesn’t fit what the club want, doesn’t fit the age profile and isn’t an improvement on what we have. Nonsense rumour”

Credit: @AVFCLancelot

“Overrated”

Credit: @vizzy9

In other news: ‘Even worse’ – Many AVFC fans flock to Preece’s January transfer update.

A number of West Ham supporters are excited after a new report claimed the Hammers are the front-runners to sign Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

David Moyes is sure to be eyeing up new signings in the January transfer window, as he looks to take his squad to another level and deal with the injury issues running through the spine of his team.

West Ham look well-placed to mount a genuine top-four challenge in the Premier League this season, as well as hopefully going far in the Europa League, but they have lost both first-choice centre-backs in Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna.

One player who the Hammers are thought to be keen on signing is Kamara, with the 22-year-old impressing for Marseille this season, making 17 Ligue 1 appearances and enjoying an 89.4% pass completion rate.

According to Corriere dello Sport [via West Ham News & Views on Twitter], Moyes’ side are in pole position to sign the Frenchman on a free transfer this summer, when his current contract will expire.

West Ham fans love Kamara latest

Kamara can play as a defensive midfielder or in the heart of defence, and these West Ham fans reacted positively to the news on Twitter.

“Let’s hope this is genuinely true! Would be a superb signing and if we can agree a pre-contract before the window closes could then push for a marked down move this window. Marseille have two options: accept whatever we offer or get nothing”

Credit: @mhare641

“Very very decent”

Credit: @_ghzst

“Great signing if we pull it off”

Credit: @Kelly77722

“Please!!!!”

Credit: @stevensheppar12

“He’s class, would be a great signing especially for free”

Credit: @YarmoSZN

“Good but we need signings this month”

Credit: @Mxttftbl

In other news, a reporter has made a key claim regarding a possible West Ham transfer. Read more here.

According to The Telegraph, Tottenham are ready to hijack Leicester’s loan deal for Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans. 

The 21-year-old was poised to be joining The Foxes this January, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has given the green light for his club to intercept this deal. However, the article does not state whether this is a loan or permanent deal.

The French club are willing to loan the Belgian, or sell him for £20m as well. However, it is imperative that Tottenham sign him permanently.

The Lilywhites have a long and rather embarrassing history of signing substandard players; there are currently some in the squad now, and there have been many in the past. Particularly though, the club have signed a raft of slow starters. There is absolutely no guarantee that Tielemans will acclimatise quickly, in which time, this would be a waste of a loan deal from Spurs.

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On the other hand, a permanent deal means the 21-year-old has time to settle into Tottenham and truly become the successor to Mousa Dembélé. Stylistically, Tielemans has many similarities to his compatriot, while also showing a greater attacking instinct. His powerful shot and ability to chip in with a goal could even make him a greater asset to Tottenham, particularly as central midfielders like Eric Dier, Harry Winks and Victor Wanyama are not famed for their goal-scoring prowess.

Now that Tottenham are out of the FA Cup and League Cup, they do not need quick fixes, particularly in the heart of midfield, they need long-term figures and Tielemans is that man.

Nottingham Forest confirmed on Thursday morning that they are expecting their biggest crowd of the season this weekend against Blackpool.

And, as to be expected, a number of Forest fans have been reacting to the update on social media.

Steve Cooper is unbeaten in his first three games as manager after replacing Chris Hughton in September, with wins over Barnsley and Birmingham City coming after a draw at home to Millwall.

The 1-1 draw at The City Ground last month was Forest’s highest attendance of the season with 25,589 supporters in attendance.

Forest sit second on the average Championship attendance table behind Sheffield United, and it seems as if that figure will increase after the meeting with The Tangerines, with a season-high crowd expected.

Forest fans react

Forest shared the attendance update on their official Twitter page on Thursday. This is what these supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘positive’.

“love a full City Ground. Just need every fan to get behind the team and make some noise”

Credit: @PMarshall78

“Feel good factor is back”

Credit: @DarrenWeston82

“Think it’s the most positive I’ve been for about 18 months.”

Credit: @JamieBriody

“Love this”

Credit: @NFFC_Woodz

“How quickly things change in football, the fans are buzzing again”

Credit: @NottinghamGupta

“What happens when we start playing decent football!!”

Credit: @gavreds84

An update has emerged on Newcastle United target Ousmane Dembele regarding interest from elsewhere in the Premier League…

What’s the talk?

According to Mundo Deportivo, Manchester United and Tottenham have both joined the Magpies in the race to land the French international.

The report claims that Barcelona want to keep hold of the 24-year-old and will offer him a contract extension to avoid losing him for nothing.

ASM 2.0

Eddie Howe could find Newcastle’s new Allan Saint-Maximin by sealing a deal for Dembele either in January or at the end of the season. He is out of contract in 2022 and the Magpies could land him on a pre-contract in the winter window to sign him on a free next summer or they could look to strike a cut-price deal to have him for the second-half of the campaign.

Like Saint-Maximin, Dembele is a tricky winger who can use both feet and likes to dribble with the ball to create openings for himself and his teammates. He has a career average of 2.5 dribbles completed per game, whilst the Magpies forward has a career average of 3.6 per game.

The Frenchman has also shown that he has the quality to provide end product at the top level, with 51 goals and assists in 121 games for the Spanish giants.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta claimed last year that the forward is a better player than PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, saying: “I like Ousmane Dembélé, for me it’s clear: he’s better than Kylian Mbappé. He wants to stay and we want him to stay here”

This is high praise from Laporta and highlights the natural talent of the £45m-rated beast. Mbappe has 141 goals and 74 assists in 192 games for PSG, showing his immense quality in the final third, with more than a goal contribution per match.

If the Barcelona president feels that Dembele has the ability to be better than the 22-year-old, then Newcastle could be landing a sensational player. However, at his current level he could still be a fantastic addition and excite supporters with his dribbling skills.

He has shown that he can pop up with goals and assists for Barcelona whilst regularly taking players on with the ball at his feet, much like Saint-Maximin does for Newcastle, and Dembele could get fans off their seats by committing defenders and opening up space to drive forward at the top end of the pitch. It is now over to Howe to ensure that he can get a deal over the line…

AND in other news, “Among leading NUFC targets”: David Ornstein drops transfer update which will excite fans…

Sunderland boss Alex Neil picked up another win in the third tier over the weekend as his side beat Gillingham 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.

Nathan Broadhead’s diving header in the last minute sealed the three points to keep the Black Cats in the race to land a play-off spot.

They are currently two points behind 5th-placed Sheffield Wednesday in the table as they attempt to land a top-six place between now and the end of the regular season.

If the Black Cats end up in the play-offs and Neil is able to guide them to the Championship this term, Kristjaan Speakman will be facing the daunting prospect of sorting out the club’s striking options heading into next season.

Ross Stewart has been linked with a move to Premier League side Norwich and Nathan Broadhead is set to return to Everton this summer. They have scored 28 goals between them in League One and losing both of them ahead of a campaign in the second tier would be a disaster, especially if they fail to bring in a player of the requisite quality to replace them.

One striker they have been credited with an interest in is 18-year-old Guiseley forward Josh Stones. The youngster has caught the eye this season with his goals at youth level and Sunderland are one of the clubs keen on a deal for him.

However, Football Insider recently reported that Wigan have agreed terms with the striker ahead of a summer switch to the DW Stadium. This means that, as it stands, Speakman is set to miss out on a deal for the teen as Wigan have swooped in ahead of them.

Stones has scored nine goals in his last five youth games for Guiseley, whilst he recently scored a hat-trick at youth level for England’s schoolboys team against Scotland. This means that he has found the back of the net 12 times in his last six matches in development football, which highlights his incredible potential as a player.

Therefore, missing out on a deal for him would be a big disaster for Speakman. Not only would it be to a League One rival, but it could also be at the same time they lose both Stewart and Broadhead – leaving Neil’s squad threadbare at the top end of the pitch.

The Stadium of Light supremo must do everything in his power to convince the 18-year-old phenomenon to turn Wigan down and sign a contract with Sunderland. His statistics at youth level suggest that he would be an excellent addition to the club’s ranks and they cannot allow their rivals to snap him up ahead of them.

AND in other news, SAFC made huge £600k blunder over “outstanding” machine who aged like “fine wine”…

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has made an exit claim regarding Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas, believing that it would be a ‘bonus’ if the Hoops can receive a fee for his services.

The Lowdown: Barkas ‘demands’ Celtic exit

The Greece international has made just two appearances under Ange Postecoglou this season, with his last matchday involvement coming against Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup in mid-February as an unused substitute.

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The 27-year-old had the chance to leave Parkhead during the January transfer window, but loan moves to Sheffield United and IFK Gothenburg fell through due to salary demands.

He has now ‘demanded’ to leave Celtic in the summer and looks set to join winger Ben Doak in heading out the Parkhead exit door, with the youngster closing in on a move to Liverpool.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments on Barkas

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, O’Rourke said that Barkas is on ‘decent money’ in Glasgow, labelling the possibility of Celtic receiving a fee for the goalkeeper’s services as a ‘bonus’. The journalist stated:

“If Celtic can get him off the wage book, because he’s on decent money there, that’ll help save a bit of money. And if they can get a fee for him as well, that will be a bonus.”

The Verdict: Exit needed for Barkas

Postecoglou has Joe Hart and Scott Bain to call upon between now and the end of the season. Conor Hazard is on loan at HJK Helsinki and Tobi Oluwayemi is coming through at Lennoxtown, so Barkas doesn’t appear to be needed in Glasgow.

The Hoops paid £4.5m for Barkas in 2020, making him the most expensive goalkeeper in the club’s history.

His Transfermarkt valuation has plummeted to £1.35m during his time in Scotland, proving that his stint at the club hasn’t worked out. If Celtic can secure a £1.35m fee, it would be a ‘bonus’, as O’Rourke put it.

In other news: Update emerges for Ange on Celtic ace stretchered off during international duty