All posts by h716a5.icu

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly closing in on the signing of West Ham United defender Craig Dawson, having missed out on the Englishman during the summer.

What’s the word?

That’s according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, with the transfer insider revealing that an agreement has been reached to bring the 32-year-old to Molineux for a fee of around £3.3m.

Writing on Twitter about that impending move, the respected source stated: “#Wolves have agreed a £3.3m fee with #WHUFC for defender Craig Dawson and are hoping to get the deal completed in time for Sunday’s trip to #MCFC. Dawson is a long-term target who came close to joining in the summer.”

As noted by Crook, reports in the summer had suggested that the experienced centre-back was keen on joining the Midlands outfit, only for the Hammers to ultimately pull the plug on deadline day after failing to secure a replacement.

Coady 2.0

While the Old Gold did recruit Republic of Ireland international, Nathan Collins, during the summer window, the club were left somewhat depleted defensively after the reliable trio of Romain Saiss, Willy Boly and Conor Coady were all allowed to depart under Bruno Lage’s watch.

The exit of the latter man, in particular, proved particularly surprising as the long-serving skipper was allowed to join current relegation rivals Everton on loan, after having racked up 317 appearances for Wolves since 2015.

The old-school defender was undoubtedly something of a leader for the club both on and off the pitch, having led “by example” according to Lage, who also described him as “one of the best” back in March.

That importance to the side was laid bare last season as the England international started all 38 games for the club in the Premier League, keeping 11 clean sheets in that time and averaging 3.7 clearances per game to illustrate his defensive prowess.

The 29-year-old also proved something of a threat in an attacking sense in the 2021/22 campaign, having recorded a respectable haul of four league goals from his centre-back berth.

Current boss Julen Lopetegui could well find Coady 2.0 by bringing in the aforementioned Dawson, with the no-nonsense “warrior” – as lauded by West Ham boss David Moyes – also proving influential in both boxes.

The versatile rock – who can feature at the heart of the defence or at right-back – is evidently a player willing to put his body on the line for his side, with the former Watford man ranking in the top 6% among his European peers for blocks made.

Equally, the £45k-per-week brute – who has averaged 3.3 clearances and 1.3 tackles in eight top-flight games this season – is also something of a weapon in the opposition penalty area, having scored nine goals in 87 games for the Irons in all competitions.

Although, like Coady, the Rochdale-born machine may not be the most glamourous of names, he does offer that workmanlike and hard-nosed defensive resilience that could well prove vital in the scrap for survival.

On the evidence of his form at the London Stadium in recent years, Dawson could well emerge as a truly astute, bargain capture for Lopetegui and co.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is now ‘open to signing a new contract’ with the Premier League giants, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The England captain has now entered the final 18 months of his deal in the capital, but having not yet committed to extending his stay, his future has been up in the air for the past couple of transfer windows.

Bayern Munich have made themselves public admirers following their failed pursuit last summer, whilst Manchester United are the latest club to have been linked with a move for the 29-year-old as Erik Ten Hag searches for a new permanent centre-forward.

The Lilywhites, however, have now learnt their talisman’s stance, and it’s positive news for all…

The Latest: Ornstein’s update

Taking to Twitter, Ornstein revealed that Spurs and Kane have scheduled a fresh round of contract discussions for next month, with the attacker hoping to put pen to paper on a new agreement.

“EXCL: Harry Kane open to signing new contract at Tottenham. No dialogue since summer 2021 but talks planned for after Jan window. If circumstances right, possible 29yo will now extend past 2024. Striker’s priority is to succeed with #THFC.”

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The Verdict: Massive boost

Kane has been dubbed a ‘monster’ by teammate Son Heung-Min and it would be a huge boost for Tottenham if he was to pledge himself for the foreseeable future.

The Nike-sponsored star has clocked up an outstanding 327 goal contributions in 414 senior appearances in the capital and proves to be a constant threat even in the very occasional dry spell, currently averaging 3.6 shots per top-flight game. He ranks highly among strikers in Europe’s top leagues for nearly every single goalscoring and creative metric (FBRef).

Antonio Conte will know the impact Kane has on his side and he’s undoubtedly a favourite among supporters, with the chances of the club achieving success in the future made more possible with their star man still in the building.

Former Sheffield Wednesday centre-back Michael Hector could potentially seal a return to the club this month, according to reliable journalist Joe Crann.

The Lowdown: Hector’s previous with Sheffield Wednesday

The 30-year-old spent the 2018/19 season on loan at Hillsborough, having struggled to break through at Chelsea over a number of years, despite previously being hailed as ‘absolutely top class’ by journalist Dom Howson.

Hector made 39 appearances in total for the Owls, scoring twice along the way and proving to be a ‘fan favourite’ at the heart of their defence.

The former Jamaica international is currently without a club, having left Fulham last year, and it could be that a return to Wednesday materialises this month.

The Latest: Sheffield Wednesday considering Hector move

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for The Star, Crann claimed that Hector is being considered as an option for Sheffield Wednesday to come in and add defensive depth in January.

The journalist tweeted:

“Darren Moore has previously suggested that #SWFC weren’t really looking at free agents, but – as per @AlexMiller91 – we understand that former Owl, Michael Hector, is now being considered as an option at centre back after all.”

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The Verdict: Good centre-back option

This could be a shrewd piece of business by Wednesday, bringing in Hector on a free transfer and helping to ease their current shortage in centre-back areas following injuries to Ben Heneghan and Michael Ihiekwe.

Mark McGuinness’ return to Cardiff City is a big blow, following an impressive stint for the Owls (he is their second-highest rated player this season as per WhoScored), but Hector could help to fill that void, having won 3.4 aerial duels per game in the Championship during his previous spell with the club four years ago.

There would be an element of risk behind the move in terms of his lack of playing time – he has made just 15 appearances in all competitions since August 2020, and only two since the start of 2022 – but the free agent element of the transfer alleviates that issue.

Either way, bringing in another centre-back this month could be a wise move should any approach for Hector not work out.

West Bromwich Albion are interested in signing both Lewis O’Brien and Nathaniel Chalobah in the January transfer window, according to reports on Sunday morning.

The Lowdown: West Brom looking good for play-offs

The Baggies have recovered from a disastrous start to the season in the Championship, with Carlos Corberan changing their fortunes after the exit of Steve Bruce in the autumn.

West Brom now sit 10th in the table and are only one point off the play-offs and their recent form suggests that they could rise further up the division in the coming months.

New signings may be required for that to become more likely, though, and an intriguing reports has emerged in the morning hours.

The Latest: O’Brien and Chalobah in talks with West Brom

According to The Mail on Sunday [via West Brom News], Albion are in discussions to sign both O’Brien and Chalobah before the transfer deadline on Tuesday night.

The duo are currently in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest and Fulham respectively, but neither have been regular presences at those clubs and could be allowed to leave this month.

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The Verdict: Could be a great double coup

If the Baggies were able to bring in O’Brien and Chalobah, it would have the potential to be game-changing in their promotion push, considering the quality they both possess at Championship level. They have only made a total of seven starts in the Premier League between them this season (O’Brien six, Chalobah one) and could be itching to feature more prominently elsewhere.

Although things aren’t working out for them in the top flight, the former started 46 Championship games for Huddersfield Town last term, averaging 2.1 tackles per game as they reached the play-off final, while the latter has 142 appearances to his name in the second tier and has been promoted from the division with Watford and Fulham in the past two years.

O’Brien and Chalobah could provide stiff competition in the middle of the park at West Brom for the likes of Okay Yokuslu and John Swift, giving Corberan the depth to rotate his squad and keep players fresh as the game comes thick and fast in the final four months of the campaign.

Everton have now had a £22m bid accepted for Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, according to the Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Everton eyeing Sulemana

Journalist Dean Jones stated last week that the Toffees had ‘made inroads with agents’ over a deal to bring the Ghanaian to Goodison Park, with transfer insider Alex Crook later claiming that they were the favourites for his signature.

The need for a new winger has become a more pressing concern for Sean Dyche since the recent departure of Anthony Gordon, who has joined Newcastle United for £45m, and the new Everton boss is edging closer to getting a suitable replacement.

The Latest: Bid accepted for Sulemana

According to the Daily Mail, Everton have had a £22m bid accepted for the 20-year-old, with Dyche said to be keen to rectify the Merseysiders’ struggles in front of goal by bringing in another player in an attacking area.

However, Southampton have also had an offer accepted for the Rennes maestro, so the deal may now come down to which club is able to offer better terms to the youngster.

The Verdict: Great news

The most remarkable aspect of the Ghanaian’s game is his ability to take the ball past his opponents, ranking in the 98th percentile for dribbles completed per 90 over the past year with an average of 3.71. Meanwhile, his constant threat in the final third is highlighted by an average of 5.23 touches in the attacking penalty area, placing him in the 80th percentile.

Those figures are vastly superior to the respective metrics totalled by Gordon in the same timeframe, which suggests that Everton could be able to bring in a better player than their academy graduate for less than half the fee that they reaped for the now-Newcastle winger.

Hailed as a ‘brilliant player’ by football scout Jacek Kulig, Sulemana has not been in the best of form this season, scoring just once in 14 games in Ligue 1, but he is still very young and has demonstrated his ability in the Europa League, weighing in with two assists in four matches in that competition.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United have failed with a deadline day attempt to sign young Northern Irish player Sean Moore.

What’s the latest?

In the final hours of the January transfer market, it looked as though the Premier League side would be able to complete a deal for the 17-year-old winger.

Indeed, Ex reported that the Hammers were in talks with Cliftonville about a possible move with the intention of then loaning him back for the rest of the campaign.

However, with the transfer deadline now passed, it seems no deal could be agreed upon and so Moore will remain in Northern Ireland for the time being with his future still up in the air.

In a new update shared on The West Ham Way Patreon page, Ex revealed his full understanding of how it played out and was at least able to confirm that the Irons will now look to compete for the deal in the summer.

He said: “We have just heard that whilst Sean Moore did have talks about joining the club today from Cliftonville, the deal was not completed for this window.

“It is a deal that West Ham will look to finalise in the summer now. The player will continue his development at Cliftonville with West Ham keeping a keen eye on his progress.”

Missed opportunity?

Seeing as the initial plan had involved loaning the teen back to Cliftonville for the remainder of the season, this failed transfer won’t have too much of an impact on the club’s immediate plans.

However, when they go back in for Moore next summer, they may face more competition for his signature. After all, he has impressed in the Danske Bank Premiership this term, scoring two goals and providing two assists in 19 appearances.

And after this attempted move from the Hammers, rivals teams may well be keen to enter the race for the highly-rated 17-year-old. That certainly seems quite likely as he has even been compared to a young George Best by former Cliftonville chairman Jim Boyce.

Arsenal are reportedly willing to pay a British-record transfer fee to sign West Ham United central midfielder Declan Rice this summer.

The Lowdown: British record broken

Chelsea broke the British-record transfer fee in January when they signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a whopping £106.8m.

This surpassed the £100m that Manchester City paid Aston Villa to sign Jack Grealish, but the British record could be broken again in the summer according to reports.

The Latest: Arsenal willing to go big

As per Spanish sources, Arsenal are ‘willing’ to pay as much as €134m (£120m) to sign Rice this summer, which would be a new British-record fee.

The report adds that Chelsea were ‘close’ to signing him last summer, but after already paying big money for Fernandez, Arsenal have a ‘golden opportunity’ to sign Rice instead.

The Verdict: Worth it?

The Gunners will have a big decision to make in the summer over whether they should be paying so much for Rice.

Only Thomas Partey can match him for average tackles (2.3) per game in the Premier League in Mikel Arteta’s squad, while nobody can match him for interceptions (1.7), suggesting that he could be a level-raiser in the middle of the park.

Hailed as a ‘monster’, a ‘force of nature’, a ‘leader’ and a ‘serious talent’ by journalist Rob Blanchette, the six-foot-one colossus is thought of very highly, and at 24 years of age, he has not reached his peak yet.

Being an England international means that the north Londoners will have to pay a premium for Rice, but he could turn out to be worth it in the long- term.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi and when he could return from injury…

What’s the latest?

The 24-year-old has revealed that it could take him up to a month before Michael Beale will be able to utilise his talent for a full 90 minutes of action.

Speaking to Romanian media, via the Daily Record, the midfielder said: “For me to play 90 minutes? I would say in three or four weeks. But of course, it doesn’t just depend on me, I have to be called to do it.

“I have to show I can play well. I feel fine physically and mentally as well. Now I’m trying to play as many minutes as possible and get ready as quickly as I can. I don’t feel old, but I feel experienced compared to Alex Pitu for example, who has just signed for Bordeaux. I have my whole career ahead of me, I hope to play another 15 years at least.”

Hagi recently made his comeback off the bench in the 2-0 win over St. Johnstone and was an unused substitute against Ross County last weekend in the Premiership.

Big boost

This news should come as a big boost to the Light Blues head coach as the Romania international has the quality to be a key player for Beale in the coming months of the campaign.

The 24-year-old missed a whopping 69 competitive outings for the club after needing knee surgery in January 2022 and the claim that he will be able to play full 90-minute games by the end of February, or in the early part of March, is fantastic news and a credit to the work the gem has done during his rehabilitation.

It also means that the winger could be ready to play a significant role, if selected, in the League Cup final against Celtic on the 26th of February. Whilst he may not be ready to play a full match by that point, Hagi should be fit enough to either start or play a good chunk of minutes off the bench as he closes in on 100% fitness.

This is a big boost given what the playmaker has shown over the course of his Rangers career. The dynamo has proven himself to be a difference-maker on more than one occasion having scored 15 goals and provided 21 assists in 86 appearances in all competitions for the club.

The Romanian is capable of providing goals and assists from an attacking midfield or wide position and his contributions at the top end of the pitch could win matches for the Gers this season if he is able to get back to his best.

The above statistics show that Hagi has the quality to consistently deliver quality performances and end product from midfield for the Gers when at his peak fitness, which is why having the midfielder fit and ready to play in the coming weeks and months is a huge boost for Beale.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has slammed the idea that Steven Gerrard could replace Jesse Marsch as Leeds United manager claiming they are too similar.

What’s the latest on Gerrard to Leeds?

With the Whites still on the lookout for an appointment, The Mirror reports that a number of rejections may have led them to the former Aston Villa boss.

Indeed, the story claims that Gerrard could be the man they turn to after attempts to bring in West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan, Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola and Feyenoord manager Arne Slot have all failed.

The Premier League side lost on the weekend to Manchester United and with the threat of relegation looming, they won’t want to delay much longer before appointing a permanent manager.

However, while speaking about it all on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan insisted that Gerrard would be no different to Marsch.

He explained: “Gerrard did well at Rangers, he did. He had decent backing, he did well at Rangers.

“Got given a bigger job when he came to Aston Villa, then the players didn’t know what they were doing. He’d come out, he’d publicly go at players, say that he wanted lots more from them here, there and everywhere.

“It’s a mirror of Marsch. It’s a mirror. I think Gerrard actually needs to step down to the Championship to build himself up again. How can he be handed a massive job like Leeds United after being sacked by Aston Villa? The expectations need to grow.”

What could appointing Gerrard mean for Leeds?

Marsch joined Leeds last February having built up his reputation as a coach outside of England. Similarly, Gerrard joined Villa having never managed at senior level in England, impressing at Rangers instead.

Marsch lasted just 37 games as boss with the Whites, averaging 1.16 points per game. Once more comparably, Gerrard oversaw just three more games (40) while with the Villans, picking up only 1.18 points per game.

With that in mind, it’s easy to see why the comparison has been made and why there would be plenty of doubts about just how much better Gerrard would be if given the job.

Still, with plenty of options rejecting Leeds already, options are dwindling and the former Liverpool man does at least have a connection with Elland Road favourite Gary McAllister – with the pair working together at Villa and Rangers.

And so perhaps this will be enough to tempt the Whites into making the appointment.

Phil Hay believes if Leeds United stay up this season they could try and appoint either Andoni Iraola or Arne Slot.

The Lowdown: Leeds put their trust in Skubala

After a thankless task of trying to find Jesse Marsch’s successor Victor Orta has appeared to give up for now by handing the reigns to former assistant coach Michael Skubala after he took charge of the two prior games.

In those two matches, Skubala managed to pick up a point away at Old Trafford, but now the important matches are coming up against fellow relegation strugglers Everton and Southampton.

Skubala will be aiming to pick up maximum points from those matches but they most certainly can’t afford to lose as that could potentially see either of those sides leapfrog Leeds in the table.

The Latest: Iraola or Slot could join in the summer

Hay has claimed on The Phil Hay Show that if Leeds managed to maintain their Premier League status then Orta could go back in for one of Slot or Iraola having been rejected over the last week.

He said: (25:45) “I do think if Leeds stay up that’s absolutely an option they will revisit in the summer [Iraola] again likewise with Arne Slot but Slot as well at Feyenoord were very resistant to the idea of him going to Leeds and he said himself publicly that he wouldn’t be.”

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The Verdict: A crucial few months

These next few months could well morph Leeds’ future because if they stay up then it may be a bright horizon for the Whites with an impending takeover from the 49ers enterprise allowing them to spend heavily on their stadium and squad.

However, if they fail to avoid the drop back into the Championship then the 49ers may well be put off the idea of buying Leeds or if they do still proceed with the takeover, then it would certainly set them back a few years.

Skubala will know the pressure resting on his shoulders to get an out-of-form Leeds side back firing on all cylinders because if he keeps the club up then he could well have laid the foundations for a more wanted and experienced coach to come in and take the Whites forward onto bigger and better things.