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West Ham manager David Moyes is keen to bring in a new striker in the January transfer window, according to journalist Paul Brown.

The Lowdown: Hammers suffer slight blip

The Hammers lost 2-1 away to Manchester City on Sunday, with their Premier League momentum halting a bit in recent weeks. The east Londoners have lost their last two league outings, following their defeat at Wolves before the City game, and they now need to regroup.

It is far from a disaster – a loss at City is no shock – but victory at home to Brighton on Wednesday night would steady the ship as they aim to preserve their place in the top four.

The Latest: Moyes wants a new striker

West Ham arguably need January reinforcements if they are to mount a genuine top-four challenge, and according to Brown in an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Moyes is eyeing up a new striker.

The journalist outlined: “Moyes wants a striker which is going to cost West Ham a lot of money, so if they’re to do much business in January and redivert some funds, I wonder where they go.”

The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

There is a feeling that the Hammers look light up top, with so much currently depending on the goals of Michail Antonio, who is the only natural centre-forward at the London Stadium, and even his form has deteriorated in recent weeks. Midfielder Pablo Fornals is the second-top league scorer with four goals.

A new striker would add much-needed firepower to the team, with Basel attacker Arthur Cabral a potential target and someone who has already scored 14 league goals this season. He would provide competition for Antonio and allow the Jamaica international a breather from time to time, keeping him fresh right through until May.

It should come as no surprise that Moyes is keen to bring in another centre-forward in January, given the sparsity of option in that area for West Ham.

In other news, Moyes also reportedly wants to bring in another player. Find out who it is here.

Frank Lampard tasted his first defeat as Everton manager as they lost 3-1 away to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

The Goodison Park faithful actually went in front thanks to an own goal from Jamaal Lascelles, but a Mason Holgate own goal levelled the playing field just a minute later, before Ryan Fraser and Kieran Trippier ensured the hosts went home with all three points.

With the games coming thick and fast, The Transfer Tavern have now used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the Blues’ three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were on the night – could these Toffees be looking over their shoulders if Lampard makes changes against Leeds?

Andros Townsend

Admittedly joint-third bottom of the list with both Andre Gomes and Jarrad Branthwaite in terms of rating (6.1), Townsend was totally ineffective across the 90 minutes.

In the unfamiliar left wing-back position, the former Magpie lost out on seven of his duels in total, and also failed to make any clearances or block any shots.

He was unsuccessful with all five of his crosses, and gave the ball away on no fewer than on 17 separate occasions in the match, the joint-second most out of any of his teammates.

Michael Keane

Keane was ranked as the Toffees’ second-worst player on the night with a six overall rating.

The central defender lost a team-high total of 12 duels, and also didn’t block any shots at Jordan Pickford’s goal, while he recorded no interceptions and lost the ball 11 times.

With Yerry Mina now joining Ben Godfrey on the treatment table, Lampard may have no choice but to stick with Keane despite his perilous display.

Mason Holgate

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Holgate was given the worst rating (5.5) after his own goal and what can only be described as some comical defending at times.

The Englishman was unsuccessful in eight of his duels, and also failed to block any shots or make any interceptions, while he, like Townsend, was guilty of losing possession 17 times.

In other news, find out which ‘elite’ talent the Blues are now ‘tracking’ here!

As if the transfer window hasn’t already been an exciting state of affairs for Aston Villa, it could yet end with even triumph and satisfaction for Steven Gerrard and the club’s supporters.

Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne have already arrived but a major name from within the game is now being closely linked to Villa.

What’s the word?

Reports emerged late on Tuesday evening that the Villans had tabled an offer to bring Suarez back to England and as a result of Gerrard, they were ahead of a number of Brazilian clubs in the race to secure his signature.

Now, the Villa boss and Johan Lange have been given further hope of concluding a deal by Spanish football expert, Alvaro Montero, who was speaking live on Sky Sports on Wednesday.

He claimed that Suarez was looking to leave his current employers, Atletico Madrid, and in a captivating four-word claim, suggested that Villa “could be an option” for the veteran striker.

The Uruguayan’s contract expires at the end of the season so there is a chance that the Midlands outfit could sign for free in the summer.

Fans surely buzzing

After the signings of Digne and Coutinho, fans will have rightfully been on cloud nine given their international experience and previous exploits in the game.

However, if you combine that with the potential for Suarez to arrive at Bodymoor Heath in the next six months, supporters will simply be ecstatic.

Of course, the forward is now 34 years of age now and is no spring chicken, but there is no escaping from the fact that he is still a wonderful goalscorer.

He has regularly beaten the goalkeeper throughout his career and at the top level no less, scoring 69 Premier League goals, while also racking up a phenomenal 195 strikes during his stay with Barcelona.

Furthermore, Suarez is an incredibly decorated player. This is someone who has won the Spanish top-flight on five occasions, an individual who has won Copa del Rey four times and has also taken home both the Champions League and Club World Cup.

That is quite the honours list and based on experience alone, he’d be a wonderful player to have in the dressing room.

On top of that, his superb ability to make something extraordinary happen out of nothing is almost second to none. He has terrorised English defences before and there is every chance he could do the same in the claret and blue of Villa.

A move still feels unlikely but what a coup he’d be if they could get a deal across the line. Coutinho was a landmark signing but this would surely blow that out of the water, consequently leaving supporters elated with their recruitment team.

AND in other news, Sky Sports journo drops exciting AVFC transfer update on live TV, fans surely buzzing…

Daniel Levy could repeat one of his biggest mistakes at Tottenham Hotspur after a shock report emerged this week…

What’s the word?

According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Spurs tried to sign Manchester United forward Anthony Martial on loan this month but the out-of-favour Frenchman turned down their approach despite wanting to leave Old Trafford.

The Red Devils’ hierarchy are said to want his full wages (£250k-per-week) and a loan fee covered to let him leave before deadline day on January 31st.

It’s not the first time that the north London outfit have been mooted with interest in the 26-year-old, who is currently valued at €40m (£34m), after the Manchester Evening News claimed Spurs were keen during the summer window.

Another Levy mistake

What a disaster this would be.

Not only would Martial be a terrible signing for Spurs but it also shows that the Lilywhites chairman has not learned his lessons.

The 30-time France international has been a big disappointment for United, having scored only £36m move back in September 2015.

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Last season, he only found the net four times in the Premier League as his woes started to become apparent and as a result of his poor form, his attitude and work rate has been called into question – something that would not appeal to Spurs boss Antonio Conte whatsoever.

“His body language is horrible to watch, he doesn’t want to run around and work hard to be Manchester United’s number nine,” claimed former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin after a drab outing in the Carabao Cup back in September.

Meanwhile, talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan has been a little more scathing.

“I think he’s lightweight. I think he does it when he feels like it,” he said (via The Sun). “To me, he is the embodiment of footballers who have an inordinate amount of talent but simply don’t have the psychological application or the innate strength required to compete at that level and not be a key component of Manchester United’s team.”

Whilst Martial would not command a transfer fee the size of their club-record signing Tangy Ndombele (£55m), his extortionate wages would make this loan swoop a very expensive deal indeed.

After two-and-a-half years of inconsistency and controversy, it appears the French midfield’s time at Spurs could soon be coming to an end, making Levy’s investment in him seem ghastly – even more so after a measly ten goal and nine assists in 91 appearances.

Martial is far from the answer to Conte’s frontline woes and as such, Spurs must steer clear of going back in for the struggling United flop. If they do, Levy could well make another horrendous transfer mistake.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops exciting Hugo Lloris claim at Spurs…

West Ham United are interested in a move to bring David Hancko to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed on a recent episode of The West Ham Way Podcast that the Hammers are keeping a close eye on the situation of the Sparta Prague centre-back ahead of a potential move for the 24-year-old late in the winter market.

Speaking about the Irons’ interest in the Slovakia international, the club insider said: “A new name that I’ve not mentioned before, but someone who could possibly be considered is David Hancko of Sparta Prague. Again, [a Daniel] Kretinsky link there. He’s not actually Czech, he’s Slovakian. He can play left-back and the left side of centre-back.”

Fans should be excited

With Angelo Ogbonna being ruled out for the season with an ACL injury, and both Craig Dawson and Issa Diop having done little to suggest they are of the standard required for a side chasing Champions League football in the absence of the Italian, centre-back is very much a priority position for David Moyes over what remains of the January transfer window.

And, considering just how well Hancko has performed for Sparta Prague in the current campaign, the £3.6m-rated defender would appear to make an excellent addition to the 58-year-old manager’s options in the heart of his defence.

Indeed, over his six Europa League appearances this term, the 24-year-old helped his side keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of two interceptions, 2.2 tackles, 2.3 clearances and winning 4.5 duels per game.

The versatile centre-back also chipped in for his side in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals, registering one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.8 shots and making one key pass per fixture.

These returns saw the Slovakian average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.02, ranking him as Sparta’s second-best performer in the European competition.

Furthermore, with West Ham shareholder Daniel Kretinsky also being the co-owner of Sparta Prague, it would very much appear that, should Moyes indeed wish to make a late move for the defender this January, a deal between the two clubs would be an easy one to strike.

As such, considering his clear ability at the back as well as going forwards, it would appear that a move for Hancko would be a very intelligent one for West Ham to make this winter – as the signing of the 24-year-old would undoubtedly be one that will excite the London Stadium faithful.

In other news: Moyes can seal dream West Ham signing in £82k-p/w gem whose “skills are outstanding”

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou could unearth his club’s new Kristoffer Ajer in Hearts defender John Souttar amid a recent transfer update.

What’s the story?

According to Lancashire Live, both the Hoops and Scottish Premiership rivals Rangers are in the mix to sign the Scotland international, although it’s a team south of the border who are currently at the front of the queue.

It’s claimed that Championship side Stoke City are in pole position right now to land the central defender who is out of contract in the summer and could well be sold in the January transfer window.

Celtic’s new Ajer

When Ajer was in his pomp at Celtic Park, there was nothing quite like the sight of seeing the marauding Norwegian carry the ball from defence and powering past players with ease.

Speaking earlier last season, former Scotland boss Alex McLeish said: “I go back to that St Johnstone game, you see sometimes when it’s not going for Celtic and the game’s in its dying embers, and then all of a sudden you see Ajer striding up the pitch trying to inspire like Roy of the Rovers.

“Running from defence, augment the attack and then it leads to a goal – these are inspirational moments and he is an inspirational, influential player for Celtic. Like Virgil van Dijk, he came to Celtic and we all know what happened next.”

While Souttar may not be cut from the same physical cloth as the big Norwegian, he certainly has some of the strength, tenacity and ball-playing ability that marked out Ajer as a top talent.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein once waxed lyrical about the defender and hailed his development at the club, saying: “I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time. He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

As per Whoscored, his 77.9% pass accuracy is the second-best of any Hearts defender this season in the Scottish Premiership, while his 59.1 passes per game is the second-best among any of his teammates, regardless of position – exactly the kind of modern-day defender Ange will surely be looking for.

The 6 foot 1 defender could be exactly the kind of dominant, ball-playing centre-back at Celtic Park that Ajer once was.

Meanwhile, this Celtic man has to be dropped from the starting line-up vs St Johnstone…

Newcastle are expected to sign a number of players in the summer according to Sky correspondent Keith Downie.

What’s the story?

He said when speaking to This Is Futbol that he expects the Toon to be extremely busy when it comes to adding new faces to the squad ahead of next season.

He said: “I still expect four or five players to arrive, and that’s without me talking about anyone leaving. If players leave then it could lead to even more arriving.”

Despite still not having secured their Premier League status, the Magpies seem confident of their survival and seem to be planning ahead of next season already.

Who’s on their list?

It will be interesting to see who Newcastle are able to attract but it’s likely they will want to target some of Europe’s best players.

They have recently been linked with a move for West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen who has been their top scorer this season and is highly rated at only 25-years old.

A move for him would also see them weaken potential rivals next season when they’ll be looking to finish as high as possible.

Reports in the Daily Mirror also say that the club have already set their list of targets which includes Everton star Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Kalvin Phillips.

With Everton and Leeds both struggling this season, if either of them were to be relegated it would make it far easier for Newcastle to make these signings.

Targeting an English contingent of players may be a strategic move. They may be more willing to move to the North East due to recognising Newcastle’s stature and history perhaps more than players on the continent.

However, if they do go down this route then they will have to be willing to pay more for English talent. History has shown players from home tend to fetch higher transfer fees.

Ever since the takeover, it’s been expected that Newcastle would spend big to try and compete with the best in the league. Time will tell just how much they will spend but if you’re a fan of the Magpies then it should be an exciting summer ahead. This is certainly great news for the Toon Army.

IN other news: NUFC plot bid to sign £31.5m-rated star who’s on “fire”, he could be their own “Salah” – opinion

Many Everton fans have been reacting to some news which has emerged on Lucas Digne.

Writing in his latest piece for The Athletic, Patrick Boyland has revealed that the left-back was dropped from the squad in the 2-1 home win against Arsenal on Monday night because of a ‘disagreement’ with Rafael Benitez about his role in the manager’s system.

He feels as if a more defensive approach affects his ability to influence the match, and that seems to show by his increase in defensive stats, with more tackles, interceptions and blocks averaged in the Premier League so far this season compared to 2020/21 (WhoScored).

However, he has no assists to his name this term, compared to seven in the last campaign (WhoScored), so being more defensive has certainly limited his attacking potential.

While some Everton fans feel as if Digne should be allowed more freedom to move forward, others believe he should respect Benitez’s decisions as his manager and superior.

Everton fans on Digne news

These supporters gave their reaction to the news as it was shared on Twitter, with one Toffees fan going as far as to call Digne a ‘tyrant’:

“No win in 8 [sic] and one of our captains, you would think he should be able to challenge the manager. Seems quite the tyrant, let’s hope @rafabenitezweb sees some sense.”

Credit: @g4j4s4

“Be shocking if this goes any further than a disagreement, he’s the best LB we’ve had since Baines, obviously massively out of form”

Credit: @daleando86

“@rafabenitezweb ridding the club of any quality. Almost as if he’s still being paid by Liverpool, either that or he’s the worst manager we have ever had, that includes Mike Walker”Credit: @keepitreal_82″Digne has quickly become one of those fullbacks who likes going forward but is dodgy at defending. If he’s kicking off about it, cash in on him in January.”Credit: @generalmont”Digne’s performances over the past two seasons clearly highlight it is his attitude or lack of effort that is to blame here. He’s been poor long before Benitez arrived so blaming Rafa holds absolutely no merit.”Credit: @SteWoodside48″He’s the manager, do what he asks. Simple.”Credit: @davidgilli10In other news, find out what off-field news has had these Evertonians talking

Aston Villa defender Kortney Hause is interested in returning to West Ham in the January transfer window, according to a transfer claim.

The Lowdown: Hause’s West Ham previous

The 26-year-old spent much of his youth career with the Hammers, with a spell in east London between 2003 and 2011, but he never made a first-team appearance for the Irons.

Hause ended up moving to Villa in 2019 after playing for the likes of Wycombe Wanderers and Wolves, with 54 appearances to date for the 1982 European Cup winners.

Minutes have been tough to come by this season, though, with just four Premier League starts coming his way, so a January exit could make sense.

The Latest: Hause wants West Ham return

According to Football Insider, a source close to Hause has informed them that the defender is ‘keen’ on going back to West Ham this month.

His current Villa deal expires at the end of this season, but the report stated that his club have the option of extending that by 12 months.

The Verdict: Good squad signing

Hause might not be the big-name addition that some West Ham fans might crave in January but he is someone who could add strong squad depth in the long-term injury absence of Angelo Ogbonna.

He won 10 caps for England’s under-21s in the past, highlighting his pedigree, and he has averaged 4.4 successful headers per game across all competitions so far this season. He also earned glowing praise from Aston Villa journalist Pat Rowe, who said last September: “He always looks so assured now this season, and physically, he just dominates players, he’s got the pace.”

At 26, Hause is at a point in his career where he has plenty of experience but should just be about to enter his peak footballing years, further showing why it could be an astute piece of business for West Ham to bring him back to east London.

In other news, West Ham have been backed to sign another player in January. Find out who it is here.

According to Corriere di Puglia e Lucania, as relayed by Sport Witness, a major update has dropped as Tottenham Hotspur and Fabio Paratici set out a plan for Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs in summer talks…

As per Sky Sports, Tottenham were interested in the 24-year-old over last summer’s transfer window and even attempted to leapfrog West Ham in the race for his signature.

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The reliable broadcaster also claimed that talks were held over Milenkovic but to no avail with the Serbia international eventually putting pen to paper on fresh terms with La Viola.

Now, in a fresh update, it appears that Spurs are eyeing a fresh swoop in January.

The Latest: Mikenkovic update emerges…

As per CDPEL, via Sport Witness, Tottenham and Paratici are ‘following the player closely’ ahead of next month and it is even believed that the Lilywhites are now ‘ready to enter in negotiations’.

This comes amid claims that Milenkovic has a gentleman’s agreement to leave Fiorentina if the right offer arrives.

The Verdict: Get it done…

As Antonio Conte becomes linked with bolstering his defensive reinforcements in the winter window, we believe a swoop for Milenkovic would tick a lot of boxes.

The 6 foot 4 powerhouse is adept at passing out from the back and colossal in the air, as evident by the fact he eclipses the rates of every Tottenham player in terms of aerial duels won per 90 (WhoScored).

He’s also found 90.8% of his passes to teammates in Serie A this season, highlighting a cool head on fairly young shoulders and leaving little wonder he has attracted plenty of praise.

Spanish defender Pol Lirola recently called him ‘extraordinary’ while Milenkovic’s former coach Ivan Tomic labelled the defender a ‘beast’. Accolades and numbers like these could point to a really shrewd option for Conte.

In other news: Levy now open to another big name exit as Conte tells Spurs to sell ‘magnificent’ player, find out more here.