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West Brom manager Sam Allardyce is reportedly eyeing a reunion with one of his former players this January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to the Sunday Mirror [10/01, page 72], the Baggies could want Bordeaux striker Josh Maja on a loan deal for the rest of the season.

It’s claimed that the Midlands outfit could sign him permanently in the summer should they keep their top-flight status, which right now looks to be in serious jeopardy.

Maja was a 17-year-old rookie at Sunderland when Big Sam was in charge back in 2015/16.

Shades of Berahino?

The need for a new striker at the Hawthorns has increased tenfold in recent weeks.

Allardyce’s side already ranked among the Premier League’s worst attacks having scored just 11 goals in 17 outings – only better than two other teams in the division.

And now they have moved on Charlie Austin, who has rejoined former club QPR on loan, despite the devastating injury blow to summer signing Karlan Grant, who is now out for the next six weeks at least.

Against Blackpool in the FA Cup on Saturday, the 66-year-old had to deploy a strikerless formation which saw Matheus Pereira act as a false nine – they were subsequently knocked out, so it clearly didn’t go to plan.

The 22-year-old, who earns a reported £57k-per-week, could be an interesting solution to this nightmare.

Maja enjoyed a very decent run in Ligue 1 last term, bagging six goals, primarily from the bench as 15 of his 21 appearances were as a substitute, though this season, he’s not been able to replicate such form with just two goals in 11 starts, per WhoScored.

Despite the way he acrimoniously departed the Black Cats in 2018, the young striker still received many plaudits from his time at the club – former boss Jack Ross lauded him “fantastic” to work with on and off the pitch, whilst his ex-Bordeaux manager Paulo Sousa dubbed him a “scorer” with “sharp and strong qualities.”

At 5 foot 11, he’s the exact same fit and profile of former Albion frontman Saido Berahino, especially as Jermain Defoe mentored him at the Stadium of Light – a player who Victor Anichebe compared to the controversial striker in 2013.

Two years later, Berahino bagged 14 goals in 38 games for West Brom in the top-flight, Allardyce would surely love to see Maja come in and replicate such form.

Once dubbed a “unique talent” by local Sunderland journalist Phil Smith, Maja could be a bargain solution to Big Sam’s increasing problems.

AND in other news, Allardyce must axe £38k-p/w disaster after another pathetic display…

There are no easy games in the Premier League and West Brom have it all to do if they are to drastically turn around their plight this season.

Sam Allardyce’s men now head to defending champions Liverpool looking for only their second win of the current campaign.

In the 66-year-old’s first game in charge, the Baggies were thrashed 3-0 by arch-rivals Aston Villa, and now they face an almighty task at Anfield.

Albion have suspensions and injuries to deal with, so it will be interesting to see how Big Sam lines up the squad this afternoon.

Here’s the XI we’re predicting as the division’s leaders host second from bottom…

There could be as many as four changes as Allardyce looks to spark a reaction today.

In goal, Sam Johnstone keeps his place as do the majority of the back four barring Dara O’Shea, who makes way for PL veteran Branislav Ivanovic.

Club captain Jake Livermore is suspended for this match after receiving his marching orders for a lunge on Jack Grealish last weekend, so there’s a change afoot in midfield.

Romaine Sawyers and Chelsea loan sensation Conor Gallagher could partner each other with Matheus Pereira returning from his own suspension to take an advanced place in the engine room.

Whilst in the attack, only Matty Phillips keeps his place at right-wing.

It means Karlan Grant is axed for Charlie Austin up top, and Grady Diangana also drops to the bench in favour of the £9m-rated Callum Robinson on the left flank.

The likes of Sam Field, Hal Robson-Kanu, Kyle Bartley and Conor Townsend are all still out through injury.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Sam Allardyce tipped to sign former West Ham star in January swoop…

Manchester City secured their place in the Champions League knockout stages with a 0-0 draw against Porto on Tuesday night but Pep Guardiola will still surely be frustrated that his side weren’t able to secure a win in Portugal.

His side’s profligacy in front of goal was perhaps the main reason why the Citizens weren’t able to earn all three points, with Ferran Torres one of the main culprits.

The Spanish winger, who joined from Valencia during the summer, endured a terrible night at Estadio do Dragao, which may convince Guardiola that the youngster shouldn’t be played as a striker again in future matches.

As per SofaScore, Torres earned a 6.5 rating for his display, with only Raheem Sterling rated lower of the Manchester City players who started the game.

During his time on the pitch, which totalled 71 minutes, he had just 15 touches of the ball and could complete just five out of nine passes, suggesting that the game completely passed him by and he was able to have very little impact.

However, he was still able to miss one big chance and lose possession five times during the game meaning that the few times he did have the ball, he was extremely wasteful with it.

It was no surprise therefore that Guardiola substituted Torres with around 20 minutes remaining, and his replacement Gabriel Jesus was able to have a much more telling influence on the game, having just two fewer touches than the Spaniard did, despite being on the pitch for significantly less time.

The Brazilian also saw a late goal disallowed due to a VAR offside call but looked dangerous when he came on, which may be enough to suggest that he should start ahead of Torres up front in future matches.

You can understand why Guardiola opted to start the 20-year-old, after his impressive performance in the reverse fixture, which led to him praising his performance in the 3-1 win, saying:

“It was an incredible combination from Phil [Foden] and Ferran [Torres].

“Ferran has an incredible sense of goal. The most satisfying thing was the way they came in. Always the people who come from the bench are so important.”

The £40.5 million-rated Spanish international will have to put in a much-improved performance next time out if he wants to keep his place in Guardiola’s side, however, with the Citizens set to face struggling Fulham at home on Saturday.

And, in other news… Manchester City missed out on a “big talent” in 2018, he was ready to join

After signing from Lyon in the final few weeks of the summer transfer window, it’s been no surprise to see Aston Villa manager Dean Smith look to try and slowly ease Bertrand Traore into first-team action.

The Burkina Faso international has played just four times, with the majority of his action coming in the Carabao Cup – the winger has seen just nine minutes of Premier League football thus far for his new club, with a couple of very short cameos against the likes of Fulham and Liverpool.

But with the international break now over, Smith must surely be tempted to throw his big-money signing into his starting line-up, even despite seeing Villa thump Liverpool 7-2 last time out.

Speaking at the announcement of Traore’s signing, Smith said: “We’re delighted that Bertrand has chosen to come to Villa. He’s a player with immense talent who will really enhance our attacking options.”

With Leicester deploying a back-three in these first weeks of the new campaign, Traore’s ability to beat players one-and-one could be crucial to ensuring Villa don’t leave Ollie Watkins isolated and starved of service.

The former Lyon star averaged a very impressive 1.6 shots, 1.1 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per game for the French side last season, and the X-factor that he possesses could give Villa an out-ball on Sunday night.

In terms of average possession per game, Leicester rank fourth in the entire division with 55.2%. Brendan Rodgers has got his side looking to dominate the ball, so having a pacy outlet like Traore could be the kind of difference-maker that tilts the tie in Villa’s favour.

The pace and movement of a front-three of Traore, Ollie Watkins and Jack Grealish could cause havoc on the counter-attack, with the former’s directness and willingness to take players on being a potential game-changer.

Smith must surely consider starting his summer signing on Sunday.

And in other news, Villa must beat the competition to sign this EFL star.

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to do business this transfer window with Real Madrid duo Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon expected through the door and Daniel Levy could make one hell of a statement by adding a striker to that impressive swoop…

What’s the word?

According to the Express, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho wants to add Torino talisman Andrea Belotti to his squad to resolve their attacking problems before next month’s deadline.

They claim that the north London outfit are trying to secure the 26-year-old on an initial loan deal but the Serie A outfit want in excess of £50m for his services.

It’s no secret that the Portuguese boss is desperate for a second option upfront after Harry Kane’s injury last season exposed a serious lack of squad depth.

Just imagine…

Well, Spurs securing one of the most lethal finishers in Europe would certainly be one huge way to end their striker nightmare and he’d certainly be worth every penny of that £50m asking price.

Across the Serie A and Europa League last season, the Italian marksman bagged a whopping 22 goals in 42 appearances. He also averaged 3.2 aerials won, 2.9 shots, 1.3 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per game, via WhoScored, showing he’s more than just a prolific goalscorer.

Belotti can bring others into play and clearly provides relentless work rate – something echoed by Torino president Urbano Cairo, who labelled him a “real captain” who’s “dragging us through games.”

Meanwhile ex-England boss Fabio Capello once claimed that Belotti was “one of the best strikers in Europe,” before adding: “He knows how to move, he basically knows how to do everything. He’s fast, technically skilled and is probably better than [Gabriel] Batistuta.”

His playing style has been likened to that of Jamie Vardy, Didier Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko – even Sergio Aguero due to his movement off the ball.

Spurs’ recent freebie arrival Joe Hart is also a huge fan having enjoyed a loan spell in Turin back in 16/17 – “It’s hard to compare him to someone else because he’s special. He’s Belotti and that’s it,” he said.

Mourinho isn’t going to get a better all-round forward to provide genuine competition to Kane than Belotti, so he should absolutely push for Levy to seal this deal.

Just imagine a frontline of Bale, Son, Kane and Belotti. It would be an absolutely terrifying prospect for their league rivals.

AND in other news, Spurs could secure Mourinho his next Diego Costa with £5m swoop…

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

Back in August 2016, Arsenal were looking to strengthen their attack and signed Spanish striker Lucas Perez from Deportivo de La Coruña for £18m, per Transfermarkt. The forward had just come off of his best season as he managed 17 goals and 10 assists in 36 La Liga appearances, and it looked like the Gunners had picked up a very prolific finisher.

He made 21 appearances in his first season in all competitions, scoring seven goals and registering five assists, per Transfermarkt, a decent start to his career in England. However, what didn’t bode well was the fact he only managed one Premier League goal in 11 games.

This seemed to be a worry for the club, too, and they decided to loan him back to Deportivo for the 2017/18 season where he managed nine goals and eight assists in all competitions. He managed a decnt goal tally on loan in Spain, but it wasn’t enough for supporters of Deportivo when he only managed five goals in his first 21 appearances, and there were pictures of graffiti from the fan base calling for him to leave the club halfway through the campaign when they were in the relegation zone.

It seemed that he couldn’t replicate his 2015/16 form which saw the Gunners sign him and hinted that maybe it was just a one-off and he couldn’t remain so consistent.

To be loaned out once more at the age of 29 highlighted that Arsenal didn’t see him as part of their plans, and when he returned to north London, fellow Premier League side West Ham bought him from the Gunners for £3.96m, per Transfermarkt.

Perez was only contracted to Arsenal for two years and his only appearances for the club were the 21 games he played in his debut season. That poor return, combined with the loss of just over £14m that the Gunners made from his transfers, highlights that he was an expensive dud at the Emirates Stadium.

Gunners fans, do you think Perez was a total dud? Comment below with your views!

The founder of football data consultants MRKT have questioned the future of Will Grigg at Sunderland, claiming that he does not fit Phil Parkinson’s system.

After moving to the Stadium of Light in January 2019, the striker has had the spotlight firmly on him, seeing his move from Wigan Athletic much documented via Netflix series Sunderland Til I Die.

Featuring regularly for the Black Cats through the 2019/2020 season, the 29-year-old has failed to find consistent form, with just one goal and one assist to his name last term.

Reports claimed earlier this summer that Sunderland were willing to listen to offers for Grigg, who is valued at £1.08m by Transfermarkt.

With Sunderland now preparing for the 2020/21 season, Ram Srinivas, who is the co-founder of MRKT Insights, spoke to Roker Report about Grigg’s future at the club.

“It’s difficult for me to say how exactly to get the best out of Will Grigg, given he doesn’t particularly suit Parkinson’s system. Ideally he’d be loaned somewhere for six months to recoup value and/or confidence when he scores goals, because he will, somewhere.

“Gooch, O’Nien, Hume, Maguire and Wright is a good enough core to build the squad around with the likes of Embleton, Kimpioka (if he re-signs) and Diamond looking to prove themselves – hopefully they will have the opportunities to.”

Sunderland’s League One rivals Shrewsbury Town are said to have pulled out with their reported interest in Grigg over the last few days.

Grigg is best off leaving Sunderland now and it is best for the club to end the relationship. A lack of goals and minimal impact makes his involvement next season seem rather unlikely.

Selling him could prove difficult, however, especially with the salary cap being introduced in the English Football League, which may preclude many clubs at that level from being able to afford his wages.

Do you think Will Grigg can improve next season, Sunderland fans? Let us know your views in the comments section below…

Manchester United will be desperate to bounce back from their FA Cup semi-final exit when they welcome West Ham to Old Trafford.

Man United slumped to a disappointing defeat to Chelsea at Wembley, which ended their chances of a first final under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Red Devils had enjoyed a 19-game unbeaten run up until that point, although they will get another shot at silverware this season when the Europa League returns in August.

United will want to make swift amends, although they won’t have an easy task on their hands, as West Ham have pulled off some remarkable results in recent weeks, including a 3-2 victory over the Blues at the London Stadium at the start of the month.

Transfer Tavern has put together a predicted starting lineup, which sees Solskjaer make five changes to the side that lost to the Blues last weekend.

Solskjaer admitted his team selection in the FA Cup defeat “didn’t work” and he will want to rectify that mistake.

The Red Devils are firmly in the race for a top four finish, although they face stiff competition from Chelsea and Leicester City.

Solskjaer’s side are currently fifth in the table, tied with the Foxes on 62 points, with two games left to play in the campaign.

United’s main attacking quartet had earned rave reviews until they started without Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood, as Solskjaer made four changes to the side that beat Crystal Palace, and he will surely return to the team that had performed so well since the Premier League restart.

He switched to playing three at the back which turned out to be a terrible decision as the Blues ran riot on Sunday.

Solskjaer will likely revert back to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, as Martial resumes his fine form at the top of the pitch.

Meanwhile, Greenwood will regain his place in the starting lineup, meaning Daniel James will make way as a result.

After his decision to give Pogba a rest proved costly, the Frenchman will resume his partnership with Bruno Fernandes in the midfield, and Fred will drop to the bench instead.

Eric Bailly is expected to miss the match with West Ham after sustaining a head injury, allowing Victor Lindelof to slot into place next to Harry Maguire.

On the other hand, Solskjaer has a fully fit squad to choose from, and Luke Shaw could earn his first start for the club since the 2-2 draw with his old side Southampton, replacing Brandon Williams at left-back.

David de Gea’s performances have come under scrutiny this season and the Spaniard did himself no favours after being at fault for two of Chelsea’s goals. The Spaniard looks short of confidence and Sergio Romero could earn a surprise call-up from the bench to deputise for the erratic goalkeeper.

United will most likely start the game as favourites, but they must be at their very best if they want to turn things around. There is no room for error in the race for the top four.

United fans, do you think this is how Solskjaer will lineup against West Ham? Let us know your views by commenting below!

Glasgow Rangers have moved to confirm that their partnership with Castore does not include any other party after rumours had emerged that Sports Direct were still involved in some way.

On Wednesday, the company, owned by businessman and former Gers stakeholder Mike Ashley, shared an Instagram post saying they would sell the new Gers home shirt, which was released on the same day and made by Castore, “exclusively” from August 1st.

However, the Ibrox outfit’s hierarchy have quickly quashed any of those claims, releasing a statement saying:

“Following today’s unveiling of the 2020/21 home jersey, Rangers continues to look forward to their long term exclusive partnership with Castore, which, for the avoidance of doubt, is a direct agreement between those two companies with no other persons party to the deal.”

This should be fantastic news for the Glasgow Rangers supporters, with whom Ashley is not exactly the most popular figure for the part he has played in their commercial dealings in the past. The deal with Castore was meant to be a fresh start for the club – this statement appears to re-confirm that. The confusion is that Sports Direct will still be able to buy shirts directly from the club themselves and sell them on, just like any other such sports shop.

The club also revealed that the Ibrox Retail Store will receive a £250,000 renovation and will open on August 1st.

“The Ibrox Retail Store will undergo a £250,000 renovation and become a key venue for all Rangers supporters and on matchdays will be supported with further pop up stores within the Stadium.”

Following the announcement that 40,000 season tickets have been sold, it looks like a promising time to be a Gers fan.

Let us know what you think below!

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

One signing that Everton fans must wish never happened was the acquisition of Davy Klaassen back in 2017. Ronald Koeman seemed to have started his summer transfer window off well after poaching Jordan Pickford for a record fee for a British goalkeeper. Next through the door came the manager’s fellow Dutchman Klaassen, who penned a five year deal with the Blues (via BBC Sport).

It seemed a smart and apt signing for Koeman at the time, who had his finger on the pulse of the talent pool in his home country. Plus, the midfielder joined from a strong Ajax side, where he sported the armband and led his team to the 2017 Europa League final against Manchester United.

However, the manager’s take proved to be a huge lapse in judgment.

Klaassen arrived at Goodison Park after Everton forked out £24.3 million for his services. The Dutch international featured just 16 times for the senior team and contributed one assist, which was against Ruzomberok in the Europa League qualifying rounds (via Transfermarkt).

The man who brought him to club was given the boot in October 2017 following a humiliating 5-2 home defeat to Arsenal which saw them slip into the relegation zone. After also failing to make the desired impact on the team, Klaassen departed just 12 months into his five year deal and signed for Werder Bremen, where he still plays today.

The sale of the 27-year-old saw Everton pocket just £12.15m, exactly half of what they paid for him the previous year meaning they made a 50% loss on him.

The whole Klaassen era is an embarrassing one for the club, who were forced to take a substantial loss on a player who couldn’t find regular minutes under three different managers in the space of 12 months – in all honestly he totally flopped at Goodison Park. However, with Carlo Ancelotti now in charge, hopes are higher that a similar scenario won’t happen again.

What did you think of the signing of Davy Klaassen, Blues? Join the conversation in the comments below!