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Taking to Patreon, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has made a transfer claim involving Wout Weghorst whilst also sharing an ‘interesting’ update.

The Lowdown: West Ham still in striker hunt…

West Ham’s hunt for a new centre-forward alternative to Michail Antonio has been ongoing since last January, when David Moyes first confirmed that offers had been made.

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Since then, their search has so far proved fruitless as they are repeatedly linked with many options, with Moyes himself going as far as to say he was ‘desperate’ for a forward signing over the summer.

The likes of Andrea Belotti, Adam Hlozek and Youssef En-Nesyri have been mentioned lately, but talk of a past summer target in Wolfsburg striker Weghorst has now resurfaced.

The Latest: Ex shares ‘interesting’ update…

Writing on his Patreon, Ex said that Weghorst continues to be a ‘definite target’ after West Ham’s public links earlier this year.

As well as this, the club insider relays an ‘interesting’ social media update, namely that the 29-year-old has now started following the club on Instagram.

He added that while you cannot read too much into his decision, it is certainly worth discussing given West Ham’s links with the player.

The Verdict: A must move?

While the towering 6 foot 6 colossus is slowly approaching the twilight phase of his career, he could be a brilliant backup option to Antonio going by his plaudits and goalscoring record.

He racked up an impressive 25 goal in all competitions last season for Wolfsburg and has even drawn comparisons to former Premier League star Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Lauded as the ‘most dangerous player in front of goal’ by his former boss Oliver Glasner, The Athletic claimed over the summer that he is valued at around €30m (£25.9m), a fee which could represent good value for money for West Ham.

In other news: ‘Christmas sorted’, ‘Announce the league’ – ExWHUemployee’s ‘fantastic news’ has many West Ham fans excited, find out more here.

Newcastle United have been given fresh hope in their transfer pursuit of Ousmane Dembele.

The Lowdown: Newcastle ‘in pole’

Mundo Deportivo reported last week (via Sport Witness) that the St James’ Park outfit are ‘in pole position’ to sign Dembele and are ‘pushing very hard’ to sign the winger from Barcelona.

They have reportedly offered an ‘astronomical proposal’ worth €15m (£12.7m) per season and a signing-on bonus of €15m (£12.7m), and his agent would also get a generous commission.

It will no doubt be interesting to see whether Dembele’s head will be turned by the money, given that the Magpies currently find themselves in a relegation battle.

The Latest: Deadline set

As per Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Xavi has now set a deadline of December 15 for Dembele’s future to be resolved at Camp Nou.

His delay in accepting their contract offer is ‘giving hope’ to Newcastle, as well as Manchester United, as they look to potentially sign him on a free transfer next summer.

The Verdict: Depends on relegation

If the Magpies end up relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season, then they will surely have no chance in capturing a player of the calibre of Dembele.

Recently dubbed ‘phenomenal’ by Barcelona’s latest signing Dani Alves, the 24-year-old has scored and set up plenty of goals at the highest level, and the World Cup with France in 2018 is just one of many high-profile trophies that he has won in the game.

Footballing great and former teammate Lionel Messi even once described Dembele as a ‘frightening’ player, which is one of the highest endorsements you can get, and there seems little doubt that he would elevate the quality in Eddie Howe’s squad.

However, Newcastle must survive the drop first of all before evaluating their options in the summer.

In other news, NUFC are also after this forward from the continent

Crystal Palace are thought to be keen on signing Wolves left-back Rayan Ait Nouri, according to Jeunes Footeux, relayed by Sports Witness.

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

Patrick Vieira has just one senior left-back on the books at Selhurst Park in Tyrick Mitchell, and apparently wants another to compete with the 22-year-old.

Ait Nouri only made the permanent move to Molineux in the summer in a deal worth just shy of £10m and has made 10 appearances in all competitions under Bruno Lage.

The French defender now seems to be on the radar of his countryman Vieira, while Newcastle United are also name-checked with an interest in the 20-year-old.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the links to Ait Nouri on social media on Wednesday afternoon. This is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with a mixed response and one labelling the full-back as ‘class’.

“I will flip”

Credit: @Sumo08112

“IM ON MY KNEES”

Credit: @EBERZEE

“Huh”

Credit: @IocaIpIa999tic

“He’s class but this just stalls Mitchell’s development and we don’t need him with Tayo and Reece coming through too”

Credit: @connor_paIace4

“Lol what”

Credit: @CPFCMax9

“please”

Credit: @bentekefan0

In other news: Palace and Leeds could battle again as transfer news emerges on £18m-rated beast. 

A transfer update has emerged on Rangers and their plans to bring a new goalkeeper to Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Gers have prepared a pre-contract offer for Dundee United shot-stopper Benjamin Siegrist.

He is out of contract at the end of the season and Rangers are hoping to swoop in to land him on a free transfer to bolster their squad.

Masterstroke

Gio van Bronckhorst could pull off a masterstroke this month by securing a deal for Siegrist to join upon the expiry of his deal at the end of June.

The club are in a difficult position heading into the summer as their two first-team goalkeepers, Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin, are both out of contract. This means that they could lose both of their shot-stoppers for nothing and be left without a first-choice or a back-up ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Therefore, bringing in a new number one without spending a penny on transfer fees would be a masterstroke from van Bronckhorst. They could then promote Robby McCrorie into a secondary role to replace McLaughlin and have Siegrist as the go-to option for the Dutch head coach, meaning that both outgoing veterans are not sorely missed and the Gers do not have to spend much in the market.

Micky Melon, who once dubbed Siegrist a “monster”, previously hailed his goalkeeper, saying:

“He’s a top drawer goalkeeper. At the end of the day, you have to be good enough to beat him and he’s made some terrific saves.

“To come to a place like Hibs and get a result, you need a good goalkeeper and he’s done that today.”

The 29-year-old has saved 73.1% of the shots against him this season after saving 78.2% in the Premiership last term. McGregor, meanwhile, has saved 74.2% of shots domestically and 66.3% in the Europa League, suggesting that Siegrist would come in and provide a similar level of quality to the experienced Scot.

Therefore, binging him in would be a masterstroke as it could be a seamless transition in the goalkeeping department heading into next season. He has the requisite Premiership experience to hit the ground running and his statistics suggest that he will be up to the task in terms of his individual quality, which is why this could be a fantastic deal for the club.

AND in other news, Deal considered: Rangers must seal swoop for 105 G/A predator who won’t cost a penny…

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Sami Mokbel of The Daily Mail has made a Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie as the Lilywhites also reportedly close in on Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

The Ivory Coast international has been a transfer target for Spurs since the beginning of the January transfer window with reports suggesting manager Antonio Conte is ready to make a move.

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Indeed, according to ESPN, Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici was weighing a lucrative offer to sign Kessie earlier this month with The Telegraph since claiming that they are in fact weighing a move.

Conte is apparently a ‘huge fan’ of the San Siro ace with Mokbel sharing what he knows on the situation.

The Latest: Mokbel makes claim…

The Lilywhites are expected to come to an agreement with Wolves for Traore, say The Athletic, and speaking to GMS, the Mail reporter says that a deal to sign Kessie is also ‘doable’ before the January 31 deadline.

“I think that is certainly a deal that could be doable and I think that could be doable sooner rather than later,” he explained.

“I’m talking this window, if both clubs can come to an agreement.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Signing a midfielder is reportedly one of Conte’s four transfer priorities at Spurs and we believe they don’t come more accomplished than Kessie.

The 52-cap star, despite a being a natural defensive midfield player, has been utilised in a more advanced role at Milan under Stefano Pioli and has thrived – scoring 19 goals since the beginning of 2020/2021 and adding to his career total of 46 (Transfermarkt).

He’s even called ‘sumptuous’ by his manager, and if Tottenham could either land him on a free deal in the summer or this month for a cheaper fee, we believe he could provide a real injection of threat in Conte’s midfield alongside Traore.

In other news: Spurs ‘edging closer’ to signing ‘massive’ £15m defender, find out more here.

Everton are back in action this evening with another home clash in the Premier League, this time against Leicester City.

Heading in off the back of their 1-0 victory over Manchester United earlier in the month, Frank Lampard and the Everton fans will undoubtedly be looking to see their team secure another win this time out to move further away from the relegation zone.

Looking ahead to tonight’s showdown and their remaining league games of the campaign, it seems as though the Merseyside club have been handed a major boost over one of their key players.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from journalist Patrick Boyland relaying news from Lampard’s latest press conference, Toffees defender Yerry Mina will be in the squad to take on the Foxes.

The centre-back has been out of action since February with a hamstring injury and has only made ten league appearances for his side due to previous issues.

Great news for Lampard

With the Toffees only losing four of the ten league games that the Colombian has played in and only two of the games he completed a full 90 minutes in, having him back in the squad as another option will be a great thing for Lampard going forward.

To highlight what a useful option he will be, the 27-year-old has won nine tackles and made 14 blocks and 36 clearances in the league this season.

If he can make a return to action and continue being a tough figure at the back for his side, he could end up being the difference between Everton staying up or going down.

In terms of tonight’s showdown, it seems unlikely that the Toffees boss will immediately throw Mina back into the team considering how long he’s been out of action for.

With that in mind, if Lampard wants to have the defender available for the rest of the season, the 43-year-old will have to manage Mina’s minutes, for the time being, so he doesn’t risk getting injured again.

Also, with the centre-back pairing of Ben Godfrey and Michael Keane managing to keep a clean sheet last time out against the Red Devils, it would make sense for Lampard to stick with those two on this occasion to see if they can do the same again against Leicester.

In other news: Insider drops behind-scenes Finch Farm update that’ll leave Everton supporters furious

Interest in Aston Villa centre-back Tyrone Mings is growing ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Birmingham Live, who claimed that Newcastle United are plotting a move for the 28-year-old in the upcoming winter market, with Eddie Howe having identified the defender as one of his primary transfer targets in a bid to strengthen his leaky Magpies backline.

However, the report added that, following Steven Gerrard’s recent appointment as the new manager at Villa Park, it would seem unlikely the 41-year-old will look to cash in on the England international in the January transfer window.

Major error

Unlikely as it seems that Gerrard would cash in on the Aston Villa captain so soon after his arrival, it must nevertheless be said that selling Mings would be a major mistake on the 41-year-old’s part, no matter how enticing a potential big-money offer from Newcastle may be.

Indeed, the 28-year-old has become a highly important part of the Villa side since joining them back in 2019, with his overall level of performance last season highlighting just how crucial a player the centre-back is to the Midlanders.

Over his 36 Premier League appearances last season, the £27m-rated defender helped his side to keep a whopping 14 clean sheets, as well as making 1.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 4.7 clearances and winning 4.1 duels per game.

The player who Gareth Southgate dubbed a “leader” also impressed going forwards, scoring twice and registering two assists, as well as taking 0.5 shots and making 0.2 key passes per fixture in 2020/21.

These returns saw the £80k-per-week defender earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.95, ranking him as Villa’s ninth-best performer in the top flight of English football last season.

As such, considering that Aston Villa have already conceded 20 goals in the league this term, parting with a player who is undoubtedly one of the club’s best centre-backs in January would seem to be a grave error.

In other news: Lange can solve Gerrard’s biggest problem at Villa with £5m swoop for “unpleasant” 23 y/0

In terms of incoming transfers this month, things have been rather quiet for Leeds United, who are currently sitting in 15th place in the Premier League table with 22 points from 20 games.

With there being now just two weeks left until the January transfer window closes, the Yorkshire club will have to get a move on if they want to get any new faces through the door at Elland Road to strengthen Marcelo Bielsa’s squad and give Leeds the best chance of finishing as high up the table as possible.

One transfer deal that the Whites could look to complete this month which would surely please Bielsa, is for Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez.

After being linked with a move for the £39k-per-week Uruguayan back in the previous summer transfer window, the next couple of weeks could give Leeds another shot of securing what could be seen as Bielsa’s dream transfer.

With recent reports suggesting that Leeds would have an advantage over any other club that would be interested in making a move for the midfielder this month from a financial point of view, this could pave the way for Victor Orta to work out a deal to bring the midfielder to Elland Road before the January transfer window closes.

Having been labelled as “unstoppable” in the past by journalist Mina Rzouki, Nandez has played in 17 of Cagliari’s 22 Serie A games so far this season, showing how important he is to the team and why it could take a substantial transfer fee, specifically €25m (£21m), to get the Italian club to let him go halfway through the season.

In terms of what sort of fit he would be at Leeds in Bielsa’s side, the fact that Nandez has played in a number of different midfield positions this season shows that he is a versatile figure that could be very useful for the Whites given the small number of central-midfielders in their squad at the moment.

As a result of their injury crisis, which currently sees Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw missing from midfield, it is surely an ambition for the Argentine coach to bring in a central player before the window slams shut at the end of January.

Thus, Leeds should definitely launch a move for Nandez to see whether he’d be willing to play in the Premier League under the guidance of Bielsa in a move that would surely push the team up the table.

The Leeds manager’s dream will be to keep the club in the division and with a midfield titan like the Uruguay international in their ranks, it significantly improves their chances of doing so.

In other news: Phil Hay drops another huge injury blow at Leeds that will leave Bielsa worried – opinion

Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi, who is currently on loan at Everton, isn’t wanted by either club in the summer, Football Insider have reported.

The Lowdown: Everton loan…

The 26-year-old hasn’t had the best of seasons, making just four Premier League starts, all of which came under former Villa boss Dean Smith.

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El Ghazi was sent out on loan to Everton in the January transfer window, but he has played just 11 minutes of football under Frank Lampard.

Labelled as ‘inconsistent’ by Villa podcaster Aaron Clark, it now looks as if the Dutch winger will be on the hunt for a new home over the coming months.

The Latest: Source’s reveal

Football Insider shared an update on El Ghazi after being informed by a Villa source. They claimed that the attacker will be let go by Everton in the summer, with Villa looking to secure a permanent exit for the player.

Steven Gerrard does not see the 26-year-old in his plans ahead of his first full season in charge, with the player set to enter the final 12 months of his Villa Park deal in the summer.

The Verdict: Right call?

Gerrard has also given the green light over an exit for midfielder Morgan Sanson in recent days, so it seems as if there will be a major shake-up over the coming months.

A permanent move away for El Ghazi does seem to be the correct decision, though, with the winger clearly not in the manager’s plans after he agreed to a winter loan move.

Villa officials may well have been hoping that Everton would take up the option to make El Ghazi’s move permanent for €10m (£8.4m), but it looks as if Johan Lange will be on the phone looking to find a new permanent home for the winger.

In other news: Newcastle now keen on signing another Villa player as advanced update emerges

According to The Telegraph, Manchester City and sporting director Txiki Begiristain may have been handed a boost in their pursuit of West Ham United star Declan Rice.

The Lowdown: City chase Fernandinho heir?

The Sky Blues and manager Pep Guardiola, as things stand, will see Eastlands legend Fernandinho leave at the end of 2021/2022 after two consecutive one-year contract extensions.

Brazil’s midfield dynamo has been a colossal presence in both the City dressing room and on the field, playing a major role in their dominance of the Premier League at times over this last decade.

However, thanks in part to the imperious performances of Rodri, Fernandinho has seen his game-time fairly limited under Guardiola this season as he looks set to part ways in the summer.

As such, Begiristain and co have been tipped to search the market for a possible heir who could rotate with Rodri as the midfield pivot, with one such target being Irons star Rice.

The Latest: Man City handed Rice boost?

As per The Telegraph, after West Ham’s quiet transfer window, there are question marks surrounding the England international’s future as teammates fear he could be tempted by a summer move away.

It is believed that City, Man United and Chelsea are all targeting Rice as the Hammers brace for summer bids.

In a possible boost for the Sky Blues, after West Ham’s star man rejected two new deal offers last summer, his club are likely to be forced to consider ‘big bids’ which ‘fall short’ of their £100 million valuation.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Out of all potential targets who would slot in seamlessly to Guardiola’s star-studded midfield, Rice may well be the perfect candidate considering his homegrown status and obvious quality.

Called ‘magnificent’ by Match of The Day pundit Gary Lineker recently, the 23-year-old comes with plenty of sell-on value considering his young age and has even better defensive stats than most of City’s current crop.

According to WhoScored, Rice has averaged a mighty 2.3 tackles per 90 in the Premier League this season, identical numbers to Rodri, whilst also making more interceptions in that time (1.8) than any Citizen.

Depending on whether West Ham are forced to accept a cut price summer offer, this could be one for Txiki to seriously consider.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Please’, ‘Huge signing if we make it’ – Man City fans erupt over links to ‘Yaya 2.o’…find out more here.