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West Ham United are ‘progressing’ in talks to sign Club Brugge star Hans Vanaken this summer, as backed by journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Hammers working…

The Hammers are working to back manager David Moyes with more Premier League signings before this window’s cut off on September 1.

Indeed, reports suggest that the club wish to strengthen at both left-back and in midfield after securing a move for centre-back Thilo Kehrer from Paris-Saint Germain.

Vanaken, after West Ham had an opening bid turned down, remains a target for the east Londoners as reporter Jones shares what he knows.

The Latest: West Ham ‘progressing’…

Commenting on the links and sharing his own update, the journalist claims West Ham appear to be ‘progressing’ in a move for the Belgium international.

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Speaking to GiveMeSport, he explained:

“Vanaken, from Brugge, is quite an interesting one.

“I got mixed reports on on it initially, but it does seem one that they are progressing.

“They were in for him a while back, so he must have stayed on their radar since then and come back onto the agenda just due to the circumstances West Ham are in right now, looking for numbers in that area of the field.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Vanaken has been a star in Brugge over the last few seasons with their manager, Carl Hoefkens, very recently calling him ‘quality’.

His numbers back this up with WhoScored revealing the 29-year-old finished 2021/2022 as their third-best performer by average match rating, earning an impressive 7.25/10 per 90.

Indeed, Vanaken was an indispensable part of Brugge’s side with only goalkeeper Simon Mignolet playing more league minutes than the attacking midfielder.

His tally of 11 goals and nine assists in Belgium’s top flight is yet another incentive to move before it’s too late.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in a deal to bring Lucas Paqueta to north London this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Ryan Taylor’s latest report for The Express, in which the journalist claimed that, despite Dharmesh Sheth recently revealing that West Ham United have submitted a €40m (£34m) offer for the Olympique Lyonnais attacking midfielder, Spurs remain interested in pursuing a deal for the 24-year-old in the coming days.

Taylor went on to state that Fabio Paratici is a particularly big fan of the Brazil international, before suggesting that, with Tottenham actively targeting the signing of a new attacker after agreeing to loan Bryan Gil to Valencia, the Italian sporting director could look to hijack the Hammers’ move for Paqueta prior to September’s transfer deadline.

“Perfect” for Spurs

As previously mentioned, with it being well known that Antonio Conte is hoping to add a new attacking midfielder to his Tottenham squad before the end of the window, considering just how impressive Paqueta has been in France, it is not difficult to understand why Paratici could yet make a late move for the 24-year-old this summer.

Indeed, over his 35 Ligue 1 appearances last season, the £59m-rated talent was one of the few bright sparks in a largely underperforming Lyon side, scoring nine goals, registering six assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.5 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 2.3 dribbles per game.

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These returns saw the 33-cap international average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as Peter Bosz’s joint fourth-best performer in the top flight of French football last time out.

The £53k-per-week playmaker also caught the eye over his nine appearances in the Europa Conference League in 2021/22, bagging two goals, providing one assist and creating six big chances, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per fixture.

These metrics saw the player, who Rudi Garcia dubbed “decisive” and Fabrizio Romano claimed is “perfect” for the Premier League, average a SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as OL’s eighth-best player in their run to the quarter-finals of the competition.

As such, considering his clear eye for goal, ability to play a killer pass and his abundance of creative talent, the argument that Paqueta is a perfect fit to Conte’s requirements for his attacking midfield target is an easy one to make – leading us to believe that Paratici must do all he can to snatch the 24-year-old away from east London in the coming days.

Leeds United are now in pole position to sign FC Zurich forward Wilfried Gnonto, according to reports.

The Lowdown: New offer prepared

The Whites have already seen a £4.2m bid for the 18-year-old turned down and are currently in the process of preparing an improved second offer.

This initial rejection appears to have given another Premier League club hope that they can hijack Jesse Marsch’s move for the teenager, but a fresh update would suggest that the opposite is true.

The Latest: Leeds favourites to sign Gnonto

TEAMtalk report that Leeds have ‘already agreed personal terms’ with Gnonto and are now ‘at the front of the queue’ to sign him.

Bournemouth’s technical director Richard Hughes had ‘watched’ the Italian in action earlier this week, having been ‘alerted’ to the fact that Victor Orta’s proposal wasn’t accepted.

However, it is stated that talks are ‘progressing’ with Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers, with the player ‘favouring a move’ to Elland Road.

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The Verdict: Get it done…

Leeds have a solid reputation for developing and introducing younger players into the first-team fold, and Gnonto would be able to follow a similar pathway should he put pen to paper at Elland Road.

Marsch has worked wonders with the likes of youngsters Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood, both of whom are now firm members of the senior squad, and the Italian teenager – who has been hailed as ‘different class’ by sports journalist Josh Bunting – appears to be cut from a similar cloth.

Italy head coach Roberto Mancini must really value Gnonto, having capped the youngster four times for his nation at such a young age, and with the player already netting 13 goals at senior level for club and country, there’s every chance that he would flourish under Marsch’s guidance for many years to come.

Considering the lack of centre-forward depth in the Whites’ squad and the unenviable injury record of Patrick Bamford over the past 12 months, the Elland Road faithful would surely embrace having such a promising young striker added to the ranks, too.

Everton are renowned for their transfer disasters with Farhad Moshiri spending over £500m on new signings only for the club to be caught up in the middle of a relegation scrap at the bottom of the table last season.

Therefore, Frank Lampard will be hoping their recent summer business won’t follow the same suit.

Dwight McNeil, Neal Maupay, Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Conor Coady, James Tarkowski, Ruben Vinagre and James Garner have all joined the club over the last few months. They are players the Toffees boss will hope can inspire a much more comfortable finish in the Premier League this season.

Indeed, Everton were linked with numerous players over the transfer window following their troublesome campaign and one player in particular who may well have been a transfer disaster for the club was Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.

It was reported by talkSPORT last month that Everton had registered their interest in the 25-year-old after it was believed that the player would lose his spot in Erik ten Hag’s side following the arrival of Casemiro.

The £60k-per-week Scottish midfielder has been blasted for his performances in a Man United shirt with sports journalist Hans Mensah Andoh branding him “awful” and club legend Roy Keane claiming he isn’t “good enough” for the Red Devils.

Luckily, nothing further materialised and the Toffees completed a deal to reunite with Paris Saint-Germain’s Gueye, which is a decision that the powers at Goodison Park will not regret as the talented midfielder is twice the player in the centre of the pitch.

When you compare the two midfielders over last season, Gueye goes clear in both attacking and defensive midfielder attributes. He registered with more goal contributions than McTominay (4 v 2), had a better pass completion rate (93.4% v 85%), won more tackles won (44 v 33), a enjoyed a higher successful pressure rate (28.2% v 26.4%). Furthermore, the new Everton man produced more shot-creating actions per 90 (1.81 v 1.7) over the course of the term.

As a result, in a rare Moshiri masterclass, he sanctioned the right transfer in terms of the talent acquired in midfield. Instead of McTominay, they brought in a player who not only has a better output but would likely have cost Everton a fraction of what Man United would have expected for their talent.

The return of the Senegalese midfielder will surely be warmly welcomed by supporters as the team could certainly use his experience, pass accuracy and ball control in the centre of the pitch. He is yet to make an appearance in the starting line up for Lampard’s side but he will no doubt add a lot of quality to the team.

For many people who follow football, the end of a season is something of a downer, and summer is alleviated only by one thing: transfer gossip. Although many of the top teams arrange their transfer business well in advance these days, transfer windows have become entertainment in and of themselves, with pages of coverage given over to alerting us to who is signing whom, who has issued a “Come and get me” plea, and who has been made surplus to requirements by a major move.

The winter window, for its part, is often a more idiosyncratic affair. Teams who have made a less than promising start to the season will scour the world’s leagues to find a player who will help them reignite their form. Players who have been out of favour at their clubs will look for at least a loan move to get their stalled career going again. And the sense of desperation that surrounds it all is now a part of following football. This season, that window comes hot on the heels of a World Cup, which means we could be in for perhaps the most frenetic January in recent football history. Let’s look at what could be in store.

At least one relegation-threatened club will sign multiple World Cup players

When a team starts the season in shaky form, the winter window represents a final roll of the dice to try and change the picture. There is a certain degree of difficulty in pulling this off – the best players out there aren’t going to move to a team that could be playing in the lower divisions within six months. There’s a good chance that Leicester City, who are believed by almost every betting resource to be in the relegation fight already, will take the tough decision to sell either Youri Tielemans or James Maddison, or both. This will fund a squad overhaul, which is likely to see a few defenders or midfielders fresh from a few impressive games in Qatar arriving at the King Power.

Mutliple players from a “dark horse” country will get big moves

There’s next to no chance that Kylian Mbappe or Harry Kane will cash in on an impressive World Cup by changing their clubs in the middle of a potentially successful season. However, a World Cup is always a chance for players from mid-tier nations to announce themselves to a football world and its player agents. Romania’s wonderful cameo in 1994 saw Gheorghe Hagi, Dan Petrescu and Ilie Dumitrescu, among others, make big moves. Although many “lesser” national teams already have players at top clubs these days – scouting is more extensive than ever – it would be no surprise to see Ghana, for example, go on a run to the last eight and several of their players win moves off the back of it.

Someone will get a move solely on World Cup performance and it won’t go well

Harking back once more to 1994, the Golden Boot in that year’s tournament was shared by Hristo Stoichkov, who played for some of Europe’s top clubs across the decade, and Oleg Salenko, who didn’t. Salenko scored six times during the tournament, with five of them coming against an ageing Cameroon side. These exploits won him a move to Rangers, where he barely featured before moving away just as quickly to Istanbulspor. It’s always tempting to move for someone off the back of a breakout tournament, but when most of that breakout happened in one game, it might not be the smartest move.

Photo by Unsplash

Everton have reportedly started to watch Udinese striker Beto ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Good start

Beto is enjoying a good start to the season, with four goals scored in his opening seven games in the Serie A, helping Udinese win five in a row in the league (Transfermarkt).

His impressive performances may now alert clubs with higher aspirations and deeper pockets, with the January window coming up after the FIFA World Cup ends in Qatar.

The Latest: Everton interest

As per Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), scouts from Goodison Park have started to watch Beto ahead of a potential move in January.

However, both Fiorentina and Napoli have also been looking at the six-foot-three striker after his ‘brilliant start to the season’, with the latter’s president, Aurelio de Laurentiis, ready to pay as much as €30m (£26.3m).

The Verdict: Depends on Calvert-Lewin

The need for the Merseyside club to sign another striker in January will depend on the fitness of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

He is reportedly in line to return from injury against Southampton after the international break, while new signing Neal Maupay recently grabbed the winner in the 1-0 win at home to West Ham United in the Premier League in his place.

Even though he has impressed this term, potentially spending nearly £30m on Beto would thus be a big gamble, but it could become a requirement if Calvert-Lewin cannot get over his persistent fitness issues.

Glasgow Rangers travel to Edinburgh in today’s Premiership fixture to take on Hearts as the Ibrox side aims to go back to the summit of the league table with a victory.

It’s been a tough September for the Light Blues, winning just one match from four and being humiliated in three successive thrashings to Napoli, Ajax, and Celtic which saw the team concede 11 goals and score zero.

The international break will hopefully have recharged a few batteries as the club faces an important part of the season before the 2022 World Cup halts proceedings for over a month.

What sort of line-up will Giovanni van Bronckhorst select today? Here is what we are predicting…

Allan McGregor should keep his place between the posts due to Jon McLaughlin’s injury, with a back four consisting of James Tavernier and Borna Barisic, and Connor Goldson being partnered with summer signing Ben Davies, who will make just his fourth appearance for the team today.

The midfield will see the biggest changes from the win against Dundee United. John Lundstram will be partnered with 19-year-old Charlie McCann, who journalist Josh Bunting dubbed “very sharp”, in the heart of the Gers midfield. Scott Arfield, in his last year of his £8.2k-per-week contract, will drop to the bench in favour of Rabbi Matondo on the right wing, while Ryan Kent will take up his usual spot on the left wing.

Tom Lawrence should hopefully be fit enough to return to the squad and slot in behind Antonio Colak, who has netted nine goals already this season, as Van Bronckhorst aims to add an extra dimension to his attack with the inclusion of the Welshman.

Hearts currently sit third in the Premiership table and will be aiming to continue their solid form, having won their previous two matches, including one in the Europa Conference League.

The last time Rangers faced Hearts, they won 2-0 and secured their first Scottish Cup in 13 years, another result like that would surely please the Ibrox faithful and allow them to leapfrog Celtic at the top of the table.

Sky Sports’ northeast reporter Keith Downie says that Dan Burn is a ‘very popular’ figure in the Newcastle United dressing room.

The Lowdown: January arrival

The 30-year-old was signed from Brighton and Hove Albion in the January transfer window and has played 24 games so far for the St James’ Park club, supplying one assist (Transfermarkt).

The defender has only missed one match in the Premier League when he has been available, so he is clearly a favourite of Eddie Howe.

The Latest: ‘Popular’ figure

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Downie has said that Burn is ‘very popular’ in the dressing room at Newcastle, adding that all of his team-mates ‘look up’ to him.

The Sky Sports man stated: “You have to say, Dan Burn, since he arrived in January, has not put a foot wrong. A very popular guy in the dressing room.

“All the sort of foreign lads and younger lads, I think they all look up to him and what he’s done in his career. He’s not going to give that place up lightly.”

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The Verdict: Underrated signing

Given the big-money signings of the likes of Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman over the past few months, Burn’s arrival may have gone slightly under the radar.

The 30-year-old is currently limiting Botman’s appearances in the starting line-up, which is a testament to how highly he is regarded by his manager and how well he is performing.

Nonetheless, the fact that Burn has seemingly built a strong relationship with his team-mates already shows that he is exactly the kind of character which is needed in the St James’ Park dressing room, and he looks set to have a great career at the Magpies with the way that he has settled in on Tyneside.

Leeds United U21s continued their fantastic start to their Premier League 2 campaign on Monday evening, with Michael Skubala’s youth side running out 1-0 winners against Sunderland, extending their unbeaten run to eight games in 2022/23.

However, after scoring 20 goals over their last four outings in all competitions, three points were much harder to come by at the Stadium of Light, with Wilfried Gnonto’s second-half strike being all that separated the two teams on the night.

Although, while the Italian forward was once again a livewire for the U21s, it was arguably the performance of Cody Drameh that will have most made Jesse Marsch sit up and take notice on Monday evening, as the right-back turned in yet another fine display.

Indeed, while £10m summer signing Rasmus Kristensen has looked solid in a defensive capacity so far this season, the Denmark international has not exactly contributed in an attacking capacity – being yet to score, register an assist or create a big chance over his seven Premier League appearances, as well as completing an average of just 0.3 crosses per game.

And, considering how impressive Drameh was going forwards against Sunderland, should Marsch wish to add a bit more attacking impetus on the right of his backline in the coming weeks, the 20-year-old would appear well worth consideration.

Indeed, the Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Donnohue described the full-back as “a threat on the attack with some good, aggressive runs” against the Black Cats, something the England U21 international demonstrated when picking the ball up on the edge of the opposition penalty area before unleashing a furious drive against the post early in the second half.

Following the match, Skubala also took the time to praise the youngster, stating (via Leeds Live): “Cody, [who] I think goes under the radar, he’s had three really top games and against a good winger [Jewison Bennette] – Cody was controlling him.”

The £2.7m-rated talent also proved his ability in a creative capacity in the 4-0 win over Stoke City last time out, registering two assists against the Potters – the first of which was a dangerous low cross that Mateo Joseph turned home, before once again setting up the Spaniard with an inch-perfect cutback after a bursting run down the wing.

As such, should Marsch wish to add slightly more attacking edge to his wide defensive positions in the coming months, the £4.4k-per-week full-back who Steve Morrison dubbed a “Duracell Bunny” would appear something of a perfect fit for the American – with the 20-year-old’s display on Monday once again suggesting that the full-back is first-team ready.

Antonio Conte has dropped an update on the fitness of Tottenham Hotspur forward Lucas Moura ahead of this evening’s Champions League meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via football.london), the 53-year-old manager revealed that the winger, who has been sidelined since August as a result of a calf injury, will be available for selection for the visit of the Bundesliga side tonight.

However, the Italian went on to state that, with the Brazil international having only taken part in a few first-team training sessions since his return to fitness earlier this week, the 30-year-old will start the fixture on the bench.

Regarding the current condition of Moura, Conte said: “Lucas Moura is available despite having only two or three training sessions, but [on Wednesday] he is with us on the bench.”

A boost for Spurs

While it would appear unlikely that, even when fully fit, Moura would displace any of Son Heung-min, Richarlison or Dejan Kulusevski in Spurs’ frontline, the fact that the winger is once again available for selection this evening is nevertheless good news for Conte and his side – especially considering Kulusevski is himself currently sidelined due to injury.

Indeed, over his 34 Premier League appearances last season – only 19 of which came as starts – the £13m-rated forward proved just how important a part of the Tottenham squad he truly is, scoring two goals, registering six assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.1 shots, making one key pass and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £90k-per-week talent average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as Conte’s tenth-best performer in the top flight of English football last time out – a rather extraordinary feat considering just 15 of his outings came as starts in the league.

As such, Moura’s presence on the Tottenham bench will undoubtedly come as a boost to Conte ahead of the Eintracht clash this evening, especially considering the fact that the Italian’s side have struggled for goals in recent weeks – having bagged just one from open play in their last three fixtures – coupled with fellow right-winger Kulusevski also being unavailable for tonight’s fixture.

The wide man is, of course, famed for bagging one of the club’s biggest goals in Europe with that strike against Ajax, and supporters will once again be dreaming of a similar impact from the Brazilian should he feature tonight.