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West Ham United's hopes of getting back into Europe once again next season are all but gone, but they will still want to finish the David Moyes era strongly, so the more players available to the Scot for his final games in charge, the better.

With that in mind, here is the latest injury and suspension news coming out of the London Stadium ahead of the Hammers' match with Luton Town on Saturday afternoon.

Latest West Ham United injury news

While West Ham's injury list isn't exactly lengthy, Moyes is still sweating over the makeup of his defence. The Hammers have been without Nayef Aguerd and Konstantinos Mavropanos for the last few weeks and have not won since their victory over Wolves on 6th April.

Moyes delivered the latest update on his squad before his side host Luton, in a game that could all but send the Hatters down if the Hammers come away with three points.

Konstantinos Mavropanos – knock

Greece international Konstantinos Mavropanos suffered a problem during West Ham's 2-0 defeat away at Bayer Leverkusen, and only lasted 60 minutes a few days later in the loss to Fulham.

Since then, Mavropanos has been missing and will once again be unable to play this weekend.

Nayef Aguerd – ankle

Nayef Aguerd rolled his ankle in the second-leg draw against Bayer Leverkusen, with Moyes ruling out the Moroccan from featuring this weekend once again.

It remains to be seen as to whether the centre-back can make an appearance before the season comes to a close, and with games running, you wonder if Aguerd will eventually be given the summer to recuperate.

"Lucas Paqueta seems OK and has trained for most of the week, but unfortunately we don't have Dinos [Mavropanos] or Nayef [Aguerd] back yet."

Latest West Ham United suspension news

West Ham currently have no suspensions.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has urged Premier League to impose sanctions on Manchester City if they are found guilty of flouting FFP rules.

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• Tebas warns Premier League
• Wants heavy sanctions on Man City
• Legal battle began on Monday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Cityzens' legal battle against the Premier League in the Financial Fair Play case began on Monday, September 16. The reigning English champions discovered in 2023, following a long-running investigation, that they would be charged with alleged FFP breaches. The charges against them date back to 2009 – shortly after Sheikh Mansour took over the club.

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  As the legal proceedings began on Monday, La Liga president Javier Tebas urged the Premier to heavily sanction the Manchester club if they are found guilty of flouting the rules. He warned the English top division against discriminating between big and small clubs and claimed that the league would lose their authority if they failed to impose strict punishment on City.

• WHAT JAVIER TEBAS SAID

  Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the La Liga chief said, "The Premier League shouldn't give in to pressure, right? Manchester City is just another club, and when you lead an association, you have to act. The Premier League shouldn't differentiate between big or small, or important and ‘non-important’, clubs.

  "Manchester City is a member of the association that has committed irregularities and should receive the sanction it deserves. If not, the competition's authority will be lost."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  Pep Guardiola's side are off to a flying start in the 2024/25 campaign having comprehensively won their first four league matches. They will be next seen in action against Inter on Wednesday in their Champions League opener.

The American forward assisted on two goals, one of which was controversial following replays

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• Sargent provided two assists
• One assist came from out of play
• Norwich beat Derby 3-2

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  U.S. international Josh Sargent's two assists helped power Norwich to a 3-2 win over Derby in the English Championship. One of the goals sparked controversy, as Derby have a valid argument that it should not have counted.

  The controversy stems from Norwich's opener as Sargent charged up the pitch and near the goalline and found Borja Sainz on a low cross in front of goal to put the score at 1-0. Replays showed that Sargent and the ball went past the goaline on the cross and should have been considered out of play. Yet, the referee missed the incident.

  In a tightly-contested match, Derby would fight back and equalize thanks to Craig Forsyth in the 60th minute. Yet, Sainz wouldn't be denied and scored in the 65th minute to reclaim the lead. Providing the game-winning goal, Sargent found Sainz again to score in the 87th minute to put the match at 3-1. Derby would score once again in the 90th minute, but Norwich held on to win.

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  Norwich get their second win in a row and move up to seventh place in the English Championship. The team has relied heavily on Sargent this season, who is off to a solid start with two goals and three assists in seven appearances this season.

  Derby will rightly feel aggrieved though, having lost a game they should might at least drawn – things could have been dramatically different if Norwich didn't score the controversial opening goal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Sargent was on the Norwich team that last played on the Premier League during the 2021-22 season prior to relegation.

  Derby's wait to return to the Premier League has been much longer. The last time were in the Premier League was during the 2007-08 season. During that campaign they set the all-time Premier League record for lowest points in a season with 11.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR NORWICH?

  Sargent and Norwich have two league matches, against Brenden Aaronson's Leeds on Oct. 1 and Hull City on Oct. 5, prior to the international break.

With the curtain closing on what has been another excellent campaign for Newcastle United, the club can finally turn their attention to transfers, but they may risk losing a number of their key stars.

Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes have both previously been linked with a move to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side, with the Magpies having to prioritise outgoings before incomings due to the FFP situation.

Eddie Howe and co have spent heavily since the acquisition of the club by the Saudi PIF, but should they want to return to the Champions League next season, they may have to splash the cash once more.

The Magpies finished eight points off Aston Villa, who occupied the final qualification spot, with Howe’s side enduring a torrid season with injuries which has subsequently had an impact on their league standing.

However, the club have reportedly already started drawing up targets ahead of the opening of the transfer window, with the club targeting one player to bolster their ranks ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Newcastle interested in signing £60m talent

According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, Newcastle are rivalling Manchester City to sign Wolves winger Pedro Neto, with the Portuguese international having a £60m price tag placed on him ahead of the summer.

The 24-year-old has once again had his injury problems, with a hamstring issue seeing him miss the last two months of the 2023/24 season.

However, despite his troubles, he’s produced some respectable figures, finishing the campaign with three goals and 11 assists in his 24 appearances in all competitions – an average of one contribution every 1.7 matches.

The report goes on to state that the Magpies remain interested in the attacker, but are wary over his recent injury record, as the club want to avoid a repeat of their woes from this season.

However, despite his troubles in recent months, Neto would be a huge upgrade on one Newcastle player who has been subject to his own fitness issues since arriving at St James’ Park.

Why Neto would be a huge upgrade on Harvey Barnes

Since his £38m move from Leicester City last summer, winger Harvey Barnes hasn’t had the impact he would’ve envisaged on Tyneside, with a foot problem keeping him out of action for five months.

However, he’s still managed 21 appearances in the Premier League during the 2023/24 campaign, scoring five and assisting three – including a double in the unforgettable comeback win against West Ham United.

Despite his own lack of appearances, Neto – who has been dubbed a "pace monster" by data analyst Ben Mattinson – has managed to produce a better return in fewer matches than Barnes and, when delving into the stats, it’s clear that Wolves’ Portuguese forward would be an upgrade on the Englishman.

The table above highlights Neto’s ability to create opportunities in the final third, with his successful take-ons over two times more than the tally Barnes could muster this season – having also previously been hailed a "huge talent" by Newcastle legend, Alan Shearer.

Neto, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by statman OptaJoe, would be a huge investment by the club and another sign of the intent the Saudi PIF have to take the club back to competing for Premier League titles.

The one-time Lazio man would cost PIF a pretty penny at £60m, but all things considered, he would complete Howe’s attack and allow Anthony Gordon and Isak to reach the next level, with his assists allowing the duo to further improve their goalscoring tallies next season.

Newcastle considering early summer bid for "wonderful" £5k-a-week player

He only has one year left on his current deal.

By
Henry Jackson

May 20, 2024

Away from talk surrounding a mass summer exodus from Elland Road in the wake of the play-off final loss, Leeds United will be wanting to still get signings over the line to balance everything out.

Confirmation of Red Bull taking a minority ownership stake in the Whites recently could pump the Championship side with some more money to facilitate major moves through the door, with Kalvin Phillips on the Leeds radar even with promotion not being clinched.

Phillips could be put off by dropping down a division, however, even with his stock at an all-time low after a forgettable loan switch to West Ham United, with Leeds then having to look elsewhere for new midfield recruits.

The signing of this talent from Japan could soften Phillips' potential rejection, with the player in question even a World Cup goalscoring hero for his nation once upon a time, alongside being a star in the Bundesliga 2 this season in his own right.

Leeds looking at Dusseldorf star

Previously linked with a move for Ao Tanaka last year, Fortuna Dusseldorf's failure to win promotion up to the top German division could swing back open the door for the Whites to pounce and sign the Japanese midfielder finally.

According to a report from Hochi News, Leeds have lodged an enquiry to register their interest in the 25-year-old alongside a whole swarm of other suitors, which includes Sean Dyche's Everton from England, as well as parties sniffing around from Germany in the form of Stuttgart and even Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen.

Scorer of a famous winning goal for Japan against Spain during the group stages of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Tanaka has also shone for Dusseldorf this season to be such an in-demand face, with eight goals and four assists from 36 overall contests.

Daniel Farke might well view the addition of Tanaka as adding something different and fresh to the midfield spots at Elland Road, with the 25-year-old capable of operating as an attack-minded option, or as a more holding presence like Glen Kamara and Ilia Gruev already present in West Yorkshire.

With Phillips' current employers in Manchester City also demanding an extortionate fee still out of the uninspiring dud, Tanaka's expected valuation sitting at a low £2.2m – according to Football Transfers – makes this a far more attractive deal to proceed with.

He could even give Leeds a similar style figure to what Will Smallbone provides for Southampton, who stood out in the crushing Championship play-off final defeat, to the detriment of Farke's men.

How Tanaka compares to Smallbone

Said to be 'similar' players via FBRef over the last year, a number of their statistics pop up as being very alike, which could make Leeds even more insistent on signing Tanaka, knowing that Smallbone had a huge role to play in Russell Martin's side sealing promotion at Wembley last weekend.

Both midfielders seem to match up with one another when it comes to progressive passes, progressive carries and their overall pass completion statistics per 90 minutes, which would stand Tanaka in good stead for a spot in Farke's XI with Leeds' game based on high quantities of possession in 2023/24, on top of overwhelming oppositions with a gung-ho mentality.

Smallbone does better Tanaka in some areas of their respective games when glancing above though, as the 24-year-old now awaits the feeling of lining up in the Premier League for his boyhood club next season after starring in the second tier.

Scoring in the decisive 3-1 semi-final leg win over West Bromwich Albion, the Saints number 16 – who was referred to as a "selfless" player by his manager this campaign – shone when all the pressure was on him too.

Leeds needed clutch players like Smallbone at Wembley and they could get their very own version in Tanaka – a player labelled as "one of the most underrated midfielders in world football" by reporter Ben Bocsak.

The next Gray: Leeds could soften Gnonto exit by unleashing academy star

Leeds United could look towards their youth if Wilfried Gnonto ends up exiting Elland Road.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 29, 2024

Paul Pogba may be in line for a shock Mason Greenwood reunion at Marseille, with ex-Manchester United star Patrice Evra vowing to put in a call.

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• World Cup winner has seen ban reduced
• Cleared to resume career in March 2025
• Serie A giants may terminate his contract

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  World Cup winner Pogba has seen his four-year suspension from football-related activity reduced to 18 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). As a result, the French midfielder will be cleared to resume his professional career in March 2025.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pogba is under contract at Serie A giants Juventus until the summer of 2026, but there is plenty of speculation to suggest that said terms will be terminated. If that decision is taken, then the 31-year-old will become a free agent.

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  WHAT EVRA SAID

  There has been talk of Pogba potentially joining Lionel Messi and Co in MLS, but fellow countryman Evra wants to see a proven performer return to his homeland and link up with ex-United winger Greenwood at Marseille. Evra has told the podcast: “99% of the time, I think we won't see Paul again in Juve colours. We have to turn the page. I'm going to call Medhi Benatia so that he can call him because the doors are open.”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR POGBA?

  Evra spent time with United, Juve and Marseille in his own playing career and wants the best for Pogba. It remains to be seen what response he will get from Benatia – who is now sporting director at Stade Velodrome – but there is still plenty for Pogba to offer somebody if he can rekindle a lost spark.

Leeds United are currently preparing for a second straight season in the Championship after they fell short of achieving promotion this season. The Whites made it all the way to the play-off final at Wembley last month only to lose 1-0 to Southampton, thanks to a first-half goal from Adam Armstrong.

Daniel Farke and his team must now navigate the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business on Friday, to end it with a squad that is capable of fighting for promotion once again.

It has already been reported that the Yorkshire-based outfit are unlikely to bring Connor Roberts back from Burnley however, as the recently relegated side may not want to strengthen a rival, whilst Alfie Gilchrist from Chelsea has been linked as a target in that position as well.

Leeds United's interest in Championship star

According to Leeds Live, the Whites are eyeing up a possible swoop to sign Sunderland right-back Trai Hume, as Farke seemingly targets a deal for the defender. The report claims that the Northern Ireland international is a transfer target for the club this summer as they look to bolster their defensive options ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Central midfielder Archie Gray spent the majority of this season deputising at right-back and could move back to his preferred position if Leeds can strike a deal for Hume, or another full-back, over the coming weeks or months.

LeedsLive add that they are set to fight multiple Premier League sides to land the Black Cats star, who has attracted attention from a host of clubs with his performances in the Championship.

The outlet names Leicester City, Aston Villa and Bournemouth as three of the other English teams eyeing him up, alongside Italian outfit Napoli.

This suggests that there is plenty of competition to land his signature before the end of the summer transfer window, whilst it remains to be seen whether or not Sunderland are prepared to cash in on him.

Why Hume could be a good Roberts alternative

With a second deal for Roberts reportedly being unlikely, Hume could be snapped up as a fantastic alternative to the Wales international ahead of next season. The £3k-per-week defender, who was once described as "outstanding" by journalist Josh Bunting, is a proven Championship performer who could come in and hit the ground running at Elland Road.

Roberts only started two league games for Leeds during the second half of this term but did feature regularly in the division for Burnley during the 2022/23 campaign as they won the title.

As you can see in the table above, Hume's displays on the pitch for the Black Cats this season were more impressive than the Welsh ace's were for the Clarets in their title-winning year. Despite ending with five fewer assists, the Northern Irish whiz created four more 'big chances' for his teammates, whilst winning possession back through tackles and interceptions significantly more frequently.

Leeds could sign £14m "unsung hero" to replace Gnonto

The Whites are reportedly keen on a deal to sign the South American star this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 17, 2024

Therefore, the potential is there for the 22-year-old ace to be a fantastic alternative to Roberts due to the quality he could provide at both ends of the pitch.

Paul Mullin admits that the first surgery of his career means that he will not be 100% at Wrexham “for a long time”.

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• Star striker underwent spinal surgery
• Has had to be patient in pursuit of starts
• Taken goal tally in 2024-25 to three

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons striker has become a favourite of Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney after helping to inspire back-to-back promotions – with Mullin collecting three successive Player of the Year awards at SToK Racecourse while passing 100 goals for the club.

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  He has had to be patient in pursuit of regular game time this season, with just four starts taken in across all competitions. Mullin did, however, net his third goal of the 2024-25 campaign just 16 seconds into his last outing against Rotherham.

• WHAT MULLIN SAID

  Mullin is starting to feel sharper on the back of a minor spinal operation that was undertaken at the start of the summer, with the 29-year-old frontman telling of where he is at now: “I’ve never had surgery before but I was told it wasn’t easy and, me being me, naively thought ‘nah, I’ll do it quicker than I could’ and I got back really quick in terms of being able to train, but it’s never going to feel 100% for a long time.

  “Strangely enough, this week was the time that I started to feel like myself again. We had a couple of days off last week and, for some reason, I came back and all the aches and pains had gone. It was really pleasing. The last 20 minutes was pure adrenalin, with the fans lifting me, but I’m so pleased for it and hopefully it stands me in good stead heading forward.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  A trip to former Premier League outfit Huddersfield is next up for Wrexham on Tuesday, with Mullin adding on why Phil Parkinson’s side will enter that contest full of confidence: “You want to test yourself against the big sides and really enjoy it. These occasions are fantastic but it’s something we expected to happen when we signed for Wrexham. I expected us to get promoted and back-to-back promotions. We demand a lot from ourselves as a group and we all set high standards.”

Glasgow Rangers head of recruitment Nils Koppen has been hard at work in the summer transfer window so far, with three deals already completed.

Oscar Cortes has joined on a second loan from RC Lens, left-back Jefte has been signed from Fluminense, and centre-back Clinton Nsiala will join on from AC Milan at the start of next month.

The Gers are also reportedly closing in on the signing of Hamza Igamane on a permanent deal to bolster Philippe Clement's options at the top end of the pitch.

Scotland international Tommy Conway, who is currently away at the European Championship in Germany, has also been linked with a move to Ibrox.

The Light Blues are now said to be closing in on the signing of another player to add to the club's midfield ranks ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Rangers closing in on SPFL star

According to Rangers Review journalist Chris Jack, former Aberdeen central midfielder Connor Barron is "expected" to sign for the Scottish giants.

The reporter claims that the Gers look to have won the race for his signature amid heavy competition from teams in England and Italy this summer and are now on track to finalise a deal for the talented youngster.

His contract with the Dons expired at the end of last month and Rangers will need to agree a compensation fee with the Scottish Premiership club, as he is only 21.

Sky Sports have backed up Jack's claim by reporting that Koppen and Clement are 'closing in' on the signing of the SPFL star, whilst they add that former Motherwell shot-stopper Liam Kelly is also poised to join on a free transfer to compete with Jack Butland.

Barron now looks set to link-up with his new teammates when the team return for pre-season later this summer and he could form an exciting partnership with Nicolas Raskin in the middle of the park next season.

Why Connor Barron and Nicolas Raskin could be dominant

With Ryan Jack and John Lundstram having departed on free transfers at the end of last month, there is a vacancy in midfield for the ex-Aberdeen star to walk into.

Mohammed Diomande is capable of playing further forward in midfield and that could see Barron and Raskin paired as the double pivot at the base of Clement's side, with the Ivorian possibly playing ahead of them.

The former Dons star, who was hailed as "very impressive" by Scotland U21 boss Scott Gemmill, could thrive next to the Belgian ace as they are both fantastic out of possession.

As you can see in the table above, both players win the majority of their battles on the deck and in the air, which means that they can form a dominant midfield pairing that would be difficult for opposition teams to get the better of for Rangers next term.

Barron, 21, and Raskin, 23, are also two young midfielders with plenty of time left ahead of them to develop as players over the coming years, which means that they could be an immediately effective pairing whilst still having room to grow further.

Rangers could ditch Goldson by signing a star who was once "generational"

The Light Blues are reportedly in the race to sign the central defender this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 19, 2024

Therefore, this could be an excellent piece of business by Koppen if it becomes official in the coming due to his proven Premiership quality and potential to be a brilliant partner for the club's current Belgian metronome.

Carlo Ancelotti has been named the Men's Coach of the Year after Real Madrid's remarkable success last season.

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• Ancelotti won men's best coach
• Won La Liga and UCL last season
• Beat Guardiola & Alonso to prize

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Italian coach was honoured with the award at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on Monday. He earned the Johan Cruyff Trophy after guiding Real Madrid to Champions League and La Liga success last term.

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  The likes of Xabi Alonso, a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal winner with Bayer Leverkusen last season, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, Spain's Euro 2024-winning coach Luis de la Fuente, successful Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni and Europa League champion Gian Piero Gasperini were all nominated for the prize, but it is the legendary Madrid boss who has taken home the top honour.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ancelotti was not present to accept his award as his club had opted to boycott the ceremony. Despite Ancelotti's nomination and many Madrid players being nominated for the Ballon d'Or, the European champions refused to attend after it was reported that Vinicius Junior would not be named the world's best player, seeing Spain and City midfielder Rodri touted as the likely winner instead.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While Ancelotti took home the prestigious award, he will have his mind on ensuring his team bounce back from their weekend upset at the Santiago Bernabeu. The capital club were demolished 4-0 by fierce rivals Barcelona on home soil at the weekend, leaving them six points behind them in La Liga. Madrid are in action again on Saturday when they meet Valencia in the Spanish top-flight.