Houston Dynamo midfielder Hector Herrera insists that facing Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in the U.S. Open Cup final is "extra motivation".
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Barcelona midfielder Gavi was left sporting staples in his ear after suffering a nasty injury during a dramatic 2-1 victory over Osasuna.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Despite just being relegated immediately back down to the Championship and finishing 13 points from safety, the West Brom job will still be an attractive one for many people, according to former Wigan Athletic manager Paul Jewell.
The Baggies are on the hunt for their third manager in less than 12 months having already parted ways with Slaven Bilic last December after earning a 1-1 draw away to Manchester City, and it was reported last week that Sam Allardyce would not be remaining as the club’s manager in the Championship.
Reports have suggested that West Brom will target Chris Wilder this summer but may face an uphill battle as the former Blades manager is reportedly willing to hold out for a Premier League job either this summer or into next season.
It is still a massive club that will attract a lot of managers despite now being in the Championship and set to potentially sell their star players, Matheus Pereira and Sam Johnstone. That’s according to Jewell, who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:
“It will be a well sought after job and I know Chris Wilder has been mentioned, because he did a great job, getting Sheffield United up through the leagues as well as in the first season in the Premier League. So I’m sure his name will pop up.
“It will be a job that a lot of people are interested in because, I worked there very briefly and it’s a huge football club with great supporters, great fan base and good facilities. So it’s got all the infrastructure to be a Premier League club so it will attract a lot of suitors.”
Allardyce was brought in as West Brom manager back in December as they looked to address any relegation fears early on and give the former England manager a transfer window to improve the squad but for the first time in his career, Allardyce saw his side relegated from the Premier League.
West Brom’s Achilles’ heel this season was their defensive frailties having conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season having leaked an amazing 76 goals in just 38 games.
Former Leeds United striker Brian Deane has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he cannot see Patrick Bamford breaking into Liverpool’s team.
This comes after The Athletic (via TEAMtalk) reported that the Reds have an interest in the 27-year-old forward.
Such a development hardly comes as a surprise after the season Bamford has had. He has won many plaudits for his goalscoring exploits this term, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp himself coming out to praise the Englishman.
Despite the exceptional campaign Bamford has had, though, Deane believes Liverpool could be a level too high.
Speaking exclusively to FFC about the Merseyside club’s reported interest in £35,000-a-week man Bamford, the ex-Leeds player said:
“I’m not really sure. I think he fits in well because he’s grown with Leeds United. Liverpool have got the likes of [Diogo] Jota, [Mohamed] Salah, [Sadio] Mane – that’s another level for me.
“I think, probably, Patrick sits below that group, those well-established international players. I think he’s done well, think he’s a good player and I don’t want to be unfair to him because I think he’s done well, but I don’t see how he comes in and dislodges those types of players.”
“I think that he’ll be staying at Leeds.”
Indeed, there is no guarantee of Bamford breaking into that Liverpool team. Considering that, and already performing in a Leeds side that have shown that they can excel in the Premier League, an Elland Road stay probably looks like the wisest option.
It could be time for West Ham to finally offload Manuel Lanzini this summer…
According to El Intransigente, the Irons are prepared to sell the 28-year-old midfielder as he’s no longer an integral part of the squad, often finding himself out of the starting XI, and his former club River Plate are keen to bring him back to Argentina.
Lanzini only signed a contract extension in 2019, keeping him at the Hammers until 2023 after joining the east London club for £9m three years earlier.
Claret & Hugh also believe the attacking maestro is available for transfer if the right price is offered, but it remains to be seen exactly how much that is. The five-time international is currently valued at just €7m (£6m) by CIES Football Observatory and is thought to be raking in around £70,000 per week as one of the Irons’ highest earners.
Barring the odd stunner – that goal against Tottenham this season springs to mind – Lanzini has not been the same player since he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament back in 2018.
Given his age, he’s rather unlikely to ever get back to his best – or at least the level required for a likely European battle next term.
[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-west-ham-transfer-rumours-gossip-latest-moyes-gsb-london-stadium” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]
In the last three seasons, the Argentina playmaker has failed to score more than one goal and provide more than two assists in the Premier League. That’s a total of two goals and four assists across three years, as per WhoScored, and that is simply not good enough.
The Hammers also signed Said Benrahma in the summer transfer win dow and will push to keep hold of Jesse Lingard, so there’s really no need to keep Lanzini festering away on their books. As Frank McAvennie told Football FanCast exclusively this month, the 28-year-old is “a luxury player.”
Darren Bent once told Football Insider that the midfielder had “wonderful feet” and was “certainly a top player,” but on the above evidence, he hasn’t delivered for some time and is merely stealing a living at this point.
Any fee accrued from his departure and the burden of his wages lifted off the club’s books could go towards a new signing or two, and we know how desperate Moyes will be for a striker, so it certainly makes sense to get rid of Lanzini sooner rather than later.
It’s time to show no mercy and offload the West Ham flop this summer.
AND in other news, Forget Abraham: £18m-rated “monster” could take West Ham to a new level…
In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Dean Windass, who made 402 career appearances, has claimed that former West Ham attacker Marko Arnautovic would be an ideal fit for Crystal Palace.
Arnautovic, who left West Ham in 2019 to join Chinese Super League side Shanghai Port, has been linked with a move back to the Premier League with both West Ham and Palace interested in the 32-year old.
The Austrian enjoyed a relatively successful time in the Premier League with both Stoke City and the Hammers, as he managed to score a combined total of 48 goals for both clubs.
Speaking on why Arnautovic would be a good player for Palace and how the Austrian would fit into their side, Windass exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:
“I think Palace would be a good fit for him on that right-hand side with Zaha on the left-hand side and it would take the pressure off of him a little bit.
“If he’s available then I think Palace will be looking at someone like him with the way they play, but the problem with him is that on his day he’s unbelievable, but when he isn’t he’s not very good.”
Arnautovic didn’t leave on the best terms with the Hammers back in 2019 as his brother pleaded with West Ham to accept an offer for the striker.
Crystal Palace are currently the league’s sixth-lowest scorers, so whoever their manager is next season will be looking to address their issues in the final third.
Marcel Brands could land Carlo Ancelotti his very own version of Jesse Lingard by signing Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli for Everton this summer.
Goodison Park has been touted as a potential destination for Alli to thrive in future seasons by former Premier League striker Dean Windass, who has been speaking exclusively with the Transfer Tavern.
Windass believes that a move to Merseyside or Aston Villa would allow Alli to hit the ground running as a big fish in a small pond, after falling to the wayside under Jose Mourinho in the “big” setting of north London.
Alli has only featured nine times in the top-flight this term and started just two of his appearances to date, while watching each of his side’s last three fixtures from the bench.
Yet, despite his lack of game time and Mourinho wanting him gone, Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy blocked Alli from reuniting with Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain in January after failing to land a replacement.
Recent reports by Football Insider have claimed that Mourinho is likely to again look at offloading Alli come the end of the season, though, and Windass feels Everton would make a suitable destination.
“I think Everton or Aston Villa, one of those teams where he then becomes a big fish in a small pond again. At the minute, he’s a small fish in a big pond,” the ex-Hull City striker told TT.
[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-everton-news-and-views” title=”Latest Everton news and views!”]
“The kid needs to be playing to get back into the England squad. Gareth [Southgate] will be on the phone saying: ‘I think you’re a great player, but you need to be playing your club football.’”
It remains to be seen if Everton have any interest in signing Alli come the summer, but Brands pursuing the England international as an option to strengthen Ancelotti’s squad could see the Toffees’ Director of Football land the Italian his Lingard-esque playmaker.
The Goodison Park natives were linked with Alli prior to the mid-season transfer window, when Levy was claimed to have denied the midfielder a move away from Tottenham as PSG refused to pay £3m for a temporary deal.
Levy priced the £100,000-per-week playmaker at such a figure as he allegedly felt Alli was worth £45m, but is now expected to have to settle for £25m in the event of a summer sale.
That price may be considered acceptable by the Everton hierarchy, as the 25-year-old is still yet to enter his prime years but has 37 caps for England to his name along with 50 goals and 36 assists in 165 career Premier League appearances to date.
A change of setting for the player former Spurs midfielder Darren Anderton once dubbed “a freak of a talent” could see Alli rediscover his lost form in a similar way to how Lingard has since joining West Ham on loan from Manchester United in January.
Lingard had only played three times under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season – each in the domestic cups – before moving to the London Stadium, where he has since been described as “a big fish in a smaller pond” by Danny Mills.
Southgate also recalled Lingard to the England squad for the first time in two years after seeing him thrive in claret and blue, with the 28-year-old involved in more Premier League goals (11 – eight scored, three assisted) than any player since his Irons debut on February 3rd.
Life away from an established top-six club has clearly done Lingard the world of good and could be what Alli needs to remain a player considered among the world’s best.
AND in other news, Marcel Brands could deliver Everton’s own Virgil van Dijk with £17.5m summer swoop…
Plenty of Crystal Palace supporters have been reacting to a report regarding manager Eddie Howe on social media.
The Daily Mail shared a story on Thursday morning, with Howe’s representative distancing any deal to Celtic, labelling the talks of a move to Glasgow as ‘extremely premature’.
The Hoops were thought to be closing in on the Englishman as Neil Lennon’s successor, however, it doesn’t appear as if a move to Glasgow will be announced anytime soon.
Howe is also on Palace’s shortlist as a potential replacement for Roy Hodgson, with the 73-year-old’s deal out of contract at the end of the season.
The 43-year-old, previously in charge of Bournemouth, has been out of work since August and will wait until the summer before a potential return to the dugout.
@cpfc_xtra shared the Daily Mail’s report on Howe on Twitter on Thursday morning. This is what these Eagles fans had to say in reply…
“I do not want Eddie Howe anywhere near my club”
Credit: @wakefieldviking
“I really don’t want him but this is my only hope”
Credit: @Kevbartleyy
“I’d rather have Dyche but Howe is a far better choice than Lampard so I’d be happy with him”
Credit: @liamb0117
“40 losses in his last 67 games btw”
Credit: @sam_paIace
“Could this mean he is holding out for the palace job”
Credit: @CharlesBannis20
“Typical Daily Mail with only 5% fact/relevance in that whole article”
Credit: @TheBos80
In other news: Many CPFC fans buzz at club post on 18 y/o starlet, find out more here.
Jordan Rhodes’ recent form has presented Sheffield Wednesday with a fresh problem.
The Owls’ club-record £8m signing is out of contract in the summer and after scoring the most goals since Darren Moore’s appointment, he looks to finally be finding his goalscoring boots once again.
A lot of his Hillsborough career has been forgettable.
Indeed, the 31-year-old talisman, who is just eight more strikes from becoming the Championship’s all-time record holder, has only scored 19 goals in 103 appearances for the club – he joined in February 2017.
In that time, he’s even had a stint away on loan to Norwich, helping the club to the league title. Canaries boss Daniel Farke dubbed Rhodes “the most special, unique guy I’ve worked with,” so clearly he left an impression.
Moore is clearly a fan of his, having worked with him at Blackburn Rovers in the past, too. The 46-year-old lauded the Scotsman in his very first press conference, he said (via YorkshireLive):
“Jordan is a good striker. He can finish and we don’t doubt that finishing ability.
“There’s plenty more football left in Jordan. There’s a wonderful talent if we are looking at him as an isolated figure.
“He’s a goalscorer, and he knows where the back of the net is.”
To make the situation worse, this sudden upturn in form has coincided in interest ahead of the summer transfer window, and local rivals Huddersfield Town are among the teams keen to land him.
That move would make a ton of sense given the Terriers’ lack of striking options, but the Owls simply cannot let that happen. Instead, Dejphon Chansiri must offer all he can do to keep hold of him.
His brace against Barnsley last time out was atypical for a poacher – a deft, well-placed header, and neat, calm finish. Speaking after the match, the smiling £810k-rated forward spoke about his mood at the club. He said (via YorkshireLive):
“I feel like I’m playing with a smile on my face, and I’m really enjoying it. It’s nice to be out there and it’s nice to be wanted again. I’m doing my best.”
If that’s the case, then Rhodes is happy at Wednesday, happy under Moore and perhaps would accept an extension. If the former West Brom coach is to be the long-term manager here, then he ought to get to keep his goalscoring talisman.
Chansiri must tie the 14-time international down before it’s too late. He cannot leave for Huddersfield, that’s for sure.
AND in other news, Sheffield Wednesday handed fresh injury boost…
David Moyes will be eager to receive some good news on the fitness of Pablo Fornals after the West Ham midfielder missed Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United through injury.
That’s according to football.london, who note that Fornals was a late withdrawal from the squad at Old Trafford after sustaining a minor knock.
But the Irons are unlikely to be without the Spaniard for long, with it expected that the 25-year-old should make a quick return.
Fornals’ recovery is likely to hand Moyes a triple boost after the upcoming international break, with Angelo Ogbonna and Arthur Masuaku also said to be closing in on a return to first-team action.
Fornals had started West Ham’s past three Premier League fixtures before missing the 1-0 loss to Manchester United, having been given a surprise recall against Tottenham Hotspur last month after playing just six of the previous 270 available minutes of top-flight action.
Ogbonna has been in the treatment room since the FA Cup fifth-round loss at Old Trafford at the start of February when he sustained a high ankle sprain, ruling the 32-year-old out of five league games and counting.
Masuaku, meanwhile, has been sidelined since the Red Devils’ visit to the London Stadium in December, 20 games ago, having undergone career-saving knee surgery following the 3-1 defeat in what was his 11th start in all competitions.
Speaking ahead of the weekend’s action, Moyes had said: “Angelo is doing great. He’s back in the gym regularly. He’s out of his [protective] boot and we’re expecting him to start some running on the AlterG, which is the machine that takes a bit of your bodyweight off.
“He’s coming along and I’m hoping that, maybe by the end of the international break, we might have him back on the grass in some capacity. Arthur’s trained two or three days this week with the U23s and trained with me for a couple of days now, so Arthur’s getting much closer to match fitness and all-round fitness generally.”
Moyes will be eager for good news on the potentially swift return of Fornals to action, having missed the Spaniard’s energy during Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Old Trafford.
Fornals had proven a vastly important cog in the West Ham attacking midfield line with his performances against Tottenham, Manchester City and Leeds United, while assisting Jesse Lingard’s winning goal in the London derby with Spurs.
Beyond penning his first assist in 17 Premier League games, Fornals justified his appearance against Jose Mourinho’s north Londoners as he was lively throughout the tie with a tireless persistence to his efforts, which returned more tackles (4) than his per-game average (1.2), per SofaScore.
He was the energetic star once again at Manchester City the following week, constantly driving the Hammers up the pitch and proving a handful for the runaway league leaders.
West Ham were without that presence at Manchester United on Sunday, where Moyes felt his side’s offensive moves were often “really poor” and sloppy, leading to a lack of sustained efforts to hit the Red Devils on the break.
AND in other news, West Ham in four-way Premier League battle for 13-goal striker who is “annoying to the defender”…