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West Ham United are leading the race to sign talismanic striker Odsonne Edouard this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football Insider, who claim that Premier League rivals Leicester City are having second thoughts over making a bid for Brendan Rodgers’ former Celtic star.

It is thought that the emergence of Kelechi Iheanacho has made them reconsider their interest, bolstering the Hammers’ chances of securing him ahead of next season, having been said to be already laying the groundwork over a potential deal.

Edouard was valued at a whopping £40m last year but his price tag has plummeted, and with him out of contract in less than 15 months time, he could leave for as little as £10m.

Imagine him & Lingard

It’s no secret that the Irons need a new striker as they failed to bolster David Moyes’ armoury during the January transfer window, though they did manage to add Jesse Lingard on loan from Manchester United, and he’s been an instant hit.

In just ten league appearances, the England international has delivered nine goals and four assists, spearheading West Ham into European contention and it’s believed they will do whatever they can to secure him permanently this summer, as per Sky Sports.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-west-ham-news-and-views” title=”Latest West Ham news, views and gossip!”]

Well, if they do, GSB will need to add another forward to compliment his attacking exploits and they should look no further than Edouard.

The Irons sold Sebastien Haller whilst Michail Antonio’s latest injury is another reminder that you will not get 30 or more matches out of the 31-year-old dynamo each season.

Edouard’s goalscoring record speaks for itself, with his 20 goals in all competitions this term taking his overall tally in Scotland to 81 goals in 163 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

Neil Lennon hailed the Frenchman as “talismanic” and “outstanding” last term, and Bhoys and Hammers legend Frank McAvennie believes he’s a “wonderful talent.”

Interestingly, the east Londoners have been mooted as a potential destination for Chelsea outcast Tammy Abraham but ex-Villa man Gabby Agbonlahor believes the Celtic machine is a better player.

“I rate him higher than Abraham, Werner and [Olivier] Giroud,” Agbonlahor said to talkSPORT earlier this month. “I rate him highly.”

Just imagine the damage Moyes’ side could do next season – potentially in Europe – if David Gold, David Sullivan and Karen Brady manage to prise Edouard away from Celtic Park this summer.

The £13.5m-rated beast and Lingard would be a frightening attacking duo that is fit for any top seven side in the Premier League, so West Ham must get a deal for this “big talent” finalised.

AND in other news, Moyes could sign West Ham’s next Defoe in £26m-rated “goal machine” who’s “dangerous”…

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”…

Carlo Ancelotti must shoulder part of the blame for Mason Holgate feeling that his performances have not been up to his normal standards for Everton this season.

The 24-year-old earned his 14th start of the Premier League campaign during Saturday’s Merseyside derby win away to Liverpool, partnering Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey in central defence in the absence of the injured Yerry Mina.

Holgate had earned just four of his 13 prior top-flight appearances in his natural centre-back position this term, with Ancelotti often fielding the Doncaster-born talent at right-back.

Ancelotti’s selection of Holgate at full-back initially came through a need to plug a gap in defence following Seamus Coleman’s hamstring strain, but soon saw the £16m-rated ace establish himself as the Italian’s secret weapon amid calls to strengthen in the position.

At centre-half or right-back, praise has since come Holgate’s way, with former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch only able to wax lyrical over the ex-England U21 international following the Merseyside derby.

“Mason Holgate was brilliant. He needs to be mentioned, he’s different class and is going to be a top player,” Crouch noted in his column for the Daily Mail.

And yet Holgate believes that his performances still have a sizable margin for improvement.

“We have to stay level-headed and keep going. I am coming into it [reaching form] a bit more,” Holgate told EvertonTV.

“I am not where I’d like to be and hitting it consistently, but I can only work as hard as possible. I have not done too badly but am not near my normal standards.

“It is hard to come to the season partway through, but I am feeling stronger and fitter now and am happy the way things are going. Hopefully, I can keep it going.”

Holgate missed the first seven games of the Premier League campaign with a toe injury sustained during a pre-season friendly with Preston North End, which sparked Everton to explore central defensive signings before the £20m capture of Godfrey from Norwich City.

Rarely has Holgate been given a look in at his preferred position since and, despite the high moments occasionally seen at full-back, Ancelotti should accept some of the blame for the 6 ft 1 defender feeling as if he is yet to reach his best levels this term.

Holgate’s longest run of appearances in a single position for top-flight fixtures so far has lasted just four games, when fielded at right-back for much of December whilst Coleman was back in the treatment room after aggravating his hamstring issue.

One game back at centre-half then resulted in Holgate returning to right-back for four of the Blues’ following five games, before going back and forth between the two roles this month.

Never having a settled role to play in the Toffees’ push for European qualification is likely holding Holgate back from reaching his max potential, all the while Godfrey puts his teammate in his shadow.

“He’s really stepped up to the plate. We all knew he was a good player when Everton signed him and had high hopes, but he’s exceeded those expectations by the level of his performance, both in central defence and also in full-backs as well,” former Everton defender David Weir told Football Pass of Godfrey.

So, while Holgate’s injury meant the 24-year-old’s season started later than for some, Ancelotti must accept part of the responsibility for how his campaign has since turned out, for better or worse.

AND in other news, Everton face widespread PL competition for the transfer of an £18k-p/w beast this summer…

Newcastle United host Wolverhampton Wanderers at St. James’ Park on Saturday night desperate for a positive result, with Steve Bruce’s side at risk of ending the weekend inside the Premier League’s relegation zone.

The Magpies hold a slender three-point advantage over 18th-placed Fulham heading into matchday 26, but will fall behind the Craven Cottage natives with a loss and Scott Parker’s men beating London rivals Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Bruce’s position at the helm of the Toon is also under increasing threat after back-to-back defeats removed any momentum built from two wins in 14 top-flight games. Owner Mike Ashley is expected to consider a change of manager if Newcastle dip into the bottom three.

Wolves will arrive on Tyneside after successive league victories, so here’s a potential line-up that United could name to end the Molineux natives’ run and claim what has become a rare win…

Bruce has admitted that he faces a dilemma in goal this weekend, with Martin Dubravka expected to earn his first Premier League appearance of the campaign after losing his place between the sticks to Karl Darlow following a pre-season heel injury.

Darlow is thought to be ‘angered’ with the manner at which he learned of being dropped, with The Times claiming that he was not informed of his benching until two days after reports first surfaced of Dubravka being in line for a recall.

Members of the Newcastle first-team squad were also left with a degree of surprise at how the goalkeeper selection was handled, with Darlow one of United’s most consistent performers throughout the term.

“Like every position, I have a decision to make,” Bruce said on Friday. “Karl has done fantastically well. Our goalkeeper [Dubravka], who has been our Player of the Year for the last two years, has been missing for six months. He only came back in December, so Karl has done a fantastic job.

“You have to pick a team every week and will disappoint people. That’s the hardest part of the job and making sure they are part of the squad.”

Newcastle had hoped to have defender Federico Fernandez back fit for Wolves’ visit to St. James’ Park following a calf injury, but Saturday’s match could still come too soon for the Argentine.

“Fede Fernandez has trained all week, but it still might be a bit too early for him but everyone else is OK,” Bruce added. “Joelinton is OK.

“Javier Manquillo is doing very well, better than what we thought, with his ankle injury. Fabian Schar had his operation, so is still in crutches and a knee brace, and Callum Wilson is now three or four weeks away.”

Fernandez being deemed unfit to feature will be expected to see Bruce name an unchanged defensive line from the side that lost 3-1 to Manchester United last time out.

Bruce will not be expected to make any changes in midfield, either, but could err on the side of caution and look to replace Joelinton in the attack.

Dwight Gayle would be the most likely to earn just his second start of the season in all competitions by partnering Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron, despite Chronicle Live’s Newcastle writer John Gibson believing the 31-year-old is “unhappy”.

The striker – who is a free agent at the end of the season – earned his first and only opening call to date during this month’s 2-0 loss to Chelsea, before being dropped to the bench for last Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford.

AND in other news, a £6.5m-rated Newcastle outcast has been marked as a Premier League side’s top summer target…

Manchester City have emerged as the favourites to sign Aston Villa star Jack Grealish this summer.

And, as to be expected, the latest rumour has had plenty of Villa supporters talking on social media.

Grealish valued at £100m

According to the Daily Mail, Pep Guardiola’s side are at the front of the queue to land the 25-year-old, who is thought to be excited about the possibility of an Etihad switch.

The report claims that Villa valued Grealish, who has starred this season under Dean Smith, at £100m last summer.

He’s scored seven goals and has registered 12 assists in 23 appearances during the current campaign.

Should a £100m deal go through this summer, Grealish would become the most-expensive signing by a Premier League side, overtaking Paul Pogba’s £94.5m move to Manchester United.

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News cited the Daily Mail’s report in a story and posted it on Twitter on Thursday lunchtime.

This is what these Villa fans had to say to the update…

“For me they’re the only other club in our league I could see him joining.”

Credit: @sparkym5

“Got a spare £200m?”

Credit: @BrumRadioPete

“Please no!”

Credit: @TDS133

“£100 plus Gundagan, Torres and Mahrez?”

Credit: @Villa_Graham

“Hope for their sake £100m is only their opening bid, otherwise they’ll be disappointed”

Credit: @J4M35_AVFC

“Get in line”

Credit: @Jxckkss

In other news: Another Villa star is being tracked by a Premier League giant, find out more here. 

With Wolves severely under the microscope, some sort of change is needed at Molineux.

Since Raul Jimenez suffered a fractured a skull against Arsenal, they have won just two games. As a result, Nuno Santo is in deep bother.

On the chalkboard

It would appear that incomings in the Midlands this month look incredibly unlikely.

Consequently, the Old Gold have brought back Patrick Cutrone and Morgan Gibbs-White from their loan spells.

The former made only five appearances while at Swansea and it will be disappointing that he didn’t have a full season to develop and nurture under the guidance of Steve Cooper.

Unfortunately, early signs we’ve seen of the youngster since he came back have been largely underwhelming. The 20-year-old came on for the final 21 minutes against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup but touched the ball on just six occasions – making four passes.

His impact was dismally ineffective but it hasn’t got much better for him since. Gibbs-White started against Everton in the league but failed to create a single goal-scoring opportunity.

Furthermore, the midfielder was ineffective with all of his dribbles and won only two ground duels. For context, that was one of the worst percentages in the entire Wolves side.

Meanwhile, in their defeat at the hands of West Brom – a substitute appearance saw Gibbs-White complete just 75% of his passes, the worst of anyone in the Wolves team that day. He also somehow managed to lose possession nine times despite only playing the final 30 minutes.

The solution

Since Gibbs-White returned to the Midlands, Vitinha’s game time has been limited again.

The young Portuguese has played just four minutes since the 3-3 draw with Brighton but that simply has to change.

After all, the qualities he demonstrated against Manchester United at Old Trafford were far more impressive than his newest midfield competitor.

In that fixture, the 20-year-old won 100% of his duels and completed 100% of his dribbles. Remarkably, that was his first top-flight start in England and considering it was against such high-class opponents, he didn’t look out of place.

The 20-year-old is a vibrant talent, one described as “special” by club owner Jeff Shi when he first walked through the door last summer.

Doubly impressive, though, are the early comparisons he’s received to one of Wolves’ standout players.

Nuno Barbosa, a reported from Jornal de Noticias once said: “You’ll realise he knows what to do at every moment of the game, he’s very similar to Joao Moutinho.”

Unlike Gibbs-White, Vitinha seems to possess a better game sense and a higher level of intelligence on the field. This was certainly the case when Wolves took on Man United last month.

Despite making just two Premier League starts, the Portuguese needs to play over Gibbs-White.

AND in other news, Wolves can finally replace Jota by swooping for “ruthless” gem with “explosive pace”…

Liverpool have been linked with Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma recently, and the Malian could prove to be the man to replace Georginio Wijnaldum at the Merseyside club.

According to talkSPORT, Jurgen Klopp’s side, as well as Arsenal, are considering a move for the 24-year-old midfielder in January.

The Seagulls ace has been a mainstay in Graham Potter’s side so far this season, having made nine appearances in the top-flight, in which he has contributed one goal and averaged a very sold 6.85 rating (per WhoScored).

Transfermarkt currently values the former Lille man at £11.7 million although considering Brighton paid around £15 million to sign him in 2018, it seems unlikely that the South Coast club would be willing to let him go for less than that, should Liverpool or Arsenal enquire about signing him next month.

Graham Potter was full of praise for Bissouma earlier this year, after his performance in a 0-0 draw against Wolves, saying:

“He has trained really well and physically he is in a good place – against Wolves he won a lot of possession back, he has shown good discipline and quality on the ball.

“He makes good decisions, and he has the ability that top players have, in that he has got the power and athleticism to be able to use the ball well, so then it’s down to the tactical understanding of how we want him to play, and he’s now good at that too.

“I think he can get even better and I’m looking forward to him making a big impact in the remainder of the season.” (per Goal)He also added that:”He won a lot of balls back and physically he is in a good place at the moment. He will get better and better the more he plays, and he showed a discipline and a quality, so I’m really pleased for him.”Bissouma has clearly won over his manager with his displays in the Premier League and perhaps the Mali international could be the man to replace Wijnaldum at Liverpool, should he leave the club this summer.The Dutch international’s current contract is set to expire at the end of this season, with Barcelona touted with an interest in the 30-year-old, so it seems unlikely that he will extend his stay at Anfield.And, in other news… Liverpool badly missed out on “hungry” goalscorer touted to have a big future

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Tottenham Hotspur icon Gary Mabbutt has reacted to Giovani Lo Celso’s latest injury setback as Jose Mourinho’s side prepare to face Wolverhampton Wanderers this evening.

The Argentine playmaker was withdrawn early in the second half against Leicester City last weekend and was not involved in their Carabao Cup quarter-final with Stoke City despite Spurs fielding a strong-looking lineup.

The extent of this latest problem is not yet known, though it is not the first time the 24-year-old has been dealt a blow.

Earlier in the campaign, Mourinho even criticised Lo Celso’s fitness, he told reporters, via Sky Sports:

“I feel that when he plays he’s not the Gio that we know, not the Gio that we know that he can be an amazing player. But with the ball of course great criteria and he knows what he’s doing of course, and understands the way we want to play. But we need more intensity to be fitter, to be more intense and to be stronger in the transitions.”

Valued at £31.5m the attacking midfielder has already missed a month of action this term, adding to the eight matches he was absent for last season through injury issues, as per Transfermarkt.

However, despite the latest setback, Mabbutt isn’t too worried as he believes the north Londoners have the squad depth to cope during his absence…

He told FFC:

“Again, it’s a blow to lose any player.

“Everyone talks about how Harry Kane has missed games in the last few seasons with injuries. If Harry Kane isn’t there, then someone will step up. You know, Vinicius. He could come in. [Other] players can step up to the mark.

“We could put out two first teams of players, so I’m not too disappointed.

“When a player is injured, don’t take risks. Don’t make it so they could be out six weeks rather than two weeks.

“The medical team that we have are fantastic, so no, I’m not too concerned about the injury. Hopefully, it won’t be too serious.”

Indeed, Mourinho has an array of options at his disposal – Tanguy Ndombele could come back in or even Gareth Bale could be deployed there too.

Erik Lamela has also just returned from a stint on the sidelines too and came on in the role during the second half of Wednesday’s encounter.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Gary Mabbutt reacts to what Serge Aurier did AFTER being subbed vs Leicester…

According to an update by Fabrizio Romano (Twitter), Tottenham are ready to let loanee midfielder Gedson Fernandes return to Benfica and Torino have opened talks to sign him on loan – coming after a recent report by TUTTOmercatoWEBB (via Sport Witness) claimed those negotiations were ‘advanced’. 

Fernandes has barely featured for Spurs since signing on loan last January, with the Lilywhites handed a past option to permanently seal his transfer at the end of his temporary deal – but these recent reports indicate that is now highly unlikely.

Looking for a Spurs fan gift? Some great gifts reviewed and for sale on the Football Fancast Gifts section.

Fernandes looks likely to leave Spurs

Indeed, claims in Italy first detailed that Fernandes could be on the verge of a north London exit to Torino after a ‘surprise’ update – with Romano now offering his information and backing up these claims.

The transfer guru, whilst reinforcing the point Torino are indeed in contact over Fernandes, didn’t exactly say it could be imminent – but he claims the ‘final decision’ will be made next week and ‘Tottenham are ready’ to let him leave, with Torino having ‘opened talks’.

Transfer Tavern take

Jose Mourinho is currently having to cope with the dilemma of an overly-inflated squad of foreign players, and Daniel Levy could perhaps be doing the boss and his club a favour by getting one more name off the books.

Tottenham may need to consider offloading more surplus-to-requirements assets, however, if they wish to be active in the transfer market.

In other news: Daniel Levy is eyeing this 6 foot 3 target for Spurs, find out more here.

Having added quality rather than quantity so far this summer, Arsenal are now reportedly setting their sights on the future as a bid to sign a 17-year-old gem is reportedly on its way.

Arsenal transfer news

The Gunners were in no position to panic this summer after challenging Manchester City in the Premier League title race once again. Their job this summer was always to simply refine Mikel Arteta's squad and close the gap on Pep Guardiola's winning machine in the hope of securing the title at the third attempt this season.

In their efforts to close that gap, the north London club welcomed Riccardo Calafiori earlier this summer and are now reportedly set to sign Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad, agreeing a package which could rise to €37m (£31m) with add-ons.

The Gunners could continue their late flurry with one for the future, too. According to Brazilian outlet Vozes Do Gigante, Arsenal have informed Internacional that they're about to bid €25 million (£21m) to sign Gabriel Carvalho, who is still just 17 years old.

What's more, if their supposed incoming bid is accepted, the young attacking midfielder will spend this season on loan back in Brazil, before officially arriving in the following campaign.

Arsenal struck gold on "magnificent" Arteta signing worth more than Nketiah

The talented ace has become an integral part of the manager’s plans.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 24, 2024

Following somewhat in Chelsea's footsteps by turning towards the South American market, Arsenal could be rewarded in the best way possible for years to come. Signings such as Carvalho help ensure that the Gunners don't fall into the same unsuccessful period that they suffered in their final years under Arsene Wenger.

"Gifted" Carvalho is one for the future

Arsenal's current side is already one full of young talent, with many of those talents now hitting their prime – with the Gunners reaping the rewards. However, the arrival of Carvalho would focus on the next generation, in what would be sensational planning from all involved in north London. Earning the praise of analyst Ben Mattinson at the end of last year, Carvalho was described as a "gifted" player with plenty of flair.

The young Brazilian would, of course, be following in the footsteps of his compatriot, Gabriel Martinelli. The winger arrived in north London in 2019 from Ituano and has thrived ever since.

Now one of the main men at the Emirates, Martinelli may find himself welcoming Carvalho with open arms sooner rather than later. At just 17, the Internacional midfielder could be set to make his biggest move yet this summer.