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West Ham’s failure to sign one of their mooted transfer targets during the January window has come to light this week…

What’s the word?

The Irons were linked with a move for Spezia striker M’Bala Nzola throughout the winter, with Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) leading the claims as early as November.

It has now been revealed by the 24-year-old’s agent that the East London outfit failed with a bid for him. He told GrandHotelCalciomercato (via Football Italia):

“We received offers from three Premier League and three Serie A clubs and a club from the Bundesliga sounded out M’Bala. We were in advanced talks, we even discussed his possible salary, but then we asked ourselves if that made sense. Nzola needed stability and it was in a very good moment, so we thought it was better to stay at Spezia.”

Shades of Drogba

It’s now time for the Hammers to reignite this interest as their search for a new forward rumbles on.

The Angolan powerhouse has continued to light up the Serie A despite playing for one of the struggling teams and suffering from injuries. He has found the net 11 times in 24 appearances, including strikes against the giants of Napoli and Lazio, as per Transfermarkt.

Nzola has been described as a “very fast central striker who manages to attack space with absolute effectiveness. He is also difficult to deal with because he has enviable physical strength which makes him an extremely uncomfortable customer.”

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In some ways, this draws some nice similarities to Michail Antonio, who is David Moyes’ only current option upfront but it is his comparisons to a Premier League legend that should have fans excited if he were to arrive at the London Stadium.

West Ham insider ExWHUemployee spoke about the club’s links to the 6 foot 1 colossus earlier this year, and claimed: “He’s meant to be a bit like Didier Drogba in his physique and playing style.”

He would only need to be half the player of Drogba to be an instant hit in the English top-flight. The four-time Premier League winner bagged 164 goals in 381 appearances for the Irons’ local rivals Chelsea, primarily displaying a mix of explosive pace and brute strength.

On the above evidence, Nzola is cut from the same cloth and given Antonio’s success under the Scotsman, he would surely fit right into his system.

It remains to be seen how much Spezia would command for their star performer, especially as Fulham were said to have a €12m (£10m) bid rejected for him, too, whilst CIES only value him at €7m (£6m).

Whatever the price, Nzola could well be a massive bargain, so David Sullivan and co must do what they can to secure him this summer.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Rice: GSB could form dream West Ham duo by signing £30m “total animal”…

Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills has tipped the Whites to sign Chelsea and England striker Tammy Abraham this summer.

The Lowdown: Attacking additions needed

Marcelo Bielsa’s side may have thrived in their first season back in the Premier League, but they cannot afford to rest on their laurels and go backwards.

Leeds need to bring in a number of top-quality new players in the coming months, with attacking reinforcements potentially at the top of Bielsa’s wish-list.

Only Patrick Bamford (16) has got into double figures for goals in the league in 2020/21, possibly highlighting the need for more firepower in that area of the pitch.

The Latest: Mills talks up Abraham signing

Abraham could possibly leave Chelsea in the summer transfer window and Mills has told Football Insider that Leeds should snap him up:

“I’m sure Leeds have got their targets, but you need somebody to challenge Bamford.

“Is he going to have another good season? Who knows? He may well do. If he does and you bring in somebody that can’t get into the team, that’s life. Even if he costs a lot of money, if Bamford keeps him out, he keeps him out.

“It raises the standards of everybody and that’s what’s important.

“The big striker that’s available this summer is Tammy Abraham. Where’s Tammy Abraham going to go? Could it be Tottenham? Could it be Leicester City?

“Leeds would be an option. Why not? I would suggest he’s going to be highly sought-after this summer.”

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The Verdict: Great deal for all concerned

The £36million-rated Abraham could be a great signing for Leeds, easing the burden on Bamford and also giving him genuine competition.

As Mills touched upon, there is no guarantee that Bamford will enjoy another season as good as this one and the Chelsea man arguably has more pedigree at the top level.

The 23-year-old has 30 goals in 82 appearances for the Blues, also finding the net once in his six England games to date.

Leeds should certainly consider a bid, especially given Abraham’s age and ability to improve further as the years pass, and help take their squad to the next level.

In other news, ‘huge’ offers for one Leeds player are expected this summer – find out who it is here.

Ed: Maria Naureen is our correspondent from Karachi, a FM 101 radio talk-show host, cricket radio commentator and sports journalist

Maria Naureen20-May-2001

Ed: Maria Naureen is our correspondent from Karachi, a FM 101 radio talk-show host, cricket radio commentator and sports journalist

Aston Villa have been handed a major Jack Grealish transfer boost after comments from his agent.

What’s the story?

The Villa talisman has enjoyed another fine Premier League season for Dean Smith’s side, scoring seven goals and providing 12 assists in all competitions.

With reports in recent weeks and months claiming that the likes of Manchester United are interested in signing the England international this summer, his agent, Jonathan Barnett, gave Villa a bit of hope, insisting that he could still stay at Villa Park.

He said: “The truth is we don’t know (what will happen). There are many clubs (interested) and I wouldn’t put Manchester United at the top of that (list). But he could stay. He could stay as well so it’s a conversation the club, Aston Villa, will have with Jack and ourselves then we’ll see where we go.

“At the moment he is a Villa player and he has no thoughts about anything else. He could be a big star in the summer, he maybe should have been playing a little bit earlier for England.”

Dean Smith will be buzzing

As was the case last summer, whether Grealish will stay or go is once again likely to dominate the conversation at Villa this time around.

Such is the club captain’s importance, that Villa have understandably been far worse off without him when he’s been out injured – in the last 12 Premier League games that he has missed in recent weeks, Smith’s side have won just three times, and have completely lost ground in the race for a European spot for next season.

With likely no Champions League or Europa League football to offer, the task of convincing Grealish to stay once again is going to be a difficult one, which is exactly why Barnett’s comments will be music to the ears of Smith.

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The Villa boss will be desperate to know that his main man will remain at Villa Park next season, and plan for the summer transfer window accordingly. Keep him, and the task of trying to strengthen this squad becomes that much more easier.

Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans had made a major claim about this Villa star…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes Kalvin Phillips would only leave Leeds United for a Champions League club.

Phillips recently spoke about how he considered an Elland Road exit back in 2019 after Marcelo Bielsa’s side failed to win promotion to the Premier League, with Villa being the side he contemplated joining.

A year later, though, Leeds were able to finally secure that return to English football’s top division, a division that he has adapted to well.

For Hendrie, that ends any chance of a side like Villa signing the 25-year-old midfielder, with the retired Premier League footballer certain only a Champions League club will be able to lure him away from Elland Road.

On Phillips, Hendrie told FFC:

“Players of his calibre will be wanting to play Champions League football if they’re going anywhere, if he’s going to leave Leeds. So, yeah, I just feel they [Villa] missed the boat with that.”

Phillips, a Leeds academy graduate, has been at the Yorkshire club his entire professional career. He is also now playing in the Premier League. Taking that into account, his loyalty to the Whites and their status in the top flight, it is hard to imagine the England international leaving Elland Road for a similar level outfit.

Phillips is a regular under Bielsa, too, so there will no doubt be a reluctance on Leeds’ part to let him go.

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Steve Howey, who made 157 appearances for Newcastle United, has claimed that academy graduate, Adam Armstrong, would love a return back to Tyneside after another great season for Blackburn Rovers.

Armstrong finished the season in fabulous fashion, netting a hat-trick on the final day against Birmingham City which saw the goalscoring beast end the campaign with 28 goals, the most by a player at Ewood Park since Alan Shearer scored 31 during the 1995/96 season.

The 23-year old was never given sufficient chances at his boyhood club and was eventually sold by Rafa Benitez, however, he is now being linked with a return back to Newcastle with just over 12 months left on his current deal.

Speaking on why Armstrong would love a move back to Newcastle and how he would love nothing more than to be scoring goals at his boyhood club, Howey spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“I think he’d relish the chance of coming back and he’d be desperate to score goals because he is a goalscorer and we’ve seen him score some excellent goals from Blackburn.

“I think he’d be desperate for the chance to come back but it’s just whether the club are prepared to make that move.”

Armstrong never managed to get off the mark for Newcastle having been handed just 565 minutes across 21 appearances in all competitions before he was sold in 2018 for just £1.71 million but the Magpies do hold a 40% sell-on clause.

Steve Bruce will know he needs another striker this summer to help carry the burden of scoring goals alongside Callum Wilson.

Rangers have been heavily linked with Morecambe star Carlos Mendes Gomes in recent weeks but it appears as if Steven Gerrard’s hopes of bringing him to Ibrox this summer have taken a significant blow.

According to the Scottish Sun, Rangers are very interested in signing the winger this summer and it had appeared as if they would be able to bring him to Ibrox on a free transfer, due to his contract with The Shrimps being set to expire at the end of the season.

However, Morecambe manager Derek Adams has now delivered a crucial update on the 22-year-old, suggesting that he was ‘comfortable’ with Rangers’ interest in him, as the club have an option in his current contract to extend his deal by another year, something which they will be taking up in the coming weeks.

This means that if Rangers want to bring the Spanish forward to Ibrox this summer, they will have to pay a fee, which could prove to be a significant one, given his impressive performances in League Two this season.

In 40 appearances, the former Atletico Madrid youngster has contributed 15 goals and four assists, which has earned him a solid 6.99 average rating.

His goals have helped Morecambe enjoy a superb season in England’s fourth tier, as after their 4-3 win against Oldham Athletic at the weekend, they currently sit in fourth position, just one point outside the automatic promotion spots.

If the Lancashire side were to achieve promotion, then it would likely only increase Mendes Gomes’ asking price further, so it may prove difficult for Ross Wilson to sign him this summer.

After an impressive performance against Scunthorpe recently, Adams was full of praise for his top scorer, saying:

“Carlos is a fantastic boy, you can tell that by his work ethic in training and in games.”

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Therefore, it is disappointing news from Rangers’ perspective that he won’t be available on a free transfer this summer, as he could have been an excellent addition to Gerrard’s side, and this update suggests that the Light Blues may well end up waiting until next summer before making their move for Mendes Gomes.

And, in other news… Gerrard has a huge decision to make over “terrific” Rangers ace after rampant Old Firm display

According to a report by The Athletic, as the search for a new permanent Tottenham Hotspur manager goes on, Daniel Levy and co have considered Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl for the role.

As confirmed by Tottenham recently, Ryan Mason will take charge of the Lilywhites on an interim basis from now until the end of the season (official)- but the managerial search for next season is still expected to heat up over the next few weeks.

Tottenham consider Hasenhuttl

There have been many high profile names linked with taking the job at Spurs, including favourites Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers, but there are also plenty of outside candidates.

One of them who has recently entered the conversation is Saints boss Hasenhuttl, and The Athletic are now reporting that Levy and co have considered him for the Tottenham job.

However, while he has his credentials, this report claims that Spurs are wary of how his side’s form in the Premier League has depleted over the second half of 2020/2021.

It is also said that the Lilywhites are cautious over his ‘aloof’ man management style, which might alienate the squad.

Transfer Tavern take

We believe that he should actually be considered as one of the strong outsiders for the job, with there being no shortage of plaudits for Hasenhuttl’s reign on the south coast.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola certainly holds him in high esteem, recently dubbing Hasenhuttl as an ‘exceptional manager’ (Man City).

As well as this, journalist Jonathon Northcroft raved over him on the Football Writers Podcast and even claimed there is an ‘echo of Pochettino’ due to the job he has done at Southampton.

Indeed, despite the slump in form over this half of the campaign, the 53-year-old has more than proved his worth, helping a squad not overflowing with quality to some impressive wins, such as the clean sheet and three points they picked up against Liverpool earlier this year.

In other news: Tottenham have already made a managerial approach, find out more here.

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which Gers relayed an update regarding the club’s upcoming Scottish Cup fixture at Ibrox.

Following the confirmation that Steven Gerrard’s side would be facing Cove Rangers in the third round of the Scottish Cup, the club posted an update regarding the fixture on Wednesday, informing fans that the clash with the Scottish League One side will now be taking place at 18:30 on Sunday 4 April, as the fixture has been selected for live television coverage.

While Rangers cannot complete a domestic treble this season, having lost 3-2 to St. Mirren in the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup, with the league title already sewn up, Gers’ hopes of a double are very much still alive.

However, in reaction to the club’s update regarding the Cove Rangers clash on Twitter, fans of Rangers flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing distraught by the rescheduling of the fixture.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to the club’s update?

“That has to be the worst kick-off time I’ve ever seen.”

@CapitalCityBear

“What an absolutely shocking time. Wish we had our own TV rights so games could be played at a decent time. Cove must be in a rage also about this.”

@Chillichipsand1

“No Rangers until half 6 on a Sunday should be illegal.”

@Declan_1872_

“Literary couldn’t get a worse kick-off time on a Sunday.”

@petera1872

“Half 6 on a Sunday, pretty sure that’s illegal in Scotland. If it isn’t it should be.”

@Dazza_Linfield

“Half six on a Sunday? What sort of sick prank is this?”

@CallumSt_1872

In other news: these Rangers fans were left baffled after this “insane” footage emerged – find out more here!