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West Ham United are one of the teams keen on signing Joachim Andersen this summer, according to recent reports…

What’s the word?

The Daily Mirror claim the Irons are considering a move for the impressive Fulham loanee, with David Moyes keen to bolster his squad ahead of a potential stint in Europe next season.

Premier League rivals Arsenal and Spurs have also been credited with interest in the 24-year-old centre-back, so they may well be pulled into a transfer battle over his signature.

It is thought that his parent club, Lyon, would be willing to sell Andersen and that he’s wanting to remain in England, too.

As Fulham are looking likely to be relegated, the door has opened for one of the three fellow London sides to strike. The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath believes he could be available for just £25m.

Imagine him & Rice

If the Hammers do qualify for either of the Champions or Europa League this season, then Moyes will certainly need more than just a new striker in the summer transfer window.

The 58-year-old has often utilised Aaron Cresswell in a back three due to the lack of options available to him, whilst there have been doubts over Issa Diop in the past, meaning Craig Dawson and Angelo Ogbonna have often got the nod.

In Andersen, West Ham could build a formidable spine and one that could be feared for years to come. At just 24, he could be sat in just behind Declan Rice for the foreseeable future.

Despite all of the Cottagers’ struggles this season, the Denmark international has shone, not just earning a respectable 6.8 average ratings on WhoScored but also a lot of praise.

The Mirror chief football writer John Cross lauded him “magnificent” against last season’s champions, Liverpool, whilst the Telegraph’s Sam Dean claimed he was their best on the ball – his figures would back that up, too.

A pass success rate of 81.2% from an average of 61.3 passes per game is impressive, and that’s on top of 5.1 clearances, 1.3 interceptions and a squad-high 3.2 aerials won.

The 6 foot 2 titan is clearly equally adept in the air as he is on the ground, and that’s not something we often get in central defenders.

Andersen is currently out-performing all of Moyes’ current central options and has only been better by Diop in terms of passing, as per WhoScored.

Just imagine him and Rice in this European-chasing Irons side. For just £25m, it’s a move GSB should absolutely sanction.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Marlon Harewood drops Lingard transfer claim…

West Ham United could be made to rue releasing Evan Khouri from their academy after the midfielder made his league debut for Grimsby Town against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

Khouri departed the Irons’ at the age of 16 having failed to work his way through the grades and into the club’s U18 or U23 sides, and was picked up by Grimsby for their youth fold in the summer of 2019.

He spent the following year proving his potential behind the scenes at Blundell Park, before being given his first-team debut from the bench against Morecambe in an EFL Cup tie last September.

A run-out against Harrogate Town in the EFL Trophy would follow three days later, but Khouri has had to wait a further seven months before his next taste of senior action when handed a surprise start at home to promotion-chasing Bolton for his League Two bow.

The 18-year-old impressed on his first taste of fourth-tier action as basement boys Grimsby pulled off a shock result to beat automatic promotion hopefuls Bolton 2-1, for what was only the Mariners’ eighth win in 41 games this season.

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Grimsby boss Paul Hurst described Khouri’s display as being “excellent” as he did well to manage the occasion despite there being no supporters in the stands, but had already received glowing recommendations from his side’s youth coaches.

“He’s left-footed, he gives us a bit of balance. I’ve been quietly impressed with him, and I know Neil [Woods] and Callum [Lester] in the youth-team speak very highly of him,” Hurst said, via quotes by Grimsby Live.

Khouri earned Hurst’s praise having attempted three shots – only Lenell John-Lewis (6), Harry Clifton (6) and Jay Matete (6) took more for either side – won possession from three of four attempted tackles – the fourth-most won – and took 34 touches – just five fewer than 33-year-old striker James Harrison, per WhoScored.

The versatile central midfielder, who is capable of playing out wide or in an advanced role, is also lauded for having an outstanding attitude, both on and off the pitch, and is tactically astute.

His progress under Hurst has also seen Grimsby offer a professional contract, and continuing to progress at Blundell Park and making his way up the divisions in the years that follow could see Khouri make West Ham regret their decision to not offer him a scholarship deal.

AND in other news, a £4.5m-rated West Ham enforcer is being lined up for a summer move out of east London…

The hunt for Celtic’s new manager has been sprinkled with some extra spice over the last week or so. The Hoops hierarchy are still no closer to announcing Neil Lennon’s successor but they are discovering more about their options.

It has now been three weeks since Lennon left his post and the Bhoys are busy chipping away at their list.

Early speculation claimed it could be Rafa Benitez who takes on the job but the search for the Northern Irishman’s successor has taken many twists and turns since.

Last week, RB Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch revealed it was an honour to be linked with the hot seat. However, just a day later, German reporter Christian Falk said the following: “He will not be available in the summer for the job in Glasgow.”

Considering all he’s brought to Salzburg, this was a monumental blow to Celtic’s hopes.

What this twist has allowed, though, is for Celtic to get their priorities straight. One of the names linked in recent weeks has been Chris Wilder.

The 53-year-old left his role as manager of Sheffield United with the Blades sat rock bottom of the English Premier League. That may not bring much joy to Hoops supporters but his achievements prior to that are incredible.

Martin Keown described Wilder as the “messiah” of Bramall Lane, taking them from League One to the Premier League and nearly achieving a miracle in earning them European football.

Sheffield United ultimately finished ninth in the table last term, just two points behind Arsenal. This season may be one to forget but for everything he achieved previously, he must be top of Celtic’s wishlist.

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Wilder worked on a shoestring budget and importantly for the Hoops, he is pretty adept defensively.

The Blades conceded just 39 goals last term, fewer than Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester City. For a Celtic side who have been so lacklustre in that part of their game this term, he could be game-changing.

The Glaswegians have shipped 14 more goals than Rangers in the league while they somehow let in 19 strikes during their six Europa League group games.

If there is any area they need to desperately improve in ahead of next season, it’s at the back.

Combine Wilder’s ability to work with minimal funds and achieve things above his station and it makes for an eye-catching appointment.

The likes of Roberto Martinez and Ralf Rangnick might be more appealing, but Wilder stands as the more realistic option.

AND in other news, Bankier missed Celtic’s next Van Dijk in £46k-p/w beast who “rarely makes mistakes”…

Premier League giants Arsenal are reportedly set to return for Emiliano Buendia in the summer transfer window.

Arsenal were linked with a move for Norwich’s Buendia in the January transfer window but ended up signing Martin Odegaard on loan from Real Madrid. Now though, it has been suggested that they could return to go after Buendia in the summer.

Norwich will fight to keep Buendia

EuroSport have recently reported about Buendia and Arsenal. The report states that Norwich will fight to keep their best assets at the club in the summer transfer window and this includes not just Buendia, but Todd Cantwell and Max Aarons as well.

The report mentions interest from Arsenal and suggests that while they wanted him in the winter, they were told that the Argentine wasn’t available at any price. But the Gunners will look to reignite their interest in the midfielder in the summer and they are also expected to make an official offer for the Argentine.

Buendia’s Norwich find themselves at the top of the Championship and they’re ten points clear of second-placed Watford. Buendia has had a superb campaign, with the 24-year-old scoring ten times and picking up 12 assists as well.

Buendia would be a good signing for Arsenal

Since Odegaard is at Arsenal on a loan deal the Gunners may need to replace him if they want to have a creative threat to rival Emile Smith Rowe for playing time. Buendia’s 12 assists are more than Willian (six) and Nicolas Pepe (three) combined.

Buendia’s goalscoring contributions this season suggest that he could add a lot of goals from the midfield for the Gunners. He is valued at only £14.40 million, meaning even if Norwich demand more than that valuation he certainly wouldn’t break the bank. All signs point towards this being an excellent move from Mikel Arteta and the club.

In other news, Arsenal have been linked with a move for a Ligue 1 defender – read more here.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Southampton midfielder Carlton Palmer discussed Danny Ings’ dip in form and the uncertainty surrounding his future at St. Mary’s, suggesting there could be a correlation between the two.

Ings started the season strongly, netting four times in the Saints’ first five fixtures of the Premier League campaign. The England striker, however, has gone off the boil in recent weeks, scoring just once in his last eight league appearances.

His contract expires next summer and, according to The Telegraph, he is holding off putting pen to paper on a new deal, as he aims to secure a move to a Champions League club.

On Ings’ form and contract situation, Palmer told FFC:

“I think it’s obviously playing a part. There’s no question about that. I always believe that once a player is under that kind of scrutiny, he’s got maybe the chance of a big move, you don’t know whether his agent’s getting into his ear or whatever. You don’t know what’s going on.

“It’s been well documented that he’s been offered new contracts by Southampton and he’s not signed them. And so it’s clear to me that he sees his future away from Southampton.”

For the time being, manager Ralph Hasenhuttl must put all of that to one side and get Ings firing again, as Southampton continue to sink down the table.

The Saints have taken just one point from their previous nine fixtures, losing eight out of those nine to leave the club in 14th and seven points above the relegation zone.

Last term, Ings was able to score 25 goals in all competitions, and it is that level of goalscoring efficiency Hasenhuttl will be desperate to see again.

Glasgow Rangers could have Scott Arfield fit for their clash with Kilmarnock at Ibrox on Saturday.

What’s the word?

The midfielder was absent for the Scottish Premiership draw at Hamilton Academical that saw Rangers surrender the lead.

Arfield has missed the past seven weeks of action for the Light Blues having last played against Hibernian on Boxing Day due to an ankle injury.

Joe Aribo has stepped up in his absence to calm any concerns from Rangers fans, as he has provided a goal and an assist in his past four Premiership fixtures, although Bongani Zungu’s struggles at Ibrox have continued after an abject performance against Hamilton.

However, Steven Gerrard has confirmed Arfield could feature against Killie, as could Jermain Defoe with the striker not playing since the 5-0 win over Ross County on January 23.

Gerrard said: “Scott was back and it was great to watch him bring enthusiasm back and see him smiling again. He seems close to being ready to go, but has been out for seven weeks.
“Kemar will miss the game and Alfredo serves his last game. Jermain has been out for two or three weeks and will come into the squad so we are in a good place in terms of health and availability but we have a couple of suspensions to serve.”

Huge boost for Steven Gerrard

Gerrard confirming that Arfield could be fit to face Kilmarnock will come as a boost for the Light Blues following a mixed run of results for the Premiership league leaders after Rangers opted against strengthening in the midfield in the winter transfer window.

The Gers were linked with a plethora of options to add depth behind the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe, with Preston’s Daniel Johnson, Bournemouth’s Jack Wilshere, Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour and Coventry City’s Gustavo Hamer among their reported targets.

However, the Ibrox hierarchy ultimately decided against splashing the cash on a temporary replacement, which could work well in their favour if Arfield is able to hit the ground running after recovering from injury.

But the fact remains that Gerrard now faces one of the biggest selection headaches that the 40-year-old has had to deal with since taking charge of Ibrox.

For now, Aribo, Glen Kamara and Steven Davis are Gerrard’s preferred midfield three, with the trio all starting against Celtic in the second Old Firm derby of the season.

The Finland international himself has started 20 out of 28 Premiership fixtures this season so is a safe bet to start against Tommy Wright’s team, whilst Davis is expected to replace the struggling Zungu at the base of the midfield.

Instead, Arfield may come in for Aribo, but dropping the Nigerian would be an incredibly harsh decision off the back of his recent performances.

The 32-year-old is clearly held in high esteem by the manager, but he’s got to consider his options carefully before making such a cut-throat decision.

We don’t envy him the decision, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Bongani Zungu is starting to run out of time to impress at Glasgow Rangers…

Tottenham could land the perfect midfielder for Jose Mourinho in Inter’s Nicolo Barella.

What’s the story?

With Spurs stumbling somewhat in the Premier League – they now find themselves nine points behind fourth-placed West Ham – it’s no surprise that the club are already being linked with a number of players ahead of the summer transfer window.

According to Italian publication CalcioMercato, Inter’s Barella is attracting more and more attention from the likes of Spurs, but that the Nerazzurri are intent on tying him down to a new contract.

Perfect for Mourinho

Wherever Mourinho has been, having players who are mentally strong and tough is something the Portuguese man appears to really lean towards – you only have to look at how Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has become a firm favourite of his since his move from Southampton last summer.

And, in the £49.5m-rated Barella, Spurs could give Mourinho another player in that mould.

Italian icon Arrigo Sacchi has spoken glowingly about the kind of characteristics that Barella possesses that would surely make him an instant favourite of the Spurs boss.

He said: “He is a warrior full of determination. He is humble, he remembers his mistakes and has a desire to correct them. Nicolo had humility and passion, the two things I was looking for in my players, long before he had good feet.”

And, his former coach at Cagliari, Rolando Maran, raved about his passing abilities, saying: “He is extraordinary. I put him as a playmaker in front of the defence towards the end and he didn’t put a foot wrong. He just gets better and better.”

Having Barella alongside Ndombele could give Spurs two exciting midfield talents who are capable of getting their foot on the ball and dominating proceedings in the middle of the park.

While Ndombele has got the guile and power to skip past challenges and beat the press, Barella can help set the tempo and feed the likes of the Frenchman and those further forward with his incisive passing – his tally of five assists in Serie A is comfortably more than any Spurs midfielder (Hojbjerg with three).

Given his personality and his actual ability on the pitch, Barella seems like he’s the perfect midfield man for Mourinho.

David Moyes will not find his Youssef En-Nesyri alternative in Anthony Lozano amid claims West Ham United are considering a move to sign the Cadiz CF striker.

What’s the word?

According to Goal, the Irons have turned their attention to Lozano’s potential availability after Sevilla forward En-Nesyri declared he had no intentions of leaving his La Liga side this month.

Lozano is one of a number of options the Hammers have since turned to in search of a replacement for Sebastien Haller, with talks also said to have taken place with FC Girondins de Bordeaux over Sunderland product Josh Maja.

Cadiz are reluctant to part ways with Lozano mid-way through the season but will grant the 27-year-old a move should they receive offers worth at least €10m (£9m), as the sum would simply be too good for the Nuevo Estadio Ramon de Carranza natives to turn down.

Lozano, who only boasts a TransferMarkt valuation of £2.25m, has started 11 of Cadiz’s La Liga fixtures this term and made five appearances from the bench, while scoring two of his mere three goals for the season following the turn of the year.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation communicating that Lozano now has federal approval for Spanish nationality is thought to have acted as encouragement for those tracking the Honduras forward this month, including West Ham.

It has previously been speculated in the Spanish media that the Irons could offer as much as €15m (£13.5m) for Lozano, as Moyes strives to add depth behind Michail Antonio in his attacking ranks following Haller’s move to AFC Ajax.

Should West Ham sign Lozano?

Haller’s departure certainly left a hole in Moyes’ squad that the West Ham boss needs to fill before the winter market slams shut on February 1, as he can ill-afford to not replace the Ivory Coast international and see Antonio again be sidelined after two hamstring injuries.

But whether Lozano is the answer to Moyes’ problems remains to be seen, as it is very much unlikely that the 27-year-old would be anything more than an underwhelming addition doomed to fail in the Premier League.

The £7,500-per-week attacker has only scored three goals in 16 La Liga games this season, and is even underperforming with FBref data showing an expected goals of 3.8. Part of the problem for Lozano has been the timid nature of his attempts, with an expected goals per game of only 0.39 thanks to directing just 13 shots on target to date.

It is taking close to ten shots for Lozano to score in the Spanish top-flight this term due to his wayward efforts and the low frequency of his firing, while needing close to five shots to find the mark before one beats an opposition’s goalkeeper.

Lozano bringing an attacking presence beyond goals would be doubted, too, with only 0.1 assists per game – above his expected assists of 0.07. He has further made only 28 progressive carries to bring Cadiz further up the pitch, with 134 of his dribbles failing to see the Honduras international move play more than five yards with the ball at his feet.

En-Nesyri, for comparison, has struck home 12 goals in 19 La Liga games for Sevilla this season as the 23-year-old finds the net with one in every three shots taken, to see that he significantly outscores his expected goals of 6.9, per FBref.

With Moyes also playing with one centre-forward and favouring Antonio due to his high work-rate, it would be a wonder if Lozano even gets on the pitch when West Ham boast a fully-fit squad. This makes it ever more pressing that David Sullivan and Moyes walk away from any deal with Cadiz.

AND in other news, West Ham are working on a deal to sign a £13.5m-rated striker on loan…

According to Sunday World’s Kevin Palmer, Liverpool are likely to revive their interest in Lille centre-back Sven Botman following the injuries to Joel Matip and Fabinho, which could leaves Klopp with no senior centre-back options ahead of the weekend’s game with West Ham.

What’s the word?

Liverpool’s need to sign a centre-back has been clear to fans, and most likely Jurgen Klopp, for some time now but following the injuries suffered by Fabinho and Matip recently, the Reds must bring in a defender before the transfer deadline, otherwise, they risk providing a feeble title defence.

Matip was forced off at half-time in the 3-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night after damaging his ankle ligaments, and the early suggestions are that it could be a long absence for the Cameroonian international.

Fabinho, meanwhile, missed the game at Spurs with a minor muscle injury, but there is currently no timescale for when he might return to action.

It was no surprise, therefore, that after the final whistle, links to Lille centre-back Sven Botman resurfaced, with the young defender having been heavily linked with a move to Anfield earlier in the window.

Should LFC sign him?

Botman’s reputation in France is quickly growing after impressing with his performances for the Ligue 1 side following his summer arrival from Ajax.

In 21 appearances in the French top-flight, the Dutch centre-back has averaged an excellent 7.07 rating, which ranks him as Lille’s fourth-best performer so far this season.

He has also helped Les Dogues to an impressive 10 clean sheets so far this season and on an episode of the Transfer Window podcast, journalist Duncan Castles relayed the thoughts of his centre-back partner Jose Fonte:

“Fonte has played with an array of top-class centre-backs in his career including Virgil van Dijk, Toby Alderweireld, Pepe in the Portuguese national team and Gabriel last season who is now at Arsenal.

“From what I understand of Fonte’s impression of Botman, he thinks he’s the best of all of them.

“He describes him as a machine and a man who doesn’t make mistakes and also indicates that for a young player playing alongside an experienced professional, he’s very open to learning and taking instruction and improving his game.”

If Fonte is rating Botman higher than Van Dijk, with whom he played with at Southampton, then he would surely prove to be an excellent signing for the Reds.

Botman has won 3.6 aerials per game on average so far this season, which is more than any of Van Dijk, Gomez, Matip or Fabinho, which suggests that he would be a useful addition to Klopp’s squad this month.

As he is just 21-years-old, he certainly wouldn’t be a panic buy and could be an excellent long-term option for the Reds to have, so it seems as if the £22.5 million-rated defender could well be the man to solve the defensive crisis in Klopp’s squad if he is brought to Anfield by Michael Edwards this month.

And, in other news… Forget Trent: LFC “machine” who played four key passes was Klopp’s star vs Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur are thought to be keen on bringing another Real Madrid star to north London…

What’s the word?

According to El Chiringuito TV, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is eyeing up a swoop for versatile right-winger Lucas Vazquez. However, he’ll have to battle old rivals Atletico Madrid to secure his signature.

“Mourinho & Simeone are fighting over a player who has been singled out for his performance in the Super Cup. Tottenham & Atletico love Lucas Vazquez,” said transfer expert Eduardo Inda to the Spanish football show.

Another Moura

It would be a surprise to see Spurs bolster their squad with a winger this window, though the summer opens up far greater possibilities as the futures of Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and on-loan Gareth Bale are by no means certain.

Eurosport’s Dean Jones reported earlier in the month that the north Londoners would be willing to listen to offers for either of the former two, whilst The Times claim a second season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium seems unlikely for the Welsh superstar.

The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and after rejecting a recent extension to his current £115k-per-week terms he seems destined to leave the La Liga giants, meaning Daniel Levy may not even need to pay a transfer fee for his services.

But is he worth pursuing? Probably not.

Vazquez could merely be another Moura – a player that can spark glimpses of sheer quality at times but ultimately lacks that proper end product.

That much has been seen this term as Zinedine Zidane has surprisingly deployed him in a right-back role in 52% of his appearances this term.

Indeed, over the course of 227 appearances for Los Galacticos, the nine-time Spanish international has only contributed 26 goals and 49 assists, meaning the £13.5m-rated wide man provides or scores one goal every three outings, per Transfermarkt.

Similarly, this is an issue for the Brazilian attacker over in N17.

He’s scored just once in the Premier League since December 2019, and over the duration of his 134 games for Spurs, he’s contributed only 43 goals, meaning he delivers one goal every 3.1 appearances.

That’s practically mirroring the Madrid star to a tee.

Zidane claims Vazquez is a “reliable” player who “gives everything” while in the past Spanish papers such as Marca have dubbed him “fearless,” though, in terms of attacking output, that just does not appear to be the case.

Whether he’s a player who Mourinho wants truly remains to be seen, but on the above evidence, it would seem a pretty pointless move. They’d be better off keeping Moura.

AND in other news, Shades of Klinsmann: Spurs must seal “ruthless” £31.5m-rated gem for one big reason…