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According to a report by 90min, West Ham United have joined the plethora of clubs eyeing Liverpool forward Divock Origi – with the player’s agents ‘working hard’ to seal his Anfield exit this summer.

The Lowdown: West Ham in centre-forward hunt…

The Hammers have been linked with many forwards since before the start of this window and thereafter.

As per Claret & Hugh, manager David Moyes has set his sights on bolstering West Ham’s attacking options as one of his three main transfer priorities this summer.

The usual suspects like Tammy Abraham and Youssef En-Nesyri remain linked, while new names like Paul Onuachu and Roman Yaremchuk have only just entered the frame in recent weeks.

The Latest: West Ham now eyeing Origi…

As per 90min’s ‘transfer insider’ Graeme Bailey, the Irons are now monitoring Belgium international Origi as the player’s agents work tirelessly behind the scenes to find him a new club.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-updates/” title=”West Ham updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Origi, despite enjoying some very memorable moments in a Liverpool shirt, is heavily out of favour under manager Jurgen Klopp and now could be the time to leave Merseyside.

It is reported that the Reds now want Ismaila Sarr from Watford and are ready to pay up to £40 million, but could first have to make room by offloading Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri.

As well as unnamed clubs abroad, West Ham are interested in the 26-year-old alongside Southampton, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Rangers and Celtic.

The Verdict: Avoid…

Scoring just 58 goals over a senior career spanning 282 matches for three different clubs (Transfermarkt), we believe West Ham should avoid this one.

Origi started just two matches in the Premier League over 2020/2021 and is valued at £10.8 million by Transfermarkt, not to mention he has only bagged around 19 top flight goals over 100 league appearances for Liverpool.

Indeed, despite Hammers legend Frank McAvennie recently dubbing him ‘wonderful’ (Football Insider), there is no doubt that the forward should be way down Moyes’ striker shortlist, with other candidates boasting more consistent playing time and superior goal records.

In other news: ‘Yes yes yes’, ‘Unreal’, ‘Come ooon’…ExWHUemployee’s news has many West Ham fans excited, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have edged one step closer to signing Adama Traore this month…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Telegraph’s Matt Law, Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici has opened talks with Wolverhampton Wanderers to bring the 25-year-old to north London.

He delivered an update in a series of tweets.

“Daniel Levy travels to the Bahamas for Joe Lewis meeting that could prove key to Conte’s plans/Paratici opens talks over deal to sign Adama Traore from Wolves,” he said.

Before adding: “I’ve never been that fussed about Adama Traore. But I do look at him and think Conte could make him into a really top player. I’d be quite excited if I was a Spurs fan and they manage to get him, as they hope to do.”

Wolves could let the Spain international leave for as little as £20m.

Wing-back monster

As Law suggests, there is plenty for Spurs fans to be excited about amid this major development.

There will be concerns over Traore’s end product, having failed to contribute a goal or assist from 20 appearances this season. However, his fit for Antonio Conte’s system and the Italian’s proven track record in improving players should provide further encouragement.

The Athletic reported earlier in the week that the Spaniard would be viewed as an attacking right wing-back – a role in which he has played before at Molineux – as he can offer more in the final third than Emerson Royal.

There aren’t many players capable of fulfilling that role, so Traore could be transitioned easier than most. Conte did a similar thing at Chelsea with Victor Moses, converting the winger into a wing-back and then winning the Premier League in 2017 and FA Cup in 2018.

Traore leads the division for dribbles (4.5 per game) and has also averaged one key pass per outing, via WhoScored. By comparison, Emerson only manages 0.8 successful dribbles per match in the English top-flight.

Standing at 5 foot 10, the wide man is built like a brick wall – something Rio Ferdinand once referenced on BT Sport (as relayed by Birmingham Live), saying: “He’s a machine. I was watching him pre-game and he could be a powerlifter or a cruiser-weight boxer – he’s huge.”

The praise doesn’t stop there for the Wolves man. It’s never-ending.

Southampton forward Che Adams dubbed him a “monster”, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp deemed him to be “unplayable”, whilst football.london reporter Alasdair Gold believes he “scares defences with his running and strength.”

The £25.2m-rated powerhouse must be doing something right.

On the above evidence, Traore would surely be a fantastic signing for Spurs to make. He would fit right in with Conte’s system and has plenty of experience in the Premier League.

For just £20m, it is surely a no-brainer.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold issues exciting Spurs transfer update…

Manchester United are targeting River Plate’s “rising star” Enzo Fernández this summer and he could slot straight into the team ahead of Brazilian midfielder Fred.

What’s the story?

United are set for a huge overhaul of their under performing squad before next season and according to The Daily Star, up to four midfielders could leave.

This would leave room for plenty of new additions with one target being Argentinian Fernández.

He currently play’s in South America for River Plate but could be persuaded by the lure of one of Europe’s biggest clubs. However, the Red Devils face competition for him from Real Madrid and local rivals Man City, with the player said to have a £20.6m release clause in his contract.

He’s better than Fred

One of the midfielders he would be competing with, or potentially replacing, at Old Trafford would be Brazilian star Fred. He has had a rollercoaster of a career at United and at 29 years old isn’t getting any younger.

The signing of Fernández could provide the perfect alternative, and if he impresses, the 21-year old could be a mainstay at the Theatre of Dreams for years to come.

He has made 36 appearances for River Plate and in his time at the club has been directly involved in 12 goals from midfield.

When you compare his statistics in the league to that of Fred’s, he excels in most categories. The average number of passes he makes per game is 55.3 compared to the Brazilian’s 48.9.

Fernández is also more of a threat in the air with him winning 1.1 of aerial duels per game compared to Fred’s 0.6.

If United are successful in their bid to sign the Argentinian youngster then it’s likely that he will be one of Erik ten Hag’s first singings as manager at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman is reportedly close to agreeing a deal to take the hot seat at the club and signing Fernández would be the perfect start to his tenure.

He’s known for giving young players a chance having developed some star players during his time at Ajax. It’s a same tradition that is part of the fabric at United and if he was signed it would be a signal of the start of a new era under Erik ten Hag.

IN other news: Manchester United: Anthony Elanga was important in crucial win…

Crystal Palace have been linked with an ambitious move for Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The 31-year-old appeared set for a switch to Manchester United last summer after it became clear he was keen to return to his homeland, but the Old Trafford outfit refused to match his release clause, meaning the player stayed put.

But now, according to 90min, Trippier is attracting the attention of several Premier League clubs once again ahead of the winter window.

“Manchester United are continuing to be kept informed of his situation while we understand that Everton, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are willing make a move too – if Atletico show an appetite to sell,” reads their report.

Previous reports have claimed that Atleti are set to demand £25 million for the versatile full-back over the coming months, with Newcastle United also a potential destination, although there’s no guarantee he’ll depart in January.

Patrick Vieira can continue his revolution

Over the summer, new manager Patrick Vieira began his Palace revolution by overseeing a mass overhaul of the first-team squad, welcoming the likes of Odsonne Edouard, Michael Olise and Marc Guehi to Selhurst Park.

However, one position that was neglected was right-back. Experienced campaigners Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne offer steady if uninspiring options in that position at present.

Trippier’s arrival, though, would change that, providing Vieira with an attacking threat from full-back and adding an established England international to his ranks.

In recent years, the £77,000-per-week gem has claimed the La Liga crown with Atleti and cemented his place in Gareth Southgate’s national team setup, impressing the Three Lions boss with a string of eye-catching performances.

“He (Trippier) is a very underrated player,” claimed Southgate after England’s victory over Croatia at Euro 2020.

“People are still looking at the player from a few years ago and not at the one who is at Atletico Madrid and playing like a warrior in the last few seasons. He is a big part of what we’ve done over the last few years, and he gave a really good performance.”

And it wasn’t the only time that Southgate has lauded Trippier, dubbing him ‘outstanding’ back in 2018: “Kieran has outstanding quality, and that kind of profile in that position is very important,” he said.

With Trippier producing six assists last term, 1.27 key passes per 90 and putting in 2.40 crosses, compared to Ward’s tallies of one, 0.28 and 0.60, respectively, there’s no doubt that his arrival would continue Palace’s progression under Vieira.

And, in other news…Palace must seal move for “phenomenal” £33k-p/w ace who “gets the crowd on their feet”

Leeds United are struggling to find form in the Premier League this season following an excellent 2020/21 campaign which saw the newly-promoted side finish ninth in the top flight.

Bielsa’s team have had to deal with a number of injury issues over the last few months, which is surely one reason for their slow start.

Patrick Bamford and Luke Ayling are still missing without a definitive indication of when they may be back. However, the Whites have seen the return of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha in recent weeks, which will give them a boost in their upcoming fixture against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

One player who hasn’t been able to truly make an impactful presence in the teams so far is August signing Dan James.

Leeds signed the Welshman from Manchester United for £25m late in the summer transfer window, but despite getting an assist against Norwich, he hasn’t been able to unleash his full potential at Elland Road as of yet.

The 24-year-old winger spoke to FIFA.com about his time so far with Leeds, saying: “I’ve not reached my potential yet.

“I’m getting a lot more game time now and I’ve obviously got my own goals. I’ve got so much more I can improve on, so much more to give. Hopefully I’ll show that in the coming years.”

Leeds could really capitalise on the recent return of Raphinha by encouraging an attacking partnership with James going forward in their Premier League campaign.

The Welsh winger now has the opportunity to link up with the Brazil international, so Bielsa should unleash the £16.2m-rated gem to create a potential attacking masterclass, combining both players to enable Leeds to climb the table and secure their future in the Premier League.

James was hailed by former Manchester United team-mate Andreas Pereira, with the Brazilian midfielder saying: “He is so explosive and so fast. When you think about having to run to the ball, he’s very fast to it.”

Bielsa will be looking to add goals and targeting ways to be more direct in creative play, which he could easily unlock with James’ pace and Raphinha’s clinical finishing – the latter has struck five goals in 10 league appearances so far this term.

Leeds take on a tough challenge against Spurs this weekend, and Bielsa will be hoping that he can rely on his forward line to land a blow on Antonio Conte’s team.

In other news: Phil Hay confirms one Leeds injury blow before Spurs trip

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) are set to hold further talks with Jason Wilcox over taking a Director of Football (DoF) role at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: DoF wanted

The St. James’ Park faithful have recently been linked with a number of big names to fill in their new DoF model, including the likes of Luis Campos and Marc Overmars.

It is clearly the direction of where the new owners want to go, following their takeover in the North East.

The Latest: Wilcox frontrunner

As per The Daily Star, Wilcox, currently the Academy Director at Manchester City, is set to hold further talks with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium over potentially taking up their new DoF role.

He is understood to be the frontrunner for the job, and the Tyneside outfit are keen to appoint a DoF before they bring in a new permanent manager to replace the departed Steve Bruce.

The Verdict: Has the credentials

Wilcox certainly has all of the credentials to take up the new role, given the work that he has done with City so far, a club who were in a very similar position to the Magpies when they were first taken over.

The former Blackburn Rovers and England international winger has been praised by none other than Pep Guardiola for the job that he has done with the MCFC Academy, and is even credited with being a key influence on Phil Foden (The Daily Star).

Nonetheless, a DoF role would be a step up for him, and so Wilcox certainly seems attainable for the Toon should the talks go well.

In other news, find out which elite manager Overmars is backed to bring to NUFC if he becomes DoF here!

After obliterating Manchester United 5-0 last weekend, Liverpool couldn’t get past Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Saturday in a similarly ruthless fashion, ultimately stumbling to a 2-2 draw after being 2-0 up after 24 minutes thanks to goals from club captain Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane.

Despite the disappointing overall result, one player that we feel stood out at the weekend and was yet again another shining light for the Merseyside club, was Mohamed Salah, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £200k-per-week according to Spotrac.

The Egyptian, who started the match at the weekend and played through the full 90 minutes against Graham Potter’s side, managed to assist Henderson’s goal to open the scoring after a delightful cut back from the right-hand side.

Mane was the only one of Liverpool’s offensive trio to beat the goalkeeper but Salah’s offensive display was still excellent. He had one shot on target, completed 100% of the three dribbles he attempted and also completed 22 of 30 passes. Two of those happened to be two key passes while he won all three of the ground duels he was involved in, ultimately earning himself an overall match rating of 7.4/10, making him the joint-highest rated Liverpool player on the day according to SofaScore.

This shows just how much of an attacking threat he was for the Reds on the day but just couldn’t find himself a goal, something that will presumably be a big disappointment for him as an individual given how he’s managed to net in his seven consecutive Liverpool league appearances prior to the Brighton clash.

Since joining Liverpool back in the 2017 summer transfer window from AS Roma for a reported fee of £34m, the 29-year-old, who is currently valued at £90m according to Transfermarkt, has made 216 appearances for the club across all competitions in which he has managed to rack up an impressive total of 140 goals and 53 assists, comfortably cementing himself as one of Liverpool’s most important attacking players.

Even though he failed to add another goal to his incredible tally for the season against Brighton, Salah and everyone else at the club can be pleased that he still managed to put in a top-quality performance at the weekend. Hopefully, he’ll get back to scoring form either on Wednesday in their next Champions League game against Atletico Madrid or next weekend in their next Premier League outing versus West Ham United.

In other news: Big worry: £58.5m-rated Liverpool ace who lost 75% duels really struggled vs Brighton – opinion

Glasgow Rangers fans are gutted at the news that several of their players will miss their Europa League clash with Alashkert following a coronavirus outbreak at the club.

The Gers have travelled to Armenia for the second leg of their Europa League play-off tie. In the first fixture at Ibrox, the Gers won 1-0 thanks to an Alfredo Morelos goal, even though John Lundstram was sent off in the first half. They will be looking to complete the job this week in Yerevan.

However, in the build-up to the match, the Gers have been hit with a huge blow. They have confirmed that several players have tested positive for coronavirus and will therefore miss the match, while others will have to self-isolate after coming in to close contact with those affected (rangers.co.uk). It has since emerged that Steven Gerrard will also be absent (Sky Sports).

The news was shared on Twitter by Rangers’ official account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the news below

“This is no good enough – we need names???”

Credit: @LauraCampbell97

“This week canny get any worse man”

Credit: @Sparky18721

“Could not have happened at a worst time Main thing is though the players are alright”

Credit: @JL_93x

“Tell us who? This week of all weeks”

Credit: @deanog99

“Thanks weeks ruined already and I’ve still to watch you play twice”

Credit: @LY1872

“Put us all out of our misery and tell us who”

Credit: @I_Kelly96

In other news, this pundit is livid at one Rangers Old Firm decision.

Moving on from their 1-0 defeat against Liverpool at the weekend, Aston Villa are on their travels once again with a trip to Carrow Road to face Norwich City, pitting Steven Gerrard against former Villa manager Dean Smith.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Gerrard could pick to be in his starting XI on this occasion, one player that got some minutes under his belt in the defeat at Anfield that should be in the team from the beginning to take on the Canaries is Morgan Sanson.

After replacing Marvelous Nakamba in the 57th minute against Liverpool, Sanson managed to show to Gerrard what a useful midfield option he can be for Villa.

With 32 touches of the ball, Sanson completed nine passes, complete all three of the dribbles he attempted, win six duels and make two tackles with one interception, showing how good he is on the ball and winning it back for his team in the middle of the pitch.

This cameo performance earned the Frenchman an overall match rating of 7/10 according to SofaScore, making him Villa’s joint-second highest rated player on the day alongside Matt Targett.

With this in mind and the fact that Nakamba has apparently picked up a knee injury that could lead to Villa having to sign a new midfielder in the upcoming January transfer window, this could be the perfect time for Gerrard to unleash Sanson from the start to see if he can prove his worth once again.

Labelled as a player that “has a bit of everything” by Smith, the 27-year-old is currently earning a weekly wage of £59k-per-week according to Salary Sport.

Given how Sanson has only made 13 senior appearances for the Villans since arriving back in January, mainly due to injury troubles, it’s safe to say the midfielder would be chomping at the bit to finally get a decent run in the team, which could get underway if Gerrard starts him tonight and he manages to impress as he did against Liverpool.

If Gerrard does start against Norwich, Sanson could potentially create a solid midfield partnership with either the likes of John McGinn or Douglas Luiz who both played the full 90 minutes against Liverpool if they start again tonight.

In other news: Lange could save AVFC millions with £46k-p/w machine who will “get better and better” – opinion

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has told Football FanCast that Davinson Sanchez hasn’t progressed enough to warrant another season at Tottenham.

Signed by Mauricio Pochettino from Ajax in a £42m deal four years back; the Colombian centre-back was Spurs’ record-signing at the time.

An impressive first campaign followed as Tottenham secured a top four finish, with Sanchez getting his fare share of game time despite competing with two of the club’s best defenders in the Premier League era in Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.

However, whilst the 25-year-old has made almost 150 appearances in the Lilywhite of Tottenham, he’s failed to develop into the world class defender that his potential threatened.

Such is the his wretched form, he featured in just under half of Spurs’ Premier League games last season, with the last of those ending in true Sanchez fashion by conceding a penalty at Leicester on the final day.

And therefore, he’s been put on the transfer list along with several of his teammates. Asked which centre-back Tottenham should get rid of between Sanchez and Eric Dier, Bridge told Football FanCast:

“For me, taking my work hat away, it would be Davinson Sanchez. I just don’t see a big improvement coming from him there.”