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West Ham failed to sign any new players in January despite a strong top-four race and Europa League challenge in a decision that could haunt them this season, however, they could make up for it this summer as they are linked with a huge chance of signing a very in-demand player.

What’s the word?

Speaking on talkSPORT, European football expert and journalist Andy Brassell, has made a huge claim on the potential of West Ham signing Darwin Nunez this summer, after showing interest previously.

Brassell said: “West Ham were very interested in signing him, but wouldn’t go up to the €60m (£50m) that Benfica wanted in winter.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up there at some point.”

Haller replacement

There is no doubt that Sebastian Haller’s departure left a big hole in West Ham’s attacking prowess and although David Moyes’ current side are achieving to a high level, especially in their Europa League run, it would benefit them massively to finally replace their former forward, and Nunez could be the perfect replacement.

The £31k-per-week gem who was hailed “electric” by Micah Richards, has been linked to a number of clubs this season with Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Newcastle United all reportedly interested in signing the striker this summer according to The Telegraph, and for good reason when you look at his output.

The 22 year old has scored 28 goals and contributed three assists in 35 appearances for his Portuguese side Benfica this season across all competitions, with goals scored against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Liverpool in the Champions League so far proving he is a real threat even against the biggest European teams in the world right now.

Alongside his impressive G/A, Nunez is further displaying how much of a nightmare he can be for opponents looking at his attacking statistics for Benfica in the Primeira Liga this season, with eight big chances created, 1.1 key passes per game and is successful in completing the majority of his dribbles (52%) whilst scoring every 71 minutes on average, according to SofaScore.

Moyes will need to do everything he can to tempt the Uruguayan striker especially as he is linked to so many other clubs and only gaining more attention thanks to his incredible form. The promising comments made by Brassell should surely be capitalised on by the powers at the London club.

In other news: Insider drops early West Ham team news hint ahead of Lyon, David Moyes will be buzzing

According to a Tottenham Hotspur source (via Football Insider), head coach Antonio Conte is personally plotting a summer sale behind-the-scenes as some major exit news emerges.

The Lowdown: Crunch summer window looming…

The Lilywhites, buoyed by their most recent Premier League form, are now top contenders for 2022/2023 Champions League qualification – a phenomenal turnaround since that humiliating defeat to Man United in Nuno Espirito Santo’s last game.

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Conte’s side have bagged a brilliant 26 goals in their last seven Premier League matches with nine of them coming in their two most previous wins alone (Transfermarkt).

Thumping victories over Newcastle United last week (5-1) and Aston Villa yesterday (4-0) exemplify the confidence running through Tottenham’s team at the moment as they also gear up for this summer’s transfer window behind-the-scenes.

Competition for places under Conte is now potentially more intense than ever and the Italian has allegedly made a major decision already on who he wants to sell at Spurs.

The Latest: Conte plotting Ndombele sale…

As per FI, the former Inter Milan boss is personally plotting to sell club-record signing and Lyon loanee Tanguy Ndombele, regardless of whether or not the French outfit activate his permanent purchase option.

Conte has apparently ‘made up his mind’ with an N17 source explaining there is ‘no way back’ for the 25-year-old.

The ex-Juventus boss allegedly doesn’t regard Ndombele as capable of slotting into the Spurs team, meaning they are now open to summer offers.

The Verdict: Right call?

The France international possesses bags of ability, as evident by spells of form under former Spurs manager Jose Mourinho and rave reviews from certain players at the club.

According to West Ham star Declan Rice, his England teammates from Tottenham have called Ndombele ‘unbelievable’, while N17 live presenter Ben Haines has previously waxed lyrical over the ‘gem’ of a player (Twitter).

However, his temporary exit from Spurs was arguably fuelled by doubts surrounding his application, and it may finally be the right time to offload permanently.

Valued at around £31.5 million by Transfermarkt, chairman Daniel Levy will be hoping he can claw back a far greater transfer sum.

In other news: In recent weeks: Tottenham step up chase to sign ‘incredible’ player as club brace their bid! Find out more here.

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Brendan Rodgers has all-but confirmed that Scott Brown is about to sign a new Celtic contract.

What’s the word?

The midfielder is out of contract in the summer and has held talks with Australian outfit Western Melbourne as well as receiving an offer the UAE – according to recent reports from The Daily Record.

Brown was signed from Hibs in 2007 for a record Scottish transfer fee and has picked up eight title winning medals since making the move along the M8.

It was reported on Wednesday that the Celtic skipper is set to sign a new deal, and following a 2-0 win over St. Johnstone, Rodgers appeared to confirm the rumours.

As quoted by The Daily Record, Rodgers said: “He’s an outstanding player and I think the possibilities to go and try something else will come later on. Scott could be a coach here in the future. There will always be a role.”

Priceless Experience

It is easy to overlook or take for granted the influence that Brown has but as well as his experience, his ability to dictate the tempo is priceless.

Last season without their skipper the team looked paralysed but a strange thing happened in November when Celtic suddenly clicked into gear as Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie took charge with Brown out injured.

Having other options and combinations is welcome but it shouldn’t detract from the influence and qualities of the club captain.

Craig Gordon and Mikael Lustig could soon be dropping out of the side creating a vacuum in experience – Brown fills that and much much more.

Liverpool forward Divock Origi is on the verge of joining AC Milan this summer, with a move now reportedly ‘very close’ to being completed.

The Lowdown: Origi’s departure expected

The Belgian has had to accept being nothing more than a bit-part player for the Reds this season, not starting a single Premier League game to date in 2021/22.

The arrival of Luis Diaz in January has only pushed Origi further down the attacking pecking order at Anfield, leading to strong speculation over his future. Milan looks set to be his next destination, with constant reports suggesting as much.

The Latest: Milan move ‘very close’

According to journalist Nicolo Ceccarini [via Sport Witness], Origi is now ‘very close’ to joining the Rossoneri, with ‘great confidence’ that the move will go through.

The 26-year-old’s current Liverpool deal expires at the end of this season, allowing him to move to Milan on a free transfer.

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The Verdict: Goodbye to a Liverpool hero

Milan would be a perfect move for Origi, affording him more regular playing time at a top club, with the slight drop-off in standard from the Premier League also working in his favour.

The Belgium international will leave Liverpool as an undisputed cult hero, considering the magnitude of the goals he scored against the likes of Barcelona, Tottenham and Everton, to name just a few.

Despite his iconic status, though, it makes sense for both Liverpool and Origi for him to leave in the summer, bringing an end to one of the more eventful Reds careers, with Jermaine Jenas hailing the 26-year-old as ‘very unique’ after a trademark late winner against Wolves earlier in the season.

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly keen on a move for a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson made a number of moves in the transfer market last summer in an attempt to bolster the squad.

He brought in the likes of John Lundstram and Fashion Sakala, among others, to improve the team in their bid to secure the Premiership title for the second season running.

However, his efforts appear to have failed, as their Glasgow arch-rivals rivals are six points clear after 33 matches. The Light Blues chief was unable to provide the quality needed to close out another title, barring a late comeback this term, but what could he have done differently?

It was reported by 90min in January 2021 that the Gers were one of the clubs leading the race to land Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi at the end of that season.

He was on loan at Union Berlin from Liverpool at the time and Rangers, along with Celtic, wanted to snap him up on a permanent basis.

However, Wilson was unable to secure a deal for his services as the German club struck an agreement with the Reds last summer, with Awoniyi valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt at the time of the switch.

Since signing for Union at the start of 2021/22, Awoniyi has been superb. Bundesliga journalist Stefan Bienkowski recently dubbed the striker’s form “remarkable” and the statistics back that up. He has found the net 12 times in the German top-flight across 24 appearances, showing that he can score on a regular basis at the top level.

Meanwhile, no Rangers player has more than 11 goals in the Premiership, while Alfredo Morelos is one of only two players in double figures. This suggests that the Nigerian would be an upgrade on what Gio van Bronckhorst currently has at his disposal.

Awoniyi is now attracting interest from the Premier League, with the likes of West Ham and Newcastle eyeing him up for a fee in the region of £25m.

This means that Rangers could have had a player whose value has drastically soared in the space of a year, going from £4.5m to potentially £25m if the firm offers come in from those English suitors.

The Gers could have made a quick profit from the gem to boost the club coffers and invest in players across the pitch, whilst also benefitting from his goalscoring talent throughout 2021/22.

Therefore, Wilson endured a big Ibrox howler with the Nigeria international, who is without doubt one that got away from the Glasgow giants…

AND in other news, “I’m told..”: Big Rangers transfer claim will surely delight everyone at Ibrox…

Former Celtic transfer target Fernando Henrique looks set to secure a move in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Goal Brazil, who claimed that the defensive midfielder could be set to leave Gremio this month, with Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates appearing to be closing in on a $5m (£3.7m) deal for the 20-year-old.

Previous reports had claimed that Celtic had opened talks with the Brazilian regarding the potential of a move to Parkhead back in October, with The Scotsman stating that Ange Postecoglou was interested in Henrique as none of Ismaila Soro, James McCarthy or Nir Bitton provided the 56-year-old with adequate cover for Callum McGregor.

Postecoglou must finally move for Henrique

While it is true that Celtic have already secured the central midfield signings of both Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi this month, the fact that Postecoglou was interested in a further deal for Riley McGree would appear to suggest that the Hoops manager still believes he requires greater depth in that position.

As such, with Henrique appearing to be available in the current transfer window, it would seem advisable for the 56-year-old to finally make his move for the Gremio starlet, who would undoubtedly make a fantastic addition to Celtic’s current options in the middle of the park.

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Indeed, over his four Brazilian Serie A appearances last season, the £1.35m-rated man – who Almanaque Esportivo claimed is similar to Manchester United midfielder Fred – made a strong impression, averaging a whopping 2.3 interceptions, 2.8 tackles and 0.5 clearances and winning 5.8 duels (with a success rate of 52%) per game.

These returns saw the youngster earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as Gremio’s eighth-best performer in the Brazilian top flight in 2021.

As such, considering that Henrique only turned 20 last summer, it would very much seem that he is a talent with a very bright future in the game. We believe that Postecoglou must this month reignite his interest in a move for the youngster who Everything Celtic dubbed a “strong” player, particularly if he is available for as little as £3.7m.

In other news: Postecoglou drops transfer claim on £5.7k-p/w dynamo, Celtic fans will be fuming

Sheffield Wednesday have been boosted by the news that key pair George Byers and Liam Palmer should be fit for the crucial clash with Fleetwood Town.

The Lowdown: Huge game for Owls

The Owls were beaten 1-0 away to Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday afternoon, in what was a damaging defeat in the League One promotion battle.

The loss leaves Darren Moore’s side in seventh place and outside the playoff places ahead of Tuesday evening’s massive trip to struggling Fleetwood.

Wednesday had to make do without both Byers and Palmer for the Wycombe game – they didn’t come off the substitutes’ bench – with the pair key players this season, having started a combined 54 league matches.

The Latest: Key duo return

Speaking to the media on Saturday [via Football League World], however, Moore confirmed that he expects the duo to return to the fold at Fleetwood, having rested them at Adams Park:

“It has been a big week. The likes of George and Liam Palmer have played twice this week and we decided to rotate. Now we get them back and ready for Tuesday.

“We have suffered a lot of injuries this season from over misuse and fatigue and tiredness from games. I was able to rejuggle the pack and get ready for Tuesday.”

The Verdict: Massive boost for Wednesday

This is a huge boost for anyone of an Owls persuasion, given the enormity of Tuesday’s potentially make-or-break trip to Highbury.

Victory there would leave playoff destiny in Wednesday’s hands, taking them above Plymouth Argyle and Wycombe, and possibly Sunderland, too, if they don’t win at home to Rotherham on Tuesday.

Both Byers and Palmer would surely both be in Moore’s strongest possible XI and them being back in the team enhances the Owls’ hopes of securing a top-six place, ahead of the final game against Portsmouth at Hillsborough next weekend.

Byers has brought quality and poise to Wednesday’s midfield, scoring five league goals, while Palmer is a model of consistency, having now made 342 appearances for the club.

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the signing of Sofyan Amrabat this January transfer window…

What’s the word?

Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano delivered a fresh update on Spurs’ pursuit of the Fiorentina midfielder, who is currently excelling for Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, very early on Wednesday morning.

He said:

“Sofyan Amrabat to Tottenham, advanced but not a done deal yet. [Antonio] Conte and [Fabio] Paratici both want him – he’s also doing great at AFCON.

“But Spurs are waiting to complete [Tanguy] Ndombele deal [to Paris Saint-Germain] before Amrabat (loan with buy option). Player side, not a problem: he only wants Spurs.”

Closing in

At the moment, this would be the Lilywhites’ first signing this month as a swoop for Adama Traore continues to rumble on without much success.

It appears as if Conte’s attentions have quickly turned to sorting out the engine room because you don’t make the likes of Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso all available for an exit if you’re not going to try and reinforce such a key position, especially with less than five days of the window remaining.

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Amrabat isn’t a signing that is going to thrill much of the Spurs fanbase but if the Italian head coach wants him, then he must be backed.

The 25-year-old midfielder has been restricted to only 211 minutes in the Serie A this season but has featured in three full 90-minute games for his country in Group C and the round of 16 at AFCON.

Conte has lacked someone capable of driving the ball forward from midfield and he could well find that in Amrabat. Of the 39 players to have attempted 150 or more dribbles since the start of the 2019/20 campaign,  only one player (Ismael Bennacer, 79.6%) has managed a better dribble success rate than the Viola enforcer (70.3%), per WhoScored.

That is also above every single one of Spurs’ current central options with Oliver Skipp leading the way on 66.7% and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg not too far behind on 62.2%. Ndombele – who is supposed to be the ideal fit for the role – sits down at 55%, which is rather telling.

He is also solid at delivering long balls and is aggressive in the tackle, so whilst his lack of game time is a worry, there are certainly credentials there that make him fit for Conte, who must be absolutely delighted that a deal is very close. to happening.

Somewhat of a perfect signing for the Spurs boss, the north London outfit are in for one busy few days ahead of Monday’s deadline.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold hints at Adama Traore twist for Spurs…

So far in the current January transfer window, Celtic have managed to bring a number of new players to the club such as Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda among others.

However, it seems as though the Parkhead club could be set to say goodbye to a familiar face connected with the Bhoys after recent reports emerged claiming that Celtic have terminated Leigh Griffiths’ contract.

With the club seemingly cutting ties with the Scot, one player that could or should follow in his footsteps out of Celtic is fellow attacker Albian Ajeti.

Celtic signed Ajeti back in the 2020 summer transfer window from English Premier League side West Ham United in a deal worth a reported fee of £4.5m.

Since then, the 24-year-old has gone on to make 48 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions but has only managed to score nine goals and provide five assists, which is far less than what the club would have hoped for when they signed him.

Labelled as a “problem” in the past by Packie Bonner in terms of his efforts on the pitch, Ajeti has only started six of the 17 games he’s appeared in for Celtic across all competitions this term, scoring just three goals in the process, exposing his inability to find the net on a regular basis.

As well as his lack of goals this campaign, his performances in the SPFL have not been much to shout about either with WhoScored giving him an overall season rating of 6.47/10, making him one of the lowest-rated players in Ange Postecoglou’s squad to start more than one league game this season.

With that in mind, it could be worth Celtic continuing their clear out after reportedly terminating Griffiths’ contract and pushing Ajeti, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £18k-per-week according to Salary Sport, out the door as well before the current transfer window ends.

Taking into account how it has been claimed by journalist Pete O’Rourke that Celtic could look to add some more attacking players to their squad before the end of the month, this could only push Ajeti further down the pecking order or potentially out the door altogether.

In other news: Big boost: Ange drops huge Celtic injury update that’ll surely have fans delighted – opinion

West Ham United have identified Burnley’s Nick Pope as a potential goalkeeper target, according to The Daily Mail’s Adrian Kajumba. 

The lowdown

Pope and Burnley are facing relegation to the Championship after winning just four of their first 31 matches. They’re currently 18th, three points behind Everton despite having played a game more.

West Ham, meanwhile, are chasing Europa League glory with the help of Areola, who’s started all but one game on their route to the final.

He’s effectively been the cup ‘keeper at the London Stadium, with 37-year-old veteran Lukasz Fabianski playing league matches.

West Ham will have the option to buy Areola from Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his loan spell in the summer for a fee of £10million.

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The latest

West Ham have shortlisted Pope ‘as they finalise their goalkeeping plans for next season’, Kajumba reports.

The Hammers believe he may be a cheaper alternative to Areola if Burnley are relegated, causing his price tag to plummet.

Areola would be installed as one of West Ham’s highest earners on £120,000 per week, but Pope earns less than a third of that at Burnley (£35,000).

Fulham, who took the Frenchman on loan during the 2020/21 season, are waiting in the wings as they stand on the verge of winning back their place in the Premier League.

The verdict

Pope, Kajumba notes, impressed when the two sides played out a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

He made five saves, all from shots inside the penalty area, to help his team secure what could prove to be an important point.

His SofaScore rating of 7.5/10 was the second highest in the team, beaten only by goalscorer Wout Weghorst.

The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas suspects that West Ham would have won the game had Pope not ‘turned into a super saiyan goalkeeper’ late on.

However, it would feel harsh to overlook Areola, whose shot-stopping record this season places him in the 98th percentile among ‘keepers in the top five leagues.

In other news, big news has emerged on a West Ham defender.