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According to an update by reliable journalist Alan Nixon of The Sun, there has been a development in West Ham United’s search for a striker involving Everton star Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Lowdown: West Ham in forward hunt…

Coming a year after West Ham sold club-record signing Sebastien Haller to Ajax, David Moyes is still yet to see a confirmed replacement come through the door at Rush Green.

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That isn’t for lack of trying, as the Hammers and recruitment chief Rob Newman draw up a list of targets, with offers having already been made according to reports.

Sky Sports reported that West Ham made a loan-to-buy bid for Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa, news which has since been backed by the player’s own representative, while the Irons are also weighing a move for Blackburn Rovers star Ben Brereton Diaz.

In a surprise update, Moyes and co have now set their sights on an England international.

The Latest: West Ham on Calvert-Lewin alert…

Writing for The Sun, reliable reporter Nixon claimed that Moyes has been ‘alerted’ to the possible availability of Toffees forward Calvert-Lewin, but it will cost them an eye-watering £60m.

The Hammers boss would apparently ‘really push the boat out’ to sign him but Everton’s valuation is currently too high.

Refusing to rule out a move, Nixon believes that West Ham will be right at ‘the head of the queue’ if that aspect of the story changes.

The Verdict: Big claim…

There is little doubt that Calvert-Lewin would be the ultimate centre-forward signing if West Ham decide to make a move, even despite his injury-ridden 2021/22 campaign.

Called ‘sensational’ by former West Ham favourite Tony Cottee, the £100,000-per-week striker scored 16 goals in 32 Premier League starts last term, whilst also averaging more attempts at goal per 90 than any Everton player (WhoScored).

At 24 years of age, Calvert-Lewin also comes with real potential for sell-on value, and his homegrown status comes as another incentive.

However, given that West Ham may have to break their transfer record again to land him, this is a move on which Moyes and Newman will have to deliberate carefully.

In other news: ExWHUemployee claims West Ham are eyeing ‘absolutely incredible’ ace with loan-to-buy move in discussion, find out more here.

Tottenham defender Davinson Sánchez has been linked with a move to Italian giants Napoli in the January transfer window, with the Colombian reportedly available for around £25m.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Calcio In Pillole, the Azzurri are eyeing a move for Sánchez, with current Napoli defender Kostas Manolas due to sign for Greek outfit Olympiakos.

The 25-year-old has had mixed fortunes this season, managing just six starts in the Premier League. However, he has started Spurs’ last two games, with his stock rising under new manager Antonio Conte.

Having been bought for a reported £42m from Ajax in 2017, the defender’s form has been inconsistent, which may tempt Conte to cash in on him in order to fund new additions.

According to Transfermarkt, the defender is valued at £28.8m, but reports suggest that a fee of £25m could be enough for the north London club to part ways with the Columbian.

Last season, Sánchez was subject to criticism from pundit and former Premier League defender Kenny Cunningham, who labelled him “awful” and referred to him as a “liability” after an error-laden performance against Newcastle.

In four-and-a-half years at Tottenham, the Colombian has never recorded a seasonal WhoScored rating of more than 7.00, which indicates that he has been rather average on a consistent basis for the club.

Spurs should sell Sánchez

Should the right offer come in, Tottenham may well be tempted to cash in on Sánchez. Despite being reportedly available for just over half of what was paid for him, his long-term future under Conte appears to be in doubt.

The Colombian has only featured in the last two games because of an injury suffered by fellow centre-back Cristian Romero, putting his long-term future at the club in doubt.

Sánchez has been in and out of the Tottenham setup this season in what has been a turbulent campaign thus far with a managerial change.

Across all competitions, the 25-year-old has played 946 minutes; and before the injury to Romero, he hadn’t started a Premier League match since September.

It could be argued that Spurs could do with depth at centre-back for the rest of the season, with Conte deploying a back three, but the North London club may find it difficult to reject a lucrative offer for a player in Sánchez who has flattered to deceive during his time at N17.

In other news: Conte must unleash Spurs’ £80k-p/w “team player” tomorrow, he could terrify Liverpool

With previous reports claiming that Aston Villa’s owners will provide financial backing for Steven Gerrard to make some transfer deals in the current January window to help him make his mark on the squad and improve it where he sees fit, it seems as though the club have identified a player that could help the former Rangers boss do just that.

What’s the word?

According to a recent report from Football Insider, Villa have registered their interest in signing Everton defender Lucas Digne this month with Gerrard apparently wanting to recruit a top-class left-back for his side.

Since joining Everton back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Barcelona in a deal worth a reported fee of £18m, the left-back has gone on to make 127 appearances for the Toffees across all competitions, chipping in with six goals and 20 assists, showing how much of an attacking talent he has been from the left full-back position.

Having been labelled as a player who has a “wand of a left foot” by former Villa loanee Ross Barkley in the past, Digne has found himself in a difficult situation at Goodison Park in recent weeks after a reported behind-the-scenes falling out with manager Rafa Benitez has put his future at the club in jeopardy, with a January exit looking likely for the player.

With this in mind, Digne could be the ideal player for Villa to sign and give Gerrard what he wants this month, especially as a more attack-minded full-back with Targett only managing to score three goals and provide five assists in 88 appearances for the Villans.

Also, with Villa having Matt Targett and 36-year-old Ashley Young as the only two players in their squad that predominantly play in the left-back position, it could be worth the Midlands club adding some extra quality in that position, which would surely leave a lot of Villa fans buzzing.

Taking all of this into account, it’s definitely worth Villa approaching Everton at some point this month to see if they can work out a deal that would see the 28-year-old make the move to Villa Park and potentially get his season back on track and improve Gerrard’s squad at the same time.

However, with fellow Premier League clubs Newcastle United, West Ham United and Chelsea all reportedly interested in signing the £27m-rated Frenchman this month, it could be a challenge for Villa to secure his signature.

In other news: Villa could make a move for this Serie A starlet…

Leeds United grabbed a vital three points in their aim to steer clear of the relegation zone with an injury-time penalty from Raphinha to beat Crystal Palace.

Marcelo Bielsa’s team had to be patient in the end as they dominated possession and shots at Elland Road, as Raphinha eventually got them out of jail to secure a 1-0 win. While the three points are what matters most, some players may not have been too pleased with their own individual performances, as The Transfer Tavern use statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the home side:

Raphinha

It certainly seems strange that the match-winner was ranked as the third-worst player for the Whites, and Raphinha’s 6.5 rating from SofaScore is actually the same rating as second place, but has been put in third for his goal contribution.

Aside from the late penalty, it was a frustrating night at times for the Brazilian, who lost out on 10 of his duels, the most out of his teammates, while he also ranked the highest in terms of unsuccessful dribble attempts (five).

Raphinha was also inaccurate with seven of his crosses, and lost the ball on no fewer than on 31 separate occasions in the game, by far the most out of any player on the pitch.

Mateusz Klich

Klich only played the first half, but ranks in second with a 6.5 overall rating given by SofaScore.

The central midfield player lost two duels, and failed to record a single shot on goal, blocked shot, tackle, key pass, cross or accurate long ball.

His mere 16 touches was the lowest recorded out of a starting player, while he was guilty of losing possession six times.

Rodrigo

Again, considering he only played in one half, Rodrigo’s 6.3 rating from SofaScore may be deemed a little harsh, but he was the lowest rated out of his teammates.

The Spaniard also lost two of his duels, while failing to hit a shot on target or make a successful dribble, and losing the ball on seven occasions in total.

In other news, find out what position Phil Hay wants LUFC to sign here!

Celtic are continuing their pursuit in their attempts to sign forward Daizen Maeda and midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi, Anthony Joseph reports.

The Lowdown: Maeda and Ideguchi profiled

Maeda and Ideguchi are plying their trade in Japan’s J1 League, with the pair both regulars in 2021.

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Versatile striker Maeda, who can also play on the wing, has scored 23 times and has registered three assists in 40 appearances in all competitions for Yokohama F. Marinos.

Meanwhile, Ideguchi, who plays for Gamba Osaka, can turn out as a central or attacking midfielder and has made 41 appearances this calendar year.

The Hoops have been confident of signing Maeda since October, while links to Ideguchi have only just emerged, and Joseph has provided updates on the pair.

The Latest: Joseph’s tweet

Sky Sports reporter Joseph took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to share a number of Hoops updates.

One of those was on Maeda and Ideguchi, on which he said:

“Celtic are continuing their pursuit of Yokohama F Marinos forward Daizen Maeda and Gamba Osaka midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi.”

The Verdict: Nicholson not giving up

January looks set to be a busy first transfer window for interim CEO Michael Nicholson, and it seems as if he is doing everything he can to bring a number of Japanese stars to Scotland to join Kyogo Furuhashi.

Reo Hatate looks like he could be the first J1 League arrival in the New Year with the 24-year-old keen on a Parkhead swoop.

However, it seems as if Nicholson and co may need to work harder to make a breakthrough in any moves for Maeda and Ideguchi, with the pair possibly bolstering Postecoglou’s midfield and attacking ranks even further.

In other news: ‘Outstanding’ star may miss 4 games as Celtic issues worsen pre-Betis. 

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) are reportedly now ‘optimistic’ that they can sign Eden Hazard for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Howe’s first signing?

Eddie Howe was spotted in the stands sitting next to Amanda Staveley in the 1-1 draw away to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday evening, perhaps implying that he will be the next permanent manager at St James’ Park.

Hazard is a player that the 43-year-old knows very well from his time managing in the Premier League, describing him as ‘outstanding’ after a top performance against his former club Bournemouth when the Belgian was playing for Chelsea.

The 30-year-old scored a very impressive 110 goals and supplied a further 92 assists in 352 games in all competitions across seven consecutive seasons at Stamford Bridge, mainly playing out on the wing (Transfermarkt).

He was not short of silverware at the Blues either, winning the Premier League and UEFA Europa League twice and lifting both the FA Cup and League Cup (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Optimism

As per Spanish media outlet Sport, PIF have now ‘set their sights’ on Hazard and are ‘optimistic’ about signing him for Newcastle.

Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly ‘lost confidence’ in the 30-year-old, so Real Madrid will ‘open the exit door wide’ if the new owners on Tyneside can present a convincing offer to the La Liga giants.

His current deal at the Bernabeu expires in 2024, meaning that Los Blancos could get a lot of his wages off of their books.

The Verdict: Worth the risk

Of course, signing a 30-year-old Hazard, who has injury problems, so he should be given the benefit of a doubt.

His record in English football speaks for itself, and he may be up for a different challenge in trying to keep the Magpies in the top flight so that they can kick on next season.

Nonetheless, he is a big name in world football given what he has achieved, and he could well attract other stars to Tyneside if he becomes a Newcastle player.

In other news, these were NUFC’s three worst players against Brighton

While Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side currently find themselves on a run of eight games unbeaten in all competitions, with seven of these results being victories, the recent injury to attacking midfielder Tom Rogic has highlighted the Hoops’ rather considerable lack of depth in the Australian’s position.

Indeed, other than David Turnbull, the 56-year-old Bhoys boss does not possess another senior option in attacking midfield, leading to suggestions that Postecoglou should look to bring a new forward-thinking midfielder in during the January transfer window.

However, before doing so, it may well be a wise move to take a closer look at one of the club’s extremely promising up and coming talents – in the form of Owen Moffat.

Having joined Celtic at the age of eight, the 19-year-old has gradually worked his way up through the Hoops youth sides, before being introduced to first-team training during the club’s 2020/21 campaign.

This season, the youngster has proven to be one of the star players for Celtic’s B team side, scoring 12 goals in the Lowland Football League, including a haul of five in a 10-0 victory over Vale of Leithen back in August.

Indeed, these performances have led to some suggesting that the midfielder deserves a shot in the first-team, while Callum McGreggor is also clearly a fan of the teenager, stating after Moffat’s goal in Celtic’s 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday during pre-season: “Obviously a mention for young Moffatt, his attitude has been first class.

“I remember watching him at the end of last season, training on the astro himself. Every day they would do finishing and I remember thinking ‘he’s got a finish on him’. I wasn’t surprised yesterday when it dropped and he half-volleyed it into the net. It’s brilliant for guys like that to come in and show what they can do.”

As such, considering Postecoglou’s lack of depth in attack midfield, coupled with the obvious potential Mowatt quite clearly possesses, it would seem highly advisable for the 56-year-old to finally unleash the youngster in the coming weeks, as he could end up saving Celtic millions of pounds in January transfer fees, as well as solving a huge problem for the Bhoys manager.

In other news: Sold for peanuts, now worth £6.3m: Lawwell had a Celtic nightmare on “unplayable” flop

The return of the Premier League this weekend after the latest international break sees Southampton take on Leeds United at St Mary’s on Saturday, with both teams having had rather disappointing starts to the campaign.

The Saints’ previous league outing before the break saw them fall to a 3-1 defeat against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Djenepo should start for Southampton on Saturday

One player who did not feature in Southampton’s starting XI against Chelsea but who should come in against Leeds is Moussa Djenepo, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £55k-per-week according to Spotrac.

Southampton signed the winger back in the 2019 summer transfer window on a four-year contract from Belgian club Standard Liege in a deal which could rise to £15m.

Since then, the 23-year-old – who is currently valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt – has made 58 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, in which he has scored four goals and provided two assists along the way.

So far this season, Djenepo – who was described by teammate Nathan Redmond as being a “super-talented” player – has played in all but one of Southampton’s league games, starting four of them, but has yet to score a goal or provide an assist.

Nonetheless, he has managed to rack up 1.2 shots per game so far this season in the Premier League according to WhoScored, showing that he is still very much an attacking threat for the Saints whenever he’s on the pitch, and he could therefore be a potential game-changer against Leeds. Only four players can exceed that tally and there is a strong chance that two of them won’t feature on Saturday through either suspension (James Ward-Prowse) or injury (Che Adams).

After replacing Nathan Tella in the second half of the Chelsea game, Djenepo made two successful dribbles and won five ground duels and two tackles in just 17 minutes, ultimately seeing him earn a match rating of 6.5/10. That was higher than the likes of Tella and Redmond, both of whom started the match according to SofaScore.

Looking ahead to the Leeds clash, we feel that Hasenhuttl should go with Djenepo over Tella on the left wing to see if the Mali international can help the Saints secure their first league win of the season against Marcelo Bielsa’s side – who they would overtake in the table if they manage to do so – based on the decent showing the 23-year-old delivered off the bench against Chelsea.

In other news: Hasenhuttl must unleash “perfect” £9m-rated Southampton gem, he’s a real game-changer

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to announce Antonio Conte as their next manager, just days after handing Nuno Santo the axe following a string of poor results and mounting fan backlash.

The Portuguese served just four months at the helm, so sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy will be hoping that this appointment is not only successful but lasts a lot longer.

Conte has won league titles at Juventus, Chelsea and more recently Inter Milan, and has done so by being versatile in his tactical setup, although these have largely been based around some sort of three-at-the-back system.

At Stamford Bridge, the Italian started out with a 4-2-3-1 – something we’ve largely seen at Spurs recently – before switching between a 3-5-2 and a 3-4-3, with Victor Moses playing a surprise and starring role at wing-back.

That should provide encouragement with the Lilywhites’ current squad, but how might the starting XI look in Conte’s system?

Here’s what Football FanCast think could be his best option…

When taking a fleeting look across Spurs’ squad, a formation involving a back three should be a seamless transition.

In goal, things pretty much write themselves as club captain Hugo Lloris will surely be preferred over backup and loanee Pierluigi Gollini.

At the back, though, the north Londoners have struggled to cement a firm partnership, but it seems likely that the nod is given to the three most senior choices in Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and summer signing Cristian Romero.

Both Dier and Romero could thrive as ball-playing defenders, whilst the often-erratic Colombian could benefit by having two others next to him in defence.

The wing-back options are straightforward selections, with Sergio Reguilon and Emerson Royal expected to be preferred. If Conte wants to repeat his Moses trick, then both Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn are contenders for the role.

Perhaps the biggest question marks lie in midfield – does he opt for two deep-lying players with one attacking option, or an anchorman with two players who are given license to advance further forward?

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fulfils the defensive element, so Conte may choose Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso in the middle, meaning there’s no place for young gem Oliver Skipp.

It’s hard to envisage a spot for Dele Alli in this system, so his Spurs career may be dead and buried following this arrival. Only time will tell. Similarly, there’s little to suggest that Conte would bring Harry Winks back into the side.

If there’s any place for him, it could be in the attack as a backup alternative to the front two of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

This system could prove troublesome for aforementioned wingers Moura and Bergwijn, as well as Bryan Gil, whilst the likes of Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon may find it tough to break into the side.

AND in other news, Forget Kane: Shocking Spurs lightweight who lost 80% duels endured a nightmare against United…

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge believes former Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho was right in his stance on Dele Alli.

The Lowdown: Alli not Mourinho’s favourite

Mourinho was clearly a fan of Alli’s talent, calling him “one of the world’s best” early on his reign as Spurs manager (The Independent).

However, towards the end of the Portuguese’s tenure, it was clear Mourinho did no trust the England international. In 18 months, the 25-year-old made just 34 starts (Transfermarkt), and his criticism of the midfielder’s application in training was on show in Amazon’s All or Nothing series.

The Latest: Bridge backs Mourinho stance

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Bridge backed Mourinho’s stance on Alli. He said:

“You could even look at it like this. Mourinho didn’t even have him in the squad last season, and everyone was like ‘Mourinho always picks on one player, Dele is the one, poor Dele Alli’ and I’ve got to be honest with you, I was one of those.

“But maybe he was right, maybe he needs a move. He did so much as a youngster at 19 coming in from MK Dons. He has a phenomenal goalscoring record for Tottenham and something is not working.”

The Verdict: Not the player he was

There is no doubt Alli is not the player he was when he first broke onto the scene at Tottenham. In his first two Premier League campaigns at the club, he found the back of the net 28 times – in the four years since, that number has fallen to 23 (all in all, he has found the back of the net 67 times throughout his time in north London).

He still has plenty of years left ahead of him to improve, but is seems unlikely that he will be able to make that impact at Spurs despite being called “excellent” by Ryan Mason in May.

After stagnating, a fresh start could be exactly what he needs to kickstart his career and find the form that saw him play in a World Cup semi-final.

In other news, Daniel Levy has this contingency in regards to Nuno Espirito Santo.