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According to a report by West Ham United insiders Claret & Hugh, GSB and the club are ‘ready to go all the way’ to seal Jesse Lingard on a permanent deal this summer – with the English remaining ‘desperately keen’ to become a Hammer according to those close to him.

West Ham ‘ready to go all the way’ for Lingard

The 28-year-old has burst on to the Irons scene in superb style since signing on loan from Manchester United in January, scoring five goals and assisting two of his West Ham teammates in the Premier League so far (WhoScored).

As a result, manager David Moyes has reportedly prioritised a permanent deal for Lingard ahead of the summer transfer window – with C&H providing the latest update that GSB are ‘ready to go all the way’ to make it happen.

In another possible boost for Moyes, the attacker remains desperately keen to join this summer – and sources inside the club have apparently seen Lingard become a permanent West Ham man in ‘all but name’.

Transfer Tavern take

Described as a player who looks set to be a ‘magnificent signing’ for Moyes by pundit Alan Shearer in February (Premier League), Hammers supporters will be hoping their club get it over the line this summer judging by his recent performances.

The Irons boss also wants a striker, but Lingard looks set to take precedence according to C&H.

In other news: West Ham fans flocked to this ‘excellent news’, find out more here.

Premier League legend Alan Shearer has heaped praise on Leeds United star Stuart Dallas, following his weekend heroics.

The 29-year-old produced a memorable performance on Saturday afternoon, proving to be the hero against soon-to-be-champions Manchester City.

Dallas scored both of his side’s goals, including the stoppage time winner, and his all-round display was typically influential, as has been the case throughout this season.

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Shearer waxes lyrical over Dallas

Someone who was clearly impressed with what he saw was Shearer, who named Dallas in his Premier League Team of the Week.

Writing about the versatile Northern Irishman, the ex-England and Newcastle United star outlined his impact at the Etihad last weekend:

“Wow. Outstanding. After helping to defend with 10 men for so long, he somehow still had the energy to run through and score the winner.”

Transfer Tavern take

It’s nice to see that Dallas finally seems to be receiving more mainstream praise, with Leeds fans well aware of his quality for some time now.

He was once described as ‘selfless’ by former Whites striker Jermaine Beckford, which perfectly sums up his unsung nature and team ethic.

As the campaign nears its conclusion, Dallas is a strong contender to win Leeds’ Player of the Year award, especially given his current form, with the midfielder scoring seven goals and registering two assists in the league.

In other news, Leeds are interested in a move for an experienced Serie A player – find out who it is here.

Former Leeds United star Jon Newsome has urged the Premier League club to avoid a swoop for striker target Ivan Toney this summer, telling Football FanCast exclusively that he wouldn’t sanction such a move to Elland Road.

Toney has been in red-hot form for the Championship club this season.

He has scored 29 goals and laid on 10 assists with the Bees chasing promotion to the Premier League.

However, reports have indicated that Toney would cost a sizeable fee.

Football League World has reported that the club will demand a £35m fee if they are to let him move in the coming transfer window and Newsome, who won the First Division with Leeds in the 1991/92 season, believes that such a deal would simply be too expensive for the club.

Indeed, he pointed to the club’s summer signings, in which they splashed out on a number of senior players, but never paid over £26m, with that fee marking a club-record when they signed Rodrigo from Valencia.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Newsome was asked whether he would sanction such a deal for Toney if he had the choice and he was definitive in his response.

He said: “In a word, no. No, I don’t think I would. I mean, if you’re looking at the players that they brought into the football club in the summer, all four of them are international football players and not one of them has got anywhere near the 35 million pound price tag.

“So I’m not diminishing Toney’s ability and the impact that he’s had at Brentford this season, because I think he’s doing incredibly well, he’s doing really well.”

Daniel Pinder, editor-in-chief at Get German Football News, doubts that RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann will be tempted to move to Tottenham Hotspur, telling Football Fancast that he is likely waiting for the Bayern Munich job.

Spurs sacked Jose Mourinho on Monday, per David Ornstein of The Athletic, in an explosive 24 hours that also saw the club sign up to be founding members of the new European Super League. Ryan Mason and Chris Powell are to take over first-team duties.

Mourinho has struggled at times this season and Spurs are currently seventh in the Premier League table prior to this week’s game with Southampton, and this weekend’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.

Reports have previously linked Nagelsmann with the Spurs job, with the Daily Telegraph reporting he would become the top target if Mourinho was sacked.

The 33-year-old has been with Leipzig since 2019, and they are currently second in the Bundesliga, though they are seven points behind leaders Bayern.

Bayern have announced that Hansi Flick, their current coach, will leave the club at the end of the season and Pinder, editor-in-chief at Get German Football News, has speculated that he will take over from Joachim Low as Germany manager after this summer’s European Championships.

And asked about the prospect of Nagelsmann moving to north London, he rejected the assertion, insisting he is far more likely to replace Flick.

He told FFC: “I don’t think Nagelsmann would go to Spurs. I think he’s waiting for the Bayern Munich job.

“I was thinking earlier, there’s already a managerial merry-go-round in Germany, with Marco Rose to Dortmund, Adi Hutter to Gladbach, which then leaves a space at Eintracht Frankfurt.

“I think if Hansi Flick is the coach of the German national team after the Euros then that’ll open up the Bayern Munich spot and I think, ultimately, that’s where Nagelsmann will want to be in the end.”

What defines a scapegoat? According to the dictionary, it’s a person that’s blamed for the mistakes and wrongdoings of others.

Therefore, it wouldn’t be politically correct to suggest that Callum McFadzean was Sunderland’s.

He may be targeted considerably by fan blogs for his poor performances but the fact of the matter is that for the most part, he deserves the criticism. After all, he is the man making the errors.

McFadzean is a committed professional and is a handy full-back when it comes to the offensive phases of play. Though, when he’s faced with a tricky winger he looks way out of his depth.

We have seen that on multiple occasions this term. Whether it was giving away a penalty against Wimbledon last year or being run ragged by Otis Khan in the EFL final at Wembley, he’s had plenty of moments to forget in 2020/21.

During that clash, he was beaten by Khan on four occasions while he was also led what Sunderland reporter James Hunter described as “merry dance” by Olamide Shodipo when the Black Cats faced Oxford United.

Though, none were arguably worse than what occurred against Hull City on Tuesday evening.

On paper, a 2-2 draw with their fellow promotion hopefuls was a good result, but consider three straight defeats before that and their chances of automatic promotion appear to be fading by the day.

McFadzean owes a great apology for his role in the defeat to Hull.

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Playing at left-back, he was terrorised by Mallik Wilks, one of League One’s best players this season.

The Hull winger has netted 16 goals this term while providing six assists for his teammates in the process. He didn’t find the net on Tuesday but he did create both goals after skinning McFadzean down the right.

Bailey Wright may have been unable to pick up Josh Magennis who bagged both strikes inside the area but if Sunderland’s left-back had been stronger and more adept he’d have been able to stop the source of the delivery.

In total, McFadzean lost a whopping 80% of his defensive duels as he committed two fouls and was dribbled past on three occasions. He was only able to make one tackle during his time on the field too.

Wilks was a constant threat, producing four shots, four dribbles and two key passes for the Tigers.

Against one of the most dangerous players in the third tier, the Mackems full-back was caught napping on several occasions.

Lee Johnson has been keen to stick with him in recent weeks while Denver Hume steps up his recovery from injury but his performance this week that should have left the manager seething.

He needs to drop him permanently from the starting XI during the run-in.

AND in other news, Forget Stewart: SAFC must swoop for 16-goal beast, Jack Ross thinks he’s “terrific”…

West Ham are among four clubs reported to be keen on signing Young Boys striker Jean-Pierre Nsame this summer.

That’s according to a report from TEAMtalk, who claimed that the Hammers, Celtic, Newcastle and Southampton have all placed the forward on their transfer wish lists.

The 27-year-old has made great strides during his time with the Swiss outfit, scoring 97 goals in 167 appearances. He has netted 25 times during the current campaign and is valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt.

The Cameroon international has been with Young Boys since 2017 and his current contract runs until 2023.

Transfer Tavern take

It seems as if GSB are making early plans ahead of the 2021/22 season, which should be exciting news for West Ham supporters. Bolstering the squad may well be on the agenda this summer, especially with the Hammers currently in line to bring European football to the London Stadium.

Michail Antonio is David Moyes’ only senior striker, so bringing in Nsame could prove to be a shrewd move. The African has experience in both the Champions League and Europa League, so that could also prove handy when it comes to next season.

Out of the four clubs interested, you’d expect West Ham to be one of the more attractive propositions for Nsame, so this could be a deal to keep an eye on over the coming months.

In other news: Many Hammers fans buzz at links to Premier League powerhouse, find out more here. 

Wolves’ attempts to replace two of their best players last summer turned into a mess.

Jeff Shi spent over £27m on defensive liability Nelson Semedo and splashed a club-record £35.6m on Fabio Silva to garner only three goals.

On the chalkboard

On paper, these additions looked promising. Semedo had been signed from one of the biggest clubs in world football; Barcelona, while Silva was and still is, the definition of a wonderkid.

However, things haven’t played out well for the Old Gold. Raul Jimenez, Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto have all suffered from significant injuries this term while Adama Traore has one goal since December 2019.

Life has been made all the more difficult by the departing Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota. They accounted for 25% of Wolves’ goals last season and they simply haven’t been replaced.

Jota has become a shining light for Liverpool and already has a Champions League hat-trick to his name. He has also managed to break up the terrifying trio of Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino. That isn’t easy work but Jota has made it look relatively straightforward.

The Portuguese youngster scored 16 times last term, a number no one in the Wolves side this season has come close to eclipsing. Neto and Ruben Neves are their top scorers during 2020/21 with only five strikes in comparison.

The replacement

Jeff Shi didn’t do a great job of reinvesting the £41m they sold Jota for last summer but he has a chance to amend things in a few months time.

He could do so by bringing South Korean sensation Kang-in Lee to the club. It’s thought that Valencia could offer the attacker to Wolves in a swap deal involving enigmatic forward Rafa Mir.

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Mir has done well on loan at Huesca in Spain this term and has 12 La Liga goals for his troubles; more than both Antoine Griezmann and Joao Felix.

However, it wouldn’t be a huge loss if he departed because he’s never actually scored a goal in English football.

While surrendering Mir, they could finally land their Jota replacement.

After all, Lee is a particularly dangerous and tricky individual. Possessing an enormous release clause of £71m, the South Korea international is only 20 but has already been compared to one of the most creative footballers to play the game in David Silva.

Lee can play on the flanks but also through the middle as an attacking midfielder. He has creativity in abundance and can beat a defender on a frequent basis.

Like Jota, his dribbling is mesmeric. This term, Lee has registered 1.4 dribbles per game and has been fouled on 1.8 occasions per match.

Those numbers are more impressive than Jota who has performed 1.1 successful dribbles each game and has been fouled on 1.1 occasions.

Dubbed an “outstanding talent” by Valencia academy director Luis Vicente Mateo, Lee still needs to work on finding the net more regularly; he has scored just once this term but has four assists to his name.

If he can work on his finishing, then he’d be an astute capture for those at Molineux. He could even replace the attributes that Jota took with him when he left for Merseyside.

AND in other news, Move over Podence: Wolves must swoop for £80k-p/w brute with “breathtaking technique”…

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that Tottenham selling Harry Kane this summer would destroy the club.

The Spurs striker continues to be linked with a move away from north London, with both Manchester City and Manchester United said to be interested, and recently reiterated his desire to win trophies.

While Tottenham have had their struggles this season, Kane has been brilliant throughout the campaign and they will surely be fearing losing their talisman – especially after another trophy-less season.

The 27-year-old has put up some incredible numbers when it comes to both goals and assists in the Premier League, showing just how valuable he is to the team.

For Hendrie, it will be almost impossible to replace that, hence why he believes a Kane departure would leave Spurs in tatters.

On the England captain potentially leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the upcoming transfer window, the retired Premier League footballer told FFC:

“You take him out of there and who are you going to get that’s going to fill 25 plus goals a season? You’ll do well; I’ll tell you that now. That could really destroy Spurs and that’s what I feel holds the cards on many things at this moment in time at that football club.”

Indeed, it really would be interesting to see who Tottenham could get in as a replacement for Kane if he did decide to leave this summer, especially with the north London club potentially not having Champions League football to use as a bargaining chip.

Liverpool are back in Premier League action tonight following a two-week break as they host Southampton at Anfield.

Last Sunday, the Reds’ away clash at Old Trafford to face Manchester United was postponed due to fan protests. It means that Jurgen Klopp’s men come into the clash with Saints having most recently drawn 1-1 with Newcastle United.

How many changes could the German be tempted to make for tonight’s game?

We are anticipating just two alterations at Anfield on Saturday evening from the Newcastle game, neither of them enforced.

First and foremost, Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson will be selected in between the sticks.

There will likely be one change in the defence in front of him, though. The headline switch will be Nathaniel Phillips’ return to the backline after a slight layoff,. as Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that the 24-year-old has recovered from a problem which was keeping him out.

The £64k-per-week defender – who has won a squad-high 5.5 headers per game this season – will replace Fabinho, who should move back into his preferred position in the centre of the park. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ozan Kabak and Andrew Robertson should all remain in the back four.

Whilst Fabinho will be reintroduced into midfield, there could be another slight change alongside him, as Thiago Alcantara is likely to drop out to make room for the returning Phillips.

James Milner could come into the team, rounding off a midfield three of him, the Brazilian and Georginio Wijnaldum.

The veteran England midfielder could replace Diogo Jota. The Portuguese forward is five without a goal in all competitions and could likely drop down the bench. This would duly see Klopp field his regular front three of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

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The Senegal forward has only scored once against his former employers so will surely be keen to improve upon that underwhelming record.

AND in more news, find out which Reds star has given Jurgen Klopp a considerable injury boost this weekend…

Xisco Munoz’s Watford side are considering a move for Gael Kakuta this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that the Hornets, as well as Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Fulham, are closely monitoring the RC Lens attacking midfielder ahead of a potential move in the upcoming transfer window.

It is then reported that the Ligue 1 side, who are only signing the 29-year-old on a permanent deal themselves this summer, would be looking for a fee of around €10 million (£8.6 million) in order to part with the DR Congo international.

Generational talent

While it would be a fair assessment to make that Kakuta has not quite lived up to the expectations one might assign to a footballer who remains Chelsea’s youngest ever player to feature in the Champions League, as well as one who was dubbed by a highly experienced scout as the “most gifted player of his generation” when he was just 16 years of age, the midfielder has nevertheless impressed this season for Lens.

Over his 33 league appearances for Franck Haise’s side, Kakuta has scored 11 goals, registered five assists and has created a whopping 13 big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.5 key passes and taking 1.5 shots per game, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 7.05 – ranking him as the club’s second-best performer in the French top flight.

When comparing these returns to those of the Watford players this season, only Ismaila Sarr’s haul of 17 direct involvements with goals scored betters Kakuta’s return of 16, demonstrating just how much the Hornets are in need of a midfielder with both the creativity and clinical edge of the 29-year-old, particularly when considering the step up in level the club are about to face following their promotion to the Premier League.

As such, Cristiano Giaretta should be doing everything he can to ensure that Watford win the race to sign the former Chelsea man this summer, and, with the Lens star available for a reported fee of just £8.6 million, this particular race is likely to be one that is very hotly contested.

In other news: Watford suffer huge blow in pursuit of “talented” £25k-p/w gem, Giaretta will be livid – opinion