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Manuel Pellegrini was handed a massive injury blow with news that Andriy Yarmolenko will miss six months of action.

The summer signing from Borussia Dortmund was taken off with an injury during the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham last week. Further scans revealed that the Ukraine international had, in fact, tore his Achilles tendon meaning he could be sidelined for around six months. The news will come as a huge blow to the West Ham faithful with Yarmolenko showing a glimpse of his talent after netting a brace against Everton at Goodison Park.

Without Yarmolenko in the attack, West Ham lack an edge going forward, and Pellegrini needs to address the issue in the January transfer window. The Hammers need more investment if they are to get their season back on track and move up the Premier League table. One man he could target to improve their fortunes is PSV Eindhoven sensation – Hirving Lozano.

Valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, the Mexican rose to prominence last season following a sensational campaign in the Eredivisie. Lozano netted 17 league goals for PSV after joining from Pachuca, helping them secure the league title. He starred for Mexico at the World Cup in Russia, scoring against Germany to send the former world champions home at the group stage.

His hot streak in front of goal has continued into the new campaign with eight league goals in nine games already. Lozano is perfect for the Premier League, combing tremendous pace with devastating dribbling ability, and he would be the ideal fit for the void left by Yarmolenko. His arrival could also help bring the best of countryman Javier Hernandez who has struggled for goals recently.

PSV would want a huge fee for their prized asset, but the price might just be worth it for Pellegrini.

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West Ham fans, thoughts?

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Tottenham fans have been discussing their interest in West Brom starlet Oliver Burke, and a whopping 88 per cent of fans want to change lanes completely and target a certain PSG wonderkid instead.

According to reports, both Tottenham and Newcastle are eyeing a move for 21 year-old Burke.

The West Brom youngster has barely played this season, but has all the potential to develop into a superstar under a manager like Mauricio Pochettino.

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However, Spurs fans would much rather sign another youngster who isn’t playing much – PSG’s Timothy Weah.

The 18 year-old United States international has one Ligue 1 goal to his name this season, but is of course limited at PSG due to the remarkable quality in their front three.

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He can play as a winger or a striker, has fantastic balance, agility and speed, and certainly has an eye for goal, scoring twice in all competitions this season despite only playing 143 minutes.

88 per cent of fans want to see Pochettino work his magic on the promising youngster just like he did with Harry Kane and Dele Alli, and you can view the full poll results down below…

Everton fans were disappointed with Jonjoe Kenny’s performance against Leicester last weekend.

The Toffees entered the international break with a 2-1 win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. Brazilian winger, Richarlison, opened the scoring after just seven minutes before Jamie Vardy equalised for the hosts. A draw looked likely before Gylfi Sigurdsson lashed a magnificent shot home from distance to snatch all three points.

The Goodison faithful were overjoyed with the win but the performance of young right-back Jonjoe Kenny was concerning. The academy graduate was thrown into the first-team during the absence of Seamus Coleman last season but currently looks out of his depth in the Premier League. A January loan move should be next for the youngster to aid his development.

To replace him, Everton should consider making a move for Manchester United right-back – Matteo Darmian. Valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, the Italian joined the Red Devils back in 2015 from Torino but has failed to nail down a regular playing spot under Jose Mourinho due to the form of Antonio Valencia. The 28-year-old has less than one year on his contract at Old Trafford and could seek an exit in the New Year.

The Italy international can play at right-back or left-back, providing brilliant cover for both Coleman and Lucas Digne. During his time with Torino, Darmian averaged 2.6 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game as well as averaging 1.2 key passes per game from defence (WhoScored).  If he can rediscover the form he showed in Italy, he could prove to be a bargain.

Kenny may blossom into a Premier League star and playing at a Championship side could be fantastic for his development. In the meantime, Marco Silva should look to Darmian to solve his right-back issues.

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Everton fans, thoughts?

Spurs will be looking to head into the international break in good form as they take on Cardiff City at Wembley today looking to make it eight games without a win for Neil Warnock’s side.

The summer was a long and boring one really for Spurs fans, with no new signings and a host of players arriving late back to the squad thanks to their World Cup exploits.

However, with the Premier League season now firmly in the swing of things, questions are beginning to be asked of the decision to not bring in any new names, as Spurs once again appear to struggle to juggle the demands of Champions League and Premier League action to good effect.

With January soon to be here in a few months, we think that Pochettino simply has to go out and strengthen, and one man we think would be an excellent bargain pick-up is Brentford strike ace Neal Maupay.

Valued at only £4.5m on Transfermarkt, the French striker has taken the Championship by storm this year, smashing in nine goals already for the Bees to fire Dean Smith’s into top six contention once again.

Maupay looks to have all the ability to make it in the Premier League, and Spurs have long needed a striker who is willing to fill the void left by Harry Kane when he is either rested or injured.

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At just 22, he has plenty of time to improve as well, and while he might not be a big name signing, Maupay could well be a superb addition for the Londoners.

Spurs fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

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Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has insisted he will not allow club captain James Tavernier to leave on the cheap amidst growing interest in his services, as quoted by Sky Sports.

What’s the word?

Gerrard has led Rangers to an impressive revival this season and, having excelled on the Europa League stage, is now showing signs of improving the club’s domestic form after inflicting a first defeat of the season on SPL leaders Hearts at the weekend to disappoint those who used a Genting promo code on the match.

The Glasgow side are playing their part in what is shaping up to be an intriguing battle at the summit of Scottish football this season in the hunt for the title and European spots, although their form is attracting suitors.

Premier League side Brighton are said to be expressing an interest in Rangers captain James Tavernier and Gerrard had his say on the links after the victory over Hearts, telling Sky Sports the Seagulls will have to pay a hefty sum to land the right-back.

What was said?

“I know the CEO at Brighton (Paul Barber) very well. I used to work alongside him at the FA. He’s got my number and he knows where I am. But he best go to the owners and ask for an awful lot of money if he wants James Tavernier.

“That goes for any CEO, any owner, any club that wants my captain. They best go to the bank and get an awful lot of money out – or he’s not going.

“I would be surprised if teams don’t come (for Tavernier) because he’s been absolutely fabulous for me. Every player has their price but if the price is not right then he does not go anywhere. He stays as my captain.

“All my players are for sale. Let’s get it out in the open. Every single one of my players is for sale. They have all got a price. But they are not the old prices. It’s the new prices. So if you want them then come with loads of money and you can have them.”

A good move?

Rangers do not have the finances to fend off interest from Premier League sides but they can use any interest to their advantage, with Gerrard’s stance concerning Tavernier and the rest of his squad likely to go down well amongst the supporters.

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Tavernier, at 26, is approaching the prime years of his career and Rangers have no need to approve a departure unless a significant fee is offered in the market – but the club should do their best to ensure there are no major departures in January.

At the end of the season, reasonable offers may be considered as Gerrard could look to bring in some of his loanees on a permanent basis but losing a player like Tavernier in January would provide a huge blow to his side’s ambitions.

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Tottenham have got back to winning ways in recent weeks, defeating Brighton and Huddersfield in the Premier League either side of a Carabao Cup penalty shootout win over Watford.

Mauricio Pochettino elected not to sign a single player during the summer window and that looked to have caused problems in mid-September as the Lilywhites endured a run of three consecutive losses, including in the Champions League to Inter Milan.

However, the fightback from Tottenham has been impressive and they are now looking towards the transfer market in January to strengthen their ranks – and midfield additions look likely as an exit for Mousa Dembele is anticipated either in the New Year or next summer when his contract expires.

A host of players have already been touted with a move to North London and eye-catching reports have stated that Spurs are keeping close tabs on highly-rated Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who boasts eight caps for Serbia.

Having also been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in recent months, the fight for the signature of the 23-year-old is set to be fierce and fans have had their say on the rumours on social media.

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We have gathered some of the best reactions below.

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Leeds United have done incredibly well to cope with their injury problems so far this season, but their resilience was finally broken on Saturday afternoon as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Birmingham City at Elland Road. 

Marcelo Bielsa’s decision to hold off on a handful of signings during the summer in favour of keeping his squad as a tightly-knit group appeared to backfire recently when a handful of players fell victim to injury problems.

The likes of Patrick Bamford, Kemar Roofe and Pablo Hernandez were all ruled out within a short space of time but, despite the concerns of some supporters, the Whites have coped well with the growing injury list and they remain top of the pile after 9 fixtures.

But a recent update on the club’s website makes for unfortunate viewing as both Roofe and Hernandez will remain sidelined for two-three and four-five weeks respectively.

Although Hernandez’s absence represents a huge blow for the club as a whole, it has given summer signing Harrison (valued at £3.15 million by Transfermarkt) an opportunity to showcase his potential on the right-wing and, despite a slow start, he is beginning to impress.

Plenty was expected of Harrison when he arrived at Elland Road from Manchester City, but he looked a level below what is required after coming on at half-time against Swansea City in August.

Fast-forward a few weeks and Harrison looks like a new player with the confidence and technical ability to become an integral part of Leeds’ promotion push.

With Hernandez ruled out for another month at the very least, Harrison has a dream opportunity to cement his name on Bielsa’s team sheet but he will need to step up another level in order to prove he has what it takes to keep the Spanish veteran on the substitutes bench upon his return to fitness.

The 21-year-old’s strike against Millwall provided a brief glimpse of what he can provide at Elland Road and with Hernandez sidelined he must showcase that level of quality on a consistent basis if he wants to prove himself to Bielsa.

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Leeds fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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The majority of Swansea fans that voted in our poll want manager Graham Potter to make a move for free-agent and former Stoke City man Philipp Wollscheid to bolster his defensive options and provide some experience at the back.

Swansea were relegated from the Premier League last season and subsequently sold four senior centre-backs in Alfie Mawson, Federico Fernandez, Kyle Bartley and Jordi Amat.

Mike van der Hoorn and 20-year-old Joe Rodon have been Potter’s first choice centre-backs so far this season, although Tottenham loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers made his first start in the 1-0 loss to Stoke, with the inexperienced pairing of 19-year-old Brandon Cooper and 21-year-old Cian Harries offering cover for the main men.

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Wollscheid is available on a free transfer though after leaving French side Metz in January this year, and the 29-year-old has kept himself fit by playing futsal ever since.

The 6ft 4in centre-back was at Stoke between 2015 and 2017 and made 56 appearances for the club in the Premier League. He also has two caps for the German national side, meaning he has the experience that Potter is currently crying out for at the back. Check out the full results of our poll below.

Free-agent Darren Bent has spoken of his desire to play for Steven Gerrard at Rangers, but signing the 34 year-old would go completely against the mentality Gerrard is building at Ibrox.

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What’s the word?

After Gabby Agbonlahor expressed his desire to play for Celtic last week, Bent has continued the trend of ageing strikers begging for moves to Scotland by saying he would like to play for Rangers.

“100 per cent,” he exclaimed when asked by TalkSPORT if he would consider joining the Gers.

“You’re talking about one of the biggest clubs in football in Rangers. To get the opportunity to go up there and play – definitely!”

While Bent would certainly add more depth up front, it would be a huge mistake from Gerrard to disrupt his squad by moving for London-born striker.

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A bust-up waiting to happen?

There’s no doubt about it, Bent has been a phenomenal goalscorer down the years. The 5 ft 11 in poacher has racked up 179 league goals in England, as well as scoring four times in 13 caps for his country.

The 34 year-old knows where the back of the net is, but Gerrard already has two proven goalscorers in Kyle Lafferty and Alfredo Morelos, as well as young Umar Sadiq waiting for his chance.

The difference between Bent and all three of those players is his work rate, which goes completely against the mind-set Gerrard is building at the club. Every player in the Gers’ squad right now is hard-working and driven, and just last month Bent was called out by his former boss Paul Clement for being lazy and overweight.

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Gerrard is building a squad that thrives on relentless pressing and defending as a team, and playing Bent would effectively be defending with ten men. The 34 year-old would command big wages, and would rarely budge Morelos or Lafferty from the first team.

His arrival would also effectively rule loan signing Sadiq out of any playing time, effectively admitting that the boss made a mistake by signing the Roma youngster in the first place.

So, Rangers fans, what do you think? Would Bent be a shrewd signing? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

Aston Villa had seemingly missed out to Spartak Moscow in the race to sign former Chelsea and England captain John Terry, who is available on a free transfer.

However, according to reports in the Russian press, Terry has had a change of heart at the final moment, and the deal has now fallen through.

Terry’s future has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks, with Sporting Lisbon also said to be in the hunt for the 37-year-old.

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Terry recently told the Daily Mail that he had “unfinished business” at Villa, and Steve Bruce’s side could now re-sign the defender for their 2018-19 Championship season.

The 6ft 2in ace impressed for Villa last season before leaving on a free at the end of the campaign.

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The former Premier League outfit are in desperate need of a new central defender, however, and the club’s supporters feel that Terry could be returning after all.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the club’s fans can be seen below: