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Liverpool are their own worst enemies in the Premier League this season.

Arne Slot’s side’s revival continues, with Wolverhampton Wanderers beaten at Anfield. But once again, the Reds supporters have been treated some gut-wrenching viewing in the closing stages, under the cosh after conceding another set-piece.

Liverpool are back into the top four, with Ryan Gravenberch opening the scoring before Florian Wirtz connected with the in-form Hugo Ekitike before the break.

How Wirtz needed that one. The German playmaker is beginning to grow into his skin on Merseyside, and he has finally broken his duck.

How Florian Wirtz has come alive at Liverpool

Liverpool paid Bayer Leverkusen £116m for Wirtz’s signature this summer. It was the all-time British record before Alexander Isak moved to the club on deadline day.

Wirtz, 22, has been one of the most criticised Premier League players this season. The spotlight has been blinding at times. But now he has scored, rubber-stamping what has quietly been an impressive run of form for the German international.

Having assisted Ekitike last week, the striker returned the favour against Wolves, who remain at the foot of the table on just two points. He won 11 duels and completed eight dribbles, as per Sofascore, head and shoulders above his peers and opponents.

Wirtz is coming alive, and it’s important to remember Liverpool have been abject and imbalanced this year, far below the expected standard.

He has a future at Liverpool, alright, but the same sadly can’t be said for all of the Reds, with one of Wirtz’s attacking teammates heading in the other direction against doomed Wolves.

FSG must now sell Liverpool flop

Liverpool have a talented crop of forwards, and Federico Chiesa has found regular minutes hard to come by since joining from Juventus for a cut-price £12.5m fee in 2024.

His fortunes have improved since the summer, but he has equally been kept on the fringes, albeit playing more of a part than in last year’s title-winning team.

Injuries and absences opened the door for a rare Premier League start against Wolves, but the £150k-per-week Italian failed to grasp it.

The Liverpool Echo summed it up: while Chiesa played a part in Gravenberch’s opening goal, he was largely ineffective down the right wing, minimally involved and lacking the vim and vigour that was required to catch Slot’s eye. He was branded with a match-low 5/10 score.

Chiesa’s Game in Numbers

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

61′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

23

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

10/16 (63%)

Chances created

0

Crosses

0/2

Dribbles

0/1

Recoveries

2

Tackles

0/0

Ground duels

0/3

Data via Sofascore

Chiesa has found opportunities few and far between at Liverpool, with this his first Premier League start at Anfield. He lost all three of his ground duels, and he didn’t complete a dribble.

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Perhaps that was a chance he could not allow to pass him by, and yet it has, carrying off into the bracing wind the prospect of regular starting berths over the next several weeks. It is worth remembering Dominik Szoboszlai missed out on Saturday due to suspension.

With rumours of interest surfacing from his homeland in recent months, FSG might conclude that Chiesa should be sold after his season-and-a-half in Liverpool. When Mohamed Salah returns from AFCON, his playing time will be further reduced, especially as Slot has shown a willingness to field Jeremie Frimpong in an advanced berth.

‘Fede’ has shown himself to have a Midas touch in front of goal this season, scoring twice off the bench in the Premier League. But he’s perhaps better off as an impact substitute.

Maybe Slot knows a thing about management after all. If Liverpool act on their interest in a new winger, it could prompt Chiesa’s sale. That might be the best move for all parties, should the Italian want to play regular football throughout the rest of his prime years.

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Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson

It’s finally time, after a long summer, West Ham United are back in competitive action this afternoon.

Graham Potter’s side kickstart their Premier League campaign with a game away to the recently promoted Sunderland.

On paper, it’s a game that the Hammers should be winning comfortably, but as we all know, it’s never that simple, and the Black Cats have made some brilliant additions to their team this summer, most notably in former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka.

The Swiss international is still a top player, and in an interesting development, the Irons are now being linked with someone who’d be their own version of him.

West Ham target their own Xhaka

While it has not necessarily been an exciting window this summer, West Ham have made a few smart additions to the team.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Mads Hermanses impressed for Leicester City last season, Kyle Walker-Peters is a proven Premier League performer, and El Hadji Malick Diouf impressed in pre-season.

Moreover, it looks like the Hammers want to do more business before the window closes and are now targeting someone who could be their own Xhaka.

At least that’s according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, who has revealed that West Ham are interested in Aleix García.

The journalist claims that the Bayer Leverkusen star is someone “they quite like” and that, in good news, no other teams seem to be in for him at the moment.

It’s not clear just how much Garcia would cost the Hammers, but he joined the German side for around £15m.

If he’s available for around that much today, it would represent some incredible business, especially as he could be their own Xhaka.

How Garcia compares to Xhaka

In this instance, the comparison stems primarily from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League before concluding that Xhaka has been the eighth most similar midfielder to Garcia over the last 365 days.

The best way to gain a better understanding of how such a conclusion was reached is by taking a look under the hood, at the underlying numbers in which the pair ranked closest.

In this case, these include metrics such as progressive carries, passing accuracy, shot and goal-creating actions, blocks, live passes and more, all per 90.

Garcia & Xhaka

Statistics per 90

Garcia

Xhaka

Progressive Carries

1.67

1.31

Progressive Passes Received

2.90

2.24

Passing Accuracy

87.2%

89.7%

Expected Assists

0.23

0.16

Live Passes

78.4

83.9

Shot-Creating Actions

3.71

3.74

Goal-Creating Actions

0.62

0.56

Blocks

0.74

0.93

Clearances

1.48

1.62

Successful Take-Ons

0.25

0.22

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Campaign

In other words, like the Swiss international, Garcia is an all-action midfielder who can more than help out when it comes to the attacking side of the game, but is also more than happy to dig in and do the dirty work when his team need him to.

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However, the pair don’t just share statistical similarities, as they actually played with one another at Leverkusen, and if the former Girona star does move this summer, then he’d likely be following his former teammate to the Premier League.

Finally, another strength that the “technically gifted” Spaniard, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, shares with the former Gunners ace is his ability to play in multiple midfield roles, from the six to a box-crashing eight and, on occasion, further up the pitch than that.

Ultimately, while this would be a surprising move, it’s one West Ham should be all over, as Garcia looks like just the player to come in and improve their midfield, just like Xhaka will for Sunderland.

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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is now driving a move for an “exciting” £67m forward, who has been advised to move to Old Trafford by Cristiano Ronaldo, according to reports.

Man Utd keen to bolster attacking options

The stalemate in the Manchester derby will only have underlined the need for Man United to bolster their attacking options in the summer transfer window, and they are now stepping up their pursuit of a new striker.

One striker who Amorim knows very well is Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, and a £64m bid has reportedly been lodged for the Sweden international, who is also attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha is the latest forward to be linked with a move to Old Trafford, with the Red Devils making contact over a deal for the Brazilian, while they are also keen to bolster their options in wide areas.

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Posts 1 ByRobbie Walls

There have been recent reports United could even make an audacious £172m move for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, should they qualify for next season’s Champions League via a Europa League triumph.

However, a move for Vinicius does not seem particularly likely, and a report from GiveMeSport has revealed that Sporting CP’s Trincao, who could be more of a realistic target, is now being pursued by Man Utd.

Amorim is driving the move for his former winger, who is also able to play through the middle, which could make him a solid alternative option to Cunha, should the Red Devils miss out on the Wolves star.

The Portuguese forward has a release clause of £67m included in his contract, which means he will not come cheap, but he is deemed more likely to move to Old Trafford than teammate Gyokeres.

Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot have recommended the move to their compatriot, although it remains to be seen whether his head is turned by his international teammates.

"Exciting" Trincao performing well in Portugal

The 25-year-old didn’t set the world alight during his time with Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring just three goals for the Old Gold, but his impressive performances in Portugal over the past few seasons indicate he deserves a second chance in the Premier League.

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This term, the former Wolves man has amassed eight goals and 12 assists in 28 Liga Portugal games, in what is on course to be his most prolific season to date.

The Portugal international also impressed for his country during their recent UEFA Nations League clash against Denmark, bagging a brace as his side prevailed 5-2 after extra-time.

Lauded as a “really exciting player” by former Wolves technical director Scott Sellars, Trincao has proven he could be a top signing for Man United, but Cunha should remain their primary target, given that the Brazil international is proven in the Premier League.

Well, as should be expected by this point, Tottenham Hotspur followed up their sensational win away to Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday with a dismal draw against Roma in the Europa League last night.

Ange Postecoglou has done very well in his year and a half at the club, helping to turn them into one of the most exciting teams in Europe, but he hasn’t been able to quash the inconsistent streak that seems ever-present within the club.

However, the North Londoners had enough chances to win the game last night, so it would be unfair to pin the draw on anyone other than the players.

Spurs’ recent results

Competition

Opponent

Result

Europa League

AS Roma (H)

2-2 (D)

Premier League

Man City (A)

4-0 (W)

Premier League

Ipswich (H)

2-1 (L)

Europa League

Galatasaray (A)

3-2 (L)

Premier League

Aston Villa (H)

4-1 (W)

Via Sky Sports

In particular, there was one regular starter who was notably poor on the night and should probably be dropped for Sunday’s clash with Fulham.

Spurs' poor performers

So, before we get to the offender in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other disappointing displays from last night, starting with club-record signing Dominic Solanke.

Now, it’s true that the former Bournemouth ace didn’t make a mistake that cost his team a goal. However, he missed more than his fair share of chances that could have taken them out of sight of the Giallorossi, somehow failing to score once from an expected goals figure of 1.13, which saw Spurs writer Alasdair Gold award him a 6/10 match rating.

Likewise, while Son Heung-min scored the penalty in the first half, he was painfully ineffective for most of the game, either taking weak and inaccurate shots when he shouldn’t have or failing to pass to his teammates when he should have, resulting in a 6/10 from Gold.

In the midfield, Rodrigo Bentancur looked tired early on in the second half, and while he put in some decent tackles here and there, he failed to assert himself in the middle of the park, once again leading to a 6/10 rating from the football.london journalist.

However, while all three of the above were underwhelming against the Serie A giants, one of their teammates managed to put in a display that was even worse.

The Spurs starter Postecoglou should drop

So, while the likes of Radu Dragusin and even Brennan Johnson struggled at points last night, the starter who put in arguably the worst performance of all and should, therefore, be dropped was Pedro Porro.

Yes, the Lilywhites’ talented full-back, who is usually so effective for the club in attack and, at the very least, reliable in defence, was neither last night.

The Spaniard’s best moment came when he hit the woodwork from a free-kick in the second half but as Gold highlights, he ‘almost gifted Dovbyk a late equaliser’ and was ‘nowhere near Angelino’s cross for the leveller,’ which was unsurprisingly enough to warrant a paltry 5/10 match rating.

While that could be construed as harsh, it is an opinion backed up by the Spaniard’s statistics on the night.

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For example, in his 95 minutes of action, the former Sporting CP ace was dribbled past twice, made an error that led to a shot, lost 100% of his aerial duels, lost the ball a staggering 23 times, misplaced 66% of his crosses, failed in 100% of his dribbles and maintained a passing accuracy of just 73%.

Porro’s game in numbers

Minutes

95′

Dribbled Past

2

Errors Leading to a Shot

1

Aerial Duels (Won)

2 (0)

Lost Possession

23

Crosses (Accurate)

3 (1)

Dribbles (Successful)

1 (0)

Passing Accuracy

44/60 (73%)

Shots on Target

2

Tackles

6

All Stats via Sofascore

Now, while he did manage to take two shots on target and make several tackles during the game, his mistakes were too numerous to ignore.

As such, the manager should seriously consider dropping him for Fulham, especially when he can call upon Djed Spence, who needs game time badly, or even Archie Gray, whom Gold awarded a 7/10 for his display in the unfamiliar position of left-back last night.

Ultimately, nobody will dispute the sensational innate talent that Porro possesses, but last night was a particularly dire display from the full-back, and with players lining up behind him, Postecoglou should drop him to the bench on Sunday.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes

It was a Premier League campaign of ups and downs for Tottenham Hotspur last season, and while missing out on the Champions League was disappointing, qualifying for the Europa League should still be considered a success.

However, with a year under his belt, Ange Postecoglou must take the Lilywhites one step further in 2024/25 and return them to Europe's elite competition.

To do that, the Australian will need Daniel Levy and Co to supply him with some talented players in the remaining weeks of the transfer window, specifically a striker.

Now, the North Londoners have recently been linked with Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke, and while he'd be a good signing, the latest striker touted for a move to the club would be even better.

Tottenham Hotspurs' striker search

According to a recent report from respected journalist Alasdair Gold, Tottenham are in the market for a new striker this summer, and Viktor Gyokeres is one of the players they have looked at.

Gold does mention a potential price for the Swedish international, but recent reports have claimed that Sporting CP are looking for a fee in the region of €80m, which converts to about £67m.

The other issue for the Lilywhites is that the former Coventry City ace has seemingly caught the attention of several topflight clubs, such as Arsenal and Liverpool.

That said, while signing Gyokeres would likely prove challenging and costly, his incredible ability would dramatically strengthen Spurs, and he'd be a better signing than Solanke.

How Gyokeres compares to Solanke

Okay, so the first thing to say is that given Spurs need for an out-and-out number nine this summer, signing either Solanke or Gyokeres would be a good idea and probably see their return of goals increase next season, but when it comes down to comparing the two stars, there is only one winner.

For example, in his 42 appearances last season, the Bournemouth ace scored 21 goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.68 games, and while that's undeniably impressive, it does not hold a candle to the Swede's output.

In his 50 appearances for Sporting last season, he scored a whopping 43 goals and provided 15 assists for good measure, equating to an outrageous average of a goal involvement every 0.86 games, or 1.16 goal involvements per match.

Unfortunately for the Englishman, this one-sided comparison continues when we look at their underlying numbers. For example, while the Cherries ace comes out ahead for progressive passes and aerial duels won per 90, that's it.

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In contrast, the Swedish "powerhouse", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, emerges victorious in every other relevant metric, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, shot and goal-creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Gyokeres vs Solanke

Stats per 90

Gyokeres

Solanke

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.82

0.55

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists

1.05

0.54

Progressive Passes

1.57

1.63

Progressive Carries

3.52

1.41

Shots

3.37

2.87

Shots on Target

1.64

0.95

Shot-Creating Actions

4.08

2.14

Goal-Creating Actions

0.65

0.16

Successful Take-Ons

2.10

0.16

Aerial Duels Won

1.91

2.63

All Stats via FBref for 23/24 League Season

Ultimately, signing Solanke would likely see Spurs improve in attack next season.

However, if Levy and Co want to utterly transform the club's frontline and give themselves the best chance of qualifying for the Champions League, they should do all they can to bring Gyokeres to N17 this summer – he would be a game-changer.

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Aston Villa’s chances of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League took a big hit last weekend as they stumbled to a 4-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.

Having just three days recovery between the clash on Sunday and their Europa Conference League tie against Ajax looked as though it caught up with Unai Emery’s men.

While they were 2-0 down to Spurs, John McGinn got himself sent off with 25 minutes remaining and the north Londoners netted another two in added time to wrap up a convincing victory.

Should Villa prevail against the Dutch giants this Thursday, could fatigue begin to set in and derail their challenge for a Champions League spot?

McGinn’s red card on Sunday means he will now be suspended for the next few league matches and combining this with an ever-growing injury list, it looks as though the Midlands side could see their dreams being destroyed.

Emery has formed an excellent starting XI, but his squad depth is a worry, especially in defence.

If Matty Cash gets injured, the only other senior right back in the first-team squad is Calum Chambers, and he has played a grand total of 222 minutes this season, and he is currently earning more than one of their January transfer signings.

Calum Chambers’ statistics at Aston Villa

In January 2022, during Steven Gerrard’s first transfer window in charge of the club, the former Rangers manager lured Chambers north in a move that cost them just £2m.

This was due to the defender having only six months left on his Arsenal contract and, on the surface, it appeared to be a bargain.

Chambers had spent the previous six and a half seasons at the Gunners, making 122 appearances across all competitions, yet his final 18 months saw him feature on just 17 occasions, and it was clear his future was elsewhere.

Gerrard had secured the signing of a defender with plenty of Premier League experience, and he played 11 games for Villa until May 2022, scoring once in the process.

This should have been a solid platform to work with ahead of the following season, yet he started just five matches for the club, including only two in the league.

The right-back ranked in a lowly 17th position in the squad for accurate passes per game (10.9) in the top flight, while finishing in 11th spot for accurate long balls per game (0.6) and 14th for tackles per match (0.6), indicating that he failed to perform when given a chance in the first team.

The 29-year-old has found opportunities even harder to come by this term as Emery prefers Cash on the right of his back four.

Indeed, Chambers has played just 44 minutes of Premier League football during 2023/24 and that came against Nottingham Forest a couple of weeks ago amid the club's wretched run of injuries at the back.

The Englishman still has another year left on his current contract, yet the Spaniard will clearly be looking to move him on this summer, especially considering the wage that he is earning every week.

What Calum Chambers earns at Aston Villa

The defender signed a three-and-a-half-year deal in January 2022, earning a staggering £50k-per-week in the process.

Since he joined, the defender has only played 32 times for the Villa Park outfit, which indicates that he is rinsing the club dry, even if a lavish fee wasn't spent to acquire his services.

Aston Villa's top ten highest earners

Player

Weekly salary

Clement Lenglet

£150k

Boubacar Kamara

£150k

Youri Tielemans

£150k

Moussa Diaby

£130k

Ollie Watkins

£130k

John McGinn

£120k

Lucas Digne

£120k

Emiliano Martínez

£120k

Leon Bailey

£120k

Diego Carlos

£100k

Via Capology

Indeed, combining his £2m transfer fee with the £5.7m he has earned roughly since moving to the club just over two years ago, the total comes to £7.7m, which works out at £240k per game.

While he may be towards the lower end of the scale concerning the highest earners at Villa, he is still earning more than Morgan Rogers, who joined in January, yet the youngster clearly has a big part to play for the club in the coming weeks, unlike Chambers.

How much Morgan Rogers earns at Aston Villa

It was evident during the winter transfer window that Emery was looking to add some attacking reinforcements to his side, while also thinking about the future in the process.

This led him to target a move for Rogers, who had impressed during the first six months of the season for Middlesbrough.

The winger had scored seven goals and registered nine assists for Boro in all competitions and this type of form clearly grabbed the eye of Emery.

A deal was finally announced on deadline day, with Rogers potentially costing the club up to £16m, but his potential ensures this could soon turn into a wise investment.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

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The winger was handed a long-term deal while earning a wage of £20k-per-week, which placed him near the bottom of the squad, and this is even £30k-per-week less than Chambers, who has barely featured this season.

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The 29-year-old is approaching the last few years of his career and has certainly rinsed the club since his January move in 2022, although Emery will be keen to move him on as soon as possible.

Rogers, on the other hand, has a wonderful future ahead of him. He has yet to open up his account for Villa, but given plenty of time to develop, there is no doubt he can become a shrewd acquisition.

Against Luton Town a couple of weeks ago, Rogers was unleashed in the starting XI and gave Emery plenty to think about while delivering a promising performance.

Not only did he have a shot on target, but the 21-year-old succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts, made two key passes and lost possession on just four occasions, proving that he is ready for the Premier League.

In comparison, Chambers’ last league appearance saw the defender win zero duels, and make zero tackles or interceptions along with succeeding with 0% of his accurate long ball attempts.

Yet he is earning more than Rogers. The summer transfer window simply cannot come quicker for the former Paris Saint-Germain boss as he seeks to improve his squad.

Chambers will surely be one of the first players to depart to free up some of the wage bill.

Tottenham are ready to move for one Premier League player in January, and former Spurs defender Jonathan Woodgate believes he's a "Rolls-Royce".

Spurs making transfer plans

Boosted by the arrival of new technical director Johan Lange, who officially began his new role at the start of this month, it will be interesting to see how the Lilywhites look to strengthen in January. Ange Postecoglou has already turned many heads with his start to life at Spurs, with his side winning eight out of their opening 10 league games while remaining unbeaten.

Tottenham's electric start to the campaign is just that, but injuries to key players are always a real danger. Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have thrived at the heart of Postecoglou's defence, but with Eric Dier being the only option behind them, reports suggest Spurs are after a new centre-back. Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah is liked by Tottenham as an option, while it is believed Postecoglou is also after a left-wing alternative to Dejan Kulusevski.

Indeed, the Australian is apparently keen on Jota from Al-Ittihad to shore up that position of the squad. It hasn't been entirely ruled out that Spurs could make a move to replace Harry Kane in 2024 as well.

Tottenham "ready" to move for Kelly in January

However, central defence is thought to be a main priority, as talkSPORT and journalist Alex Crook explain this week. According to their information, Spurs are "ready to revisit" Lloyd Kelly of Bournemouth as a target in the winter window. The 25-year-old was targeted late in the summer window as cover for the likes of van de Ven and Romero, but a move failed to materialise.

However, it is believed that the north Londoners are willing to reignite the possibility of signing him mid-season. Postecoglou's side had lodged a £20 million bid near the end of the summer, but it was rejected, and it looks like Bournemouth may put up a similar fight to keep him this time round as well. Kelly's contract expires in 2024, but it's claimed Andoni Iraola's side would rather risk losing the player on a Bosman.

The Englishman has been praised for his contributions at Bournemouth in recent seasons, with former boss Scott Parker saying Kelly is a "quality" defender to have.

"I think Lloyd Kelly has got the attributes and the ability to be a top Premier League centre-half. And I think we are blessed and very, very lucky to have someone of his quality, really," he told Bournemouth's official website.

"You take players like Lloyd probably for granted in the sense of he makes things look very effortless and easy. And when you're watching him on the eye, you put someone else in that position of a ball down the side of a defender or one in the channel and getting in a foot race, he makes it look very easy, that you probably never appreciate it."

Meanwhile, ex-Spurs centre-half Jonathan Woodgate has called Kelly a "Rolls-Royce".

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“Lloyd can look like a Rolls-Royce at times," he said.

"It is all a matter of consistency how far he goes in the game. If he goes on performing like that a lot of Premier League clubs are going to take notice."

With the new Premier League season commencing in less than a month, the most important task for West Ham United boss David Moyes is to replace Declan Rice’s quality and influence on the pitch.

One of the leading candidates is Edson Alvarez, who the Hammers has already expressed a keenness to sign.

What’s the latest on Edson Alvarez to West Ham United?

According to a piece published by The Athletic last week, the Hammers have contacted Ajax to start the conversation over the transfer of the midfielder.

An offer is yet to be made, but it is expected, with the Dutch Giant set to command a fee of around £40m for Alvarez’s services.

The 25-year-old was also the subject of Premier League interest last year, with Chelsea close to sealing a deal that eventually broke down as Ajax felt there was insufficient time to find a replacement.

Christian Falk believes that the Irons could be front-runners for Alvarez, ahead of Bayern Munich in the pecking order.

Speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT, he said:

“Bayern Munich also had him on the radar — and still — but it's not so hot. He's not the only one in this position — and it would only happen after everything is done with Kane and perhaps Kyle Walker — so he's not the first option. For West Ham, they have the money and Ajax want to see money, so they have a good chance."

Would Edson Alvarez be a good signing for West Ham?

Alvarez has been at Ajax since 2019 and has made 147 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Upon his arrival, then-director of football Marc Overmars described him as “versatile.” This has been proven by the Mexican’s ability to play in defensive midfield (139 games) or centre-back (83 games) across his career, as per Transfermarkt.

For the Irons, he could be a key midfielder and is an infinitely better option than Flynn Downes. From a defensive perspective, the 69-cap international outranks the former Swansea man for tackles per 90 (2.47 vs 1.89), interceptions per 90 (1.25 vs 0.83), and aerials won per 90 (3.38 vs 1.06).

Furthermore, Alvarez also performs better than Downes on the ball, with more progressive passes per 90 (7.76 vs 2.60), progressive carries per 90 (2.54 vs 0.35), and successful take-ons per 90 (0.63 vs 0.12).

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These damning statistics place Downes are part of the reason as to why the Englishman only managed seven Premier League starts last year. It is perhaps even more eye-opening when you consider that he couldn’t get game time over the abject Tomas Soucek.

Last September, the ExWHUemployee slammed the Czech for his poor form, saying: “Honestly, I’ve been saying this for over a year now, I’ve been saying this for about a year and a half. The game just bypasses him.”

Therefore, the signing of Alvarez could put the final nail in Downes’ unsuccessful West Ham career as the chance of regular minutes looks like a far-fetched dream.

Once lauded as a “monster” by Felipe Cardenas, this transfer would be an excellent way to help the east London faithful recover from Rice’s exit.

Arsenal starlet Folarin Balogun will be "keen to leave" this summer if the club don't guarantee him first team opportunities, according to reports.

What's the latest news on Balogun?

The 21-year-old is currently attracting a lot of serious interest from clubs abroad as reliable journalist David Ornstein shared recently. Indeed, the player's future could be a big topic for Arsenal this summer and Ornstein has reported that they face a big decision.

Balogun's contract expires in just over two years, giving Mikel Arteta's side a dilemma over whether to sell this year or implement him into the first team – as it is currently very unlikely he will extend his contract with the club.

Currently on loan at Reims in Ligue 1, the forward has absolutely dazzled under Will Still, prompting some of the continent's best sides to take note of his exploits.

It has been reported that AC Milan, Inter, Marseille, Monaco and RB Leipzig are just some of the elite sides eyeing a move for Balogun.

Now, 90min has weighed in with their own update, as it appears the England Under-21 international is set to give Arsenal an ultimatum upon his return to north London.

Indeed, it is now believed that he will be 'keen to leave' the club permanently if Arsenal don't guarantee him first-team minutes. Balogun is apparently due to hold 'crunch talks' with the club over his future, Another loan move has been ruled out by the striker's entourage, meaning his potential exit will be a permanent one.

90min adds that RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Berlin, Nice, Lyon, Villarreal and Sevilla are all taking an interest in Balogun – and he is just as popular in the Premier League.

Brentford, Leicester City, Wolves, Everton and Crystal Palace are all keeping tabs on the exciting youngster, with the Bees particularly seeing him as an alternative to Ivan Toney – who faces a lengthy ban due to the betting charges against him.

What should Arsenal do with Balogun?

We believe the solution is obvious – the Gunners should guarantee Balogun first-team minutes next season.

As we've already seen with defender William Saliba, it is entirely possible for returning loanees from France to make an immediate impact in Arteta's first team.

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Called 'incredible' for his form by Arteta, Balogun has been quite simply scintillating in front of goal – scoring 18 in 26 top-flight starts.

He's also attempted an impressive 3.3 shots at goal per 90, more than any Gunners forward in England – making you wonder what exactly is stopping him from breaking through.

Losing such a highly talented player would be a real shame and we believe his best place next season is at The Emirates.

Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing up a potential move for Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie – although it may come as a possible summer signing.

The Lowdown: Spurs struggling to recruit

The Lilywhites have only been able to bring in one new face in the January transfer window in the Dutch forward Arnaut Danjuma.

This comes amid the issues the north London side are having in trying to seal the signing of the Sporting CP right wing-back Pedro Porro.

But there is the belief that Fabio Paratici has an eye on potentially adding to his defence over the coming months with one centre-back, in particular, on his radar.

The Latest: Hincapie could be targeted

Speaking on his latest YouTube video, Alasdair Gold has mooted the prospect of Spurs bringing in the Ecuadorian defender.

He said: “Spurs definitely do have an interest in him. He’s slightly on the short side for a centre-back, I think he’s 6 foot – which obviously is not a short person, but for Premier League centre-back, normally they’re a little bit bigger than that.

“What’s happened with him is his value’s absolutely skyrocketed after the World Cup.

“From what it seems to be, I think a summer deal is more likely for anyone, really, trying to get him. I don’t think Leverkusen are keen to sell at all.

“So yeah, maybe one to keep an eye on, but I do wonder what the competition is going to be like for him in the summer. But certainly, a player Spurs really like.”

The Verdict: Spurs can secure Dier upgrade

With Leverkusen seemingly not looking to offload Hincapie this month, it does allow the Lilywhites to assess their options with their defence proving a big issue over recent months.

Despite being one of the sides who are pushing for a spot in the top four of the Premier League table, Antonio Conte’s men do not exactly have the defensive record to match.

The Lilywhites have conceded the sixth-most goals in the top flight this season, with the likes of Newcastle having allowed 20 fewer goals so far.

Eric Dier has been a key figure in the centre of Conte’s defence since the Italian took the reins in north London back in November 2021, with 56 appearances under the 53-year-old.

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And in comparison to the Englishman, Hincapie has provided Leverkusen with more tackles and blocks per 90 minutes this season (via FBref).

However, the 21-year-old is still clearly a raw talent, with his disciplinary record leaving a lot to be desired – he has six yellow cards and two red cards to his name after 21 appearances.

But there will be some concerns following recent reports suggesting the ‘impressive’ centre-back would cost the Lilywhites in the region of £66m.

That said, the same report suggests the 21-year-old would be keen to make the move to north London, so perhaps this is indeed one to keep an eye on as Gold suggests.