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As relayed by the Evening Standard, via West Ham Central, the Hammers are apparently set to announce manager David Moyes’ new deal next week – with many supporters flocking to this development as one calls it ‘huge’ and the ‘biggest news’ for West Ham this year.

Moyes has guided the Irons to a season of surpassing expectation in east London, with West Ham, at one point, even in contention to qualify for the Champions League.

Mathematically, West Ham still have a slim chance to qualify for the Europa League if other results go their way, but Moyes’ side are now arguably in the running to make UEFA’s new competition called the ‘Europa Conference League’.

Regardless of the slight drop off towards the end of this season, Moyes has overachieved somewhat with this West Ham team overall – especially considering the lack of a striker signing in January and the fact they finished 16th last season.

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As Moyes looks set to pen a new contract at the London Stadium, many Hammers supporters have flocked to the development on social media as a result.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

West Ham fans flock to Moyes contract development

“This is huge, the biggest news for us this year”

Credit: @RossAnsell1608

“100% deserved”

Credit: @GWatts98

“I hope they promised him good backing”

Credit: @whujoe

“Deserves it so much. If you disagree you’re just a troll”

Credit: @OwenJPitts

“Nice”

Credit: @callumder123

“We’ve got to have signings in place now, surely wouldn’t sign a long term one if they didn’t promise him what he wants”

Credit: @Connor29212642

“He deserves it”

Credit: @RokasWHU

“Def means there’s signings in place or the board are backing him btw”

Credit: @NoContextWalker

In other news: West Ham fans erupt over this Lingard news, find out more here.

Crystal Palace have been handed a fresh blow in their quest to find their next manager…

What’s the word?

According to former Celtic winger Davie Provan, Eddie Howe won’t be going to the Eagles this summer as his move to Parkhead is a “done deal.” He told Go Radio (via Daily Record):

“I don’t think for a moment Dermot Desmond would have exposed himself to the possibility of being embarrassed by Eddie Howe. And Eddie Howe himself has chosen not to rule himself out. So reading between the lines I think there’s an agreement, I think it’s a done deal,” he said.

Provan later added: “I don’t think for a moment that Eddie Howe is going to take a Crystal Palace, I don’t think Dermot Desmond would leave himself open to that embarrassment.”

Huge blow

Only last month, Football Insider reported that the former Bournemouth manager was on Palace’s three-man shortlist and had even held talks with Steve Parish and the club’s hierarchy. If that’s true, then the Selhurst Park owner and CEO is in line for a devastating blow following these fresh claims that Howe is heading for the Glasgow giants.

The Eagles still do not know who will be in charge next season, as with Roy Hodgson’s contract set to expire, the 73-year-old veteran seems likely to be heading for the exit.

Palace were set to be boosted by the fact that Howe was ‘not close’ to any club and was waiting until the summer to decide his future, but the comments from Provan are hard to ignore.

The 43-year-old was largely the mastermind behind the Cherries’ rise through the leagues – across two stints on the south coast, he took charge of 454 matches, winning 42% of those. That is a better return than Hodgson at Palace, with the former England boss managing a poor win rate of just 33%.

Howe, a three-time winner of the Premier League’s ‘Manager of the Month’ award, managed to keep Bournemouth in the top flight for four straight seasons until their unfortunate relegation last year, but in reality, they were always punching above their weight under him.

To lose out on him is certainly a blow to Parish considering he was amongst his top three options. He will likely be gutted that the 43-year-old appears Celtic-bound.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges in Crystal Palace managerial hunt, it’s bad news for Parish…

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa may have suffered a major transfer howler as news emerges from behind the scenes at Elland Road about Robin Koch.

What’s the story?

The Germany international only arrived in the summer from Bundesliga side Freiburg, but has seen his debut campaign in the Premier League be disrupted heavily by injuries – he’s played just 14 times in the top-flight.

Now, Football Insider claim that Bielsa fears the centre-back doesn’t have what it takes to be a real success in the Premier League, and that while he regards him as a fine player, there is a real hole in his game.

The report suggests that “there is a sense at Thorp Arch he is ‘too soft’ to thrive in the Premier League” and that he “doesn’t like the aerial challenges” – it’s even claimed that “this weakness is considered by the coaching staff to be a major issue”.

Radrizzani won’t be happy

While Koch certainly hasn’t been helped by the fact injuries have plagued his first season in English football, it’s a damning indictment on his ability that Bielsa and Leeds’ coaching staff already feel he might not be cut out for the Premier League.

Given that the Whites spent around £13m to beat Tottenham to his signing in the summer, the news that the club feel like they may have made a mistake, or at least not done their homework properly on him in scouting him, surely won’t have Andrea Radrizzani happy.

The Leeds owner splashed the cash in bringing Koch and fellow centre-back Diego Llorente into the club in order to reinforce the centre of defence ahead of the Whites’ return to the Premier League.

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For the club to now have second thoughts on one of their big-money acquisitions just months into his career at Elland Road must surely go down as a major howler.

Meanwhile, Leeds could make an exciting swoop for this Bundesliga star…

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that the Villans have considered loaning out striker Keinan Davis on more than one occasion.

Davis helped Villa turn things around against Fulham earlier this month after he came off the bench to assist Trezeguet’s second goal of the game which made it 2-1, before Ollie Watkins finally put the nail in the coffin.

Undoubtedly, it was a match where Davis showed his quality and what he has to offer, perhaps giving manager Dean Smith something to think about going forward.

Things, however, could have ended so differently, with Hendrie revealing that the 23-year-old has had opportunities to go out on loan.

On Davis, the ex-Villa player told FFC:

“I know they like him. I know they like him, hence they’ve kept hold of him. He could have gone out on loan a few times and they’ve kept hold of him. I know the striker situation has been a bit of an issue there, but when he’s come on he hasn’t let the team down.”

There is probably a long way to go until Davis can start to really stake a claim for a starting spot in Villa’s XI, with top scorer Watkins currently standing in his way.

However, as he showed against Fulham, the Englishman can certainly have an impact off the bench.

Manchester City man Fergal Harkin is the number one target to become Celtic’s new Director of Football.

And reliable reporter Alan Nixon has spoken out on the Hoops’ interest in the Irishman, admitting it is ‘alive and kicking’.

Celtic sources, as reported by Football Insider, suggested that the club are ‘committed’ to get a deal for Harkin over the line, even if it means defying top managerial target Eddie Howe.

One Celtic fan quizzed Nixon, who writes for The Sun, about Harkin and a move to Parkhead on social media, to which he replied:

“Been saying that for nearly two months … but does seem to be alive and kicking.”

Transfer Tavern take

It seems as if a potential swoop for Harkin is really gathering pace, with multiple reporters aware of Celtic’s interest in the ‘massive’ Hoops fan.

The 44-year-old has been at the Etihad for 11 years, with Celtic impressed by his experience and knowledge built up at City.

There could still be scope for Howe to take over from Neil Lennon ahead of the 2021/22 season – the Englishman wanted to bring his former Bournemouth colleague Richard Hughes with him to Glasgow.

Howe wanted the assurance of having Hughes with him at Celtic Park, and with head of football operations Nick Hammond resigning and recruitment chief Gary Penrice also set for an exit, maybe Hughes could fill one of those roles to work alongside Harkin and Howe.

In other news: Celtic open to landing £57k-p/w international in deal for Odsonne Edouard, find out more here. 

Southampton have been linked with a move for Celtic centre-back Leo Hjelde and if he were to join Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this summer, it could prove to be a repeat of the deal that saw the Saints sign Virgil van Dijk from the Hoops in 2015.

According to The Scottish Sun, Southampton are keeping tabs on the teenage centre-back, who is impressing out on loan at Ross County this season.

The 17-year-old joined Celtic from Rosenborg in the summer of 2019 and whilst he is yet to make his senior debut for the Hoops, the fact he has been a regular in the Premiership this season at Ross County highlights his obvious potential.

The centre-back has made nine appearances in total for John Hughes’ side since joining in January, which is impressive when you consider that they are currently embroiled in a relegation battle, which is when you would normally expect a manager to call on some of his more experienced players, rather than a 17-year-old loanee.

However, Hughes has clearly been impressed with Hjelde this season and was full of praise for him after he scored in their 3-2 win against Kilmarnock in March, saying:

“I’m delighted for Leo. He found himself out of the team a little bit, then came on there and got his goal. He’s destined for big, big, big things. He won’t be far away from the Celtic first-team when he goes back.”

Whilst Hjelde is just 17-years-old, and it is impossible to predict whether he will go on to have a successful career or not, there are obvious similarities to the deal that saw Van Dijk join Southampton six years ago, as he is a centre-back who would be joining Southampton from Celtic.

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The Dutch superstar joined for £13m and impressed on the South Coast before joining Liverpool and going on to become one of, if not the world’s best, centre-back with the Reds.

The Norwegian defender also already stands at 6 ft 2, so could easily keep growing, and it is clear that he has not been overawed playing men’s football at such an early age, which is certainly promising for his future.

The fact he has been tipped to play a part for Celtic next season suggests that he has a lot of potential and perhaps wouldn’t look out of place in the Premier League in the not too distant future.

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Therefore, if Southampton can snap him up before he starts to attract heavy interest, there’s no reason why they couldn’t have another player similar to Van Dijk on their hands again if Hjelde can realise his potential with the Saints.

And, in other news… Forget Winks: Southampton should swoop for “outstanding” £16.2m-rated beast 

David Moyes has been dealt a blow in West Ham United’s rumoured pursuit of Moussa Marega, with Fenerbahce SK keen to sign the FC Porto striker.

What’s the word?

According to A Bola, Marega’s services have never left the thoughts of the Fenerbahce leadership as the Super Lig giants line up a wealth of changes to Emre Belozoglu’s side.

The Yellow Canaries intend to complete a vast overhaul of the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium squad in the summer in order to attack the Super Lig and Europe at full strength next term.

West Ham had been linked with a potential move to sign Marega in the next transfer window, as Moyes weighs up his options to add depth behind Michail Antonio following Sebastien Haller’s January exit.

Marega is now said to be a high priority for Fenerbahce as the Mali international is set to leave Porto as a free agent at the end of the season, and discussions with Porto over new terms are yet to return a satisfactory offer.

It had been expected that the Dragoes would soon announce Marega’s renewal as the striker is a key weapon in Sergio Conceicao’s arsenal, with the only hold up being the wait for the arrival of his agent.

But no progress has been made following the offer of a two-year deal that would have seen Marega remain one of the highest earners at the Estadio do Dragao. The 29-year-old currently earns £34,000-per-week.

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Reports in Turkey last month had suggested that Fenerbahce offered Marega a €1.5m-a-season (£24.5k-p/w) contract to move to Istanbul as a free agent, which Portuguese publication O Jogo later dismissed.

Should West Ham sign Porto’s Marega?

Moyes will be well aware of his need to sign a striker in the summer after opting against reinvesting the £20m made from Haller joining AFC Ajax, and leaving Antonio as West Ham’s only out-and-out senior centre-forward.

Marega would represent a solid option for the Irons to target and acquire proven depth, but will seemingly have to go toe-to-toe with Fenerbahce and Porto in order to sign the 24-cap Mali international.

The Yellow Canaries and Dragoes seem increasingly keen on having the £12.5m-rated machine in their attack next season, although Marega’s long-held desires to one day play in the Premier League may yet work in the Hammers’ advantage.

A salary in the region of the alleged £24.5k-p/w offer from Fenerbahce and his current £34k-p/w Porto deal would also not be expected to hinder West Ham’s position, with Spotrac figures showing that only Vladimir Coufal (£30k-p/w), Said Benrahma (£23k-p/w) and Ben Johnson (£19k-p/w) currently earn less among Moyes’ first-team regulars.

Adding Marega into that mix would see the Irons land a striker who has scored 71 goals and offered 33 assists in 182 games for Porto across all competitions, including eight in 22 Champions League fixtures and helping to eliminate Juventus in the Round of 16 last month – in fact, his career goal total stands at an impressive 114.

That seems like very good depth to bring in behind Antonio without David Sullivan having to get his cheque book out to pay Porto for their striker, who has been protected by a €40m (£34m) release clause since 2018 and is nicknamed the ‘Terminator’.

AND in other news, West Ham are in a three-way Premier League battle for a 6 ft 6 titan with “all the attributes”…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has suggested that a formation change could be the answer to the Villans’ problems.

Villa are currently on a bad run of form, coinciding with the absence of captain Jack Grealish, and are really struggling in the final third.

Dean Smith’s side failed to score last time out in a 2-0 defeat against Tottenham, meaning that they have now registered just two goals in their last five Premier League fixtures.

This lack of proficiency in front of goal will come as a huge concern to Smith, and Hendrie believes a move away from the team’s current formation may be necessary while Grealish remains unavailable.

When discussing how Villa can get out of the current slump that they are in, Hendrie told FFC:

“Spurs were there for the taking. I think they [Villa] just lacked that little dimension that, you know, Jack has, [the ability to] bring something out of nothing.

“I’m all for that he needs to tweak the formation when Jack’s not available because they’re missing that little bit of cutting edge going forward. For all the good play, getting into the final third, they’re not creating enough chances, hence they’re not scoring enough goals at this moment in time.”

The Villans take on Fulham next when the Premier League returns, where Smith will be hoping for more from the likes of Bertrand Traore and Trezeguet, especially if Grealish is still unavailable.

Liverpool could be set to add another midfielder to their ranks in the summer by signing Sheffield United’s Sander Berge.

According to EuroSport, the Reds have cast their eye over the Norwegian ahead of a potential move following the Blades’ inevitable relegation to the Championship.

Having already dubbed Berge as a “very interesting” player following a UEFA Champions League meeting between the Merseysiders and the midfielder’s former club Genk, it is clear Jurgen Klopp is a fan, which could be a huge blow to academy graduate Curtis Jones.

With any potential arrival of a midfielder in the summer, let alone one Klopp has praised himself, it could see the 20-year-old’s first-team chances reduce.

He already has plenty of competition in that department from the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum, Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho, who are without a doubt the Reds’ starting midfielder trio at the current time.

They then have plenty of options waiting in the wings in the forms of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner, whilst Jordan Henderson’s return from a long-term groin issue will see competition intensify even more.

This competition will only be exacerbated with the arrival of £32k-per-week Berge.

Whilst it could be argued that Jones is under no threat of losing his place in the Liverpool squad due to his immense talent, with the midfielder having already started 21 games in all competitions this season, his phasing out has already begun.

Following the return of Fabinho to the centre of midfield, Jones’ opportunities have been limited. He has not played a single minute in each of Liverpool’s last three matches in all competitions, possibly indicating that he is the most expendable of Jurgen Klopp’s current options.

The Reds youngster then will hope this is a trend that does not continue even if the club elects to bolster their midfield with the signing of Berge, it would be a devastating blow to the England U21 star if it does.

AND in more news, take a look at our analysis of Diogo Jota’s sparkling showing against his former club Wolves on Monday…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Tottenham captain Gary Mabbutt has backed his old side to overcome the challenge of Dinamo Zagreb before securing a positive result against Arsenal in the north London derby.

Jose Mourinho’s side take on the Croatian outfit in the first leg of their last-16 Europa League tie then follow that up with a trip to the Emirates to face their rivals in a big week for the club.

And Mabbutt, who rates the squad Mourinho has at disposal very highly, is confident they can pick up some good results.

Discussing the upcoming fixtures in an exclusive interview with FFC, Mabbutt said:

“Don’t even look at the form book at the moment.

“I would look at his players and the group of players and the way those players are playing as individuals and as a team, the confidence within the squad, the camaraderie within the squad, and I think we have all of those. So, you know, I’d be going into these games with confidence that we can get two positive results.”

Indeed, the north London club have certainly been performing of late after a difficult period, with Gareth Bale being one player who has really stepped up during this resurgence.

The Welshman was on fire in that recent 4-1 victory against Crystal Palace, managing to grab two goals for himself. And he was joined by a usual suspect in Harry Kane, who was also able to find the back of the net on two occasions.

If both players can carry this sort of form into the games against Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal, then there is a good chance that Mourinho will get the results he wants from these two important fixtures.