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David Moyes has received an encouraging squad boost at West Ham this week…

What’s been said?

Irons forward Michail Antonio, who is currently the Premier League’s third leading talisman, has withdrawn from international duty with Jamaica due to logistical problems, as revealed by co-owner David Gold on Twitter.

“MICHAIL ANTONIO has pulled out of the Jamaica squad for three qualifiers due to logistical problems. The news will be a welcome boost for boss David Moyes, who has concerns about the effect of travelling across the Atlantic would have on Michail who has been plagued by injury,” he revealed.

Moyes boost

Given the 31-year-old’s history with injuries, this news will undoubtedly leave Moyes delighted, even if his star striker is a little gutted to not feature for his national side.

Antonio has not started more than 24 of 38 league games in any of the last four Premier League seasons, and that’s largely down to constant injuries – for example, he missed 13 matches last season from a variety of problems and issues.

His importance to the Hammers is undeniable. The 5 foot 11 beast has scored five and assisted three in the English top-flight this campaign, adding to his ten goals and five assists from last season.

The former Nottingham Forest ace has already missed one game this term, though that wasn’t through injury, after he picked up a suspension and he was sorely missed as West Ham were defeated by Manchester United.

Antonio is above and beyond the standout performer under Moyes, earning a 7.84 average rating on WhoScored, which is way clear of the next best, who is Said Benrahma (7.43).

No Irons player is managing more shots (4.5) or key passes (2.5) than the Jamaican star after seven matches, further highlighting his importance.

Therefore, to have him around Rush Green this week, and not on the other side of the world is a massive, massive boost to Moyes and West Ham.

He will no longer be at risk of injury away from the club, nor will he have to quarantine, meaning he will be available for their first game back next week, a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton.

AND in other news, West Ham handed January transfer boost, Newman could seal instant masterclass…

According to Jack Gaughan of The Daily Mail, it appears West Ham United have set their sights on a new striker target in New York City FC star Valentin Castellanos.

The Lowdown: West Ham still in forward chase…

Nearly a year since club record signing Sebastien Haller unceremoniously departed the club for Ajax, manager David Moyes still hasn’t seen his replacement come through the door.

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West Ham, after having confirmed bids made since January 2021, continue their quest to sign a striking alternative to Michail Antonio and there have been no shortage of rumours.

Adam Hlozek, Andrea Belotti and Arthur Cabral are just a few of the many names linked with a move to the London Stadium recently and The Mail have now shared news on a brand new name.

The Latest: West Ham set sights on Castellanos…

As per Gaughan, the Hammers, Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman are now tracking MLS rising star Castellanos as they set their sights on an in-form target outside of Europe.

Casting their eyes far and wide, it appears West Ham have now taken an interest in the 23-year-old as he sets the American top flight alight with imperious form.

Playing a heavy role in winning NYCFC their first ever MLS Cup title, this has apparently done enough to attract West Ham’s attention.

The Verdict: Interesting fresh target…

At just 23-years-old and coming off the back of a very prolific season, Moyes could do far worse for an outside candidate than Castellanos despite his lack of top level, competitive experience in the European leagues.

Indeed, the centre-forward has even drawn admiration from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who called him a ‘quality player’ – perhaps indicating there is some real potential to be had here.

Also lauded as a ‘top class’ centre-forward by his New York City boss Ronny Deila, Castellanos’ 23 goals and nine assists across 36 appearances in all competitions in 2021 just proves that he is adept at finding the net (Transfermarkt).

The Argentine ace, judging by his most impressive campaign to date, will certainly improve on his 47-goal career tally overall – with the only question being will he do it in the Premier League under Moyes?

In other news: Approach already made: West Ham now willing to pay asking price for towering striker, find out more here.

Liverpool are set for a disaster if £10.8m-rated striker Divock Origi departs the club for free when his contract expires this summer.

What’s the story?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Reds star is set to leave Anfield when his contract expires in June and AC Milan are the club leading the race to sign him.

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He’s been used off the bench by Klopp many times during his tenure and has become a fan favourite at the club, with his boss even calling him a “legend”. He’s more of an important player to the squad than you might initially think so it’s important they do all they can to keep him.

He’s an important team player

One thing that Liverpool have had more of this season is squad depth, and when they are challenging on all fronts being able to rely on this and field different options is crucial.

That’s why Origi is a player who matters so much to their success, not only does he have a proven track record of coming off the bench and making an impact in games, but he also offers something very different up top from the other strikers at the club.

The 27-year old arrived from French club Lille in 2014 for £11.4m and is the second longest-serving player at the club currently, behind only the captain Jordan Henderson. He’s made 173 appearances in that time and been directly involved in 58 goals, his biggest coming in the 2019 Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

Because of this impact in big games, to see him leave on a free transfer would be a blow and it would also leave Klopp in a desperate search for a replacement.

His longevity is one of the things that has earnt him legendary status at Anfield, he proved key when he came on yesterday for their Merseyside derby victory over Everton, scoring the second goal. This took him six league goals against the Toffees at Anfield, with Steven Gerrard the only Liverpool player ever to have scored more in the derby at home.

Although he may not be a regular starter in Klopp’s side, he certainly is one of his favourite players and losing him will massively weaken Liverpool.

IN other news: Sources: Liverpool agree terms to sign “special” £36m-rated ace, Klopp surely buzzing – opinion

Crystal Palace are having a great start to their season, picking up points from 13 of their 20 Premier League games so far,

There is no doubt that they will be hoping to continue to climb the table for a top-half finish in Patrick Vieira’s first season in charge, and now they are rumoured to make a new addition in the transfer window that could help them achieve it.

What’s the word?

The Daily Mail are reporting, that Crystal Palace are interested in signing Arsenal star, Eddie Nketiah, battling with Premier League rivals, Brighton and Bundesliga side, Bayern Leverkusen for his signature.

However, in the report, SportMail understands that Bayern Leverkusen are out ahead preparing a pre-contract agreement for the 22-year-old, so if Vieira is interested in swooping for the striker, he should do so as soon as he can.

The £9m-rated forward labelled “extraordinary” by current manager, Mikel Arteta, has refused several contract offers from Arsenal, which suggests that the young attacker is interested in making a move from the north London club, especially now that his contract his ending in the summer of this year.

Imagine him & Edouard

Crystal Palace have turned the tide from having the oldest squad in the Premier League to appointing Vieira last summer and adding several new young players to the side, who have all made an impact, especially Odsonne Edouard.

The French striker joined the Eagles in the summer and has definitely made his presence known since arriving just over four months ago, scoring five goals and bagging three assists in just 17 appearances so far.

The Palace manager has claimed that the 23-year-old is “getting to his best”, and with that being said, giving him a strike partner like Nketiah could unlock a deadly attacking partnership, with star loanee, Conor Gallagher, just behind them in midfield.

Nketiah has been compared to Arsenal legend, Ian Wright, according to Tony Cascerino who told The Times:

“He is agile with quick feet, much like his hero Ian Wright, which denies defenders the time to settle.”

The Gunners forward is yet to start a Premier League game this season, however, he has been given the opportunity to showcase his prolific goal-scoring talents in the Carabao Cup, where he has netted five goals in three games already, securing a semi-final challenge in the league cup against Liverpool.

Vieira’s clear vision is to build a side for the future with young players, meaning 22-year-old Nketiah fits the bill perfectly for the Frenchman’s future plans for the club.

Palace should be looking for ways to kill off games after picking up eight draws so far this season. As a result, securing a player who can add more goals in games can elevate the side’s chances to take three points and climb comfortably into the top half for a high finish this season.

In other news: Vieira must keep hold of Gallagher for the rest of the season

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Ben Brereton Diaz to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed on a recent episode of The West Ham Way Podcast that David Moyes is interested in a deal to bring the Blackburn Rovers centre-forward in during the current transfer market.

However, the Hammers insider then went on to state that the Championship side are unlikely to want to part with the Chile international this month due to their lofty position in the second-tier standings – as selling the 22-year-old for a figure of around £20m would not be worth missing out on a shot at the Premier League.

On West Ham’s interest in Brereton Diaz, Ex said: “We like Diaz at Blackburn. I broke that [story] a month or so ago. [The fact that no move has materialised yet] doesn’t mean it wasn’t true, it just means that Blackburn – because they are right at the top of the Championship, having not been in the Premier League for years – why would they want to sell him at this point? You’ve got to factor that in.

“Getting up to the Premier League is worth more than £20m. If you get back into the Premier League the finances are huge. So these clubs will wait until the summer to see where they are before they make a decision on these players.”

Fans will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Brereton Diaz has been for Blackburn this season, in addition to the fact that West Ham are currently extremely short in depth at centre-forward, the news that the Hammers may not be able to get a deal over the line for the 22-year-old this month is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful gutted.

Indeed, over his 26 Championship appearances in the current campaign, the £9m-rated striker has been in remarkable form for Rovers, having already scored an astonishing 20 goals, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £6.5k-per-week player who Tony Mowbray dubbed an “extraordinary” talent average a SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as Blackburn’s eighth-best performer in the second tier.

As such, with Moyes in desperate need of backup and competition for Michail Antonio in East London – with the injury-prone striker currently being the 58-year-old’s only option as an out and out centre-forward – a player who possesses the clear ability to find the back of the net such as Brereton Diaz would appear to be the perfect signing for the Scottish manager this month.

However, following Ex’s latest update, it would appear that, should Moyes indeed wish to pursue a deal for the 22-year-old, he will have to wait until the summer – something that will undoubtedly come as a gutting blow to the manager and his side.

In other news: Moyes can repeat Lingard trick with swoop for £6m “fighter”, he’d be “perfect” for WHU

[ad_pod ]Sheffield Wednesday are set to secure the first three signings of the Steve Bruce era, but are they panic signings or shrewd additions?

What’s the story?

Well, according to Dom Howson of The Sheffield Star, the Owls are working on a double swoop to sign Newcastle outcasts Achraf Lazaar and Rolando Aarons on loan.

Left-back Lazaar has made no senior appearances on Tyneside this season (per Transfermarkt) while Aarons has played 13 times on loan with Slovan Liberec (per Transfermarkt).

Howson also reports that the Owls will sign Dominic Iorfa on a permanent deal, as the promising 23 year-old has found playing time difficult to come by at Wolves this season.

Two Tyneside flops?

Newcastle fans will be happy to see the back of Lazaar, who if truth be told has been doing nothing more than collecting a wage packet for quite some time now.

The 17-cap Morocco international full back’s last Newcastle outing came in a League Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest back in August 2017, and he has made just ten senior appearances in two-and-a-half years on Tyneside.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Aarons meanwhile has also taken stick from the Toon Army, as the 23 year-old winger is brimming with potential but has never shown the focus or desire needed to reach the next level.

The speedy youngster may well find his home in the Championship, but with just four goals and three assists in 27 Newcastle games he needs to improve his end product.

Versatility is king

In many ways, Iorfa looks to be the most promising capture of the three, as Bruce is certain to begin his Hillsborough revolution with a defensive overhaul.

Iorfa rose through the youth ranks at Wolves and has racked up 93 appearances for his club, per Transfermarkt, as well as a successful loan spell at Ipswich last season.

The 23 year-old is capable of playing any defensive position or even in midfield, but at 6 ft 4 in tall it may surprise fans to learn he is best at right-back, rather than in the centre.

Regardless of where he uses the Wolves ace, signing a versatile, powerful and athletic youngster with his first permanent move is a stroke of genius from Bruce.

So, Sheffield Wednesday fans, would you be happy with this triple move? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

While it may be slightly harsh to suggest that Valerien Ismael is enduring a crisis at West Bromwich Albion at present, the fact remains that the Frenchman’s side currently rank sixth in the Championship form table, having dropped six points over their last six fixtures.

Having said that, the Baggies did turn in an impressive performance against Bristol City last time out, besting the Robins 3-0 – a scoreline which could well have been much greater if Jordan Hugill have taken any number of his big chances missed.

However, undoubtedly one of the biggest positives to come from the fixture was the central midfield duo of Brighton loanee Jayson Molumby and 34-year-old Robert Snodgrass, who was handed his first Championship start of the season.

Indeed, the duo completed 79 passes combined over the course of the 90 minutes, with Molumby’s return of 40 just pipping Snodgrass’ 39 to rank the 22-year-old as the player who made the most passes in the match, with his Scottish colleague coming a very close second.

To his credit, Snodgrass did manage to better his teammate in terms of key passes made, with the former West Ham United man managing two in comparison to Molumby’s zero.

However, regardless of their individual statistics, the pair highly impressed in the absence of both Alex Mowatt and Jake Livermore – with this particular duo having started all but two Championship fixtures in the middle of the park this season – as the former was still suffering from a toe injury picked up in the 1-0 win over Birmingham City earlier this month, while the latter was suspended.

Ismael himself also seemed delighted with their performance, stating after the match: “They did very well. For me, Robert Snodgrass was man of the match. He’s the perfect example of a player who has had to wait for his chance, stay focused, work hard, listen, learn the principles of what we want to do and when you get your chance, put on the performance to make sure the team stays successful.”

As such, with a crunch match against promotion rivals Fulham up next for West Brom, Ismael is now faced with something of a selection dilemma, as dropping either Molumby or Snodgrass would appear to be an extremely harsh decision following their performances last weekend.

However, in order to keep West Brom fans on-side, the Frenchman will have to ensure he makes the correct call on Saturday, or else there could be repercussions for the 46-year-old.

In other news: Cost the club £13m, left for nothing: WBA had a nightmare on “stupid” £30k-p/w flop

An update has emerged regarding Paris Saint-Germain’s plans for reported Newcastle United transfer target Mauro Icardi.

What’s the talk?

According to L’Equipe’s Friday edition, via Sport Witness, the Ligue 1 giants are open to offers for the attacker ahead of the January transfer window and are looking for a fee in the region of €50m (£42.7m), whilst they could also be tempted into a loan move with an option to buy at the end of the season.

The Magpies have been touted with the centre-forward recently, with Eddie Howe plotting his targets ahead of next month.

Dream deal

PIF could seal a dream deal for Newcastle in multiple ways by landing a swoop for the Argentina international in January.

Firstly, the structure of the move could work perfectly for them. If PSG are willing to allow him to join on loan with an option to buy, that would alleviate the added financial pressure which would be forced upon them if they were relegated to the Championship with Icardi’s wages on the books.

The Magpies would be able to opt against signing him permanently if they finish in the bottom three, or they could pin him down to a long-term contract if his contributions help to keep them in the top flight, which is why this could be a dream deal for the club.

His goalscoring record throughout his career suggests that he has the ability to keep them up. The marksman scored 124 goals in 219 games for Inter and has now found the back of the net 36 times in 79 games for PSG, highlighting his class in front of goal.

Italy centre-back Giorgio Chiellini had previously lavished praise on the 28-year-old, saying: “Among the great attackers I have faced, I highly value Icardi, who inside the area is almost impossible to mark. Mauro against Juve has often scored, it hurt me.

“He’s a world-class centre-forward, even if he lacks something in the collective game, he’s a Trezeguet but with different characteristics, lethal in the aerial game but perfectible outside the surface.”

This suggests that Icardi has the ability to come in and score goals for Newcastle, as he has proven that he can do it at the top level in France and Italy, with Chiellini’s comments showing how much of a threat the 28-year-old can be to defenders. Therefore, he could be a dream signing for PIF both in terms of the financial aspects of the move and what he could bring to Howe’s side on the pitch.

AND in other news, Dream come true: PIF could leave the Toon Army buzzing with major NUFC appointment…

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is set to be without another player alongside Ruben Dias as they gear up for today’s blockbuster Eastlands clash with arch title rivals Liverpool.

The Lowdown: Huge day…

A single point separates the Sky Blues and Jurgen Klopp’s side in the race for Premier League glory with today’s mouth-watering encounter coming as an absolutely pivotal one.

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City boast the best defensive record in England’s top flight, conceding just 18 goals all season, while their competitors today have bagged the division’s most strikes with 77 (Premier League).

Guardiola and Klopp, with barely anything between their sides, are set to go head-to-head again this afternoon in what could be a real 2021/2022 title race six-pointer.

The Sky Blues grabbed a deserved 2-2 draw at Anfield the last time these teams met, but with a win today, City could take one gigantic leap towards retaining their Premier League crown.

Guardiola will be hampered by the absence of star defender Ruben Dias, and as per the latest team news, he’ll be without another player alongside him at the Etihad Stadium.

The Latest: Pep without Palmer…

As confirmed, City’s head coach won’t be able to call upon electric starlet Cole Palmer today.

The homegrown ace has been sidelined for most of the calendar year, coming as a piece of frustration given his head-turning rise to prominence earlier in the campaign.

Palmer has thoroughly impressed at points but hasn’t been able to contribute lately due to ongoing fitness issues, prompting the Citizens to even consider surgery.

The Verdict: Blow for Pep?

The 19-year-old, CFG’s most exciting academy product since a certain Phil Foden, has been an arguable miss off the bench and City supporters will be hoping he can return to full fitness as soon as possible.

Palmer has attracted huge praise for some of his cameos this season with club legends Paul Dickov and Shaun Wright-Phillips raving over the exciting attacker.

Wright-Phillips in particular, speaking after the talent notched a goal and assist in City’s 4-1 FA Cup third round victory away to Swindon Town, labelled Palmer ‘outstanding’ for his form over the campaign (City’s matchday live show via The Manchester Evening News).

Guardiola could’ve done with the teenager’s obvious talent as an option off the bench, but alas, the Spaniard will be without him yet again as he prepares for Liverpool.

In other news: Man City discussions held as ‘unbelievable’ £33m star decides he wants to join Pep! Find out more here.

West Ham United still have a crucial period of their season left to get through in order to finish as high up the Premier League table as they can and potentially winning the Europa League.

However, with the upcoming summer transfer window in mind, it seems as though a clue has been dropped over one potential deal that may or may not take place once the season comes to an end.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones had this to say on the situation regarding West Ham’s interest in signing £20.7m-rated Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic after a report emerged claiming that the club have a gentleman’s agreement with the player’s agent regarding a potential summer transfer move.

He said: “I think he turned them down once before. I don’t know of any agreement like that, that is in place.

“Maybe there is and I haven’t heard of it, but he’s a player they’ve undoubtedly liked in the past.”

The player was supposedly available for just £13m over the winter.

Not good news for the Hammers

As many West Ham fans will remember, the club were linked with a move for the player Sacha Pisani dubbed a “beast” back in the previous summer transfer window before they secured a deal for Kurt Zouma from fellow Premier League side Chelsea.

Having remained in Italy with Fiorentina, the centre-back has shown the Hammers exactly why they should have secured his signature when they had the chance.

With 26 league appearances under his belt, the 24-year-old has racked up a total of 101 combined tackles and interceptions, the highest of any player at the club, as well as 74 clearances, also more than any of his teammates.

This highlights just what a capable defender he is and why the Hammers were after him last summer.

Taking into account what Jones had to say about him having no knowledge of any gentleman’s agreement that would see the defender make the move to the London Stadium, this will surely be a disappointment for the Hammers fans and their hope of seeing the defender join.

With Milenkovic actually turning down a move to the east London club when they were previously after him, this certainly wouldn’t go down well with the West Ham supporters either.

Current Hammers centre-back Issa Diop has recently been linked with a move to Lyon in the summer, the club should try and persuade the Fiorentina defender to once again sign to them and see if he can bring his talent to England.

In other news: Big worry: West Ham dealt fresh injury setback that’ll have many supporters sweating