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David Sullivan must deliver Watford forward Ismaila Sarr to David Moyes as West Ham United look to solve their striker crisis following Sebastien Haller’s exit.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, the Irons are ready to splash £30m to make Sarr the club’s first signing of the January transfer window with Moyes on the lookout for attacking reinforcements.

Michail Antonio is now the east London outfit’s sole recognised senior centre-forward after the club sold Haller to AFC Ajax for £20m on Friday, leaving Moyes facing the fraught prospect of fielding no strikers at all if Sullivan fails to land a new addition this month.

Watford were able to retain Sarr in the previous transfer window after rejecting a £25m bid from Crystal Palace despite their relegation to the Championship, but West Ham are expected to top the Eagles’ offer to test the Hornets resolve.

The Vicarage Road natives are quietly confident they will be able to once again fend off any interest despite an expectancy that clubs will test the waters, looking to sign the Senegal forward who both Liverpool and Manchester United were denied last summer through their refusals to meet Watford’s £40-50m valuation.

Sarr has been a creative force in the second-tier this season with the 22-year-old speed machine offering four goals and five assists in 18 appearances, living up to Sadio Mane’s hype after the Reds gem told The Athletic: “He’s rapid. I think defenders will struggle.

“I was speaking to Robbo [Andy Robertson], I said, ‘Watford have a really good player. I will need to help you more otherwise Ismaila Sarr will kill you, because he is a good dribbler and very, very fast.’”

Dream deal

Landing Sarr may prove expensive for West Ham but the £63,000-per-week forward may prove to be the Irons’ dream deal in their search of Haller’s replacement. The club, if they do a deal, would be delivering Moyes a clinical talent who would add versatility and brutality to the Scot’s attacking line.

Sarr has netted goals and provided assists from central and wide-right positions for Watford this season, and is firmly a star who former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips believes is a “top player” who “will only get better”.

Moyes would take a great deal of confidence in Sarr’s arrival through his creativity in the Championship so far this season, with the 32-cap attacker creating six big chances for Watford to score on top of his assists, while spurning three clear cut chances himself, per SofaScore.

The 6ft Senegalese dynamo further takes 1.5 shots and offers 0.8 key passes a game in the second-tier, while winning 6.4 duels with a 50% success rate, being fouled 2.9 times, winning possession 0.7 times, and delivering 0.5 accurate crosses.

Sarr’s ability to play on the wing and thrive through the centre is also very reminiscent of Antonio’s rise to prominence at the London Stadium, with him having often been a wide player before the 5 ft 10 gem made a move to striker and became West Ham’s main forward threat.

AND in other news, David Sullivan can seal West Ham’s dream Sebastien Haller heir in an “extraordinary” gem.

DeAndre Yedlin was Steve Bruce’s real star as Newcastle United produced a defensive masterclass to secure a point at home to Liverpool on Wednesday night.

Bruce welcomed Jurgen Klopp’s champions to St. James’ Park and saw his players prove resilient in the face of danger to record the first goalless league draw between the Magpies and Reds since February 1974, 69 meetings ago.

The result also saw Liverpool fail to score in a Premier League fixture for the first time in 21 matches, having been denied throughout by a sublime display from Karl Darlow to prevent Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Liverpool had a string of chances during their time on Tyneside to end the year on a high and move five points clear at the top of the table, yet were forced to accept a stalemate with Fabian Schar saving Darlow’s clean sheet 10 minutes from time by clearing off the line after a fortuitous rebound for Sadio Mane.

Yedlin often had Mane, plus Reds full-back Andrew Robertson, in his back pocket as he continued to hold down honours at right-back in Bruce’s plans, after taking over the role at home to Fulham.

The 27-year-old, who continues to be linked with a move away from St. James’ with his £30,000-per-week contract due to expire next summer, has now started Newcastle’s last three league games and proved against Liverpool why the position has become his.

Yedlin continually brought exuberant overlapping runs in partnership with Jacob Murphy down United’s right-hand channel, while contributing an array of vital tackles and coming close to only his fourth-ever Toon goal when his 17th-minute effort was deflected wide.

Salah fell victim to the 62-cap USA international, whom Rafa Benitez once declared “I love this player” for, late in the first-half when Yedlin timed his challenge to perfection to snatch the ball as the Egyptian sought to release the trigger.

Yedlin saw out the midweek meeting with two successful tackles to his name in total, while registering two interceptions and six clearances, per SofaScore.

He additionally won five of his six ground duels, never committed a foul, was successful with his only attempted dribble and provided one key ball from 11 accurate passes, despite failing to connect with a Magpies teammate with his only cross of the night.

Javier Manquillo may have returned to the matchday squad at Manchester City on Boxing Day, while Emil Krafth once again took a seat on the bench at home to Liverpool, but both will struggle to displace Yedlin from the starting line-up should he maintain his current form.

AND in other news, an “unplayable” £75k-p/w Newcastle United player is in-demand ahead of the January transfer window.

Niels Nkounkou has every right to be furious with Carlo Ancelotti after the Everton boss opted to omit the young full-back from his matchday squad at Burnley on Saturday.

Ancelotti is without star defender Lucas Digne for the foreseeable future after the Frenchman was forced to undergo surgery, having sustained an ankle ligament injury in training.

The Toffees fear Digne will be out for up to three months but Ancelotti expressed belief in his other options last month, despite the inexperienced Nkounkou being his only recognised alternative.

Ancelotti doubled down on his support of Nkounkou ahead of Saturday’s trip to Burnley, even though he fielded Alex Iwobi at full-back in the 1-0 loss to Leeds United, claiming the 20-year-old would earn minutes at Turf Moor.

“Nkounkou was not in the squad because I have 11 players, I decided to put Iwobi on the left. The squad is really big,” the Italian said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo.

“He’s still young, he needs more experience, he needs to work more. But I am honestly satisfied for what he is doing. He will have time in the next game because we have a lot of games.”

Yet Ancelotti chose against naming Nkounkou in his 18-man squad to face Burnley with Fabian Delph stepping in at left-back, as he did for Manchester City on 13 occasions in his final season at the Etihad before joining Everton for £10million in 2019.

But the 31-year-old pulled up in the first half as Everton trailed 1-0, forcing Ancelotti into a reshuffle with centre-half Ben Godfrey moving to the left of a four-man defence and Iwobi coming in at right-back.

Nkounkou will be fuming with Ancelotti to have not gotten a chance to prove his first-team worth at Turf Moor, even just from the bench, having arrived from Olympique de Marseille in the summer after Everton saw their options dwindle following Leighton Baines retiring.

The Toffees were lauded for signing Nkounkou in the off-season, with former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock hailing the Frenchman as a “magnificent find”. But questions are now being raised over his chances of seeing out the season on Merseyside, with suggestions the £2.7m-rated gem could look to secure a loan deal this winter.

Nkounkou has only featured for 69 minutes in the Premier League this season but his talents are not questioned by those who have played alongside him, with Marseille full-back Jordan Amavi backing the youngster to shine in the future.

“He has a lot of qualities, I find that he is a powerful player, technically he is quite comfortable,” Amavi said, via quotes by Foot 01.

“Afterwards, he has to work; he is still young. As for succeeding elsewhere, maybe he would have had his chance, he could have played. But he was not launched, he made the choice to leave, it is his decision, good for him, I do not worry, he will have a very good career.”

It remains to be seen when – or if – Ancelotti will next offer Nkounkou the chance to demonstrate those skills in Royal Blue with the Toffees hosting title-chasing Chelsea in their next Premier League fixture.

AND in other news, “If I’m the chairman…” – Exclusive: Pundit drops huge Everton January transfer window claim.

Mark Robins will look to make it back-to-back wins this coming weekend as Coventry City travel to face Barnsley in the Championship.

The impressive 3-2 win over Queens Park Rangers last weekend saw the Sky Blues gain their first three points of the new season.

Gaining promotion from League One to the Championship last term, Robins has made significant changes to his squad via the transfer market, bringing in a whole host of new faces, including Gustavo Hamer from PEC Zwolle and Callum O’Hare on a permanent deal from Aston Villa.

For the trip to Barnsley, Robins is unlikely to make any changes to the starting 11 which will ultimately be a key decision as he looks to gain a second win in three games.

Having three names on the injury list at the present time in Liam Kelly, Wes Jobell and Julien Dacosta, Robins has a fairly fit side. Whilst Kelly is back in training, it has been confirmed that the Barnsley game will come too soon.

Marko Marosi will continue in between the sticks, behind a back three of Dominic Hyam, Kyle McFadzean and Leo Ostigard.

The left wing back role will be taken up by Ryan Giles and Fankaty Dabo could keep his place on the opposite side.

Jamie Allen and Gustavo Hamer looked comfortable together last weekend and they will be deployed in the holding midfielder roles, allowing the likes of O’Hare and Jordan Shipley to play in advanced midfield roles.

The lone striker role will be taken up by Matt Godden, who has netted twice in two Championship outings, but Tyler Walker will be desperate to get on the pitch and be handed a chance by Robins.

Do you think Coventry can get all three points against Barnsley? Let us know in the comments section below…

Harry Wilson may have made his situation at Liverpool worse after putting in a disappointing performance on the international stage. The Welshman had very little impact on his country’s UEFA Nations League match against Ireland and was subbed off after 67 minutes.

He is currently in somewhat of a grey area with his club after being linked to a move away in the summer. He looks set to join another Championship side on loan this season, but it appears his Liverpool career could be coming to an end.

Wilson could leave Liverpool

The Wales international is squandering his chances of staying in the Anfield set-up. After parting ways with Rhian Brewster, and Xherdan Shaqiri also linked to an exit, Wilson’s time to step up could be now. He was given the chance to impress during Liverpool’s Carabao Cup clash against Arsenal, but the versatile winger went completely under the radar.

Despite his impressive loan spells with the likes of Derby and Bournemouth, Wilson has struggled to impress Jurgen Klopp. The 23-year-old has made just two senior appearances for the Merseyside outfit and has not yet been trusted to feature in the Premier League. However, he certainly has the capability. During his time with the Cherries, he scored seven top flight goals with one even coming against Manchester City (via Transfermarkt).

But completing just 17 passes and only 1/2 dribbles against Ireland is not a notable performance for the playmaker. Wilson also  lost possession 11 times and made an error that led to an opposition shot (via Sofascore). Despite boasting the ability to play on either wing and in midfield, his recent stats certainly aren’t doing him any favours and he could be headed for the door soon.

Especially in comparison to rising stars Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, the 18-cap Wales performer’s progress seems to have stagnated at Liverpool and a move may be best for all parties involved.

In other news, Solid England display from Jordan Henderson is much-needed boost for Liverpool ahead of Everton clash…

According to German publication BILD, Aston Villa’s rumoured transfer target Milot Rashica is heading to Bayer Leverkusen in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

Reports over the summer had suggested the Kosovo international was closing in on a switch to Villa Park, and that Dean Smith’s side had agreed to meet the release clause of £20.5m in his contract.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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However, talks broke down after Villa revealed they wouldn’t be signing Rashica after all due to his wage demands. Now, BILD claim that the winger has agreed a five-year deal to join Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, and that the deal will become official in January.

Shades of Alexis Sanchez

With 11 goals in 31 games for Werder Bremen last season, Rashica was a real live-wire from out wide for the Bundesliga outfit, and was a key reason behind why they survived relegation via the play-offs.

His manager at Bremen, Florian Kohfeldt, hailed: “Milot’s taken a massive leap in the last year or so. He’s got more confidence in himself and makes scoring look so easy.”

With his ability to play anywhere across the front-line, and a real touch for finishing, it’s no surprise to see that the Bundesliga’s official website has drawn comparisons between him and former Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez.

It said: “A one-man attacking force with pace to burn, the Bremen talisman has that self-same stocky build and low centre of gravity that made Sanchez such an overwhelming prospect for opposition defenders back in his Barcelona and Arsenal days. He loves a set-piece goal, too.”

But with Rashica set to move to Leverkusen, Villa look set to miss out on yet another winger following Said Benrahma’s move to West Ham.

And in other news, Aston Villa dodged a bullet by not signing this Premier League ace.

Bongani Zungu has added fuel to the fire regarding rumours of a move to Glasgow Rangers.

The ‘Gers have been heavily linked with Zungu over the past few months, with the Ibrox outfit said to be in advanced talks with his current club Amiens over a potential deal. However, news of any agreement has cooled recently, and it seems as though the 54-time Scottish champions have moved on to other targets.

However, there have been further developments over the past few days. When asked on Twitter whether he still played for Amiens, Zungu replied that he does not, and he then proceeded to like a tweet from a Rangers fan account saying that he should make the move to the ‘Gers.

As a player with 52 Ligue 1 appearances to his name and 24 caps for South Africa, Zungu would be a good signing on paper. Having said that, this kind of attitude will surely be a warning to Steven Gerrard and Ross Wilson. If he is acting in such a way to secure a move now, who is to say that he wouldn’t do so again in the future if he were looking for a move away from the ‘Gers?

Having the playing ability is one thing, but that means nothing if the mental part of your game is just not as strong. Gerrard and co must do their due diligence if they are still in the market for the £1.44m-valued 27-year-old.

‘Gers fans, are you alarmed by Zungu’s denial about being an Amiens player? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

West Brom have a big transfer window ahead of them as they look to build a squad capable of remaining in the Premier League next season.

The Baggies looked fantastic for the majority of 2019/20, but their drop off in form at the end of the season almost cost them promotion and highlighted the frailties in their side.

Fortunately, the financial windfall that comes with being promoted to the top-flight will allow the Baggies to bolster the positions that they want to strengthen.

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However, their resources are not limitless and one player that Steve Madeley believes would fit the bill at the Baggies would be too expensive.

What’s been said then?

Madeley stated in his Athletic column that Bilic may be looking towards a midfielder, claiming that Phillip Billing would fit the bill of what he is looking for, but the finances involved make that deal unlikely.

“Philip Billing, who has Premier League experience with both Huddersfield and Bournemouth, would fit the bill but the latter paid £15 million for him after the Yorkshire club went down a year ago and, should they be intent on recovering much of their outlay now they have also been relegated, he will be too expensive,” he wrote.

Bullet dodged, but worrying

Billing being out of West Brom’s price range could be a good thing, considering the fact that the midfielder has been relegated in each of his past two seasons, but the fact that he is too expensive for them is slightly worrying.

Bournemouth reportedly want to recoup a lot of the £15m they spent on Billing, but after earning over £100m alongside promotion, that should be something of a drop in the ocean for the Baggies rather than a massive hurdle.

We’ll have to see how much the Midlands club spend this summer, but if they’re struggling to spend £15m on a player, they may have to rely on a number of bargains.

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

Back in the January transfer window in 2018, West Ham signed Jordan Hugill from Preston on deadline day. They acquired the forward for around £9.18m, per Transfermarkt and he had a decent season at the Championship side whilst he was there in the 2017/18 campaign as he scored eight goals and supplied two assists in 27 appearances.

There was hope that he could replicate this at the Hammers and the Englishman was joining at a good time as the East London side sat 11th in the Premier League.

However, it did not start well for the forward as he featured for only 22 minutes in the 2017/18 season for the Irons and failed to score, per Transfermarkt. This clearly highlighted that he was not rated at the club, which was further proven when they loaned him out to Middlesbrough for the 2018/19 season.

At the Championship side he managed to make 41 appearances, scoring seven times and providing two assists, but clearly this was not enough as the Hammers then loaned him out last season to Queens Park Rangers, where he scored 15 goals in 41 appearances.

With the 28-year-old now returning to the club as his loan has expired, it seems that West Ham want to get rid of him permanently, with Norwich and QPR interested in permanent deals. However, the Canaries only want to pay £2m upfront, potentially rising to £4m.

So far he has still only managed 22 minutes of football at West Ham and the fact he could leave for less than half of his initial transfer fee highlights that he has been a total dud for the Irons.

Hammers fans, what are your thoughts on Hugill? Comment below with your views!

Tottenham are trying to hijack Napoli’s high-profile move for Lille striker Victor Osimhen. 

Recent reports have suggested that Osimhen is on his way to Serie A after Lille received a colossal offer from Napoli reportedly worth €81m, which roughly equates to £73m.

Osimhen has established himself as one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers after a successful debut season in Ligue 1, scoring 18 goals overall. He has become the latest forward to make a name for himself with the Mastiffs, following in the footsteps of former Chelsea ace Eden Hazard and Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe.

The Nigerian seemed to be close to completing a move from the Stade Pierre Mauroy, but circumstances have now changed. According to L’Equipe, as relayed by Goal, Spurs are set to launch a last-ditch attempt to try and sign the striker in the summer.

L’Equipe claimed that Mourinho is confident he can steal a march on Napoli and tempt Osimhen to join Tottenham instead. The 21-year-old has previously indicated he wants to move to the Premier League but it is believed his position has shifted after the offer from the Azzurri, as he rejected a bid from Arsenal earlier this year.

While Osimhen would certainly be a dream signing, it is hard to believe this is anything other than wishful thinking. Daniel Levy has made it clear that he will not be splashing the cash this summer, after taking out a £175m loan from the Bank of England to alleviate financial pressure from these uncertain times.

Mourinho is fully aware that his budget has been strictly limited and he will have to rely on swap deals, free agents and bargain deals to improve his squad before the start of next season.

Tottenham desperately need to sign a backup striker to cover for Harry Kane, as the England international missed a large chunk of the season after suffering a hamstring injury.

Lille are demanding at least £70m for the youngster, which is something Spurs simply cannot afford at the moment.

Tottenham fans, should the board sign Victor Osimhen this summer? Let us know down below!