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West Ham United could sign a perfect upgrade on Michail Antonio in Bayer Leverkusen sensation Patrik Schick.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that the Hammers are interested in the Czech Republic international as David Moyes looks to strengthen his attacking options.

And, after hearing about the London side’s links to the striker, Carlton Palmer delivered his backing behind a potential move.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “He’s a top player. He’s second to Lewandowski in the goalscoring charts. I think he’s the right age at 25, £40 million is good money for him.

“When I say it’s not massive money, he’s not like your £200,000, £300,000-per-week player, he’ll fall into their budget. They need some backup for Michail Antonio, they’re too heavily reliant on Michail. When Michail’s out the side, they tend to struggle a little bit.”

Upgrade on Antonio

Schick is no doubt best known for his exploits at Euro 2020 last summer, with his incredible long-range strike against Scotland in the group stage actually being the furthest distance from which a goal has been scored on record in the tournament.

This season in the Bundesliga with Leverkusen, he has simply been in stunning goal-scoring form, smashing in 18 goals in just 16 Bundesliga games and provided another three assists too, including scoring against the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich too.

The Czech ace is as clinical as they come, having a superb 32% goal conversation rate this campaign in the German top flight – to put that into context, Antonio’s is far down at just 14%.

Therefore, it’s hardly a surprise that new Leverkusen boss Gerardo Seoane described the 25-year-old as a player with “incredible finishing qualities”.

The £34m-rated star would be a more than adequate cover for Antonio and even be an upgrade on him in the starting line-up too.

Meanwhile, West Ham are interested in this Premier League defender…it’s not Nat Phillips.

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas has now broken a ‘boost’ for Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte ahead of Leeds United as Ryan Sessegnon returns from injury.

The Lowdown: Sessegnon sidelined…

September’s torrid international break, which Spurs fans will certainly believe to be the worst in recent memory, saw a plethora of Lilywhites stars return from their duties with various problems.

Indeed, the likes of Steven Bergwijn, Oliver Skipp, Son Heung-min and Sessegnon picked up knocks before their trip back to Hotspur Way.

Meanwhile, South American trio Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso and Davinson Sanchez had to spend a 10-day training camp in Croatia due to quarantine rules before returning to London (Evening Standard).

Sessegnon, the last player to finally recover from this nightmare period, is reportedly back in contention as Sky reporter Thomas shares a social media update.

The Latest: Conte gifted Sessegnon ‘boost’…

As per the journalist, Conte is set to see the defender return to full training following his hamstring injury – and he could even be available to face Leeds United.

“Ryan Sessegnon will return to full training this week from the hamstring problem suffered in September and could be available for Leeds clash on Sunday,” he explained.

Sharing his piece, which describes the 21-year-old’s return as a ‘selection boost’, Thomas details that Sessegnon’s comeback could come of use to Conte given his preferred 3-4-3 formation – coming as just ‘the sort of player’ who could become ‘rejuvenated’ in the Italian’s system (Twitter).

The Verdict: Crunch time for Sessegnon…

Under former bosses Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo, combination of injury issues and loan spells out of the club haven’t really handed Sessegnon a chance to cement his place in the Spurs team.

However, if Conte can be the man to full implement the Englishman, it’s safe to say Tottenham can have a more-than ideal rotational option to Sergio Reguilon and, potentially, one of the strongest left-back rosters in the Premier League.

Lauded as an ‘outstanding player’ with the potential to become worth around £50 million (Noel Whelan, Football Insider), former Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic’s praise for the ‘special’ starlet highlights his quality.

It is no coincidence that Nuno was a ‘big fan’ of the left-wing back, as reliably reported by Alasdair Gold (via Spurs Web), and these next few months could well be a crunch time in his Spurs career.

Time will tell whether he goes on to become a favourite, but the quality is certainly there for him to do so.

In other news: ‘I understand’, ‘In recent weeks’…Alasdair Gold shares exciting development out of Hotspur Way, find out more here.

Antonio Conte has a massive decision to make as Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action this weekend…

Big blow

Spurs are likely to be without star centre-back Cristian Romero after he picked up a suspected hamstring problem during Argentina’s 0-0 draw with Brazil on Tuesday evening.

The Italian will be sweating on his fitness heading into kickoff but as transfer expert Fabrizio Romano tweeted, it looks like “bad news for Tottenham”, whilst Dr Rajpal Brar, who specialises in physical therapy, believes he could be out for any time between one to six or more weeks, depending on the severity.

It seems hugely improbable that the 23-year-old colossus is involved in their clash against Leeds United on Sunday.

Rodon redemption

As Conte deploys a back-three, he is short on alternatives in the role.

One-time club-record signing Davinson Sanchez would be the obvious option as the most senior of those available, especially as he started four of their opening six games in the Premier League, keeping three clean sheets in the process.

However, he has often been dubbed a “liability” and it’s clear that something in Nuno Santo’s mind changed as he hasn’t started any of their last five league matches, and Conte has not started him in either of his two games in charge yet either.

Then there is the versatile Japhet Tanganga, who has largely featured at full-back rather than in the middle. The 22-year-old, just like Sanchez, is yet to play for the Italian, and he has a history of not trusting or breeding through youngsters.

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It, therefore, leaves Joe Rodon, who can build a solid case for more game time in north London with a start against the Whites.

Since joining Spurs in an initial £11m deal from Championship side Swansea City last year, the Wales international has struggled for game time, playing only 19 times in all competitions.

In fact, he’s started as many times for Wales (11) in 2021 as he has for Spurs (11).

He has never let the Lilywhites down whenever trusted and he continues to make an impression on the international stage, and that can’t have gone unnoticed by Conte, especially after receiving the blow to Romero.

Despite rarely featuring for the Lilywhites in 2020/21, the 24-year-old was one of the more productive defensive options as he averaged a squad-high 2.6 interceptions per 90 minutes, as well as having the best passing accuracy (88.1%) of anyone besides midfield orchestrator Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, via WhoScored.

“You look at Rio Ferdinand and John Terry and there are elements of both in Rodon’s game,” once claimed Sky Sports pundit Andy Hinchcliffe.

Whilst the 6 foot 4 colossus has been described as a “pure” defender and a “real asset” by his former Swans boss Steve Cooper.

It’s time for Conte to turn to Rodon in his time of need this weekend. He’s struck up a good partnership alongside Ben Davies for his national side and for a temporary stop-gap alongside Eric Dier, this is probably the best solution.

AND in other news, Conte may already be repeating Nuno Santo’s fatal Spurs mistake…

Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore could be on his way out of Molineux this January.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Luke Hatfield, with the Express & Star journalist stating in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, with contract talks between the 25-year-old and Jeff Shi remaining at a stalemate, the Spain international looks as if he could be a player Wolves decide to cash in on in the upcoming transfer window.

Speaking about the future of Traore, Hatfield said: “For me, I think it’s one where, in the summer, we probably look and wonder whether he’s going to be off. January might be an option as well.”

Shi must act

While it is undeniable that Traore has been a crucially important player for Wolves as they re-established themselves as a Premier League side, with the forward’s contract set to expire at the end of next season, as well as interest reported to be high in his services this January, now would appear to be the perfect time for Shi to make a decision on the 25-year-old.

Indeed, while the £27m-rated man is yet to contribute to a single goal this season, he has nevertheless impressed over his 14 Premier League appearances for Bruno Lage’s side, taking an average of 1.5 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing a whopping five dribbles per game – by far and away the most of any player in the top flight.

These metrics have seen the £43k-per-week winger average a SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Wolves’ second-best performer in the league.

As such, while it may seem slightly unusual to suggest that a team who are pushing for European qualification in the league should sell one of their star players in January, the 25-year-old’s impressive form means that now is very much the optimal moment for Shi to cash in on Traore, as his value is only going to go down as the end of his contract gets closer.

In other news: Lage could transform Wolves with “superb” 21 y/o beast who has “the world at his feet”

Leeds United face West Ham United on Monday night and Whites manager Marcelo Bielsa has been discussing the impact of Raphinha since he joined the club.Bielsa comments on RaphinhaSpeaking before the Premier League clash, Bielsa said: “What Raphinha is able to create, we’ve already seen. After, what shows more shine or not is whether he’s able to do it on a regular basis. The set-pieces, he manages them very well.”Physically, he’s very apt. He can unbalance individually or combine with his team-mates. I can’t think of many more things to add to an attacking player, but the most important thing is how many times those resources are shown in every game.”Raphinha is shining in momentsIt is easy to say why Bielsa is discussing the consistency of the £16.2m-valued Raphina as, in his 21 league appearances (including three from the bench), the 24-year-old has picked up five goals and five assists (Transfermarkt), This is a fantastic return for a relatively young player in a new league with a promoted team, but these goals and assists have come in patches and he has sometimes had lean spells on that front.His underlying attacking stats show that he is unlucky not to have more goals, as he has averaged 2.3 shots, 2.1 key passes and 1.7 successful dribbles per game for the Whites (WhoScored), figures which rank him highly among his teammates – he is second for shots and top for key passes and dribbles among Leeds’ squad.These figures show that he can shine in moments, but they need to be converted into more goals if he is to answer his manager’s comments about producing on a regular basis.In other news, this Leeds transfer target could be available in the summer!

Noel Whelan believes Glasgow Rangers could save millions by tying down goalkeeper Allan McGregor to a new contract.

Whelan urges McGregor deal

McGregor’s contract is set to run out at the end of the campaign (Transfermarkt), although reports have suggested that he is set to sign a new deal at Ibrox.

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan believes the Gers could save a fortune if McGregor extends his deal with the 55-time Scottish champions. He said:

“He’s a player that knows the club inside out.

“To me, it’s a no brainer when you’ve got quality like that who’s still producing displays at the highest level. If you went out to get another goalkeeper now, probably not as good as him, what would you be paying?

“You’d be paying over the odds for what you’re going to get, unfortunately. You’ve got a player there who wants to be at the club. He’s still putting in performances, he has been a massive, integral part of the Premiership win this year.

“Goalkeepers can go on forever as long as they keep themselves at a certain fitness.

“They’ve got no need to spend millions in that department. They’ve already got a top-quality goalkeeper.”

Short-term

In the short-term, Whelan is correct. As he showed with a wonderful save against Slavia Prague in the Europa League on Thursday, McGregor is still capable of top-quality displays despite being 39 years of age. However, even if he does extend his deal, it is only delaying the inevitable.

Quite frankly, he doesn’t have too long left, certainly not as number one. At some point, the Gers will need to dip into the transfer market to replace him. A new contract this summer enables Ross Wilson and co to strengthen in other areas without worrying about spending on a shot-stopper, but that may change in 12 months’ time.

In other news, some Rangers fans are livid at this Old Firm confirmation.

Sunderland maintained their spot in the play-offs with a 1-1 draw at home to Rotherham in League One on Tuesday night.

The Black Cats are fifth in the table and one point ahead of seventh, as it stands, and know that a win on the final day of the season against Morecambe, who are battling against the drop, will seal their place in the top six.

It was an eventful night for Michael Ihiekwe at the Stadium of Light as he went from hero to zero for The Millers. He opened the scoring in the 17th minute before turning the ball into his own net in the 88th minute to gift Alex Neil’s team a point.

Sunderland did not register a single shot on target in the match as they struggled to break Paul Warne’s well-structured side down.

The home side were, therefore, a tad lucky to come away from the game with a point to show for their efforts as they did not trouble the opposition goalkeeper at all. Neil’s attackers struggled on the night and one player, in particular, who let the head coach down was centre-forward Nathan Broadhead.

Off the ball, he was a lightweight. As per SofaScore, he lost four of his six (66.6%) individual battles and this shows that he was dominated from a physical standpoint. He made one tackle in the match whilst failing to make a single interception, clearance, or block as he failed to help the defence out when Rotherham had the ball.

On the flip side of the game, he offered no attacking quality. As per SofaScore, he did not register a single key pass or shot on goal, whilst also failing to complete a single dribble. He only had 19 touches of the ball, with goalkeeper Anthony Patterson having 32, and completed just nine passes.

Broadhead struggled to get into the game in the final third as he let Neil down on and off the ball throughout the match. The Everton loanee has been sublime this season, with nine goals in 14 starts, but this was a performance to forget from the Welshman.

He must now dust himself down and work hard in training ahead of the crunchtime clash with Morecambe on Saturday. Neil will need the striker at his clinical best to ensure that the Black Cats are competing for a spot in the Championship via the play-offs next month.

AND in other news, Speakman howler: SAFC may now be on the verge of repeating brutal Hugill disasterclass…

Carlo Ancelotti must cash-in on Burnley’s interest in Everton’s Jonjoe Kenny during the January transfer window as he will never be the heir to Seamus Coleman at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Sean Dyche’s Clarets have approached the Blues to discuss a potential mid-season deal that will see the former England U21 international move to Turf Moor this month.

Kenny has struggled to establish himself under Ancelotti following a strong season on loan with Bundesliga outfit FC Schalke 04, and is now keen to secure more regular playing time after featuring for just 77 minutes in the Premier League thus far this term.

Dyche is believed to be keen on making Kenny his first signing of the winter market after failing to seal a deal last year, while Football Insider further add that the Clarets boss is a big admirer of the £6.5m-rated full-back.

Everton are not yet thought to have decided on the best course for Kenny’s future with loan or permanent exits on the cards, but Kenny’s position in Ancelotti’s plans was further made clear on Saturday when the 23-year-old failed to make Everton’s matchday squad for their FA Cup third round win over Championship strugglers Rotherham United.

Kenny had further failed to make the 18-man squad for the Toffees’ prior Premier League match at home to West Ham United, while making his sole top-flight start of the season in November’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle.

Time for Kenny to go

While it is noted that Everton are yet to reach a decision on Kenny’s future amid the alleged interest from Burnley boss Dyche, Ancelotti must accept that now is the time to boot the right-back out of Goodison Park permanently as he will never be the heir to Coleman’s role.

Ancelotti has shown throughout the current campaign that he does not value Kenny’s talents by his relentless preference to overlook the £15,000-per-week defender, whose terms are due to expire in 17-months’ time.

The Italian tactician has even taken to fielding Alex Iwobi, Tom Davies and Mason Holgate at right-back at times this term whilst without Coleman, who missed seven top-flight fixtures in the run-up to Christmas with a hamstring injury.

Ancelotti is even being linked with a string of new right-backs after reportedly deciding to use the winter market to find a more suitable long-term Coleman replacement, with LOSC Lille’s Zeki Celik and Norwich City’s Max Aarons among the potential targets touted.

Kenny is clearly not seen by those in power at Goodison Park to be fit to feature for Everton anytime soon, and Burnley’s interest may prove to be their best route to securing his maximum market value before thoughts start to turn to a future exit as a free agent.

AND in other news: “Absolutely” – Exclusive: Pundit can see £31.5m-rated “Ancelotti type of player” joining Everton.

Leeds United are interested in signing Hertha BSC starlet Matheus Cunha in the summer.

What’s the story?

With the future of Helder Costa at Elland Road uncertain, it seems as though Marcelo Bielsa has his sights set on signing a new star winger for his side ahead of next season in the Premier League.

According to German publication SportBILD (via Leeds Live), the Whites made an enquiry to sign the Brazilian back in the January transfer window, and are now ready to reignite that interest in the summer.

The report adds that interest in the 21-year-old is becoming more concrete, and Cunha is keen to explore new opportunities too.

Julian Nagelsmann rates him

The £35m-rated Cunha has enjoyed an impressive campaign with Hertha in the Bundesliga this season, netting seven goals and providing another six assists in just 27 games in the competition.

Prior to starring for Hertha however, Cunha was on the books at RB Leipzig, and worked under Julian Nagelsmann, and the German was quick to hail the kind of ability the Brazilian youngster has, and the progress he has made since leaving them.

He said: “Matheus Cunha is playing really well at the moment – he’s a huge talent and possesses so much skill.”

And, his former manager at Hertha, Bruno Labbadia, said that Cunha has got the kind of ability and talent to be a real game-changer, and can decide games on his own with a piece of magic.

He said: “Matheus has something special. He can always produce something with a moment of individual brilliance.”

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Described as having speed, skill and intelligence by Bundesliga.com, the 21-year-old seems exactly like the kind of exciting winger that could really set Elland Road on fire, and it’s no wonder Leeds are after him this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds United handed a huge boost as major Elland Road news emerges…

Look at Celtic’s season and you will notice a whole host of issues. The first, of course, is their performances on the field.To put things simply, the Hoops have been diabolical. They are 23 points behind Rangers and any chance of securing a tenth title in a row have surely disappeared.A big reason behind that has not only been Neil Lennon’s management but also his defence. Celtic have conceded 13 more goals than Steven Gerrard’s men, while they also let in a massive haul of 19 strikes during their Europa League campaign.There is another issue deeper beneath the surface though. Even with the Bhoys in such a rut, their young players are finding it difficult to earn first-team opportunities.Had 13 players not had to self isolate at the beginning of the year then Cameron Harper and Karamoko Dembele would still be awaiting their first opportunities of the campaign. Attacking midfielder Ewan Henderson would not have been given a chance either.Lennon seemingly doesn’t like utilising the young players and because of their lack of game time, some of them are now on the verge of leaving. Dembele’s contract expires at the end of the season and with Harper facing the same eventuality, he is set to sign for the New York Red Bulls.For the striker to conclude that he’d be better off developing his career in the United States should be an insult to Hoops supporters. Though, who can blame him for wanting to return home? He has made just one senior outing in the famous green and white.Clearly, he is not going to breakthrough any time soon.If Lennon does indeed get the sack, then one manager could help solve that problem. That happens to be Frank Lampard. Pat Nevin talked up his credentials for the job last week and it was his work with young players at Chelsea that earned him the most praise.Speaking about Lampard during his first season in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge, former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers said: “I have been really impressed watching the team. Okay, they have lost their first couple of games but the tempo of their game is good. They are obviously going to play at a higher intensity and tempo in their game.””Frank understands the policy at the club, how it works and will be looking to bring in some of the young players which he has done. He has given them an opportunity. You have to admire that.”Lampard had to endure a transfer ban in his first campaign with the Blues and as a result, he brought through the likes of Tammy Abraham, Billy Gilmour, Reece James, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori.At one stage last season, Lampard fielded an XI of players with an average age of just 24.3 – a statistic that ended up being the fourth most inexperienced side of the whole Premier League campaign.On top of that, the 42-year-old utilised only four players over the age of 30; Olivier Giroud, Pedro, Willian and goalkeeper Willy Caballero.Clearly, the way Lampard sets his stall out would be beneficial for Celtic’s youth players. The Bhoys may have fielded a squad with the average age of 24.2 at one point this term but that was made up predominantly of young players they’d signed – rather than academy players.With individuals like Harper and Dembele looking likely to leave, Celtic really need to start putting more onus on those below first-team level.Hiring a manager like Lampard would undoubtedly improve that problem.AND in other news, Desmond could revolutionise Celtic by replacing Lennon with 62 y/o “architect”…