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Former England striker Kevin Phillips has tipped West Ham to complete the signing of Nathan Aké in January, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Defensive depth needed

90min have previously reported that West Ham have identified the Manchester City defender as a January transfer target following the injuries to centre-back pairing Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma. It is expected that the Hammers will pursue a loan deal with an obligation to buy.

Zouma has been a huge loss for the defensive line due to his domination in clearances made, leading the side with an average of 5.2 per game. With the Frenchman reportedly out for up to 12 weeks, it is vital that the Irons provide depth in the centre-back position, as David Moyes has just Issa Diop and Craig Dawson at his disposal at the moment.

The Latest: Hammers to pursue Aké

As per Football Insider, former England international Phillips has tipped West Ham to complete the signing of Aké in the January transfer window.

He said: “That’s a no-brainer for West Ham. He’s not getting a huge amount of game time at Man City. He’s the type of player who needs to be playing regularly. Ake is a brilliant defender.

“With Zouma and Ogbonna out injured he would be a really good addition to their squad.

“He would give them some valuable experience as well, having played in Europe and won the title with Man City.”

The Verdict: A good move for both parties

West Ham are in desperate need of a centre-back following the injuries sustained by Zouma and Ogbonna. Providing depth to the defensive line will be crucial with the club’s hectic winter schedule, as they remain in the Europa League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

Liverpool colossus Virgil van Dijk hailed his Dutch teammate as ‘underrated’ and even name-checked him when asked to name who he felt were the best defenders in the world. Meanwhile, the City defender’s former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte once described a young Aké as looking ‘like a veteran’.

Such praise clearly illustrates the player’s quality and suggests how he has the ability to contribute to West Ham’s top four push, if he makes the move to east London.

Arriving at the Etihad Stadium in 2020 for £40.8m, the defender has made just five league appearances for City this season, so this may be the perfect move for him to revitalise his career.

In other news: These were West Ham’s three worst players in the 0-0 draw at Burnley

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on their first signing of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

They have left it late but with just a few days remaining, it appears as if Spurs are finally about to land a new player for manager Antonio Conte.

According to Italian newspaper Corriere Fiorentino (via Sport Witness), an agreement has been reached with Fiorentina over a move for midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who is currently away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

The Lilywhites are expected to pay a €1.5m (£1.25m) loan fee with a €15m (£13.5m) option to buy in the summer. It’s thought that the Moroccan international is happy to join the north London outfit with Conte waiting for him to be confirmed in the coming days.

Conte wants him

Earlier this month, football.london reported that Conte wanted signings in three key roles – wing-back, striker and in central midfield – and Amrabat has recently emerged as a key target for the Italian as a result.

Matt Law of the Telegraph believes that Conte is a big fan of the Viola star and has even requested sporting director Fabio Paratici to sign him before the end of the month.

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He will be absolutely delighted to see this one edge closer to completion and whilst some supporters around N17 will be underwhelmed by this arrival, there’s plenty of factors pointing towards this being pretty decent business.

The 25-year-old has been restricted to only 211 minutes in the Serie A this season but has featured in three full 90-minute games for his country in Group C and the round of 16 as they make the quarter-finals of AFCON.

Conte has lacked a presence in engine room that can link defence to the attack, one that can drive the ball forward and he’ll get that in Amrabat.

Of the 39 players to have attempted 150 or more dribbles since the start of the 2019/20 Serie A campaign,  only one player (Ismael Bennacer, 79.6%) has managed a better dribble success rate than the Viola enforcer (70.3%), per WhoScored.

That is also above every single one of Spurs’ current central options as Oliver Skipp leads the way on 66.7% and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg isn’t too far behind on 62.2%. Tanguy Ndombele sits down at 55%, which is rather telling.

The Frenchman has been linked with an exit to Paris Saint-Germain, so it could be a case of one-in, one-out.

If Conte wants him, then he should be backed. The 52-year-old must be very excited as the club close in on their first January arrival.

AND in other news, “Tottenham are..”: Fabrizio Romano delivers huge transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

Aston Villa could strike gold this summer by signing Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side have been one of the better defensive sides in the Premier League this season, with just 38 goals conceded in their 33 games – in fact, only four other sides have let in less.

However, according to Football Insider, Villa are keen on reinforcing the centre of defence even further, with Smith plotting a reunion with Tuanzebe this summer.

The duo worked together during Villa’s time in the Championship, and the report claims that Tuanzebe fits the kind of profile of player the club are looking to sign.

He stopped Mbappe

Not many people can put down stopping Kylian Mbappe on their CV, but Tuanzebe did exactly that earlier this season when Manchester United beat PSG 2-1 in the group stages of the Champions League at the Parc des Princes.

As per Sofascore, Tuanzebe made a game-high seven clearances, while he won three out of his five duels, including both that he contested in the air – writing in his post-match player ratings, The Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst gave him a nine, saying: “Will have grown a foot taller after he challenged Mbappe in a tight duel inside the area. Fantastic return on his first appearance in 10 months.”

And, speaking after the game, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was quick to wax lyrical over the United academy product and how he nullified the pace of Mbappe brilliantly.

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He said: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have. Sometimes you’ll get in a foot race with Mbappe and you have to run with him and we know Axel’s qualities, he’s a top defender.”

If Villa are looking for a young, English centre-back with top-level European experience, then they should look no further than the £50k-a-week earning Tuanzebe this summer.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a move for this 6 foot 5 giant…

Leeds United midfielder Owen Bray is set to depart Elland Road at the end of the season, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Bray profiled

Bray is 19 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who has made eight appearances in the club’s academy.

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He is out of contract at the end of June after having had his scholarship extended last summer alongside Taylor Ragan. Bray has made just one appearance for the U23s, and it looks as if he’ll now move on over the coming months.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s post

O’Rourke took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to provide an update on Bray, revealing that the teenager is set to depart the Whites soon.

“Leeds midfielder Owen Bray is set to leave Elland Road at the end of the season when his contract expires.”

Reports have suggested that League One side Wigan Athletic are looking at Bray ahead of a possible move, with the Whites youngster set to turn out for Wigan’s U23s against Hull City.

The Verdict: Makes sense?

Leeds have a number of promising midfielders coming through at Thorp Arch, including Lewis Bate, Sean McGurk and Jack Jenkins, so allowing Bray to depart could suit all parties.

He’s struggled to become a regular in the U23s squad, with his only appearance coming in a 7-0 EFL Trophy defeat to Accrington Stanley back in 2020.

On that basis, moving to the lower leagues in search of first-team football could be a wise call by Bray, after limited opportunities at Elland Road.

In other news: Leeds and Orta want ‘extraordinary’ ace in Bosman move; same agent as Bamford. 

2021 has so far been a year to forget for everyone associated with Celtic. The Bhoys have relinquished their grasp on the title and as a result, a host of faces are losing their jobs.

Neil Lennon has already stepped down as the team’s manager while Peter Lawwell is going to retire at the end of the campaign to be replaced by Dominic McKay.

With Lennon’s departure, there will be a new manager in the dugout for the 2021/22 season. Their goal will be clear; usurp Rangers and make Celtic great again.

That may sound a little like a mantra right out of the Donald Trump book but hopefully, the Hoops boardroom will avoid controversy, something the former US president never shied away from.

Celtic’s number one target in recent days, however, has been a rather contentious point of debate among supporters. Roy Keane had emerged as the favourite for the job last week with Football Insider revealing an interview had taken place.

Though, fresh reports over the weekend specify that a move is now less likely to occur.

A Celtic source has since helped to clear up the Keane rumours. Speaking on Sunday’s A Celtic State of Mind podcast, co-host Kevin Graham revealed:

“We are getting played, us a fan channel, and other fan outlets with the rumours that are being kicked about and certain leaks to the press. It’s extremely clear to me that there’s a split in the boardroom on who they want as the next Celtic manager.”

Graham added: “There’s a side for Keane and a side for anybody but Keane. For me, looking and knowing where the rumour of where Harkin, Keane and Butt came from, I think it is quite clear that person doesn’t want Roy Keane anywhere near Celtic Football Club, and that’s why it was put out there.”

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Reliable voice Paul John Dykes responded: “I think the important thing is to say that at A Celtic State of Mind, you appreciate that someone is actually giving you information with an ulterior motive. And that’s why it’s sometimes so difficult to manage that.

“So I remember days before I mentioned on the podcast, sending it out (The Roy Keane rumour), and you came back to me and said, ‘Well somebody in our boardroom wants to test the water or wants Roy Keane blown out the water‘, which basically did happen.”

Dykes concluded: “I mean if you were to do it in terms of a popularity vote,  the vast majority of Celtic fans that I seen on the back of the podcast and on the back of the tweet where like ‘No chance I don’t want to go near it.”

If the Celtic boardroom is indeed split on who the next manager should be, it doesn’t particularly bode well.

That being said, the theory that leaks are coming from Celtic in a bid to generate the general feeling among supporters can be seen as a good thing.

Dykes admitted last week that the idea of Keane becoming the new manager had gone down like a led balloon among supporters. It can’t be a coincidence, therefore, that just days later he’s moved down the pecking order and become less likely to join.

Those on the board who did want Keane have evidently been dealt a huge blow. However, for supporters, it’s excellent news that they’re being consulted.

It’s being done in a sly way but if Celtic are to come back from this disastrous season, they will need to avoid yet more toxic energy. Hiring the right manager would put the smiles back on supporter’s faces and avoid a repeat of 2020/21.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Edouard: Celtic must swoop for 28-goal “sensation” who’ll “go to the very top”…

Many Crystal Palace fans have been angered after the Eagles’ official Twitter account posted Jean-Phillipe Mateta’s backheel against Brighton in their 2-1 win back in February as their Goal of the Day to mark his 24th birthday on Monday.

The Frenchman made just seven appearances for Palace after joining on an 18-month loan deal in January from Mainz [cpfc.co.uk], with that being the only goal he has scored for the club thus far.

Interestingly, he will become a permanent Crystal Palace player should he complete 15 Premier League starts by the end of 2021/22 [Sky Sports].

Despite converting the famous flick away to their south coast rivals four months ago, he has not been given many opportunities to have a sustained impact in south London.

Upon looking back at the goal, loads of Crystal Palace fans took to social media to voice their opinions, with many objecting to his sparsity of appearances following that magic moment.

Crystal Palace fans react:

Replying to the club’s official Twitter account, here is how some Eagles supporters summarised their feelings on the clip of Mateta’s goal at the Amex Stadium:

“A finish so great he didn’t start again”

Credit: @MisterJohnson87″How about actually playing him this upcoming season”Credit: @AdamHThe1″we’re going to get relegated”Credit: @steven_palace”Please stop”Credit: @JacobMozz”The manager?”Credit: @cpfc_moir”And subsequently got dropped.”Credit: @CroydonExile1In other news, these Crystal Palace fans react to a managerial update.

Tim Spiers has dropped a promising Wolves transfer update involving Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The Lowdown: Ait-Nouri impresses

Ait-Nouri certainly impressed while on loan at the Midlands club in the 2020/21 season, ranking highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles (1.4), key passes (0.7), dribbles (1.2), pass success (86.1%) and crosses (0.6) per game in the Premier League (Whoscored).

His displays were that good at times that a lot of members of the Molineux faithful have since called for him to be signed on a permanent deal.

The Latest: Spiers on Ait-Nouri

Writing on Twitter, Spiers, who is a football journalist for The Athletic, has claimed that the Wanderers are moving to sign Ait-Nouri permanently:

“They’ve renegotiated a £10m deal with a 50 per cent sell-on for Angers.

“Gather that Wolves retain a buyout clause, should they want to remove the sell on fee at a later date.”

He also added that his signing would be “dependent” on Ruben Vinagre departing to free up squad space and funds, an he has been told that the left-back is “on the verge” of joining Sporting Lisbon on a permanent deal.

The Verdict: Good move

Bruno Lage will want to get the supporters on his side as quickly as possible, and there is not a better way to do that than signing Ait-Nouri, of whom they are very fond of.

Especially if Vinagre goes, WWFC will need some competition for Jonny at left-back, and Ait-Nouri can certainly provide that.

Nonetheless, at just 20 years of age, he has still got a lot of potential, and £10m could well turn out to be an absolute bargain.

In other news, find out what latest news has Wanderers fuming here!

David Sullivan must avoid a summer swoop for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard after it emerged that West Ham United are in pole position to get him.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Hammers have stolen a march in the race to sign Edouard after the 23-year-old rejected a new contract at Parkhead.

The London Stadium natives are believed to be assembling the framework of a deal for the French forward, and are hopeful of securing his services.

Arsenal and Leicester City have registered their interest in the Hoops attacker, but progress is being made in east London to get a deal on the table before the summer market begins.

Celtic are growing resigned to losing Edouard at the end of the season after he turned down the offer of a new contract, with his current terms set to expire next year.

Edouard had offers to leave the Premiership giants during the January market but opted to stay put, believing that more suitors would emerge in the summer, much to the annoyance of Celtic who lowered their asking price in hopes of securing a deal.

The Hoops set a whopping £40m asking price last year but dropped their valuation to £25m for the winter market, but may now struggle to even secure that for their 20-goal striker.

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His mixed form during a limp title defence, limited time remaining on his current contract and the pandemic have given Edouard’s camp confidence that he could be sold for as little as £8-10m when the next window opens.

Should West Ham sign Celtic’s Edouard?

If Edouard is available at the end of the season for a fee close to £10m, it may be hard for West Ham to ignore the chance to seal a deal with Celtic for their 23-year-old attacker. But anything more than that must see Sullivan walk away.

While Edouard has found the back of the net 20 times over 35 games across all competitions this term, his form has often been inconsistent and his attitude has frequently come into question.

Franck McAvennie recently suggested that Edouard is one of too many Celtic players who have been playing for themselves rather than the team as a collective this season, and that the “wonderful talent” has not earned a move to a top side with his efforts at Parkhead.

“Does he deserve to go to a big club at the moment? I don’t know,” McAvennie said, via quotes by the Daily Record. “The way he’s played this season, he’s let the supporters down and he’s let himself down because he’s better than that.”

Former Celtic striker Andy Walker has also hit out at Edouard for his attitude and claimed: “I think he owes his teammates and the Celtic fans a big performance,” as his determination to be the game-changer has not always been on show.

West Ham signing a player with a proven attitude issue could come back to haunt them fast, as head coach David Moyes lauded the “fantastic” mindset of his players amid a relegation fight last season and has kept much the same squad for a European push this term.

Only Craig Dawson, Vladimir Coufal and Jesse Lingard are regular members of Moyes’ plans who were not at the London Stadium last season, and each boast brilliant attitudes.

If that is something Edouard lacks, West Ham simply must stay away from another expensive disaster after losing £25m on the club-record fee paid to Eintracht Frankfurt for Sebastien Haller.

AND in other news, West Ham are weighing up a £21.5m swoop for a “great” 10-goal striker…

Liverpool could land their ideal heir to Roberto Firmino in highly-rated Red Bull Salzburg striker Patson Daka this summer.

What’s the story?

According to Zambian Football, the 22-year-old is available for around £25m over the upcoming transfer window, with several Premier League clubs fighting for his signature.

The report claims that West Ham United are in pole position for Daka, while Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Jurgen Klopp’s charges are also keen on the forward.

Next Firmino

Liverpool’s disappointing 2020/21 campaign owed largely to long-term injuries to their first-choice  centre-backs, but it was also epitomised by the form of their struggling forwards.

Although Mohamed Salah had another sensational season, bagging 31 goals in all competitions for the Anfield outfit, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino both struggled in front of goal.

The Brazilian’s unique role in Klopp’s system means the South American is deployed in the false nine position and is tasked with providing regular opportunities for teammates alongside his goalscoring duties.

Nevertheless, he is still expected to put the ball in the back of the net with regularity, although that’s an area where the 29-year-old has struggled over the last couple of years. A return of 18 top-flight goals since the start of 2019/20 only marginally betters his total of 15 back in 2017/18 alone, illustrating the decline of the Brazil international.

While the impressive Diogo Jota was able to come into the starting XI for Mane on several occasions, the lack of centre-forward options available on Klopp’s bench meant that the German was forced to persist with an underwhelming Firmino in the recently-concluded campaign.

Divock Origi has scored some hugely important and memorable goals throughout his Liverpool career, but the Belgian has failed to consistently perform at the required standard for the last two years.

Therefore, a new striker to offer an alternative option to Firmino is needed at Anfield, and Daka could be the ideal option for the 19-time English champions.

“He is a modern centre-forward, quick, capable of working hard and making the difference because he is skilful and has good movement,” said former Zambia head coach Herve Renard of the youngster.

“I brought him to Lille on trial when he was 17, he had to wait for his chance, and then, unfortunately, I was sacked in the meantime. He is truly one to make a note of because he is a very, very promising player.”

Daka, who has won 22 caps for Zambia, bagged an incredible 34 goals in 42 games for Salzburg in 2020/21, providing a further 12 assists for his teammates, and the clinical marksman would provide a perfect alternative to Firmino for Liverpool as they aim to wrestle back their Premier League crown. Bringing him to Anfield would be a masterclass from sporting director Michael Edwards.

In other news… Edwards must avoid Liverpool’s next El Hadji Diouf in £25m-valued flop 

Tottenham Hotspur may be top of the Premier League upon their return from the international break but there are still some issues to iron out for manager Nuno Santo.

One of which is their chance creation and goalscoring, having only found the net three times with successive 1-0 victories to kickstart the 2021/20 campaign.

Indeed, the north Londoners are the only side with a 100% record in the top-flight but they are also the joint-lowest scorers sat 13th or above, meaning there is a problem somewhere in attack.

Heung-min Son leads the way with two goals and he also tops the charts for shots-per-game (3.3). But no player is managing to do better than Harry Kane’s two key passes per game, despite the England international only starting one of their three matches, per WhoScored.

The reliance on these two was also a problem last season, both scored 58.8% of their league goals and both were first and second for creating chances – the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso were nowhere to be seen.

However, Nuno could already have a solution right under his nose, thanks to the expertise of sporting director Fabio Paratici in the transfer market.

In shifting Erik Lamela out, the Italian managed to secure promising Spain gem Bryan Gil in return and he could hold the keys to fixing Spurs’ creativity issue.

According to football.london’s Alasdair Gold on a recent episode of his ‘Gold and Guest talk Tottenham’ podcast, the 20-year-old prodigy is already being spoken about in high acclaim.

“I think they’ve just got to nail down that role for him. As soon as they nail down that role, I think we’re going to see a very talented young player coming to the fore. He’s kind of got a bit of everything: he can pass, he can dribble, he’s very creative, he has clever movement,” he said.

“They’ve just got to decide, is he a guy that can ultimately become the new Eriksen, because the more and more I watch him play, I think the ability’s there to do that. Some have even made a Modric comparison and said, maybe he could end up coming even deeper and becoming that kind of player.”

Modric and Eriksen, two players that would undoubtedly ensure that there were no issues in attack, particularly the latter as Spurs have sorely missed his presence since he left for Inter Milan in January 2020.

Gil averaged 1.7 crosses and 1.9 key passes per 90 in La Liga last season, via WhoScored, which certainly reinforces the view that he could be a solid option in a creative role.

Also described as a player with “unbelievable amounts of technique” and “a left foot on him you’d kill for” by ESPNUK editor David Cartlidge, Nuno must now look to unleash the £27m-rated wonderkid in the coming weeks.

He could well be the perfect solution to one of Spurs’ only current problems.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt cruel double injury blow ahead of Palace clash…