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Trevoh Chalobah could be announced as a West Bromwich Albion signing next week, according to journalist Joseph Masi. 

The lowdown

The 22-year-old, who can play as either a centre-back or a defensive midfielder, has just completed his third loan spell away from Chelsea. After earlier periods with Ipswich and Huddersfield, he spent the 2020/21 campaign with Ligue 1 outfit Lorient and finished in the league’s top 10 for interceptions per game with 2.4 (via WhoScored).

Despite appearing 44 times for the west London club’s under-23s, Chalobah hasn’t been handed a senior debut for Chelsea.

West Brom have already commenced their summer business, reuniting former Barnsley midfielder Alex Mowatt with their new manager Valerien Ismael.

The latest

Talks between West Brom and Chelsea ‘have continued to progress well’ in recent days and the signing of Chalobah is getting closer, Masi told the Shrophshire Star. He added that reports in London are ‘saying he could be confirmed as an Albion player next week’.

Lorient are said to be keen on a permanent deal for the 22-year-old, but his preference is to remain in England.

In even more positive news for the Baggies, it is ‘unlikely’ that Chelsea will demand a transfer fee even though his contract still has two years to run.

The verdict

This would be excellent business from West Brom and a true statement of intent as they look to win back their place in the Premier League. If it is indeed a free transfer for Chalobah, it could genuinely prove to be a contender for the Championship signing of the summer.

The Chelsea ace really ought to be playing top-flight football somewhere in Europe given how well he did in Ligue 1, but perhaps he views West Brom as his route to making a breakthrough to the Premier League.

If they intend to use him as a shield for the defence, he would likely represent a more than able replacement for former Baggies loanee Okay Yokuslu, who has returned to Celta Vigo.

In other news, this midfielder might struggle to fit into Ismael’s plans. 

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has name-dropped James Ward-Prowse as the kind of signing he’d love to see at Leeds United.

What’s the story?

The Southampton captain was linked with a move away from St Mary’s in the summer transfer window when reports emerged of interest from fellow Premier League side Aston Villa, but the England international stayed put.

Hay has now suggested that Ward-Prowse could be a great fit at Elland Road instead.

He said in a Q&A for The Athletic: “Ward-Prowse is a terrific player who will surely move on from Southampton eventually. The sort of player I’d like to see at Leeds. From what I’m told, Leeds don’t intend to go back for Nketiah.”

Imagine him and Kalvin Phillips

While Kalvin Phillips might currently be out injured, the prospect of seeing him line up with his England colleague in the Leeds engine room is surely mouth-watering.

Dubbed a “machine” by his teammates at Southampton, the £42m-rated Ward-Prowse had a fine season in the Premier League last year.

The £100k-per-week ace would offer something that Leeds really missed last season – goals from midfield. The Saints star managed eight goals in the Premier League, as well as chipping in with seven assists, numbers which are far better than anything that Bielsa’s current options produced (Mateusz Klich was the closest with four strikes to his name).

As per FBRef.com, Ward-Prowse’s passes in the Premier League last season progressed for more than 10,000 yards, a real indication of how he is always looking to move things forward rather than keeping things simple.

That figure ranks him 49th in the entire division for 2020/21, a pretty impressive achievement considering that most of the players above him are goalkeepers and defenders – in terms of midfielders, only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ashley Westwood, Rodri and Granit Xhaka exceeded the 26-year-old’s tally.

Having him alongside a deeper-lying playmaker like Phillips could see Leeds have the perfect blend of control and dynamism in midfield, with the former protecting the back four and setting up attacks, and Ward-Prowse getting further forward to offer a goal threat.

It would be a real dream midfield duo for Bielsa.

Meanwhile, Leeds could finally axe one flop by signing this Championship sensation…

Frank Lampard will ‘get at least the start of next season’ to impress if he manages to keep Everton in the Premier League, journalist Pete O’Rourke told Give Me Sport. 

The lowdown

Lampard took charge of Everton on the last day of January with The Toffees 16th in the table and four points above the drop zone.

Fast forward just over two months, and their situation hasn’t improved. In fact, they’re now one place and one point closer to the bottom three.

Lampard has overseen two victories and six defeats in his first eight matches in charge.

And according to insider Dean Jones, Everton possess a unilateral option to terminate the contract and part ways with Lampard at the end of the campaign.

The latest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke said he expects Lampard to remain in the Goodison Park dugout into 2022/23 if they avoid relegation.

“I think if he manages to keep them up, I’m sure he’ll get at least the start of next season to see what impact it can have at Goodison Park,” he said.

The verdict

If Everton do go down, both parties will surely decide it’s best to move on. Indeed, Lampard was managing Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League as recently as the winter of 2020 and may not be particularly interested in taking on the Championship, while the club will feel let down by his lack of impact.

If they survive, though, he may feel that he can take Everton up the table with better luck on the injury front.

Yes, the performances have been poor, but the squad are dealing with a whopping ten absentees at this crucial stage of the campaign, though two of those are self-inflicted (suspensions for Allan and Michael Keane).

And Lampard might also be of the opinion that this simply isn’t his squad, and only when he gets a full transfer window can he truly implement his vision.

The early signs on that front aren’t particularly promising, however. Lampard reportedly sanctioned the January signing of Dele Alli from Tottenham Hotspur, but he’s yet to start a single game.

In other news, two of Everton’s January signings could leave in the summer.

A number of West Ham supporters have been showing their love for a touching video showing Declan Rice giving his shirt to a young Hammers fan.

David Moyes’ side have experienced a tricky time of things since winning 3-2 at home Liverpool, struggling to get going after the recent international break. West Ham are now without a win in three Premier League matches, with a loss at Wolves followed up by a defeat away to champions Manchester City.

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On Wednesday night, the Hammers could only draw 1-1 at home to Brighton, as Neal Maupay struck late in the day to equalise for the Seagulls.

There was a lovely moment after the game, though, with the club’s official Twitter channel sharing footage of Rice handing his shirt to a young girl in the crowd.

The fan in question was beside herself with joy, once again showing the beauty of football.

West Ham fans react to Rice video

These West Ham showed their appreciation for the video on Twitter, with one duly hailing the England midfielder as a “special” player for his heartwarming gesture.

“Love this”

Credit: @IronWorks1990

“What football is all about”

Credit: @JoeyyCarson

“Wonderful stuff, bless her”

Credit: @lincoln_hammer

“My heart”

Credit: @Miss_Terreh

“Absolutely love this. Special player and bloke”

Credit: @Huzi2k9

“Look at that reaction. You love to see it!”

Credit: @georgewhucoyi

In other news, a pundit is thrilled over one West Ham transfer claim. Read more here.

West Ham insider ExWHUemployee has dropped a triple transfer claim ahead of a suspectedly busy summer window for the Irons.

The Lowdown: Lack of January business

Whilst the east London club were linked with a myriad of transfers during the winter, the Hammers failed to sign a single player in January.

As a result, fatigue and injuries have been a prominent issue for David Moyes’s men this season, especially given the lack of options throughout the squad.

Therefore, West Ham will need to be active in the summer transfer window if they are to compete for the European places in the Premier League table next season.

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The Latest: Ex’s West Ham transfer claim…

Taking to an interview for his site The West Ham Way, inside source ExWHUemployee has shared the knowledge that the Irons are keen on dipping into the ‘free’ market this summer.

During the interview, he said:

“We will definitely be looking at that [free] market, no doubt about it. A lot of players who we have been interested in before and have even bid large sums for will be available on a free, so I can see us making moves. The obvious candidates will be Jesse Lingard, who loved his time at the club, James Tarkowski is of course someone we have been linked with many times. Also Diaz of Blackburn could be one we go back in for.

“Diaz although not technically out of contract as Blackburn has a year’s extension option on him, will still represent good value for money.

“Knowing how the club likes to operate and be cautious with not overspending, then it really is a given that if players we are keen on are out of contract then we will be looking to bring them in I am sure.

“Although it’s still early days as we don’t even know if we’ll be in Europe next season yet so that will of course play a part in who would want to join us.”

The Verdict: Need to spend money

Whilst a number of free transfers could prove to be lucrative bits of business – including the likes of Jesse Lingard, James Tarkowski and Ben Brereton-Diaz, who will all be out of contract over the summer as it stands – West Ham will surely need to put their hand in their pocket if they are to truly compete for a place in the top six of the Premier League next season.

The east London club were rumoured to have made a number of big-money moves in January, so if they could pull off a couple of these in the summer, West Ham may be a force to be reckoned with next season.

In other news: Finance guru drops major West Ham claim

A development has emerged regarding Newcastle’s pursuit of Villarreal manager Unai Emery.

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, the Magpies are attempting to bring in the Spaniard ahead of the clash with Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday, claiming that there is a feeling the 49-year-old has unfinished business in England.

He wrote: “Unai Emery is under serious consideration for the Newcastle United vacancy. There is a feeling the 49-year-old has unfinished business in the Premier League since being sacked by Arsenal in 2019. Newcastle hoping to have a new boss in place by Brighton match on Saturday #NUFC”

Fans will be delighted

Newcastle fans will surely be delighted with this news as it appears as though the club are finally closing in on a replacement for Steve Bruce. Graeme Jones has been the caretaker manager for two Premier League games and it has left the team in limbo as they await their new head coach.

Bringing in Emery will put an end to the constant speculation regarding the vacant position and will allow fans to start concentrating on what is happening on the pitch rather than worrying about who is in the dugout. It may also provide some clarity off the field, which could lead to more cohesive performances on it as the manager imparts his wisdom on the players and organises them in the way that he wants.

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Appointing him ahead of the Brighton match could also add to the supporters’ delight as it means that they will not have to endure the two-week international break before seeing a fresh head coach in the dugout. It puts the building blocks in place ahead of the January transfer window, with the club now able to identify targets with the help of Emery.

Fans will also be delighted as he is a coach with an excellent pedigree. He finished fifth and led Arsenal to the Europa League final in his first season in England, before being sacked after 13 league matches of the following campaign. Emery has won the Europa League four times in his career, three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, and Newcastle supporters could love to see a trophy-winning coach arrive at St. James’ Park, where major silverware has been conspicuous by its absence since 1969.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Wilson: PIF could form dream NUFC partnership with £100k-p/w “fighter”…

Sunderland fans were delighted with Leon Dajaku’s comments after the Black Cats’ 4-0 victory over Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday evening.

Lee Johnson’s side are currently flying this term as they aim to earn promotion to the Championship. As it stands, they are second in the League One table, one point behind Plymouth Argyle with two games in hand (BBC). They are also still in the League Cup after they progressed to the fourth round of the competition.

Dajaku was on the scoresheet as the north-east side eased to victory, and he spoke to the club’s media team after the clash. He looked delighted to be at the Stadium of Light, and he shared his pleasure with how both he and the side are performing.

The interview was shared on Sunderland’s official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters as the 20 year-old hailed the goal, clean sheet and result. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Dajaku below

“Love this guy, class player has the tools to do damage, he loves the club the fans, get that man tied down ASAP”

Credit: @mark_j_cummins

“Man I love the enthusiasm and confidence of these kids, it is just so refreshing.”

Credit: @PeterBeuster

“How likeable is this kid, the smile on his face tells it all, cracking signing”

Credit: @44stu

“It’s honestly class how he’s enjoying it so much “yes we will play Charlton and em win””

Credit: @safcreportt

“This is what it’s all about. Was if he was talking to us all individually. What a smashing charismatic lad who is already rightly a fan favourite. And that strike tonight with his left foot was awesome. Can’t wait to see more.”

Credit: @ColdwellAnn

“It’s mad how genuinely chuffed Dajaku and Hoffman come across. It’s like they feel lucky to be playing for us it’s mental. Over time a bet that feeling becomes infectious for other players at the club.”

Credit: @matt723289

In other news, Sunderland fans applauded this man against Crewe.

Michael Ball insists Salomon Rondon will not be reuniting with Rafa Benitez by joining Everton.

Benitez was appointed as the Toffees’ new boss in June and has since welcomed Andros Townsend, Asmir Begovic and Demarai Gray to Goodison Park.

The Spaniard is hoping to bolster his squad further before the transfer deadline at the end of the month and Rondon, who worked with Benitez at Newcastle United and Chinese Super League club Dalian Professional, has been mentioned as a potential target.

Rondon remains on the books of Dalian Professional, but reports suggest the 31-year-old could be released from his contract as they look to cut costs.

Benitez took Rondon to China after being appointed as Dalian Professional’s boss and he has remained prolific for his current employers, scoring 14 goals and laying on seven assists in 28 appearances.

But former Everton left-back Ball would be surprised to see Rondon switch to Everton before the transfer window shuts.

He exclusively told The Transfer Tavern: “I don’t think Rondon’s going to be the right suit for the football club at his age, even though he is scoring goals.

“I think buying an experienced striker to help and develop Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be an option, but I don’t think Rondon is the one.”

A big claim has been made over Rangers centre-back Filip Helander, regarding when he could play his next game for the Ibrox club.

What’s the latest?

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has predicted that the Gers beast will make a return to first-team action early in 2022 as he recovers from his knee surgery.

The Sweden international has been out since September and has missed all of Gio van Bronckhorst’s games in Glasgow to date. Dinnery has now outlined what he is expecting Helander to go through in the coming weeks.

He told Football Insider:

“He will start off in some bounce games, maybe some behind-closed-doors friendlies.

“Once he has come through those games, you want to build up his load and then introduce him into the first team. That’s the ideal scenario. But there are always things that will influence those decisions. It could be injuries to key players, important fixtures, setbacks etcetera.

“Sometimes it doesn’t go to plan. We are talking about a time-pressured environment with pressure from stakeholders. There’s also pressure to get results, pressure in terms of the new manager being there too.

“But if all goes to plan, early 2022 is realistic. That’s great news for him after a few months on the sidelines.”

Fans surely buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing after this positive update on Helander, with an expert outlining his possible schedule ahead of his return. The supporters will want to see the big defender back in action as quickly as possible as his fitness will be a huge boost to van Bronckhorst’s side.

Last season, he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.10 in the Scottish Premiership. He won a whopping 68% of his duels over the course of the campaign, showing off his defensive quality and consistently as he played 22 matches for the club.

Former Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard previously praised the gem for his leadership skills. The retired midfielder said: “I think he has shown great leadership. He had a little bit of an ankle issue before the international break and never played for Sweden.

“I decided to go with Katic at Hearts for the real physicality of Ikpeazu and then use Fil’s experience and leadership away to Porto, which I knew was going to be more of a technical game. One that needed experience.”

Earlier this year, the current Aston Villa boss also lauded his positioning as “outstanding” to further emphasise how highly he rated the defender and how well the Swedish-born defender performed last term.

This is why supporters will love this update on his fitness and the prospect of him returning early in 2022. They will be buzzing to see him back out on the pitch and putting in excellent performances again, showing that he can be a crucial player going forward in spite of this injury.

Gaining a player like that could also be a seismic advantage in their bid to win the Premiership crown so supporters should be beaming from ear to ear that a key man will soon return.

AND in other news, “A target…” – Journo delivers big Rangers transfer update that’ll scare fans…

Crystal Palace have reportedly entered the race to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong this summer.

What’s the story?

According to LancsLive, the Eagles are the latest Premier League side interested in signing the highly-rated 24-year-old, with Southampton and Norwich City also credited with an interest.

The report states that Rovers have placed a £20 million price tag on their prized asset, but with less than one year remaining on his current contract, the Championship outfit have so far struggled to find a buyer willing to meet their valuation.

Patrick Vieira would love him

Armstrong enjoyed a fabulous 2020/21 campaign, bagging 29 goals and providing five assists in 43 appearances for Tony Mowbray’s charges.

His outstanding displays earned several plaudits from impressed onlookers last season, including his manager at Ewood Park.

“Adam does (make a difference) as he has done all season. I think Adam has matured, and he’s only 23,” Mowbray told FourFourTwo last term.

“He’s a boy really, but his explosive pace at the top end of the pitch allows you to play both ways, to not be overly concerned if you’re pinned back around the edge of your box because one pass releases pressure to someone like (Harvey) Elliott to play the pass that he can hit just leaving it in the space for the speed and dynamic movement of Armstrong – it’s a devastating effect for the team.”

After failing to break into the first-team setup at boyhood club Newcastle United, Armstrong has revitalised his career in the second tier of English football.

The former England U21-international has proven himself to be a devastating finisher blessed with electric pace, and new Palace boss Patrick Vieira would surely love to be able to call upon his services next season.

Vieira currently has the likes of Christian Benteke and Jean-Philippe Mateta to call upon at the top end of the pitch, but Armstrong would offer something different to the current options available at Selhurst Park.

His profile and style certainly fit in with the other recent additions for the capital club, meaning chairman Steve Parish must swoop for the Blackburn ace, adding another impressive acquisition to Palace’s ranks.

And, in other news…Vieira provides an exciting Crystal Palace update that’ll have fans absolutely delighted