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Ryan Mason would have been cursing his luck as West Bromwich Albion manager as the Baggies succumbed to their tenth defeat of the Championship already, away at Hull City.

On another day, though, Mason’s men would have been travelling back to the Hawthorns with a rare away win in their back pocket, with 13 shots registered on the Tigers’ goal, next to the hosts’ ten efforts.

Depressingly for the under-fire manager, a contentious Oli McBurnie penalty would end up being the difference maker, with Isaac Price guilty of yet another wasteful performance as he continues to frustrate the restless West Brom faithful.

Price's drop-off at West Brom

After sealing a £2.5m move to England from Standard Liege, Price’s early form in the West Midlands showed off a midfield talent full to the brim with confidence.

Indeed, the Northern Ireland international would bag a sumptuous strike against Hull, no less, last season to get his goalscoring numbers up and running for the Baggies, with his confident displays resulting in then West Brom boss Tony Mowbray heralding him as a “very talented boy”.

He showed off the very best of his ability during Mason’s early tenure, too, with five goals and three assists collected earlier this season, seeing him tipped for a move back up to the Premier League, having once been on the books of Everton as a youngster.

However, in the here and now, he will be lucky to remain in his under-pressure manager’s first team plans, with the £2.5m splashed out on his services looking more steep by the game, based on his careless displays of late.

Across his last 11 second-tier games, Price has just one meagre assist to shout about, with a glorious missed chance against Hull from point blank range resulting in Sky Sports pundit Pete Graves hammering the out-of-form attacker for “somehow” squandering the opportunity.

Still, he has enough credit in the bank to justify that lavish price tag. Sadly, another big capture doesn’t.

West Brom have a bigger waste of money than Price

A large portion of West Brom’s highest earners could be moved on at the end of the season, with Jed Wallace taking home a high £25k-per-week salary, despite only starting four Championship games under Mason’s tenure. With his contract set to expire next summer, he will know he’s on shaky ground regarding his long-term Baggies future.

Daryl Dike is on an even more uneven footing, with the American attacker amazingly taking home the exact same pay packet, despite last starting for the second-tier outfit back in May, when bagging a rare goal in West Brom blue and white versus Luton Town.

When West Brom forked out a high £7m on Dike’s services in January of 2022, they would have been hoping that the ex-Orlando City striker’s goalscoring exploits would catapult the Baggies back up to the Premier League.

Instead, despite occasionally showing off flashes of his instinctive best in front of goal with nine strikes from 48 games, the overriding emotion involving the bumper deal right now will be one of immense regret, with the 6-foot-2 centre-forward horribly unlucky with injuries at the Hawthorns.

Dike’s overall West Brom numbers

Stat

Dike

Games played

48

Goals scored

9

Assists

2

Games out with injury

148 games

Days missed through injury

930 days

Transfer cost

£7m

Wage cost per week

£25k-per-week

Wage cost per year

£1.3m

Contract expiry date

June 2026

Sourced by Transfermarkt

The table above really illuminates how many injury crises Dike has suffered from at West Brom, with the 25-year-old no doubt battered and bruised by the whole ordeal, having now missed a staggering 148 games through injury, five seasons down in the West Midlands.

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The £7m originally forked out on his services now looks like money rashly spent, with his further wage costs seeing West Brom drop £1.3m on his salary yearly, only adding to their agony.

It looks likely that West Brom will pull the plug on Dike’s doomed stay come next June, when his contract expires, with the deal, ultimately, going down as a huge waste of money, even if he has shown off his goalscoring prowess when rarely fit.

Price won’t be dismissed just yet in the same category, with the 22-year-old still very much learning the ropes of the Championship as a purchase that should bear more fruit in the future.

Whereas, for his own sake, Dike must now be let go of, with Mason only utilising him sporadically for 15 minutes of league action this season, owing to yet more injury difficulties.

Related 0 duels won: Mason must drop West Brom flop who was worse than Gilchrist

West Bromwich Albion suffered another away defeat in the Championship this season at Hull City in controversial circumstances.

Posts 4 ByKelan Sarson

Leeds United have less than a week to prepare for their opening game of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign against Everton at Elland Road next Monday.

Despite how close the first game is, head coach Daniel Farke is not satisfied with the work that has been done on the attacking areas in the summer transfer window.

The former Norwich City boss clearly wants to bring in more attackers to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch before the deadline at the start of September.

Football Insider reported in May that the Whites are not planning to build their attack around Joel Piroe, despite the fact that he won the Golden Boot in the Championship with 19 goals.

Leeds are in the market, as Farke confirmed, to bring in reinforcements in the final third, and a new centre-forward to compete with the Dutch marksman is on the agenda.

The Championship champions will be hoping that they can find their next successful Premier League number nine, following in the footsteps of the likes of Mark Viduka and Tony Yeboah.

Leeds United's all-time top scorers in the Premier League

The Whites have not been in the top-flight for a couple of years since they were relegated under Sam Allardyce at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

From that run of three successive seasons in the Premier League, following their promotion under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020, only one player managed to break into the club’s top ten goalscorers in the history of the division – Rodrigo.

The Spaniard scored 26 goals in 88 matches in three seasons in West Yorkshire after his move from Valencia in the summer of 2020, outscoring Raphinha in that period in the club’s history.

Leeds United’s all-time Premier League top scorers

Player

Appearances

Goals

Mark Viduka

130

59

Harry Kewell

181

45

Rod Wallace

178

42

Alan Smith

172

38

Lee Bowyer

203

38

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

69

34

Brian Deane

138

32

Ian Harte

213

28

Rodrigo

88

26

Tony Yeboah

47

24

Via StatMuse

As you can see in the table above, no player has scored more Premier League goals for Leeds than Viduka, who was a battering ram up front for the Whites during his time in West Yorkshire.

The Australian centre-forward mixed physical and technical qualities to be an outstanding number nine for the Whites, as Guardian writer Rob Smyth once noted that he had an “interesting mix of styles” due to his strength and ability on the ball.

Leeds are now being linked with a potential move for a player who could arrive at Elland Road with a similar style of play to the legendary striker.

Leeds have growing interest in Championship star

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are one of the teams with a growing interest in a deal for Norwich City centre-forward Josh Sargent before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that both the Whites and Burnley are keen to snap up the USA international, who would like to remain in England, to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

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It adds that the 25-year-old number nine has already turned down the chance to sign for Wolfsburg after the German club agreed a £21m deal with the Canaries, which shows the kind of money that it will take to do a deal.

TEAMtalk reveals that Farke is a big fan of the American striker, whom he signed for Norwich from Werder Bremen in 2021, and would like to reunite with him this summer.

However, the outlet claims that Leeds and Burnley are not currently willing to pay the asking price for the Championship star, and it remains to be seen where this transfer saga will go next.

Why Leeds should sign Josh Sargent

The natural reaction to this news from supporters may not be the most positive, given that Sargent struggled in the Premier League when he last played there in the 2021/22 campaign. However, he was a 21-year-old playing in England for the first time in a team that got relegated from the division, and the majority of his appearances for Norwich came on the right wing, rather than as a centre-forward.

Since their relegation to the Championship, and Teemu Pukki’s exit from Carrow Road, the USA international has had the chance to establish himself in his favoured position, as a striker, and caught the eye with his excellent performances.

Sargent won Norwich’s Player of the Season award last season, thanks to the goals and assists shown in the video above, and has scored 32 Championship goals since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, as per Sofascore.

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That is why supporters should not be put off by a haul of two goals in 26 matches in the Premier League in difficult circumstances over three years ago, as his form since then shows that he has the potential to be Viduka 2.0 for Leeds.

This is not to say that Sargent is guaranteed to score goals as frequently as Viduka did for the Whites, given his exceptional record, but he has the all-round game and finishing capabilities to be Farke’s own version of the striker.

24/25 Championship

Josh Sargent

Percentile rank vs STs

xG

13.32

Top 5%

Goals

15

Top 3%

Shots on target

30

Top 9%

xA

3.17

Top 8%

Assists

5

Top 8%

Successful dribbles

16

Top 20%

Duel success rate

42.6%

Top 16%

Aerial duel success rate

35.6%

Top 36%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the £21m-rated forward has developed into a talismanic figure for the Canaries in the number nine position, ranking highly among his positional peers in a host of metrics in and out of possession.

Sargent, who Tony Pulis described as “relentless”, has the physical qualities to win duels on the deck and in the air to be a target man for his side, much like Viduka was for Leeds, whilst also being a prolific scorer and creator in front of goal.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for him to be a Viduka-esque figure up front for Leeds because he is a technically secure target man who finishes chances clinically and creates for others.

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Posts 4 ByDan Emery

It is now down for Sargent, if the Whites strike a deal for him, to show that he can translate that to the Premier League when played in his preferred position at that level.

Oh to be Rasmus Hojlund. Manchester United’s number nine can hardly buy a goal these days, with the struggling Dane failing to build on a promising debut campaign in which he finished as the club’s leading scorer in all competitions.

The 22-year-old had initially looked to have revived his confidence prior to the international break after winning a penalty and registering an assist against Real Sociedad in the Europa League, before breaking his 21-game duck in the 3-0 win over Leicester City.

That was followed by the ex-Atalanta starlet also netting for his country against Portugal, albeit with Ruben Amorim then taking the decision to drop the £64m man to the bench for the trip to face Nottingham Forest last week.

Having subsequently been reinstated to the starting lineup against Manchester City at the weekend, the 6 foot 4 speedster simply wilted once again, while notably registering just two touches in the opposition half during the opening 45 minutes.

Selected strikers – Record for Man Utd

Player

Games

Goals

Assists

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

53

29

10

Romelu Lukaku

96

42

12

Odion Ighalo

23

5

1

Edinson Cavani

59

19

6

Cristiano Ronaldo (2nd spell)

54

27

5

Wout Weghorst

31

2

3

Anthony Martial

317

90

46

Rasmus Hojlund

84

24

6

Stats via Transfermarkt

Such woes – which have seen Hojlund score just three Premier League goals this season – have highlighted the need for a suitable replacement, be it with the addition of a new signing, or buy promoting a young talent in-house.

How Man Utd can replace Rasmus Hojlund

With the Red Devils in action against Lyon on Thursday night, Amorim may persist with Hojlund, considering his record in the competition, with the £85k-per-week marksman having netted five times on the continent this season.

That said, the Portuguese coach may also be inclined to reinstate Joshua Zirkzee through the middle, despite the Dutchman’s typical role in a number ten berth, with the former Bologna man at least making an impact last time out after drawing a fine save from Ederson late on.

Like Hojlund, however, the £36.5m signing has only scored three league goals in 2024/25 – and just six in total across all fronts – with Amorim perhaps ruing the fact that 17-year-old superstar, Chido Obi, is ineligible to feature in Europe, having been left off the club’s Europe League ‘A’ list.

That omission came amid the belief that Obi – who signed from Arsenal last summer – was not yet ready for senior involvement, albeit with the woes of Hojlund subsequently seeing him parachuted into the first-team ranks, having made four substitute appearances to date.

While the Danish teenager has looked lively in those brief cameos – not least against Fulham in the FA Cup, in which he twice came close to scoring – he is still waiting to get off the mark under Amorim’s watch.

There is undoubted hype surrounding a player who notably scored seven times in United’s FA Youth Cup run, although Obi isn’t the only eye-catching striker that the Red Devils are currently brewing at Carrington.

Man Utd's in-house Hojlund replacement

Obi – who holds the record for the most goals scored at U18 Premier League level – continues to excite those of a United persuasion, although he isn’t the only teenager centre-forward to have stolen the headlines of late.

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Indeed, Adam Lawrence’s U18 side notably romped to a stunning 13-1 victory over rivals Leeds United at the weekend, with 18-year-old, Victor Musa, bagging six goals in the first half amid that devastating rout.

Captaining the side on the day, the Spain-born England youth international led the line superbly after putting in a simply prolific showing through the middle, proving himself to be a real handful for the visiting backline.

A towering left-footer – in a similar mould to Hojlund – Musa showed the full array of his finishing prowess on the day, having chalked up a handful of finishes on the rebound, while regularly cutting in off the right flank to devastating effect.

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The pick of the bunch was arguably the teenager’s fourth goal, as he worked his way into a central position from the right wing, before curling home a delightful effort into the far corner, having also produced a stunning finish into the roof of the net for his fifth of the game. Even the striker’s sixth goal was a strike to enjoy, as he took the ball down expertly on his chest, before lashing home from close range.

While hampered by injury last year, Musa – as was evident against Leeds – has returned with a bang in recent times, having now scored 11 goals in just 14 games in the U18 Premier League, while contributing a further three assists.

First-team involvement may not have come his way just yet, but after putting in such a statement performance, it won’t be long before he simply proves too hard to ignore for Amorim and his coaching staff.

With the ex-Sporting CP boss already promoting the likes of Obi and Harry Amass in recent months, why not throw another rising star into the mix?

Related Amorim's own Salah: Man Utd pushing to sign "Europe's best player" for £67m

Man United need to make a range of impactful signings in the transfer market this summer.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair

After Todd Boehly’s takeover of Chelsea back in May 2022, no one could have predicted the massive influx of transfers that would take place at Stamford Bridge.

The American purchased the club from Roman Abramovich for a reported £4.25bn, but despite the huge acquisition to buy the Blues, he’s since invested a whole heap of cash into the playing squad.

Nearly three years on since he arrived in London, Boehly has spent around £1.2bn on new talents, investing for the present whilst also keeping one eye on the future.

Somehow, the club have avoided any punishment from the Premier League for breaking PSR or FFP – an unthinkable situation given the funds they have spent in recent times.

With such an array of transfers made, it’s obvious that some were going to fail to live up to expectations, but there are numerous who have caught the eye since their move to the Bridge.

Some of Chelsea’s best signings of the Boehly era

Striker Nicolas Jackson was a player who came under fire during last season under the former management regime despite scoring 14 Premier League goals.

However, since Enzo Maresca’s appointment during the summer, the Senegalese has taken his game to the next level – starring in front of goal.

The 23-year-old has already found the back of the net eight times in his opening 13 matches, sitting as joint top scorer in the league alongside Cole Palmer with a third of the season already complete.

Moises Caicedo arrived in West London with huge expectations after his £115m transfer from Brighton – a deal that broke the record for being the most expensive in English football.

However, he’s already made 63 appearances, scoring twice, including a phenomenal long-range effort against Bournemouth towards the back end of the season.

The price tag would’ve played on the mind of the 23-year-old, but he’s proven to be worth every penny of the fee paid for his services, but the same can’t be said for one of his current teammates.

Related Todd Boehly's worst transfers at Chelsea… so far

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Posts 2 ByStephan Georgiou The high-earning Chelsea player who Maresca needs to sell

After his summer arrival, boss Maresca has already created a settled side, as demonstrated by their current league standing, which sees them sit third and level on points with second-placed Arsenal.

His arrival has allowed for a fresh start for numerous players, including left-back Marc Cucurella, who has nailed down the position in recent months, featuring in 12 of the 13 Premier League games this campaign.

Other players have not been so lucky, including central defender Benoit Badiashile, starting just one league meeting to date, featuring for a combined 157 minutes.

However, the Frenchman arrived with high hopes after his £35m transfer from Monaco back in January 2023, but he’s only made 44 appearances since his big-money deal, finding himself down the pecking order this season.

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Badiashile, who earns £90k-per-week at the Bridge, has mainly been restricted to Europa Conference League appearances this campaign, not at the level required for Maresca given his lack of league action.

Minutes played by Chelsea defenders in the PL (2024/25)

Player

Minutes played

1) Levi Colwill

1169

2) Wesley Fofana

1017

3) Marc Cucurella

919

4) Malo Gusto

733

5) Reece James

241

6) Tosin

172

7) Benoit Badiashile

157

8) Axel Disasi

95

9) Ben Chilwell

0

Stats via FotMob

He still has plenty of time on his side given his tender age of just 23, but it’s safe to say that the move hasn’t worked out, especially after owner Boehly was “delighted” to secure his services nearly two years ago.

Given his £35m fee, the defender has currently cost the club £800k per appearance he’s made, a huge amount given his lack of impact in recent months.

His hefty wage, unfortunately, doesn’t reflect his game time since the appointment of the Italian, with a transfer away from the Blues potentially needed to kickstart a career which has become rather “dreadful” at Stamford Bridge in the words of pundit Gabby Agbonlahor.

There’s no way given his recent form, that the hierarchy would be able to make a profit, potentially taking a massive hit on their investment, but giving him the opportunity to resurrect his once-promising career.

Related Their answer to Odegaard: Chelsea keen on signing "world-class" £42m star

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Posts ByEthan Lamb

Celtic shot straight to the top of the Scottish Premiership table on the opening weekend with a convincing 4-0 win over Kilmarnock on Sunday.

The Hoops were never in much danger of dropping points in the match as they marched on to the victory in impressive style, despite only one new signing – Kasper Schmeichel – in the starting XI.

Goals from Reo Hatate, Liam Scales, Nicolas Kuhn, and Anthony Ralston secured all three points for the Scottish giants at Parkhead, in an enjoyable afternoon for Brendan Rodgers.

Matt O'Riley popped up with an assist but it still remains to be seen if he will still be a Celtic player when the summer transfer window slams shut.

Speculation over Matt O'Riley's future

Chelsea are the latest team to have been linked with an interest in the Denmark international, who did not go to the European Championship with his country.

Southampton and Atalanta have also been touted with an interest in the former MK Dons central midfielder, with the former said to be plotting a new bid for his services.

Sky Sports reported earlier this summer that the Scottish giants are looking for a club-record transfer fee to sanction his departure, which means more than £25m coming into the club if he leaves.

Whilst, understandably, supporters and Rodgers may be concerned about his potential departure, the clash with Kilmarnock showed that Celtic may already have their new superstar to step into the limelight if O'Riley does move on.

Reo Hatate's outstanding midfield display

Hatate missed 40 matches through injury for club and country last season, which limited his impact on the pitch, but he could be set for a huge campaign for the Hoops if he can stay fit.

The Japan international produced a stunning performance against Kilmarnock in the middle of the park and could emerge from O'Riley's shadow as the new superstar for Rodgers.

He opened the scoring for Celtic in impressive fashion with an incredibly composed first touch and low drive into the bottom left corner in the first half.

Vs Kilmarnock

Matt O'Riley

Reo Hatate

Pass accuracy

82%

86%

Big chances created

1

1

Assists

1

0

Goals

0

1

Duels won

5/11

4/7

Possession lost

19x

16x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the rest of his display in midfield was also impressive as he won a higher percentage of his duels in comparison to O'Riley and produced two goals and 'big chances' created combined, compared to his fellow midfielder's one.

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Hatate, who scored three goals and provided four assists in just 12 league starts last term, could thrive as an attacking force for the Hoops if he is made to be the main man – should the Danish ace move on.

The 26-year-old ace, who was handed an 8/10 rating by Glasgow World's Ben Banks on Sunday, has shown plenty of promise as a midfielder who can score and assist goals, in limited minutes last term and against Kilmarnock on the opening day.

Related Imagine him & Johnston: Celtic hunting deal for "spectacular" star

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Posts 2 ByDan Emery

O'Riley being sold to Southampton, Chelsea, or Atalanta could open the door for him to rise up and shine as the team's new superstar, due to his already-impressive attacking qualities and proven quality at Premiership level.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been incredible this season, climbing into the top half of the Premier League table with ten games to go.

Gary O'Neil's influence on the squad has seen plenty of development, with their latest 2-1 win over Fulham highlighting that.

Despite losing their two most productive forwards to injury, Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan, they continue to grind out results, which is extremely impressive.

However, that could change with two injuries occurring last weekend, which saw two key attackers be forced off early.

The latest news on Wolves' injury problems

In the first half of the clash against the Cottagers, Wolves lost Jean-Ricner Bellegarde to injury after just 11 minutes of play, which meant that the already weakened attack worsened.

The versatile French gem suffered a knee injury, and he is waiting to undergo a scan, which will confirm the extent of his setback, but his availability for the weekend's FA Cup clash with Coventry looks unlikely.

Pedro Neto is the other player who went off moments before half-time after pulling up with a hamstring injury, which he had already been dealing with prior to the game.

A quick burst of acceleration caused the injury, and it seems set that the Portuguese maestro will spend a period on the sidelines.

Therefore, O’Neil will be forced to look to the youth in his squad to step up in the absence of all of his key attackers, bar Pablo Sarabia.

Related The Wolves flop who left under Lage and is now outscoring Pedro Neto

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington The academy star who could benefit from Wolves' injuries

Nathan Fraser is a prime example that the boss isn’t afraid to chuck the youth players at the deep end, with the striker playing four times in the Premier League already, even starting against Fulham.

With a lack of options, there will be a spot for another young prospect in Tawanda Chirewa, who has the versatility to cover an attacking role as well as in midfield.

The 20-year-old has already had his first taste of Premier League football this season, as he came on as an 80th-minute substitute against Newcastle United recently.

The number 62 was only on the field for a brief cameo, but he certainly showed his quality and self-belief, completing 100% of his passes, having one shot, and completing one key pass.

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However, it’s been in the academy where Chirewa has shown his ability to change the game in the final third, scoring four goals in six matches, and as you can see below, he’s been excellent when playing across a number of roles.

Chirewa's 23/24 Positions Played

Position

Games

G/A

Left wing

2

1

Right wing

1

0

Attacking midfield

1

2

Centre forward

1

0

Right midfield

2

1

Via Transfermarkt

When enduring an injury crisis, it’s vital that the squad has players who are capable of playing in multiple positions, and Chirewa can certainly do that. This is what may potentially give him the nod in the near future, especially when coming off the bench.

Although the “impressive” star – as he was dubbed by journalist Liam Keen – hasn’t been able to truly show his talent yet, the injuries could provide the perfect breakthrough he needs.

Based on the youngster's game against the Magpies, he deserves a chance to shine.

It has been suggested that one West Ham United player may be holding manager David Moyes back, with pressure mounting on the Irons boss.

David Moyes in danger of West Ham sack

The Scotsman lead West Ham to their first major trophy since 1980 and first European honour since the 1960s with an historic Europa Conference League triumph in Prague last season. West Ham enjoyed a night to remember after Jarrod Bowen's match-clinching last gasp strike etched Moyes' Hammers side into folklore.

Overall, Moyes has been praised for his impact as an "integral" figure who prevented a West Ham "nosedive", having lead them to consecutive European qualification spots while arguably overachieving in past seasons.

"You look at the three or four seasons that he’s been back he took them out of a nose dive, then he puts them six, then he puts them seventh, then he wins a European competition after being in a European Cup semi-final the previous year," said talkSPORT's Simon Jordan on Moyes in October.

"They’ve learned their lessons with David in terms of players that they’ve bought, the clubs making money. There’s a lot about West Ham now that you have to look at and say that’s a pretty decent football club now, it’s punching quite hard. I think all things lead to the stability and solidity and achievements of West Ham, not on his own but David has been integral to that."

However, West Ham were battling relegation for a large portion of last season domestically, and a torrid last 10 days has lead to reports that Moyes is facing the West Ham axe if things don't improve. The east Londoners face off against Declan Rice's Arsenal this afternoon in a bid to resurrect their form and challenge for another trophy.

Losses to Aston Villa, Olympiacos and Everton in their last three matches have perhaps highlighted the need to strengthen in key areas, with Moyes now told who may be holding him back at West Ham.

Gabriel Agbonlahor criticises Antonio

Speaking to Football Insider, talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has criticised Michail Antonio for his lack of potency going forward and suggests West Ham need to sign a proven goalscorer in the Jamaican's stead.

“I think Michail Antonio was poor in the game against Villa," said Agbonlahor.

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"He’s not scoring enough goals. Villa have got Watkins, but by comparison, West Ham are missing firepower. They’re relying on Danny Ings and Antonio. Kudus is a good player, and so are Paqueta, Bowen, Benrahma. But they’re missing a clinical striker down the middle. That’s what West Ham, and a couple of other clubs, are crying out for. West Ham have struggled with it for years.”

Antonio has started all ten of West Ham's league games so far, scoring two goals, which has apparently done him enough to earn a new contract at the London Stadium. Indeed, reports suggest that West Ham are in talks with Antonio over fresh terms, despite Agbonlahor's doubts surrounding his capabilities going forward.

West Ham United have reportedly stepped up their pursuit of Conor Gallagher by tabling an initial £40m bid for the Chelsea midfielder.

Is Conor Gallagher leaving Chelsea?

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea rejected the Hammers' opening offer for Gallagher after holding discussions with new manager Mauricio Pochettino.

"Chelsea have rejected West Ham first bid for Conor Gallagher around £40m with add-ons," he said. "After discussing internally and also with Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea decided to reject. West Ham remain interested but #CFC want at least £50m to sell Conor."

The Irons are in desperate need of at least one new central midfielder before the Premier League campaign kicks off in two-and-a-half weeks, having sold star player and captain Declan Rice to Arsenal earlier this month for a fee in excess of £100m.

Chelsea have themselves offloaded a large number of first-team regulars this summer, but the sale of Gallagher to London rivals West Ham has not been ruled out just yet.

Where would Gallagher fit in at West Ham?

As things stand, Gallagher would likely slot in alongside Tomas Soucek in central midfield, though manager David Moyes will no doubt be seeking a second new midfielder to partner the Chelsea machine, should he arrive.

Gallagher is able to play as a pure central midfielder, which is where he featured most regularly last season, as per WhoScored, and also as a holder and as well as in a more advanced role.

The 23-year-old talent was Chelsea's joint-most used player in the Premier League last season alongside Kai Havertz, featuring 35 times in total, 18 of those being starts.

In what was a hugely underwhelming campaign for Chelsea, Gallagher netted three times and assisted another, while his nine yellow cards went unmatched among Blues players.

While those figures may not seem all that impressive on the face of it, FBref's player comparison model likens Gallagher to compatriot and rising superstar Jude Bellingham in terms of their statistical profiles last season.

For example, when taking penalties scored out of the occasion, Bellingham netted 0.23 Bundesliga goals per 90 minutes for Borussia Dortmund, compared to 0.17 for Gallagher at Chelsea.

Bellingham did assist more goals, 0.13 per 90 versus 0.06, but their figures were identical when it came to expected assisted goals (0.13), which is likely to be down to Chelsea's attackers failing to put away chances provided by Gallagher.

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They also found the net from the same number of shots (0.11), completed a nearly identical number of passes (81.7% for Bellingham v 81.1% for Gallagher) and also tackled and intercepted at a similar rate (3.71 v 3.83 per 90 respectively).

Bellingham may have had the better individual campaign, but it must be remembered that he recently joined Real Madrid in a deal that could rise to £103m – over double the sum Gallagher is available for.

Once hailed for his "relentless" work rate and his quality in the final third by journalist Patrick Rowe, Gallagher has shown in the Premier League with Crystal Palace and Chelsea that he can more than do a job.

The price tag may raise a few eyebrows, but West Ham could do a lot worse than spend half of their Rice windfall on a player of Gallagher's quality.

While Champions League qualification is the primary focus for Newcastle United at present, it won't be too long before the excitement begins to build regarding potential summer arrivals, with the rumour mill already starting to churn ahead of the upcoming window.

One notable piece of speculation in recent times has been the links to Leicester City winger, Harvey Barnes, with transfer insider Graeme Bailey reporting earlier this week that the Magpies have "done their homework" on the impressive Englishman.

In the attached piece for 90min, the report suggests that the 25-year-old is ready to leave the King Power Stadium at the end of the season – despite still having two years left to run on his existing deal – with the Tynesiders among those who are interested in securing his signature, as well as that of teammate, James Maddison.

The Burnley-born forward – who was previously hailed as a "real catalyst" by former boss Brendan Rodgers earlier in the campaign – has been a real shining light in an otherwise grim season for the relegation-threatened Foxes, with the hope being that the £40k-per-week man can replicate his standout form at St James' Park.

Would Barnes be a good signing for Newcastle?

The 5 foot 9 speedster has been a real consistent threat in recent years for the Midlands outfit, having scored 42 goals and provided 32 assists in 181 games in all competitions to date, having done much of his damage down the left flank in that time.

While the one-time West Bromwich Albion loanee has still only earned one cap for his country at senior level, the wide man is a truly "unbelievable" talent – as per Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp – with a move to an ambitious outfit such as Newcastle having no doubt been warranted.

As far as Eddie Howe's side are concerned, it will be of interest that Barnes is said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities with Manchester United talisman, Marcus Rashford, according to FBref, with the pair both wreaking havoc down the left side for their respective clubs.

That likeness between the two compatriots is also showcased by their prowess in front of goal with the Leicester ace having scored ten Premier League goals this season, with Rashford – who has 28 to his name in all competitions – is slightly ahead having scored 15 times in the top-flight.

Equally, the two men also mirror each with their creative quality as Barnes has racked up 85 progressive carries and 65 progressive passes from 28 league games this season as a marker of his front-foot approach, while the Old Trafford star has recorded 66 and 62 for the same two metrics, respectively, from his 29 league appearances.

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That comparison to Rashford will be of intrigue to those on Tyneside as the Red Devils ace has been in rampant form so far this season, having notably been hailed as "unstoppable" by manager Erik ten Hag due to his goalscoring exploits.

For Howe and co to find their own version of the devastating forward in the form of Barnes would be a real coup, with that potential signing likely to help bolster a forward line that is currently beginning to fire with Alexander Isak as the figurehead.

Leeds United defender Diego Llorente looks set to join AS Roma, which has left TEAMtalk reporter James Marshment shocked.

The Lowdown: Llorente on his way to Roma?

News emerged on Monday morning that the Spaniard looks set for a move to Italy in the final days of the January transfer window. An agreement is in place between Leeds and Roma which will see the centre-back join Jose Mourinho’s side on loan until the end of the season.

The Serie A club will then have the option to sign Llorente permanently in the summer, despite the fact that he only signed a new deal at Elland Road last month.

The Latest: Marshment shocked

Marshment took to Twitter shortly after the update came to light regarding Llorente.

He was ‘absolutely thrown sideways’ at the news which ‘comes as a shock’, believing that there has been a ‘dramatic shift’ since the 29-year-old penned new terms in Yorkshire just before Christmas.

The Leeds-supporting journalist concluded by stating his ‘fear’ that Llorente leaving ‘may leave us a little light on right central defence’.

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The Verdict: Seems to makes sense

Llorente has fallen out of favour under Jesse Marsch, making just one start in the Premier League since October, so a temporary exit from Elland Road appears to be the right call for everyone involved.

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The 29-year-old has been the club’s worst-performing centre-back this season as per WhoScored metrics, with Phil Hay believing that a new contract was primarily given in order to maintain his value.

That looks set to have worked, and if Leeds are able to recoup the £18m that they paid for the Spaniard in 2020 – with Hay suggesting that the move will come with an obligation to become permanent rather than an option – it could be a smart piece of business, especially with Marsch having four other senior centre-backs at his disposal