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According to a report by allnigeriasoccer.com, West Ham United and Brighton are in a race to sign KRC Genk striker Paul Onuachu this summer.

The Lowdown: Hammers in striker hunt…

One of West Ham’s main priorities is to sign a goalscoring forward who can provide strength in depth alongside Michail Antonio.

The 30-year-old suffered from various injury issues last season and the Hammers arguably need an alternative option.

Claret & Hugh believe that the signing of a striker certainly takes priority for the Irons this summer alongside both a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard and the acquisition of a new centre-back.

The Latest: West Ham in race for Onuachu…

As per allnigeriasoccer.com, bringing an update on the Hammers’ search for a forward, West Ham and Brighton are reportedly in a race to sign Onuachu.

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The Nigeria international is being tracked by Irons manager David Moyes but it is thought that the Seagulls are in a better position to seal a deal. Indeed, the south coast club have already contacted the player’s agent through intermediaries with talks now commencing.

However, their acquisition is said to be ‘under threat’ by West Ham, who are still contenders for Onuachu’s signature.

The Verdict: Head-turning option…

Standing at a monstrous 6 foot 7 in height, Onuachu has also bagged 45 goals at club level over the last two seasons (Transfermarkt), marking him out as a real force to be reckoned with going forward.

Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, he could prove a very fruitful alternative to the likes of Tammy Abraham, who is also linked with West Ham. It is said that Chelsea would demand around £40m for the Englishman, with Moyes openly admitting that the Hammers cannot afford to shell out such a fee on a permanent deal.

In a very difficult financial market due to the global pandemic, the Irons may have to think outside the box and expand their net across Europe when it comes to signing prolific forwards.

In other net: ‘Have started negotiations’…Journalist makes exciting West Ham transfer claim, find out more here.

Speaking live on talkSPORT, French football expert and Paris-Saint Germain journalist Loic Tanzi has dropped an update on Mauricio Pochettino as Tottenham Hotspur pursue their former manager.

The Lowdown: Pochettino to Spurs?

The Athletic broke news of Tottenham’s talks with Pochettino on Thursday morning in a development which grabbed plenty of attention.

Indeed, the managerial merry-go-round across Europe took yet another twist with this claim that the Argentine could make a stunning return to north London and is allegedly keen on a reunion with the club.

However, the big obstacle appears to be Pochettino’s current club PSG, with the general consensus being that they won’t let him go so easily.

The Latest: PSG journalist drops update…

Speaking live on talkSPORT’s ‘White and Jordan show’, RMC Sport reporter Tanzi shared perspective from the PSG side of things and backed claims that the Ligue 1 giants want to keep hold of Pochettino.

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“They won’t let Pochettino go anywhere,” he declared.

“I’ve been talking with them [PSG] this morning. They want him to stay at Paris Saint-German and they say there has been no contact between the clubs at the moment.

“They have no news from Pochettino and if he wants to leave the club. I know he had a meeting with the sporting director Leonardo on Monday night to speak about the market.”

The Verdict: Battle incoming…

Despite reports from reliable sources indicating that both Spurs and Pochettino want an N17 reunion, PSG’s firm stance will prove difficult to overcome as the French giants seem reluctant to lose their man. Indeed, the Argentine may have to resign if he wishes to come back to north London nearly five months after he was appointed at the Parc des Princes.

One aspect which could help Spurs in their pursuit of Pochettino may be the new-found availability of both Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane.

Both coaches would provide PSG with stellar replacement options as proven trophy winners should the 49-year-old decide on a return to Spurs, and that could well be a crucial factor.

In other news: Alasdair Gold says Spurs could swoop for this ‘incredible’ star this summer, find out more here.

Manchester City fans are desperate for Aymeric Laporte to stay at the club after his impressive performance for Spain against Portugal on Friday night.

City signed Laporte from Athletic Bilbao for £57m in 2018 (BBC), and he has proven to be a good signing for the club. During the 2018/19 campaign, he was particularly important, making 35 appearances in the Premier League (Transfermarkt) as the Citizens won the league by one point ahead of Liverpool (footballdatabase.com).

Last term, he did not play as big of a role, and therefore has been linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium (mundodeportivo.com).

Born in France, £40.5m-valued Laporte (Transfermarkt) has decided to play for Spain after continually been overlooked by Didier Deschamps. On Friday, he made his debut for La Roja, and he helped his side keep a clean sheet, with one fan hailing his performance as a ‘masterclass’.

The City fans were delighted with his display, and they urged him to stay at the club as a result. They took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

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

“Great game aymeric, hope u stay and prove evryone wrong in our team”

Credit: @mcityfanpranesh

“Laporte masterclass on international debut… we can’t let him leave”

Credit: @NoContextSammm

“He needs to start with Dias next season”

Credit: @McfcNathan0

“mannn we cant let laporte go.”

Credit: @ManchesterBleu

“hope he stays he’s better than stones”

Credit: @MedAmineKarray

“Can’t let him go, need to get a run of games under his belt with Dias”

Credit: @FletchMcfc

In other news, Man City fans want to sign this Serie A midfielder this summer.

Former West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern than Eddie Howe should snub a move to Celtic to remain in the Premier League.

The 43-year-old, who’s been a free agent since leaving his position at Bournemouth following their relegation last July, is the number one candidate to replace Neil Lennon at Parkhead having been strongly linked with the job since making a verbal agreement at the beginning of April.

But Howe is reportedly waiting for the conclusion of Bournemouth’s play-off campaign in a bid to convince some of his former coaching staff to join him in the Scottish Premiership.

Since becoming frontrunner for the Celtic job, Howe has also been touted as a possible replacement for the departing Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace, whilst Newcastle have also been mentioned.

The Magpies still have Steve Bruce in charge, but the Palace job is available after the ex-England boss confirmed he’ll be stepping down on Sunday.

With that in mind, Palmer has advised Howe to remain in the Premier League, but suggested his former side West Brom, who were recently relegated back to the Championship.

“No disrespect to Celtic, they’re a massive club, but the place to manage is in the Premier League,” he told The Transfer Tavern.

“The West Brom job isn’t as big as the Celtic job, but you’ve got a great chance to get them back into the Premier League.”

Southampton are being linked with Barcelona left-back Junior Firpo ahead of the summer transfer window and he could be a superb addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side should he make the move to St Mary’s.

What’s the word?

According to ESPN, Southampton have asked about Firpo’s situation at Barcelona as they see him as a potential successor for Ryan Bertrand at St Mary’s, although they will have to see off interest from several Serie A clubs if they are going to sign him this summer.

Barcelona are preparing for a summer rebuild and since the 24-year-old has been unable to oust Jordi Alba at the Nou Camp during his time at the club, he is a likely candidate to be sold.

Would he be a good signing?

Firpo was regarded as one of the best young defenders in La Liga during his time with Real Betis, with his excellent performances in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons convincing Barcelona to pay €18m (£16.3m) to sign him in the summer of 2019.

Unfortunately for the Spanish defender, his time with the Catalan club has not really worked out, as he has made just 41 appearances in the two years since, contributing two goals and three assists.

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This season saw the Dominican Republic born defender make just three starts in La Liga and one in the Champions League, so it is no surprise that Ronald Koeman is keen to cash in on him this summer, and Southampton could be the ones to take advantage.

Barcelona legend Eric Abidal was full of praise for Firpo back in 2020, saying:

“He’s a player with a lot of potential. He could be one of the best left-backs in the world. I always tell him that he must work hard and be aware of the (style of) play. He’s going to get better, for sure.”

This is high praise from one of the best left-backs from the past 20 years, so if Firpo can live up to his potential at St Mary’s, he would surely prove to be a very good signing indeed.

Therefore, Martin Semmens should definitely look to sign him for Southampton this summer, as Hasenhuttl desperately needs a left-back to replace Bertrand this summer, and Firpo could be the ideal man for the job.

And, in other news… Semmens can repeat Armstrong masterclass with bargain swoop for “top player”

According to The72, Glasgow Rangers have entered the race to sign prolific goal machine Jerry Yates this summer, and it’s absolutely a move Ibrox chief Ross Wilson must make.

It’s claimed that the 24-year-old is wanted by at least four clubs ahead of the transfer window, so it is likely that his future lies away from Blackpool, where he has scored an impressive 20 goals in 45 appearances this season.

Back in March, The Sun suggested the League One promotion-chasers valued their 5 foot 9 talisman at around £2m, which on the face of it, seems a bargain.

A new striker could quickly become a top priority for Steven Gerrard at the conclusion of this title-winning campaign. Both Greg Stewart and Jermain Defoe are out of contract, whilst there will be interest expected over leading forward Alfredo Morelos after another goal-laden year.

The 24-year-old very nearly joined Lille last summer after a £16m bid was rejected and Premier League clubs such as Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have been mooted too.

If the Gers are to mount a solid title defence next season, then the addition of Yates could make sense, especially if they keep hold of Ryan Kent, who too has enjoyed a phenomenal campaign.

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The left winger’s 12 goals and 13 assists have played a crucial role towards Gerrard ending Celtic’s dominance, as well as the Scottish giants mounting a serious charge in the Europa League.

Now if you were to pair him up with a goal machine like Yates, then it could well be Rangers’ turn to run the show in Glasgow.

The former Rotherham United youngster has hugely impressed at Bloomfield Road, and earlier this month Richie Wellens waxed lyrical about his ability. He told the EFL on Quest show (via the Blackpool Gazette):

“I love Jerry to bits, absolutely love him to bits. He’s good at everything. He’s got decent pace, he can hold the ball up. He’s a fantastic professional that wants to get everything out of his career.”And after he hit 20 for the season, current boss Neil Critchley couldn’t speak highly enough of Yates.”Considering the start he had to the season, which was similar to the team, the goalscoring record since then has been top drawer,” explained the Seasiders chief. “He’s looking really on form, full of confidence. He’s bang in form.”Just imagine the damage Gerrard’s attack could do next season if Wilson can deliver Yates for just £2m – that would be a worthwhile bargain, even if they do manage to keep hold of Morelos.Kent and Yates would be a frightening frontline at Ibrox.

AND in other news, Signed for nothing, sold for £2.5m: Allen delivered a masterclass with Rangers dud…

Chelsea earned themselves a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid on Tuesday night, which should give Thomas Tuchel’s side a great chance of progressing to the Champions League final when the two sides meet again at Stamford Bridge next week.

Christian Pulisic gave the Blues an early lead at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium as he latched on to Antonio Rudiger’s long ball before keeping his composure to round former Chelsea man Thibaut Courtois and fire into the net.

However, it wouldn’t take the hosts too long to level, as Karim Benzema showed the goalscoring instinct that Timo Werner lacked earlier in the game to fire home an emphatic volley after it broke to him in the box.

Unfortunately for the German international, it was another disappointing performance on Tuesday night as he struggled to get involved at all, whilst he also missed a great early chance as he inexplicably volleyed straight at Courtois when found by Pulisic inside the six-yard box.

As per SofaScore, the former RB Leipzig man would earn a disappointing 6.6/10 rating for his performance, which was the joint-worst rating, along with Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva, of any outfield Chelsea player who started the game.

During his 66 minutes on the pitch, the 25-year-old striker had just 21 touches of the ball, which was the least of any player who started the game, including Chelsea shot-stopper Edouard Mendy, who had 24.

Werner also managed to complete just seven passes during the game, which is significantly worse than the 20.3 passes he has averaged per game in the Champions League this season, which emphasises just how little he was involved on Tuesday evening.

The summer signing, who was dubbed “frustrating” by Rio Ferdinand earlier in the season, also failed to contribute a single dribble or key pass during his time on the pitch, which again suggests that he needs to do more in Chelsea’s build-up play.

Considering the Blues’ impressive start to the game which could have seen them establish a more comfortable lead, you could definitely argue that Werner let Tuchel down because of his inability to finish and his general ineffectiveness in Madrid. If he had performed better, Chelsea would be taking more than one away goal back to the Bridge.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans were delighted with Alfredo Morelos after his antics on the bench during the Gers’ 4-0 victory over Cove Rangers in the Scottish Cup on Sunday.

The Gers were in fantastic form as they progressed to the fourth round of the competition. They scored all of their goals in the first 45 minutes, with Kemar Roofe bagging a brace and Jermain Defoe and Nathan Patterson netting one apiece. The 55-time Scottish champions’ reward for winning will be a tie against Celtic at Ibrox.

Morelos was on the bench for the game on Sunday and didn’t get on to the pitch. However, the 24-year-old still seemed to be enjoying himself, and was pictured having a laugh with his teammates, including club captain James Tavernier. As per Daily Record, TV cameras caught the Colombia international throwing scraps of paper towards the skipper and Roofe.

A video of his antics was shared on Twitter by @kirsten93_, and it attracted plenty of attention from Gers supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, with one drawing comparisons between Morelos and charismatic former Ibrox star Paul Gascoigne.

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

“The wee man was the highlight of the 2nd 45 and he wasn’t even on the park”

Credit: @TenementLight

“Sitting whacking the club captain with stuff the full game & laughing at himself, what a boy”

Credit: @declannhughess

“I love Alfredo Morelos with all my heart”

Credit: @ScottBradleyX

“Gotta love him”

Credit: @Robbiehdgy

“He reminds me of Gazza and his shenanigans, anyone else think that?”

Credit: @Kelly1dm

“Man’s not even playing and he’s still the highlight of the match One day a Tav or Goldson or Defoe etc are gonna write an autobiography and the Morelos stories are gonna be insane”

Credit: @nathanj3001

In other news, Rangers have been urged to sign this striker.

When it’s come to luring new strikers to Wolves, the club haven’t really got things spot on.

Willian Jose is yet to score for the Old Gold this term while Fabio Silva has netted only three times since his club-record move from Porto.

Those players are all in danger of falling into the category of Leo Bonatini, Leonardo Campana and Rafa Mir.

Though, while both Bonatini and Campana are failing to catch the eye during their loan spells, Mir has lit up La Liga in scintillating fashion.

The 23-year-old was signed from Valencia in 2018 and after a woeful set of temporary spells at various clubs in Europe, he was loaned to Huesca this term without little thought.

Mir has never scored in English football and is dubbed one of the worst signings in Nottingham Forest’s history.

He signed for Forest on loan in 2019/20 but didn’t find the net in 11 appearances. A move back to Spain has been influential, however.

The striker is now one of the best strikers in the Spanish top-flight and has even scored against Barcelona. That may have been from the penalty spot but it was tucked away with the confidence of a player in the form of his life.

Mir has scored two hat-tricks this term, against Real Valladolid and Marchamalo while he also bagged against Copa del Rey winners Real Sociedad.

The marksman now has 15 goals in all competitions and has beaten the goalkeeper on six occasions in his last five outings. Evidently, he is very much a different player from the one who has struggled so regularly in England.

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The Wolves loanee has scored more goals in La Liga this term than Joao Felix, Antoine Griezmann and impressive Spanish internationals Mikel Oyarzabal and Iago Aspas.

But what’s changed for Mir? Well, he’s now got a manager that trusts him and the entire Huesca team is built around him.

Speaking to The Athletic earlier this season, Spanish football writer Robbie Dunne only had praise for the forward.

Dunne began: “He’s a little bit like Diego Costa in that he’s aggressive, he likes running the channels, he holds off defenders, he’s athletic and strong. He’s not exactly technically gifted but he has an unorthodox running style that works for him, he can keep the ball, he’s got a powerful strike, he’s quick and he’s good in the air.”

Considering Wolves were reportedly interested in a move for Diego Costa last January, perhaps they were wise to swerve a move. After all, Dunne claims Wolves already have a player like him on their books.

The writer added: “The only weakness is that he’s not very technically capable, so perhaps he doesn’t add a whole lot in the build-up, meaning a game can pass him by. You see him getting frustrated when he’s not on the ball. He’s maybe got an assassin’s mentality. When there are enough crosses coming into the box and down those channels, he can thrive.”

That final line sounds an awful lot like Raul Jimenez. Wolves have lacked an out and out goal scorer this term with the Mexican missing since November while he recovers from a fractured skull.

He is a player who thrives on creative players getting into the channels and then either delivering a cross or pulling the ball back for him. It’s clear that Mir appreciates the same sort of service in Spain.

With both players standing at 6 foot 3, they’d offer a similar presence in attacking areas. Wolves have lacked plenty in forward areas this season so they should consider handing Mir a proper opportunity in 2021/22.

With the right help and service, he could be Nuno Santo’s next Jimenez.

AND in other news, Move over Silva: Wolves must seal swoop for £34.5m gem who makes “spectacular plays”…

March was certainly not a kind month to reigning Premier League champions Liverpool.

The Reds’ title defence continued to falter, wit them winning just one of their three Premier League games and suffering consecutive defeats at Anfield once again. However, one slight saving grace was their progression to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of RB Leipzig.

One player encapsulated Liverpool’s struggles throughout the month and that was right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The England defender started in three out of the four matches throughout the month, coming on as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat against Fulham.

Throughout his minutes on the pitch across the four games, he could only average a 6.74 WhoScored rating as Liverpool only notched one clean sheet in the Premier League. Whilst not the worst rating in the world, compared to his usually lofty standards, it was a very poor number.

For context, throughout Liverpool’s hugely successful 2019/20 campaign, the 22-year-old racked up an average score of 7.04, indicating his huge drop off throughout the past month under Jurgen Klopp.

It is not just in his ratings that Alexander-Arnold has taken a hit. Having notched a huge 15 assists from right-back last season, he has only got five this season, with none of those coming in March.

His defensive contributions also took a huge nose-dive throughout the month, too.

He only averaged 0.75 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per game throughout March which is hugely lower than his season averages of 1.6 and 1.2 respectively in the Premier League.

That poor form has certainly been noticed by Gareth Southgate. Having omitted the Liverpool man from his latest England squad, the Three Lions boss said that Alexander-Arnold has not hit the level “he found in the last few years” – a statement that is tough to disagree with.

With a couple of weeks’ break between now and Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Arsenal, the £90m-rated right-back and manager Klopp will be hoping he regains his form sooner rather than later after an extremely tricky March.

Alexander-Arnold let his manager down throughout the month, he’ll be keen to put that right in April.

AND in more news, read about which clinical striker Liverpool must move for this summer…