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Lifting the lid on an enquiry to sign Switzerland ace Breel Embolo, 90min have also dropped a rather interesting West Ham United claim involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

The Lowdown: Hlozek on the radar?

As claimed in reliable reports like The Athletic, Hlozek is a name which has been mentioned at West Ham over these last few months.

Indeed. it is even believed that Czech Republic duo Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek even personally recommended the exciting forward to manager David Moyes when it comes to possible transfer targets (The Athletic).

Now, 90min have brought some news on Hlozek in a West Ham update.

The Latest: West Ham hold ‘lengthy’ Hlozek talks…

As per the outlet, the Irons have held ‘lengthy talks’ over signing Hlozek, who seemed to impress when called upon for the Czechs at Euro 2020.

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However, interest in him has ‘intensified’ since those discussions and it now looks ‘doubtful’ that West Ham can wrap up a deal for Hlozek this summer.

The 18-year-old is said to have more ‘appealing options’ than the east Londoners, and it’s little wonder there are plenty of suitors going by his potential.

The Verdict: Big miss?

Hlozek is arguably one of the most exciting young strikers in Europe at the moment when taking into account his scoring record and plaudits from those in the game.

Indeed, scoring 28 goals across his Sparta Prague career so far in all competitions (Transfermarkt), the forward has also been lauded as an ‘extraordinary player’ by agent Pavel Paska (Aktualne.cz).

Missing out on his signature could come as a blow for West Ham in the long run, but you could also make a case that the club should be prioritising more senior striking targets like Tammy Abraham or Roman Yaremchuk at this point.

Regardless of who West Ham eventually swoop for, it’s imperative that manager David Moyes gets a new forward through the door as soon as possible – especially considering Michail Antonio’s worrying injury record.

In other news: ‘No way’, ‘Absolutely amazing’, ‘What we need’…Many West Ham fans react as news emerges, find out more here.

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted positively to Neil Jones’ claim that James Milner will leave the club at the end of the season.

The 36-year-old has been a wonderful servant for the Reds since arriving in the summer of 2015, arguably becoming one of the greatest free transfers in the club’s history.

Milner has now made 268 appearances for Liverpool, winning the Champions League and Premier League along the way and being a great leader in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

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However, at 36 there is no doubt that the midfielder’s best days are behind him, and his current Liverpool deal expires this summer.

According to Jones on The Redmen TV [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Milner will move on at the end of the current campaign, joining another club as he nears the end of a stellar playing career.

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Liverpool fans happy about Milner exit claim

These Liverpool fans were pleased to hear that the club are unlikely to keep Milner beyond the end of this season, with some feeling that his best days are behind him, a view perhaps borne out of some recent underwhelming performances and his rarity of starts this season.

“Finally”

Credit: @boff_daddy

“Freedom”

Credit: @_JazzyJaz_

“CM incoming then surely”

Credit: @TWregistalfc

“About time. Been a top loyal servant but is no where near good enough as a player anymore. Thanks Milly”

Credit: @iLikeFutb0l

“Wonderful. I’ll set off fireworks on the day he leaves”

Credit: @Sabista_

“Thank God. Thanks to James for his services, but I was dreading ‘let’s keep him for one more year because of his leadership'”

Credit: @PhilyRedd

In other news, some Liverpool fans are delighted over this Fabrizio Romano transfer claim. Read more here.

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara following Steven Gerrard’s switch to Villa Park.

The Lowdown: Gerrard appointed

Gerrard was officially announced as Villa’s new manager on Thursday, four days after Dean Smith was relieved of his duties in the Midlands.

The 41-year-old will reportedly be the club’s highest-paid manager of all time and could have a huge transfer budget in January.

It seems as if there’s a real possibility of Gerrard looking to take some Rangers players with him to the Midlands, one of whom could be Kamara, who he previously called a ‘Rolls Royce’.

The Latest: Campbell’s claim

Jordan Campbell of The Athletic shared an in-depth story on Thursday, looking at why Gerrard left Rangers for Villa.

He was asked in the comments section if Kamara could move to Villa Park with the former Gers boss, to which he replied, also adding Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo as possible targets: “I would not be surprised if he came in for him as he loves him as a player. A few more you could say that about like Kent and Aribo.”

The Verdict: Would be a smart move…

Villa appear to be in need of a central midfielder in the New Year, as they have just four senior options plus youngsters Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka in that position at this moment in time.

Kamara is a player who Gerrard actually signed at Rangers back in 2019 and he has used the Finland international on 122 occasions, so he will know the attributes that the 26-year-old would bring to bolster Villa’s midfield ranks.

Primarily a central midfielder who can also play in a defensive midfield role, Kamara’s eye for a key pass has also improved in recent seasons (WhoScored), so it seems as if he could provide a good balance in Gerrard’s preferred 4-3-3 system.

In other news: Many Villa fans go wild over one man Gerrard could bring to Villa Park. 

According to a report from Brazilian news outlet Vasco Noticias, Wolves are among the clubs battling to sign Vasco da Gama starlet Andrey Santos. 

The lowdown: Neves replacement?

This comes as speculation increases surrounding the future of talismanic Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves.

Already linked with Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal in recent days, the future of the 25-year-old at Molineux appears to be in serious doubt.

A report from South America has now highlighted a possible long-term successor…

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The latest: Wolves in the mix for Santos

As per the report from Vasco Noticias, the Old Gold have joined Benfica, Monaco and AC Milan in the race to sign 17-year-old midfielder Santos in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Wolves have made an ‘enquiry’ over the teenager but ‘no conversations’ have yet progressed to a formal offer being made as Bruno Lage attempts to strengthen the ranks in the Midlands.

A previous report from UOL had cited interest from Barcelona and Everton in the six-cap Brazil under-16 starlet.

The verdict: Get it done

Albeit only a sample size of four fleeting senior appearances from which to judge, the fact that Santos has already made strides into first-team action at such a tender age is a testament to his prodigious talents.

Despite possessing a €30m (£25m) buyout clause, it has been reported that Vasco da Gama would be willing to sell their teenage star for between €6m and €7m (£5m-£6m).

At that price, this deal would represent a relatively low-risk option for Wolves should Neves indeed depart, and given the levels of top European interest, those in power at Molineux should be actively attempting to bring Santos to the Black Country.

In other news, Wolves man wanted by Portuguse giants. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United were dealt a late transfer blow on deadline day, it has emerged…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, West Ham boss David Moyes blocked their move for veteran goalkeeper Darren Randolph, who would’ve arrived at Elland Road as a solid backup to first-choice Illan Meslier.

Aston Villa were also keen but the Irons’ third-choice shot-stopper will now be resigned to a seat in the stands for the remainder of the season.

Bolstering the goalkeeper department was surely one of many priorities for Victor Orta and co during the winter but in the end, the Yorkshire giants failed to sign a single player.

Frustrating blow

After the departure of Kiko Casilla in the summer, manager Marcelo Bielsa was left with a lack of options between the sticks. The French glovesman is clearly the no.1 man in west Yorkshire but he has no capable backup behind him.

Vastly-inexperienced 21-year-old Norweigen Kristoffer Klaesson arrived from Valerenga as part of the academy setup during the off-season but has been named on the bench in the Premier League throughout the campaign.

He is the only other registered goalkeeper in the squad right now.

Elsewhere in the window, Leeds snubbed the opportunity to sign either Donny van de Beek from Manchester United or Spurs midfielder Harry Winks after being offered the pair of them, whilst they enquired about the possibility of landing Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino and Chelsea winger Kenedy, too.

They also saw two bids rejected for mooted top target, RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson.

Frustrating.

Randolph would’ve hardly been the man to get the Elland Road faithful roaring every week but he’d have been a solid depth option and one that Bielsa may well need in the future, especially given how bad injuries have been this season.

Once dubbed “outstanding” by former teammate Jonathan Woodgate, the 34-year-old would have added some much-needed experience to Leeds’ goalkeeping department.

Bielsa was already probably angry enough to have missed out on any arrivals but to be dealt a blow that late is certainly going to leave him livid heading into the second half of the season.

AND in other news, Phil Hay reveals huge Leeds United injury boost…

Tottenham Hotspur slumped to an embarrassing 1-0 loss at the hands of Vitesse in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday evening.

There were some very poor performances on the pitch for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team, and The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts Sofascore to analyse the worst-three performing players (who played at least 45 minutes) based on statistics:

Ben Davies

Admittedly tied with Steven Bergwijn, Ben Davies was given the joint-third lowest rating out of any of his teammates by Sofascore, a mere 6.3.

Captain for the day, the Wales international lost out on eight of his duels, and failed to record a single successful dribble, tackle or accurate cross from left-back.

He also lost possession of the ball on no fewer than on 14 separate occasions, the joint-fourth most out of any of his teammates.

Dane Scarlett

Young Scarlett did not take his chance to impress, as Sofascore gave him a measly six overall rating.

The striker lost out on a whopping 19 duels, more than double the next closest player, perhaps suggesting he is struggling to adapt physically to senior first-team football.

He did not manage to have a shot or successful dribble, while losing possession 16 times, the second-most out of any Spurs player.

Dele Alli

Oh how far Alli has fallen. The once England regular was given an alarming 5.8 rating by Sofascore, which does not even tell half of the story.

Alli list eight of his duels, and had no shots on target, successful dribbles or key passes, while he too was also guilty of giving the ball away on far too many occasions, 14 in total.

In other news, find out which Lilywhite has suffered another injury setback here…

Axel Tuanzebe reportedly wanted a move to Newcastle United before Aston Villa signed him on loan from Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Tuanzebe wanted

The St. James’ Park faithful reportedly wanted to sign Tuanzebe before he made the move to Villa Park instead.

They have also been recently linked with a move for Ozan Kabak, suggesting that Steve Bruce would like to bring in another central defender before the summer transfer window ends.

The Latest: Why Tuanzebe move failed

Writing in his latest piece for The Daily Telegraph, Luke Edwards has revealed why the North East club did not end up signing Tuanzebe in the end.

As per the journalist, it was the player’s preference to move to Tyneside over AVFC, but they could not afford the loan fee to make it happen.

The Verdict: Shame

It is such a shame that the Magpies missed out on signing Tuanzebe, as they will now have to rush to get another centre-back in before the window closes.

Dubbed ‘outstanding’ by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after a very impressive performance in the UEFA Europa League against Granada back in April, he is clearly capable of playing at a high level, having notched up a fair amount of experience in playing in the Premier League (Transfermarkt).

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At just 23 years of age, Tuanzebe certainly has potential, and being English, he would have helped fill the homegrown quota in the squad as well.

Nonetheless, the Toon must now look at other targets.

In other news, find out what NUFC transfer update has this pundit baffled here!

Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez would be a ‘fantastic’ signing for Aston Villa in the January transfer window, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Villa linked with Gomez move

Steven Gerrard continued his flying start as Villa manager on Sunday, as his side picked up a fully deserved 2-1 win at home to Leicester City.

Despite the club’s upturn in fortunes, January reinforcements could be required in order to stave off any threat of relegation, instead allowing them to push towards a top-half finish in the Premier League.

One player who has been linked with a move to Villa Park is Gomez, who has struggled for minutes at Liverpool this season, not starting a single league game.

The Latest: Journalist talks up transfer

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield claimed the 24-year-old would be an ideal addition, having been hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Trent Alexander-Arnold in the past:

“Oh yeah, for sure. He’s a quality player, obviously an England international pre-injury. He would be a fantastic signing for Villa.”

The Verdict: Would Liverpool let him go?

As Hatfield alludes to, Gomez could be an outstanding signing for Villa, considering he is a Premier League and Champions League winner at the age of just 24, not to mention winning 11 caps for England.

That being said, it is extremely difficult to see Liverpool letting him leave at this point in his career, even though he is behind Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate in the pecking order currently.

Assuming he overcomes serious injury problems, he has the ability to be a regular for Liverpool again eventually, with Van Dijk and Matip both now 30 and suffering injuries of their own in recent times, meaning the doors may soon be open for Konate and Gomez to lead the way at Anfield.

In other news, some Villa fans slammed one player’s performance against Leicester. Find out who it is here.

After Celtic beat Real Betis 3-2 in their previous Europa League outing, the Hoops are back in SPFL action this afternoon with a home clash against Motherwell.

With the Bhoys having the likes of Albian Ajeti, Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota and Giorgos Giakoumakis out injured as well as Christopher Jullien and Karamoko Dembele, here’s how Ange Postecoglou could line up his team this afternoon with as many as ten changes.

In goal, we think Joe Hart will return to the starting XI with Scott Bain dropping out after scoring an own goal against Betis. 

At left-back, we can see Greg Taylor coming back in for Liam Scales with Josip Juranovic coming in for Osaze Urhoghide in the right-back position. 

For the centre-back positions, we think Postecoglou will bring Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt back in with Nir Bitton, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £14k-per-week according to Salary Sport, and Stephen Welsh dropping out after their appearances in midweek.

In the two central-midfield positions, we think Postecoglou will opt for club captain Callum McGregor and David Turnbull ahead of James McCarthy and Ismaila Soro who both started in the win over Betis.

Ahead of those two, we think Postecoglou will bring Tom Rogic and Michael Johnston back into the frame with Ewan Henderson also starting after coming on as a substitute against Betis and scoring a goal.

To make up for the severe injury issues Celtic have at the top of the pitch with the likes of Furuhashi, Giakoumakis and Ajeti out, we can see Liel Abada being given a shot to lead the team through the middle. He’s been an offensive threat this term, registering a tally of seven goals and eight assists across all competitions so far this season and could deliver the Hoops another league win. 

Whether Postecoglou goes with this exact starting XI that we have suggested or not, this will still be a big test for the Bhoys in their latest push for the title against a side that have won three of their five previous league games. 

With so many key attacking players out injured, Postecoglou and everyone else at the club will be hoping that the team will be able to keep racking up points while they are out of action so they don’t drop out of the title race.

In other news: “No estimated return date”: Devlin drops big Celtic injury update, Ange will be fuming

Derby County are interested in a deal to bring Kamil Grosicki to Pride Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that the Rams are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the former West Bromwich Albion winger, whose contract expired at The Hawthorns at the end of last season.

The report goes on to mention the fact that Derby have so far struggled to get much business done in the summer transfer window, largely down to the fact the club are operating under an EFL imposed transfer embargo, although Wayne Rooney is able to sign free agents on year-long deals and bring in loan signings on six-month contracts – albeit with a capped salary.

However, it is then claimed that the 35-year-old hopes to make Grosicki his fifth summer signing, following the arrivals of Richard Stearman, Ryan Allsop, Ravel Morrison and Curtis Davies last week.

Rooney would love him

With Rooney having recently missed out on the signing of Sone Aluko – who joined Ipswich Town on Friday, despite having been in training with Derby for the majority of the summer – and with the Rams squad currently being extremely short in the wide attacking positions, it is clear that Grosicki is a player the 35-year-old would love to have.

While the Poland international struggled for game time at West Brom last term, the 33-year-old proved he is an extremely capable player in the second division of English football during the Baggies’ promotion-winning campaign in the season prior, as well as in the first half of the season for Hull City.

Indeed, over his 42 Championship appearances for both sides in 2019/20, the £900k-rated man scored seven goals, provided eight assists and created 10 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.2 shots and making 1.6 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man Grant McCann dubbed an “outstanding” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as Albion’s joint seventh-best performer in the league.

As such, if the £25k-per-week winger does indeed go on to sign for Derby this summer, and subsequently manages to refind his form from 2019/20 for Rooney’s side, he could well provide a huge boost to the Rams’ survival hopes this season – something that would delight both the Derby County manager and fans alike.

In other news: Lost possession 18x: £6.2k-p/w Derby dud was miles “off the pace” against Huddersfield