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West Ham have been handed a boost in their pursuit of £49k-p/w Lyon midfielder Thiago Mendes as David Moyes looks to strengthen his squad for next season.

What’s the word?

The 30-year-old was talking to the French media about his future, stating: “The first thing, I already want to finish this championship very well. I don’t know what will happen after.

“I still have a year of contract left with the club for which I give my all. I’ll leave here anyway with my head held high.”

His contract expires at the end of next season, and this update from Mendes could be the biggest hint yet that he will leave the Ligue 1club in the summer. The burning question is, will West Ham be his destination?

David Moyes impressed with Mendes

Moyes was reportedly impressed with the midfielder’s performances against the Hammers in their recent Europa League quarter-final tie, which the east Londoners won 4-1 on aggregate to progress to the last four.

With the links surrounding Declan Rice and a move away from West Ham showing no sign of abating as the summer transfer window looms on the horizon, a midfielder will surely be high on the list of priorities for Moyes.

Mendes’ market value currently sits at just £9m and the club could grab a bargain by signing him. Despite him just turning 30, there may be a few years left in the tank yet, and it could well be a shrewd signing.

The player offers an attacking threat, with two goals scored and 14 shots attempted from 27 league appearances this season, a decent return for a defensive midfielder.

Furthermore, Mendes’ defensive contributions will give Moyes hope that he could be the perfect Rice replacement. The 30-year-old makes 2.76 interceptions and 2.44 clearances per match, illustrating his diligence out of possession, and West Ham will surely only benefit from having a player with such qualities.

Indeed, no Irons player has averaged more than 1.7 interceptions per Premier League game in 2021/22, a sure sign that the Lyon workhorse could add huge security to the east Londoners’ line-up.

Moyes could do a lot worse than signing Mendes, as even if it is only for a couple of seasons, there could be a tremendous coup to be had. The West Ham boss must be buzzing to hear the player’s non-committal remarks over his future in Ligue 1.

AND in other news, Moyes can axe “superb” £50m West Ham ace with swoop for “one of the most exciting talents”

Rangers are considering whether to terminate the contract of Josh McPake, according to Football Scotland. 

The lowdown

The publication had previously reported that the 20-year-old was free to leave if another club made an approach, but it would appear that the Gers’ stance has now hardened.

McPake came through the youth ranks at Ibrox and has had five spells out on loan. The first two were in Scotland – at Dundee and Morton – and the last three have been in the English Football League with Harrogate Town, Morecambe and, most recently, Tranmere Rovers.

Rangers halted his spell with the Shrimps in January after ‘things just did not work out’, in the words of boss Stephen Robinson, but his fortunes haven’t really improved at Tranmere, with McPake playing only 12 minutes across the last seven League Two matches.

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The latest

Football Scotland deputy editor Mark Hendry reported that Rangers are ‘exploring the possibility’ of ripping up McPake’s deal and paying him off.

They are said to be disappointed with how he has fared on loan and have decided that he has ‘no future’ at Ibrox.

Worryingly, Hendry added that the player’s attitude has also ‘come into question’ recently behind the scenes at Rangers.

The verdict

McPake, who made his one and only senior Rangers appearance to date as a substitute in a Europa League qualifier against St Joseph’s of Gibraltar in 2019, is still under contract until the summer of 2024.

As per Salary Sport, he earns £4,100 per week, which would equate to £426,400 over a two-year period. That’s a considerable sum that Rangers could save by terminating his contract.

McPake’s former Morton boss David Hopkin called him ‘excellent’ and said that he had a ‘fantastic chance’ of success in football, but the promise has faded since.

Perhaps it’s Rangers’ apparent concerns about the 20-year-old’s attitude which could see them cut ties. , After all, it’s important that the right example is set for the younger academy talents. If his approach was right but he couldn’t quite cut in terms of ability, then maybe the club would simply look to cash in, rather than unceremoniously binning him off as they appear set to do.

In other news, Pete O’Rourke says this Golden Boy nominee would be a ‘massive’ signing for Rangers

West Bromwich Albion will be taking on another campaign in the Championship after they failed to secure promotion or even a place in the play-offs this season.

In their 46 league games, the Midlands club won 18, drawn 13 and lost 15 along the way, leaving them 10th for a finish.

Before the 2022/23 season kicks off, the Baggies have the chance to make whatever changes to their squad that they see fit during the upcoming summer transfer window.

With that in mind, it seems as though the club have already identified one figure behind the scenes who they would want to see in their ranks moving forward.

What’s the news?

According to a recent tweet from journalist John Percy, West Brom are interested in signing Blackburn Rovers midfielder Joe Rothwell this summer.

The Lancashire club signed the midfielder four years ago from Oxford United. Since then, the 27-year-old has gone on to make 161 appearances for Blackburn across all competitions.

In that time, the Englishman has scored 11 goals and provided 18 assists along the way, highlighting his attacking and creative ability. This season saw Rothwell play in 41 league games for Tony Mowbray’s side, scoring three goals and providing 10 assists in the process.

Fans will be buzzing

His overall performances earned him a season rating of 6.95/10 from WhoScored, making him Blackburn’s fifth-highest rated outfield player.

To further highlight how dangerous he can be, no other player at Ewood Park put in as many crosses this season as Rothwell (141). He also made 48 interceptions and 26 tackles, showing that he is a very capable defensive player without the ball as well.

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to suggest that a lot of West Brom fans would be over the moon to see their club make a move for the Blackburn stalwart this summer.

Also, with Rothwell’s current contract at Ewood Park set to expire at the end of June, potentially signing a player of his quality on a free transfer could be a great bit of business from the Baggies.

However, with Percy saying in his tweet that Nottingham Forest are also eyeing up a move for the midfield maestro this summer, that could be a significant obstacle for the Baggies and their chances of signing him, especially if Steve Cooper’s side end up getting promoted through the play-offs.

In other news: West Brom plot bid for “generational” £180k-rated prodigy, he’s better than Reach

Liverpool already have two trophies to their name and still have the chance to win the Premier League and Champions League in the coming weeks.

One figure in Jurgen Klopp’s squad that has played a big part in getting the team in this position is winger Mohamed Salah.

With 49 games under his belt for the Reds across all competitions, the attacker has scored an impressive 30 goals and delivered 16 assists along the way.

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Despite his rampant goalscoring form on the pitch, there has been a big distraction going on behind the scenes regarding the Egyptian potentially signing a new deal with the club.

If the 29-year-old doesn’t put pen to paper on a new contract and leaves the club, the Reds will need to identify potential replacements. That said, they may already have one in mind.

Back in April, it was reported that Liverpool have an interest in signing Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma.

After joining the Spanish club from AFC Bournemouth back in the previous summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £21.3m, the winger has become a pivotal figure for his new club.

In 23 appearances in La Liga, the 25-year-old has scored 16 goals and provided three assists, whereas, in 11 Champions League appearances, he’s found the net six times and delivered one assist.

To further highlight how much of an attacking threat he has been, the former Cherries star has averaged 2.7 shots, the highest in Villarreal’s squad, and 1.4 dribbles per game in the league.

Labelled as a player that is “a nightmare for defenders” as well as being someone who “can hurt any defence with his pace and directness,” by Kevin Phillips, Danjuma is now reportedly available for a fee of £45m.

While he may not be as deadly as Salah has been this season, there aren’t many players in world football that have or could reach the levels he’s been at in this campaign.

However, as a potential replacement for the Egypt international, the Villarreal star could be a suitable option.

In other news: Liverpool eye bid for exciting wonderkid, he could become a “scary” £127m-rated talent

Patrick Boyland has now revealed some interesting Everton news on Asmir Begovic.

The Lowdown: Barely played

In truth, Begovic has barely played since arriving on a free transfer in the summer.

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The former AFC Bournemouth goalkeeper has played just six times in total so far this season, and has not featured since March (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Contract extension

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic journalist Boyland has revealed that the Goodison Park faithful have now taken up the option of extending Begovic’s deal for another year:

“Understand Everton have also taken up the option of extending Asmir Begovic’s deal by a further year.”

The Verdict: Interesting

It is certainly an interesting decision by the Merseyside club to keep hold of Begovic for another year, despite the fact that he has barely featured for them.

At 34 years of age, and earning £43,000-per-week at the Toffees, one could question why they have decided to keep hold of him, especially given the fact that they have Andy Lonergan as another back-up goalkeeper to Jordan Pickford, and Joao Virginia still has to come back from his loan spell at Sporting CP.

However, he has done pretty well when he has come in, with the Blues winning four of the six games that he has featured and keeping two clean sheets (Transfermarkt), and so Frank Lampard and the board have clearly seen enough to keep him for another campaign.

In other news, find out what ‘certain’ EFC claim this injury expert has now dropped here!

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their Premier League clash against Norwich City on Sunday afternoon.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, Alasdair Gold relayed the comments of Antonio Conte concerning the fitness of Harry Kane, in which the 52-year-old Spurs manager confirmed that the England international will be available for selection for the final day trip to Carrow Road, despite earlier reports suggesting that the centre-forward had been taken ill with food poisoning.

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In his tweet, the football.london journalist said: “Antonio Conte on whether Harry Kane will be fit for Sunday: ‘Yes for sure, and because in the last game we had Deki Kulusevski and he didn’t train on Saturday but was good to play. Harry doesn’t want to miss this type of game’.”

Conte will be buzzing

Considering just how important the Norwich fixture is in Tottenham’s bid to seal a top-four finish in the league, coupled with how important Kane has been for Spurs this season, the news that the 28-year-old will be fit to feature against the Canaries is sure to have left Conte buzzing.

Indeed, over his 36 Premier League appearances in the current campaign, the £90m-rated centre-forward has been in breathtaking form, scoring 16 goals, providing eight assists and creating 18 big chances for his team-mates, along with taking 3.5 shots, making 1.4 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

These metrics have seen the £200k-per-week striker average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.34, not only ranking him as Tottenham’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint eighth-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, the England captain’s availability will undoubtedly come as a huge boost to Spurs’ chances of leaving Norfolk with all three points on Sunday, a result which would subsequently see Conte’s side qualify for the Champions League in 2022/23 – a prospect which will certainly delight everyone involved with the north London club.

AND in other news: Spurs now “tracking” £17m “incredible” talent, he’d be “one of the leaders” for Conte

West Bromwich Albion could be set for a busy summer transfer window as Steve Bruce aims to take the Baggies back into the Premier League after their uninspiring campaign in the Championship.

The 61-year-old spoke previously about the number of changes to the squad that he wants to see happen in the coming months to give his team the best possible chance of reaching their objective.

However, it seems as though a big update has emerged behind the scenes regarding some players who have been mentioned with potential moves to The Hawthorns in recent weeks.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Joe Masi in the Express & Star, after being linked with moves for Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane and Newcastle United duo Karl Darlow and Elliot Anderson, these three players are reportedly not targets for the Baggies this summer.

Good news for Albion fans

With Hourihane, while he would be available on a free transfer as a result of his Villa contract expiring, his 2021/22 season on loan with Sheffield United suggests that, even for free, he may not be the right player to come in and elevate West Brom to where they need to be.

He recorded a lowly WhoScored rating of 6.57, which put him 21st among Paul Heckingbottom’s squad, far from a glowing testament to the Irishman’s performances.

As for Darlow, having conceded 15 goals in eight Premier League appearances this season, the 31-year-old may not be the right figure for the Baggies either, especially with Sam Johnstone likely to leave in the coming weeks and a suitable replacement needed for him.

Finally, with Anderson only having regular senior football at League Two level under his belt, adding the 19-year-old to Bruce’s ranks could be a risk for Albion given his inexperience.

Taking all this into account, seeing these three players scratched off the list for potential summer transfer targets should be great news for West Brom fans.

With this Premier League trio out of the frame, it will presumably now give the Baggies the chance to move on and potentially look at other players who they feel will be the right options to come in and improve their squad.

In our view, with the Midlands club scoring fewer goals than the likes of Reading, Bristol City and Blackpool among others, adding a player who can find the net on a regular basis should be the first port of call for West Brom and their recruitment staff.

In other news: WBA can unearth ideal Sawyers replacement with 20 y/o gem who has “a lot of quality”

Leeds United are confident of signing RB Salzburg defender Rasmus Kristensen, according to The Yorkshire Evening Post.

The Lowdown: Kristensen links

Phil Hay was the man who broke the news regarding the Whites and Kristensen on Tuesday morning.

The reliable reporter stated that the club have been following the 24-year-old, who Jesse Marsch signed for Salzburg back in 2019.

Kristensen is expected to leave Austria over the coming months for a fee of around £10m, however, Leeds could face competition from Borussia Dortmund and Brentford.

The Latest: Transfer update

The YEP shared an update regarding Kristensen on Tuesday afternoon.

They claimed that Leeds are ‘confident of moving forward with negotiations for the Denmark right-back’.

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The Verdict: Perfect

With Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas sidelined for the foreseeable future, a right-back appears to be needed at Elland Road, and Kristensen looks like the ideal target.

Able to play further forward as a right-midfielder, Kristensen has plenty of experience and success working under Marsch and likes to get forward with an eye for goal.

Described as an ‘aggressive but athletic’ defender, it looks as if he has the qualities to fit in at Elland Road, and by the looks of it, Marsch is on course to get his way when it comes to a reunion with the full-back.

In other news – £34m release clause: Leeds now interested in move for ‘special talent’ who Marsch loves

Rasmus Kristensen looks set to sign a five-year deal with Leeds United, according to Jeunes Footeux.

The Lowdown: Kristensen talks

It looks as if the 24-year-old, who has been described as a ‘goal threat’ by RB Salzburg boss Matthias Jaissle, will become the Premier League club’s second summer signing after Brenden Aaronson.

The Whites finally managed to get a deal over the line for the American from Salzburg after having two bids turned down in January, and they look set to raid the Austrian giants once again for the right-back.

The Denmark international is due to undergo medical tests after international duty, and details of his proposed move to Yorkshire have now been shared.

The Latest: Five-year deal

Jeunes Footeux provided an update on Leeds’ move for Kristensen on Friday morning.

They claimed that the full-back will sign a five-year deal at Elland Road and will cost the Whites a total of €25m (£21.4m).

Reports have previously stated that a fee to Salzburg will come in at around £10m, so the other £11.4m seems to be his wage across the five years, which would work out at around just under £44,000 per week.

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The Verdict: Perfect

Victor Orta hasn’t wasted any time in making moves for manager Jesse Marsch, which is a welcome sign given the club’s struggles for signings under Marcelo Bielsa in recent years.

Kristensen’s presence is needed in Yorkshire, especially with Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas sidelined through long-term injuries.

The Dane knows what it is like to work under Marsch after winning back-to-back league and cup doubles under the current Whites head coach at Salzburg; and with 18 goal involvements in 44 games last season for Kristensen, Leeds look like they’re about to get themselves an exciting defender.

In other news: Phil Hay now drops big update on Raphinha’s Leeds future after what he’s heard from Elland Road

Premier League champions Manchester City could make an offer to sign Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, according to recent reports.

The Lowdown: Sky Blue overhaul?

Three goals in five minutes sealed one of the most dramatic final day comebacks in English football history on a day where City retained their top flight crown ahead of new rivals Liverpool.

A memorable afternoon at a jubilant Etihad Stadium for Pep Guardiola’s side will live long in the memory of every Blue, but with the next campaign starting in August, it appears the club have wasted no time in shortlisting their next targets after Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.

Sporting director Txiki Begiristain could oversee a real summer of change in east Manchester with Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus all heading into the final year of their deals.

There has been much talk over who could eventually succeed these long-serving mainstays, which include rumours surrounding Gunners sensation Saka.

The Latest: Man City ‘offer’ on the cards…

According to one journalist who writes for European newspaper Calcio In Pillole, Man City could make an ‘offer’ to sign the England international if he doesn’t put pen to paper on fresh terms at the Emirates.

City are ‘keeping an eye’ on Saka and his negotiations over a renewal.

The Verdict: Prepare to pounce?

We believe Saka, still very young and possessing bags of quality, would be the perfect Guardiola player – especially taking into account his versatility both defensively and further forward.

Called ‘unplayable’ by members of the English press (Connor Humm, Football365), City’s head coach himself has even branded Saka one of Arsenal’s ‘incredible’ young stars in the past (via football.london).

According to WhoScored, the 20-year-old finished last campaign as Arsenal’s best player by average match rating whilst also raking in their most goals and assists – leaving little wonder why Guardiola now wants him at Eastlands.

In other news: Pep personally eyeing ‘world class’ £60m star for Man City, he’s now in real danger of leaving…find out more here.