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West Ham United boss David Moyes has made a bold decision regarding the future of defender Arthur Masuaku…

What’s the word?

In Roshane Thomas’ recent report for The Athletic, the DR Congo international will be ‘handed an opportunity to impress’ the Hammers boss during pre-season, despite having failed to secure a regular starting berth in recent seasons.

As per the report, however, the east Londoners are ‘in the market’ for a new left-back this summer, with the 28-year-old – and teammate Aaron Cresswell – not set to be the ‘long-term options’ in the role.

This follows recent speculation that the London Stadium outfit are interested in Hoffenheim ace David Raum, while Juventus’s Luca Pellegrini is another full-back who has been named as a possible target of late.

Supporters fuming

While it may be an encouraging sign that the club are still chasing a new left-back acquisition, supporters will seemingly be fuming that Moyes could hand yet another chance to the aforementioned Masuaku, with the Lille-born man having never truly managed to perform on a consistent basis for the Irons.

There will be those wondering what the former Manchester United manager can learn about the £4.5m-rated dud that he doesn’t already know, with the former Olympiacos man having now been at the club for six years, with Moyes in charge for much of that time across his two spells at the helm.

The most recent campaign seemingly appeared to be the end of the road for the £43k-per-week flop as he made just six Premier League starts in total, with a rare, notable high point having been his fluky winner against Chelsea in the 3-2 thriller back in December.

Even with the club enjoying a lengthy run to the last four of the Europa League, the versatile defender was still rarely used in the competition, making just four appearances in total during that continental voyage – only two of which came as starts.

With academy graduate Ben Johnson proving himself comfortable on either side of the defence, Masuaku’s role has been inhibited even further, with it hard to understand just why Moyes would need the one-time Valenciennes man as part of his squad.

Having joined in 2016 from Greece on a £6m deal, the attacking full-back has had more than enough chances to impress in his 127 outings in all competitions – in which he has scored just twice and provided only ten assists – with the Hammers boss seemingly needing to be ruthless to finally wield the axe.

As it is, it looks as if Masuaku could remain something of a wage burner for at least another season, albeit with the player’s contract set to run until June 2024, with the option of a two-year extension after that.

AND in other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

Liverpool have already made three signings this summer with Darwin Nunez, Calvin Ramsey and Fabio Carvalho joining Jurgen Klopp’s squad, and now a potential new transfer target has emerged.

What’s the latest?

According to talkSPORT, Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in signing Carney Chukwuemeka this summer.

As per the report, the Aston Villa youngster is attracting attention from not only Liverpool but also Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

It is reported that Villa are becoming fearful of losing their rising star, as he will be out of contract in 2023 and the player is currently refusing to commit his future at the club.

Klopp’s very own Tchouameni

Klopp is renowned for turning players into superstars and winners, something he has achieved at Liverpool many times as well as back in Germany with Borussia Dortmund. So, although the Reds did miss out on Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, they could yet sign and develop their very own star midfielder.

Chukwuemeka was named last year by the Daily Mail as one the best young footballers to watch out for in the Premier League and has now clearly begun to attract attention from some of the biggest clubs in Europe due to his undeniable talent.

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The 18-year-old has been given small opportunities to prove himself at Aston Villa last season, making 12 league appearances for the side, but only averaging 26 minutes per game.

Despite the limited game-time, Chukwuemeka delivered one assist and created one big chance, winning the majority of his ground and aerial duels combined (55%) and was successful in the majority of dribble attempts too (60%).

The youngster has also been attracting attention for his performances with England U19s in the European Championships.

Chukwuemeka has scored two goals and registered two assists in total with a goal and assist against both Serbia and Austria, proving that the youngster is having no trouble in making himself a stand-out in the competition so far.

Arsenal legend Paul Merson even predicted that the £5.4m-rated talent would become an “absolute star” on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday following his full Premier League debut for Villa last season.

Merson claimed: “You look at the positives, the young kid, Chukwuemeka was very good.

“He will be an absolute star. He glides across the pitch. He is a nice size. He gets on the ball. He looks for it and makes runs without the ball. I think Villa fans going away will definitely be talking about him.”

With that being said, Klopp could develop his next big star if the powers at Anfield can strike up a £5m deal for Chukwuemeka this summer and there is no reason why the player couldn’t become part of the future of the midfield for Liverpool.

AND in other news: Liverpool readying an offer for “outstanding” £34.4m magician, imagine him & Salah

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Ola Aina to the Premier League this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that both Leeds and Nottingham Forest are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Torino full-back ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

Leeds were linked with a €10m move for the 25-year-old as recently as January, however, Marcelo Bielsa ultimately decided against submitting a bid for the Nigeria international.

Orta could form an “unbelievable” duo

While it is true that Aina has spent the majority of his career playing as a right-back, considering the former Chelsea starlet’s ability to comfortably operate on the opposite flank, it is not difficult to understand why Orta is once again interested in a deal to bring the former Chelsea starlet to Elland Road this summer.

With left-back being something of a problem position in Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad heading into Leeds’ 2022/23 campaign, Aina would very much appear to make a fantastic addition to the 48-year-old’s options on the left of his back for next term.

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Indeed, over his 21 Serie A fixtures – £6m-rated talent was in impressive attacking form for Il Toro, creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.5 shots, making 0.8 key passes and completing 0.9 dribbles per game.

The £24k-per-week full-back who Michael Oti Adjei dubbed “unreal” and Nizaar Kinsella labelled “unbelievable” also impressed at the back, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.3 tackles, 1.2 clearances and winning 4.3 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per outing.

And, with Junior Firpo having endured a torrid debut campaign at Elland Road last time out, and Leeds having already secured the signing of the extremely promising and attack-minded right-back Rasmus Kristensen this summer, the prospect of Aina lining up on the opposite flank to the Denmark international next season will certainly be an incredibly exciting one for the Elland Road faithful.

As such, we believe that Orta simply must do everything he can to land the Nigeria international ahead of Nottingham Forest this summer, especially if the 25-year-old is available for as little as £9m.

AND in other news: Leeds now leading race for “indispensable” £25m target, it’d be an “amazing signing”

According to reliable journalist John Percy, Nottingham Forest are now in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Liverpool defender Neco Williams.

The Lowdown: Forest win the race

The Welshman has worked his way up through the ranks at Anfield, from being an academy graduate to a member of the senior first-team squad.

The 21-year-old spent the second half of last season out on loan at Fulham due to a serious lack of game time, and this has recently seen him linked with a permanent move away from Merseyside.

It’s believed that the Cottagers were keen on re-signing him after a successful spell, but interest was also coming from the City Ground, and a move to the Midlands now appears highly likely to be on the cards.

The Latest: Reds in ‘advanced talks’ with Williams

In a Twitter post, Percy revealed that Forest are ‘hopeful’ of being able to complete a deal for Williams in the coming days. He said:

“NFFC in advanced talks with Liverpool over a £16m deal for Neco Williams. Talks have progressed today and Forest are increasingly hopeful of signing the Wales international before this weekend.”

The Verdict: Clever bit of business

It comes as no surprise to see that Williams is looking for a move away from Liverpool considering he hasn’t been able to seriously challenge Trent Alexander-Arnold, and this could be a decent bit of business for Forest after completing the signing of Moussa Niakhate.

The 21-cap international, who was once described as a ‘fearless’ player by football journalist Henry Winter, scored twice and registered two assists in just 15 outings across all competitions for Fulham last season, as per Transfermarkt, highlighting his attacking qualities and desire to get forward.

Steve Cooper will be wanting to bolster his ranks with players that already have experience in the English top-flight, and Williams is someone who’s got that under his belt, so could be a great addition to the Reds’ starting XI as they look forward to an exciting campaign back in the Premier League.

Celtic not only managed to get their hands on the Premiership title last season, they also ended the campaign with the best defence and attack in the Scottish top flight.

In their 38 league games, the Hoops scored 92 goals in total, 12 more than their Old Firm arch-rivals in second place, while conceding just 22 times, nine fewer than their crosstown foes.

Focusing on their defensive strength, Celtic faced fewer shots on target (76) than any other team in the division.

One prominent figure in Ange Postecoglou’s squad who played a big part in seeing the Hoops end the campaign with the best defensive record in the league is midfielder Callum McGregor.

Over 33 league appearances, no other Celtic midfielder or attacker made as many interceptions (25) or won as many tackles (26) as the captain did. This shows just how impressive the homegrown stalwart is at protecting his back four and snuffing out danger from the midfield.

Bearing in mind how there are still a few weeks left until the summer transfer window closes, this period gives Postecoglou the chance to bring in a new midfield figure who could form a potentially scary partnership alongside McGregor.

One man who has been mentioned with a move to Parkhead recently and who could fit this bill is Alfa Semedo.

In his 26 league games for Vitoria Guimaraes last season, the 24-year-old – who earns £4.5k-per-week –  made 29 interceptions and won 26 tackles, putting him in the top five for each statistic at the Portuguese club. This shows his defensive credentials and illustrates why he’d be a strong midfield partner for McGregor at Celtic.

Despite being a very capable defensive midfielder, he has been known to offer a useful goal threat at times. One of his eight career goals was labelled “massive” by presenter Brendan Dunlop in 2018 when Semedo’s previous club Benfica secured a 3-2 Champions League victory over AEK Athens.

Having seen Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic leave Glasgow this summer, there is certainly space in the squad for a player like Semedo to come in and become an important figure for the Scottish champions.

If a deal to sign the Portuguese midfielder is there to be negotiated, then the Hoops should definitely see what they’d be able to do to try and get the player in at Parkhead before the 2022/23 season kicks off.

AND in other news – “Told..”: Journalist drops transfer update that Celtic supporters will love

A big Rangers claim has emerged on their pursuit of a new winger in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Sport1 journalist Patrick Berger has revealed that everyone involved is expecting Rabbi Matondo to sign for Rangers ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Ross Wilson still has some work to do on ironing out a contract to bring him to Ibrox and they are set for discussions in the coming days.

Berger Tweeted: “Rabbi Matondo will not fly to Austria tomorrow for Schalke’s training camp. He is free to clarify his future. Negotiations ongoing. Further talks at the beginning of the new week. Personal terms not fully agreed yet. But all parties expect a transfer to Glasgow Rangers.”

Derek Rae has also relayed a report claiming that there is a possibility of the winger arriving on a free. He Tweeted: 

“Kicker reporting that while Schalke will be able to take Rabbi Matondo off their wage bill & hope for a transfer fee from Rangers, it’s not a guarantee. Kicker says its info is that in the case of Hamza Mendyl they received nothing from OH Leuven & even had to pay severance.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will be delighted

The Ibrox head coach will be delighted with this news as Matondo has the potential to be a sublime addition to the squad.

Ex-Wales boss Ryan Giggs once dubbed him “electrifying” and that is what he can be on the wing for the Gers next season. He has the quality to light up games with his play out wide, sparking matches into life with goals and key passes.

The attacker spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Cercle Brugge and caught the eye playing out wide. In 23 starts, he scored nine goals and created four ‘big chances’ for his teammates – providing 0.9 key passes per game – and this showcases the level of impact he can have.

Matondo can come in and provide a big goalscoring threat from either flank and use his blistering pace to excite the supporters and make things happen in the final third.

He has shown that he can score and create in the Belgian top flight and the 22-year-old will now need to prove that he can do it in Scotland.

Van Bronckhorst will, therefore, be delighted with the ongoing talks to wrap up a deal and the expectation that a move will get over the line in the coming days, as the Welshman could be a terrific player for the club.

AND in other news, Rangers “confident” of sealing deal for £6m maestro, he could be GvB’s own De Bruyne…

Sunderland are renewing their efforts to sign Nathan Broadhead from Everton, according to The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson. 

The lowdown

The Black Cats have made four additions to their squad so far this summer ahead of their return to the Championship.

They have signed centre-backs Daniel Ballard and Ali Ajese from Arsenal and West Ham respectively, along with winger Jack Clarke from Spurs and forward Leon Dajaku from Union Berlin, who were both on loan at the Stadium of Light last term.

Broadhead also spent the 2021/22 season on loan with the Black Cats, making 27 appearances in all competitions.

Sunderland officials made clear their desire to re-sign the 24-year-old in talks with their Everton counterparts earlier in the summer, but Frank Lampard wanted to run the rule over the striker in pre-season. Also, the £2,900-per-week man himself was keen to try and force a way into the Toffees’ senior set-up for 2022/23.

The latest

Wilson tweeted that Sunderland are “making new push for Nathan Broadhead after striker’s hopes of breaking through at Everton recede. Broadhead has always been SAFC’s number one striker target – and he wasn’t one of 22 players used by Lampard at the weekend…”.

In his corresponding article for The Northern Echo, the reporter noted that the 24-year-old was missing from the Everton squad which lost 2-0 to Arsenal in a friendly in Baltimore at the weekend, despite seemingly being fit to play. It would seem, then, that his prospects of playing regularly next season are ‘slight’.

Sunderland have duly seen this as an opportunity to land their primary centre-forward target.

The verdict

It’s no surprise that Sunderland are so eager to have Broadhead back.

Even though his 2021/22 season was heavily disrupted by hamstring problems which effectively ruled him out from late December until April, he managed to score 13 goals in all competitions. That was enough to finish as the team’s second-highest scorer behind 26-goal Ross Stewart, who incidentally has been linked with a move to Rangers.

Alex Neil believes that Broadhead has formed a ‘really good partnership’ with Stewart and dubbed him a ‘constant threat’ who is able to score different types of goals.

Right now, this looks like a move which should suit all parties.

Liverpool got most of their transfer incomings done quickly this summer but have been confirming a number of Anfield exits throughout, and one source has now given an update on the next player who could be departing Merseyside.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian journalist and transfer insider Pedro Almeida, Roberto Firmino has almost completed a €22m (£18.4m) move to Juventus.

Almeida tweeted: “Roberto #Firmino to Juventus from Liverpool is almost done, the offer of Italian club is clear, 22M€ by the player. #Juventus”

Supporters will be gutted

There is no doubt that Liverpool supporters will be gutted if the ongoing speculation is true about Firmino’s exit from Merseyside, as the player has become a fan favourite at the club since joining from Hoffenheim in 2015.

The Brazilian has been a key player in Jurgen Klopp’s tenure at Anfield, playing a huge part in the Reds claiming their first Premier League title, also winning the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Firmino has scored 98 goals and delivered 74 assists over 327 appearances in red, with a goal contribution return of one every 136 minutes showing that he is a reliable and consistent performer in the team.

With Sadio Mane, Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino already leaving the club this summer, it doesn’t make sense for Liverpool to let go of one of their most experienced forwards in the squad, with Darwin Nunez and Fabio Carvalho only joining this summer and Luis Diaz signing in January.

The Liverpool manager is a big fan of the club’s number nine and has lavished praise on his player on many occasions, even claiming that people “will write books” about Firmino.

Klopp gushed: “Mo gets a lot of attention and rightly so. But Bobby, for people with football knowledge, I’m pretty sure when he finishes playing people will write books about the way he interpreted the false-nine position.”

With that in mind, it would be a shock if Liverpool let Firmino leave this summer, despite the player now being in the final 12 months of his contract. He is an experienced and proven operator who can offer the club and his manager the quality that they need if they are to continue challenging for trophies next season.

AND in other news: Klopp can land his ideal Firmino replacement with £34m bid for “high-level” star

Sunderland kicked off their 2022/23 Championship campaign with a 1-1 draw with Coventry at the Stadium of Light last weekend.

The hosts took the lead through Jack Clarke early on as he rose unmarked at the back post to nod the ball into an empty net after the goalkeeper lost his bearings in the box.

Alex Neil’s men were pegged back near the end of the match, though, as the visitors piled on the pressure to secure an equaliser.

After the draw with Coventry, Neil admitted that the Black Cats are looking for a number of new signings to bolster their squad so that they have the strength in depth that their rivals have.

He told the Sunderland Echo: “We’ve still got four, potentially five that we want to bring in before the window ends.

“We need to make sure the squad is competitive and not only that, they brought four or five really fresh lads on who know the level, and that can really make a difference.

“I think what you could see today is that it was a step up in intensity. I thought towards the end of the game our lads were dead on their feet, it really is difficult. Normally we score a goal in League One, the opposition gets a bit scared and they sink back into their shape. We control the ball and it’s basically a case of when will the next goal come.”
One player the club have recently been linked with a move for is Everton attacker Nathan Broadhead, who spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan on Wearside.
Journalist Josh Bunting dubbed him “sensational” for the Black Cats and the £2.9k-per-week gem’s statistics back up that claim. He plundered an eye-catching ten goals in 15 League One starts for the club and he has the potential to form a dream duo with fellow Toffees man Ellis Simms.
Broadhead is capable of playing out wide on the left or as a striker in a two and this means that he could play alongside Ross Stewart and the former Hearts loanee this season.

He has a pre-existing relationship with Simms as the pair played ten matches with each other for Everton at U23 level, which means that they could form an instant connection on the pitch.
They could hit the ground running for the Black Cats and be a dynamic duo at the top end of the pitch, as both of them are capable of scoring at an impressive rate.
Simms netted five times in 11 Premiership starts for Hearts last term and managed 10 goals in 19 starts on loan at Blackpool in League One the year prior to that.
Now, imagine him and Broadhead lining up in the same Sunderland team this season. It is an exciting prospect because of their potential to score goals and their relationship on the pitch, which is why Kristjaan Speakman must get this move over the line to seal this dream duo.

West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Bruce has shared an update regarding his and the club’s aims surrounding the possibility of some new players joining the Baggies before the summer transfer window closes.

What’s the news?

Speaking after seeing his side rescue a 1-1 draw in their first games of the season against Middlesbrough (via Express & Star), Bruce had this to say on the matter.

He said: “We’ve got to improve, I know we’ve improved with [Daryl] Dike, Okay [Yokuslu] and the two [John] Swift and [Jed] Wallace, that’s improved us. If we can do a couple more then I’ll try my utmost.”

As Bruce mentioned, the Midlands club have secured free transfers for Okay Yokuslu, Jed Wallace and John Swift this summer, in addition to turning Jayson Molumby’s loan deal into a permanent one.

As for Daryl Dike, even though he joined the club back in the previous January transfer window, he only made two appearances before a hamstring injury brought a premature end to his first period at the Hawthorns, which could be why Bruce sees him as being almost like a new signing for the team.

Two of their new recruits managed to hit the ground running on their league debuts as Wallace assisted Swift for the Baggies’ equalising goal against Middlesbrough, which eventually stopped West Brom from picking up an opening day defeat.

Bruce would surely be thrilled

If Bruce can bring a couple more new faces to the Hawthorns before the window closes, he would surely be thrilled as it could leave them in a better position to be promoted next year.

One area they could look to strengthen is in defence with the Baggies not adding any defenders to their squad despite seeing Cedric Kipre leave on loan.

Additionally, they could look to strengthen between the sticks with the Midlands club seeing Sam Johnstone bring an end to his time at the Hawthorns earlier in the window, leaving only the likes of David Button and Alex Palmer as viable options. Considering how good Johnstone was, improvements in that third of the pitch are clearly needed.

West Brom have already added plenty to their forward ranks and as Bruce suggests, the likes of Dike and Wallace have given plenty of extra quality to their squad.

Now, if the manager could equip his team with better defensive cover behind them, he would surely be thrilled as the chance of them earning a place back in the promised land of the Premier League becomes greater.

Moving forward, if Bruce can keep his side focused on winning games for the time being and still manage to orchestrate some extra deals behind the scenes, this could see West Brom have a solid end to what has been a productive summer window.