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As West Ham United announce they will be welcoming 10,000 supporters back to the London Stadium for the final Premier League match of 2020/2021 against Southampton, many Hammers supporters have flooded in response to the ‘fantastic’ news.

As COVID-19 restrictions steadily begin to ease with the government slowly lifting restrictions on public contact, this will have an impact on Premier League stadium attendances up and down the country.

Making an announcement, West Ham now confirm that 10,000 fans will be allowed to attend the match against Southampton in what could be a crucial encounter in their race to qualify for Europe.

All Season Ticket Holders who renewed for the 2020/2021 term will be automatically entered into the ballot and handed a chance to attend the game, but holders who were successful in the last ballot against Crystal Palace will apparently be given first priority.

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As this news emerges, it’s little wonder one supporter called it ‘fantastic’ as the majority of the Irons faithful haven’t been able to attend a home game since last year.

Find all of their best verdicts from social media down below.

West Ham fans flock to club announcement

“please please please please”

Credit: @JackkWHU

“Fantastic enjoy whoever gets to go xxx”

Credit: @lisajune1980

“Yess”

Credit: @thehammerone1

“Super”

Credit: @julie_trudgill

“What a lovely day”

Credit: @_moseme

“COYI”

Credit: @sauerlandhammer

“IRONSSSS”

Credit: @whugabes

“Begging for the ballot”

Credit: @Leanne_Baker_

In other news: Sky Sports pundit in awe of this ‘great news’ for West Ham, find out more here.

As per Football Insider, Tottenham youngster Dane Scarlett has opened talks with the club over a new contract.

The Lowdown: Scarlett’s Spurs career

The 18-year-old has experienced a rapid rise to first-team football with the Lilywhites. The striker graduated from Spurs’ under-18s in the summer of 2021, duly linking up with the under-23 side in Premier League 2.

Furthermore, Scarlett has now made 10 appearances for the first team. Indeed, Conte is also a keen admirer of the young striker – in February, the 52-year-old publicly labelled him “the best prospect from the academy”.

As a result, he has been included in the Lilywhites’ first-team matchday squad 18 times this season, coming off the bench in the 4-0 win over Leeds in late February and the subsequent FA Cup defeat to Middlesbrough.

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The Latest: Scarlett and Spurs in contract talks

According to a fresh report by Football Insider, Tottenham are looking to tie down the 18-year-old to a long-term deal, even though he only signed his first professional contract when he turned 17 in March of last year.

As a result, negotiations have opened between the north London club and Scarlett. As a reward for his rapid development, he is set to receive a huge pay-rise on top of his current £3,400 weekly salary.

The Verdict: Huge prospect

Last year, Mourinho asserted that the Spurs gem “is going to be phenomenal”. This has been backed up by Conte, who claimed that “he is a really important prospect for Tottenham”, adding that Scarlett has “a brilliant future” ahead of him.

With the rave reviews received from multiple managers with glittering CVs, it is easy for Tottenham fans to get excited over this particular long-term prospect. if Scarlett does extend his deal with the club, fans will have every right to be thrilled.

We could be seeing plenty more of this bright young gem in a Spurs shirt over the coming years, judging by this development and the aforementioned endorsements from two managers who have worked with him.

In other news: One player could soon be set to leave Tottenham permanently

Lots of Everton fans have been left fuming over some news involving Graeme Sharp.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, they have now appointed the Merseyside club legend to their Board of Directors.

Sharp will become a non-executive Director and, while he will remain the Players’ Life President, he will relinquish all other duties in order to focus on his role on the Board.

While Toffees supporters will have fond memories of Sharp and what he achieved with them as a player, it does seem like an easy appointment to make, and he is in danger of becoming a ‘yes-man’ as a result, at least according to Toffees on Twitter.

The club do have history of appointing club legends in senior roles too, such as Duncan Ferguson and David Unsworth, and so it can be perceived as lazy by the board that they are not properly researching a candidate outside of the club most suitable to take on each position.

Everton fans on Sharp news

These Blues fumed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it is ’embarrassing’:

“Embarrassing. Genuinely.”

Credit: @EvertonBlueArmy

“Do we never learn anything?”

Credit: @roymc1980

“This is another backwards step for the club”

Credit: @simmy1878

“What an absolute joke we are”

Credit: @Mikejohnsonefc

“Yeah this club’s finished”

Credit: @efcleo2

“Find this bizarre personally”

Credit: @benjwinstanley

In other news, find out what Marcel Brands revelation Evertonians have flocked to here!

Celtic have deen dealt a triple blow ahead of their upcoming Premiership fixture this afternoon.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, Ange Postecoglou revealed that none of James Forrest, Christopher Jullien or Greg Taylor will be available for St Johnstone’s visit to Parkhead, as the stricken trio are yet to recover from their respective injuries.

Speaking about the current state of his Celtic squad, the 56-year-old said: “It’s just Forrest, Jullien and Taylor not available for selection.”

However, in more positive news, Postecoglou revealed that he will once again be able to call upon Josip Juranovic this weekend, while James McCarthy is also set to make a return to the Bhoys squad as both players look to be nearing full fitness.

On Juranovic and McCarthy in particular, the Hoops boss said: “Juranovic has trained, he’s fit and available. McCarthy has trained, he’s fit and available.”

Ange will be gutted

While the news that Juranovic and McCarthy look as if they will play some part on Saturday is undoubtedly good for Celtic, the ongoing absences of Forrest, Jullien and Taylor will nevertheless have left Postecoglou gutted.

Indeed, versatile midfielder Forrest has been a huge source of creativity and goals for the Bhoys in recent years, with the 30-year-old having scored 18 goals and registered 20 assists over 56 appearances in all competitions back in 2018/19, as well as bagging 16 goals and providing 22 assists over 47 games the following season.

Meanwhile, centre-back Jullien has proven to be a magnificent signing for the Hoops following his £7.2m arrival from Toulouse back in 2019, with the 28-year-old helping his side to keep five clean sheets, scoring one goal and averaging a superb SofaScore match rating of 7.43 over his nine Premiership appearances prior to his injury last season.

Finally, while the surprising emergence of 19-year-old left-back Adam Montgomery has somewhat covered for the absence of Taylor on the left-hand side of the Celtic backline, the 23-year-old’s continued unavailability will undoubtedly come as a blow to Postecoglou. The Scotland international is a solid and reliable option in that role, recording more interceptions per game (1.5) than any of his Hoops team-mates.

As such, with the 56-year-old hoping that his side can continue their run of excellent recent form against St Johnstone on Saturday, being unable to call upon any of Forrest, Jullien and Taylor for the visit of the Saints will certainly make this task a bit more difficult for Postecoglou.

In other news: Kyogo 2.0: Celtic nearing exciting deal for 18-goal machine, Postecoglou will love him

Newcastle United have landed a potential boost with Fabian Schar stepping up his recovery from knee ligament surgery, but Steve Bruce will still have to wait before he can unleash the defender again.

That’s according to Chronicle Live, who have noted that the centre-half shared an Instagram Stories post of himself jogging on an AlterG anti-gravity treadmill on Monday.

Schar has been sidelined since the Toon beat Southampton 3-2 last month, having been one of three casualties of the Premier League fixture, along with Callum Wilson and Javier Manquillo.

Bruce ruled Schar out for eight weeks after the 29-year-old was forced to undergo surgery, such was the extent of the damage the Swiss international sustained to his knee ligaments.

Schar has now started running on an anti-gravity treadmill as he steps up his rehabilitation, having ditched the protective boot he had been forced to wear since going under the knife.

The AlterG treadmill helps players with their recovery by using air to unweight them to allow them to run freely and without pain, but using it is usually a sign that they remain some weeks away from a return to the pitch.

It remains to be seen if the £12m-rated enforcer will be able to play a part in Newcastle’s fight for Premier League survival, though Bruce expects Schar to do all that he can to prove his fitness ahead of this summer’s European Championship.

“He has an operation on his ligament and knee. He will try everything to get fit for the Euros,” Bruce said on February 11, via quotes by the Mirror. “He had the op on Tuesday, and it is eight weeks.”

The Southampton win marked Schar’s 13th start in 16 Premier League appearances for the season, having missed the start of the campaign with a shoulder injury and was later sidelined in early December after testing positive for coronavirus.

Having Schar back available, potentially after the upcoming international break, will come as a boost for Bruce in Newcastle’s fight for survival, having previously lauded the impact that the 29-year-old can provide at St. James’ Park.

Speaking at the start of the season while the 58-cap centre-back was sidelined after surgery on a shoulder injury, Bruce rejected speculation that Schar could be set for a last-ditch move away amid speculation of a potential transfer.

“He [Schar] certainly has a part to play here, although you can’t stop the speculation. Fab is recovering from a shoulder operation but is an important part of what we do. That hasn’t changed,” the Toon boss said, via quotes by The Northern Echo.

Schar ultimately stayed and proved to be a fixture of the United backline between spells on the sidelines, while establishing himself as one of the Magpies’ heroes against Manchester City on Boxing Day despite losing 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

He has been the most aggressive of Bruce’s centre-halves who have played five or more top-flight matches this season at winning possession back, too, with a positional-high 1.6 interceptions a game – only Joe Willock (2) and Isaac Hayden (1.7) make more, per WhoScored.

Newcastle will need those brave enough to break up opposition play if they are to remain a Premier League side for another season, with United lingering just two points above the drop zone and allowing the second-most shots per game (14.4) of any side in the division to date.

AND in other news, a Newcastle player with 25 PL games this season and dubbed “our best player” has been tipped to leave in the summer…

With Wolves’ forward line flattering to deceive this season, signing a new set of attackers in the summer should be at the top of their agenda.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Wolves are in the hunt to sign Sevilla’s Lucas Ocampos.

Sources tell the outlet that the winger is firmly on Wolves’ radar as they look to bolster their attacking options next term.

Ocampos is currently on a wage of £27k-per-week but a potential stumbling block could be the fee.

The Argentine has a release clause of a whopping £62m in his current contract at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.

With Wolves struggling to afford sizeable transfers in January, it’s hard to picture how they’d afford this one.

Imagine him and Jimenez

Wolves’ struggles this term have been primarily with their frontline. You can hardly blame the issues at hand, though.

They sold Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota last summer, a pairing who equated for 25% of Wolves’ goals last term. Add that Raul Jimenez has been missing since November and it quickly becomes rather evident why they’re sat in the bottom half of the table.

Fabio Silva has scored just twice while Willian Jose is yet to find the net since moving to the Midlands in January.

The addition of Ocampos, therefore, would be simply thrilling. If Wolves can get Jimenez fit before the start of next season and bring in a winger as talented as the Sevilla one, then it would elevate their chances of getting back in Europe.

The Mexican’s record for Wolves has been impeccable while Ocampos has quickly become one of the most dynamic wingers in La Liga.

He has scored 24 goals for the Spanish outfit since swapping Marseille for Iberia in 2019, seven of which have come this term.

The 26-year-old is a real live wire and a move to the Premier League would be a fine reward for the rapid progression he’s shown in his game.

Speaking about Ocampos, Fede Prami, a journalist and River Plate fan once recalled: “The kid was gold. He made his debut at El Monumental in River’s first-ever second-division match. No pressure. In his second match, he scored. In the third, a goal and assist. He was electric.”

Indeed, since his move to Europe, he has shown similar qualities. The winger has registered 2.2 dribbles per game this term, a tally that usurps Pedro Neto’s.

Thus, just imagine what a player like this could do for someone like Jimenez. He may just bounce back from his injury in even better form.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Neto: Wolves must swoop for “lovely” £47k-p/w gem who “doesn’t stop running”…

A negative reaction to Celtic missing out on winning a treble this season would be ‘absolutely ridiculous’, according to former Hoops striker Frank McAvennie, after he witnessed their Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Rangers last weekend.

The Lowdown: Celtic miss out on treble

Ange Postecoglou’s side had the opportunity to seal a domestic treble this season, prior to last weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final clash with Rangers.

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Celtic were beaten 2-1 at Parkhead, however, meaning they can now only add the Scottish Premiership title to their Scottish League Cup crown that is already sealed.

The Latest: McAvennie positive

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie said winning the league would be an incredible success, bemoaning any negativity surrounding missing out on a treble:

“It was a disappointing loss last weekend. I thought we would win, I think a lot of people did. But it wasn’t to be.

“Look at it this way. This season I was happy for us to just compete. I had no thoughts about us winning anything. The fact we are gutted about missing out on a treble is absolutely ridiculous.

“Next season we should be even better and I want to see us do better in Europe but what a job he has done. It will be just remarkable if we do win this title.”

The Verdict: Title matters most

McAvennie is spot on in his opinion, with a treble something that seemed highly unlikely at the start of the season, and not something to gauge the team’s success by.

If Celtic can wrestle back the league title from Rangers it would be a superb effort by Postecoglou and his players, ensuring last season was nothing more than a blip during a strange time in the world.

A double would still be deemed a hugely successful campaign, suggesting the Hoops are only going from strength to strength going into next season, when Champions League football will hopefully return to Parkhead.

In other news, Celtic are reportedly in advanced talks to sign one player. Find out who it is here.

According to Fotomac, Fenerbahce have rejected an offer of €8m from Crystal Palace for their Turkish midfielder Ozan Tufan.

What’s the word?

Palace submitted a bid believed to be worth an initial €8m – which they feel is reasonable considering the current economic climate – on Thursday after some deliberation over a bid.

However, the Turkish club value the 25-year-old at €12m (£10m), having signed him from his boyhood club Bursaspor in 2015.

But the report adds Palace may be prepared to increase their offer substantially, although Fenerbache are also expected to hike their price for the 55-cap Turkey international, who joined the club at the age of 19.

Significant upgrade in the midfield

Hodgson has got the Eagles well above the Premier League relegation battle and is now looking for January additions to keep them there.

Steve Parish has already signed Jean-Philippe Mateta on an initial 18-month loan deal with an option to buy from Bundesliga club Mainz to that effect and Tufan could follow suit if the club chairman can be persuaded to dip into his pockets.

The Eagles manager was interested in Tufan almost three years ago, but he turned his attentions elsewhere but if Palace want to prise him away from the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, they will have to match Fenerbahce’s asking price.

While Luka Milivojevic has established himself as a regular starter in the Premier League under Hodgson, the Palace boss has struggled to settle on his preferred midfield pairing.

Despite impressing at times for Hodgson’s side this season so far, Jairo Riedewald has been unable to nail down a starting berth in the squad, whilst James McArthur and James McCarthy are the other two men battling to bag the same spot, although there are questions over both.

It’s fair to say that Tufan – who has been heavily linked with a move to Selhurst Park in the past – would be a significant upgrade in the midfield. Now closing in on seven years at Fenerbahce, he has made 152 appearances for the club, scoring 19 goals and setting up a further 19 assists for his teammates.

Only McArthur (3.1) and McCarthy (1.8) currently average more tackles per game compared to Tufan’s exploits this season, with the Turk bettering both Milivojevic and Riedewald, per WhoScored. He currently averages more interceptions per game too, which suggests that he reads the game well and can break up attacks.

He also tops the charts in comparison to the Palace midfielders for the most shots (1.5), key passes (1.1) and dribbles (0.9) per game, which shows that his all-round game is solid.

Tufan, therefore, could be a valuable asset for the Eagles but it remains to be seen how much Parish will be willing to spend to finally land Palace’s long-term target.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace sign Mainz striker Jean-Philippe Mateta; spells bad news for Michy Batshuayi…

West Ham’s failure to sign one of their mooted transfer targets during the January window has come to light this week…

What’s the word?

The Irons were linked with a move for Spezia striker M’Bala Nzola throughout the winter, with Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) leading the claims as early as November.

It has now been revealed by the 24-year-old’s agent that the East London outfit failed with a bid for him. He told GrandHotelCalciomercato (via Football Italia):

“We received offers from three Premier League and three Serie A clubs and a club from the Bundesliga sounded out M’Bala. We were in advanced talks, we even discussed his possible salary, but then we asked ourselves if that made sense. Nzola needed stability and it was in a very good moment, so we thought it was better to stay at Spezia.”

Shades of Drogba

It’s now time for the Hammers to reignite this interest as their search for a new forward rumbles on.

The Angolan powerhouse has continued to light up the Serie A despite playing for one of the struggling teams and suffering from injuries. He has found the net 11 times in 24 appearances, including strikes against the giants of Napoli and Lazio, as per Transfermarkt.

Nzola has been described as a “very fast central striker who manages to attack space with absolute effectiveness. He is also difficult to deal with because he has enviable physical strength which makes him an extremely uncomfortable customer.”

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In some ways, this draws some nice similarities to Michail Antonio, who is David Moyes’ only current option upfront but it is his comparisons to a Premier League legend that should have fans excited if he were to arrive at the London Stadium.

West Ham insider ExWHUemployee spoke about the club’s links to the 6 foot 1 colossus earlier this year, and claimed: “He’s meant to be a bit like Didier Drogba in his physique and playing style.”

He would only need to be half the player of Drogba to be an instant hit in the English top-flight. The four-time Premier League winner bagged 164 goals in 381 appearances for the Irons’ local rivals Chelsea, primarily displaying a mix of explosive pace and brute strength.

On the above evidence, Nzola is cut from the same cloth and given Antonio’s success under the Scotsman, he would surely fit right into his system.

It remains to be seen how much Spezia would command for their star performer, especially as Fulham were said to have a €12m (£10m) bid rejected for him, too, whilst CIES only value him at €7m (£6m).

Whatever the price, Nzola could well be a massive bargain, so David Sullivan and co must do what they can to secure him this summer.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Rice: GSB could form dream West Ham duo by signing £30m “total animal”…

Former Everton star Michael Ball has told The Transfer Tavern that the club will have to pay through the nose to sign Norwich City right-back Max Aarons this summer.

The Toffees have been heavily linked with a potential summer move for the England U21 international.

Aarons has been in brilliant form for Norwich thus far this season, as the club have won the Championship title at a canter.

He has made 45 Championship appearances this season, scoring two goals and laying on five assists.

The Independent have reported that Everton are keen on a swoop, and that he would cost around £30m to sign this summer.

Ball believes that Carlo Ancelotti’s side have been tracking Aarons for some time, and will have to make a decision on whether they are willing to invest heavily to bring him in, as a long-term replacement for Seamus Coleman, or sign a budget option.

He told TT: “I think Everton have come quite strongly for Max Aarons. I feel they’ve probably been looking at Max Aarons for the last 18 months or so, wanted to bring him to the football club.

“Norwich, rightly so, want top dollar. Everton need to try to figure out how they’re going to prioritise that position and whether they’re going to look at a cheaper option for the next year or two years.”