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One of the more notable transfer missed opportunities at West Ham United in recent times saw the club reportedly miss out on a move for Egyptian starlet Mohamed Salah, with the ruthless forward having since gone on to leave GSB more than ruing that previous failure.

The former Basel man had been snapped up by London rivals Chelsea on an £11m deal back in January 2014, although after scoring just twice in 19 appearances in all competitions at Stamford Bridge, the mercurial wizard was subsequently shipped off to Serie A side Fiorentina on loan after just 12 months in England.

That temporary move to Florence proved particularly fruitful as the 5 foot 9 menace scored nine times and provided four assists in just 26 games in the second half of the 2014/15 season, with such form seemingly catching the eye of the Irons.

The east London outfit – then managed by current Watford boss Slaven Bilic – had reportedly made an ambitious loan offer to sign the dynamic ace from the Blues in the summer of 2015, with the Hammers looking to pair the winger in attack alongside the incoming Dimitri Payet.

Supporters were denied the chance to see what would have been a simply mouthwatering partnership in action, however, as the fleet-footed sensation returned to Italy to join AS Roma on an initial loan deal, before signing permanently a year later for just £16m.

The rest, as they say, is history, with Salah having subsequently gone on to sparkle during his two-year stint at the Stadio Olimpico – providing 56 goal contributions in just 83 games for I Giallorossi – before joining Premier League giants Liverpool on a £34m deal in 2017.

That switch to Anfield has proven a masterstroke for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp – despite the German’s initial reservations – with the 83-cap machine having been a consistently clinical presence in the years since, with three top-flight Golden Boots to his name and 161 goals in just 266 games for the Merseyside outfit.

A simply “unique” asset – as described by Ben Webb – the £350k-per-week marksman has repeatedly terrorised opposition defenders with both his creative flair and relentless speed, proving a constant nightmare for West Ham, in particular, with a remarkable haul of nine goals in just nine games against the London Stadium outfit to date.

Such has been the 30-year-old’s rise since being cast out by his former employers Chelsea, he is now reportedly worth as much as £88m, according to CIES Football Observatory, notably earning praise as “one of the best players in the world” from current boss, Klopp.

To have missed out on such a stunning talent will likely be a huge source of frustration for both GSB and Hammers supporters, having also previously fluffed the chance sign another former Blues man on loan in the form of Romelu Lukaku in 2013…

While he is now an experienced defender in Steven Gerrard’s side, Aston Villa fans will fondly remember Ashley Young’s previous spell at the club, where he was a flying winger who regularly contributed goals and assists.

Across both spells with the Villans, Young has contributed an impressive 37 goals and 61 assists in 219 appearances, although the 37-year-old’s days of driving forward and cutting inside are probably over, as he usually operates as a full-back when playing these days.

However, Villa could find a winger similar to the Young of old in academy star Tyreik Wright, with the 20-year-old enjoying a strong start to life with Bradford City.

Wright joined Villa from Irish side Lakewood Athletic in 2018 and has been a prominent part of Villa’s academy sides in the four years since, making 39 appearances for the U21s, in which he has contributed an impressive six goals and seven assists.

After some disappointing spells with Walsall, Colchester United and Salford in League Two in recent seasons, which have resulted in just two goals and three assists across two seasons, Wright looks to have found his feet under Mark Hughes at Bradford City.

Saturday saw the 20-year-old make his first start for the Bantams and he marked it in style, scoring and assisting in a 3-0 win over high-flying Stevenage.

Hughes was full of praise for Wright when he signed for the club, saying:

“Tyreik is a player who looks to make things happen, and one we are pleased to be bringing to the club for the remainder of the season.

“At 20, he is young, driven and determined to succeed, and has traits to his play which will benefit our squad.

“He has a great turn of pace, trickery and technical ability and – with three goals for Republic of Ireland’s U21 side – a clear eye for goal.”

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Wright can play on either wing and Gerrard will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on his performances throughout the season, with the hope that he can return to have an impact on Villa’s first team in the future.

If he can find some goalscoring form in the Premier League, then there seems little reason why he can’t emulate an embryonic Young at Villa Park in the future.

Southampton are reportedly interested in making a late move for PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo and his arrival could finally allow Ralph Hasenhuttl to axe Nathan Redmond.

Reports have suggested that the Saints have already seen a bid rejected for the Netherlands international, who starred in the Eredivisie last season, contributing 12 goals and 13 assists in just 27 league appearances, averaging a superb 7.79 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He has shown no signs of slowing down this season either, registering three goals and three assists in his first three Eredivisie appearances, so it is clear the quality he could add to Hasenhuttl’s side.

Considering none of Southampton’s wingers would manage more than six goals and assists combined in the Premier League last season, you could definitely argue that the Austrian manager needs more from his wide men, and Gakpo could add that quality in the final third for the Saints.

Former Dutch midfielder Theo Janssen sang Gakpo’s praises last season, saying:

“That boy (Gakpo) has everything. Fine feeling for the ball, a good through ball, dribbles and is strong between the lines.”

While reports have claimed that he would cost any suitor as much as £38m this summer, he could be a great long-term investment for the future and could be the catalyst for finally ousting Nathan Redmond.

The former Norwich City man has endured a tough few years at St Mary’s, contributing just one goal in 27 Premier League appearances last season, while he would only manage two in the season previous.

So far this season, he has made just one brief appearance from the bench, so it seems clear that he isn’t in Hasenhuttl’s plans, and Gakpo’s potential arrival would only push him further down the pecking order.

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Reports have suggested that the £60k per week Saints winger is attracting interest from Turkey, so if Hasenhuttl can get Redmond off the wage books and get some money in the bank, it could free up some more money for Gakpo.

Last season’s statistics, as well as Gakpo being just 23, emphasise that he is a far better prospect than Redmond, so Hasenhuttl will be hoping that he can improve Southampton’s squad further by bringing in the Dutchman and potentially selling the English winger as a result.

West Ham United have made a bid for Sporting CP star and Portugal international Matheus Nunes with the club receiving a reply.

The Lowdown: Hammers not done…

The signings of Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Alphonse Areola, Gianluca Scamacca and Maxwel Cornet may not be the sum of West Ham’s transfer business this summer.

Reports claim that the east Londoners want to strengthen manager David Moyes’ options with the additions of a new central defender, attacking midfielder and a number six (ExWHUemployee).

In terms of the midfield, Premier League starlet Conor Gallagher is thought to be of interest to West Ham with news now emerging on another midfield maestro in Nunes.

The Latest: West Ham make Nunes bid…

Indeed, the Hammers have apparently made a ‘bid’ to sign the 23-year-old after his brilliant 2021/2022 campaign with Sporting in the Portuguese top flight.

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However, as confirmed by Moyes (via Fabrizio Romano), Nunes ‘chose not to come’ despite West Ham’s offer to bring him to England.

The Verdict: Blow for Moyes?

Missing out on Nunes, who is thought to have a £51 million release clause, could be seen as a blow for the east Londoners.

Called ‘unbelievable’ by Goncalo Santos, an ex-teammate, the numbers certainly back this theory to no end.

As per WhoScored, Nunes finished 21/22 as one of Sporting’s best players overall – ranking in as one of their top five best performers by average match rating.

The starlet also completed more successful take-ons per 90 than any of his teammates and proved what a tricky player he can be for a variety of opponents.

Moyes will now be looking to sign alternative midfielders of his calibre before September 1.

Sunderland opened up their Championship campaign with a 1-1 draw against Coventry at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.

The Black Cats made a fast start back to life in the second tier as they quickly showed that they carry a big threat going forward in the division.

Lynden Gooch was the provider of the opening goal in the game as he brilliantly beat his man down the right and then delivered a teasing cross to the back post for Jack Clarke to head into an empty net after an error by the goalkeeper.

Coventry came close to equalising when Jonathan Panzo unleashed a rocket onto the crossbar from distance, before Matt Godden missed a golden chance to score. Dan Neil lost the ball inside his own box and the opposition forward fired the ball wide with the goal gaping at his mercy.

They eventually levelled the score as Viktor Gyokeres produced a moment of individual quality to beat several players before firing a scorching strike into the far corner.

Whilst the likes of Gooch, Clarke, Dan Ballard, and Ross Stewart caught the eye for positive reasons, one player who failed to make the step up to the Championship on the day was captain Corry Evans as he let Alex Neil down.

The £14k-per-week earner was somewhat of a liability in the match as he struggled to impose himself on the game, in or out of possession for the Black Cats.

Off the ball, he was completely outmuscled by the opposition. As per SofaScore, he lost 100% of his five duels as he failed to win a single battle on the ground or in the air in 90 minutes on the pitch. He made two interceptions in the match but was unable to make any blocks, clearances or tackles, whilst he was dribbled past once.

In possession, he offered very little to the team. As per SofaScore, he did not create a single chance or complete a dribble, whilst only completing one long pass out of his 28 attempted passes.

This shows that he did not provide quality on the ball to offset his struggles defensively, which is why he let Neil down badly on the day.

Supporters will surely be hoping that this performance is not a sign of things to come in the Championship this season, or else Neil may need to look for alternative options in the middle of the park.

AND in other news, Sunderland “seem hopeful” of sealing major deal that’ll leave supporters buzzing…

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

Reliable journalist Ian Mitchelmore has revealed that Crystal Palace have now made an enquiry in a bid to sign Swansea midfielder Flynn Downes.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The 23-year-old first put pen to paper on a deal with Russell Martin’s side last summer and enjoyed a hugely successful debut season after making the move from Ipswich Town, but has been attracting interest after just one campaign in south Wales.

It was reported earlier this year that fellow Premier League outfit Leeds United were monitoring the maestro, but it would now appear as though the Whites aren’t the only club that are looking to tempt the talent into jumping up to the top-flight.

The Latest: Palace make Downes enquiry

Taking to Twitter, Mitchelmore revealed that Palace, Southampton and Wolves have all made initial contact with Swansea regarding Downes.

“Understand Southampton, Wolves and Crystal Palace have all made enquiries about Flynn Downes.

“The midfielder was with the Swansea squad at Pennyhill Park last week and will be in attendance as they resume training back at their Fairwood base today.”

Expanding further in his column for WalesOnline, the reporter said that the Eagles have ‘shown an interest’ in the prospect, with enquiries at this stage being ‘tentative’.

The Verdict: Gallagher replacement

Downes still has three years remaining on his current contract so it will be a difficult task for any club to prise him away from his fairly new home, but if Palace were successful in doing so, he could prove to be a fantastic addition to Patrick Vieira’s starting XI.

The Brentwood-born talent, once dubbed a “first class” player by Swansea captain Matt Grimes, made 37 appearances in the second tier last season and averaged a 92.6% pass success rate, ranking him higher than any other player in the Championship in that department.

With Conor Gallagher returning to Chelsea following the conclusion of his loan spell at Selhurst Park, Downes might be the perfect midfield replacement if the price is right.

Everton are interested in making a move for Wolves winger Adama Traore in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Traore out of favour under Lage

The winger struggled to become a key man under Bruno Lage last season, starting a total of just ten Premier League matches for the Wanderers.

He was then shipped out on loan to Barcelona, where he also failed to impress, starting well but eventually falling out of favour at the La Liga giants.

Traore will return to Wolves this summer but it could be that a permanent exit comes to fruition, despite being hailed as ‘fantastic’ by BBC pundit Tim Sherwood.

The Latest: Everton keen on move

According to Football Insider sources, Everton are interested in snapping up the 26-year-old, as Frank Lampard looks at attacking reinforcements ahead of next season.

A bid of £20million should be enough for Wolves to accept, with former Molineux Director of Football Kevin Thelwell now at Everton, having bought Traore back in 2018. That could be key to a deal being done.

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The Verdict: Right time to sell

This feels like an ideal time for Traore to move on permanently from Wolves, considering Lage likely doesn’t see him as an important part of his future plans.

The club could receive a hefty amount for his services, which could then be spent on players the manager actually wants, as he looks to improve his squad this summer.

The fact that Traore’s current Wolves deal expires next summer means they could lose him on a free transfer at that point, further highlighting why now is the time to sell.

In other news, Wolves have been linked with a move for one player after a meeting took place. Read more here.

Sunderland are not interested in signing Tom Barkhuizen from Preston North End this summer, ending any hopes of a reunion with his former manager Alex Neil.

What’s the word?

When asked about The Black Cats’ interest in the winger on Twitter, journalist Alan Nixon confirmed that Sunderland weren’t interested in signing the player whose contract runs out at the end of this month.

He simply commented in four words: “Sunderland and Barkhuizen? No.”

He’s a player that Sunderland manager Alex Neil will know well, but it appears he’s not interested in bringing him to Wearside to help with their task in the Championship next season.

They recently defeated Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 in the League One play-off final to secure a long-awaited return to the second tier of English football.

Supporters will be gutted

Supporters of Sunderland will surely be gutted that Barkhuizen is not on their list for the summer. There have been many outgoings at the Stadium of Light recently as Neil looks to overhaul his squad in preparation for the challenge ahead.

The 28-year-old would have come with heaps of experience in the Championship, having made a total of 209 appearances for Preston North End where he was directly involved in 28 goals during that time.

He joined Preston for free in 2017 just before Neil was appointed, and he was valued at £180k. That has since risen massively to £1.35m which proves that he is a better player than when he arrived.

The Scottish manager regularly used the player and he clocked up over 30 league appearances in all three seasons Neil was at Deepdale.

Securing his services with no transfer fee involved seemed like a no brainer, but it appears Sunderland club are focusing on targets elsewhere. One of those players is Nathan Broadhead with The Northern Echo reporting recently that Sunderland want him to move to the club permanently following a successful loan spell.

It will be interesting to see the signings that the club make ahead of next season, will they be ambitious in the hope of achieving their ultimate goal of returning to the Premier League, or will they be cautious and look at establishing themselves in an already tough division.

IN other news: Sunderland can unearth their new Henderson by signing “exciting” £450k-rated EFL gem…

The English Football League have officially come to a decision regarding the potential use of VAR in Nottingham Forest’s upcoming Championship play-off semi-final against Sheffield United.

The Lowdown: A top-four finish

The Reds narrowly missed out on automatic promotion to the Premier League, but were still able to successfully secure a play-off place after recording a fourth-place finish, where they will now face the Blades at Bramall Lane in the first leg of this crucial fixture on Saturday afternoon.

Just last week, The Telegraph claimed that all four teams who were still in contention to make the jump up to the top flight had been questioned over the use of VAR in the upcoming games, to which the response was overwhelmingly positive.

However, following a fresh update, it seems as though the clubs in question haven’t received the news that they were hoping for.

The Latest: VAR not in use

In a decision published in the last 48 hours by NottinghamshireLive, it’s stated that the EFL have concluded that VAR will ‘not be in use’ for any of the semi-finals involving Forest, Huddersfield Town, Luton Town, and Sheffield United.

The source goes on to say that it still ‘remains unclear’ whether or not this particular rule will be in place for the final at Wembley Stadium on May 29th.

The Verdict: Completely wrong decision

Not having VAR in use for one of the most important games of the season for the Reds is surely the wrong choice considering the number of matches that have been won and lost based on poor refereeing decisions this term – just look at the wrongly flagged offside decision against Sam Surridge at Bournemouth.

Manager Steve Cooper will already be familiar with the technology after it was used in Forest’s FA Cup game against Liverpool earlier in the campaign, and whilst it does have it’s pros and cons, clubs have generally been supportive of it’s use.

The east Midlands outfit will be making the trip to Yorkshire this weekend looking to gain a positive result and put one foot into that all-important play-off final at the end of the month.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has recently backed the Reds to gain promotion to the Premier League.