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West Ham United have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Martin Braithwaite to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication SPORT (via Sport Witness), who claim that both Norwich City and Brighton & Hove Albion have joined West Ham in the race for the Barcelona centre-forward in the summer transfer market.

It is reported that Ronald Koeman’s side are more than happy to move the 30-year-old ahead of next season, following the arrivals of both Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay, with Barca hoping to recover the €18m (£15.5m) they paid CD Leganes for the Denmark international in February 2020.

Fans may be relieved

While it is indeed true that David Moyes’ side are in desperate need of attacking additions this summer, the fact that a number of fellow Premier League sides are thought to be considering a move for Braithwaite this summer may come as a relief to some of the West Ham fan base.

Indeed, after the news of the Hammers’ interest in the striker broke on Twitter, a number of fans shared their displeasure at the idea of their club signing the 30-year-old, with one stating their belief that Braithwaite is “garbage,” while another suggested the Barca man is a typical West Ham signing, in that he is “ageing, way past his best and cheap.”

It is easy to see why fans may hold this opinion, as the £8.1m-rated man was not in the finest of league form for Barcelona last season.

Over his 29 LaLiga appearances for Koeman’s side last term, the centre-forward scored just two goals, registered two assists and created three big chances for his teammates, in addition to missing eight big chances of his own.

These metrics saw the man Tony Pulis dubbed an “exceptional” player earn a disappointing average SofaScore match rating of 6.61, ranking him as Barcelona’s worst performer in the top flight of Spanish football.

As such, considering his unconvincing form, as well as the fact he is reported to take home a whopping £105k-per-week at the Catalan club, it is easy to understand West Ham fans’ issues with their club pursuing a deal for the forward this summer.

In other news: West Ham handed big transfer boost over “monstrous” Euro 2020 gem, GSB surely buzzing

A number of Liverpool supporters are fuming after journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed there has been ‘no negotiation’ for Porto attacker Luis Diaz.

The Reds are preparing for life without Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in January, with the pair on Africa Cup of Nations duty, along with Naby Keita.

It leaves Jurgen Klopp short of attacking options this month and there is of course the potential to sign someone to help fill the void.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

One player who has been linked with a move to Anfield is Diaz, who has impressed for Porto this season, scoring 12 goals in 15 Primeira Liga appearances.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, however, Romano claimed that Liverpool have not started negotiations regarding a move for the Colombian, perhaps further suggesting no signings will be made in January.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-16/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans unhappy at Diaz latest

It is an update that hasn’t gone down well with these Reds fans on Twitter, who bemoaned the club’s lack of spending.

“Stand still FC”

Credit: @garylouth

“Confirmed we are not signing anyone this window”

Credit: @taylorblueslim

“Foolish club”

Credit: @Jezscy

“Gerrard time soon”

Credit: @footnut

“We are actually finished. We go again, another 30 years trophyless”

Credit: @notyrgoku

“Every transfer rumour about Liverpool is NO”

Credit: @dondarius471

In other news, some Liverpool fans love David Ornstein’s transfer claim. Read more here.

The departure of Celtic midfielder Ben Doak has all but been confirmed after the 16-year-old agreed a deal in principle with Liverpool.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that sources close to the Reds have revealed that the teenager has now come to an agreement with the Premier League side ahead of his well-reported switch from Parkhead to Anfield.

The report goes on to state that Jurgen Klopp’s side will pay Celtic around £600k in compensation for the attack-minded midfielder, who made his first-team debut for the Bhoys against Dundee United earlier this year.

Bad news for Celtic

Considering how high the hopes for Doak were in Glasgow, the news that the Scotland U17 international looks as if his departure will be confirmed in the near future is undoubtedly bad news for Ange Postecoglou and his Celtic side.

Speaking about the youngster’s move south of the border, finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley recently explained to Football Insider that, due to FIFA regulations, the Bhoys are always at risk of losing their most promising talents to English sides.

Plumley said: “It’s largely because of FIFA regulations. England and Scotland are classed as different countries and they can settle on a compensation fee that is far lower than a transfer fee.

“Celtic do this in reverse as well, so you have to be mindful of it in this model. The player has a choice to stay at Celtic and develop into a £20m-plus player or move on and do the same at another club.

“Celtic have to be aware that big clubs will be looking at their players and are well placed to capitalise. For every [Kieran] Tierney you manage to keep and sell for a big fee, you might have a few of these along the way.”

Indeed, Doak very much looked to be heading down the same path Tierney was on back in 2015 – when the left-back made his Celtic debut as a 17-year-old against Dundee FC, with the defender bursting onto the scene before eventually sealing a £25m move to Arsenal four years later.

However, while Doak – who Bhoys Analytics dubbed a “generational talent” – did make his Celtic bow earlier this year, it now looks as if the midfielder will make his switch to the Premier League a great deal sooner than his predecessor as the Hoops’ next big thing.

As such, it is clear for all to see why the 16-year-old’s departure is bad news for the Premiership leaders, as not only will Celtic miss out on a potentially huge transfer fee further down the line, but also the services of an exceptionally talented young playmaker during his development.

AND in other news: Sold at £1.8m, now worth £25m: Celtic had a nightmare on “imposing” £48k-p/w machine

Sheffield Wednesday are back in action with a clash against League Two side Hartlepool United in the Papa John’s Trophy on Wednesday evening after drawing against Wycombe Wanderers in their previous League One clash at the weekend.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Owls manager Darren Moore could select to be in his starting XI to take on Hartlepool, one figure that played a big part in the draw against Wycombe that should be in the team in midweek is Callum Paterson.

As a result of the current injury issues Wednesday have at the moment, especially in the defensive areas, Moore deployed Paterson in the back three alongside Chey Dunkley and Ciaran Brennan at the weekend.

In the game against Wycombe, despite conceding two goals on the day, Paterson managed to put in a good display and show to Moore that he is a capable defensive player even though he’s predominantly played in attacking positions for Wednesday this season.

Even though he gave away a free-kick that led to Wycombe’s equalising goal, Paterson still managed to make eight clearances, three interceptions and one tackle as well as winning six of the nine duels he was involved in.

This performance earned Paterson an overall match rating of 7.2/10 from SofaScore, higher than Dunkley and Brennan, showing that he is more than capable of playing in a defensive position when called upon by Moore.

With Paterson previously being described as “irreplaceable” by Neil Warnock when they were both at Cardiff City, it seems as though that’s what he could be for Wednesday now as well considering their defensive injury issues and his mostly solid performance against the Chairboys.

Even though their next opponents are currently in League Two and haven’t won any of their five previous league games, it gives Moore the opportunity to play the £1.6m-rated Paterson in defence again to see if he can show off his versatility potentially even improve on the performance from last time out.

If he can, this could make him a real key figure for Moore until he gets some of his injured defensive players back up to speed again.

In other news: SWFC dealt potential double fitness blow ahead of Hartlepool, fans will be worried – opinion

Osaze Urhoghide could now be heading for a return to Parkhead at the end of the current campaign.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with Belgian media outlet HLN, KV Oostende’s sporting director, Gauthier Ganaye, revealed that, despite the Jupiler Pro League side possessing an option to buy the loanee defender, he may not be able to afford the cost of the 21-year-old – something which could well see Urhoghide return to Celtic Park this summer.

Speaking about the possibility of signing the versatile centre-back, Ganaye said: “We also want to finalise the rented Urhoghide, although [his] price tag is higher. But we want to find a solution. He is a kind of theatre: explosive, aggressive and forward-thinking.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how much potential Urhoghide quite clearly possesses, the news that Oostende could struggle to complete the signing of the youngster this summer is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the decision to include a purchase option in the defender’s loan deal appeared a strange one in the first place, with Celtic supporters making it abundantly clear in a poll ran on Football FanCast that they felt it was a mistake for the club to do so.

It is not difficult to understand why they hold this belief, as the £450k-rated starlet has already proven over his seven Jupiler Pro League outings that he is an exceptionally talented player, so far helping his side keep two clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.9 interceptions – the most of any player in the league – 2.1 tackles, 1.7 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per game.

Furthermore, Ange Postecoglou was also clearly very excited at the prospect of working with the former Sheffield Wednesday talent upon his arrival at Celtic last summer, stating of the 21-year-old:

“He’s just beginning his football career but he shows all the attributes on and off the field to want to become a top player, so it’s great to get him here. He can play a couple of positions at the back and, most importantly, he’s really keen to learn and develop and I think this will be a great environment for him.

“He’s a modern defender. He’s good athletically, he’s mobile, he’s quick and he wants to get on the ball. He can play a couple of different positions, and from our perspective, and the way we want to play our football, there are certain things I look for in players irrespective of age, and he’s got some really good attributes to be a top defender.”

As such, the news that the £7k-per-week Urhoghide could be set for a return to Glasgow this summer is undoubtedly good news for everyone involved with the Hoops – as it is clear to see that the youngster who Ben Gotting dubbed a “monster” could well go on to have an extremely successful career at Parkhead.

AND in other news: “There’s no problem”: Huge behind-scenes rumour now quashed, it’s good news for Celtic

Liverpool were on cloud nine yesterday after demolishing their bitter rivals Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford and sending out a message to the rest of the Premier League that they mean serious business this season.

Even though the prolific Mohamed Salah scored three of Liverpool’s goals on the day, taking his impressive record to ten goals scored in nine Premier League games, we feel that fellow Reds winger Diogo Jota stood out in the win against the Red Devils.

After coming on as a substitute in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in midweek, Jota found himself back in the starting XI ahead of Sadio Mane.

This move from Reds manager Jurgen Klopp seemed to work wonders for the Reds as the Portuguese was very much a thorn in United’s side on Sunday.

After playing the full 90 minutes against the Red Devils, Jota managed to score Liverpool’s second goal with a neat finish from close range.

He assisted their fourth strike and would go on to complete 32 of the 38 passes he attempted. He also won seven out of the 14 duels he was involved in, made two key passes, one tackle and one clearance which ultimately earned himself a strong overall match rating of 8.5/10, making him Liverpool’s joint second-highest rated player on the day according to SofaScore, showing just how useful he was.

Liverpool signed Jota in September 2020 from fellow Premier League side Wolves for a reported fee of £41m.

In his first season in Klopp’s side, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £40.5m according to Transfermarkt, bagged 13 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions.

So far this season, the winger, who has previously been described as “intense” by Klopp shortly after he moved to Anfield, has managed to score four goals and provide one assist in eight Premier League appearances, once again proving himself as an important figure for the Reds.

Moving forward, with Liverpool set to take on Championship club Preston North End on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup followed by a Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend, we feel that Jota will be involved in both games in some way given how much of a goalscoring threat he is and he should help the Reds keep their unbeaten streak going.

In other news: FSG must land Liverpool swoop for £29.7m-rated beast who’s a “better version of Pogba” – opinion

Graeme Jones is set for his first match in charge of Newcastle as interim manager against Crystal Palace in the Premier League today.

Steve Bruce was relieved of his duties earlier this week and Jones now faces the unenviable task of trying to pick up the Magpies’ first win of the league campaign at Selhurst Park.

Bruce’s denouement came in the form of a 3-2 defeat to Tottenham last week, with Newcastle 3-1 down at half-time before Jonjo Shelvey was sent off in the second half.

How many changes will Jones make to the side? Here is our predicted XI for today…

We are predicting that he will make four changes to the side from last week, with Miguel Almiron, Fabian Schar, Jeff Hendrick and Jamal Lewis all coming in.

In defence, Schar and Lewis could come into the XI for Ciaran Clark and Matt Ritchie. We published an article explaining why the Northern Ireland left-back should start, with the ex-Norwich man deserving of a chance to show that he can be an upgrade on Ritchie in the Premier League following the £39k-per-week dud’s disappointing showing against Spurs.

Clark has started six Premier League games and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.62. He has won 64% of his duels and made four clearances per match. Meanwhile, Schar has achieved a score of 6.75 in two league starts, winning an exceptional 83% of his duels and making 4.5 clearances per game. This suggests that the Swiss defender could come in and be an upgrade alongside Jamaal Lascelles, which is why Jones could select him for this match.

In midfield, Hendrick could start ahead of Sean Longstaff. The Newcastle academy product had a nightmare against Spurs as he was hauled off after 60 minutes and was given a SofaScore rating of 6.4 as he lost half of his duels. The Irishman scored in his last appearance against Wolves, which suggests that he could come in and add a goal threat to the team.

Almiron watched on from the stands as Newcastle lost to Tottenham due to his late return from international duty, which means he could now be fresh and raring to go for this clash with Palace. The wide midfielder could come in for Joelinton, who we have urged Jones to axe, and play out on the right, with Allan Saint-Maximin switching out to the left-hand side.

We are predicting that the rest of the XI will stay the same, with Callum Wilson, Saint-Maximin, Lascelles, Javier Manquillo, Karl Darlow, Isaac Hayden and Joe Willock all retaining their places.

AND in other news,  Jones must ruthlessly axe £80k-p/w NUFC flop who’s “offering nothing”, he’s dreadful…

An update has emerged regarding how much Everton are prepared to pay for Lazio forward Joaquin Correa.

What’s the talk?

According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, via Sportslens, Everton are preparing to make an official offer to Lazio for the 27-year-old.

The reporter claims that the Toffees have a €30m (£25.7m) package ready for the Argentine international, with €25m (£21.4m) upfront and €5m (£4.3m) in further add-ons. They remain in talks with the Italian club and are now poised to submit their bid.

Fans will love it

Farhad Moshiri clearly means business and is willing to splash the cash on Correa to bring him to Goodison Park, if this report is to be believed. A £25.7m deal would be the seventh-most expensive signing in Everton’s history, via Transfermarkt, which shows that it would be a significant investment by the Toffees.

Everton fans will surely love that the club is showing ambition in the market and attempting to strengthen the team by snapping up a top talent. Supporters will surely want to see Moshiri and co do all they can to give Rafa Benitez the best chance of challenging for European football, and the potential signing of Correa could help.

In Serie A last season, the 27-year-old produced eight goals and four assists in 28 games for Lazio. The wing wizard also managed three goals and two assists in eight Champions League appearances for the Biancocelesti, showing that he is able to perform at the pinnacle of European football.

Correa scored twice in a game against AC Milan earlier this year and was hailed as ‘formidable’ by his then- manager Simeone Inzaghi, who has since left the club.

The 45-year-old was quoted by Lazio’s official website as saying: “Correa is a formidable player, he is very intelligent tactically, he sacrifices a lot for the team. I am happy with his double, when he has no problems and can train continuously he always proves to be able to play at the highest levels.”

Along with his statistics, this illustrates that he is capable of playing at the top level. He has been able to provide end product in both Serie A and the Champions League, which suggests that he has the quality to make an impact in the Premier League.

Of course, it is impossible to tell how a player will adapt to the style of football in England or how they will get on with their team-mates, but on the evidence above, Correa would seem a shrewd signing for the Blues. This is why fans will surely be delighted to hear that Moshiri is getting the chequebook out to try and bring him in.

AND in other news, Bye-bye James: Rafa could unearth Everton’s new Tim Cahill in “special” £20m machine…

Everton will be aiming to secure consecutive victories when they travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

Rafael Benitez’s charges ended an eight-game winless run when they saw off Arsenal 2-1 in an entertaining encounter last time out, easing the pressure on their under-fire manager.

It was a game with many positives for the Toffees besides the result and much-needed three points. Richarlison showed great resilience and finishing ability, finally grabbing a deserved goal after having two chalked off for offside, while Ben Godfrey deputised well at left-back and Demarai Gray maintained his rich vein of form.

However, Andre Gomes’ introduction as a second half substitute may have been the most pleasing aspect of that enthralling encounter for Benitez and co.

The midfield has been an area of much dispute throughout 2021/22, with Everton fielding a wide variety of combinations with mixed results. While Allan has been a mainstay, starting all 15 of the Toffees’ top-flight fixtures to date, the Brazil international has had multiple partners alongside him in the engine room.

Abdoulaye Doucoure’s injury issues saw Tom Davies, Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin all feature in the middle of the park, but the balance was never right, which played a big role in Everton’s disastrous run of form.

However, Gomes’ own comeback from a calf issue on Monday night illustrated that Benitez may have finally found a winning formula in the midfield.

After entering the field of play in the 66th minute, the former Barcelona ace brought an element of guile, craftsmanship and control which has been absent from Everton’s play for far too long.

As per FotMob, Gomes had 19 touches of the ball, completed seven passes – six of which were in the opposition half – won two duels, made one tackle and pulled off one key pass, receiving an overall match rating of 6.9 out of 10.

These figures highlight the effective performance of the 28-year-old at Goodison Park, and he was rewarded for his promising showing with an assist, teeing up Gray for his dramatic injury-time winner.

Gomes’ impressive display will come as little surprise to Everton supporters. He has shown glimpses of his top-class talent since arriving on an initial loan deal back in 2018, earning praise from several impressed onlookers, including former Toffees goalkeeper Nigel Martyn.

“He’s a very composed footballer, looks very good on the ball, intelligent and knows which space to run into,” said Martyn of the Portuguese midfielder. “His passing’s very good, his tackling’s very good – he’s a great all-round footballer.

Getting such quality performances consistently out of the £112,000-per-week maestro will be the big task for Benitez, though, and the Spaniard must attempt to do so by unleashing him against Palace this weekend.

In other news… Benitez can seal big Everton coup by signing “unbeatable” £27m-rated gem, he’s “incredible” 

Liverpool shared the spoils with Spanish visitors Athletic Bilbao in their pre-season friendly on Sunday afternoon. 

Diogo Jota’s first-half opener was cancelled out by Alex Berenguer in the 53rd minute at Anfield as the game finished in a 1-1 draw.

Harvey Elliott started for Jurgen Klopp’s side on the day and caused Bilbao problems throughout the contest, duly delighting many Kopites in the process. Hiss performance caught the eye, with the winger being labelled as ‘impressive’ by Sky Sports as he struck the woodwork with a curling effort against the La Liga side.

Elliott spent last season on loan with Championship side Blackburn Rovers and chipped in with seven goals and 11 assists for the Lancashire club, demonstrating that he is cut out for senior football at the tender age of 18.

Footage emerged online of Elliott’s performance against Bilbao, with a number of Liverpool fans flocking to give their verdicts on his “composed” showing at Anfield. Take a look at the best of the reaction in reply to CF_Comps9’s footage on Twitter….

“I mean this in the best way but does he remind anyone else of Raheem Sterling?”

Credit: @hornbecksteve1

“Far more composed on the ball. Doesn’t give it away. Direct, high energy. Loves taking in players. What an option to have.”

Credit: @1staz_Br0him

“Looks like a comp on YouTube of the best of some players but this is just from a game for Elliott. This kid will be big!”

Credit: @gerald_ynwa

“Trent, Harvey and Mo could cause absolute carnage down our right hand side given the chance this season.”

Credit: @JDSFITNESS_87

“He’s genuinely like a new signing for us. Klopp will do wonders to the kid.”

Credit: @Lucas_Duston7

“He’s a baller and one for the future. Hope we manage him properly and not overkill him like Pedri.”

Credit: @vintagedeepak

“Better than Messi.”

Credit: @onlyfarouk12

“What a talent.”

Credit: @galaxyomeogo

“He’s actually class.”

Credit: @lukehamerr

In other news, many LFC fans swoon over this news about one of Elliott’s team-mates.