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Insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that West Ham United may have just been handed a big boost in their chase of Michael Keane.

What’s the word?

David Moyes’ men are quite likely in the market for a new centre-back signing this winter with Craig Dawson recently departing in favour of a move to Wolves.

Everton defender Keane had been named as a potential target, although Premier League rivals Southampton were also believed to be in the race at some stage.

However, it now turns out that the Saints have called back Jan Bednarek from his loan at Aston Villa and so their immediate need for a new defender has diminished.

Consequently, Ex has said that this could have West Ham a potential boost in their pursuit of the Everton man.

While talking on The West Ham Way Patreon page, he said: “This has a knock-on effect on Michael Keane of Everton. Southampton had been trying to sign him but it seems they may have given up the chase by bringing back Bednarek.

“This leaves West Ham, some Italian teams and potentially Nottingham Forest to battle for the English international on loan.

“Ironically Michael Keane is another signing, like Danny Ings, who played under Sean Dyche at Burnley. It is unknown whether a change in manager will affect Keane’s position at this point.”

Transfer boost

Despite their win over Everton on the weekend, West Ham are in poor form at the moment and sit just one point above the relegation zone as a result.

With that in mind, it is interesting that Ex mentions Sean Dyche. The Englishman has been touted as a possible replacement should David Moyes get the sack if the Irons’ fortunes don’t improve any time soon.

Of course, Keane and Dyche spent a number of years together at Burnley with the defender playing under his former boss 108 times – the most of any single manager across the span of his career.

With that in mind, if he was to replace Moyes then perhaps the Everton centre-back would be even keener on a move. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out.

Although, with just 22 minutes of Premier League football to his name so far this term, Keane won’t want to wait too long before deciding his future.

Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett says that there has been ‘no contact’ from Newcastle United in the last 24 hours to sign reported target Sander Berge.

The Lowdown: ‘Gettable’

It was reported at lunchtime that Berge is a ‘gettable’ player for Newcastle on deadline day, as they look to sign a new central midfielder with Jonjo Shelvey on his way to Nottingham Forest.

It was even reported on Monday afternoon that the St. James’ Park outfit had actually made a loan with an obligation to buy offer to Sheffield United for the Norway international, while Fulham were thought to be ‘in talks’ over a permanent £20m deal.

The Latest: ‘No contact’

Taking to Twitter, Dorsett now says that there has been ‘no contact’ from the North East club in the last 24 hours to sign Berge, adding that it ‘looks like’ that he will be staying at Bramall Lane:

“No contact in last 24hrs from #Fulham or #nufc for #sufc Sander Berge, I’m told. Looks like he’ll remain at Bramall Lane.”

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The Verdict: Blow

It is certainly a blow for the Tynesiders to miss out on Berge, especially given that it is unlikely that they will sign another midfield target in Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher before the deadline.

Lauded as a ‘physical beast‘ by football writer Sebastien Pedersen, and a ‘Rolls-Royce‘ by his team-mate Chris Basham, the six-foot-five Berge is very highly-rated despite playing in a lower division in the Championship, and he ranks in the top 22% of midfielders in Europe outside of the top five leagues for a number of key metrics for midfielders, including total touches and dribbles completed.

Berge has also shown himself to be a threat when he gets close to and inside the penalty box, recording an impressive four goals and three assists in the Championship so far this season, and at 24 years of age, has not hit his prime yet.

However, with the clock ticking, it looks as if the Magpies will now have to move on to other potential targets.

Liverpool are believed to be one of several clubs interested in signing Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge, although they have now been joined by a powerful competitor.

The Lowdown: Berge a key man for Blades

The Blades are sitting pretty in second place in the Championship, putting them on course for promotion to the Premier League, and the 24-year-old has played a big part in their success under Paul Heckingbottom.

The Norwegian has chipped in with four goals and three assists in 18 starts from midfield, in addition to making six UEFA Nations League appearances for Norway in 2022.

It could be that a move to a current top-flight is in the offing as a result, with interest in him growing all the time.

The Latest: Newcastle join Berge transfer chase

According to The Mirror [29/01, p.77; via UK Daily News], Liverpool are in the mix to sign Berge, with Chelsea and AC Milan also mentioned as potential suitors for him.

That trio have now been joined by Newcastle United, who are believed to be considering a move for the Norway midfielder as owners PIF potentially use their financial muscle to outbid other suitors.

A £15m January move for Berge is mooted, although time is now running out to get a deal done before the summer, with deadline day approaching on Tuesday.

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The Verdict: Not good enough

Berge is a good footballer, having been described as the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of the Sheffield United side by his team-mate Chris Basham, but there ought to be question marks over his worth to Liverpool.

Any new midfield signing would arguably feel like a positive for the Reds this month considering their glaring problems in that area of the pitch, but they need to be aiming higher than a Championship player, with Moises Caicedo a far superior target.

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The Brighton man is three years younger than Berge and is his price tag is being mooted as £90m, which is the sort of level that the Reds should if hitting if they want to solve their issues in the middle of the park.

Berge has already played in the Premier League and struggled to make his mark, playing 29 times and being relegated two years ago, so it would feel like an uninspiring signing.

All three of Arsenal’s winter signings are expected to be on the bench for their trip to Everton, journalist Charles Watts has claimed.

What’s the word?

The Gunners face a potential banana-skin as they travel to Goodison Park to face an Everton side under their newly appointed manager Sean Dyche for the first time.

The league leaders lost the same fixture last season, but know that they can further extend their gap at the top with a victory.

Jorginho, Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior all arrived to strengthen the squad in the January window, but Watts believes that none will start against the team in 19th place.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts claimed that Arteta is likely to stick with his preferred XI, which hardly ever changes, and that whilst all three arrivals could feature, none will be in the starting XI.

He said: “I think we know the team. Jorginho’s obviously arrived since the last Premier League game, and I imagine he’ll certainly be involved at the weekend, he’ll be in the squad.

“He might well make his debut, but I imagine if he does, it will be from the bench.

“I’d be very very surprised if Jorginho goes straight into the starting XI. I imagine he will be on the bench, same as Kiwior and probably Trossard as well.

“So all three new January signings, I expect will probably start the game on the bench because if everyone’s fit and no one’s got any injuries we know about – and most importantly, Thomas Partey is okay to play in this one having gone off against Manchester City in the FA Cup – then I think we know what the team’s going to be.”

Necessary depth

Even if all three signings don’t start in the Premier League for the time being, all three could prove to be necessary and useful additions.

With Arsenal in the title race, every game is now crucial, and rotation may be key, particularly when the Europa League returns.

Kiwior and Jorginho can provide cover for Gabriel and Partey respectively, who are arguably two of Arsenal’s most important players, whilst Trossard can provide extra firepower from the bench, and extra competition for the entire front three.

Arsenal have been excellent as they fired their way to top spot, but there were question marks about their depth within the squad, particularly after their 0-0 draw with Newcastle where they were unable to make any attacking changes.

Trossard in particular, can provide a strong option off the bench when Arsenal are chasing a goal, as shown when he played an important part in their comeback victory against Manchester United on his debut for the club as a substitute.

Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans could be a ‘real option’ for Manchester United this summer, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Tielemans to leave?

The 25-year-old is out of contract at the King Power Stadium this summer and it now looks inevitable that he will depart as a free agent, with reports even suggesting he is ‘refusing’ to sign a contract extension.

Tielemans has continued to be a key player for Leicester this season however, scoring three times from 19 starts in the Premier League, but it seems he is eyeing up a bigger challenge.

United have been linked with a move for him in the recent past and it looks like they could return for him during the summer transfer window.

The Latest: United a ‘real option’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs talked up the idea of Tielemans making the move to Old Trafford:

“I think that Tielemans was was not too sold on Manchester United under previous managers. But, with Erik ten Hag turning things around, if Manchester United qualify for the Champions League that could be a real option for them.

“If they lose a midfielder, they might feel like a box-to-box midfielder or an attacking midfielder, like Youri Tielemans, he could be the type of player that not only balances the books a little bit but can chip in with some goals and help add a little bit of control into central midfield. Manchester United and Arsenal are still two to watch.”

The Verdict: Could be perfect

United’s midfield looks strong currently, but with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen both turning 31 this year, Erik ten Hag needs to look at the long-term picture.

In that respect, Tielemans could be a great option to bring in, having scored 28 goals and registered 25 assists in 185 appearances for Leicester, showcasing his eye for goal in the middle of the park.

At 25, he is at a perfect age to come in and provide some energy there, having averaged 2.2 tackles per game in the league this season, which is only bettered at United by Casemiro (3.3), Bruno Fernandes (2.4) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (2.3).

England legend Gary Lineker has described Tielemans as ‘stunning’ this season and his all-round game could help take the Red Devils to another level, aiding squad depth even further.

Sky Sports pundit Sue Smith has claimed that referee Jarred Gillett lost “control” when sending off Wolves midfielder Mario Lemina.

What happened with Lemina’s red card for Wolves?

In their latest Premier League outing, Julen Lopetegui’s men picked up an unlikely three points on the road despite playing the majority of their game with ten men.

Indeed, having fallen behind to a goal from Carlos Alcaraz for Southampton, Wolves midfielder Lemina was then sent off after picking up a second yellow card in the 27th minute. Despite that, the away team fought back to win the game with two second-half goals.

However, Lemina’s second yellow seemed questionable at best as he was booked for dissent despite not being the first player to approach referee Gillett, nor was his protest particularly egregious.

While speaking about the incident on Ref Watch, Smith said: “I thought the second one was harsh. But again, I don’t know what was said, so it’s difficult for me to say.

“If it was just in terms of he was aggressively running at the ref, I couldn’t see any aggression there.

“I thought it was a harsh decision. I thought Jarred Gillett lost a little bit of control in that first half.”

What does Lemina’s red card mean for Wolves?

In the end, the red card didn’t actually cost Wolves the three points as they battled well to claim the win. In fact, Saints manager Nathan Jones even claimed it helped the opposition.

Speaking after the game, he told Sky Sports (via TalkSport): “To me, the 10 men was to our detriment because it made it a free hit for them in terms of stuff.

“It added more pressure on us and it shouldn’t be like that – we should then control the game.”

However, Jones has since been fired, so perhaps it’s best not to focus too much on his point of view from this particular game.

Despite the win, Wolves may still feel angered by the decision as Lemina will miss the club’s next game against Bournemouth as he serves a consequential suspension.

Indeed, the club can’t appeal the decision either as it was not a straight red. The FA’s rules (via BirminghamLive) explain: “All red cards can be appealed with the exception of those for use of offensive or insulting or abusive language/gestures and receiving a second caution in a game.”

Arsenal could reportedly lose Kieran Tierney to Newcastle United as their Premier League rival eye up a potential move for him this summer.

The Lowdown: Tierney out of favour

The Scotland defender has largely been out of favour under Mikel Arteta so far this season, with the Spaniard often preferring to use Oleksandr Zinchenko and even Takehiro Tomiyasu at times at left-back.

The 25-year-old has only started four Premier League games and has played just one minute in the last five matches in the top flight, coming on as an injury-time substitute in the 4-2 win at Aston Villa last Saturday (Transfermarkt).

Therefore, Tierney may look to move on this summer in search of more regular first-team football.

The Latest: Newcastle interested in Tierney

As per Football Insider, Newcastle are ‘closely monitoring’ Tierney’s situation at the Emirates Stadium ahead of a potential move this summer.

The Scotland international is thought to be valued at around £30m as the Magpies chase a new left-back who can slot straight into their starting line-up.

The Verdict: Sell him?

The Gunners have a conundrum on their hands as to whether or not to let go of Tierney this summer.

Lauded by Arsenal legend Ashley Cole as a ‘warrior’ and a ‘leader’, the 25-year-old seemingly gives everything on the pitch when he is fit, and his character has also been lauded on numerous occasions.

However, staying fit has been his problem, having missed 48 games already in his Arsenal career through injury.

At £30m, it would give the north Londoners the chance to make a profit – albeit a small one – on the £25m that they paid for Tierney to sign him from Celtic, and it would also get his £110,000-per-week wages off the club’s books.

Arteta also has Nuno Tavares to welcome back from his loan spell at Marseille, so one of him or Tierney will likely need to be sold this summer.

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha is reportedly no longer a priority target for Arsenal, although he is still on the transfer list ahead of this summer.

The Lowdown: Long-term interest

Arsenal’s interest in Zaha dates back to 2019 when now Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was in charge, as the Ivorian was on the verge of signing for the Gunners before they decided to sign Nicolas Pepe instead.

The 30-year-old’s contract is now up in the summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent at the end of the season.

The Latest: Not a priority

As per Football Insider, Zaha is no longer a priority target for the Gunners ahead of this summer, but he is still on the shortlist.

Other clubs in the Premier League are also believed to be interested in his signature, including North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The Verdict: Why not?

The Emirates Stadium outfit will need to increase their squad depth for next season assuming that they qualify from the UEFA Champions League through their league position.

On a free transfer, they could do worse than to bring Zaha in to add to Mikel Arteta’s attacking options, who has proven pedigree in the Premier League with 67 goals and 43 assists in just under 300 games in total (Transfermarkt).

Arteta is also thought to be a big fan of his, dubbing him a ‘terrific’ player who has had a ‘phenomenal’ impact on the top flight, and so the Ivorian should be able to fit in well at the Emirates should he make the move.

Everton have had a more positive outlook on their Premier League season since the arrival of Sean Dyche at Goodison Park and now the club have a great chance of surviving relegation if they can continue their form under the new manager.

The Toffees are now 16th in the league table following their victory over Leeds United at the weekend, however, they still remain in contention for the drop as they are currently just one point clear of the relegation zone with 15 fixtures remaining.

There is absolutely no doubt that the club must reinvest and give the manager the opportunity to make changes to the squad going forward to ensure they do not slip into yet another relegation scrap, providing that the former Burnley boss is able to retain Everton’s Premier League status at the end of the season.

There are a number of players who are not up to scratch in the side, whether that be due to being consistently unavailable through injury issues or being unable to put together reliable performances on the pitch, and Vitaliy Mykolenko is one of them.

The £58k-per-week dud has been dribbled past a whopping ten times in the last three games – four against Arsenal, three against Liverpool and then three times again against Leeds on Saturday.

Not only that, over 23 league appearances this season, the Ukrainian left-back has lost 53% of his duels combined, failed to complete 55% of his dribble attempts, and averaged just 26.1 accurate passes per game, which suggests that the dud has become somewhat of a liability in the Toffees back line.

As a result, Dyche could save millions on a replacement for the defender by unleashing Everton’s Niels Nkounkou next season, with the full-back currently showing glimpses of his talent on loan with Saint-Etienne in Ligue 2.

How is Nkounkou performing on loan?

The 22-year-old ace joined the French side in January after being recalled from his loan spell at Cardiff City in the Championship in the first half of the season and has thrived at both clubs over the campaign so far.

Over 18 Championship appearances, Nkounkou – hailed as a “magnificent” find by Stephen Warnock – registered one assist, successfully completed 51% of his dribble attempts and created two big chances, as well as averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.4 clearances, 52.4 touches and won 4.9 duels per game.

Since moving to Saint-Etienne, the young left-back has continued to thrive over his six league appearances so far with one goal scored, three assists and two big chances created, whilst averaging 1.2 key passes, 2.3 tackles, and five duels won per game.

These statistics show that the dynamo has been a huge presence on the left flank and is capable of quickly adapting to new surroundings and teammates.

The talented Frenchman joined the Merseysiders in 2020 on a free transfer from Ligue 1 giants Olympique de Marseille and was already getting recognition for his ability – earning appearances in the France U19s team.

Nkounkou has made seven senior appearances in the Everton first team, with one assist registered, but was unable to break into the team as a regular due to competing with Lucas Digne for the left-back spot in the team.

However, Dyche could now give the player a golden opportunity to become a consistent feature at Goodison Park when he returns in the summer and could ultimately allow the coach to ditch Mykolenko next term if the youngster can apply his current output in the Premier League.

With that being said, the future is looking bright for Nkounkou and the Everton manager will surely be watching the player closely as he works towards building a better future and improved performances at the club, given the current first-choice left-back’s disappointing performances of late.

Everton enjoyed a summer of heavy reinvestment, buoyed by the £60m sale of top talisman Richarlison.

Although the Brazillian had played a huge role in their survival the season prior, it was assumed that bolstering the squad as a whole would be more beneficial than relying solely on one man for their goals.

As such, the midfield was prioritised and a replacement for the Tottenham Hotspur-bound marksman was omitted.

Having acquired Amadou Onana, James Garner and Idrissa Gana Gueye, they were expected to offer solidity in the engine room for ex-manager Frank Lampard, who quickly discovered just how grave an error he had made in his transfer policy.

The Toffees now sit in the relegation zone, left licking their wounds after a 4-0 drubbing away to Arsenal. The latter of those midfield reinforcements has been earmarked for particular scrutiny after his display, and his lackadaisical attitude which essentially put the game out of reach for Sean Dyche’s side.

Perhaps a spell out of the team could now be in order, as the Senegalese stalwart manages to make his £2m summer fee seem like a waste.

How did Idrissa Gueye play against Arsenal?

The fact that the 33-year-old was hooked at half-time speaks volumes for how he fared against the Gunners, with his part in their second goal unforgivable.

Having just conceded from a fine Bukayo Saka finish, a 1-0 deficit at the break would have left Dyche still confident of claiming a result given the spirited first 40 minutes his side had shown.

But dawdling back towards his own goal, Gueye was hunted by the English winger and Gabriel Martinelli in a scene that dumbfounded all who watched it. It was almost as if a foul had been given he was so casual, in a moment that journalist Adam Jones described as such:

“Idrissa Gueye (hailed a great signing in the summer, hmm) completely fell asleep under no pressure.”

In just 45 minutes the usually relentless midfielder could only muster 19 touches and a sole defensive intervention (one tackle), before putting the game to bed with his blunder.

This is not the first time the £80k-per-week dud has been sloppy in possession, and his decline in this area has been sharp.

This was the third instance this season that he had made an error leading to a goal, with the former cult hero having become something of a liability of late. Only one other player in the entire division has blundered more in this regard – Hugo Lloris.

Dyche made his feelings known with the ruthless half-time substitution, and the former Burnley boss must continue to exclude a player who simply cannot be trusted in his system anymore.