The mission for West Ham is very simple this summer, find a new starting striker.
With Felipe Anderson taking most of the attacking burden last season, the Hammers are in need of a man up front who can deliver the goals that the team have sorely missed for the past few months, and with the likes of Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez likely to leave, the requirement for a new striker is even greater.
The past few weeks has seen West Ham been linked with the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Salomon Rondon, but now a new striker has been thrown into the mix in the form of Al-Ahli Saudi FC forward Djaniny.
According to A Bola, the Cape Verde international has caught the eye of West Ham as well as several other Premier League clubs after a sensational year in the Saudi Pro League, scoring 23 goals and assisting eight in all competitions this season, and Djaniny could be the man to solve the Hammer’s attacking problems.
The 28-year-old forward is hitting the peak of his career after two brilliant years in both the Saudi Arabia and in Mexico with Santos Laguna a season prior, and at 6’2”, Djaniny has the physicality to be a menace in the Premier League.
Blessed with pace and an eye for goal, the former Benfica man can be a real asset for the Hammers next season alongside Anderson. But, with other teams circling, Manuel Pellegrini needs to move in fast if he is to get his man.
West Ham fans, can Djaniny be the player to solves the club’s striker problems? Let us know!
[ad_pod ]14 seconds. That’s the amount of time Leicester missed the deadline by in order to register Adrien Silva in the 2017 summer transfer window.When he finally did get a chance to prove himself in January of that season, it wasn’t really worth the wait, rarely showing many positive signs.The 26-cap Portuguese midfielder struggled again for game time last term, before being shipped out to Monaco on loan.However, with the 30-year-old now returning to the Midlands, Leicester fans are divided over whether he should get another chance if the club fail to secure the services of loan star Youri Tielemans.Sharing their views on Twitter, one fan was insisting he should get another opportunity, claiming that you don’t play at the level he has without being a decent footballer. A further supporter hinted that a manager like Brendan Rodgers could be beneficial for the Portugal international.One member of the King Power faithful suggested they should sell Silva and put the money they receive towards the Belgian. Another Foxes fan was more damning, saying that Silva was lightweight and not up to the pace of the Premier League.
Having appeared just twice for Leicester in 2018/19, he featured on 15 occasions for Monaco after arriving on loan. One of his best displays came against PSG as he won eight tackles in the middle of the park.
According to The Telegraph, Leicester are considering a move for West Brom striker Jay Rodriguez as the club look to improve their options in attack.
What’s the word?
Rodriguez was in stunning form for the Baggies throughout 2018/19 as he found the back of the net 22 times en route to the play-offs.
However, he could now be on the move a year after his future was initially in doubt.
Last summer Burnley had a bid rejected for the forward, whilst Bournemouth also showed interest in the player.
Leicester are the latest club to take an interest, per The Telegraph, who claim they are considering triggering his £5m release clause.
Change of policy on the cards?
Barring the 2013/14 season when the 29-year-old found the net 15 times in the Premier League, he’s never been too consistent at the highest level.
But despite that, it would be a smart signing for Leicester, particularly given the price tag.
With Islam Slimani looking like he may leave and Shinji Okazaki being released, it’s clear the Foxes will need attacking reinforcements and more back up for Jamie Vardy.
In signing Rodriguez it would signal a clear change in transfer policy from the Foxes. Slimani arrived for £29m in 2016 whilst Kelechi Iheanacho arrived a year later for £25m.
The pair of them have been extremely disappointing and, after wasting money on such expensive signings, signing Rodriguez for just £5m would display an intelligent new approach.
Given Vardy is the club’s star striker, they don’t need someone with a similarly prolific record to come in and challenge him.
Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…
Instead, they need a cheaper rotation option. By bringing in Rodriguez, Brendan Rodgers would strike gold in this regard and it would be a refreshing change of policy from what’s gone before in previous transfer windows.
Bringing in the West Brom man wouldn’t be particularly exciting, but it would show that Leicester are beginning to learn from their mistakes.
Tottenham Hotspur fans are keen on selling Kieran Trippier during this summer’s transfer window after he was linked with a move to Juventus.
The Times reported on Sunday that the full-back is a target for the Italian giants should they bite on Manchester City interest in Joao Cancelo.
The paper reckon a fee of £30m could get the deal done, although there’s no pressure on the Spurs side to sell considering the player still has three years left on his contract.
Check out the video below to find out why Arsenal fans aren’t celebrating Spurs’ UCL final defeat as much as they’d like…
Trippier is a regular pick under Mauricio Pochettino but doesn’t have the full confidence of supporters, with plenty feeling like he’s a weak link in the team that could be massively improved upon in the transfer market.
The criticism is at times harsh but a fee of £30m sounds pretty good from a Spurs perspective as Pochettino considers what his Spurs side will look like in the wake of the recent UEFA Champions League final defeat to Liverpool.
These fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on a potential deal…
Leeds United have been linked with yet another winger, and this time it is in the form of Liverpool youngster Ryan Kent.
He spent last season out on loan at Rangers, but he may be set to swap one of Scotland’s biggest clubs for one of England’s most historic.
A move to Elland Road wouldn’t be the first time the youngster swapped Merseyside for Yorkshire after spending the 2016/17 season playing for Barnsley.
His spell at Oakwell saw him appear 44 times in the Championship, where he scored just three goals and set up one.
It’s tough to call whether or not the 22-year-old would be a good player for Leeds next season. On one hand he has been fantastic in Scotland for the past 12 months, but during his last spell in the second tier he was underwhelming.
It’s a real conundrum, but that hasn’t stopped Football FanCast’s writers having their say as to whether or not Kent would be a good signing.
Matt Dawson
“Ryan Kent would be an absolutely superb piece of business from Leeds. The Liverpool youngster has proven himself to be capable of performing with the added pressure of playing for a big club such as Rangers, so he’d have no trouble adapting to life at Elland Road. If they can get a deal across the line, his creativity could prove the difference in a bid for promotion.”
Billy Meyers
“I think this would be an excellent signing for Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds. Ryan Kent has taken the Scottish league by storm and looks far too good to be playing there, so a move to the Championship is the next logical step for a player who visibly improves every season. Leeds would be getting an ideal foil for Jack Clarke, or a great replacement if they signed Kent.”
Luke Glanville
“In my view, the Scottish Premiership to the Sky Bet Championship is a natural step up for Ryan Kent and one he deserves. Leeds should definitely be making sure it happens with them. Kent would be healthy competition for someone like Jack Clarke in that left wing position and it would be very exciting to see the pair of bright prospects challenge to become the first choice. Unquestionably, Kent would be a great signing for Marcelo Bielsa and could well help his team go one better in 2019/2020.”
Lots of Everton fans have taken to Twitter to react after The Telegraph revealed that negotiations have been opened with Chelsea over the signing of Kurt Zouma on a permanent basis.
The French international shone for the Toffees last term on a season-long loan spell, alongside another loan hero in Andre Gomes who looks close to arriving at Goodison Park permanently – Marco Silva revealed his desire to tie the pair down towards the end of last season.
Check out a fan’s outrageous call for England to take a leaf of out cricket and rugby’s book after a limp Nations League performance in the video below…
Zouma, 24, made 32 Premier League appearances for the Merseysiders last term and was a big player for them as the Toffees eventually finished eighth – the former Saint-Etienne man also pitched in with two goals and two assists.
The towering 6 ft 3 centre-back really made an impression on the Goodison Park faithful, so much so that many fans wanted to see him signed on a permanent basis back in April.
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Let’s take a look at some of the fans’ reactions on Twitter…
Manuel Pellegrini, like the rest of his counterparts in the Premier League, is getting his squad as ready as possible for the upcoming campaign.
Thursday’s West Ham transfer roundup includes good news in regards to a 16-year-old, an update in the pursuit of a Premier League striker and news in the pursuit of a La Liga star.
Diallo to stay
According to reliable West Ham insider ExWHUemployee, Amadou Diallo is to stay at West Ham and sign a new deal. There had been interest from Spain, France and Germany, but the 16-year-old will reportedly stay in London according to the same source.
West Ham to offer Wilson pay-rise
Thursday’s print edition of the Mirror (27 June, page 65) have reported that West Ham are prepared to offer Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson a big pay-rise to bring him to the London Stadium. The Sun had previously reported that the Hammers were to make a £35m approach for the England international.
Gomez waits for Tottenham interest
Spanish outlet El Desmarque are reporting that Maxi Gomez is waiting before signing for West Ham. The Argentinian is reportedly first looking to see whether Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in him is real before choosing. The forward scored 13 times last season.
Aston Villa have been amongst the busier sides in the Premier League during this transfer window with five signings made already, and there could be more names on the way to Villa Park before the start of next season. Today’s Villa transfer roundup includes interest in an Egyptian winger, the departure of an 18-year-old and news on Wesley’s work permit.
Villa eye Trezeguet
The Sun is reporting that Aston Villa are interested in signing winger Mahmoud Trezeguet from Turkish side Kasimpasa due to his performances at the African Cup of Nations. It is reported that the player could be on his way to the Midlands club in a deal worth £8m.
Wesley arrives in UK
Wesley has arrived in the UK after being granted a work permit and has now completed the final step of his move to Villa. The striker is the club’s record signing and scored 17 goals in 48 games in all competitions for former side Club Brugge last season.
Ige joins Colchester
Colchester United have confirmed the signing of released Aston Villa 18-year-old Luke Ige. The defender played for Villa’s U18s and U23s over the last two seasons before leaving the club.
With Derby giving permission to Chelsea to speak to Frank Lampard over the managerial vacancy at Stamford Bridge, it now seems only a matter of time before the ex-England midfielder is appointed.
As Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer and a central player in the most successful era in the club’s history, Lampard’s legendary status in west London is assured – for now. By going back to Stamford Bridge and taking on a thankless managerial position (provided he gets the job), he is putting his Chelsea reputation on the line. If he flops as Blues boss, his achievements a player could be tainted.
Lampard can be forewarned by plenty of other examples of iconic players who returned to their club or national teams as manager and failed dismally, thus shattering their reputation in the eyes of supporters.
Here are some of the men whose managerial exploits at certain teams fell way short of their status as players:
Graeme Souness (Liverpool)
Football – FA Barclaycard Premiership – Charlton Athletic v Blackburn Rovers – 21/2/04 Blackburn Manager Graeme Souness Mandatory Credit : Action Images / David Jacobs
In seven seasons at Anfield, the Scot won five league titles, four League Cups and three European Cups. He was Liverpool’s captain for their 1984 European Cup triumph in Rome, capping a season in which they won three major trophies. He scored 56 goals in 358 games for the Reds during a hugely decorated spell.
He succeeded Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool manager in 1991 upon his fellow Scot’s sudden resignation and found him an impossible act to follow. Many at Anfield never forgave him for giving an interview to The Sun and the Reds finished a lowly sixth and exited the FA Cup at home to Bristol City on his watch.
Santiago Solari (Real Madrid)
Soccer Football – La Liga Santander – Real Madrid v Girona – Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain – February 17, 2019 Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari speaks to Dani Ceballos during the match REUTERS/Susana Vera
The Argentine midfielder controversially moved to Real Madrid from city rivals Atletico in 2000 and went on to enjoy much success at the Bernabeu, winning two league titles and a Champions League in a star-studded team. He was a regular in a midfield that also contained the likes of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and latterly David Beckham.
Solari was promoted from reserve team boss to the head coach position at Real Madrid last October after Julen Lopetegui’s brief tenure came to an end. However, a disastrous week in which they were defeated in El Clasico and exited the Champions League and Copa Del Rey resulted in his dismissal after less than five months in charge.
Ossie Ardiles (Tottenham)
Tottenham pulled off a massive coup in 1978 by signing the midfielder, who had just won the World Cup with Argentina. He spent a decade at White Hart Lane, winning the FA Cup in 1981 and the UEFA Cup three years later, scoring 16 goals in 221 games for Spurs.
Ardiles returned as the club’s manager in 1993, quitting his job with West Brom to take the reins in north London, but Tottenham finished a lowly 15thin the Premier League under him and he was sacked in October 1994 after a slow start to the season. He would infamously play with five forwards and no designated midfielders during his time in charge of Spurs.
Owen Coyle (Bolton)
The Scotland-born Republic of Ireland international joined Bolton from Airdrieonians in 1993 and spent two years at Burnden Park as a player. He played in a League Cup final for the Trotters in 1995 and helped them to promotion to the Premier League that year, briefly playing in the top flight before returning to Scotland.
Coyle was hired as Bolton manager in 2010, leaving Burnley in acrimonious circumstances. Despite clever signings such as Ivan Klasnic and Martin Petrov, they were relegated from the Premier League in 2012 and a slow start in the Championship led to calls for his head. He was sacked two months into the 2012/13 season.
Mark McGhee (Aberdeen)
The forward was Alex Ferguson’s first signing at Aberdeen in 1979 and he was a central figure in the club’s most successful era. In five years at Pittodrie, he won two league titles, three Scottish Cups and the 1983 Cup Winners’ Cup, when they famously beat Real Madrid in the final.
McGhee was back at a very different Aberdeen in 2009. His tenure began with an 8-1 aggregate thrashing by Sigma Olomouc in the Europa League and included the club’s all-time record defeat, 9-0 to Celtic in November 2010. He was sacked a month later and claimed to be spat at by supporters after a defeat to Raith Rovers earlier that year.
Bryan Gunn (Norwich)
The goalkeeper became one of Norwich’s greatest players, featuring 390 times in 12 years at Carrow Road. He was in nets for the Canaries’ shock third-placed finish in the inaugural Premier League season in 1993 and the following campaign’s legendary UEFA Cup win over Bayern Munich.
Gunn later took charge of Norwich in 2009 when they were struggling in the Championship and was unable to save them from relegation. He criticised his players in public and signed a goalkeeper whose debut was a 1-7 home defeat to Colchester in League One, during which two fans threw season tickets at him. He was sacked less than a week later.
Steve Staunton (Republic of Ireland)
The ginger-haired defender was the first player to reach 100 caps for Republic of Ireland and is the only man to have played in all 13 of their World Cup finals games. He also has the rare distinction of scoring directly from corner kicks twice for his country.
Still, Irish fans were shocked when Staunton took over the national team in 2006 despite having no managerial experience. His two years in charge were calamitous, the low points being a 5-2 thumping in Cyprus and a very fortunate win in San Marino courtesy of a 94th-minute goal. He was also derided for his monotone nature in press briefings.
Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan)
The striker was the archetypal ‘fox in the box’ and scored 126 goals during an 11-year playing career with AC Milan. He won two league titles and two Champions Leagues with the club, scoring both Milan goals in the Champions League final win over Liverpool in 2007.
Inzaghi went straight into youth team coaching at the San Siro after hanging up his boots and was promoted to the manager’s job at Milan in 2014. He found life far tougher in the dugout as the Rossoneri finished as low as 10thin Serie A. His tetchy touchline behaviour didn’t help his cause either and he lasted only a season in charge.
Glenn Roeder (Newcastle)
A classy ball-playing defender in his time, he captained second tier QPR in the 1982 FA Cup final before moving to Newcastle a year later. In five seasons on Tyneside he played almost 200 times for the Geordies, most of those coming in the First Division.
Roeder became caretaker manager at Newcastle in 2006 and guided a struggling team into Europe, only for the Magpies to drop back to mid-table the following season. His tenure was no disgrace, but his less than charismatic demeanour probably didn’t help and few mourned when he left the club in May 2007.
Tony Mowbray (Celtic)
Soccer Football – FA Cup Third Round Replay – Blackburn Rovers v Newcastle United – Ewood Park, Blackburn, Britain – January 15, 2019 Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray reacts REUTERS/Andrew Yates
The defender moved to Celtic from Middlesbrough for £1million in 1991 and spent four years with the Glasgow club. Although he didn’t win a league title in his time at Celtic Park, he is attributed to having begun the team’s now-traditional pre-match huddle in an attempt to foster greater team spirit.
Mowbray was named Celtic manager in 2009 but the first half of the season did not go well, with the Hoops trailing Rangers by 10 points in January. The mid-season signings of Robbie Keane and Gary Caldwell reportedly caused disruption to the team and his position soon became untenable after a 4-0 loss to St Mirren, being sacked in March 2010.
After falling short of their aim to qualify for the Champions League next season, Arsenal simply have to improve their defence and wing departments ahead of the new campaign.
Reports in recent months have suggested the club’s transfer budget will be incredibly limited and so Unai Emery’s side will have to do some shrewd business if they are to return to the promised land next season.
Their opening Premier League game of the season sees them take on Newcastle at St James’ Park, and with just over a month to go before it kicks-off, the Gunners team could undergo some dramatic changes. We’ve had a go at predicting how they might look.
After initially finding himself as second-choice to Petr Cech last season, Bernd Leno never really looked back following the former Chelsea star’s injury early in the campaign. The German made the number one position his own and should be the Gunners’ goalkeeper for years to come.
In front of him, Hector Bellerin is unlikely to make his comeback from injury in time for the opening weeks of the season so Ainsley Maitland-Niles will more than likely step up in his absence again. On the other flank, Kieran Tierney appears to be Arsenal’s first-choice target for the left-back slot and would represent a major upgrade on the likes of Sead Kolasinac and Nacho Monreal.
Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…
At centre-back, Sokratis enjoyed an impressive debut campaign at the Emirates but the man to partner him is still up for debate. Reports in recent weeks have suggested the likes of Shkodran Mustafi and Calum Chambers will be moved on, whilst club captain Laurent Koscielny has been linked with a return to his native France. That could mean Rob Holding comes straight into the line-up having made his return to training from his own knee injury.
In midfield, the Gunners looked a solid outfit with Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira in the engine room, though there are question marks over whether Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi’s international commitments this summer might see them eased back into action.
Despite settling on a back-five last season, Unai Emery’s preferred formations throughout his managerial career have been the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. If the Gunners do return to the former next season, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang might line up from the left-hand side once again, as he did eight times last year.
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The right flank is where things truly get interesting. The club are well-known to be on the look-out for another winger and reports have claimed Emery’s side are intent on signing Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha. If they can somehow afford the big-money deal, the Ivorian will no doubt be a fixture amongst the starting eleven.
Finally, with no real interest coming in, Mesut Ozil may still find himself at the Emirates for the opening game at St James’ Park, and could play behind the side’s Player of the Season last year in Alexandre Lacazette.