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David Moyes must show no mercy and drop Pablo Fornals from the West Ham United starting line-up after the Spaniard provided a torturous display against Crystal Palace.

Fornals maintained his 100 per cent record for opening Premier League fixtures this season when the Hammers draw 1-1 with the Eagles on Wednesday night, but was hauled off at the break after struggling to provide any quality.

The 24-year-old strolled freely around the pitch, much to his side’s expense, with Palace able to capitalise on Fornals’ lack of positional awareness to score while leaving Aaron Cresswell woefully exposed at left-back in various two-vs-one situations.

Eberechi Eze had a field day on the right-side of Roy Hodgson’s midfield in the early stages with Fornals struggling to establish himself, consistently receiving the ball and looking like a real threat able to deliver dangerous crosses into the West Ham box.

Palace would have hoped to see Fornals remain on the pitch at the interval, feeling the £67,308-per-week Spaniard was a weak link they could look to further exploit, only to be left disappointed with Moyes calling time on his night at the mid-way mark.

Moyes has been reluctant to deviate from his tried and tested starting line-up for much of the season so far, believing Fornals and Jarrod Bowen, in particular, had been performing at an undroppable level.

“The boys in the team are playing really well, it’s not easy to say sorry, we’re bringing someone else in,” the former Manchester United boss said, via quotes by the Evening Standard last month.

“If you come to the club it’s a great thing, it’s great competition behind the player and gives the players in the team more reason to perform well.”

Moyes must now realise that the time is up for Fornals in the starting line-up after his torturous display against Crystal Palace, which should ensure he sees kick-off against Chelsea on Monday night from the dugout and not the field.

Fornals only attempted two ground duels, winning one, during the first half on Wednesday night, per SofaScore, while offering just a single shot that was off target and one key ball from 14 accurate passes.

He never attempted to deliver a cross into the Eagles’ box for Sebastien Haller, who pulled West Ham level with a spectacular bicycle kick, or attempt to beat a Palace player with a dribble, as Fornals consistently sought to keep play simple with only one long pass recorded.

Defensively, Fornals was invisible in most, with just three interceptions to show for his overall efforts, which saw the £24million Manuel Pellegrini signing register one touch in the visitor’s penalty area and one additional touch in the final third, per WhoScored.

Moyes may not like to change a side who avoided defeat, but Fornals will not be the answer to claiming a win at Stamford Bridge on Monday either.

AND in other news, a rarely-seen West Ham titan who “has a long way to go” is emerging as an emergency solution for a Premier League big hitter.

Sunderland’s summer transfer window was an unfortunate affair.

The Mackems voted against the new EFL salary cap but their protests fell on deaf ears and failed to achieve anything. The new rules were brought in and thus, a number of loan deals fell through.

This was troublesome when you consider that one of their most impressive captures was ruled out for four months without even making a solitary appearance in League One.

The man in question is someone earning a mere £750-per-week; Morgan Feeney. The 21-year-old still hasn’t made his Black Cats bow in the league but he was held in high esteem by the recently departed Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson.

He was one of the chief suspects in making the deal happen but it hasn’t worked out quite yet. Fortunately, the central defender has enormous potential and most importantly, has similar characteristics to Bailey Wright. The Australian has been well received at the Stadium of Light and is proving pivotal in their bid to be promoted.

We’re not the only ones who think they’re comparable, though. Parkinson said earlier this year: “I felt with Morgan that he had the potential to be a good understudy to Bailey Wright because he has a lot of the same characteristics, albeit at a younger age.”

Although he’s still missing, that quote should be of huge comfort to Sunderland fans. If they have someone already in the mould of Wright coming through, they will be incredibly well prepared for the future.

However, what traits are we specifically talking about here? Well, his leadership certainly stands out for someone that’s still so young.

Everton coach David Unsworth hailed Feeney earlier this year: “I thought he was faultless and led by example. He was stepping in when he could, trying to help the midfield, and it was a great display by the skipper. He got his rewards for his desire to keep going.”

His reading of the game is supreme and he possesses a huge degree of intelligence. It’s remarkable to think that the youngster has only made four senior appearances.

One of those provided a goal, however. Coincidentally, it was on his Sunderland debut in the EFL trophy.

Once Feeney’s sufficiently recovered from his hamstring surgery, he should be a very valuable asset in the north-east.

AND in other news, Speakman must swoop for £6k-p/w SAFC target with 0 goals all season…

According to The Daily Mirror, Aston Villa have got Bournemouth winger David Brooks on their transfer short-list ahead of a potential move.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side have enjoyed an impressive first-half of the season in the Premier League, finding themselves in eighth place, and just seven points off the top with two games in hand.

Now, The Daily Mirror claim that Villa are ready to back their manager in the transfer market, with Brooks being one of the names under consideration.

The report adds that the club are determined to improve their squad, and are ready to green-light a move for the £16.2m-rated Brooks if Smith decides to do so.

Chance for Dean Smith

With Villa seemingly ready to back him this month, it’s the perfect chance for Smith to seize the moment and try and capitalise on his side’s excellent start to the season.

In Brooks, he could find someone who can fit seamlessly into the group of attacking players just behind the striker, with the Wales international comfortable playing anywhere across there.

This season has seen him bag four goals and provide a further five assists in 19 games, and it’s no wonder that his former manager at Sheffield United, Chris Wilder, declared him a “match-winner” and someone he wanted to bring back in October last year.

Brooks could offer Villa that extra bit of dynamism going forward, with Eddie Howe hailing his “creative flair” and “non-stop energy”.

If he were to arrive at Villa Park, then that would raise serious doubts over Trezeguet’s long-term future at the club, especially considering the side already have Anwar El Ghazi and Bertrand Traore who operate on that flank.

Brooks’ extra versatility means Smith could quite easily play him in the number ten role, but the addition of another player who can feature from the right could spell curtains for the Egyptian.

Mesut Ozil’s time at Arsenal is finally coming towards a conclusion.

It’s been a tumultuous season for the one-time £42.8m club-record signing and now his north London nightmare appears to be over as he edges towards a move to Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed on Saturday that the Gunners had an ‘agreement in principle’ to terminate the 32-year-old’s contract in order for him to complete a permanent move to the Yellow Canaries as a free-agent.

Despite not being registered in Mikel Arteta’s Premier League squad for the 2020/21 season, it still leaves Arsenal needing a replacement and there’s one name that technical director Edu Gaspar has to target, and no, it’s not Houssem Aouar.

That ship may well have sailed.

Instead, Norwich City’s Emi Buendia ought to be their top priority – according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners have contacted the Argentinian’s agent over a potential deal, though the club are yet to submit an official bid.

The 24-year-old impressed again this weekend, playing an integral part to the Canaries seeing off Cardiff City in the Championship.

He managed to notch three key passes, completed 100% of his dribbles and even made four interceptions, via SofaScore. Indeed, this is the creative norm for the impressive playmaker as he’s averaging 3.3 key passes per game this term.

No other player in the English second-flight is managing close to that, in fact, it is a whole one extra key pass per game than Swansea’s Conor Roberts, who ranks second for chances created.

But this is something we already knew from Buendia’s time in the Premier League. Even despite Norwich’s relegation, the attacking maestro sat fourth behind Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish for chances created (83) during the 2019/20 campaign.

Ozil created only 52 chances for Arsenal too.

Buendia has been lauded as everything from a “revelation” by pundit Chris Sutton to a “game-changer” by current boss Daniel Farke, and you could argue that such a player is something Arteta is still lacking, despite forcing Ozil out the door.

Only Willian has created as many as five big chances in the Premier League this season, which tells a story in itself, whilst Emile Smith Rowe tops the charts with 1.5 key passes per game and that’s still less than half the number of Buendia.

Given his reported price tag of £25m, he could well be on Edu’s radar having been seemingly priced out of a €50m (£45m) move for Aouar in the summer.

But it’s time to move on from the Frenchman as Buendia could well prove to be better value for money. Ultimately, he can be the Gunners’ dream Ozil successor this transfer window.

AND in other news, Forget Balogun: Arsenal heading for unforgivable blunder with ANOTHER teen sensation…

David Moyes must urge West Ham United to strike a deal with ACF Fiorentina for Felipe Anderson to spend the remainder of the season in the Serie A.

What’s the word?

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (20/1, 09:55), Fiorentina have marked Anderson as a potential alternative target to Papu Gomez.

The Artemio Franchi Stadium side are thought to be struggling to get a deal for Atalanta BC veteran Gomez over the line, with interest firm in the €10m (£9m) forward who dreams of a move to Inter Milan.

Anderson is currently on loan with FC Porto but has struggled to establish himself at the Liga NOS giants, making only six appearances across all competitions and featuring in just two of Sergio Conceicao’s top-flight matchday squads since October.

The Brazilian had been linked with a potential early return to the London Stadium to secure a new loan move, as West Ham bid to protect his market value ahead of a likely permanent exit in the summer.

But recent claims from Portugal suggest the Dragoes are no longer interested in being separated from the 27-year-old this month, having been struck by a string of coronavirus cases and seeing potential deals for a replacement fall through.

Spartak Moscow attacker Aleksandr Kokorin is another alternative track for Fiorentina to explore, should Anderson not join, with Gomez considered an impossible reach for Cesare Prandelli’s Tuscan outfit.

A dream destination?

Moyes should be banging on the door to David Sullivan’s office demanding that the West Ham co-owner and chairman secures Anderson a move to Fiorentina this month, as the Serie A side could prove to be a dream destination for all involved.

Anderson is not getting the chances to feature he or West Ham need at Porto, and it will likely take a vast outbreak of Covid-19 cases for the Brazilian to gain a prominent role in Conceicao’s plans anytime soon.

But Fiorentina represent a fresh start for the £85,000-per-week winger, now valued by TransferMarkt at £22.5m just two years on from being rated at £40.5m, with Prandelli’s side 14th in the Serie A and in desperate need of attacking reinforcements.

Only Parma Calcio 1913 have scored fewer goals (14) than Fiorentina (18) after the opening 18 games of the season, while the Artemio Franchi Stadium natives have also failed to find the back of the net in seven matches to date.

Anderson knows the Serie A well from his five years with SS Lazio, where the two-time Brazil international’s form sparked West Ham to pay £36m to bring him to the Premier League in a then-club record deal that could rise to £41.5m.

The attacker struck home eight times and created nine goals in 32 outings during his final year at the Stadio Olimpico, to take his Biancocelesti record to 34 goals, 39 assists in 177 games across all competitions.

If West Ham are considering Anderson’s situation with a view to selling him in the summer, Moyes must convince Sullivan that Fiorentina – and not Porto – is the best home for the forward to rediscover his lost form.

AND in other news, West Ham are considering a £15.5m-rated striker without a goal since October to replace Seb Haller…

According to The Daily Record, Glasgow Rangers target Jack Simpson has agreed a Bosman move to Steven Gerrard’s side, which could spell bad news for George Edmundson in regards to his future prospects.

What’s the word?

The Rangers centre-back has struggled for game time this season having fallen out of favour with Gerrard after he served a lengthy suspension for breaching coronavirus restrictions.

Gerrard is currently blessed with great defensive options again, with Leon Balogun and Filip Helander jostling for the position alongside Connor Goldson, so it’s no surprise that Edmundson finds himself at the bottom of the pecking order, as he has made just one substitute appearance in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, averaging a miserable 5.52 rating overall.

Following the news that Rangers have agreed a pre-contract deal with Simpson, it is within the realm of possibility that the 23-year-old could find himself heading for the Ibrox exit, considering the Gers also have Nikola Katic on their books, with Gerrard recently confirming that the Croatian is progressing nicely in his recovery from injury.

When one door opens, another closes

Rangers signed Edmundson from Oldham Athletic on a four-year deal for a fee in the region of £700,000 in 2019.

Since then, he has made 16 appearances for the 54-time Scottish champions, scoring twice and supplying an assist in all competitions.

Gerrard had insisted that Edmundson could still find a way back into the first team in the future, saying:

“I think the important thing here was to get the players out of the isolation period, first and foremost. Then it was about sitting down with the players face-to-face to gauge a reaction to how they feel and where they were at.

“I spoke to them both individually and they were both very sad over the incident, they were remorseful, apologetic and full of regret. They first and foremost wanted to apologise to the supporters and their team-mates for their actions.”In my position, it was time to support these two players once I saw that reaction. It was the reaction I wanted to see.”Now it’s about me giving them the support and managing them to come back to top players because they are good players, we need them here to help and support us moving forward.”

However, reports in recent weeks have revealed Rangers will consider a January loan exit for Edmundson as he hasn’t played despite returning from suspension.

Having excelled for Bournemouth, the Scottish giants have taken a gamble on Simpson and it’s fair to say that they could be duly rewarded. He is currently averaging more tackles and clearances per game than Edmundson, which suggests that he could be a significant upgrade on the Rangers outcast. He’s currently valued at £1m but Rangers are getting him for free.

If Edmundson can’t re-establish himself in the first team at all between now and the end of this season, then it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him leave for pastures new in the near future.

AND in other news, Filip Helander proved a point to Steven Gerrard with his performance against Ross County…

Steve Bruce should push Newcastle United and Matty Longstaff to accept a half-season loan spell with Watford as the Toon reportedly near an agreement to sign Arsenal’s Joe Willock.

What’s the word?

According to the Press Association’s Mark Mann-Bryans, talks are taking place between the Magpies and Gunners to reach a definitive agreement over the temporary transfer of Willock.

A deal for the midfielder to see out the rest of the season at St. James’ Park is now considered to be very likely, following reports over the weekend that United were urging Mikel Arteta to grant Willock permission to leave the Emirates Stadium.

Willock is keen to secure a half-season loan move on Deadline Day in order to play regular first-team football after a bit-part role under Arteta, who had been reluctant to lose the box-to-box 21-year-old due to the potential exit fellow Newcastle target Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Willock has only played 14 minutes of Premier League football in 2021, while starting just two of his seven top-flight appearances all season. The £14.5m-rated gem was a more regular fixture of the Arsenal side during their Europa League Group Stage efforts, scoring three and assisting three goals in five games.

Newcastle signing Willock may end Bruce’s long-running search for a new midfielder in the winter market, with Matt Ritchie no longer returning to AFC Bournemouth after the Magpies reportedly rejected the Cherries’ offer.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/newcastle-deadline-day-latest-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Deadline day is here: Read the latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Hello Willock, goodbye Longstaff?

Willock’s arrival on Tyneside may have a drastic impact on United’s Deadline Day business, having so far rejected approaches from Watford for academy graduate Longstaff, per the Daily Mail.

It is claimed the Toon are refusing to part with the 20-year-old on a six-month deal, following efforts by the Hornets to take Longstaff to Vicarage Road as a replacement for Leicester City target Nathaniel Chalobah amid their push for an immediate to the Premier League.

Newcastle are not in a position where they must listen to offers for Longstaff to free a squad spot for Willock to join, given the Magpies ace does not take up a place because of his age. But his chances of featuring will decrease with a deal for the Gunners talent, having already been slim in recent weeks.

Longstaff has not been given a role in any of Newcastle’s last three Premier League fixtures after been axed following last month’s 3-0 defeat at Arsenal, which marked only his fourth top-flight start of the season after a problematic and persistent thigh injury.

The £4.5m-rated gem had produced a solid start at the Emirates but lost his way in the second period, having been unable to replicate his performance against the champions when Longstaff proved ice cool in the engine room to dictate United’s game plan against Liverpool.

Bruce would likely have not needed to sign a replacement in Willock if Longstaff had been able to produce consistent performances, yet must now urge the Magpies and the Magpies product to leave on loan so that he can find his rhythm and come back even stronger.

AND in other news, Newcastle United have faced enquiries over a £15m deal to sell a Steve Bruce outcast…

According to The Sun, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is hopeful that Steven Davis will commit his future to the club.

What’s the word?

The 36-year-old midfielder returned to Gerrard’s starting line-up in time to face Kilmarnock and was named man of the match in the 1-0 Premiership win at Ibrox.

Northern Ireland captain Davis has thrown back the years for the Gers, having played 26 games in the Premiership this season with one goal in 33 appearances across all competitions.

Gerrard said: “He is vital to the team, a real big player for us. His consistency levels have been outstanding.

“I hope when I sit down and have the one to one with him that he is still as enthusiastic to carry on beyond the end of the season.

“I still think he has LOADS to offer. We are lucky to have him and he was outstanding again today.

“He is really pushing himself in the running for player of the year for me, without a shadow of a doubt.”

Davis is among the eight players whose contracts are set to expire at the end of this season.

The Sun claim that Gerrard is optimistic that he will agree to sign a new contract and extend his stay at Ibrox this summer.

Get it done

With injuries to Ryan Jack and Scott Arfield, Davis has barely been able to catch a break, given Bongani Zungu’s struggles in recent weeks.

The Northern Irishman re-joined the Gers after signing a one-year deal in 2019 following an initial loan spell from Premier League side Southampton.

An aggregate score of 6.99 via WhoScored sees him ranked 11th out of the entire Rangers squad ahead of the likes of Arfield and Zungu. Davis has already been tipped by Gerrard to win the Player of the Year award for his performances so far this season, so Ross Wilson will surely be keen on extending his contract.

Despite his age, the £20k-a-week earning ace is evidently still one of the most influential members of Gerrard’s squad, which explains why Rangers are so reluctant to let him leave when his current deal runs out in the summer.

The Ibrox hierarchy should be doing all that they possibly can to keep hold of him for the foreseeable future.

AND in other Rangers news, Rangers must swing the axe on Jamie Barjonas’ time at Ibrox…

Following the departure of Neil Lennon, Celtic have been linked to several names who could come and take over at the hilt of the club. The Express reported earlier this week that Scotland manager Steve Clarke is one of the potential targets to take the job at Parkhead.

Lennon stepped down amid talks of his sacking due to Celtic’s poor run of form this season. The Bhoys were hoping to clinch their tenth consecutive Scottish Premiership title, but Glasgow rivals Rangers have run away with the league in an unstoppable streak. The reigning champions were also ejected from the Europa League during the group stages after finishing with just four points and conceding the joint most amount of goals.

Dean Windass spoke to Football FanCast about the likelihood of Clarke making the move from international to domestic football.

“In my opinion, I don’t think the Celtic board think that Steve Clarke could go on and win trophies and win leagues for Celtic,” the pundit said. He went on to say that Celtic need a “big name” and highlighted other links including Frank Lampard and Roberto Martinez as names who would “wow” the fans. However, he commented that this wouldn’t be the case with the Scotland boss.

“I don’t think they go ‘wow’ with Steve Clarke,” Windass said.

The 57-year-old has been with Scotland since 2019 and recently spearheaded them to their historic Euro’s qualification. With the likes of Ryan Christie hailing from Celtic, the 57-year-old would have a field day in working with internationals like the midfielder. But Windass feels as though there’s bigger fish to fry for the Glaswegians.

John Kennedy has stepped in for the time being, but rumours continue to be rife as the Scottish season ticks down to a close.

In other news, Appointing Benitez could hugely improve Stephen Welsh at Celtic…

If you said the future was bright for Celtic, it would be an incorrect statement. At the moment, they are a club in free fall.

So often the dominant force in Scottish football, the Hoops have been swept aside in unrelenting fashion by their biggest rivals this season.

The future is uncertain after Neil Lennon departed his role as Celtic manager a week ago and with Dominic McKay to replace Peter Lawwell in the summer, the entire outlook at Parkhead is on the verge of changing.

A potential 12-man exodus may also be on the horizon and that only adds a further lack of clarity heading into next term.

For instance, they could be without Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer. The former has most recently been linked with a move to Arsenal while Milan have their eyes on the latter.

Ajer has been a tremendous servant to the Bhoys and has been one of a few positives to take from an arduous season. In the words of John Hartson, “he’s a credit to the rest of the players.”

The defender is a role model and a beacon of advice for some of the younger players coming through. For Stephen Welsh, he must find his influence invaluable. Though, a player taking on the brunt of his goodwill is Leo Hjelde.

Like Ajer, the teenager is from Norway and just as his fellow countryman does, he also plays in the centre of defence.

The 17-year-old is currently on loan at Ross County where he’s enjoying his first taste of senior football. Hjelde has featured on five occasions and although inconsistent displays have followed, he is still incredibly inexperienced.

Though, if he harnesses the advice given from Ajer, he could become a force to be reckoned with over the next few years. He has taken a similar route to the Celtic stalwart and is now looking forward to a bright future having never featured in the first-team.

“This will hopefully put me in a better position to go back there and try to play football at Celtic,” Hjelde admitted about his loan spell.

“That is what my goal is and all the minutes I get here will help me. Every game I get just now is a bonus for me. You don’t see a lot of 17-year-olds playing in the Scottish Premiership so I am looking to make the most of this experience,” he added.

Indeed, a great deal of trust has been thrown upon the youngster’s shoulders playing in the top division at such an age, but for Staggies boss John Hughes, that’s no problem. After penning temporary terms, he commented: “Leo is a good young player that will see this spell as a key part of his development. I think it is important that in addition to the experience we have, we add young, hungry talent into the side that are eager to go out there and go toe-to-toe with some of the best players in this league.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

It’s not just his native country that provokes Ajer comparisons, however. Hjelde’s playing style is also incredibly similar.

“Kristoffer is a very good player and he had the same career path like me too,” he said.

“I like to be on the ball and try to create things too but my main priority always has to be defending. I keep in contact with him still. He has been very good to me and he still gets in touch and gives me advice,” the defender added.

If Ajer leaves, it won’t only be disappointing to the supporters but also for Hjelde. Clearly, he sees the tall defender as a big influence. That being said, it could open up a clearer route to the first-team for the teenager.

He has similar attributes and a wise head on his shoulders, just as Ajer did at the same age.

AND in other news, Forget Harper: Celtic should swoop for 5-goal gem who’s been “on top of the world”…