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West Ham United manager David Moyes has personally set his sights on one of his former stars as reports out of Spain share an update involving Real Sociedad forward Adnan Januzaj.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye attacking additions…

The Hammers are reportedly after fresh additions in the attacking areas with names like Raphinha of Leeds United and Keane Lewis-Potter of Hull City linked most recently (90min).

West Ham are aiming to keep their place among the Premier League’s elite having enjoyed a quite simply sensational rise up the table over these last two seasons.

Moyes’ men only just missed out on a Europa League-qualifying spot on the final day of 2021/2022, instead having to settle for a place in the Conference League, and the east Londoners are seemingly determined to avoid a repeat.

The Latest: Januzaj ‘proposal’ made…

According to Diario de Sevilla, via Sport Witness, West Ham are one of a few teams who have ‘put forward proposals’ to Januzaj as the Belgian eyes an exit from Real Sociedad.

The Irons have allegedly made a personal offer to Moyes’ former player at Man United who could depart the Reale Arena later this month on a Bosman deal.

His contract looks set to run out and Moyes is said to be personally backing a West Ham move.

The Verdict: Right option?

Once called ‘amazing’ by former top flight manager Harry Redknapp, whilst it didn’t quite work out for him at Old Trafford, Januzaj has since earned praise for his Sociedad performances.

Ex-United star Paul Scholes even hailed an ‘excellent’ and ‘brilliant’ outing from the 27-year-old during the 2020/2021 Europa League campaign (via talkSPORT), and on a free deal, this could well be a fairly low-risk move by Moyes and West Ham.

In other news: West Ham enter pole position to sign ‘game-changer’ as GSB eye ‘frightening’ forward, find out more here.

Everton want to sign Keane Lewis-Potter from Hull City, according to The i’s Mark Douglas.

The lowdown

Richarlison is attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur, although the north Londoners have yet to make a bid for the 25-year-old. Everton are demanding a ‘huge’ fee for the Brazil international, but developments can still be expected in the next week.

Lewis-Potter could be a replacement, given that he’s capable of operating as a left winger and second striker in addition to playing on the right.

The 21-year-old Englishman is valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, and while his contract technically expires in 12 months’ time, Hull have the option to extend it for a further year.

The latest

The i’s northern football correspondent Douglas wrote that the Toffees would like to add Lewis-Potter to their ranks.

However, it’s thought that any such move would require ‘serious finance’, and Everton are still ‘tip-toeing’ around Financial Fair Play rules.

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The verdict

You can understand why Everton are interested in Lewis-Potter.

He’s already a very good footballer, scoring 12 goals and providing four assists in the Championship last season and scooping Hull’s Player of the Year award, and he’s surely going to get even better over the next few years.

Lewis-Potter received his first England under-21 call-up in March and opened his account at that level with a goal in a 5-0 win over Kosovo on Friday.

He has generated plenty of excitement, with journalist Richard Sutcliffe heralding him as a ‘smashing player’ and his former manager Grant McCann calling him a ‘special talent’.

Everton fans may want a more established player to replace Richarlison, but it’s worth remembering where the Brazilian was at when he first came to Goodison Park in 2018. He only managed five goals in his first season in England with Watford and failed to score after 19 November in that campaign.

However, the Toffees saw something in the youngster and have reaped the rewards since, with the 25-year-old going on to score 53 goals for the Merseyside club. Also, Lewis-Potter is the same age now as Richarlison was when he came to Everton…

In other news, Everton have also enquired about this potential signing.

According to a number of recent reports, Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring New York City FC centre-forward, Valentin Castellanos, to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

Indeed, 90min reported last week that Leeds officials – including Victor Orta and Angus Kinnear – were spotted in the United States, with the Whites believed to be in talks with the Major League Soccer side regarding a deal for the 23-year-old striker.

However, further reports have claimed that West Ham United are also extremely interested in the former Argentina U23 international, with the Hammers believed to be willing to meet the forward’s £12.8m asking price this summer.

The next Carlos Tevez

Considering how exciting a talent Castellanos evidently is, in addition to the signing of a new centre-forward reported to be one of Leeds’ priorities in the summer transfer window, it is easy to see why the Kinnear would be keen on a move for the NYCFC starlet.

Indeed, over his 35 MLS appearances last season, the £10.8m-rated forward was in breathtaking form for Ronny Deila’s side, scoring 22 goals, registering eight assists and creating eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 4.1 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 0.9 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the 23-year-old who Conor McGilligan dubbed both “exceptional” and an “absolutely perfect” fit for Jesse Marsch earn a quite remarkable seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.28, ranking him not only as his club’s second-best performer in the league but also as the 21st-best player in the division as a whole.

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It has been a similar story over his 11 league outings in 2022, with the £3.5k-per-week striker having already bagged seven goals, registered one assist and created four big chances, with these metrics seeing the youngster average an even more astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.43.

As such, considering his clear eye for goal, his ability to create and the fact he hails from Argentina, it is easy to see why Castellanos has been compared to Carlos Tevez – the 38-year-old forward who scored 84 goals and provided 41 assists over 202 Premier League appearances for West Ham, Manchester City and Manchester United.

Indeed, should Kinnear manage to be able to tie up a deal for the NYCFC sensation this summer, and the former Montevideo starlet goes on to continue his remarkable rise at Elland Road, the Whites’ managing director could very well have unearthed the next Tevez – something that is sure to be an extremely exciting prospect for both Marsch and Leeds supporters alike.

AND in other news: “Final details…”: Romano drops huge transfer update, Leeds supporters will be gutted

Southampton are believed to have told midfielder Will Smallbone that he can leave the St. Mary’s Stadium on loan this summer.

The Lowdown: Smallbone’s long-term injury

As per the club’s official website, the 22-year-old is an academy graduate of the south coast outfit after first joining aged eight, where he has worked his way up through the ranks to become an integral feature in the Saints’ U23s side.

Despite this breakthrough, the Republic Of Ireland U21 international sustained a serious long-term ACL injury during the 2020/21 season which halted any potential first-team chances. He missed a staggering 35 matches and hasn’t been able to get a consistent run of games ever since.

The Latest: Southampton give ‘green light’

In a new article published by The Sun, it’s claimed that Southampton have given Smallbone the ‘green light’ to leave on a loan transfer during the upcoming window.

The source states that manager Ralph Hasenhuttl ‘rates’ the creative midfielder, but feels like there are more experienced players in the Premier League squad that are currently ‘ahead of him’.

The Verdict: Time to make progress

Having made just four league outings under the Austrian boss since returning from injury, it comes as no shock to see that the Saints number 20 is set to make a move away from the top-flight giants in the coming weeks.

Smallbone, who Hasenhuttl once said has the “whole package”, has one goal and two assists in 20 total appearances for the senior side, but has never really forced his way into a consistent stretch as a part of the first XI.

It’s crucial for the youngster’s development that he now goes out and makes some progress away from St. Mary’s so that when he comes back, he can seriously start pushing for a regular place in the first team.

In other news… a reliable journalist has shared an exciting update involving one of Southampton’s summer transfer targets.

Aston Villa are reportedly still in the mix to sign Uruguayan icon Luis Suarez this summer, according to journalist Gregg Evans.

What’s the word?

Writing on Twitter, the respected Villa correspondent wrote just three simple words that are likely to get pulses racing – “Suarez waiting game” – with the Midlands outfit seemingly still bidding to sign the 35-year-old.

In his attached piece for The Athletic, Evans revealed that the Atletico Madrid man – who is set to depart the Spanish capital upon the expiry of his contract this summer – is ‘still under consideration’ by the Villa Park outfit, ahead of a potential free transfer deal.

The report goes on to suggest that manager Steven Gerrard has been ‘in regular contact’ with his former Liverpool teammate regarding a possible return to the Premier League, although the veteran marksman is also likely to have options to move elsewhere.

Villa are believed to be eyeing a new left-sided defender, a midfielder and a striker prior to the start of next term, as per the report, despite having already made three statement signings thus far.

Supporters buzzing

Although the 132-cap international remains a controversial figure, particularly in England, it is his undeniable quality on the pitch that would make him such a coup for NSWE, with the club’s supporters already likely to have been impressed by the eye-catching early business.

The arrival of Suarez, however, would no doubt be the cherry on top of the icing, with the Villans arguably in need of a striker of such pedigree to help fire them into contention for a European berth.

Concerns about his age would be understandable, although this is a man who two years ago fired Diego Simeone’s side to the La Liga title with 21 league goals, having also added a further 11 league goals in the most recent campaign.

The £9m-rated man’s former club Barcelona have already made the mistake of thinking he was over the hill, with Gerrard likely to overlook his advancing years to bring in a player who he has seen cause carnage in English football first-hand.

Plucked from Ajax on deadline day in January 2011 – alongside the more high profile capture of Andy Carroll – the dynamic forward arrived at Anfield as something of an unknown quantity, although quickly cemented himself as the Reds’ talisman, scoring 69 goals and registering 23 assists in just 110 league games for the club.

With 31 goals in the 2013/14 campaign, the £263k-per-week machine almost singlehandedly dragged the Merseysiders to the league title, before a late collapse in the closing weeks of the season proved costly for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Since then, the one-time Groningen man has won a plethora of major honours and netted with remarkable consistency, notably bagging a simply sensational 194 goals and registering 113 assists in just 284 games in all competitions during his time at the Nou Camp, before adding a further 40 goal contributions in 84 games in Madrid.

His powers may be somewhat on the wane – with last season’s league tally his lowest in a decade – although it is hard to deny just what a force of nature he is in and around the penalty area.

It may not be a long-term approach, but signing the “phenomenal” gem – as he has been dubbed by Gerrard – will no doubt ramp up both the excitement and expectancy among Villa supporters.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster is set to become a Tottenham Hotspur player ‘very soon’.

The Lowdown: Forster set to become a free agent

The now 34-year-old first arrived at St Mary’s eight years ago in a £10m move from Celtic, and he has since gone on to make 161 senior appearances for the south coast club.

The shot-stopper’s current contract with the Saints is set to expire at the end of June, making him a free agent for any potential suitors interested.

In the past he has been linked with a move away from Southampton after Premier League duo Chelsea and Arsenal registered interest in him, but it seems as though the Gunners’ north London rivals are now the club who look set to secure his signature over the summer.

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The Latest: Spurs move almost complete

Romano took to Twitter to state that the deal is almost complete and that the Lilywhites are set to make an official announcement imminently.

He stated: “Fraser Forster will be announced as new Tottenham player very soon. Paperworks ready as he’s gonna join Spurs on a free transfer, he was considered the best option on the market for a backup GK. First called by @mcgrathmike – deal almost completed.”

The Verdict: Perfect cover for Lloris

With second-choice goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini set to depart N17 and return to parent club Atalanta, Forster could be the perfect backup to Hugo Lloris and would provide some valuable cover for Spurs’ number one.

The 6 foot 7 netminder, who was once hailed an “unbelievable” player by his manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, already has plenty of experience in the Premier League, and in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic, with a total of 199 clean sheets throughout his career.

Antonio Conte is believed to have a new goalkeeper high up on his transfer wish list as he looks to rebuild his squad ahead of the start of next season, and it now looks likely that Forster will be the one to walk through the door at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the coming days.

In other news… a club insider has made a promising transfer claim involving one of Spurs’ summer targets

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly now ‘targeting’ a move in the summer for Everton star Richarlison.

The Lowdown: Mbappe transfer twist

After a shock twist which has seen Kylian Mbappe snub a move to Madrid and sign a new deal at Paris Saint-Germain, Los Blancos will now be looking for another potential Galactico signing this summer.

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Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane from Liverpool, and Aurelien Tchouameni from AS Monaco, have all been named as potential targets, along with a certain striker from Goodison Park.

The Latest: Richarlison targeted by Madrid

As per The Athletic journalist Adam Crafton, Real Madrid and Ancelotti are now ‘targeting’ a move for Richarlison in the summer.

The Brazil international played 59 times over two seasons under the Italian for Everton, scoring 20 goals and supplying four assists (Transfermarkt).

The Verdict: Keep him

With six goals and two assists in his last 10 games in the Premier League before the trip to Arsenal this afternoon, including a goal in the 3-2 win at home to Crystal Palace which secured their top-flight status (Transfermarkt), Richarlison has really shown his worth to the team.

Recently dubbed a ‘huge talent‘ by Frank Lampard, he is still only 25 years of age, and so he has probably not even hit his full potential yet.

The Toffees need to be keeping hold of their best players if they are to kick on next season.

In other news, find out what ‘significant breaking news’ involving the Blues has now emerged from Sky Sports here!

Liverpool have been heavily linked with signing Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable Merseyside journalist.

What’s the latest?

Liverpool reporter for The Athletic James Pearce hosted a Q&A on the website for supporters to ask him anything related to the club after the game against Aston Villa on Tuesday evening.

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One supporter asked for an update on the highly exciting links to Monaco midfielder Tchouameni, and Pearce seemingly confirmed the club’s interest in the player by responding:

“Nothing new that I am aware of. Interest but Real also very keen.”

Spanish news outlet AS (via Sport Witness) have since reported that Liverpool are “very close” to signing the player and have “made an offer”.

Supporters will be excited

Although speculation has been high surrounding the potential move for Tchouameni, the fact that interest is confirmed by a reliable journalist like Pearce will surely be exciting for supporters to read, as the popular midfielder is in high demand when it comes to having his pick of Premier League clubs.

Manchester United and Arsenal have also been linked to the player over the last few weeks, so it would be a really impressive coup for Klopp and his team if they manage to pull off securing the young star’s signature this summer.

Tchouameni has to be held in high regard as a master of all trades when it comes to his ability to offer a huge impact on both defensive and offensive play for his current Ligue 1 side.

According to Soccerment, since the beginning of last season, the 22-year-old has scored five goals and contributed four assists, whilst proving he’s not shy when it comes to taking his chances with 104 shots attempted and 34 big chances created for Monaco, but it’s not just his attacking attributes that stand out.

Tchouameni ranks at number one for interceptions (96) of any midfield player in the top five European leagues this season alone, with a pass accuracy of 87% and a duel success ratio of 63.9% proving that he is exceptional in defensive transition as well as getting stuck in with the attacking press, something that Liverpool love to execute in their style of play.

With that being said, the young talent could easily slot into Jurgen Klopp’s midfield system with ease and appears to identify as the exact type of player that Liverpool are looking to add to their ageing midfield.

If the club can get the deal over the line this summer he will be a very exciting prospect to watch.

AND in other news: “I’m told” – James Pearce drops major Liverpool claim that’ll leave supporters buzzing

Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos may be inclined to stay at Rangers if they win the Europa League, Pete O’Rourke has told GiveMeSport. 

The lowdown

Rangers take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEL showpiece in Seville on Wednesday night.

The Gers missed the chance to qualify for the Champions League by winning the Scottish Premiership – that will go to arch-rivals Celtic – but there is a also group-stage spot up for grabs for Wednesday’s victor.

Kent and Morelos are both approaching the final year of their contracts at Ibrox.

Morelos publicly admitted earlier in the season that he hoped that he would ‘soon’ be allowed to leave, while transfer insider Dean Jones claims that Kent has his eyes on a Premier League move.

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The latest

O’Rourke says Rangers may be able to match the ambition of Kent and Morelos if they qualify for Europe’s premier club competition.

The two players could then be tempted to commit to the club ‘for the foreseeable future’.

He told GMS: “If you’re playing Champions League football, it’s going to help your chances of keeping hold of your best players, the likes of Morelos and Kent, who obviously would like to be playing at the highest level.

“So, if Rangers can go on and win it and they get in the Champions League, it’s only going to help their chances of keeping their best players at the club for the foreseeable future.”

The verdict

There’s no doubting that this pair are two of Rangers’ star players. According to Transfermarkt, they’re the two most valuable assets owned by the club at a combined £24.3million.

Morelos also tops the club’s earning charts on £33,000 per week, while Kent is in the upper echelons too on £18,000 (via Salary Sport). Taken together, the duo collect more than £2.65million per year.

And you’d have to say that reward is deserved given that Morelos is the club’s joint-top scorer with 16 goals, while Kent is second for assists (via BBC Sport). Between them, they have racked up 37 goal involvements this term.

They may have the chance to move to a stronger league than the SPFL, but will there realistically be another suitor who can offer them starting opportunities in the Champions League? That’s the key point.

In other news, Heart & Hand fumed over this UEL final update.

West Brom shot-stopper David Button will likely be the Baggies’ first-choice goalkeeper next season, according to reliable journalist Steve Madeley.

The Lowdown: Button playing second fiddle to Johnstone

Button has had to accept being an understudy to Sam Johnstone this season, being limited to just ten Championship starts in total in 2021/22.

It has been a frustrating period in many ways, with any player always desperate to be a key part of the XI, but things could be about to change for the 33-year-old, having signed a new two-year deal at the Hawthorns.

Johnstone will leave West Brom this summer after his contract expires, at which point Button will become first choice between the sticks.

The Latest: Madeley reacts to contract news

That is the opinion of Madeley, who took to Twitter on Monday to suggest as much after hearing news of Button’s new deal:

“David Button signs a new two-year contract with Albion. Seems in pole position to start next season as No.1 having done well since coming back into the team recently.”

The Verdict: Big chance to shine

At 33, Button may have felt that his chance to be No.1 with the Baggies had passed, but this update suggests he could be handed a wonderful opportunity next season.

It remains to be seen if Steve Bruce will delve into the transfer market to sign a goalkeeper he believes is superior, but it feels like he deserves a chance to prove himself.

There will be pressure on Button to perform if he is made first choice, however, and he will have to impress week in, week out – like Johnstone often did – in order to silence any detractors.

In other news, West Brom are keen on signing a ‘cheat code’ this summer. Find out who it is here.