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The previous summer transfer window ended up being a rather busy one for West Brom after being relegated from the Premier League last season, followed by Sam Allardyce leaving the club.

As well as securing the appointment of Valerien Ismael as their new manager, Albion also brought in a handful of new players such as Alex Mowatt, Adam Reach, Matt Clarke and Jayson Molumby among others.

Jordan Hugill was also brought in during the summer to strengthen Ismael’s squad and help them secure promotion back to the Premier League this season, but so far his signature hasn’t proved to be a particularly good piece of business from club owner Guochuan Lai.

Signed from Norwich City on a loan deal until the end of the season, the striker has only netted one goal so far during his time with the Baggies.

Having made 20 league appearances and seven starts in a West Brom shirt this season, it’s not as if the 29-year-old hasn’t had the chance to show what he can do either, proving why Kevin Phillips has said that Hugill has not “stepped up to the plate” for the club this term.

As well as his lack of assists and regular goals, his overall performances have not been good enough either, with WhoScored giving him a season rating of 6.31/10, making him the lowest-rated West Brom player to have started more than one league game in the current campaign.

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that Lai may have dropped a clanger by securing a move for Hugill in the summer, even though it’s just a loan deal and they don’t have to keep him on a permanent basis.

With this in mind, it seems unlikely at this moment in time that the 29-year-old will be staying at West Brom after his loan deal ends.

However, there is still enough time left in the season for Hugill to step up and push the Baggies towards promotion if he can find a consistent run of goalscoring form.

His appearance for the Baggies during the final 27 minutes of their 1-0 defeat against Derby yesterday earned him an overall match rating of 7.1/10, making him West Brom’s joint-third highest rated player on the day according to SofaScore. That illustrates that he is capable of playing well, but he just needs to find the back of the net more regularly.

In other news: Ismael should axe “dreadful” £13k-p/w “stinker” who must never play for WBA again

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has revealed that Aston Villa are “confident” of making two more new signings in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Steven Gerrard’s side have already enjoyed a successful first few weeks of the transfer window thus far, signing the likes of Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho and watching both of them deliver the goods in recent games in the Premier League.

Now, Evans has indicated that Villa’s work in the transfer market is not done just yet.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “Gerrard has identified defensive midfield as the priority and had Rodrigo Bentancur watched in person on Sunday night. #AVFC know the fee required to get him. Villa are confident of getting a DM in before the deadline + a back-up centre-half.”

Fans will be excited

Talk about the impact a couple of new signings can make.

Coutinho marked his debut for the club by netting the all-important equaliser against Manchester United a couple of weeks ago, before Digne got in on the action by supplying the assist for Emi Buendia’s winner against Everton at the weekend.

It’s all changed the mood at Villa Park, and set the club up for a very exciting end to the second-half of the Premier League season.

Evans’ update that Villa are still keen on bringing in two new signings, and that they are “confident” of bringing in a new holding midfielder – Bentancur being the man in the frame at the moment – is sure to have fans buzzing.

Gerrard has come in and lifted spirits since the disappointing end to Dean Smith’s tenure at the club, and the two marquee additions of Coutinho and Digne have just galvanised things.

Certainly, the Villa manager has a major pull when it comes to convincing potential new players to join, and the fans will be hoping he can work his magic once again with Bentancur.

Meanwhile, Villa are set to launch a move for this star…

The Sheffield Wednesday owner, Dejphon Chansiri, has failed to pay his players for the month of April.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claimed that the Wednesday players’ salaries for the month of April were due to be paid last Friday – less than 24 hours before the Owls faced Nottingham Forest in a crucial Championship clash – however, Chansiri was unable to pay his playing staff.

It is also claimed that Darren Moore’s men are still yet to receive their wages for the month of March, too, meaning that this is now the third month of the season in which Wednesday players have not been paid on time, as the same thing happened back in November.

Incompetent owner

While Wednesday’s point in their goalless draw with Forest on Saturday was already rather impressive, as the result just about keeps the club’s hopes of avoiding relegation to League One alive, the fact that the players put in such a shift, despite having gone two months without pay, makes the result even more remarkable.

However, with the news now becoming public, exactly how the players deal with the situation ahead of what could well be a straight relegation shootout with Derby County this Saturday, remains to be seen.

Indeed, it is not a difficult scenario to imagine that, along with the stress of being in the midst of a very tight fight for survival, not being paid will have a negative impact on the players’ mental state, something that could easily lead to a reduced level of performance, which, it goes without saying, brings with it the possibility of relegation.

And, if the worst should happen against Wayne Rooney’s side on Saturday, it would seem abundantly clear that there will be a lot of blame on Chansiri, with Moore likely to be furious at the owner’s incredible levels of incompetence – especially at such an important stage of the season.

In other news: Won 60% duels: Wednesday star who made three interceptions gives Moore final day hope – opinion

Manchester United journalist Samuel Luckhurst has taken a swipe at three Manchester United defenders for their role in Arsenal’s opener on Saturday. 

The lowdown

United travelled to The Emirates Stadium for the lunchtime clash knowing that they could boost their chances of a top-four finish with victory against their rivals.

But it was a disastrous start as they fell behind within three minutes courtesy of a goal from Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares.

Granit Xhaka crossed the ball into the United penalty area, and neither Raphael Varane nor Alex Telles were able to clear the danger. Bukayo Saka gathered at the back post and looked to bend a shot into the far corner, with Tavares on hand to turn home the rebound after David de Gea’s save.

The Portuguese full-back was able to beat compatriot Diogo Dalot to the ball. Arsenal would ultimately win the game 3-1, with Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka scoring either side of a Cristiano Ronaldo effort and a Bruno Fernandes penalty miss.

The latest

Luckhurst, chief United writer for the Manchester Evening News, lamented the ‘feeble defending across the back four’ for Tavares’ goal.

He thought it was ‘bad’ from Varane and even ‘worse’ from left-back Telles.

Dalot also came in for criticism, with Luckhurst describing him as a ‘hologram’.

The verdict

Luckhurst wasn’t the only one to criticise Dalot. At half time, BT Sport pundit Martin Keown said the 23-year-old ‘completely switched off’ by allowing Tavares to ‘ghost in’ and score.

Ralf Rangnick had handed the £16.2million-rated right-back a third consecutive start, and fifth in the last six Premier League matches.

But will his apparent loss of concentration cost him his place with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, benched on Saturday, waiting in the wings?

In other news, Manchester United already have an Ajax target. 

According to recent reports, Tottenham Hotspur target Mike Maignan will be available for a fee of around €20m (£17m) this summer.

The report by Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) claims that Spurs have set their sights on the Lille goalkeeper as a potential replacement for Hugo Lloris, who has been heavily linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

However, it is also claimed that, should Spurs indeed make a move for the £24,000-per-week 25-year-old, they may well face competition from AC Milan, as the Serie A side are also keeping tabs on the shot-stopper ahead of a potential summer swoop, largely because they have yet to reach an agreement with Gianluigi Donnarumma regarding a new deal at San Siro.

Finally, it is suggested that Christophe Galtier’s side would demand a fee of around €20m (£17m) in order to part with the France international come the end of the season.

Transfer Tavern Take

With it previously being reported that the Tottenham coaches Joao Sacramento and Nuno Santos are big fans of Maignan, a move by Jose Mourinho for the Lille ‘keeper is not a difficult scenario to imagine, should Lloris indeed leave Spurs this summer.

With the 25-year-old impressing over his 30 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season, keeping a remarkable 16 clean sheets and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.03, it would certainly seem as if the Frenchman is a very suitable candidate to replace his compatriot as Tottenham’s number one.

In other news: Levy is set to battle several PL clubs for the signing of ‘the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic’ – find out more here!

Steven Gerrard’s reported hopes of signing Joseph Okumu for Rangers this summer appear to have been handed a boost after the confirmed that the Elfsborg centre-back wanted to leave the Swedish club, which should surely increase the chances of him ending up at Ibrox ahead of next season.

Rangers were initially linked with the 23-year-old by Football Insider back in March, with the report suggesting that the Light Blues were preparing for the exits of Filip Helander and George Edmundson this summer and are duly keen to add another centre-back to their ranks.

Whilst links with Okumu have slightly died down in recent weeks, with the Gers having also been heavily linked with Vitesse centre-back Danilho Doekhi recently, it would appear that Okumu could well be on the move this summer.

The Kenya international admitted earlier this week that he “definitely” wants to leave Elfsborg for another European club this summer, which will surely put Rangers on high alert as they prepare for next season.

He was also heavily praised by Eflsborg’s sporting director Stefan Andreasson recently, as he suggested that the 23-year-old was the best defender the Allsvenskan has ever seen, saying: “Okumu has been talked about a lot since he came to us.

“We understood that this was a very good player, then he showed maybe the whole of Sweden last year, and also Europe. It is clear that Okumu is one of the best.

“I have said it once before, that he is the best centre-back that has ever been in the Allsvenskan – you can say that sometimes.

“He is destined to have a career outside Scandinavia, which is positive. We must enjoy him as long as he’s here.”

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Therefore, it certainly seems as if he is resigned to losing Okumu this summer; and given that the Kenyan has been so highly rated, Ross Wilson would be foolish to not at least try and bring him to Rangers ahead of next season.

In other news… £94k per start: Gerrard is making the right call by axing Rangers dud, he will quickly be forgotten

An update has emerged on Algerian international winger Riyad Mahrez, regarding Manchester City’s stance on his transfer status this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to an exclusive from CaughtOffside, Manchester City are open to cashing in on Riyad Mahrez this summer as they close in on a deal for Aston Villa winger Jack Grealish. The England international is said to be set to arrive at The Etihad in an £88m deal from the Midlands club after the conclusion of the European Championships.

The report claims that City are willing to listen to offers for both Mahrez and Raheem Sterling, but will only entertain serious bids for the pair.

Pep would hate it

Txiki Begiristain must avoid making a grave error with this decision. City boss Pep Guardiola would hate it if the club sold Mahrez this summer as it would be a major blow to his attacking options, irrespective of Grealish’s potential signing, which means that the former Barcelona chief could be heading for disaster by sanctioning an exit for the Algerian in the coming months.

Guardiola has made his feelings on Mahrez clear in the past. Back in September of 2020, the Spaniard hailed the winger as an exceptional player and praised his quality and mentality after he suffered with Covid-19, highlighting how important he is to

He told Manchester City’s official website:

“Riyad is an exceptional player.”

The £120k-per-week wizard has been a reliable performer for the club since his transfer from Leicester in 2017. He has produced 39 goals and 37 assists in 142 games for City, including 11 goals and 12 assists in the 2019/20 Premier League campaign. This, along with Guardiola’s comments, highlights the immense quality he has as a forward at the top level and shows why Txiki must avoid making a mistake this summer.

Signing Grealish should not be used as an excuse to axe Mahrez. The Villa captain predominantly plays off the left for Dean Smith and has not played on the right in any game for the top-flight side in the past 12 months, whilst 30 of Mahrez’s starts for the light blues came on the right of the attack.

It would not make sense to sell the 30-year-old because of the £88m forward’s addition as City would effectively be losing a quality right-forward immediately after signing a left-forward.

AND in other news, Huge development emerges on £36m-rated “natural talent” that’ll leave City fans gutted…

Southampton slipped to a late defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening to continue their awful run of form in the Premier League so far this year.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side produced a promising first-half display which saw them take a 1-0 lead into half-time thanks to Danny Ings’ header from James Ward-Prowse’s corner.

However, all the good work from the first 45 came undone at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Gareth Bale equalised shortly after the hour mark, before Heung-Min Son’s late penalty sealed the win for Ryan Mason’s side.

Although there were several poor performances on show once again from the Saints, one man who particularly disappointed was Theo Walcott.

As per SofaScore, the former Arsenal man would earn a poor 6.4/10 rating on his return to North London, which was the worst of any outfield Southampton player who started the game.

During his 67 minutes on the pitch, the 32-year-old winger would have just 26 touches of the ball and would manage to complete just 10/17 of his passes, resulting in a shocking 59% pass accuracy rate – which was again the worst of any Southampton player.

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Considering the on-loan Everton man has averaged 20.1 passes per game and a 74.5% pass accuracy in the Premier League so far this season, it was clear that he was way below par on Wednesday evening.

Walcott also failed to register a single shot on target, successful dribble or key pass against Spurs, which emphasises just how little he was able to contribute on the rare occasions that he had the ball.

Whilst a lot of Southampton fans will be looking to blame Moussa Djenepo for his poorly-timed tackle which gifted Spurs their late penalty, the Mali international would play just one less pass than Walcott and would complete two more dribbles, despite only being on the pitch for around 23 minutes.

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Therefore, Southampton fans should forget about blaming Djenepo for the defeat and instead lament Walcott for another anonymous display.

And, in other news… Saints handed potential transfer boost as “unbelievable” gem eyes PL exit

Many Everton fans have been left to buzz following a transfer update from the Daily Mail on Sergio Romero.

The report has since been shared by @EvertonNewsFeed on their Twitter page, and has gained a lot of reaction from the Goodison Park faithful.

As per the news outlet, both the Merseyside club and Juventus are interested in signing the Manchester United goalkeeper, who is keen to leave he Red Devils.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team will let the Argentinian leave on a free transfer, which presents a bargain opportunity for the Toffees.With Robin Olsen currently heading back to AS Roma after his loan spell with Carlo Ancelotti’s side ends, the Blues need another ‘keeper to challenge Jordan Pickford.Given his past experience of playing in the Premier League and the fact that he is available for free, Romero would be an ideal signing, as funds can still be made available to be spent in other positions. Everton fans on Romero transfer update

These EFC supporters buzzed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“Better than Olsen, would take him any day of the week. Unselfishly hope he goes somewhere to be the number 1 after his treatment at United, would be wasted as a number 2”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“Decent experienced gk. A very able backup. Better than Olsen in my opinion.”

Credit: @PaulHayes1878

“No brainer on a free”

Credit: @dpatto69

“Wanted us to sign him 3 years ago and I still think he’d be a great signing now. Shame United didn’t let him go last season”

Credit: @adxm1878

“If we’re bringing in a second goalkeeper then it’s an easy decision for me. Romero over Olsen every day of the week and twice on Sunday.”

Credit: @terrymcallister

“All day”

Credit: @Davies1525

In other news, find out what latest transfer rumour has Toffees talking here!

Speaking to Football Insider, a West Ham United source has shared some potentially big news, news with manager David Moyes already eyeing a move in January for Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: West Ham hope for Lingard?

The 28-year-old, who enjoyed a phenomenal loan stint at the London Stadium last season, was on West Ham’s radar throughout the summer transfer window.

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The Irons fell short in their attempts to prise him away from Manchester United once again, but in recent days there has been sprinkles of hope over a winter swoop.

The Evening Standard first reported this week that West Ham’s manager has considered a return for the England international dependent on his game-time for the Red Devils and new signing Nikola Vlasic’s form.

This comes amid his rejection of a new deal at Old Trafford as Football Insider share more news on Lingard.

The Latest: Moyes already eyeing Lingard…

As per a West Ham source speaking to Football Insider, the England international remains on Moyes’ radar and a winter window move is possible.

It is also thought that the Irons will ‘maintain a dialogue’ over a possible swoop for Lingard in January with talks set to continue ‘behind the scenes’ with his entourage.

Apparently, the club are even open to various types of deals, including a loan-to-buy and possible permanent move.

The Verdict: Good move?

Much will depend on Vlasic’s form for the Hammers to make a judgement on whether or not this would end up being a good move.

Lauded as ‘unbelievable’ for his time at West Ham by pundit Alan Hutton, seeing Lingard return to the London Stadium was a far more enticing prospect three months ago.

The signing of Vlasic, who averaged an incredible four shots on goal per game in the Russian Premier League last season, arguably dampens the excitement surrounding a possible return for Lingard.

In other news: Agent lifts lid on West Ham interest in 63-goal striker, makes deadline day claim… find out more here.