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As per football.london reporter Tom Clark, an update has emerged on West Ham United’s plans for Burnley defender James Tarkowski in January.

The Lowdown: Tarkowski targeted…

The 29-year-old, according to reports, is one of a handful of central defenders being targeted by manager David Moyes as he seeks to solve an emergency following injuries to both Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna.

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Tarkowski is also out of contract at Turf Moor next year, meaning he could leave at the end of 2021/2022 for free unless Burnley opt to sell on the cheap in January.

This has alerted West Ham with Moyes in particular thought to be a long term admirer of the Clarets mainstay.

The Latest: Journalist shares update…

As per Clark, some news has emerged on West Ham’s transfer plans, with the club and by extension head of recruitment Rob Newman now ‘contemplating a £5m bid’ for his services next month.

While Burnley are unlikely to accept this offer, it is believed that a ‘deal is thought to be possible’ if the right offer arrives for Tarkowski.

The Verdict: Get it done?

As West Ham also weigh moves for both Nathan Ake and Nathaniel Phillips as alternative targets, we believe either of this duo would come as better options than Tarkowski – despite Sean Dyche calling him ‘superb’.

Phillips, just 24-years-old, has already signalled his openness to leave Liverpool and could be available for as little as £10 million – a bargain price for someone who averaged more Premier League clearances per 90 than anyone in Jurgen Klopp’s side last season (WhoScored).

Ake, meanwhile, is just two years older than Phillips and has played more often for Man City under Pep Guardiola so far this season – with the Spaniard calling him ‘intelligent’, ‘concentrated’ and a ‘joy to have’ (mancity.com).

The Netherlands international can also play at left-back and in front of the defence alongside his natural position as a centre-half.

Tarkowski, meanwhile, doesn’t command much sell-on value and is approaching the twilight phase of his career – so we believe he should only be prioritised if Burnley opt to accept a very cheap fee.

In other news: ‘We are back’, ‘What I wanted to hear’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘best news’ has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith could land a superb teammate for Jack Grealish in Wales and Juventus star Aaron Ramsey in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

A report from Italian outlet Tuttomercato suggests that Villa have got their eye on the former Arsenal man, who is currently on international duty at EURO 2020 with Wales.

It’s suggested that Smith’s side are the front-runners for the midfielder, who has scored 91 career goals for club and country thus far in his career.

Imagine him and Grealish

Arsene Wenger raved about Ramsey’s ability to get into the box and find himself on the end of moves, saying: “In my head, Ramsey was going to be a player between 10 and 15 goals a year. He is a Frank Lampard type. He is (about) getting in the box and he has a huge capacity to run. Physically, he has a combination of stamina, power and his capacity to repeat high intensity is certainly the best in the league.”

Described as an “outstanding technician”, Ramsey would offer that same knack of getting into the box at the right times and scoring those poacher-type goals. In fact, Lampard himself wrote in a column for The Evening Standard: “It will probably come as no surprise to people that I like Ramsey. Like me, he makes late runs in the penalty area and he showed that with aplomb for the second goal at AC Milan last week.”

And, after a superb goal-scoring performance in the win over Turkey at EURO 2020, former Wales international, Danny Gabbidon, said: “I love Gareth Bale massive amounts but when Aaron Ramsey gets Hulked up he is my favourite Wales player! There’s nothing he can’t do.”

Having Ramsey in the side could be a huge boost for Grealish. The Villa talisman would have a runner from deep in Ramsey to pick out, rather than just having Ollie Watkins to run in behind the opposition defence.

It would give Grealish a second man to pick out, and given his ability to spot a pass – he averaged 3.1 key passes per game last season in the Premier League, which was almost double that of any Villa player – you would back him to find Ramsey more often than not.

It could be a superb little double-act that would take the weight off Watkins’ shoulders in terms of goal-scoring, and give Grealish another partner in crime.

AND in other Villa news; pundit warns Smith to avoid a move for reported Villa target

West Ham United will be looking to get back on track when they head to Burnley in the Premier League this evening.

David Moyes’ side have recently succumbed to successive league defeats and now sit six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea knowing they could halve the gap with a victory at Turf Moor.

Last time out, it was the Blues who they lost to, so the 58-year-old has plenty to consider in terms of team selection.

The Scotsman also has an intriguing decision to make as some of the Hammers’ injured stars could return from injury.

Here’s our predicted XI as the Irons face the Clarets tonight…

There could be as many as four changes from the side that tasted defeat at the London Stadium last weekend.

As revealed by the Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser, Michail Antonio is in line to make a stunning early comeback from injury. “He is working with the physios and on the grass,” Moyes explained. “I wouldn’t rule him out yet but I don’t want to rule him in either. Let’s hope that he’s got a chance.”

The 31-year-old could be risked as the Irons have struggled to score in his absence, he’ll replace Pablo Fornals in attack, with Jesse Lingard going back to the no.10 role and Jarrod Bowen returning out wide.

They could be joined by Said Benrahma as Moyes switches away from using wing-backs. He’s preferred to Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko on the left flank.

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Declan Rice, Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku are all said to be pushing to feature but we expect that this game could come too early, so Mark Noble and Tomas Soucek should continue together in the middle.

However, Ben Johnson and Craig Dawson, who missed the Chelsea game through suspension, return to the starting XI in place of £18m-rated Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena, even though his red card has been overturned.

The former Watford man partners Angelo Ogbonna in the middle, with Vladimir Coufal on the right and Lukasz Fabianski between the sticks.

AND in other news, GSB could sign Moyes’ next Yakubu with £17m bid for “ruthless” 20 y/o “revelation”…

Leeds United still have a significant number of players in their squad who were part of the team that won promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.

One of those players that has proved to have been a particularly good bit of business from the Yorkshire club is Pascal Struijk.

Signed back in the 2018 January transfer window from Ajax’s U19 side, the defender has gone on to make 60 senior appearances for the Whites across all competitions.

With 24 league appearances to his name in this latest campaign, the Dutchman has been a rather prominent figure in the team at the back.

In terms of what he offers the Whites, the 22-year-old has racked up the joint-third highest number of tackles won (31), the third-highest number of blocks (49) and the second-highest number of interceptions (58) in the Premier League out of anyone in the Leeds squad.

The £29k-per-week figure also has the third-highest number of clearances (76) in the league from Jesse Marsch’s outfit, behind only Liam Cooper (96) and Diego Llorente (84).

To further highlight his defensive attributes, only Cooper and Junior Firpo have a higher average for aerial duels won than the former Ajax youth star – out of players that have been involved in more than 10 duels.

Even though the Elland Road outfit have conceded more goals (68) in the league than any other top-flight side this season, it’s safe to say that things would have been a lot worse had Struijk not been around.

Back in October 2020, Transfermarkt had the defender’s market value listed as £675k, whereas it now stands at £13.5m – a whopping 1900% increase – highlighting the significant rise it has taken as a result of his actions on the pitch.

Having been touted to become a “supreme centre-back” for the club in the future by Leeds journalist Beren Cross, it seems as though Struijk has the tools to do just that.

Even though the colossus hasn’t started in Leeds’ previous two league games against Southampton and Watford, he will surely be an important squad option for Marsch heading into next season and beyond – something that leads us to believe Victor Orta hit the jackpot when landing Struijk back in 2018.

AND in other news: Leeds heading for disaster on “wonderful” £38k-p/w “talent”, Marsch would be fuming

Peterborough United Director of Football Barry Fry has told Football FanCast that he told West Ham United’s owners David Gold and David Sullivan to sign Ivan Toney.

Toney has become a star during his time at Brentford, moving to the club back in 2020, with the Championship club paying £10m to bring him in.

The 25-year-old made 94 appearances for Posh, scoring 49 goals in all competitions, while also laying on 15 assists.

Since his move to Brentford, he has gone from strength to strength and has netted 28 goals in 40 outings, netting in all of his last three Championship games.

West Ham have been heavily linked with Toney in recent weeks, with one report from Eurosport claiming that he will become a target this summer.

Fry has now revealed to FFC that he spoke with Gold and Sullivan before Toney moved to Brentford, insisting that he could have been a star at the London Stadium if he’d made the move.

He said: “I spoke to David Sullivan and David Gold last year at great length and I said he’s the best centre-forward we’ve had.

“He’s not only a goalscorer, he scored 49 goals for us in 92 games in two seasons. But it wasn’t only his goalscoring efforts, he also made a lot of goals and he also was our best defender. He headed the ball out more than anybody else, from free kicks and corners from the opposition.

“He was absolutely magnificent and I recommended him highly.”

Toney has a contract with Brentford until 2025 and is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt.

Paul Robinson has been deliberating over the prospect of West Ham acquiring reported target James Tarkowski for £15m this summer

The Lowdown: West Ham get busy in transfer market

As the 2021/22 season fast approaches, Irons fans up and down the country will be intrigued to see how West Ham go about improving upon their outstanding sixth-placed finish last term.

Already busy in the transfer market, the east Londoners have completed the signings of Craig Dawson (permanent) and Armstrong Oko-Flex respectively. However, perhaps their most high-profile documented pursuit has been that of Burnley skipper James Tarkowski.

Recent reports have suggested that his current employers may look to cash in on him this summer rather than lose his services for nothing in 2022 when his contract expires [Football Insider].

The Latest: Robinson evaluates pros and cons of Tarkowski situation

In light of these developments, Sky Sports pundit Robinson evaluated the positives and negatives of a potential switch in a recent interview with Football Insider, stating:

“Tarkowski is into the final year of his contract now and Burnley do not want to lose him on a free next season.

“There is one big question that the club need to ask though. Can they get the money they want for him now?

“They need to assess whether it is worth taking £15million or so from a West Ham for him. He could guarantee them Premier League safety next year and if that is to be the case perhaps it is worth keeping him for one more season and losing him on a free.

“The pros and cons need to be weighed up because he brings so much value to that side.”

The Verdict: West Ham are in a favourable position to acquire Tarkowski

This situation may well work in the Hammers’ favour either in the short- or long-term.

Tarkowski was outstanding for Burnley in 2020/21, making 39 appearances for the Clarets and scoring once [Transfermarkt], and Robinson rightly suggests that the Lancashire club will not fancy seeing the 28-year-old leave Turf Moor on a Bosman deal next year.

Mooted to prospectively be available for the quoted £15m fee in this transfer window, West Ham may be able to snap up an England international for a fraction of his true value. On the other hand, the Mancunian is unlikely to agree new terms with Sean Dyche’s club.

Should this come to pass, the Irons may be able to land a defender in the prime of his career in 2022 without paying a single penny. Looking ahead, it may be worth waiting 12 months should the east Londoners have the luxury to do so.

In other news, these West Ham fans react to a transfer update on a La Liga ace.

Southampton have seemingly missed out on reported target William Saliba this summer, with the Arsenal man set to join Marseille on loan for next season.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side were linked with a move for the 20-year-old defender recently but he will be returning to Ligue 1 on loan for the 2021/22 campaign after spending last season with OGC Nice.

The Athletic journalist David Ornstein confirmed on Twitter that the young centre-back would join Marseille, which comes as a blow to Southampton, as his performances in recent seasons suggest that he could have been a stellar addition at St Mary’s.

Saliba is yet to make an appearance for Arsenal since joining from Saint Etienne in 2019, despite their defensive problems in recent seasons and he could’ve helped to steady the ship at Southampton after Hasenhuttl’s side conceded the second-most goals in the Premier League last season, with only relegated West Brom conceding more.

Last season saw the £16.2m-rated Frenchman make 20 appearances for Nice in Ligue 1, contributing one goal and averaging a solid, if unspectacular, 6.66/10 average rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Had he replicated those performances at Southampton, he would’ve been rated as the joint-10th best performer in Hasenhuttl’s squad, which suggests that he would’ve been a worthwhile addition this summer.

Although Arsenal are unlikely to want to sell the defender permanently, a loan move to Southampton would’ve suited both parties, as he could’ve established himself as a key player at St Mary’s and furthered his development by earning some valuable experience in the Premier League.

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Saliba has won a lot of plaudits for his performances in Ligue 1 in recent seasons, with French youth coach Jean-Luc Vannuchi singing his praises after he joined Arsenal, saying:

“My first impression was that this was the biggest man of his generation.

“The difference between him and the other players was massive.

“When he took the ball and ran into midfield, no one could stop him. He was like a monster compared to the others. When he played with St-Etienne it looked normal for him, even though he was so young.”

He also compared his playing style to that of Virgil van Dijk and Raphael Varane, which suggests that he could’ve been an excellent signing for the Saints, and Hasenhuttl should be disappointed that he has instead opted to join Marseille.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl could evolve his Saints attack with swoop for gem with “such talent”

Writing on Twitter, journalist Oliver Kay has claimed that Tottenham superstar Harry Kane is ‘running out of patience’ and is ‘preparing’ to push for a summer move if they don’t qualify for the Champions League, which could come as a potential blow for Spurs. 

Tottenham dealt potential Harry Kane blow

Describing the development as ‘big news’, Kay shared on social media that the 27-year-old is now strongly considering his future in north London as he harbours ambitions of Champions League football.

The Englishman, who has arguably been Spurs’ best player this season, is heavily linked to leaving the club, with destinations like Manchester City being touted in the media (The Times).

Kane himself recently admitted that he could decide his future after the upcoming European Championships (Sky Sports), with Kay now sharing the ‘big news’ that the striker will push for an exit depending on whether Tottenham qualify for the Champions League at the end of the season.

Coming as a potential blow for Spurs, one possible silver lining is that the situation remains ‘complicated’, which could lead to changing developments between now and after the Euros.

Transfer Tavern take

Given his outstanding goal contribution in the Premier League this season, losing the 27-year-old would be a huge hit to take for Spurs manager Jose Mourinho.

While Kane’s possible stance is a worry, chairman Daniel Levy could price interested parties out of a move, with the Daily Mail recently reporting that Tottenham want an enormous £150m before even considering a sale.

In this financial climate, we think it’s very unlikely that any club will be willing to pay such an amount, but it will still be interesting to see how the Kane saga unfolds over the summer transfer window.

In other news: Tottenham in pole position to sign this ‘amazing’ colossus, find out more here.

According to a report by Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur chiefs are now ‘confident’ Lilywhites superstar Son Heung-min won’t be leaving this summer transfer window. 

The Lowdown: Spurs exit claims

Amid all the noise surrounding star striker Harry Kane, with Sky Sports recently lifting the lid on his desire to leave north London, Son still hasn’t signed his new deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The South Korean sensation has been heavily touted to put pen to paper on a £200,000-per-week extension since near the end of last year, but contract talks were put on hold due to the financial difficulties caused by coronavirus.

The Sun also claimed that Kane’s possible exit could spark an exodus of stars from north London, with Son left ‘upset’ and ‘concerned’ over the prospect of losing him.

The Latest: Club chiefs ‘confident’ of keeping Son

In an encouraging claim, Football Insider believe that Spurs chiefs are now ‘confident’ of keeping the 28-year-old despite the saga surrounding Kane and his future with the club.

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The prospect of losing another star attacker would have been a tough pill to swallow for Lilywhites supporters, but FI report Tottenham chiefs are under the firm belief that Son isn’t going anywhere this summer.

As relayed by this report, there has been some speculation over whether the winger could force an exit of his own. However, it appears the club have been boosted in their hopes of keeping hold of Son for now.

The Verdict: Big boost for Spurs…

Apart from Kane, Son was Tottenham’s next best player over the 2020/2021 season – bagging a brilliant 17 goals and ten assists in the Premier League alone (WhoScored).

Son and Kane also formed a devastating partnership, breaking Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton’s previous record of most English top flight combinations for goals in a single campaign (Premier League).

Gary Neville perhaps summed up his quality in the most efficient way, labelling Son an ‘absolutely world class’ player when speaking on Sky Sports (via football.london).

It’s safe to say, as a result, that Spurs supporters can take real encouragement from this Football Insider claim as they continue to await where Kane will be next season.

In other news: ‘I hear from a reliable source’…Journalist drops major Harry Kane claim, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a fresh setback ahead of their return to Premier League action this weekend…

What’s the latest?

Spurs’ versatile wide man Ryan Sessegnon has been forced to withdraw from international duty this week in what has been described as a “frustrating injury.”

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick relayed the key information from the Three Lions’ official Twitter account, and said:

“Another frustrating injury for Sessegnon who picked up a knock in Eng U21 training & returns to Spurs.”

Frustrating

The 21-year-old, signed for a whopping £25m in the summer of 2019, has found game time hard to come by in north London but the appointment of Nuno Santo should’ve given him renewed hope of making it at the club.

This latest development is another kick in the teeth for a player that, on his day, could be a valuable option in a multitude of positions – notably at left-wing and left-back, where he can back up the likes of Heung-min Son and Sergio Reguilon.

Sessegnon started both of the Lilywhites’ two UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying legs against Pacos de Ferreira, playing in both the aforementioned roles, though that has only taken his total number of appearances for Spurs to 29, per Transfermarkt.

The £16.2m-rated dynamo, who was once lauded as a “big. big talent” by ex-Fulham teammate Stefan Johansen and compared to Spurs legend Gareth Bale, may well struggle to put up a case of being involved in Nuno’s squad should this knock rule him out for the next few weeks and beyond.

He already has Son, Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn and Bryan Gil vying for a starting spot, so this injury will do him no favours. Furthermore, the Portuguese head coach may feel a little gutted himself as the youngster is clearly a player with bags of potential.

Nuno was brought in to oversee the development of the club’s emerging prospects and you could argue that Sessegnon falls under this bracket despite appearances in Europe over the last few seasons.

The Spurs faithful aren’t impressed by this update either. Some were claiming that the Englishman was ‘worse than Erik Lamela’ due to his injuries, whilst others pleaded for the club to offload him at the next opportunity, as relayed by Sportslens.

A little unfair, perhaps, but you certainly want to see a better return from a £25m investment. Hopefully, Sessegnon can shake off this setback and respond if selected.

AND in other news, Nuno could have a future Spurs star in 19 y/o “livewire” who’s got “plenty of talent”…