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West Ham United are interested in signing Celta Vigo midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, per The Guardian, a player who could afford the club the potential to change the way they play.

On the chalkboard

Lobotka is a defensive midfield player and the Hammers are said to have indicated they are willing to pay £30m to secure his signature.

A Slovakia international, he has been with Celta Vigo since 2017 and has made 73 appearances for the club.

The 24-year-old, per WhoScored, is a remarkably efficient passer of the ball, averaging 45.3 passes per game with an accuracy of 89.2%.

The Guardian report claims he has been compared with Real Madrid’s world-class star Luka Modric, such is his command of the ball, while he also averages a dribble per game, along with 0.8 interceptions and one tackle.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini is keen to sign a new defensive midfielder to partner with Declan Rice, and bringing in Lobotka would tick that box while allowing the Hammers greater attacking freedom in the final third.

Attacking transformation

Lobotka rarely loses the ball and when he has it, he’s fantastic at finding a team-mate with it.

If he is paired with Rice in midfield, Pellegrini will have the opportunity to field his attackers in something approaching a laissez-faire formation, giving the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson the opportunity to roam.

It would free them up, safe in the knowledge that the defence is adequately shielded.

While he would be an unspectacular signing on the surface, he would allow the club’s forward players the security they need to run off the leash and make things happen.

With the flair boasted by Anderson, Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic, this has been a long time coming; the signing of Lobotka could be exactly what West Ham need to get back to playing the entertaining, attacking football they are known for.

The 2018/2019 season may have drawn to a close, but the summer transfer window is well and truly underway as clubs around the world size up who they would like to sell and who they would like to buy.

Even Premier League teams who enjoyed a mostly-successful 2018/2019 season like Marco Silva’s Everton are completing that task as we speak. And after achieving one of their aims of finishing in the top-half by clinching eighth-place, there are still at least 15 players the Toffees should be targeting this summer to close the gap on the top six.

Find out who they are as we take you through them…

Thiago Mendes

While it will heavily depend on the immediate futures of Idrissa Gana Gueye and FC Barcelona loanee Andre Gomes, Everton could be left with just one outright central defensive or holding midfielder for next season: perennial fringe star Morgan Schneiderlin.

That is why recruitment just in front of the defence is needed at Goodison Park this summer and LOSC Lille’s Thiago Mendes would be a great acquisition to start with. The 27-year-old Brazilian’s consistency in Ligue 1 this season has seen him attract attention from some of Europe’s top clubs.

Connor Roberts

Connor Roberts is a 23-year-old Welsh international right-back who plies his trade for Swansea City in the Sky Bet Championship, dazzling this campaign to spark up speculation of a move to a higher level.

With just an ageing Seamus Coleman and young Jonjoe Kenny, the Toffees are rather light on their feet at present in the right-back area. Soon enough, the former is going to have to step aside and Roberts would be the perfect starlet to challenge the latter to be Silva’s first-choice thereafter.

Abdoulaye Doucoure

It was something of a breakthrough campaign in the Premier League for Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure and suddenly he’s become a top-six target this summer, but the Blues must ensure he only steps up one place, to them.

As mentioned before, not many on Merseyside could confidently tell you which central midfielders are still going to be at the club by the start of next term. And Doucoure can do anything in that area with great quality, from central defensive midfield to central attacking midfield – just look at his statistics.

Diego Llorente

Silva has some key decisions to make in the next couple of weeks in central defence and depending on their outcomes, could be left with just two senior centre-backs with Phil Jagielka set to be released and Kurt Zouma’s return to Chelsea almost set in stone.

The Goodison outfit undoubtedly need to recruit in the centre-half position then, and Diego Llorente would complement Michael Keane and Yerry Mina very nicely. The Spain and former Real Madrid man is without doubt too good for Real Sociedad and it’s time he tries his hand in the best league in the world.

Andre Gomes

The next star in our list of 15 men that Everton should be targeting is an individual that is technically still a member of Silva’s squad until the end of June, Andre Gomes.

The former Portugal international regular endeared himself to the Blue half of Merseyside while spending the 2018/2019 season on loan from Spanish giants Barcelona. He would help to fill that impending central-midfield void, though the Toffees may need to act fast to secure his permanent signature with sides like West Ham United lurking with serious intent.

Angelo Ogbonna

Speaking of the Hammers, their former Italy centre-back Angelo Ogbonna is finding himself increasingly shut out at London Stadium – mainly because of the signings of and developing partnership between Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop.

The Royal Blues should be offering the 31-year-old a way out and a fresh challenge in the next couple of months, as they could really do with a more senior figure in central defence to provide cover and wisdom to the likes of Mina and Llorente, if he’s also signed.

Che Adams

Comparisons have been drawn between Che Adams of Birmingham City and the great Brazilian Ronaldo, and it’s not hard to see why when you discover he bagged 22 goals and five assists this term in not the best team St. Andrew’s has ever seen.

If not to edge in front of them in the pecking order, the former Ilkeston man would provide strong motivational competition for Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Cenk Tosun, and the Toffees require a goal machine up front. It’s difficult to see Adams not being snapped up by a Premier League outfit in the summer, and Silva will want to make sure it’s his side who come out on top.

Jay Dasilva

Everton need not only to reinforce their ranks at right-back, but they should be looking to do likewise on the other side of the defence as well, even if veteran wonder Leighton Baines signs a one-year extension.

Bristol City loan starlet Jay Dasilva would certainly be able to give French international Lucas Digne a run for his money, and the Chelsea product must be sick of going out on loan at the age of 21. The only issue in bringing him to Merseyside is Maurizio Sarri’s men’s expected reluctance to sell under their two-window transfer ban.

Allan Saint-Maximin

Allan Saint-Maximin is already one of the most heavily-linked names to a transfer to the Premier League with the window hardly a couple of weeks old, but there’s good reason for it.

The 22-year-old shone brightly in one of Europe’s top five leagues this season, enough to trigger discussions of a first senior call-up to a star-studded France squad. A deal for the right winger would balance out Silva’s flanks rather nicely, and give him a new dimension going forward.

Danny Welbeck

A little further forward in the striking department, the Blues must add a new centre-forward to their ranks in one way or another as they are incredibly threadbare in terms of prolific goal-getters.

An easy way to do this would be to capture a forward of eye-catching domestic, European and international pedigree, who is still two years away from his 30s. Going for Danny Welbeck is a no-brainer, and the possible alliance he could form with former Arsenal teammate Theo Walcott is just one of the reasons why.

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I’m not sure what the first port of call would be after winning a maiden Champions League title.

Virgil van Dijk simply dropped to the floor when he saw Divock Origi’s decisive goal nestle inside the post and into the netting.

Jordan Henderson couldn’t hold back the tears and enjoyed the moment with his dad, who had suffered from cancer last year.

But what did Roberto Firmino do?

Has Salomon Rondon had a better season than Bobby Firmino? Matt from The Magpie Channel discusses in the video below…

Well, the Brazilian international clearly wanted to do something that would last a bit longer than a hug, and something that would also show everyone he meets just how much Liverpool Football Club means to him.

In just the space between the final whistle sounding on Saturday evening and the plane taking off from Madrid the following morning, the former Hoffenheim attacker found the time to dye his hair red and create a new look to celebrate the Reds’ sixth Champions League title.

It’s certainly a bold thing to do given the fact there’s no hiding the obvious change in his appearance, but Firmino is a bold guy.

Whether he’s kicking the ball into an empty net whilst looking to other way, or celebrating with some pretty odd dance moves, the 27-year-old is an eccentric character – his bold fashion statement emphasises that.

Every other player in Jurgen Klopp’s squad clearly loves the club going off the scenes following the final whistle in Madrid, but Firmino’s gesture clearly shows just how much he wants the world to know that he plays for Liverpool and is proud of it.

And why shouldn’t he be?

The No.9 plays for one of the most attractive clubs in the world right now under an exquisite manager; it is a very good time to be associated with Liverpool.

When Sheffield Wednesday announced the signing of George Boyd from Burnley in 2017, their supporters had every right to be excited.

The winger had been one of the Clarets’ stand-out players during his three-year stint at Turf Moor and therefore arrived at Hillsborough with a lot of expectation to deliver promotion for the Owls.

However, a slow start to his Wednesday career set the tone for Boyd’s fortunes in West Yorkshire as he failed to make the impact required under both Carlos Carvalhal and Jos Luhukay in the 2017/18 campaign as his side slumped to a 15th place finish in the Championship.

Having fallen out of favour for the Owls, the 33-year-old played just once in the club’s opening 22 fixtures before being given another opportunity to impress following the appointment of Steve Bruce as manager in January.

Although Boyd would go on to produce a note-worthy performance against Nottingham Forest in which he was directly involved in two goals, his lack of consistency ultimately led to the Owls deciding not to offer him a new contract earlier this week (via the BBC).

Despite showing glimpses of his undeniable quality for Wednesday, his absence for next season will not be that much of a miss.

Having played just 39 league games over the last two years, the £1.35m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt) was used mainly as a last resort during his time at Hillsborough with the likes of Fernando Forestieri and Marco Matias been preferred over him by both Bruce and Luhukay.

With the Owls aiming to build a squad capable of launching a sustained push for promotion next season, it is clear that letting Boyd leave is undoubtedly the right choice as he is now in the twilight of his career and is seemingly incapable of avoiding injury.

What do you think Wednesday fans? Was it the correct decision by Bruce to release Boyd? Or should he have been given another chance to shine by the former Aston Villa boss? Let us know below.

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After Mikel Merino’s popularity and form simultaneously took a nose dive off the Angel of the North during the 2017/18 season, the once-unanimously adored midfielder returned to his homeland in a £10.8 million deal. Real Sociedad were the suitors willing to part with a relatively modest fee and prematurely end a Newcastle career that threatened to offer a rare beacon of hope for the club during the early season. 

The scale of the demise is not distinctly tangible or easily traced from an outstanding individual moment, but a clear pattern unfolded during his one season with the club. Merino arrived at St James’ Park as an unknown quantity, boasting Borussia Dortmund on his CV and promising to sprinkle a touch of Spanish playmaking verve into the midfield.

That Spain exclusively produces conveyor belt after conveyor belt of players oozing technical quality yet bereft of physical power is so widely accepted that it’s become embarrassingly cliched, and the 21-year-old midfielder exacerbated that commonly accepted truism within his first few appearances.

‘It’s Mikel Merino’s world and we’re all living in it’, barked one stoic member of the Toon Army on social media, a feeling which epitomised the standpoint of an entire fanbase. It was of little surprise that Newcastle concluded a permanent deal just weeks into Merino’s loan deal, with Dortmund seemingly unconvinced by his credentials to grow into a Champions League standard footballer.

But just at the moment when Merino appeared to overwhelmingly endear himself to the Newcastle supporters, as well as Mike Ashley and Rafa Benitez, he seemed to fall off a cliff. The promised Spanish prince drifted into obscurity and was snubbed by his boss and fellow Spaniard as the highly functional pairing of Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame struck up a rhythm in midfield to carry Newcastle to safety.

There was no place for the aspiring, cultured midfielder in the midst of a gruelling, hard-tackling and physically unforgiving relegation battle. When the end of the season arrived Benitez was left with little choice on Merino’s future, per The Chronicle.

“In the end it was something we couldn’t control because he decided to go.

“We knew that could happen, so we had to be prepared – and in the end we were.”

And, despite the enormity of his popularity during the early stages of the season, Merino checked out of his transient English adventure with a notable absence of disappointment from the Newcastle fans. It was simply a poorly timed mismatch; Merino wasn’t ready for Newcastle and Benitez wasn’t ready for Merino.

The emergence of Sean Longstaff and the success of Isaac Hayden this season – two players who possess the energy, discipline and functional skill sets to operate as tireless box-to-box midfielders within Benitez’s pragmatic system – underline where Merino went wrong: his technicality and elusive playing style were poorly aligned with his compatriot’s demands.

Almost one year on from his departure it’s already abundantly clear that he is far more comfortable in the Basque country than he was by the river Tyne. Barring a couple of minor injuries and natural teething problems, Merino has established himself as a regular under Imanol Alguacil this season.

Two goals and three assists from 21 La Liga starts have been a welcome supplement to his defensive midfield duties. Sociedad’s number eight has averaged at just shy of 2 tackles and 3 aerials won per game, underlining his combative prowess, while his technical statistics leave room for improvement with a pass completion of 79.6% and an average of 0.4 key passes per game.

But for a 22-year-old playing his first full season in La Liga there have been a multitude of promising signs for Sociedad fans to mull over, most notably an outstanding display against Real Madrid shortly after the turn of the year, which earned him a match rating of 8.2.

Brains have been blended with brawn and his desire to transfer lessons from the English game to his new surroundings have manifested themselves in his disciplinary record: seven yellow cards, one red card and an average of 2.4 fouls per game perhaps suggest that his ruggedness was partly overlooked at Newcastle.

The decision to allow Merino to leave was one made by virtue of his desire to search for further exposure to first-team opportunities. He has already achieved that at the first time of asking and that comes as little surprise.

There was little or nothing Benitez could do to alter the circumstances which paved the road to Sociedad, but that won’t prevent feelings of regret from filtering into his consciousness at the end of a successful maiden campaign for Merino with his new club.

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Speaking to the Examiner, departing Huddersfield Town chairman Dean Hoyle has offered his replacement Phil Hodgkinson some advice on how to run the club, but his comments may give greater insight into why he has chosen to sell up.

What’s he said then?

Hoyle didn’t sound overly optimistic when passing his wisdom on to the new owner.

He heeded the warning that the club needs to be financially sensible rather than throwing cash at the squad in order to give them a steady footing in the second tier next year.

Hoyle said, as quoted by the Huddersfield Examiner: “So look at next season. What we can’t afford to do is boil our brains – a decision after we have a fire sale, a decision we hope for survival – it can’t happen.”

Furthermore, when asked if returning to the Premier League was a priority he said:

“I think if you make it a priority you are doomed for failure.”

How can that be interpreted?

Talking about survival after just being relegated from the Premier League is never a good sign.

The more you think about it, the more Hoyle’s sale of the club seems like a captain jumping from a sinking ship.

There is a severe danger that Huddersfield could go the way of Sunderland and suffer back-to-back relegations and end up in League One.

The former owner knows that and has surely sold up before the value of the club depreciates upon their downfall. Hoyle was under no illusions; he is aware that the Terriers’ best players will have to depart this summer, but he’s worried that the squad will be left bare.

The 52-year-old has warned Hodgkinson about the perils of a considerable squad turnover, but it remains to be seen as to whether or not the new man follows his advice.

He didn’t seem confident that the Yorkshire club will be back in the big time anytime soon and he seems to just want stability in the Championship rather than a Premier League return.

This should be a huge red flag for any Huddersfield fans, that a man who knows the club inside out isn’t looking for a Premier League return and has sold the club.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

The new owner may come in overly ambitious and undo all the hard work that was put in by Hoyle during his decade in charge at the John Smith’s stadium.

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Arsenal are no strangers to transfer setbacks which leave a lingering smog of regret, envy, bitterness and fury all rolled into one.

The sales of Robin Van Persie to Manchester United and Samir Nasri to Manchester City were those which particularly induced fury out of exasperated Gunners.

That anger was largely vented in the direction of the players in question, but the imminent departure of Aaron Ramsey has left supporters bemused at the club’s hierarchy rather than the Wales international.

Allowing him to leave on a free transfer appears illogical and foolish given the wealth of his talent and transfer value, but that is the reality which lies ahead.

His excellent all-round display against Napoli on Thursday, which he capped with a well taken opening goal, underlined his quality and reopened discussion over his move to Juventus.

And that discussion has extended into Football FanCast towers, where our writers have been discussing how high Ramsey’s departure ranks on the list of regrettable setbacks.

Even on a list including Nasri, Van Persie, Alexis Sanchez and Thomas Vermaelen it’s fair to say Ramsey ranks very highly indeed.

Here’s what our writers have had to say…

Matt Dawson

“Arsenal seem to have a habit of letting players leave far too easily. In recent memory Wojciech Szczesny to Juventus and Serge Gnabry to Bayern Munich stand out as ones that got away. But the fact Aaron Ramsey is being allowed to leave the club so easily and for free is madness to me. It’s certainly up there as the biggest blunder they’ve made. The midfielder will be near impossible to replace given his goals and assist output from midfield. His impact in the big games has dragged the Gunners through many games and they will struggle without him.”

James Beavis

“It probably ranks at the very top. Aaron Ramsey has been with Arsenal for so long and clearly cares about the club (a lot more than someone like Alexis Sanchez), and to get to a situation where you are losing him for nothing is unforgivable. The Welshman is in the prime years of his career and showed just how good he is in the win against Napoli on Thursday night. Stan Kroenke will live to regret this.”

Harry Elnaugh

“It’s certainly up there if not right at the top. The Welshman showed against Napoli on Thursday night, once again, how indispensable he is to the Gunners and, as long as he continues to impress week after week, Arsenal fans will surely feel even more agonised when he inevitably departs in the summer. It’s a huge mistake but credit to him for not throwing strops and continuing to give his best on the pitch, unlike some of the other players who have donned red and white in recent years.”

Jack Saville

“I think what makes this such a huge kick in the teeth is that Unai Emery seems to be steering the club in a really positive direction. The signs are in place to suggest the Spaniard is laying the foundations of a massive future for the Gunners, but the departure of his most talented and senior central midfielder is undoubtedly a setback which won’t be forgotten quickly. This one is right up there with Van Persie in terms of the loss of quality, though the psychological effects will not be as profound with Ramsey moving to Serie A. The only silver lining is that the signings of Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira prove Arsenal’s scouting team are looking in all the right places for fresh talent.”

Hibs’ failure to win against Kilmarnock on Wednesday meant they were unable to overhaul neighbours Hearts, in the table, but it has added extra importance to the derby tomorrow — if there was not enough riding on it already.

The midweek goalless draw kept the Edinburgh side’s unbeaten run going — which dates back to February 9 — which has seen manager, Paul Heckingbottom, named SPFL Manager Of The Month.

The Englishman knows how big the Hearts game is, and said he is expecting his “biggest test so far” in what will be a titanic battle at Tynecastle.

Speaking ahead of the game, he told the Edinburgh Evening News: “This will be our biggest test so far.

“It will be a different type of test. We faced arguably the most organised team in the league on Wednesday night in the shape of Kilmarnock and not many sides have been that difficult to play against when we have had the ball. They were well disciplined.

“This challenge [against Hearts] is still only three points but it is a derby and there is a rivalry there and it is all about handling the intensity of the occasion.

“Tynecastle is a different stage and a different environment to play in. It will be good to see how my players respond to that.”

If it is played like a regular football match, Hibernian will fancy their chances, with the run they are on meaning confidence will be through the roof for Heckingbottom’s side.

He has them playing their best football for a long time, and fans will not have given up hope of clambering into the top three to claim a Europa League spot.

Although currently six points behind Kilmarnock, in third, and Aberdeen, in fourth, who both have 55 points, it is a big ask for the Easter Road side.

But if Heckingbottom can see his team continue their unbeaten run, and hope it remains in tact during the final games following the split, he knows that it is a very real possibility.

Of course, when the division does split after this weekend’s games, they will be playing all their rivals, which means maintaining the run will be a very tough prospect.

But that is for next week. All immediate thoughts are on the derby tomorrow, and Heckingbottom knows how difficult they are to perform in, given the “hype and intensity” involved.

He said: “Hearts are a difficult, physical team to play against. It will be a hard game. Whether you perform well or not, there is so much hype and intensity and adrenalin involved in these matches.

“That’s why derbies are sometimes too frantic to play any football. “We’d like to think we can get the ball down and play, but the nature of a derby, regardless of what type of team Hearts are, will make it a really frenetic game.”

It will be some occasion tomorrow, and is probably the most important Edinburgh derby there has been for quite a while.

But with a number of incidents in recent SPFL games— by both fans and players — the one thing the game needs, and everyone will hope for, is an incident-free day — both on and off the pitch.

What are your thoughts and expectations ahead of tomorrow’s Edinburgh derby? Can your side leapfrog your neighbours with a win? Let us know…

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Mesaque Dju is hoping to keep scoring for West Ham after netting his first goal for the club’s Under-23 side on Monday.

Dju netted in the Hammers’ 3-0 win over Swansea City after coming on as a substitute.

What’s the word?

Dju joined the Hammers in January, arriving on a free transfer from Benfica.

The winger had played just 82 minutes of football for the club prior to the encounter with Swansea, where he scored with his first touch.

And he has expressed his delight at hitting the back of the net as the Hammers’ Under-23 team battle against relegation.

“I am very happy to get my first goal for this big club,” he told the club’s official website. “Now I have to keep going because we need the points in the league. We have worked hard every day and it was a good win for us tonight.

“It was my first touch I think but I didn’t think – my focus was on the team and doing my best out there and I was very happy to be in the position to score the goal. It was a good touch for me to score and it’s a good night for me.

“When Nathan [Holland] received the ball, I saw him and my first thought was to get inside the box because I know Nathan has the quality and the speed to get across and put the ball in the centre. Luckily, I was in the right place and I am very happy when I touched the ball to score.”

An exciting time for Hammers fans

Dju has only just scored his first goal for the club but fans should be excited.

A Portugal youth international who has been capped at every level from the Under-16s to the Under-20s, he may well be the next exciting academy graduate in east London.

It remains to be seen how long it will take for him to earn senior recognition, but there is surely more to come from Dju.

West Ham fans ought to keep a close eye on him.

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Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to react after Mesut Ozil made just his second start of 2019, against BATE Borisov in the Europa League Round of 32 tie at the Emirates.

The Gunners had a job to do as they looked to reverse a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, but found the task at hand an easy one as they romped to a 3-0 win in front of their home support.

In Ozil’s case, the former Germany international and 2014 World Cup winner managed to play 90 minutes for the first time since December, and appeared to make the north London-based side’s attacking play tick.

There has been something of a power battle between boss Unai Emery and the 6 foot midfielder for the most part of this season, but with results suffering without the former Real Madrid playmaker, the Gunners manager has a decision to make over the 30-year-old.

It appears to be a situation that is dividing the fanbase too, if you were to take a look at the Arsenal fans’ reactions to his performance on Twitter…