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West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek desperately needs to recapture his excellent past form to aid the Hammers’ struggles, according to journalist Paul Brown.

The Lowdown: Soucek suffers dip

The Czech has been a superb signing for the east Londoners overall, arriving from Slavia Prague in 2020 and becoming a hugely influential figure. Declan Rice has called him ‘unbelievable’ in the past, such is his quality.

That being said, Soucek’s performances of late have been a far cry from his former displays, with only one goal coming his way so far this season, and his all-round ability flattering to deceive.

It has undoubtedly played a negative role in West Ham sitting 18th in the Premier League table, in what has been a poor start to the campaign.

The Latest: Journalist makes plea

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Brown said Soucek needs to get back to his best in order to help the Hammers get over this current slump:

“He really needs to start producing. Because they didn’t sign a major name in his position, I don’t think his position is too under threat now at West Ham.

“Maybe that’s a bit too cosy and safe for him, but he certainly needs to start performing.”

The Verdict: He will be back

All footballers are only human, so Soucek’s noticeable dip is something that can happen to anyone and it shouldn’t lead to overreactions from supporters.

There is no doubt that the 27-year-old is a shadow of the player who netted 10 league goals in 2020/21, however, with opponents struggling to handle his physicality and aerial dominance.

Soucek is too good a player not to return to his peak level at some point – David Moyes will certainly be hoping it is soon, though, as pressure grows on him by the week.

Tottenham Hotspur central midfielder Harry Winks is set to depart north London in the coming days.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, Fabrizio Romano relayed the comments of Carlo Osti, in which the Sampdoria director confirmed that the Serie A side have now reached an agreement with both Spurs and the 26-year-old midfielder ahead of the former England international joining on a season-long loan.

In his post, the transfer insider said: “Sampdoria director Osti confirms: ‘We have reached an agreement to sign Harry Winks from Tottenham, so we’re going to sign contracts soon.’ Winks will join Sampdoria from Spurs on a loan deal.”

Great news for Conte

Considering just how little Winks has featured for Tottenham since Antonio Conte’s arrival at the club last November, coupled with the fact that the 26-year-old’s departure could allow Fabio Paratici to bring in one of his own replacements for the 10-cap international, the news that the midfielder is now set to join Sampdoria is undoubtedly great news for the Italian manager.

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Indeed, following Conte’s appointment at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year, the £13.5m-rated Englishman has been selected from the off in just eight Premier League fixtures, in addition to making a further nine appearances from the bench – playing a total of 845 minutes of league football under the 52-year-old manager.

And, so far this season, Winks is yet to be included in a single matchday squad for Spurs, with the likes of Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur all very much appearing to be ahead of the Tottenham academy graduate in Conte’s central midfield pecking order.

Furthermore, with it being known that the Italian coach is hoping to add a new attack-minded midfielder to his ranks ahead of the closure of the transfer window this week – with Nicolo Zaniolo, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ruslan Malinovskyi all said to be of interest – moving the £50k-per-week Winks on may provide Paratici with a clear run to move for his targets.

As such, considering his current standing within the Spurs squad, his considerable weekly wage and the fact Conte is hoping to land one of his own targets in the 26-year-old’s position, Romano relaying that Winks does indeed now appear to be moving onto pastures new in the coming days is certain to be fantastic news for the 52-year-old manager.

LancsLive journalist Alex James has shared what he knows about Burnley’s pursuit of Manchester City striker Liam Delap.

The Lowdown: Plenty of interest

The highly-rated 19-year-old has worked his way up through the ranks at the Etihad, but Pep Guardiola’s side now want to send him out on loan to further his development and gain some valuable first-team experience.

Several clubs have been linked with a move for the forward, including Southampton and Newcastle United, but reports suggested that both approaches had been turned down, with City only willing to let him leave on a temporary basis rather than permanently.

It’s believed that the top-flight giants would prefer their starlet – who Guardiola called ‘special’ – to have a loan in the Championship, with both the Clarets and Stoke City name-checked as potential suitors.

The Latest: Delap latest

Taking to Twitter, James insisted that Burnley are likely to still be in search of a new attacker, and said they could even be ‘favourites’ for Delap’s signature. He wrote:

“Delap an interesting one as you sense he’s likely to end up on loan in the Championship and on the face of it Burnley would be favourites given style, Kompany etc. Will see what if I can find out a bit more detail this week. For me, Burnley still need a striker.”

The Verdict: Game-changing signing for Burnley

Delap is a very sought-after player, and the proof is in the pudding given he managed to make ten goal contributions in the same number of Premier League 2 games last term, via Transfermarkt, missing some of the season through injury.

Trying to fend off competitors for his services won’t be an easy job, but Vincent Kompany already has existing connections to City from his time at the club, so this could play a significant role in any possible deal getting finalised.

If Burnley were to be the ones to land him, it would be a massive coup for the Clarets and a signing that could be enough to help take them back up to the top-flight.

Talks are ‘ongoing’ in West Ham United’s pursuit of Eintracht Frankfurt ace Filip Kostic, according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Interest in Kostic

According to Sky Sports, the 29-year-old has already turned down two offers from clubs playing in the Champions League.

However, it is believed that the Serbia international would consider a move to the London Stadium if an agreement is reached.

Kostic is represented by the World Soccer Agency (WSA) – the same agency that looks after new Hammers signing Gianluca Scamacca.

As a result, founders Alessandro Lucci and Alessio Ceccarelli are trying to broker a deal between the clubs and also with the player, with a first bid reportedly made earlier this week.

The Latest: Taylor’s news

Taylor has shared an update on West Ham’s progression with the Kostic deal.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist revealed the Hammers are a few million short:

“West Ham continue to work on Filip Kostić deal but will have to raise opening £12.8m offer to £16m in order to strike agreement. Talks ongoing on personal terms.”

The Verdict: Great signing

When looking at the left midfielder’s underlying stats, it is easy to see why David Moyes is so keen on wrapping up a deal for the player as soon as possible.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, Kostic ranks in the 99th percentile for shots, assists, expected assists and shot-creating actions.

Former Frankfurt coach Adi Hütter was extremely complimentary of the 29-year-old, saying he shows “outstanding qualities on the field and off it”, making him a fantastic addition to any squad.

If the Irons are able to secure a deal for Kostic in the coming weeks, this could be a very shrewd signing for Moyes’ side.

Celtic are reportedly set to secure a free transfer for Australian midfielder Aaron Mooy.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from journalist Mike McGrath, the midfielder is about to “disappoint a host of Championship clubs to secure a dream move” to Celtic.

He then added that “talks have progressed” over the potential deal that would see the 31-year-old make a move to Parkhead this summer.

After making a combined total of 152 appearances for Huddersfield Town and Brighton & Hove Albion, in which he scored 13 goals and delivered 17 assists, the midfielder made a move to China and joined Shanghai Port back in 2020.

Since then, Mooy has found the net six times and supplied three assists in 31 appearances for the Chinese club, where he was picking up a weekly wage of £52k-per-week.

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Securing a free transfer for the former Huddersfield star would not only be a great deal for the Hoops from a financial point of view, but also for many footballing reasons as well.

Firstly, having seen the likes of Tom Rogic, Nir Bitton and Ismaila Soro wave goodbye to the Parkhead club in recent weeks, this highlights the need for Celtic to bring a new midfielder in.

Then, with Mooy’s clear knack for being an attacking nuisance in front of goal, this shows what he’d be able to offer the team.

Additionally, having made a decent number of appearances for Australia under the management of Ange Postecoglou, this will give him an idea of what the Bhoys manager will want from him on the pitch, which could make it easier for the player to settle in at Celtic Park.

Bearing in mind how McGrath mentioned that numerous clubs in the Championship were reportedly after Mooy’s signature, this also shows what a great bit of business it could be from the Hoops and why seeing him at Parkhead will surely have Postecoglou buzzing.

Hailed as an “extraordinary” player by David Wagner, the Australian would surely add some serious quality to Celtic’s squad and strengthen their midfield.

If the Bhoys can wrap up this reported deal for the 31-year-old as soon as possible, this will then give them the opportunity to focus on other potential deals they may want to secure before the summer window ends.

AND in other news: Postecoglou could unearth the next Wanyama with Celtic bid for “complete” £5.5m target

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has backed Liverpool to come to a ‘compromise’ when it comes to arranging a new contract with Mohamed Salah.

The Lowdown: Salah confirms short-term future

The 30-year-old has just 12 months remaining on his current contract at Anfield, but his future on Merseyside has been up in the air in recent weeks after failing to agree a new deal with the club.

The striker had been linked with a move away from the Premier League, amid interest from Barcelona, but the player himself confirmed at the end of May that he would remain with the Reds for next season at least, regardless of the whether any agreement was reached between now and the start of the new campaign.

It was later reported by The Telegraph‘s Chris Bascombe just this week that the top-flight giants remain confident that they can convince the Egyptian to put pen to paper on a long-term contract.

The Latest: Campbell’s contract claim

Reacting to that news in a chat with Football Insider, Campbell said:

“I don’t think it will be a matter of bowing to his demands.

“Both parties have to come to a compromise. They need to conclude on a deal that works for everyone.

“Salah is a big-time player, a marquee player for Liverpool. He was brilliant last season.

“I don’t see it being a problem. I truly believe they will come to an agreement.

“Here is the funny thing, if they don’t come to an agreement and his contract expires, it doesn’t mean he will leave the club.

“At that point, everyone is in the same boat. There would be a different negotiation to be had at that stage. I wouldn’t rule that one out.”

The Verdict: New deal is a priority

After securing the signing of Darwin Nunez, Liverpool’s priority has now surely got to be negotiating a fresh deal for Salah, who is a huge reason as to why the club have enjoyed so much success over the years.

Last season alone, the 83-cap international was the Premier League’s joint-top goalscorer, sharing the Golden Boot award with Tottenham’s Son Heung-Min.

With his contract set to expire next summer, the Reds will be keen to tie Salah down as soon as possible to ensure that their star man isn’t able to leave Anfield a free agent a year from now.

In other news… Sadio Mane is now ‘on the verge’ of completing his move to Bayern Munich after an update from Sky Sports News.

Fabio Paratici is closing in on a deal to bring Alessandro Bastoni to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Corriere della Sera (via Sport Witness), who claim that, following Ivan Perisic’s move from Inter Milan to Spurs, there is now a good chance the 23-year-old defender follows the Croatia international to north London.

Further reports also claim that the Tottenham sporting director has sent unmistakable signals of intent to the Serie A side regarding a £54m deal for the Italy international, while Alasdair Gold recently revealed that Spurs “believe that they’ll be able to sort out wages and the fee for Bastoni” in the coming weeks.

“Heir to Jan Vertonghen”

Considering just how exciting a talent Bastoni undoubtedly is, in addition to it being reported that the signing of a new ball-playing left-footed centre-back is one of Antonio Conte’s priority targets in the summer transfer window, should Paratici go on to secure a deal for the Inter Milan starlet ahead of the club’s 2022/23 campaign it would certainly represent something of a huge coup for Spurs.

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Indeed, according to FBref data, the £60m-rated defender ranks in the top 15% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for pressures per 90, in addition to the top 14% for passes attempted, the top 25% for passes completed, the top 14% for progressive passes, the top 11% for progressive carries, the top 22% for dribbles completed and the top 3% for shot-creating actions over the last 365 days.

As such, it is easy to understand why Gold recently claimed that Spurs see the £122k-per-week talent as the “heir to Jan Vertonghen,” as the 23-year-old’s ability with the ball at his feet sees FBref rank him amongst some of the most prestigious ball-playing defenders in European football, such as Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano and Girondins de Bordeaux starlet Anel Ahmedhodzic.

However, with the Italian still appearing to have doubts as to whether this summer is the right time to make a move to the Premier League, it would seem as if Paratici still has a job on his hands to convince Bastoni that Tottenham is the right club for him – although, considering the centre-back’s ability, these efforts will be more than worth it if his transfer is eventually agreed.

AND in other news: Paratici can seal “complete” Spurs signing in £68m bid for Van Dijk’s worst nightmare

Leeds United could move for Sporting Lisbon’s Gonzalo Plata, according to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo. 

The lowdown

Plata spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Real Valladolid in Spain’s second tier, helping them to finish second and win promotion back to La Liga.

The 21-year-old is predominantly a right winger, although he is also capable of playing on the left.

It may be significant that his agency Wasserman also represents Leeds players Crysencio Summerville and Adam Forshaw.

The Whites are seemingly set to finalise their second signing of the summer in Rasmus Kristensen, and Plata may be their next target.

The latest

Real Valladolid, whose club president is Brazil legend and Ballon D’Or winner Ronaldo, would like to sign Plata permanently.

They have the option to do so for €10m (£8.5m) but are hoping they can snap up him for a reduced fee. Sporting have thus far held firm and refused to entertain a cut-price sale.

Leeds are said to be ‘attentive’ to the situation and could see the stand-off as an opportunity to step up their interest in the 21-year-old.

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The verdict

Plata started 23 La Liga 2 games last season, scoring six goals and providing five assists. He found the net or set up a team-mate more than once every two matches (171 minutes, to be precise), a very respectable record.

Even though he is still quite young, he has amassed 27 senior caps for Ecuador and notched nine goal contributions for his nation.

After helping his country reach the semi-finals of the Under-20 World Cup in 2019, he was awarded the tournament’s Bronze Ball.

However, given that he was playing his football in the Spanish second tier in recent months, you’d imagine that he would initially be a rotational option at Leeds rather than a consistent starter.

In other news, read this big Lewis O’Brien transfer claim

Sheffield United host Nottingham Forest this afternoon for the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final, with both sides hopeful of making it to the Premier League.

The Blades could secure promotion back to the top-flight at the first time of asking after last season’s relegation, whereas Forest haven’t been amongst English football’s elite for 23 years.

Paul Heckingbottom and his players will be particularly cautious that they don’t make a mistake which could cost them the tie after the first leg, but how are the South Yorkshire outfit looking ahead of today’s clash?

Injury news

As per Nottinghamshire Live, Blades captain Billy Sharp is edging closer to a return, with Heckingbottom stating: “Bill’s another few days closer. We’d like him to be (available), if he’s able to play some part in the tie. If he’s not ready, he’s not ready. He is doing all he can and the staff are doing all they can to make sure there is that opportunity.”

Meanwhile, both Morgan Gibbs-White and George Baldock appear to be available, whilst long-term absentees Rhian Brewster, Jayden Bogle, Oli McBurnie and Jack O’Connell all remain sidelined.

Sheffield United predicted XI

After a thumping 4-0 victory over Championship winners Fulham on the final day to secure a play-off spot, whether or not Heckingbottom will make changes to that side for today’s match is up for debate.

Here is how Football FanCast expects the Blades to line up against Nottingham Forest…

Sheffield United XI: Foderingham, Basham, Egan, Robinson, Baldock, Norwood, Fleck, Stevens, Berge, Gibbs-White, Ndiaye

With uncertainty as to whether or not Sharp will be fit to make the squad, we don’t expect the striker to be ready to start this afternoon.

The only change from the victory over Fulham comes at right-wing-back, with Baldock taking the place of Ben Osborn.

With the 29-year-old now appearing to be fully fit after only being able to make the bench last weekend, he returns to the starting line-up to make his first appearance in almost a month.

Labelled “superb” by BBC pundit Garth Crooks after a goal against Norwich City in the 2019/20 season, the £23k-per-week Englishman is a kingpin for the Blades and deserves to feature in their biggest match of the season so far.

The decision would arguably be harsh on Osborn, whose last goal for United came in a 3-2 victory at Barnsley in October, a game which the wing-back described as “mad”.

Having gone through the youth ranks at Nottingham Forest and joined the Blades from the Reds, the 27-year-old has had a solid season, making 34 appearances in the Championship.

However, being predominantly a left-sided player, Baldock pips the £2.2m-rated Derby native to a place in the starting lineup now that he is fit.

It’s a crunch game for both sides, who will be looking to get themselves one step closer to Wembley after today’s showdown at Bramall Lane.

AND in other news: This is the Forest predicted XI that FFC is forecasting

Genuine on-field progress remains hard to gauge, but Root comes through personal test of leadership, in words and deeds

George Dobell in St Lucia13-Feb-2019It would be nice to report that England’s win in St Lucia shows they are back on course.And it’s true there were some aspects of this performance – not least Mark Wood’s first-innings bowling – that may prove relevant for the months ahead. If England can keep Wood fit and if he can reproduce the hostility of his spell in West Indies’ first innings, there will be a new dimension to England’s attack. No batsman, in the Ashes or at the World Cup, wants to face that.But like winning the raffle on Titanic just after that pesky incident with the iceberg, the value of a win in a dead rubber does have to be kept in perspective.There were some moments in this match when it seemed quite apparent that West Indies were struggling to retain the intensity they had demonstrated earlier in the series.Consider Kemar Roach, for example: he was immaculate in the first Test – and in some stages of this one – but in his first spell here, he barely hit the cut strip. And then there’s Kraigg Brathwaite, who has batted with an abundance of caution all series, who suddenly fell to a slog to the midwicket boundary. West Indies were without their captain and key allrounder, too.That’s not to say England’s win was not deserving of praise. Quite apart from Wood’s pace, there were other aspects of this performance that England could look to learn from and replicate.The hunger of Joe Root, for example. Quite early in his century, he received a long-hop from Roston Chase that, many times, he might have tried to hit for four or six. It crossed his mind here, too, you could see: he was quickly in position and on the brink of unleashing a full-blooded pull.Instead, though, he considered the man back on the boundary, rolled his wrists, hit the ball down and settled for one.It was a moment that immediately brought to mind another Root innings: his 254 against Pakistan at Old Trafford, when he made exactly the same decisions against Yasir Shah, concluding the percentage option – the wise, mature, long-term option – was to play a bit safer and grind out the huge score his side required.If that sounds simple, well it probably is. But it also isn’t the way England tend to play these days. All that talk of “you don’t win games by batting long periods of time”, which Root said ahead of the series, has seeped into the DNA of this side. Root’s innings here – an innings that contained 57 singles – showed he was learning and adapting.Might it be relevant that this innings and the one in Manchester came when Root had something to prove? On this occasion, he was hurt by the series defeat and disappointment in his own performance. In Manchester, meanwhile, he had just moved up the order to No. 3 and was keen to show what he could do.Root has to retain that hunger. He has to retain that understanding that it is not vignettes that win Tests; it’s epics. England are not a good enough side that they can see their best batsman settle for simply expressing his talent. He also has to grind and resist. He has to add rigour to his many other qualities.Joe Root and Shannon Gabriel shake hands at the end of the St Lucia Test•Getty ImagesThere were other differences in this game. Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes both made their best contributions of the series (with the bat, at least) with Stokes showing a welcome ability to go up and down the gears as the situation warranted. If he and England are to fulfil their potential, he will have to improve that Test batting average of 33.89 by at least five and quite possibly 10. There is no reason at all he should not.So that’s all fine and good.But the win in St Lucia shouldn’t mask what went before. It’s shouldn’t obscure the fact that four more catches were dropped in West Indies’ second innings; it shouldn’t obscure the fact that England still have little idea who their top three should be and it shouldn’t obscure the fact they don’t seem to know who to pick as wicketkeeper.Most of all, it shouldn’t detract from some poor selections both ahead and throughout this trip. The continuing persistence with Keaton Jennings – who really might be a worse driver than Prince Philip – is starting to look stubborn and irrational. With Trevor Bayliss – and, perhaps, James Anderson – having just participated in their final overseas Tests, it’s hard to argue that England are all that further progressed than they were when Bayliss took over in 2015.There was another aspect to this match. Playing, watching, writing and talking about cricket is, on the whole, a pretty frivolous way for grown-ups to spend their time. It’s beautiful, of course, and it’s enjoyable. But it’s not life and death and very little that happens really matters.But just occasionally there is a chance to make a difference. And, in making it clear that it is inappropriate to use somebody’s sexual orientation as a term of abuse, Root took that opportunity. His stance will have been noted – maybe only subconsciously – in playgrounds and streets and maidans across the world. It was another tiny step in the right direction for sport and society.While there may be some sympathy for Shannon Gabriel – we are all a product of our culture, after all, and homosexual acts are considered illegal across much of this region; we know of worse comments from players of all nations that have gone unpunished in other series because broadcasters (often host broadcasters) cannot isolate the audio or because the protagonists have made them in a more sophisticated (or cynical) fashion – cricket has to move beyond this nonsense. The fact that spectators, led by the Barmy Army, sang “YMCA”, “It’s Raining Men” and “A Little Respect” throughout Gabriel’s innings suggested they are keen to do so.Cricket fluffed such an opportunity at Edgbaston – when Moeen Ali was disgracefully booed – and cricket fluffed such an opportunity during an ugly Ashes series which became boorish and boring. It’s fluffed such an opportunity many, many times.The opportunity was taken here. Root may well have a bit to learn about captaincy and even a bit to learn about batting. But he has a great many good qualities and he is, very much, the natural leader of this side. England haven’t always been the most attractive or likeable side. In St Lucia they were a side of which their supporters could be proud.