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West Ham United manager David Moyes has shared an update on attacker Jarrod Bowen, who sustained an injury during their 2-0 victory over Wolves on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Hammers’ much-needed win

After a disappointing start to the Premier League season, the Irons got back on track at the weekend as they claimed their second top-flight win of the campaign, beating their visitors 2-0 at the London Stadium.

Goals from Gianluca Scamacca and Bowen ensured three points for the Hammers, who climbed out of the relegation zone and up to 15th after the victory.

However, the win was spoiled for the second goalscorer, who picked up a nasty finger injury during the match. This was treated by the medical team on the pitch, enabling him to see the game out.

The Latest: Bowen’s injury

Despite playing on for the rest of that game, the 25-year-old’s injury seemed to cause concern for West Ham’s medical team afterwards.

Speaking after the match, Moyes shared an update on the winger. As quoted by The West Ham Way, the Irons manager said of Bowen’s injury: “He’s just told me and actually, the physio just came over and said he’s done something to his finger and said it was pretty bad.”

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The Verdict: Hopefully nothing too serious…

After a poor start to the season, West Ham fans will surely be hoping that Bowen’s injury isn’t serious, as the attacker has proven to be vital to the Hammers’ success in recent years.

Having ranked in the 86th percentile for non-penalty expected goals and the 84th percentile for non-penalty goals among wingers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months (via FBRef), the former Hull City man has been crucial in finishing off the Irons’ attacking play in the final third.

Bowen ended the 2021/22 Premier League season having ranked as West Ham’s top scorer and assists provider, while according to WhoScored he was also their best-performing player, having earned an impressive 7.14 average match rating.

Hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp prior to the Irons’ visit to Anfield in March, news of Bowen’s injury will come as a blow for Moyes, who will be hoping that the recovery period is swift for the reliable winger.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Wilfried Singo.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Torino Granata (via Sport Witness), who claim that, following the interest of Antonio Conte over the summer transfer window, Torino may now be willing to part with the right wing-back in the January market, as long as they were to receive an offer they simply could not refuse – reported to be in the region of €30m (£26m).

Should no move materialise this winter – be that by Tottenham or any other interested party – the report goes on to claim that the 21-year-old will be available to sign next summer, with the Ivory Coast international’s current deal at the Stadio Olimpico set to expire in the summer of 2024.

“Revelation”

Considering Spurs’ struggles at right wing-back so far this season, coupled with the Premier League side’s previous interest in Singo, it is not a difficult scenario to imagine that, should an opportunity arise for Fabio Paratici to make a move for the 21-year-old in January, he would jump at the chance to do so.

Indeed, Emerson Royal’s red card against Arsenal once again highlighted the fact that the 23-year-old is a “complete liability” – in the words of Jamie O’Hara – at the back, while Conte is evidently not comfortable with the idea of deploying either Matt Doherty or Djed Spence at wing-back – with the duo having played a combined 26 minutes of football so far this season.

As such, the signing of a new player in the position would appear something of a must this winter, and, considering Singo’s performances in Italy over the past year, the defender would very much look to be something of a perfect fit for Conte’s right wing-back role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Indeed, according to FBref, the £17.5m-rated talent ranks in the top 11% of full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 7% for non-penalty xG, the top 8% for shots, the top 14% for dribbles completed, the top 14% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 38% for progressive passes over the last 365 days.

From these metrics, it is clear that the £4.3k-per-week sensation is very much a forward-thinking defender first and foremost, something that cannot be said of Conte’s current first-choice in the position, Emerson – with Singo bettering the Brazilian in goals scored (three to one), assists provided (four to one) and big chances created (four to one) in their respective leagues last term.

Conte himself has revealed that he prefers his wing-backs to be predominantly attack-focused, with the 52-year-old stating in comments cited by football.london earlier this year:

“The wing-back is really important if you play with three at the back. They’re important because it’s no good if they are too defensive because in this position you need to have quality. I like to have players that in the past was a winger because in this situation they are good at one vs one.”

As such, should Paratici be presented with an opportunity to land the player who Matteo Bonetti dubbed a “revelation” in January, the Italian sporting director simply must do all he can to prise him away from Turin, as it is clear that Singo could well be the perfect player to finally end Tottenham’s wing-back woes.

There has been an update in Manchester United’s reported pursuit of PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo…

What’s the word?

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 23-year-old is willing to make the move to Old Trafford should the Red Devils firm up their interest in the next week or so, albeit with the current ‘focus’ believed to be that of Ajax starlet Antony.

Writing on Twitter about the Netherlands international, the transfer guru stated: “Cody Gakpo would be prepared to accept Manchester United in case they will submit an official proposal to PSV Eindhoven in the next days. Gakpo and his agents are waiting, up to the club – focus on Antony.”

While there has been a suggestion that Erik ten Hag’s side could attempt to land both of the Eredivisie talents, the more likely scenario would see the Premier League giants turn to Gakpo as an alternative to Antony should the deal for the Brazilian not progress.

Shades of Depay

The PSV man – who could reportedly cost in the region of €50m (£42m) – has caught the eye following his impressive form of late in Netherlands, having notably scored 45 goals and provided 37 assists in all 141 games in all competitions for his current club.

That haul includes a tally of 21 goals and 15 assists from the 2021/22 campaign – with only Cristiano Ronaldo having netted more goals among the United squad last term – while the 6 foot 2 ace has also begun the new season in fine fashion, with seven goal contributions in just six games for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side.

Such impactful displays have clearly piqued the interest of those at the Theatre of Dreams, with Ten Hag and co seemingly in the market for a new forward addition, particularly amid the uncertainty surrounding that man Ronaldo.

For all the potential excitement over that deal, however, there may be those who can see history repeating itself, having previously seen an explosive Dutch talent arrive in Manchester from Eindhoven, only to go on to distinctly underwhelm.

That elusive figure, of course, was Memphis Depay, with the current Barcelona outcast having arrived to huge fanfare upon his arrival in England back in 2015, having been snapped up by compatriot and former national team boss Louis Van Gaal in a £31m deal.

A left winger by trade – much like Gakpo – Depay was tipped for big things after agreeing to link up with Van Gaal at United, with club legend Dennis Irwin even likening him to David Beckham due to his free-kick prowess.

As it proved, however, the club only ever saw glimpses of his undoubted quality – most notably on the night that Marcus Rashford emerged against FC Midtjylland in February 2016 – as he eventually lasted just 18 months before being shipped off to Lyon.

While the change in manager at the end of Depay’s debut season may not have helped his cause, the mercurial talent seemingly struggled to make the transition to life in the Premier League, scoring just two league goals and failing to register an assist in 33 top-flight outings.

His form since then – which saw him score 76 goals and provide 56 assists during his time in France – has shown that the 28-year-old remains a real talent, although he simply wilted in the intense pressure-cooker that is Old Trafford.

The fear will be that Gakpo could well suffer a similar fate if he were to make the move before deadline day, with it also somewhat of a concern that he is clearly not even Ten Hag’s first choice pick given the reported prioritising of Antony.

Leeds United are still interested in signing Fenerbahce striker Mergim Berisha, according to journalist Omar Celikbasli.

The Lowdown: Berisha links

The Whites were first linked with a move for the Adidas-sponsored forward towards the end of July, with Celikbasli stating that Leeds had tabled a €2m (£1.7m) offer.

Celikbasli has stayed on top of the story, adding that Leeds chiefs didn’t want to meet Fenerbahce’s €5m (£4.2m) asking price.

The journalist claimed in recent days that Berisha, who has scored 76 goals in 200 games, will make a decision on his future soon, and he’s now provided a fresh update involving Leeds.

The Latest: Leeds still keen

Talking to MOT Leeds News, Celikbasli confirmed that Berisha is still a player of interest to Elland Road officials but has offers on the table from Germany.

“There are also offers from Germany for the player. Despite that, as far as I know, Leeds are still interested in signing him.”

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The Verdict: Time to move

Leeds’ need for a new centre-forward was evident on Saturday after Patrick Bamford was forced off with an abductor problem at Southampton. Joe Gelhardt didn’t make the trip due to a minor injury, leaving winger Dan James to lead the line for the final stages of the first half.

Jesse Marsch did change things around at the break and had Rodrigo leading the line for the second half where he scored twice, but Leeds could do with a new striker before the deadline, so it could be wise to make moves this week.

Berisha, described as a ‘clinical finisher’ by analysts Football Chatters, could well be that man, and it looks as if it could be a fairly low-risk deal with Fenerbahce’s £4.2m asking price, so this could be one to watch closely.

Nottingham Forest kicked off their first Premier League campaign in over two decades yesterday but were unable to take any points from their visit to St James’ Park losing 2-0 to Newcastle United.

Steve Cooper spoke out following the defeat in his post-match interview to detail where Forest got it wrong:

“We fell short in our performance today, but we live and learn. We were not right today in possession, and there were not enough passes when we could get them off, and that ultimately cost us the two goals.”

The Garibaldi have had an exciting summer transfer window with 12 new signings secured at The City Ground, and six of those made their debuts for Forest on Saturday, but could there be an opportunity to strengthen the team even further?

One player who has been linked with a move to the newly-promoted club in the last few days is Atalanta midfielder Remo Freuler, a player who could certainly improve the problems with possession that Cooper referenced in his comments after the Newcastle game.

Over last season, the 30-year-old scored one goal, delivered three assists and created three big chances, tallying up a pass completion rate of 92% in his own half while taking 73.2 touches per game, proving he is certainly comfortably with the ball at his feet.

Freuler has been the recipient of high praise for his consistent and reliable performances in midfield for Atalanta, with Tuttosport journalist Giordano Signorelli hailing the £8.5m talent in an interview with BBC Sport:

“Gasperini likes players who listen and apply themselves, and Freuler is a true professional. He has become fundamental in midfield, alongside Marten de Roon. He has a great spirit of sacrifice, is strong physically, but also sound technically and possesses a good shot.”

Cooper could even land his very own N’Golo Kante by completing the signing of the Switzerland international this summer, as the Chelsea star is the fourth most comparable player to Freuler over the 365 days according to FBref.

In terms of similarities, the pair of midfielders came close on pass completion rate with Kante just tallying up a better percentage by 1.3% at 85.8 to 87.1.

The pair were also almost level pegging on their shot-creating actions with Freuler making 60 and Kante 61. The Atalanta star did, however, outperform the Frenchman in tackles won (43 vs 34). They did make exactly the same number of tackles (22) in the defensive third, demonstrating how similar they are when it comes to winning the ball back.

With that being said, the signing of Freuler would be a major addition for Nottingham Forest and could potentially resolve some of the issues Cooper is aware of in the team.

Indeed, signing a Kante-like midfielder would definitely bring a wealth of attributes to the side.

A big update has emerged regarding Glasgow Rangers as they have been dealt a potential blow in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas has claimed that the Gers, alongside a host of other clubs, are missing out on a deal to sign Doron Leidner ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Israel international is moving to Greek giants Olympiacos, days after the Light Blues secured the services of Ridvan Yilmaz from Besiktas.

Thomas tweeted: “#HapoelTelAviv LB Doron Leidner is set to move to #Olympiacos. A #Rangers and #Celtic target earlier in the summer and on the lists at #Bologna and #Sassuolo too, but he is moving to Greece in an initial £1.7m (€2m) deal. Already on #NottinghamForest radar for the future #nffc.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will be deflated

This claim will leave the Ibrox head coach deflated, as Leidner had the potential to be an excellent addition to the squad heading into next season.

Whilst Yilmaz has come in to offset Calvin Bassey’s departure to Ajax, the left-back situation in Glasgow may not be as simple as it currently looks on paper.

Borna Barisic has been attracting interest from Turkey and it remains to be seen whether or not he will still be at the club beyond the end of August. Journalist Fraser Fletcher recently confirmed that “Trabzonspor are really keen on him” as they eye up the full-back.

The Croatia international’s exit would leave Yilmaz without any competition, and Leidner could have provided that for the Gers.

By the age of 20, he has racked up 57 first-team appearances for Hapoel Tel-Aviv and chipped in with one goal and five assists. He has also been capped three times by Israel at international level and set up two goals in those Nations League clashes.

The gem has shown great promise in his short career to date, and that is proven by the significant interest in his signature from a host of European clubs. He is seemingly an attack-minded full-back and, at the age of 20, he still has plenty of years left ahead of him to grow and develop as a player over time.

This means that he could have been the perfect replacement for Barisic, if the Croatian full-back ends up joining Trabzonspor, as he is a young player with potential who could have put pressure on Yilmaz whilst being an asset for the future.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst will be deflated by this news and will now be hoping that the club are able to keep hold of Barisic.

AND in other news, Wilson could form a “massive” duo after Rangers given green light for £3.1k-p/w target…

Everton have been heavily linked with a move for Maxwel Cornet this summer, and now a new update has been revealed that could put a dampener on the club’s plans to sign the player.

What’s the latest?

According to BBC journalist Fraser Fletcher, Everton remain interested in signing the Burnley forward this summer, but negotiations have proven difficult.

Fletcher tweeted: “Newcastle now well and truly in the running for Maxwel Cornet. Everton still keen to land him and have verbal agreement on player side but negotiations with Burnley tricky. Cornet at this point could still end up at any club.”

Supporters will be gutted

It is no secret that the Toffees are desperately in need of reinforcements to improve their squad, and Cornet would be a great addition to add depth to the attacking threat at Goodison Park so supporters will surely be worried about the lack of progress ahead of their return to action next week.

Everton have already made three great signings this summer with James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil and Ruben Vinagre making the move to Merseyside, however, with Richarlison securing a £60m deal to join Tottenham Hotspur, Frank Lampard will want to ensure the attacking threat is fully covered.

Cornet is an extremely versatile player, capable of playing across the front three and in all three of the left-sided positions including left-back – which would give the Everton boss the opportunity to deploy him in a number of positions depending on the demand of the team who had the worst injury record in the Premier League last season.

Over 26 league appearances for Burnley, the 25-year-old scored nine goals, delivered one assist and created two big chances, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots and winning 1.9 duels per game last season – finishing the season as the top goal-scorer for the Clarets.

The Ivory Coast international was the recipient of high praise for his impact on the side last season with former team-mate Nick Pope hailing Cornet a “breath of fresh air”.

The Burnley goal machine has a £17.5m release clause attached to his contract, and with other clubs like Newcastle United interested in signing Cornet this summer, Farhad Moshiri will need to act fast and pay the fee that the Championship side are clearly wanting to be met.

AND in other news: Lampard can land his very own Gnabry with Everton bid for “extraordinary” £50m wizard

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Nicola Zalewski to the Premier League this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet CalcioMercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that Antonio Conte has now instructed Fabio Paratici to make a move for the AS Roma winger in the summer transfer window – as the 52-year-old is enamoured by the 20-year-old’s talents.

However, a further report has suggested that, while both Spurs and Paris Saint-Germain have made entered into talks regarding a deal for the Poland international, Jose Mourinho’s side have informed the English and French clubs that Zalewski is not for sale this summer.

“Simply amazing”

Considering the sheer amount of potential Zalewski undoubtedly possesses, it is not difficult to understand why Conte is reported to be so keen on a deal to bring the youngster to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

Indeed, the £13m-rated talent caught the eye over his seven appearances in Roma’s victorious Europa Conference League campaign last season, registering two assists – in the quarter-final against Bodo/Glimt and the semi-final against Leicester City – and creating two big chances, as well as making an average of 0.9 key passes, taking 0.6 shots and completing 0.9 dribbles per game.

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The £9k-per-week forward who Jacek Kulig dubbed “simply amazing” also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 1.7 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and winning 4.1 duels per fixture.

These returns saw the 20-year-old average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.85, ranking him as Mourinho’s 14th-best performer in the European competition.

Furthermore, Roma’s legendary 47-goal winger and current youth coordinator, Bruno Conti, also appears to be incredibly excited about the future of Zalewski, with the 67-year-old stating in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this month:

“Let me preface this by saying that what I’m about to say, I say it without bias for Roma. But among the young people playing today, I recognize my way of playing the most in Roma’s Nicola Zalewski.

“He has the ability to attack the spaces and dribble the ball just like I did, as well as his tendency to retreat he be useful in defensive coverage. It is true that he now plays on the left flank, but I am convinced that he will soon become a useful player on both [wings].”

As such, with the five-cap international quite clearly being a talent who is extremely creative, incredibly versatile and impressive when working back in defence, it would very much appear as if Zalewski would be something of a dream fit for Conte’s style of football – leading us to believe that Paratici must do everything in his power to convince Mourinho to part with the 20-year-old this summer.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano relays devastating Spurs transfer claim, Antonio Conte will be fuming

One of the many ways to describe Liverpool’s Premier League history of goalkeepers wearing the number one shirt is the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good, or in this case, world class, includes Alisson Becker.

Meanwhile, the bad looks at Mike Hooper and Diego Cavalieri, before we get to the ugly of Loris Karius and Brad Jones. The fact is, Liverpool struggled to find a consistent, game-changing number one of Alisson’s level until the Brazilian arrived at Anfield in 2018.

It’s no coincidence that since Alisson has arrived from AS Roma, Liverpool have had most of their success in the Premier League. He has been one of many difference-makers. By the time he calls it a day on Merseyside, the number one may go down as exactly that in Liverpool history.

With that said, we wanted to see where the current shot-stopper ranked for clean sheets amongst previous number one wearers for Liverpool in the Premier League. You can see what we found out below, as revealed by TransferMark.

David James – 71 clean sheets

Alisson Becker – 45 clean sheets

Jerzy Dudek – 34 clean sheets

Sander Westerveld – 28 clean sheets

Loris Karius – 13 clean sheets

Brad Jones – 3 clean sheets

Mike Hooper – 2 clean sheets

Diego Cavalieri – 0 clean sheets

Sitting at the top currently is David James on 71 clean sheets. The Englishman was at Liverpool for seven years, accumulating the impressive number of goal-less games in the process. It must be said, however, with Alisson sitting on 45 in just three seasons wearing the number one shirt, James’ record is unlikely to stand for very long.

It’s difficult to look back in Liverpool’s history of number ones in the Premier League and pick out any other goalkeeper that is anywhere near the level of Alisson – particularly when looking at those just before him.

As it turned out, Karius was the final straw between Liverpool settling for average and aiming for world class. That dreadful night in Kyiv, which saw the German make two errors as Liverpool lost the 2017/18 Champions League final 3-1 against Real Madrid, resulted in Alisson’s arrival.

A season later, with Karius frozen out and Alisson in between the sticks, Jurgen Klopp’s side claimed redemption by winning the 18/19 Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur. A season later, the same side lifted the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history.

Some turnaround and a testament to the theory that goalkeeper is one of the most important positions on the pitch.

Manchester United have already had a taste of Erik Ten Hag’s wrath in terms of the changes that he could make to the squad this summer, after reports emerged that the defensive duo of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Eric Bailly are not in the Dutchman’s plans.

One other player who we feel should not be a part of the 52-year-old’s plans for the Red Devils moving forward is Fred.

Signed from Shakhtar Donetsk four years ago in a deal worth a reported £52m, the £120k-per-week Brazilian has failed to repay that hefty price tag.

With 157 appearances under his belt for the Red Devils across all competitions, the 29-year-old has only netted eight goals and delivered just 13 assists in the process.

Just over a year after he made the move to Old Trafford, the midfielder was questioned by Gary Neville over what sort of player he is, what he offers the team and why the club’s decided to pay such a big fee for him.

In fact, in a poll ran by Football FanCast, 92% of participants claimed that United paid too much money for the midfielder.

Now that Fred’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2023, the upcoming transfer window could be the ideal time for United to cash in on the Brazil international and give Ten Hag the chance to totally refresh the midfield.

In terms of who the Red Devils could look to as a replacement for the 29-year-old misfit, one player with whom they have been linked recently and who could fit the bill is Wolves star Ruben Neves.

Having made 212 appearances for the Midlands club, the 25-year-old has scored 24 goals and delivered 12 assists along the way. With 142 Premier League games under his belt, Neves could be an ideal younger replacement for Fred with plenty of top-flight experience to his name as well.

Labelled a “maestro” by Tim Spiers, the journalist also described one of the Portugal midfielder’s goals in 2018 as “stunning.”

To compare the duo’s most recent league campaign with their respective clubs, Neves recorded more passes, shots, dribbles and crosses than the Brazilian, showing how impressive the Wolves midfielder is on the ball.

Off the ball, the Portugal international made more interceptions, won more tackles and made more successful pressures than Fred (FBRef), highlighting his all-round strengths and attributes in midfield.

With a reported price tag of £50m, signing Neves and getting rid of Fred could be the move which gets Ten Hag’s period in charge of United off to a flying start.

In other news: MUFC eyeing £50m dynamo who’s “a nightmare for defenders”, he’s better than Rashford