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West Ham United may be about to hatch a plan B in terms of midfield recruitment after seeing a bid for Lille’s Amadou Onana rejected. 

The lowdown

As per the Daily Mail, the Hammers offered the Ligue 1 side £20m for the defensive midfielder, but they were rebuffed. Lille, who finished 10th in the French top flight, are said to be adamant that the 20-year-old is not for sale this summer.

Les Dogues have already lost Sven Botman to Newcastle United in a £33.3m deal, while right-back Zeki Celik has been lured to Roma (via Transfermarkt).

Another midfielder in Renato Sanches could also be set to leave the club after agreeing terms with Paris Saint-Germain.

The latest

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reported that West Ham are ‘considering other midfield options’ after Lille dismissed the Irons’ offer for Onana.

It seems that, rather than testing the French club’s resolve with an improved fee, the Premier League outfit might instead turn their attention to a different target in that position.

The verdict

Who else might interest West Ham in terms of defensive midfield acquisitions?

It’s certainly an area that they need to address, with Alex Kral leaving the club following his season-long loan spell and Mark Noble hanging up his boots. Cover and competition for Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek is required.

They could look at a player who is stylistically similar and has Premier League experience in Brentford’s Vitaly Janelt. The German may not be quite as young as Onana, but at the age of 24, he is still only at the beginning of what should be his peak footballing years.

Valued at £12.6million by Transfermarkt, he might prove to be a more achievable acquisition.

West Ham United must finally seal a move for Chelsea centre-forward Armando Broja this summer with the player holding talks with the Blues over his next career move.

What’s the story?

According to The Daily Mail, Broja is set to hold talks with Chelsea over his future amid interest from West Ham and Everton.

The report states that both clubs have made contact over his availability and want to sign him permanently after he impressed on loan at Southampton last season.

The £30m-rated striker has also been linked to Newcastle United but the Hammers can offer European football and the player also wouldn’t need to relocate.

A move may hinge on Chelsea’s ability to recruit a replacement, and the imminent arrival of Raheem Sterling at Stamford Bridge could be a good sign.

He’s better than Antonio

The player he would be competing with to start up front at the London Stadium is Michail Antonio. He made 36 Premier League appearances for West Ham last season and was directly involved in 18 goals so would be hard to displace.

However, Broja who is just 20-years-old, could be a better option for West Ham in the long term, and with the service he would be receiving from their midfielders he’d surely be an upgrade.

The Hammers created 30 more big chances than Southampton last season which shows they are much better creatively.

Antonio turned 32 in March, and although he’s been very consistent for the east London side he won’t be performing to the same levels in years to come.

If you compare their statistics then Broja also excels in several categories. The Albanian has a higher shots on target percentage at 40% compared to Antonio’s 33%.

He also impresses more with the ball at his feet having a higher dribble success percentage than the West Ham striker, and former pro Sergio Porrini has dubbed him “devastating”.

Ultimately securing his signature would be a great investment and a signal of intent that the Irons can offer better opportunities for youngsters who struggle for game time at bigger clubs.

It wouldn’t bring an end to Antonio’s time at the club but would allow them to rely less on him and start thinking about the future.

IN other news: WHU “really interested” in signing “exceptional” £43m-rated talent, imagine him & Rice…

Celtic midfielder Mikey Johnston should leave Parkhead this summer in order to become a ‘star’ man elsewhere, according to former Hoops striker Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Johnston struggles for game-time

Ange Postecoglou’s side enjoyed a triumphant 2021/22 season, reclaiming the Premiership title, with a number of players making telling contributions.

Johnston wasn’t one of those, however, only starting three league games throughout the entire campaign and failing to register a single goal or assist.

The 23-year-old hasn’t been strongly linked with a move away recently, but one pundit believes that he may need to leave Celtic for the betterment of his career.

The Latest: McAvennie urges Johnston to consider moving

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie claimed that Johnston simply isn’t good enough to shine for the Hoops but has backed him to excel if he were to move elsewhere.

The 62-year-old said:

“He’s wanting to play and he is a good player, if he goes to another team he’ll be a star. He’s not a striker, he’s like a number ten. And Celtic already have [David] Turnbull, [Reo] Hatate and plenty of other players like that. They’ve got bundles of midfield players.

“But the decision is down to Mikey but I don’t see how he’s going to get into the team. Unless there’s so many injuries. And there will be games where he’ll be played, but do you want to be that player? I think he’s too good to be that player.

“I just don’t think he’s good enough to be in the Celtic team. He’s obviously not consistent enough or he would be in. The problems he has can all be sorted by playing more games.”

The Verdict: More likely to stay

Considering the lack of reports suggesting otherwise, it seems likely that Johnston will remain a Celtic player for the time being, although it is hard to see his squad status changing.

Postecoglou now has Champions League football to plan for and could look to sign a new attacking midfielder in order to enhance his team’s chances of thriving in Europe’s premier club competition.

That would push Johnston further down the pecking order, so it does make sense for him to consider a fresh challenge at some point in the near future, even if it isn’t this summer.

Wolves have been linked with a move for Inter striker Edin Dzeko recently and the Bosnian could be Bruno Lage’s own version of Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane at Molineux.

Reports from Italy have suggested that Wolves are one of several sides interested in the former Manchester City man this summer, with the 36-year-old seemingly available despite a strong debut season with the Serie A side.

The veteran forward contributed an impressive 17 goals and ten assists in 48 appearances, following his move from Roma last summer, which emphasises that he was a key part of Simone Inzaghi’s squad at the San Siro.

Therefore, he could definitely offer Wolves some real quality in attack next season, which Lage will be crying out for after several lacklustre performances last term.

If he were to make the move to Molineux, he could perform a similar role to Kane for the Old Gold. According to FbRef, the England captain is the most similar player to Dzeko in terms of style of play.

According to WhoScored, both Kane and Dzeko excel at aerial duels and finishing, while they also like to drop deep and spread the play via long balls.

If Dzeko were to perform at even half of the level of Kane, given his incredible performances for Spurs in recent seasons, then he would surely be a worthwhile addition.

Roberto Mancini was full of praise for Dzeko back in 2015, saying:

“We’ll have to pay attention to Edin, because he’s one of the best in the world. He’ll score at least 15 goals though, because he has incredible quality.”

Even seven years on, the Bosnia and Herzegovina international is still finding the back of the net on a regular basis, and his record suggests that he would have no trouble re-adjusting to the Premier League.

Therefore, Jeff Shi should definitely try and bring Dzeko to Molineux this summer.

AND, in other news: Lage can unearth the next £59m gem as Wolves target “one of the biggest talents”

Italian journalist Loris Marinelli has made quite an exciting West Ham United transfer claim involving Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca and Eintracht Frankfurt star Filip Kostic.

The Lowdown: West Ham enter transfer talks…

As reliably reported, the Premier League club have their sights set on the duo as they look to bolster both their forward line and their defensive options.

West Ham are apparently in talks for Scamacca and Kostic simultaneously, as backed by reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

It has also since been confirmed by Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali that there is an Irons agreement in place for the former, but while the Italian’s signing seems more than likely, things are bit more uncertain around Kostic.

The Latest: Marinelli makes double transfer claim…

However, in an exciting update, Marinelli has claimed that both transfer targets ‘will arrive’ at the London Stadium.

Sharing what he knows, the journalist – as seen on La Gazzetta dello Sport and Sport Italia TV – claims that West Ham will sign Scamacca and Kostic for a combined fee of €60m (£51m).

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He explained (via Twitter, translated from Italian): “Two hits in one hit for the #WestHam. #Kostic and #Scamacca will arrive for a figure around €60m.”

The Verdict: Huge few days ahead?

If this claim comes to fruition, it’s safe to say this could be an exciting next few days for West Ham on the transfer front.

Scamacca netted 16 goals in 25 Serie A starts last season and could add real dynamism up front, while Kostic, who bagged a brilliant 15 assists in all competitions over 2021/22 as he helped Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory, will be there to supply him.

With David Moyes’ Irons battling on four fronts again this term, any additions to pad out squad depth will surely be greatly appreciated by the London Stadium faithful.

Sunderland would be wise to follow the signing of Ellis Simms with the capture of Nathan Broadhead, according to Roker Report writer and podcaster Philip West.

The Lowdown: Broadhead impresses on loan

The 24-year-old enjoyed an impressive spell on loan at the Stadium of Light last season, playing his part in them eventually being promoted to the Championship.

Broadhead scored ten goals in just 15 starts in League One and was also hailed as ‘fantastic’ by former Black Cats manager Lee Johnson, such was his impact.

Now back at Everton, he has again been linked with a return to Sunderland, with his future very much up in the air and his teammate, Simms, already moving to Wearside this week.

The Latest: Podcaster wants summer move to happen

Someone who is keen for the move to happen is West, who took to Twitter to get behind the signing on Friday:

“I don’t want to be too greedy regarding signings (I do really) but if we could add Nathan Broadhead after the loan deal for Ellis Simms, that really gives us some considerable firepower. Would love it to happen.”

The Verdict: Ideal for attacking depth

Given the manner in which Broadhead shone for Sunderland last season, it makes perfect sense for them to bring him back again, even if it is on a permanent deal.

He only has one year remaining on his current Everton contract and the Toffees may be keen to sell him for a reduced amount, rather than risk losing him for free next summer.

Broadhead could come in and enjoy both a partnership and competition with the likes of Ross Stewart and Simms, ensuring the Black Cats are well-equipped to steer clear of the Championship relegation battle in 2022/23.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has confirmed that he will be without midfielder Oliver Skipp for their Premier League opener against Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

“At the moment we only have one player who will definitely miss Southampton and that is Skipp,” he told reporters during his pre-game press conference at Hotspur Way, as relayed by attending football.london reporter Alasdair Gold.

The reliable journalist described the Englishman’s injury as “freak” earlier in the week, so it could be a couple of weeks before we see him return to action, which is rather unfortunate for Conte, the player himself and the squad.

New summer signing Yves Bissouma is also a doubt for the fixture but the Italian claims that it is “nothing serious” by comparison.

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With that in mind, he has plenty to ponder in terms of team selection as he will want Spurs to get off to the best possible start with three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Skipp adds a real steely edge to the Lilywhites’ engine room, having averaged 2.2 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per 90 in the Premier League last season, via WhoScored.

The England U21 international is hugely admired by Conte and after being revealed as one of his fittest two performers in pre-season, he would have surely been in line for a start against the Saints.

However, the baton may well be passed to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as he has all the attributes required to fill such a big void.

The tough-tackling Dane ranked third for minutes played in the top-flight for Spurs last season as he became a reliable and trustworthy choice for Conte, who was also without Skipp for large parts of the campaign.

In terms of defensive output, no other midfielder could match his numbers, having averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per outing, via WhoScored.

The 26-year-old powerhouse also got forward to chip in with four goal contributions and 1.2 dribbles per game, too.

Hojbjerg, who is valued at a whopping €70m (£58m) by CIES Football Observatory, does much more than deliver on the pitch as he is widely regarded as ‘a captain without the armband’, at least that’s what former manager Jose Mourinho once lauded him as.

Also dubbed a “monster” by ex-Denmark international Morten Bisgaard, it’s clear that the former St Mary’s skipper can come back to haunt his former club in Spurs’ time of need.

With Skipp absent and Bissouma a doubt, Conte must hand the reins to Hojbjerg this weekend.

AND in other news, Spurs have “unplayable” £10m ace “on their list”, could be bye-bye “shaky” Jose Mourinho-signed flop…

Celtic are not interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley this summer despite rumours suggesting otherwise, according to journalist Mark Hendry.

The Lowdown: Barkley rumour emerges

The Hoops have made an ideal start to their Scottish Premiership title defence, winning their opening two matches against Aberdeen and Ross County.

That’s not to say that Ange Postecoglou isn’t still potentially looking at more signings, however, with rumours of a move for a midfielder and striker, and Barkley has been linked with a move to Parkhead in recent days.

The 28-year-old is out of favour at Chelsea currently and may be able to leave before the end of the current transfer window.

The Latest: Journalist rubbishes transfer

According to Football Scotland‘s Hendry, however, Barkley is ‘not on Celtic’s radar’, with recent claims ‘well wide of the mark’.

“To address one of this summer’s more farfetched transfer rumours, now, and Football Scotland can confirm that Ross Barkley is not on Celtic’s radar,” reports Hendry.

“The Hoops were linked with a sensational loan move for the Chelsea midfielder but those claims are well wide of the mark. Silly season is upon us, after all.”

The Englishman’s current Chelsea deal expires in 2023.

The Verdict: Always seemed unlikely

While the thought of Barkley in a Celtic shirt is exciting – he is a 33-cap England international who has been described as ‘very dangerous’ by Thomas Tuchel – it always felt like more of a pipe dream than anything.

If the midfielder does leave Chelsea this summer, it may be to another Premier League team, with the former Everton man arguably seeing the Scottish Premiership as a big drop down in quality.

Postecoglou should still look to sign someone of Barkley’s ilk, however – a player who could add a sprinkling of magic and unpredictability in the middle of the park, opening up defences with his drive and creativity.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has backed Newcastle United to sign James Maddison.

The Lowdown: Will push again

Writing in his latest column for CaughtOffside, Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that the St James’ Park outfit will push again for the 25-year-old after previously having two bids rejected for the attacking midfielder.

However, Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers still insists that the player is not for sale, although that stance could change if the right amount of money is put on the table.

The Latest: Kenny backs Maddison move

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny still thinks that Newcastle could still land Maddison before the transfer window shuts, claiming that the 25-year-old would be a ‘massive signing’ for the Magpies.

The ex-QPR goalkeeper stated: “It would be a big signing. Leicester have said he is not for sale to bump up the price tag, that’s what happens when Newcastle are interested.

“I like Maddison, he had an amazing season last year. He has gone so well at Leicester and I’m sure he would be a great signing.

“I think they can get him before the window shuts, it would be another massive signing for them.”

The Verdict: Statement signing

If Newcastle were able to sign Maddison, it would certainly send a message out to the rest of the Premier League that they truly mean business.

The Englishman recorded the most goal contributions of any Leicester player in the top flight last season, racking up an impressive 12 goals and eight assists from the middle of the park (WhoScored).

He is already up and running for this term with an assist for Timothy Castagne in Sunday afternoon’s 2-2 draw at home to Brentford.

Nonetheless, with Nick Pope, Sven Botman and Matt Targett already through the door this summer, Maddison would be the marquee attacking acquisition that’s needed in order to take the Magpies to the next level in their long-term project.

West Ham have made encouraging moves this transfer window in order to bolster their paper-thin squad ahead of what could be yet another potentially gruelling campaign, especially if David Moyes guides them on another famous European run.

The Scot guided West Ham to the Europa League semi-finals last term but was over-reliant on the same core group of players and has recruited well this summer, with Flynn Downes, Gianluca Scamacca, Nayef Aguerd, and Maxwel Cornet all arriving in London.

However, with Aguerd suffering a serious-looking ankle injury in a pre-season friendly against Rangers and the club selling Issa Diop to Premier League new boys Fulham, Moyes’ squad is extremely light when it comes to centre-backs.

One name that has been touted as a potential signing is Manchester United defender Eric Bailly, with West Ham keen on adding the Ivory Coast international to their ranks.

He could be the perfect Diop replacement, although Man United reportedly only wants to sell the player, with the club reluctant for him to leave on loan.

Last season was a tough one for the centreback, playing only six times as he fell down the Old Trafford pecking order, but the 28-year-old titan still has a lot to offer.

Bailly has averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.89 through his career whilst also making winning 1.7 aerial duels per match, showing just how effective he is in the air.

His first season in the Premier League saw him at his most influential, winning 43 tackles and making 66 interceptions as United won the League Cup, Charity Shield, and Europa League.

Through a mixture of injuries and poor form, Bailly hasn’t kicked on from his impressive debut campaign in England, but Moyes should be able to bring the defender back to his commanding best.

Having been dubbed as “levels above” fellow United centre-back Harry Maguire, it’s clear just how much talent the player possesses, if he can stay fit and focussed.

Moyes could make a big statement of intent by signing him, whether it’s on loan or a permanent deal, and with United reportedly looking at a fee of £17m for a potential move, it could be Moyes’ best bit of business in the window.