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According to transfer ‘insider’ Graeme Bailey, writing for 90min, West Ham United have set their sights on a fresh target as news emerges on Lille defender Sven Botman.

The Lowdown: West Ham in defensive crisis…

Injuries to both Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma have prompted David Moyes to search for new centre-back signings in the looming January transfer window.

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Premier League trio James Tarkowksi, Nathan Ake and Nathaniel Phillips are the most heavily linked with a move to the London Stadium as things stand, but that hasn’t stopped other names from entering the fray.

Recently, a report from Italy claimed that West Ham could set their sights on Torino powerhouse Gleison Bremer, Juventus outcast Daniele Rugani or Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic (Calciomercato).

Now, as per 90min, it appears that Moyes and transfer chief Rob Newman have another new name on the agenda.

The Latest: Transfer insider breaks news…

According to transfer insider Bailey, writing for 90min, West Ham have made a pre-January approach to sign Ligue 1 sensation Botman in the form of an enquiry.

It is believed that the 21-year-old is attracting plenty of interest, especially from Newcastle who have made him a top target, while the Dutchman’s agents have also made known his possible availability.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Lille have apparently slapped a price tag of around €25m-€30m (£21.2m-£25.4m) on their star defender (La Gazzetta via Milan News), and for that price he would be an absolute steal.

According to journalist Duncan Castles, team-mate and former Irons defender Jose Fonte is a huge fan, apparently calling Botman a ‘machine’ and a man ‘who doesn’t make mistakes’ behind the scenes (via Planet Football).

The Dutchman has also averaged an impressive 4.6 clearances per 90 in the French top flight this season, with only Kurt Zouma bettering those numbers for West Ham in the Premier League (WhoScored).

Botman is also a more accurate passer of the ball out from defence than any of Moyes’ current crop, finding his teammates 85.8% of the time, highlighting a degree of composure at such a young age.

His ceiling appears to be vast, with a maximum cost of £25.4m looking like an absolute steal.

In other news: Newman also exploring offer to sign ‘underrated’ £28.8m ace who’s now keen to join West Ham, find out more here.

A major update has emerged on Sunderland forward Charlie Wyke, regarding where he wants to play his football next season.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Sunderland centre-forward Wyke is very keen on securing a transfer to Scottish Premiership side Celtic. He is out of contract at the end of the month and is eager to seal a switch to Celtic as he wants to test himself in Scotland.

The report claims that Celtic are set to offer Wyke a long-term contract as they attempt to land his signature. Sunderland remain in talks with Wyke over a new deal but have been unable to reach an agreement so far.

Sunderland midfielder Lynden Gooch heaped praise on the “strong” striker in November 2020, lauding his work rate off the ball for the club.

He told SAFC unfiltered, as transcribed by Inside Futbol:

“You know going into the game, he’s going to batter the other team’s centre-halves. You know he will. He’s so strong, so big.

“I think his work rate gets taken for granted as a big striker like that, he’s nearly running 11km – that’s a lot for a centre-forward.”

Speakman must axe him

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman must reluctantly axe Wyke following this latest update. Speakman needs to end negotiations with Wyke and allow him to leave the club or else he could end up causing a disaster.

It looks like Wyke has made it clear that he would like to test himself at a higher level and join Celtic, which means that him staying at Sunderland will not be ideal for anyone.

Even if Wyke now decides to extend his contract at Sunderland, given this latest update, it would likely be purely for financial reasons and that could cause issues next season.

He has shown that he is clearly not content playing in League One and this means that he may not be fully motivated to perform for Sunderland and could, therefore, be a problem in the changing room for Lee Johnson.

The £6.4k-per-week beast will undoubtedly be a loss for the Black Cats. He scored an incredible 26 goals in League One for Sunderland and finding a replacement to replicate his goal tally could be difficult for Johnson and Speakman this summer.

However, an unmotivated Wyke may not be able to replicate it himself if he is still at the Stadium of Light with a move elsewhere in his mind. This is why Speakman must let him go, even if it is a blow in the short term.

AND in other news, Get it done: Speakman must complete Sunderland deal for “unique” £3.4k-p/w enforcer…

Barry Fry has told Football FanCast that Liverpool’s season has been nothing short of a “disaster”.

The club are facing a genuine battle to finish in the top four, a comedown after last season’s brilliance as they won the Premier League title at a canter.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are fighting with Chelsea, West Ham United, and Tottenham Hotspur to qualify for the Champions League, with their hopes taking a fresh blow on Saturday as they were held to a last-gasp 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at Anfield.

But they could well finish in the Europa League, as they have battled with a number of injury issues.

Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Jordan Henderson, Alisson Becker and Divock Origi have all struggled with injury issues, with the first two missing the majority of the season.

Liverpool only dropped points in six games last season, drawing three and losing three, but following the clash with Newcastle United, they have now drawn nine and lost nine.

And Fry believes that they have run out of luck this term.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “I mean, after the previous two years, where they’ve been absolutely brilliant, this season’s been a disaster in as much as he’s had horrendous injuries for a horrendously long time and things like that, everything’s gone wrong for Liverpool this season.”

Rangers need to tie down Connor Goldson to a new long-term deal at Ibrox as his contract is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

What’s the word?

Goldson has been a mainstay at the heart of defence for Rangers ever since joining the side in the summer of 2018 under the previous manager Steven Gerrard.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season, there has been no word of an extension from Giovanni van Bronckhorst and this is concerning.

Having featured in all 32 Scottish Premiership matches this season; Goldson would leave a massive hole in the Gers backline if he chose to leave the club.

Disaster if Goldson doesn’t stay

There is no doubt about it that Goldson has been key to Rangers’ success over the previous two seasons. Alongside Filip Helander, the Ibrox side only conceded Chelsea in 2004-2005.

Additionally, the defender also scored eight times during the campaign, including a brace against Celtic, and was arguably at his peak.

The start of this season saw the Gers struggle to replicate the highs of the previous campaign, being knocked out by Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers and stuttering in the league.

Following the 3-1 League Cup semi-final defeat to Hibernian at Hampden in November, Goldson said that Rangers had “lacked hunger” following their title win and this statement was not popular amongst the supporters.

The last few weeks have seen a resurgence in both Rangers and Goldson’s form, with progression in the Europa League following victory over Braga and an excellent win against Celtic in the Scottish Cup Semi-final, it could be a wonderful final few weeks of the season for the Ibrox faithful.

During that run, he hasn’t dipped an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.9, with six of the seven appearances seeing him register a rating above 7.0, illustrating his importance during the back end of the term.

The £27k-per-week defender has been described as the “rock” that the side is built on, and after these last few weeks, it’s hard to argue.

Goldson will be a key protagonist if success is to be claimed and seeing him leave, despite the incoming arrival of John Souttar, would be a disaster for van Bronckhorst and co.

In other news, Sources: Huge transfer news emerges that could send Rangers into panic mode – opinion

Many fans of Manchester City have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed Sam Lee’s article regarding the future of Erling Haaland.

In his article for The Athletic, Lee claims that City representatives have been in contact with Haaland’s father in recent weeks, meaning that the “wheels are in motion” regarding a move for the £141,000-per-week centre-forward this summer, in addition to the fact that the club have “sanctioned” the potential transfer.

So far this season, the £99m-rated 20-year-old has been in astonishing form for Borussia Dortmund, scoring 21 goals and providing four assists over his 21 Bundesliga appearances, as well as bagging 10 goals and one assist in just six Champions League fixtures.

After City Xtra relayed Lee’s report on Twitter, these fans of Manchester City flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing to be ecstatic at the prospect of Pep Guardiola’s side landing Haaland this summer.

So, what exactly did these Manchester City fans have to say in reaction to the report regarding Erling Haaland?

“This is genuinely happening.”

@OliverBoisen

“OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG.”

@SilkyCyrus_74

“Wow.”

@Vrishab05777495

“He’s coming home.”

@CityJoul

“SAM LEE? This is becoming serious man.”

@agboladephilip

“This is what we like to see.”

@alexpaolo9

“OHHHHHHHH.”

@Prince_Ederson

“IT’S HAPPENING! IT’S REALLY HAPPENING!!”

@Citizenani06

In other news: loads of Manchester City fans loved this news about a former Etihad hero – find out more here!

Leeds United have been handed a major update on Adam Forshaw and his future at Elland Road.

What’s the story?

The midfielder has endured a difficult spell at Marcelo Bielsa’s side for well over a year now, with injuries seeing him miss the entire Premier League season – in fact, his only appearance came at Premier League 2 level when he was given a run-out against Villa’s U23s back in mid-April.

And now, responding to a question about where things stand with the 29-year-old, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross said: “No word on Forshaw since he suffered that issue Bielsa mentioned in the days after the under-23s win over Villa. Fingers are crossed for him. Pre-season is huge for him if he can keep pace with the others coming back to start the new programme.”

Bielsa needs him

Speaking towards the end of last season, Bielsa himself said: “He has basically been not playing for two seasons and to be able to play 90 minutes at a high competition after being healthy – there is still a while to go before you’re ready for that.

“He’s healthy, and has two months left of the season to prove that he is finally over his issues. We all hope it will be like this, because he is a very important player and he has made a massive effort to overcome the situation that he’s been through.”

And, after his display against Villa, Cross noted: “Playing in the role fans will associate with Stuart Dallas or Mateusz Klich in the first team, Forshaw had the freedom to get forward as well as defend.

“It was a polished performance with an array of long and short-range passing, as well as some crunching tackles and one memorable 50-50 he did not shirk, which underlines the confidence he has with his body.”

Given the fact Leeds don’t have natural cover for Kalvin Phillips, and a new central midfielder still having yet to be signed, Forshaw’s comeback from injury is a timely one.

Bielsa needs a player with his experience to return to the first-team squad and offer him another vital option in the middle of the park, and Cross’ update on him should have Leeds fans paying close attention to how things pan out with Forshaw.

Meanwhile, Leeds United are eyeing this Championship starlet…

West Brom correspondent Steve Madeley says he’d ‘be surprised’ if they engaged in ‘many bidding wars’, with the Baggies facing competition to sign Harry Wilson from Liverpool.

The lowdown

The Athletic’s James Pearce reports that Liverpool want £13million for the Wales international.

SL Benfica made an approach for Wilson, only for initial talks to stall over the Reds’ demands.

The Portuguese outfit are nonetheless expected to continue their pursuit of the 24-year-old, who’s also attracted interest from West Brom and newly-promoted Brentford.

In addition to his seven goals, Wilson recorded 11 assists while on loan at Cardiff City last season.

Only Michael Olise and Emiliano Buendia, who’s just sealed a £33million switch to Aston Villa, set up more goals.

The latest

Madeley pointed out that ‘lots of other clubs’ are keen on Wilson, who’s currently on Euro 2020 duty.

And he doesn’t expect Albion to be willing to slug it out with those fellow suitors for his signature.

West Brom were, of course, relegated to the second tier after their Premier League return lasted only one season.

The verdict

Wilson would be an excellent signing for West Brom because, in all honesty, he’s too good to be playing in the Championship.

He’s a high calibre player judging by his showings on loan at the likes of Cardiff and Derby, and he could be the driving force behind a promotion bid if the Baggies pulled off the coup.

But you can see the wisdom in allocating resources more widely if his price creeps up – plenty of improvements are needed in the squad to ensure a proper push at an immediate return to the top flight.

And it should also be noted that Wilson’s preference will surely be top-tier football given that he is now approaching his prime at 24. He may be looking to truly launch his career after waiting in vain for a chance at Liverpool.

In other news, fans are excited by this transfer rumour.  

Vasilis Barkas could be headed back to Greece, with PAOK ‘weighing up’ a loan move for the Celtic goalkeeper.

That’s according to the Daily Record, who report that the Glasgow giants are hoping to arrange his temporary departure this summer.

PAOK are apparently the first club to make a ‘firm enquiry’ about Barkas, although there is also reported interest from clubs in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Tough few months for Celtic goalie Barkas

Barkas arrived at Celtic from AEK Athens for a fee of £4.5m last summer. He has made 20 appearances for the Hoops this season, keeping nine clean sheets, and former manager Neil Lennon hailed some of his performances at Parkhead as “excellent”.

However, he has now very much fallen out of favour. His last Premiership start came in the 2-2 draw with Livingston on 20 January, with Scott Bain since establishing himself as number one.

Barkas also lost his place in the Greece squad for the March internationals, to compound his recent woes.

At the weekend, Native publication Sportime reported that he wasn’t keen on such a swift return to the Greek Super League. However, the 26-year-old’s stance may change if Celtic make it clear that he’s not in the first team picture and PAOK prove to be one of the few clubs who can offer him consistent game-time.

Transfer Tavern verdict

In actual fact, the outlook may not be quite so bleak for Barkas. Eddie Howe’s former club Bournemouth were apparently eyeing him before he joined Celtic, so he might just fit the 43-year-old’s bill if he is confirmed as Lennon’s long-term successor in the Hoops dugout.

Howe is now in line to take over at Parkhead, and may give the Greek goalkeeper an opportunity to impress in pre-season rather than simply showing him the door.

In other news, there’s an update in Celtic’s pursuit of a teenage forward.

Celtic’s interim boss John Kennedy has been urged to join Ross County if he leaves Parkhead.

Former County goalkeeper Michael Fraser told The Press and Journal that the 37-year-old would be well-suited to the managerial position at the Global Energy Stadium.

The lowdown

Kennedy took over from Neil Lennon when he resigned at the end of February, with Celtic’s title hopes having unravelled. Predominantly using a 4-4-2 diamond formation, he oversaw four victories, four draws and two defeats in total.

Celtic were 18 points adrift of Rangers when Kennedy took over and ended up 25 points behind their Glasgow rivals at the season’s end. The Gers also knocked them out of the Scottish Cup in the fourth round.

According to the Daily Record, Eddie Howe will be announced as Lennon’s long-term successor this week. He is also poised to bring backroom staff from Bournemouth with him, so it’s unclear whether there’ll be any place for Kennedy under the 43-year-old’s regime.

Ross County finished third from bottom in the Premiership this season. John Hughes kept them in the division but has not been offered a permanent deal.

The latest

If Kennedy is looking to move into management permanently rather than return to a behind-the-scenes role, Fraser says that County would be an ideal destination for him, telling The Press and Journal:

“Personally I think, John Kennedy, should he leave Celtic, would be a really good shout. He is highly thought of and it would be a good job for him to start off with.

“I am pretty sure a guy like John would like this job. He’s just a name that leapt out at me.

“Roy [Macgregor, chairman] might be looking at a more experienced manager, but going left-field John would be a good pick.

“He is highly-rated by ex-players and maybe he will want to come in and get his hands dirty by coaching them to play in the way he wants them to play.

“It’s maybe the best of the smaller clubs to achieve that because you will get support.”

The verdict

Howe may well deem Kennedy surplus to requirements at Celtic, partly as a symbolic ‘out with the old, in with the new’ move.

While Kennedy didn’t do enough in his time at the helm at Parkhead to suggest that he had credentials to be the permanent boss, he faced an unenviable task in trying to salvage the wreckage of the Hoops’ season.

Centre-back Kristoffer Ajer was also full of praise for his ‘fantastic’ coaching methods, and a club further down the Premiership would certainly be wise to give him a chance to prove his worth.

In other news, there’s an update on the future of Oliver Ntcham. 

Liverpool have suffered an injury blow ahead of their trip to Leeds United next weekend after Takumi Minamino picked up a knock while on national team duty.

The Japan international was forced to withdraw from the squad after picking up an injury and won’t be able to feature in Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against China.

What’s the word?

Although the 26-year-old was called up by Hajime Moriyasu last week, he didn’t feature in his nation’s 1-0 defeat to Oman on Thursday.

“Midfielder Takumi Minamino (Liverpool FC) has been withdrawn from the team due to an injury at SAMURAI BLUE, which is active for the Asian final qualifying (Road to Qatar) China national team match,” read a statement from the Japan FA (as relayed by the Liverpool Echo).

It continued: “We will inform you of additional convened players to replace Minamino as soon as they are decided.”

Jurgen Klopp will be gutted

Despite Minamino not playing a single minute of Liverpool’s 2021/22 campaign so far, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is still likely to be gutted to learn of the 26-year-old’s recent setback.

The former RB Salzburg forward is set to join Roberto Firmino on the treatment table after the 29-year-old was forced off the field against Chelsea in the first half last weekend.

That leaves just the out-of-form Divock Origi as backup to a front three of Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane, meaning that Klopp is desperately short of options in the final third of the pitch.

The Merseysiders will be hoping to maintain their solid start to the new campaign when they travel to Elland Road to face Leeds following the international break, but they’ll have to do so without a selection of their forward players. News of Minamino’s injury will not amuse his club manager.

In other news… Edwards can redeem himself at Liverpool with January move for “devastating” maestro