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Speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, former West Ham United striker Marlon Harewood backed David Moyes to utilise Tomas Soucek in efforts to sign Slavia Prague striker Abdallah Sima.

The Irons have been credited with interest in the 19-year-old marksman, but face competition from Premier League big-hitters Arsenal and Manchester United and Serie A giants Juventus.

Sima has scored 14 goals in 21 games this season, after making the step up to Jindrich Trpisovsky’s first-team with strikes to his name in the Fortuna Liga and Europa League.

Slavia have been expected to rebuff any approaches in January and look to cash-in on Sima come the summer, after rejecting offers worth €10m (£9m) during the last transfer window, but would not refuse bids of €50m (£44.5m).

Harewood would not judge Sima on the fee Slavia President Jaroslav Tvrdik touted, but rather bend the ear of 6 ft 4 Moyes favourite Soucek after the midfielder’s time at Slavia Prague.

“The best person to ask would be Soucek. If he’s played with him, he would know straight away and he can explain to him what it’s going to take to [make it in England],” Harewood told FFC.

“He’s been playing with him for quite a while at his previous club, so it’d be good, he knows what he’s about. And if he says: ‘Yes, he’s the one that’s going to help us build and do really well for seasons to come’, then I think he’ll be the best person to ask that question.

“But his ratio seems really good. The money, nowadays, it’s hard to judge a player on a price tag.”

Sima made his Slavia first-team debut after Soucek joined West Ham in a permanent £19m transfer this summer, but the Irons’ star midfielder has previously waxed lyrical over the Senegalese teen.

“I’m excited about him. His goals are very much similar to what I’ve been scoring. I’m glad that such a player was found, but it’s not just about that. He shows one-on-one qualities, finishing, just a typical winger,” Soucek told CT Sport.

“I have to say that the guys or the media around West Ham know about him. I would only be happy if another player from Slavia came, but it is still far away. He’s still a young player and he has to prove it. But a lot of people know about him and notice him. Only good for him.”

Soucek’s love is well placed, with Sima scoring twice against Ligue 1 side OGC Nice in the Europa League earlier this season, and finding the back of the net twice in the Fortuna Liga derby against rivals AC Sparta Prague.

Whether West Ham move to sign Sima this month remains to be seen, though Moyes’ side are certainly in the market for a striker after Sebastien Haller’s £20m move to AFC Ajax.

AND in other news, West Ham are considering a £15.5m-rated striker without a goal since October to replace Seb Haller…

Some Everton fans have been lauding a transfer update involving a potential swoop for West Ham United star Felipe Anderson.

As per TEAMtalk, the Goodison Park faithful are considering a move for the Brazil international as Carlo Ancelotti is looking for a possible replacement for Bernard, of whom the Italian boss is preparing for his exit from the Merseyside club to AS Roma.

While he has fallen out of favour at the Hammers, having been shipped off on loan to FC Porto for the 2020/21 term, he could still be a good signing for the Toffees.

The 27-year-old has a vast amount of experience playing in the Premier League, scoring 10 goals and making a further eight assists in 63 games over the last three consecutive terms (Transfermarkt).

If Bernard were to go, the winger could be his ideal replacement.

Everton fan reaction to Anderson link

These Toffees supporters lauded the transfer update on Twitter:

“If he’s not on mad wages then yes! Could be an exceptional signing if Carlo can get him to his best”

Credit: @rimmerefc

“You know what, I’d take that, I still rate him”

Credit: @RyanG78_

“If it’s a straight choice between him and Bernard then I’d take him. New challenge/motivation may be the move he needs. Bernard is just woeful”

Credit: @AlexOBr82171506

“Be a great signing!”

Credit: @Tomwalk62023010

“If this actually means Bernard leaves the club, get the deal done asap”

Credit: @johngale_

“It’s a yes from me”

Credit: @Paul1878W

In other news, find out who some Blues want to keep after news emerged here!

Journalist Alan Nixon has recently issued an update about Rangers’ interest in Preston North End’s Ben Davies.

While Football Insider had recently stated that Rangers had made a ‘significant’ offer to sign Davies on a pre-contract basis in the summer, Nixon has claimed the complete opposite about the Preston defender and his links with a move to Ibrox.

Rangers yet to make Davies offer

Alan Nixon tweeted about Rangers’ interest in Davies when a fan asked him about the player’s situation. He revealed “there’s no Rangers pre contract offer for Davies”, despite claims from Football Insider that an offer has been made.

It has also been stated that Rangers are competing with their Old Firm rivals and English clubs for Davies’ signature.

Davies has made 16 Championship appearances for Preston this season, coming up with one assist so far. All of his appearances have come from the centre-back position this season (as per Transfermarkt).

The 25-year-old is currently valued at £2.16m by Transfermarkt and he has been described as a player who is comfortable on the ball and confident in the air.

Davies could be a good signing for Rangers

With Nikola Katic injured and George Edmundson seemingly on the way out, Steven Gerrard only has three centre-back options in the team – Leon Balogun, Filip Helander and Conor Goldson.

Davies would add depth and ability to that position and his versatility – he can play either centre-back role or at left-back – would also be an extra reason why the Ibrox side would benefit from signing him.

In other news, Rangers are eyeing another Championship star – read more here.

David Sullivan would be heading for disaster by signing Marcus Edwards amid claims West Ham United are a likely destination for the Vitoria Guimaraes winger.

What’s the word?

According to O Jogo (5/1, p. 19), the Irons are lining up an £18m bid to bring Edwards back to the Premier League just one-and-a-half-years on from leaving Tottenham Hotspur.

The London Stadium is considered a likely destination for the Spurs product, after seemingly fending off firm interest from a host of clubs in England and Portugal including London rivals Fulham and Crystal Palace plus Southampton.

Edwards quit Tottenham in 2019 due to a lack of playing time in north London, though accepted that his struggles to breakthrough also stemmed from a poor attitude in his youth.

He played just 15 minutes of first-team football altogether outside of loan spells with Norwich City and SBV Excelsior Rotterdam before moving to Portugal, where he has scored 10 goals and provided 11 assists in 50 games across all competitions to date.

Spurs would be due 50 per cent of any fee paid to Vitoria for Edwards after insisting on a sell-on clause to be included in their deal for the midfielder, who is considered to be among the most gifted dribblers to emerge from the north London side’s academy in recent years.

Anderson 2.0

Edwards enjoyed a tremendous debut season with Vitoria Guimaraes last term to net nine goals and pen nine assists, but has struggled to reach the same heights this term with a sole strike and two further assists added to the London-born 22-year-old’s account.

Rarely has Edwards offered a gifted touch in the final third to provide goals or assists during Liga NOS fixtures this season, with the former England U20 international recording just 0.5 key balls and 0.9 shots a game beside 0.1 accurate crosses, per SofaScore.

He additionally averages a mere 10.4 accurate passes and loses possession 11.0 times a game in the Portuguese top-flight, but uses his effectiveness on the ground to make 2.3 successful dribbles and win all 4.5 of his duels.

Mauricio Pochettino lauded Edwards for his potential whilst in charge of Tottenham, believing the diminutive 5 ft 6 attacker with lightning-quick feet reminded him of FC Barcelona great Lionel Messi.

“The qualities – it’s only looks, his body and the way that he plays – remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi,” Pochettino said, via quotes by Sky Sports. “He is a very good prospect and potentially he can be a top player, but we need to be patient and tell him that he has a lot of talent, enough talent to be a top player, a great player.”

That potential is still yet to truly unfold and Sullivan would instead be handing David Moyes a new Felipe Anderson, who may be recalled from a failed loan spell with FC Porto in order to protect his market value ahead of a sale in the summer.

AND in other news, David Moyes has dodged a huge bullet as West Ham dealt blow in bid to sign an 11-goal target.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Gary Mabbutt believes Tottenham’s transfer dealings in the summer were the best in a long time from Daniel Levy.

Mabbutt praises Levy

During the summer, Spurs brought in seven new first-team players, including the likes of Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon.

Mabbutt was delighted with the business of Levy and co behind the scenes. He said:

“Our transfer signings in the last window were the best we’ve had for a long, long time.”

Fantastic business

It is hard not to be impressed with what Levy was able to achieve during the previous window. Reguilon, for example, was signed for £28m, despite coming from Real Madrid and having won the Europa League with Sevilla last term. Bale was also brought in from Real, albeit on loan, and his top-level experience could be incredibly valuable to Jose Mourinho this term.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has come in for praise too – he cost the paltry sum of £15m from Southampton, with bit-part player Kyle Walker-Peters going in the opposite direction. Other arrivals such as Carlos Vinicius, Joe Hart, Joe Rodon and Matt Doherty are all likely to play a big part this term as well.

There have been some nightmare dealings at Tottenham down the years – many will still remember how the money from Bale’s original sale was pretty much wasted on a number of players. However, with Mourinho at his side, it seems that Levy is producing some of his best work in north London.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has shared a big update on this former Tottenham man.

If West Brom boss Slaven Bilic’s job is truly hanging by a thread, then visiting Manchester City in the Premier League is probably the last game he needs, though he ought to do himself some favours over his team selection.

The Baggies have won just one game all season with their latest defeat coming on Saturday afternoon as former loan sensation Dwight Gayle scored on his return to action following injury.

They now sit second from bottom, three points from 17th-placed Burnley, who defeated Arsenal a day after.

Only two teams in the top-flight have scored fewer goals than Albion and Bilic’s task in changing that have been made harder as Matheus Pereira serves the second of his three-game suspension.

Summer signing Karlan Grant has hardly hit the ground running either, so might it be time for a change upfront? We certainly think so…

Grant’s current form

The 23-year-old forward has managed to find the net once in eight starts, that goal coming seven matches ago in a 1-1 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion.

At St James’ Park, Grant was hooked at half-time, the first real sign of Bilic losing his patience with the former Huddersfield Town star and as such, he must show no mercy and leave him on the bench against Pep Guardiola’s men.

The £13m-rated Englishman has struggled immensely in the big time, averaging just 1.5 shots, 0.8 dribbles and a 69.9% passing accuracy per appearance, via WhoScored.

This is a striker that was lauded by ex-boss Lee Bowyer, who claimed he’s a “kid who causes problems and scores goals” whilst another former manager of his, Nicky Cowley, dubbed him “ruthless.”

Replacements?

Bilic is hardly short on options in attack either.

Until the weekend, Charlie Austin was practically frozen out at the club but given his experience in the Premier League – playing 107 times, scoring 34 goals – he ought to be helping their cause.

There’s also joint-top goalscorer Callum Robinson and Hal Robson-Kanu as potential alternatives.

Either way, there’s only so long you can stick with the faltering Baggies flop. It is indeed still early days in his career at the Hawthorns, but he has done nothing to warrant a continued place in the starting XI.

Bilic must show no mercy and desperately hand the reins to someone else.

Grant will have plenty of time to turn it around after signing a six-year deal upon arrival too. At least the Baggies will be extremely well-equipped if they do return to the Championship.

AND in other news, Worse than Sawyers: Pathetic Albion ace who lost 84% of his duels badly let Bilic down…

Sunderland must green light a January loan for Under 23s prospect Josh Hawkes after Phil Parkinson lauded the impact temporary moves had for Elliot Embleton and Jack Diamond.

What’s the word?

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s League One clash with MK Dons, via quotes by the Chronicle, Parkinson claimed Embleton and Diamond are now reaping the rewards of their moves away from the Stadium of Light as they begin establishing themselves in the first-team fold.

Diamond joined Harrogate Town on loan for the 2019/20 season and helped the club clinch promotion from the National League to League Two, netting three times in 27 regular season outings before striking once in the Play-Off Final.

The 20-year-old has struggled to earn senior minutes since his Sunderland return, with just one of his appearances coming in League One, but was among the raft of changes who started Tuesday’s EFL Trophy clash with Fleetwood Town.

Embleton, too, featured from the off at Highbury, where the Durham-born midfielder earned just his second senior outing of the campaign after battling with injuries that have kept him out for extended periods over the past year.

Parkinson believes that Diamond’s time at Harrogate and Embleton’s with Grimsby Town during the 18/19 season have helped the pair in their development, noting: “The loan spells they had have really benefited them.

“I spoke to Embo the other day and I was saying to him that when he was on loan at Grimsby, he learnt things that it is hard to teach players on the training pitch – how to handle different types of games, different pressures within games.

“And it was the same for Jack, who went on to be part of a promotion campaign with Harrogate which saw them get out of a tough division.

“The development of those two players has been really enhanced by those loan moves.”

Hawkes must leave

Having lauded the impact of loan moves for Embleton and Diamond, Parkinson must now consider a similar option for Hawkes after frequently overlooking the 21-year-old since his summer arrival from Hartlepool United.

Hawkes earned his first senior Sunderland outing during the midweek EFL Trophy clash with Fleetwood, and impressed at Highbury with two shots, two attempted dribbles, 36 touches, seven duels, one key pass, one tackle and three crosses while played at striker, per SofaScore.

The wide forward was signed with a view to playing in the U23s, but has proven already that he is a step above the youth grades and must strive to feature either in League One or Two once the winter market opens.

Hawkes struck 11 of his 13 Hartlepool goals in the National League having played 59 times in the division, so would not benefit in the same manner from a move into non-league football as Diamond, and Parkinson must realise that the winger’s potential needs an adequate stage now rather than later.

Sunderland were not the only side to have shown an interest in the attacker this summer, either, with reports Leeds, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Portuguese side Braga were also in contention.

The Black Cats emerging triumphant and landing Hawkes was ultimately seen as a big deal, with Kevin Phillips telling Football Insider: “It just shows you still, as much as they’re still in League One, Sunderland are a big club.

“It’s good news to hear that after two or three of their best young players left the club.”

AND in other news, Phil Parkinson must prioritise taking a chance on an “excellent” yet rarely-seen Sunderland gem.

A number of Southampton fans have been expressing their frustrations over the performance of defender Jan Bednarek in the Saints’ 3-3 draw at Chelsea.

Bednarek paired with Jannik Vestergaard at the heart of Southampton’s defence after the duo helped Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side record back-to-back clean sheets in their previous two matches. Against Chelsea however, both centre backs struggled to contain Timo Werner.

The Saints had already survived a scare with Werner’s header ruled out for offside, before minutes later the German international skipped past Bednarek with a smart dummy and dragged the ball across Alex McCarthy and into the net.

The German then showed Bednarek a clean pair of heels racing on to a ball over the top and holding off the Polish defender, before he lobbed the ball over McCarthy to double Chelsea’s lead after 28 minutes. It was clear that both Vestergaard and the Poland international were struggling to contain the Blues forward.

Southampton managed to get themselves back on level terms either side of the break, with Danny Ings pulling one back and then setting up Che Adams to equalise. However, just two minutes later Kai Havertz found the net after more excellent work from Werner, as Bednarek and the rest of the Saints’ defence were caught out of position.

The Saints, though, showed their fighting spirit by registering another equaliser in the 91st minute of the game, with Vestergaard turning in Theo Walcott’s effort to earn Hasenhuttl’s side a valuable point.

Saints fans react to Jan Bednarek struggles in Chelsea draw:

Saints fans, would you consider dropping Bednarek after his latest performance? Let us know with a comment below!

Adama Traore once again showcased his class with a huge impact for his country after coming on in the second half of their recent Nations League match.

Spain hosted Switzerland in what would become a tight result for the home side, who secured a narrow 1-0 win. The Wolves man didn’t start the game but proved to be a problem for the Swiss as soon as he stepped foot onto the pitch.

Adama stats vs Switzerland

Despite playing just 33 minutes, Traore’s pace and ability on the ball was an immediate thorn in the side of Switzerland. According to FotMob, the 24-year-old completed an impressive 4/5 dribbles, the most out of any other player in the match. He also showcased his strength by winning six of his 11 attempted duels and notching a 100% tackle success rating.

Spain’s previous fixture, an international friendly against Portugal, saw Traore limited to the bench for the full 90 minutes. But his attacking display against Switzerland should prompt Luis Enrique to start him in the next match.

Nuno planning new contract for Traore

According to Sky Sports, the Midlands side are preparing a new long-term deal to see the Spaniard remain at Molineux for years to come. Skipper Conor Coady and Raul Jimenez have already penned their futures and tying down Traore will be another huge statement from the club.

The speedy winger attracted a lot of attention during the summer transfer window, with Liverpool keeping a close eye on his status. Juventus and Manchester City are also admirers of the Spain international, and were leading the race at one point for his signature (via ESPN).

Traore was valued at a staggering £75million this window, a major jump from his £18million transfer fee two years ago.

Wolves are undeniably on a strong upwards trajectory and will be hunting down a top six finish this season. Champions League football may also be a target, with top four finishers Manchester United off to a slow start so far. Should Nuno Espirito Santo push his side hard this campaign, Traore will play a huge part in grabbing results over the more powerful defences in the league. With the boss recently describing him as ‘unique’, it seems he is already more than aware of this.

In other news, Pedro Neto showcases his ever-improving ability with international brace…

Chelsea could be eyeing an audacious swoop for one of theÂgreatest footballers of all time.Â

This summer’s transfer window has certainly been a thrilling one for the Blues, but nothing comes close to Barcelona confirming Lionel Messi has handed in a transfer request.

In a shock announcement, the La Liga heavyweights admitted the Argentina international wants to leave the club and Chelsea are reportedly considering a move for him.

The claim comes from Chelsea manager Frank Lampard’s former England teammate Rio Ferdinand, who took to Twitter among the chaos of the news. In a tweet that is now circulating on the social the platform, the ex-Manchester United man wrote: “Just heard Frank Lampard is now in for Messi. Some window this if Lamps pull this off!!”

Indeed, Chelsea have already been linked with some mega money deals, but signing the Barcelona icon would be something the Premier League has never seen before. Messi is currently valued at £100.8m but his current contract is nearing its expiration and he will be available as a free agent next summer.

However, a recent report from Mundo Deportivo (via GiveMeSport) claimed that Barca have slapped an astronomical £630m release clause on Messi’s head.

Naturally, plenty of other clubs have already shown interest in snapping up the forward, including Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.

Chelsea are certainly in a position to splash the cash this summer, with major money targets Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz seeming destined for west London. However, even with Roman Abramovich’s willingness to spend, Messi’s reported £630m buyout clause is almost unfathomable.

Barcelona certainly won’t want to see their star man leave for free, but if the Blues can hold out until next summer, they will be in a position to land Messi as a free agent and potentially offer him whatever wage he desires with the money saved.

Should these outrageous links come to fruition, it will land Lampard in the Premier League history books for blessing the league with Messi’s presence.

Do you think Chelsea could land a move for Lionel Messi? Join the conversation in the comments below!