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Another win, another clean sheet and another Declan Rice masterclass.

West Ham United went clear at the top of Group H in the Europa League on Thursday night with another impressive victory, defeating Belgian outfit Genk 3-0 at the London Stadium.

The Irons enjoyed the bulk of the possession and their pressure was rewarded when Craig Dawson looped a header past the visiting goalkeeper right on half-time.

They came out after the break even more rampant and notched a further two goals. This time Issa Diop headed home off the crossbar from another pinpoint Aaron Cresswell delivery, before Jarrod Bowen fired home a fine solo effort just before the hour mark.

All three goalscorers would have been worthy of the ‘Man of the Match’ award but it was Rice who dropped another performance which was off the charts.

He was withdrawn after 67 minutes, with this weekend’s London derby clash against Tottenham Hotspur in mind, and he had recorded 89 touches of the ball, which was the second-most of any Hammers player.

That only goes to show just how big of an influence he is to their success, and had he played for longer, then he would’ve undoubtedly ranked first ahead of midfield partner Tomas Soucek.

‘Once again looked a class above everyone else on the pitch, so calm on the ball and always seemed to have time to pick a pass,’ is how football.london reporter Tom Clark described his performance after the game.

Industrious as ever, the England international registered three tackles and one clearance and won four ground duels, via SofaScore.

Elsewhere, he was faultless with the ball at his feet, only losing possession six times from all those touches, and he also enjoyed an impressive 97% passing accuracy from 75 attempts – the best rate on the pitch, so that goes to show that he really was a touch above everyone else on the night.

Just over a week ago, former West Ham teammate Jack Wilshere lauded the 22-year-old as “a freak physically” and a player who “can do anything” to talkSPORT.

We saw exactly that once again.

Rice, who earns a reported £60k-per-week in east London, absolutely stole the show for Moyes on Thursday.

AND in other news, Newman could seal West Ham’s best signing since Soucek in £19.8m-rated “goal machine”…

Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah is a priority target for Crystal Palace during the January transfer window.

That’s according to reliable reporter Alan Nixon, and, as to be expected, the update has had a number of Eagles fans talking on social media.

Palace currently have four strikers on the books at Selhurst Park, one of which is Odsonne Edouard, who was brought to the club over the summer.

Another is loanee Jean-Philippe Mateta, but it seems as if Patrick Vieira and Dougie Freedman are still keen on Nketiah following links in the summer.

The 22-year-old is into the final six months of his Emirates deal and has made just three substitute appearances in the Premier League this season. Nketiah has scored five times in three EFL Cup appearances, though.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared Nixon’s claim on social media on Monday afternoon.

This is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply, with many not keen to see a move go through and one labelling it as ‘strange’.

“Vieira is down bad for this bloke”

Credit: @CPFCAlfie

“STOP @CPFC @CEO4TAG (Steve Parish)”

Credit: @Djamel__1997

“This made sense before but seems strange now. Can’t see him getting in ahead of Eduoard, Benteke or even Mateta, unless he is (a). going to be played wide (again, we have options there) (b). He is one for the future (Benteke is 31)”

Credit: @PWhickman

“Pointless we don’t need any more strikers”

Credit: @palacecarl

“Not even lying when I say he’s worse than Mateta”

Credit: @palace__dylan

“Went on a run and came back to this, I can’t win”

Credit: @MuratajLuka

In other news: Palace source reveals ‘target man’ is attracting plenty of interest; he could leave this month. 

West Ham United will make the short trip to west London to take on Chelsea this afternoon as the Hammers look to boost their chances of a top-six finish in the Premier League.

The Blues already look set to finish third in the league whilst the Irons’ fate is still uncertain with Wolves and Manchester United also in the hunt for sixth place.

David Moyes’ men will take confidence from the fact that they beat Thomas Tuchel’s side 3-2 in the reverse fixture with every remaining game now vital for the east London club.

With a crunch first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Frankfurt on Thursday, will the Scotsman prioritise Europe and look to make changes against Chelsea? Here is how Football FanCast expects the Hammers to line up.

West Ham XI: Fabianski, Johnson, Dawson, Alese, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Bowen, Lanzini, Benrahma, Antonio

As expected there’s no change in goal as Lukasz Fabianski continues his role as league goalkeeper whilst there’s a major change in the defence with Issa Diop now ruled out with an ankle injury.

With Craig Dawson the only fit senior centre-back, we expect Moyes to finally give an opportunity to exciting youngster Aji Alese.

The 6 foot 3 Nigerian has been excellent for the Hammers’ U23s this season and was described as “gold dust” by Tom Edwards on the We Are West Ham Podcast.

Moreover, the 21-year-old is a left-footed centre-back so should slot in next to Dawson perfectly as he gears up to make a potential Premier League debut.

Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice are set to continue their partnership in front of the back four whilst there is another change in the attacking midfield trio with Moyes playing his usual 4-2-3-1 set-up.

Nikola Vlasic was handed a rare league start against Burnley last weekend and failed to deliver once again, therefore we expect the Croatian to be replaced by Said Benrahma to add much-needed creativity to the side and support for striker Michail Antonio.

The £69k-per-week 24-year-old has endured a tough first season in claret and blue, scoring just one goal in all competitions.

Despite playing a London rival in Chelsea, this afternoon’s match is crucial if West Ham are serious about securing a top-six finish, with other sides in the hunt breathing down their neck.

AND in other news, Moyes can axe “superb” £50m ace with WHU swoop for “one of the most exciting talents”…

A number of Wolves supporters are frustrated after Bruno Lage claimed Adama Traore would stay put at the club beyond the January transfer window.

Traore has had a curious Wanderers career in many ways, sometimes threatening to produce brilliance but too often flattering to deceive.

At 25, the hope was that the winger would have pushed on by now, becoming a more complete all-round player, but he is yet to register a goal or an assist this season.

Traore has been constantly linked with a move away from Molineux this month, with Tottenham seemingly emerging as the front-runners to sign him.

Lage has played down the exit rumours, however, according to The Express & Star‘s Liam Keen [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], saying he expects the Spaniard to be a Wolves player for the rest of the season.

Wolves fans fume at Traore update

These Wanderers fans have reacted negatively to the news on Twitter, with one admitting they are ‘gutted’.

“Where’s the dislike button?”

Credit: @MiniPizza99

“This guy just can’t leave”

Credit: @Attifooty

“And then leave on a free? At least take the £15m”

Credit: @KieDowles

“The pain will never end”

Credit: @alfiemorgannn

“I’m actually gutted!!”

Credit: @Ben1988Harvey

“If he’s not going to sign a contract then we need to sell him now really”

Credit: @Cameron__b_

In other news, some Wolves fans are delighted at a fresh transfer update. Read more here.

Newcastle United are keen on signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen in this final week of the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Eddie Howe’s side have got “concrete” interest in signing the Nigeria international, and that if a sizeable offer does come in for him, then Napoli owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, would be willing to come to the table.

It is added that a deal in January would be difficult to do, but if that can’t be done, then it could well be set up for the summer.

He’s better than Callum Wilson

While Callum Wilson has certainly shown why Newcastle were keen to bring him in from Bournemouth a couple of seasons ago, his injury troubles haven’t meant that he hasn’t been able to feature week-in and week-out for the Magpies.

In the form of Osimhen, Howe would be getting an elite goal-scorer who has proven himself at the highest level with Napoli, both in the Serie A and in European competition too.

This campaign has seen him score nine goals in just 16 games for the Italian giants, including bagging four in just three Europa League group stage games – a couple of those coming away from home against Leicester to rescue a point for his team.

And, as per Whoscored, Osimhen also appears to be a far more complete striker than Wilson, averaging far more shots, key passes and dribbles per game this campaign, while his average match rating comfortably trumps that of the English ace.

Even back when he had just signed for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, he had made an immediate impression on his coaches, with then manager Andries Jonker saying: “He has great potential in him. He is ambitious, quick and highly unpredictable, he will be a star in the future if he maintains his focus.”

But perhaps the biggest indication of why Osimhen may be the perfect signing for Newcastle is the way former Manchester United star and Nigeria teammate Odion Ighalo talked about him.

He said: “He’s the future, he’s going to do so well in football. I love him, he’s down to earth, he’s hard working, he has a future and he has the mentality of a winner, that’s what I love about him. He has that lion’s heart. I love him, I just want him to keep working hard the way he’s doing, he’s going to break so many records in Europe and Nigeria.”

With the Magpies well and truly in the battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season, getting someone with the mentality of Osimhen will help immensely.

The £54m-rated star would be a very exciting signing for the Magpies, and one that would be a real upgrade even on someone like Wilson.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are keen on a deal for this Ligue 1 star…it’s not Bruno

Liverpool’s 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich on Tuesday showed signs that their relatively free schedule compared to Manchester City could be their downfall in the Premier League title race.

The Reds no longer feature in the FA Cup and won’t be playing in the Carabao Cup Final on Sunday because they were knocked out in the early rounds after fielding weakened sides. This could be a masterstroke because, as City find out regularly, fixture congestions test the depth and fitness of your squad, and Liverpool simply don’t have enough depth to deal with it.

However, at times the best way to recover from poor form or continue good form is to play quickly after it, something Liverpool won’t be able to do when FA Cup weekends crop up or they’re out of the Champions League, which could be the case considering the prospect of having to win at Bayern Munich. Their prioritisation could come back to bite them.

Jurgen Klopp’s men were warm-weather training in Marbella for a week prior to the Bayern game and when it came to the final pass or shot on Tuesday night, it looked like they thought they were still there. Liverpool were lacking the cutting edge we saw early this season and last season, as they have since the year turned quite frankly.

Yes, it’s important that in a title run-in players have chance to rest before their next match, but a week’s rest may be too much and could be even more detrimental than playing every three or four days. This is certainly the case when the extra games City are playing involve teams of much less quality like Rotherham, Burton, Swansea and even Schalke in the Champions League.

If City get past Schalke, they could face a much tougher draw in the next round and that will certainly test their ability to play across three competitions, as it will be by then. Liverpool’s position in the Champions League is less assured, but those who would prioritise the Premier League over Europe should hope Liverpool remain in the competition.

Without playing regularly, Liverpool could become lethargic as it looked in and around the box on Tuesday, so their weapon of prioritisation could become their own worst enemy in the title race.

Do you think Liverpool staying in the Champions League would help or hinder their Premier League title chances?

West Ham United are expected to make another move for Jesse Lingard when the transfer window reopens in January…

What’s the word?

That’s according to ever-reliable Irons insider ExWHUemployee, who delivered a fresh claim on the situation to supporters on a recent episode of his ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast.

He said:

“I believe that they’ll try and make a move for Jesse Lingard again. As we all know, he hasn’t got his chance at Manchester United and his contract is up in the summer.

“He seems to be not really valued at the club and I think he’d be interested in a move back. 

“His brother, who also acts as his agent, has made it very clear Jesse misses his time here. Also, Lingard keeps speaking positively about the club, so I feel a move would be for him.

“The only slight concern is that apparently, Newcastle have him on their radar as well.”

Get it done

West Ham’s admiration for the Manchester United midfielder is no secret, especially after a successful half-season loan spell that helped steer the east London outfit into the Europa League.

The 27-year-old dynamo scored nine goals and provided five assists in 16 appearances, via Transfermarkt, playing a crucial role in the no.10 position behind Michail Antonio. He even played a false nine in the absence of the 31-year-old at times.

And following the final game of the season, a 2-1 win over Southampton, manager David Moyes made his intentions very clear.

“I hope Jesse’s here, we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there’s no guarantees, he’s not our player,” he said, via the Evening Standard. “But I hope Jesse realises we’ve been good for him as well, and that he joined a club on the up.”The irony is the fact that the Hammers are level on points with Manchester City in fourth place, whilst the Red Devils are three points behind them in the table and before their win over Spurs, they were sitting outside the top six.Assistant manager Stuart Pearce stoked the fire once again during the summer transfer window, reiterating the club’s desire to sign him permanently.”We would like him to come and join us. That has been an open secret. He was wonderful last year,” he told talkSPORT.”The ball is in Manchester United’s court. He is contracted to them. We would like him with us, there is no doubt about that. He’s a special lad and was very good around the players – the players really like him.”Similarly, the London Stadium faithful have always been just as keen to see him return to the club, as seen by reactions relayed by Hammers.News earlier in the season.[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-much-much-more-3” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]Therefore, this latest claim from one of the most trustworthy insiders is sure to leave those around West Ham absolutely buzzing with excitement. It remains to be seen if a deal can be done but what is clear is the fact that Lingard is getting very little game time despite United’s struggles.He’d surely welcome a switch back to east London.

AND in other news, Newman could finally end West Ham’s striker hunt with “technically-gifted” £38m beast…

As per Italian newspaper Corriere Torino, via Sport Witness, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has come to light involving Juventus winger Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: Tottenham in frame…

The Sweden international is said to be on the agenda of Spurs ahead of January as managing director Fabio Paratici looks to bolster Antonio Conte’s attacking options.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Both men are apparently admirers of Kulusevski with a report from TUTTOmercatoWEB explaining that they share the same ‘esteem’ and believe he is a gem with huge potential.

Other sources, like reporter Daniele Longo, even say there have already been contacts for the player ahead of January

The Latest: Spurs eye January bid…

As per CT, via Sport Witness, Tottenham and Arsenal are in contention for his signing with Kulusevski himself thought to be open to moving in search of more game time.

Is it is believed that Spurs and their bitter rivals ‘have indicated their intention to sink the blow in January in case the right conditions arise’ – presumably meaning they’re weighing a bid.

Paratici is personally the youngster’s ‘number one fan’ according to this report with Spurs’ transfer chief well and truly eyeing a move.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Lauded as an ‘explosive’ attacker by former Sweden striker Marcus Allback, the pundit also claims that Kulusevski is hard-working and tracks back to defend (The Sun) – surely an endearing quality for Spurs supporters and for Conte.

The only caveat may be his alleged €35 million (£29.6m) asking price with Juventus apparently refusing to budge on that price tag.

Amid Tottenham’s financial troubles as they also aim to sign a centre-half and in-demand striker Dusan Vlahovic, Kulusevski perhaps should be put on Paratici’s back burner.

In other news: Conte ready to axe Tottenham player as agents begin work behind the scenes, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur face Aston Villa in this evening’s teatime kick-off, with Antonio Conte’s side looking to keep up their impressive recent run of Premier League form in a bid to secure a top-four finish.

Indeed, with Spurs having won five of their last six league outings and Steven Gerrard’s side having lost their last three Premier League fixtures, the north London outfit will certainly fancy their chances of taking all three points back to the capital tonight.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-martinez-dybala-spence-conte-2” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

However, with Spurs only narrowly defeating Villa 2-1 in the meeting between the two sides earlier this season, Conte will be well aware that he must get his team selection spot-on in order to give his team the best chance of victory this afternoon.

Will the 52-year-old make any changes to the side which started the 5-1 win over Newcastle United last weekend? Here’s how we think Tottenham could line up against Aston Villa, as well as the latest team and injury news…

With Antonio Conte recently revealing that both Sergio Reguilon and Ryan Sessegnon are back in contention after recovering from their respective knocks, we predict the 52-year-old will make just one change to the team which lined up against Newcastle last time out.

The back four remains intact, with Hugo Lloris starting between the Spurs sticks, while Ben Davies, Eric Dier and Cristian Romero make up Conte’s three-man defence.

The solitary change comes at wing-back, with Reguilon – the player who Jonathan Woodgate dubbed “horrendous” and has recently been linked with a £43m move back to Real Madrid this summer – returning to the XI on the left. Matt Doherty moves over to his preferred role on the right, with the 23-year-old Emerson Royal – who Lucas Moura claimed has a “great future” – dropping to the bench.

In the middle, with Oliver Skipp still sidelined due to injury, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur start once again, while Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski also remain unchanged in the two attacking midfield roles.

Up top, Harry Kane leads the line, with the 28-year-old undoubtedly hoping to add to his seven goals and four assists over his last eight Premier League outings.

AND in other news: Conte can form “dangerous” duo as Spurs plot bids for £156m pair who “really get along”

Everton have made a number of transfer mistakes over the years since Farhad Moshiri took ownership at Goodison Park and their latest howler could be on his way out of the club sooner rather than later if reports are to be believed.

Dele Alli joined Everton in January on Deadline Day as one of Frank Lampard’s last minute signings brought in to work alongside the new manager to inspire a turnaround for the club after falling into a relegation battle this season, however the ex-Tottenham Hotspur star has failed to make an impact so far.

The 22.5m-rated flop who was branded “lazy” by former manager Jose Mourinho, has struggled to win a place in the Everton team since he joined almost three months ago, and is yet to start a game for the Toffees.

However, he has made six appearances playing 169 minutes so far, with Lampard offering him the opportunity to make a good impression and impact, but hasn’t achieved that in his game time, with no goal contributions and the team has lost all but one game Alli has been involved in so far.

Despite signing a two and a half year permanent deal with Everton, TeamTalk are now reporting that the deal could be cut short for the attacking midfielder, with the 25 year old reportedly told that he is not good enough to start from Everton and that his career could be in jeopardy if he doesn’t change his attitude.

Moshiri could save £10m this summer by axing Alli, as part of the deal required the Englishman to make 20 appearances for Everton before the club would be required to make any payment to the Lilywhites, with a reported instalment plan in place worth up to £40m, but if the reports are true and the player’s time at Goodison Park is cut short, then this could save the club millions ahead of the summer transfer window.

Everton are currently in a particularly vulnerable position despite beating Newcastle United last week in an explosive 1-0 victory at Goodison Park, the side are still unstable just three points safe from the drop zone and still in 17th in the Premier League table.

With that being said, Frank Lampard cannot afford to take any risks or leave room for error, which further reflects in Alli’s lack of selection as the Toffees boss obviously doesn’t feel the player is trustworthy enough to make a positive impact in the team as they fight for their place in top flight football for next season.

In other news: Everton make contact with “complete” £16.2m-rated star, Lampard desperately needs him