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West Bromwich Albion have spent the last five years yo-yo-ing between the Premier League and the Championship, with two relegations and one promotion since 2017/18.

There have been several factors behind their inability to remain a consistent force in the top-flight of English football, but arguably the most pivotal aspect is their poor record in the transfer market.

Many players have been brought into the Hawthorns for relatively large fees before failing to live up to expectations in recent years, heavily contributing to the club’s struggles at the elite level.

And one of those who has arguably flopped for the Midlands outfit is Karlan Grant. The 24-year-old striker was brought to West Brom in a £15m deal back in October 2020, making him one of their most expensive purchases.

During his unveiling, technical director Luke Dowling lauded the youngster’s ability to put the ball in the back of the net, claiming he was ready for the step-up that the Premier League would undoubtedly provide.

“We are confident we have signed a young player who has proved he is ready for the challenges of the Premier League,” said Dowling. “He has scored goals throughout his career, including the few months he had with Huddersfield at this level two years ago.”

However, things have not gone to plan for Grant. The former England U18 international scored just a single goal as West Brom finished 19th last term, immediately returning to the Championship as a result.

His underwhelming performances upfront saw him fall out of favour when Sam Allardyce took over from Slaven Bilic halfway through the season, with his last league start coming at the beginning of February.

Although Grant has started the current campaign well, bagging four goals and providing two assists in 11 Championship outings, his inability to produce at the highest level has seen his market value plummet to just £7.2m, less than half the total that West Brom paid for his services just last year.

While the £30,000-per-week dud may yet come good for the Baggies, it appears the club’s hierarchy made a big mistake in placing their trust in a striker unproven in the Premier League, contributing heavily to their eventual relegation.

And, in other news…Signed for £8m, now worth £1.8m: Ismael must wield axe on 27 y/o West Brom liability 

Everton are interested in signing Sunderland teenage sensation Chris Rigg who is valued at £1m despite being just 14-years-old.

What’s the story?

According to The Daily Star, Everton are battling with Newcastle to sign teenage wonderkid Chris Rigg from Sunderland.

He has already featured for the Black Cats’ under 18’s side, but despite playing on Wearside, Rigg is a Newcastle fan, so Everton will have to work hard to secure his signature.

It’s not for the first time that the Toffees have been interested in signing a Sunderland prospect, with their current goalkeeper and England international Jordan Pickford coming through the Academy of Light.

He’s the best talent for his age

At just 14 he is deemed the best talent for his age and when he’s already appearing in the under-18 Premier League it’s hard to disagree.

Rigg has made seven appearances this season and has directly contributed in three goals in that time.

Thanks to Pickford’s £25.6m move to Goodison Park in 2017 it might make it easier for Everton to secure Rigg’s services. They will no doubt already have a relationship with Sunderland and they could even use Pickford to help persuade the youngster and his family to choose them.

The Black Cats will also be reluctant to let Rigg head to their closest rivals so could also try and push the player in the direction of Merseyside.

Sunderland won’t want the player to leave the Stadium of Light, but they may have no choice once Premier League clubs come calling. However, they are currently pushing for promotion out of League One and will hope that success could persuade Rigg to stay at Sunderland a bit longer.

Rigg is yet to receive a call up for England at youth level but we suspect that if he continues performing for Sunderland then it won’t be long before that happens.

In terms of if he moves, Everton are historically known for producing good players from their academy with Anthony Gordon one of the latest graduates to shine for the first team.

The prospect of working with Everton manager and Premier League legend Frank Lampard has also got to be a consideration. Whilst Rigg wouldn’t be likely to go into the first team if a move happened, to be able to have a figure like him around would be inspiring enough.

Wherever he goes it’s likely he’ll have a bright future, and this is certainly a name to keep an eye on.

IN other news: Everton could finally axe shocking £69k-p/w “liability” with £9.9m-rated machine – opinion

Celtic are battling their Glasgow arch-rivals in the race to sign Tottenham’s Dilan Markanday, according to The Evening Standard.

The Lowdown: Markanday profiled

Markanday is 20 years of age and is primarily a right winger who can also play on the left or in an attacking midfield role.

The left-footed youngster, described as ‘intelligent’ by Spurs academy manager Dean Rastrick, has made 16 appearances in all competitions this season, mainly for the Londoners’ under-23 side.

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He has scored 11 times and registered four assists in Premier League 2, averaging a goal involvement every 70 minutes in that competition, and it seems as if the pacey winger is on Celtic’s winter window shortlist.

The Latest: Glasgow battle…

The Evening Standard shared a story on Wednesday, claiming both Celtic and Rangers are battling it out for Markanday in a possible cut-price transfer.

The youngster, who Jose Mourinho clearly rates after saying his ‘day will arrive’ back in February, is out of contract at the end of the season and could therefore discuss a possible pre-contract agreement in the New Year, with a number of English Championship clubs also keen on his services.

The Verdict: Needed?

The Hoops look set to make Jota’s loan move permanent, while it appears as if they may also bring in attacker Daizen Maeda, who can also line out on the wing.

Should that move go through, it would leave Ange Postecoglou with seven players who can operate on the wing at Celtic Park. On that basis, a move for Markanday may not exactly be necessary in January, so perhaps Celtic should look at bolstering other areas of the squad first.

That said, it appears as if the Hoops may look to pip their biggest rivals to the Spurs starlet, so it could be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: Nicholson ‘plans’ to sell ‘terrific’ Celtic ace in record-breaking £25.5m deal. 

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham fans have erupted over an injury update from ExWHUemployee regarding Aaron Cresswell, with many shocked at the severity of the injury he has sustained.

The 32-year-old has proven to be a critical component of David Moyes’ side this season, having started all 13 games in which he has appeared. However, in the Hammers’ 2-1 loss to Manchester City a month ago, the left-back was substituted on the hour mark after slamming his back into the goalpost.

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It has not been made clear just how severe the injury is, with Moyes originally claiming that Cresswell was a doubt for the Irons’ following game, refusing to provide a return date. West Ham have won just one of the seven matches they have played in all competitions since that fateful afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.

Hammers fans react to Cresswell’s injury news

ExWHUemployee took to Twitter to provide fans with an injury update on the defender. He claimed that the player has chipped a bone in his back which is causing him a lot of pain, and that no recovery date has been given by either Cresswell himself or the club.

These Irons fans took to the replies on that tweet to provide the 32-year-old with their sympathies, as many were left gutted by the “horrific” news on the injury.

It leaves Arthur Masuaku as the squad’s only recognised left-back and comes at a time when some other defenders are also sidelined.

“Ouchie !!! Poor Cress”

Credit: @Els_ie

“Wow, didn’t expect it to be that bad.”

Credit: @AlexThomsonWHU

“that sounds pretty horrific”

Credit: @BoogersWestHam

“Hope he recovers well. Just sums up our luck. Best 4 defenders we’ve had in years all out for months at some point this year. Cress, Zouma, Ogbonna and Vlad”

Credit: @camwestham

“Yikes, that’s Cresswell out for the season then”

Credit: @Bielsalmighty

“This is such a blow. A new LB is massively needed, Masuaku can’t be our LB in a flat back four”

Credit: @antoni_dad

In other news – ‘I think’: Journalist drops claim on ‘special’ West Ham target tipped to become ‘world-class’

Everton are having a nightmare of a season but Rafael Benitez has been trying to find opportunities to turn it around by getting thoroughly stuck into the winter transfer window.

In an attempt to win over the support of the fans and put Everton in a better position come the end of the season, a fourth January signing is rumoured to be on the horizon.

What’s the word?

Sky Sports journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed that the Toffees manager could already be working on securing his fourth signing of the month, with a specific position in mind.

O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “They were looking to possibly bring in a new centre-back, and that’s what Rafa Benitez has got his heart set on, he thinks the defence needs sorting out.”

The club has already signed two defenders in January so far, with right back Nathan Patterson joining from Rangers and left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko signing from Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kiev.

Fans will be buzzing

If the performance against Norwich on Saturday afternoon is anything to go by, Everton are desperate for central defenders, after Michael Keane scored an own goal and put on a poor display throughout the game as the Toffees were defeated 2-1 at Carrow Road.

Some fans may be buzzing at the prospect of a potential new centre back at the club, given some of the scathing reactions to Saturday’s horror show in Norfolk.

As for the manager, he is treading on thin ice with many fans, and the signing of a quality centre-back could salvage whatever support he has left at the club, with the team 15th in the Premier League and just six points off the relegation zone.

Despite the desire and intention to turn the season around for Everton, Benitez may have managed his last game for the Toffees as reports suggested that he could be sacked by the club imminently after the embarrassing defeat on Saturday afternoon.

If the unpopular Spaniard can land a new centre-back as a parting gift at Goodison Park, it may well represent good news on the double for the Everton faithful.

In other news: One Everton flop may just cost Benitez his job

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Loads of Manchester United fans have been running the rule over their Friday night win at the Emirates, and they’re full of praise for Romelu Lukaku.

Manchester United brushed Arsenal aside in the FA Cup on Friday night, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued his perfect start to life in charge of the Red Devils.

The boss made some crucial changes to the side that has been ruthlessly dispatching teams in the Premier League though, introducing both Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to the starting XI.

Roberto Firmino has thrown a party themed around the colour of his teeth! Watch the video below to find out what we’re talking about…

The Chilean hotshot got things started early on, rounding Petr Cech and finding the net after a brilliant pass by Lukaku.

The Belgian international then doubled his assist tally when he put one on a plate for Jesse Lingard.

Arsenal fought back as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back from close range just before half time, but Anthony Martial’s second half strike wrapped up the 3-1 win.

While Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw and Sergio Romero were all superb, Lukaku is the one taking all the plaudits for his selfless display.

The powerful 25 year-old, who takes loads of stick for his quality on the ball, somehow looked more at home cutting in from the right wing with Sanchez operating in the central areas.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are full of praise for one of the season’s most heavily-criticised players…

BBC Sport’s Adam Pope has revealed that Leeds United star Raphinha “should be fit” for this weekend’s Premier League clash against Norwich City.

What’s the story?

The Brazilian hobbled off during his side’s 1-1 draw with Wolves last weekend, and there no doubt would have been real fears about how long he could potentially be out for.

The former Rennes man himself moved quickly to allay those doubts after that match, and while he was not involved in Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup defeat against Arsenal, he looks set to be good for the trip to the Canaries on Sunday.

Writing on Twitter after the game against the Gunners, Pope said: “Shackleton & Raphinha should be fit for Norwich. No injuries forced the substitutions. Klich for Forshaw as MB felt he’d take advantage of the offensive play in the 1st half. Gelhardt on for Roberts because he wanted to try out Joffy with Rodrigo.”

Huge boost for Bielsa

Make no mistake about it, Raphinha has emerged as one of Leeds’ best players, if not their best.

He ranked fourth for goals and first for his assists among his teammates last season, and his willingness to take players on and try and make things happen for his side was reflected by him averaging the most dribbles of any Leeds player with 1.9 per game.

Raphinha’s displays had Leeds teammate Patrick Bamford hailing him after the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace back in February, with the England international telling Sky Sports: “I think, to be honest, he has been a steal for Leeds. I am surprised. As soon as he came in, you saw him in training, you know sometimes with players whether they are good or they are top class, and he really was. He stood out straightaway.

“I am surprised that bigger teams, more established Premier League teams I should say, haven’t taken a punt on him because he really is someone special, and he is young.”

Given Leeds’ wretched start to the Premier League season – they’ve managed just one win all campaign – having Raphinha available for a crunch game against fellow strugglers Norwich is a massive boost for the White.

Those three words that he “should be fit” will undoubtedly leave many supporters around Elland Road absolutely buzzing.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star has given Bielsa a headache…

West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Mainz defender Moussa Niakhate this summer as David Moyes looks to bolster his defensive options.

What’s the latest?

According to The Telegraph, the Hammers could lure the 26-year-old to east London for just £8m, with Transfermarkt valuing the Frenchman at £16.2m.

The commanding central defender can also play at left-back and has featured in 24 of Mainz’s 28 Bundesliga matches this term, scoring three goals and keeping eight clean sheets.

Currently, the Irons have Kurt Zouma, Craig Dawson, Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop at centre-back, although the Italian has spent the majority of the season on the sidelines with an ACL injury, while Diop could depart this summer amid reported interest from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon.

Therefore, it’s vital that Moyes adds to his defensive arsenal in the upcoming transfer window.

West Ham must swoop for Niakhate

Zouma has done well to establish himself as the clear first-choice centre-back in his first season at West Ham following last summer’s £29.8m move from Chelsea. However, the Frenchman needs a regular partner, with the likes of Dawson, Ogbonna and Diop all taking turns this season to partner the 27-year-old.

Moreover, left-back is also an area which needs addressing, with Aaron Cresswell now 32 years of age. In fact, the Hammers squad is the second oldest in the Premier League, with an average age of 28.8.

With Niakhate, these issues can be solved.

The Mainz captain stands at 6 foot 3 and averages 1.4 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 2.1 clearances per league game. For context, Zouma averages a lower tally of 0.6 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per match but also makes a whopping 5.6 clearances.

In Niakhate, West Ham can find their new Rio Ferdinand in colossus of a defender on whom they can later make a profit, particularly if £8m is the German club’s asking price.

Described as “clever” by Mainz manager Bo Svensson, the £12k-per-week French defender can add much-needed depth and quality to the Irons’ squad, which will be vital if Moyes’ side are to qualify for Europe again for 2022/23.

Having balanced four competitions over the course of the season, the Hammers’ lack of squad depth has been exposed at times, particularly when injuries have stacked up.

The lack of depth makes the upcoming transfer window particularly vital, especially considering that the east Londoners made no signings in January.

With reinforcements needed in essentially every position, Moyes will need to be shrewd in how he spends the transfer kitty provided to him, making a potential £8m deal for Niakhate an undoubted bargain swoop which must be made.

In other news – Fewer touches than Areola: West Ham dud who completed just one pass against Lyon let Moyes down

Aston Villa could well sign their new Jack Grealish in Bayer Leverkusen starlet Florian Wirtz amid a recent transfer report…

What’s the story?

According to a report from The Daily Mail, the 18-year-old has been touted as someone Steven Gerrard’s side like as they look to make a potential splash in the January transfer window.

Shades of Grealish

While Grealish’s summer exit would no doubt have caused some pain among Villa supporters, signing a talent like Wirtz would go a long way to banishing those memories.

This season alone has seen him net eight goals and provide another 11 assists in just 21 games in all competitions, including bagging three in the Europa League and striking against Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

It’s no surprise then that plenty of people have delivered some rave reviews, with former teammate Aleksandar Dragovic even comparing him to a current Premier League star.

He said: “The lad has a lot of potential and if he keeps his feet on the ground, he could be another Kai Havertz.”

And, one of his current teammates, Julian Baumgartlinger, added: “He’s really emerged quickly. During the lockdown, he came to first-team training, and you could see he’s a special player even though he’s young.”

With his age and goal-scoring record already – he is the youngest scorer in German top-flight history – Wirtz seems to be the kind of precocious young talent who had people sitting up and take notice, just like Grealish did when he was making his way into the Villa first-team.

The starlet valued at a mammoth £127m by CIES would be a statement signing, but one crucially that could help Villa unearth another star they can build an entire team around for both the here and now, and the future too.

Meanwhile, Villa could make a move for this Serie A starlet…

Leeds United could be without both Junior Firpo and Jamie Shackleton against Leicester City this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Leeds’ injury woes

The Whites have had plenty of injury issues to deal with this season and will definitely continue to be without Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling and Robin Koch against The Foxes.

Bamford and Ayling have missed the last seven games with ankle and knee injuries respectively, whereas Koch has been absent with a pubis problem which has kept him out since the opening weekend.

Firpo returned from injury for the Under-23’s at the end of October and Shackleton hobbled off against Norwich last weekend, and it now seems as if the pair may also miss the Elland Road clash.

The Latest: Bielsa’s comments

In Bielsa’s pre-match press conference on Friday, reported by The Yorkshire Evening Post, cited by MOT Leeds News, he gave an update on the full-back duo.

The Argentine admitted he would have a ‘clearer vision’ on the weekend, however, with Bielsa so up front when it comes to injuries, it appears as if the pair may miss the match against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

The Verdict: Drameh’s full Premier League debut?

Cody Drameh has been thrown into the first-team fold as a result of Leeds’ defensive injuries, making his first start for the club in the Carabao Cup defeat to Arsenal.

He then replaced Shackleton against Norwich last weekend, so if Shackleton, described as ‘important’ by Bielsa, fails to make it, the 19-year-old could be in line for a full Premier League debut.

If Firpo, who was hailed as ‘incredibly fit’, misses out again, then Bielsa may have no choice but to stick with Stuart Dallas at left-back instead of using the Northern Irishman in midfield.

In other news: ‘Immense’ Leeds player reveals ‘not so good situation’ under Bielsa; not happy in Yorkshire.