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Aston Villa have taken significant strides both on and off the pitch in the last 12 months, resulting in new heights for Unai Emery's side in the Premier League. The Midlands club sit as high as third in the league and just four points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

With a game against the Gunners up next, Villa face the very real prospect of going within touching distance of the top of the tree before Christmas. Things could get even better for the Villans in the January transfer window too, with one club reportedly open to offers for a long-term target of theirs, who could improve Emery's side even further.

Aston Villa transfer news

Helping to put Emery's side in the position that they currently find themselves in, Villa welcomed the likes of Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres and Nicolo Zaniolo in the summer transfer window. Diaby's arrival particularly proved just how far those at Villa Park have come in recent times, given that they managed to attract arguably one of the Bundesliga's best players at the time. Now, they could show off their improvement once more to land a Premier League player.

According to Football Transfers, Aston Villa are still interested in a move to sign Emile Smith Rowe, who Arsenal are now open to offers for. Smith Rowe's injury history has seen his game time reduced at The Emirates, as Martin Odegaard and others arrived to steal the spotlight initially fixated on him and Bukayo Saka.

It remains to be seen whether Villa make an offer for the Hale End graduate, but it's certainly a positive for them that the Gunners are now willing to listen to bids for their midfielder.

"Superb" Smith Rowe must make Aston Villa move

As difficult as it may be to say goodbye to your boyhood club, Smith Rowe has reached an early crossroads in his career and desperately needs minutes – something Aston Villa could provide. The 23-year-old is at risk of becoming a forgotten star at The Emirates after a disastrous spell dealing with countless injury setbacks. Smith Rowe's injury record could be a concern for Emery, with the pair knowing each other well when the Spainard was in north London, however, he may have to simply trust the Englishman's ability when fit if Villa make their move.

Prior to so many injuries, Smith Rowe was at the centre of praise from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who said after the Gunners defeated Aston Villa back in October 2021:

"Credit to him and obviously the staff here that are all the time monitoring and build that education with him and he'll only get better. He should demand that in his game because he is capable of doing it. I'm pleased that that is developing. He still needs to develop more in other areas as well.

"The other night he wasn't 100 per cent fit but he stepped forward and he wanted to play with a difficult injury that he had. There is no complaining, he is just looking forwards, he is really determined, he has changed the way he is living as well a little bit and some of the habits that he had and he's been superb."

The former Tottenham man has been an instant hit in Bavaria and is now just a few goals away from immortality

Harry Kane's debut season at Bayern Munich has exceeded expectations. Even as his team-mates have faltered around him, with Die Roten currently battling against the humiliation of a trophyless campaign, Kane has made the goals flow, the fans cheer and the records tumble.

He is no stranger to the latter, of course. Kane is both Tottenham and England's all-time leading goalscorer and he has not ruled out returning to the Premier League at some point in future, so he can snatch that particular record from Alan Shearer too.

On Tuesday night, he marked another historic milestone. By ignoring Jude Bellingham's attempts to put him off and smashing home a penalty against Real Madrid, Kane became the Englishman with the most direct goal involvements in a single Champions League campaign, surpassing Steven Gerrard and David Beckham in the process.

That feat was just the latest in a growing list of records the centre-forward has smashed recently – and he'll have one or two more in his crosshairs as the season speeds towards a close. Keeping track of all of this history-making has been tough, so below GOAL recaps every milestone Kane has reached in what has been a truly extraordinary campaign.

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  Electric start

  At Tottenham, Kane garnered a reputation as being somewhat of a slow starter, regularly struggling to score in August. Fortunately for Bayern, there was no sign of any summer hangover during the opening stages of his career in Bavaria.

  After netting four times in his first four Bundesliga games, Kane exploded in a 7-0 victory over Vfl Bochum, notching a fine hat-trick to take his tally up to seven. That was a record start for a Bayern player, with Mario Mandzukic, Miroslav Klose and the legendary Gerd Muller only managing a goal per game in their first five league outings.

  The goals continued to flow after that too. By the 10-game mark the Englishman already had 15 Bundesliga strikes. That bettered the 13 Klaus Matischak managed during the same period of time in the 1963-64 campaign.

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  Toppling Nkunku in 11 games

  The 2022-23 Bundesliga Golden Boot race was a strange one. A lack of free-scoring strikers meant that RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku finished top of the pile alongside Niclas Fullkrug, despite both men missing sizeable chunks of the season due to injury.

  And it didn't take long for Kane to better the 16 strikes the pair managed this time around. After just 11 matches, he had already helped himself to a stunning 17 goals, rocketing to the top of the scoring charts amid stiff competition from the incredible Serhou Guirassy.

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  Fastest to 20 goals

  After leaving Nkunku and Fullkrug in the dust, Kane soon hunted down the 20-goal mark in the Bundesliga. Back-to-back hat tricks against Darmstadt and Borussia Dortmund helped him reach that particular milestone after just 15 games – with the 30-year-old sealing the achievement with an excellent brace in a 3-0 win over Stuttgart.

  Before Kane was even born, Hamburg icon Uwe Seeler completed the same feat in 21 matches during the 1963-64 campaign. That the Bayern star managed to do it with little over half of the season completed is astounding.

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  Better than Sancho and Keegan

  Kane is not the first Englishman to capture German hearts with a scintillating Bundesliga season. Kevin Keegan's exploits at Hamburg in the 1978-79 campaign won him the Ballon d'Or, while Jadon Sancho's trailblazing decision to join Borussia Dortmund eventually earned him a £73 million ($91m) move to Manchester United.

  Keegan and Sancho's highest-scoring seasons both saw them reach 17 league goals, a tally Kane demolished in just 12 matches. For now, Sancho remains the most prolific Englishman in Bundesliga history with 40 goals, but it surely won't be long until Kane claims that honour too.

Liverpool have unveiled plans for a farewell event to honour Jurgen Klopp as he approaches the end of his near nine-year tenure with the club.

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• Klopp to leave Anfield at the end of the campaign
• Liverpool to host a farewell for the manager
• Date revealed for one final get-together

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  With only two matches remaining in his role, Klopp's impending departure marks the end of an era for the Reds, prompting a desire to bid him a fitting farewell. Despite hopes of securing additional silverware, Liverpool's season did not unfold as anticipated, leaving them with a sole League Cup triumph and a consolation prize of a UEFA Champions League berth for next season. Nonetheless, recognising Klopp's monumental contributions, the club deemed it necessary to orchestrate a grand celebration of his time at Anfield.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The farewell arrangement named 'An Evening with Jürgen Klopp & Special Guests,' is scheduled to take place at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena on Tuesday, May 28. Renowned comedian and lifelong Liverpool supporter, John Bishop, will serve as the master of ceremonies for the evening, adding a touch of humour and sentimentality to the proceedings. The event will also feature musical performances by Merseyside bands, including Lightning Seeds and The Zutons. Whereas, the highlight of the session will be a live question-and-answer session with Klopp, hosted by LFCTV’s Peter McDowall, which promises fans an intimate glimpse into the manager's reflections and experiences during his tenure at Liverpool. This interactive segment offers supporters a chance to engage directly with Klopp, sharing anecdotes and memories from his remarkable journey with the club.

• WHAT KLOPP SAID

  “This is going to be a very special night, with lots of fantastic memories shared and plenty of great music too,” said Klopp to the official club website. “I’m really looking forward to spending it with our fans, the heartbeat of this wonderful and unique club.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  It has been reported that plans for a citywide parade in Klopp's honour were shelved following his preference to avoid public celebrations after an underwhelming end to the campaign. However, the farewell evening on May 28 is poised to be a celebratory affair, allowing fans to reminisce and celebrate Klopp's illustrious legacy at Liverpool.

Steve Cooper’s status as Nottingham Forest’s manager seems to be hanging on by a thread following their poor run of form since the September international break.

Forest have won just one of their last 12 Premier League matches, failing to win any of their last five, which puts the side in 16th place on 14 points.

The heavy 5-0 away defeat to Fulham last Wednesday has seen the pressure on the Welsh boss increase, with rumours circulating about his future at the helm of the side he led to the top flight. According to the Daily Mail, Nottingham Forest have selected Oliver Glasner as a potential successor.

Oliver Glasner’s managerial stats

Glasner is a 49-year-old Austrian manager, who is mainly known for his time in the Bundesliga as manager of VfL Wolfsburg and most recently, Eintracht Frankfurt. The coach left Die Adler in June last summer after losing to RB Leipzig in the DFB Pokal final and finishing seventh in the German first division.

Last season, Glasner coached Frankfurt out of Champions League Group D, before being knocked out by Napoli. They earned a place in the most elite European competition by winning the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League, Glasner's biggest managerial achievement by far.

It is clear that the Austrian has plenty of experience and the table below showcases his record as a manager.

Oliver Glasner’s style of play

The "meticulous" manager – as dubbed by fellow coach Niko Kovac – has opted for a three at the back variant since his days at LASK, however, he often used a four-back at Wolfsburg, before returning to his trusty system at Frankfurt.

The 3-4-2-1 formation has become his most favoured and it is anticipated that he would deploy it at Forest.

Glasner’s system would work perfectly for the Reds given the current squad and the fact that Cooper has opted for a three-back multiple times this season. The Garibaldi team has a solid blend of athleticism and technical quality, which suits the Austrian’s approach.

The wide centre-backs in the back three must be comfortable at defending in the channel, entering duels and playing out from defence, which Murillo in particular is excellent at. The wingbacks will provide the out-ball and a large attacking responsibility, with their width creating more space in central areas.

The midfield two must be able to cover the ground well and reliably feed the ball to the two supporting attackers, who will stay inverted and use their technical quality to unlock the opponent.

Morgan Gibbs-White fits this role perfectly and he could become Glasner’s next Daichi Kamada. Taiwo Awoniyi Is also a typical striker that fits the mould, with the ex-Frankfurt coach utilising a forward that can link up play, run the channels and press from the front.

Overall, Glasner is the perfect fit for the Forest squad which means he is more likely to have an instant impact. He is a like-for-like swap for Cooper, and you could argue that it would be a safe appointment.

Chelsea made it back-to-back Premier League wins with their victory over Luton Town this afternoon, yet they perhaps made it harder than it needed to be.

Having led by three goals to nil with just 20 minutes remaining, the Blues took their eye off the ball during the final quarter of the game and let the Hatters score twice.

Mauricio Pochettino was relieved when the whistle went, and it was another three points for the Stamford Bridge side, who remain tenth in the table.

The Argentinian welcomed back Cole Palmer to the starting XI after he missed the midweek tie due to suspension and the youngster made a major difference, illustrating why he is fast becoming one of the signings of the season.

Cole Palmer’s statistics vs Luton Town

The former Manchester City starlet had netted six times and chipped in with three assists before the clash this afternoon, and he returned from his one-game ban showing everyone exactly what they had been missing.

The 21-year-old scored his first brace for the Blues along with grabbing another assist, yet this doesn’t tell the full tale of his performance.

Deployed behind Armando Broja, Palmer ran the show from attacking midfield as he made two key passes, took five shots during the tie, and succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts.

The young talent also won 50% of his duels and was successful with five of his six attempted long balls, and it was a display of ever-growing maturity.

Pochettino must build a team around the Englishman as there is no limit to his talent and if he remains fit, Chelsea could still secure a European spot this season.

Chelsea could supercharge Palmer with swoop for "one of a kind" £87m ace

The 25-year-old could turn Palmer into the league’s assist king.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 23, 2023

While his display was excellent, it was Moises Caicedo who was the reliable operator behind Palmer in the heart of the midfield.

Moises Caicedo’s game in numbers vs Luton Town

The former Brighton and Hove Albion gem has taken a while to fully settle in at Chelsea, yet this commanding performance alongside Conor Gallagher is surely proof he will become a key member of the side over the next few years.

The Evening Standard gave him a match rating of 6/10, yet his display certainly went under the radar due to the brilliance of Palmer in a more advanced role.

The Ecuadorian finished the match with a wonderful 97% pass success rate and he also succeeded with 75% of his dribble attempts and made one key pass, showing that he can be a decent option when going forward too.

Caicedo was so effective on the ball that he lost possession just three times during the full game, and he won nine of his 13 ground duels and two of his four aerial duels, certainly proving he wasn’t a lightweight in the heart of the midfield.

The 22-year-old also contributed with five tackles and it was a solid display which should really get more credit, especially as it will now give him a base to build on heading into 2024.

It was another crucial win for Chelsea and if they can maintain this momentum, they will soon start to properly click into gear.

City won at Villa Park but were unable to catch Chelsea, who have won the WSL title thanks to a superior goal difference.

Manchester City came into the game in second place, but only on goal difference, as Chelsea faced Manchester United in the north-east.

They opened the scoring after 20 minutes, as Mary Fowler finished Lauren Hemp's cross smartly in the box.

Despite having 10 shots on goal in the first half, City headed into the interval only a goal up and knew at the break that they would need to score six goals in the second half to outstrip Chelsea at the top of the table.

While Chelsea continued to rack up the score, City struggled to break Villa down and the home side equalised on 67 minutes, as Rachel Daly sprung the offside trap, sprinted easily beyond the retiring Steph Houghton and finished coolly.

Hemp added a second in the 77th minute but at the time, they still needed seven goals – a mountain that they simply found too steep to climb.

GOAL rates City's players from Villa Park…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Khiara Keating (5/10):

  Barely troubled until Daly scored, as she was beaten one-on-one. Could have got out quicker but may not have expected Houghton to be burned by Daly's pace.

  Kerstin Casparij (6/10):

  Did not get forward as much as she would have liked but did her defensive work well. Replaced by Leila Ouahabi in the second half.

  Laia Aleixandri (5/10):

  Comfortable against Villa's attacking threat, until she tried to play Daly offside and ended up giving her a free run at goal.

  Alex Greenwood (6/10):

  Mopped up well in defence, and kept kick-starting attacks. Had a couple of efforts on goal but couldn't find the net.

  Alanna Kennedy (6/10):

  Hit the bar in the first half. Got forward when she could. Replaced by Houghton as she took her final bow.

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  Midfield

  Jess Park (6/10):

  Industrious in midfield, always moving the ball forward. Forced a fantastic save on half-time, with a first-time effort from Hemp's cross.

  Yui Hasegawa (5/10):

  Had to drop off as Villa grew bolder and played the role of unshowy midfielder to a tee.

  Laura Coombs (N/A):

  Had no chance to get into the game, as injury saw her substituted after just 14 minutes.

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  Attack

  Mary Fowler (6/10):

  Scored a great goal, controlling Hemp's cross and finishing smartly. Had so many chances but her clinical touch deserted her after opening the scoring. Assisted Hemp's goal.

  Chloe Kelly (4/10):

  Pressed well from the front but could not find a way to make a real imprint on the game. Bunny Shaw was badly missed, as Kelly simply couldn't fill her boots. Subbed late.

  Lauren Hemp (7/10):

  Put the cross in for Fowler's goal and saw a goal-bound shot blocked at 1-0. Easily City's most creative player. Missed a sitter in the second half but made up for it with a great volleyed finish at the back post to hand City a 2-1 lead. Did all she could to bring the WSL title to the north-west.

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  Subs & Manager

  Laura Blindkilde Brown (6/10):

  On for the injured Coombs. Beautiful mazy run almost created a goal for Park. Hit the bar in the first half too and missed a bucketload of chances. In fairness, she was far from the only culprit.

  Steph Houghton (5/10):

  On for the final appearance of her professional career. Was immediately outpaced by Daly for her goal. A tough farewell, as City won, but she did not get her hands on the WSL trophy.

  Leila Ouahabi (6/10):

  Tried to get forward and appealed for a penalty after a push from Daly but, like much of City's play, it led to nothing.

  Demi Stokes (N/A):

  On late for Kelly.

  Gareth Taylor (5/10):

  Consistently urged his team to attack but they just couldn't turn chances into goals. Their profligacy will haunt him, and the Houghton sub did not work, as she was immediately outpaced by Daly.

Arsenal have announced a contract extension for Stina Blackstenius, just a week after deciding to part ways with Vivianne Miedema.

• Blackstenius commits her future to Arsenal
• Has scored 43 goals in 83 appearances
• Eidevall delighted with Blackstenius' extension

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners offered a fresh deal to Blackstenius, whose initial contract was set to expire at the end of the season, with the forward having initially moved to north London in January 2022. With 43 goals in 83 appearances, she has established herself as a reliable and prolific scorer for the Gunners. She found the net in both of their League Cup final victories against Chelsea which has further endeared her to the fans.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The extension of Blackstenius’ contract comes just a week after Arsenal’s decision to let Miedema leave the club. Initially replaced in the centre-forward position by Blackstenius in the 2021-22 season, Miedema had to settle for a midfield role. However, her playing time became increasingly limited following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during the 2022-23 campaign and the signing of Alessia Russo last summer.

• WHAT BLACKSTENIUS & EIDEVALL SAID

  “I’m so happy to have signed a new contract here at Arsenal,” Blackstenius said. “In the space of two-and-a-half years, this club has come to feel like home — that’s thanks to my team-mates and the staff of course, but most of all because of our wonderful supporters. There is such a special atmosphere around this club and we are all hungry to achieve more together. Your support means the world to me and I can’t wait to get back here to go again next season.”

  Head coach Jonas Eidevall also shared his satisfaction with the new deal, emphasising Blackstenius’ overall contribution to the team. “Stina is a top-class striker and I’m delighted that she has signed a new deal with us," he said. "Her goalscoring naturally takes a lot of the focus, but Stina’s game is so much more than that. She’s incredibly hard-working and brings so much to the team with her clever running and physicality. I know she’ll continue to be a huge part of what we’re building here at the club."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Looking ahead, the contract extension is expected to bring stability and focus to Arsenal’s attacking strategy. With Blackstenius committed to the club, Eidevall can continue to build a formidable and effective offensive unit as they look to challenge for multiple honours in the 2024-25 season.

Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign an exciting new teenager at the end of the season, according to a reliable journalist.

Chelsea transfer news

The Blues have nine squad members who are aged 20 or under as it stands, with some of those who have been able to force their way into the first-team fold being the likes of Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia, despite his injury struggles since joining.

Todd Boehly has a track record of recruiting rising stars who he believes could go on to become an integral player for the long-term future of the club, with Mauricio Pochettino having shown that he is willing to give them a chance to prove themselves should they deserve it.

Therefore, any of the club’s transfer targets with a similar profile may well be attracted to the project on offer if they know they will receive a fair opportunity, and AF Darou Salam’s defensive midfielder Pape Daouda Diong has been highlighted as someone of interest.

The Athletic reported that Senegal’s youth international was in attendance at Stamford Bridge for the Carabao Cup quarter-final victory over Premier League rivals Newcastle United, and if the following update is to be believed, the 17-year-old has since been in talks to join in the summer.

Chelsea set to land Diong

Taking to X, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Chelsea have now completed a deal to sign Diong, with the midfielder set to turn 18 next summer and join the ongoing Stamford Bridge project.

He wrote: "Chelsea have completed deal to sign Senegal U17 midfielder Pape Daouda Diong, as revealed two weeks ago. Born in 2006, Pape will turn 18 in the summer and he will become part of Chelsea project. Diong was at Stamford Bridge just two weeks ago."

Diong could be a star in the making

Earlier this year, Diong represented his country in all four games during the FIFA U17s World Cup before they got knocked out of the competition in the last 16, which shows that he is doing enough at club level to get the individual recognition that he deserves (Transfermarkt – Diong statistics).

Standing at 6 foot 2, Pochettino’s target could also add a completely different dimension to the manager’s options in the centre of the park in the long run with his height, regardless of whether he would be a regular feature of the starting line-up or an impact substitute from the bench.

Furthermore, the teenager even has the versatility to operate slightly higher up as a central midfielder alongside in his usual role sitting just in front of the backline, so his ability to provide cover in another position outside of his own makes him an even more attractive prospect.

Chelsea’s new ownership are already planning to get fresh young faces through the doors in the form of the likes of Kendry Paez who is expected to join in 2025, so it may prove to be another coup if Diong is the next to be added to that list of incomings in the near future, as is set to be the case.

Bayer Leverkusen completed the domestic double as they beat Kaiserslautern 1-0 to lift the DFB-Pokal title on Saturday.

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• Bayer Leverkusen win domestic double
• Beat Kaiserslautern in the DFB Pokal final
• Granit Xhaka scored the only goal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Xabi Alonso's side put the Europa League defeat behind them as they completed the domestic double by beating Kaiserslautern 1-0 in the final courtesy of a first-half strike from Granit Xhaka. The former Arsenal star netted the winner with a brilliant curling shot from the edge of the box.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With the win, Leverkusen brought the curtains down on a historic season which saw them lift the Bundesliga title for the first time in their history. This was also their first DFB Pokal trophy win since the 1992-93 season. The German side could have completed a historic treble, however, they went down against Atalanta 3-0 in the Europa League final earlier this week.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Alonso's men played 53 matches across all competitions this season out of which they won 43 games, drew nine times and lost just once, which was against Atalanta.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYER LEVERKUSEN?

  It has already been confirmed that Alonso will continue to remain the manager of the club after he rejected Bayern Munich's advances earlier in the season. Under the Spaniard's tutelage, the club would aim to defend their league title in the 2024-25 campaign.

West Ham could move for a "special" striker this month as manager David Moyes and his staff push for a forward signing behind-the-scenes at Rush Green.

Hammers facing real attacking shortage

An injury setback for striker Michail Antonio and concerns surrounding Jarrod Bowen have handed Moyes the real prospect of being desperately short going forward.

West Ham offered club's "big-game" captain after Romano said they want him

The Hammers apparently want him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 9, 2024

Bowen limped off during West Ham's 1-1 draw with Bristol City in the FA Cup on Sunday, and if the Englishman's injury is a serious one, Moyes will have very limited options to play with in the attacking areas. Summer signing Mohammed Kudus is currently at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana, leaving West Ham with just Said Benrahma, Danny Ings, Divin Mubama and Pablo Fornals as alternative attacking options.

West Ham technical director Tim Steidten has actively been trying to sign a striker anyway, specifically Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy, but the African's £15 million release clause has also alerted a plethora of clubs across Europe.

“As we have reported for some time, Serhou Guirassy is still a top target for the club this January,” said club insider ExWHUemployee earlier this month.

“Tim Steidten has worked on this potential deal, although I must stress there are many others keen on the player. Not only has his performances attracted other top clubs to look at the player, but the fact he’s got a £15m release clause makes the competition for his signature fierce."

Other reliable sources, like transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, have confirmed that former Spurs winger and Ajax captain Steven Bergwijn is also a top target as Moyes looks to bolster West Ham's options.

As the Hammers scour this transfer market for both a number nine and a new wide player, as has been suggested, Football Insider and journalist Pete O'Rourke have an update concerning Paris-Saint Germain forward Hugo Ekitike.

West Ham could revisit Ekitike deal

According to O'Rourke, Moyes and his West Ham staff are working tirelessly to bring in a striker behind the scenes. In terms of who they could bring in alongside Guirassy, it is believed West Ham could revisit a deal for Ekitike this month after trying and failing to sign him last summer.

The 21-year-old has scarcely featured under Luis Enrique at the Parc des Princes this term, playing just nine Ligue 1 minutes in total.

Ekitike is seen as a player of real potential and the Hammers could make a move for him in their bid to hand Moyes more firepower. In his best season to date, the Frenchman bagged 10 goals and three assists in 24 league appearances for ex-club Reims over the 2021/2022 campaign.

Their former manager, Oscar Garcia, is also on record calling Ekitike a "very special" striker with a lot of quality.

"There is something very special about him," said Garcia.

"He’s young, and he has the quality to become a very good player. He’s a young man with a lot of quality but also a lot to improve on, but he works hard in training."