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Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to sign at least one player before the January transfer window deadline on Monday night, regardless of any outgoings…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, who delivered a huge update on Spurs’ current state of play heading into the weekend in an article shared on social media.

“#Tottenham continuing talks for Luis Diaz today – one of a number of targets before deadline. No last minute Adama [Traore] intervention expected. [Dele] Alli struggling for a concrete option to leave that suits everyone. More from me here:” he wrote on Twitter.

In the accompanying column, he reveals that the north London outfit are ‘hoping to make at least one new signing this month’ as they continue in talks with the FC Porto winger, for whom they are willing to pay £46m to sign.

Late drama

Spurs have been left frustrated in their attempts to bolster Antonio Conte’s squad this month, although they have left it very late indeed.

Traore’s U-turn in recent days has left them scrambling for other options as the Wolves winger is set to join his former club Barcelona, whom he left for Aston Villa back in 2015.

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However, it has got tomust be encouraging to learn that Spurs are prepared to pay up for Diaz, who is a hugely exciting talent and one of Europe’s hottest properties, having also been linked to Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester United.

The Colombian sensation has delivered 16 goals and six assists in only 28 appearances for the Portuguese giants so far this season, and that includes a few outings in the Champions League.

It’s hard to envisage where Diaz will fit into Conte’s system, with the Italian utilising wing-backs rather than wingers, but he has shown that he’s not afraid to adapt when necessary.

Thomas also suggests that the Porto gem is one of multiple targets heading into the final few days of the window and that the club are hoping to sign at least one name, regardless of whether Alli, Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, or anyone else for that matter, depart N17.

That must be hugely exciting to hear for Conte, as he desperately needs reinforcements if he’s to even stand a chance at improving Spurs’ fortunes on the pitch in their quest for a top-four finish.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops major Spurs transfer claim that’ll leave fans buzzing…

West Ham United centre-back Angelo Ogbonna is already attracting interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Citta Celeste, who claimed that the Hammers defender has emerged as a target for Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio, who are hoping to land the 33-year-old on a free transfer upon the expiry of his current contract at the London Stadium in the summer.

Previous reports had claimed that, despite the former Italy international’s season-ending cruciate ligament injury, the Irons are planning on offering him a new one-year deal, although a move back to his homeland could well tempt the former Crotone, Torino and Juventus defender.

Disaster

While it is true that Ogbonna may not have too many years ahead of him in which he is capable of playing a starring role at the very highest level of the professional game, it is undeniable that the centre-back still has much to offer West Ham in the short-term. That leads us to believe that his departure this summer would be a disaster for David Moyes and his team.

Indeed, in recent years, the £1.8m-rated defender has proven himself to be one of the Hammers’ most important players in the top flight, earning seasonal SofaScore match ratings of 6.82 in 2019/20, 6.81 in 2020/21 and averaging a rating of 6.71 over his 11 Premier League appearances in the current campaign prior to his injury.

This form led to the £70k-per-week defender receiving some huge praise, with Declan Rice stating of the Italian in December 2020: “He’s so good. Honestly, he’s gone to another level this season. He looks like a real top, top centre-half and he’s stepped up when it’s really mattered.”

West Ham podcaster Sam Delaney also praised the influence of the 33-year-old on the Irons’ backline in March of last year, stating: “The fact is he’s a real leader and he’s marshalled that defence whether we played in a four or a three. You can see him being vocal and he was so integral to it.”

As such, it is clear to see just how much of an impact Ogbonna has made in the heart of the West Ham defence, not only with his consistently solid performances but also with his leadership abilities. Moyes simply cannot afford to jettison such qualities in the summer, especially on a free transfer.

In other news – Forget Diop: West Ham liability with 40 touches must have just played his last game for Moyes

Benfica have told West Ham that Darwin Nunez could move to the east London club in the summer following David Moyes’ failed January pursuit, according to transfer insider Dean Jones (via GiveMeSport).

The Lowdown: Irons’ elusive hunt for a striker

Throughout last month, many Hammers fans were screaming for Moyes to bring in a striker, as Michail Antonio is the only recognised senior centre-forward at the club. Unsurprisingly, he is the club’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with eight goals.

However, he has a chequered injury history and, given the club’s failure to replace Sebastien Haller following his exit 12 months ago, it’s no wonder supporters may be worried that one injury to the Jamaica international could destroy any chances of securing a top-four finish and achieving Champions League qualification.

West Ham were linked with Benfica’s Nunez throughout the January transfer window, but their offer on deadline day for the player was rejected, according to Sky Sports. The Hammers were considering an improved offer, but the deal was too difficult to complete before the 11pm transfer deadline.

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The Latest: Nunez could join West Ham in the summer

According to transfer insider Jones, Benfica have told West Ham that they would be more open to a deal for Nunez in the summer, adding that the delay doesn’t solve the Irons’ urgent need for greater centre-forward depth.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, he outlined: “Benfica basically said, ‘we’re not going to do the deal right now, come back in the summer’ and they might do that but it’s absolutely no help to them right now”.

The Verdict: Would be a huge signing

Sky Italy reported that West Ham offered £37.43m plus add-ons for Nunez, but this fell short of Benfica’s valuation. If the Hammers are to consistently compete for Champions League qualification, they will surely need to bring in players of the same calibre as the Uruguay marksman, with Nunez already proving his worth in the competition.

At just 22, the striker could be performing at the top level for the next decade, so West Ham should do all they can to try and secure his services in the summer after missing out on him last month.

In other news: This West Ham stalwart is ‘in talks’ over a new contract

Crystal Palace recovered from an early setback to draw 1-1 with Norwich City on Wednesday evening.

Patrick Vieira is still waiting for a first Premier League victory in 2022, with the Eagles now winless in their last four top-flight fixtures.

Wilfried Zaha equalised with a brilliant strike in the second half to cancel out Teemu Pukki’s opener after 38 seconds, however, he then failed to convert from the penalty spot to put the visitors in front.

We’ve used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst Palace outfield performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were.

In total, these three players lost the ball a whopping 35 times, were second best in 60% of their aerial and ground duels and made just three tackles all evening… could these players be worried about their place in the XI ahead of the trip to Brentford?

Joachim Andersen – 6.7/10

First up is centre-back Andersen, who lost the ball 15 times. He also lost four of his five duels and was unsuccessful in nine of his 14 long passes.

Andersen was the only Palace defender who didn’t record a rating of more than 7/10, with the 25-year-old making just one tackle all evening. It was a night to forget for the promising defensive stalwart.

Jean-Philippe Mateta – 6.7/10

Next up is Mateta, who also recorded a rating of 6.7/10 in what was his first league start after making his loan move at Selhurst Park permanent last month.

The striker didn’t celebrate his move in the best fashion, though, having just 23 touches of the ball in his 80 minutes on the pitch. Mateta lost five of his eight duels, gave the ball away eight times and registered just one shot all night.

Jeffrey Schlupp – 6.9/10

Last up is Schlupp, who was one of a number of players to end with a score of 6.9/10.

Playing alongside Will Hughes and Conor Gallagher in a three-man midfield, Schlupp lost the ball on 12 occasions and was second-best in six of his 12 duels.

He was brought off by Vieira with 10 minutes remaining having made more fouls than he did tackles (3-2).

In other news: Palace handed more injury woes as Matt Woosnam shares news on ‘very good’ player. 

Frank Lampard was unable to lift the curse on Everton’s away form as the Toffees have failed to win a single game away from Goodison Park since August last year, and on this occasion the side lost 2-0 on their trip to the south coast against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton.

Everton failed to dominate in any area of the game with less possession and less shots on goal than their opponents, with Stuart Armstrong and Shane Long both finding the back of the net in the second half of the game to send the Toffees back to Merseyside without a single point to add to their challenge of climbing the Premier League table.

Lampard decided to go with a ‘don’t fix what isn’t broken’ approach to the game, by starting the  exact same starting eleven and the same 4-4-2 formation that we saw last weekend at Goodison Park against Leeds United, when the side picked up their first win in six league games – however the approach did not pay off on this occasion for the Toffees boss.

One player who was given his second opportunity to impress his new manager after his performance the weekend before, was Jonjoe Kenny who had taken up the left back role during Vitaliy Mykolenko’s absence through injury, with Lampard giving the defender another chance to shine in today’s starting eleven, despite Mykolenko being available to start.

According to SofaScore, Kenny put on a defensive disaster-class against Southampton, losing 100% of his duels, making no tackles and no attempts to block shots and was dribbled past during the poor 90 minute performance.

It is safe to say that the defender may have lost his chance to compete for his starting spot in the team, as he is predominantly a right-back and is currently playing out of position to fit into the side, and Lampard may decide that he is not cut out for the position, adding experienced left back Mykolenko back into the defensive line to ensure the same mistakes won’t be repeated again.

Everton need every point possible to ensure that they don’t fall into a difficult relegation battle this season, and dropping points puts them back into a conversation at the bottom end of the table, with the side only three points from the drop in 16th and facing difficult upcoming fixtures in the league against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur over the next few weeks.

Lampard will need to work hard to ensure he is choosing the right players to inspire a comfortable finish in the Premier League this season.

In other news: Lampard should sign Sergio Gomez

Spurs insider John Wenham has shared his concern over the fact the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is yet to announce any new events this summer, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: On-field issues

Antonio Conte has struggled in recent weeks to get a string of positive results, with Spurs’ only win in their last five Premier League games coming against Manchester City.

They have lost the other four, including most recently against Burnley, with Conte reportedly holding crisis talks with Daniel Levy on Thursday.

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The Latest: Wenham’s comments

Spurs insider Wenham was talking to Football Insider, citing his concern over the fact that there have been no new dates added for the summer, hinting that some could help the club when it comes to their transfer activity.

He stated:

“With [virus] restrictions lifting, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should be hosting lots of events this summer.

“I saw Ed Sheeran is doing eight or nine dates at Wembley and I just wonder where our Stadium comes into that.

“We still have the Guns N Roses gigs that were meant to be played a couple of years ago.

“But it doesn’t seem like any more shows are happening over the summer and I’m concerned about that.

“It’s a multi-purpose arena and I’m not sure why we aren’t out getting more events to keep the stadium in use.

“Other venues, like Wembley, are announcing events and we aren’t for some reason.

“I’m a bit concerned Tottenham’s marketing and hospitality teams aren’t doing more to get more events to the stadium.

“Hopefully there are some announcements soon because as I’ve said before if Tottenham aren’t playing the stadium should still be in use.

“That’s why it was built. That’s more revenue that can be invested in the squad.

“Because of [the pandemic] we are yet to actually see any of those benefits.”

The Verdict: Least of Conte’s problems

Tottenham have bigger problems to resolve at this moment in time instead of worrying about the stadium’s summer schedule.

Wenham stated that Spurs could earn more revenue for the playing squad with further events held, but should the club fail to qualify for the Champions League, it could be a tough ask to bring in the quality of player that Conte wants.

The next few months appear to be crucial for both Spurs and Conte, and should things fail to improve, the Italian may well decide to cut ties with the club for good.

In other news: Tottenham gem who Conte called ‘important’ could now pack his bags and quit, find out more here

Former Premier League manager Alex McLeish has tipped Tottenham star Harry Kane to quit the Lilywhites for a Champions League contender in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Kane’s future is uncertain

Daniel Levy suffered a testing summer last year after the England captain made it clear that he wanted to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

The Sky Blues made a staggering £125m bid for the striker, with Spurs sensationally rebuffing the offer as Levy desperately sought to keep hold of his most prized asset.

As reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the 28-year-old will assess Tottenham’s progress over the remainder of the season before he makes a decision over his Spurs future. The club will not initiate contract talks due to their failed attempts last time out, so it is up to the striker to do that himself.

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The Latest: McLeish’s verdict on Kane

According to former Scotland manager McLeish, Kane will leave Tottenham in the summer.

Speaking to Football Insider, he claimed: “My prediction would be that he will leave.

“I think I said that before and he didn’t, but I have to believe Harry will try and get to one of the bigger clubs. Spurs are a huge club, don’t get me wrong. But he’ll want to go to a club that are achieving far more consistently than Spurs.

“If Spurs become an incessant winning team, it’s possible he’ll want to stay with the manager. He will then believe the manager has re-galvanized the team. 

“He could possibly see him as the father figure-type thing. Saying things like: ‘I love him, I’m not going to go, I see a future and we’re going to win things with this guy.’

“But my money would be on him going to a club who have a better chance of winning not only the league but the Champions League.”

The Verdict: Conte’s key man

It would be disastrous for Antonio Conte and his project at the north London club if his star striker chooses to pursue a move elsewhere in the summer.

When compared with players in the same position over the past year, Kane ranks in the 92nd percentile for total shots, the 91st percentile for non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists, and in the 90th percentile for progressive passes made (via FB Ref).

Despite having a poor season by his own standards, the England international remains Tottenham’s top scorer this season, with 16 goals in all competitions.

With few alternatives in the centre-forward position, this demonstrates just how important he is to Conte and Spurs. However, at 28, he may feel that he is approaching a crossroads in his career in terms of contending for major prizes, which makes McLeish’s prediction a plausible one.

In other news: Antonio Conte green-lights Spurs move for new top transfer target

Wolves are back in Premier League action this afternoon with a clash against Crystal Palace at Molineux in their latest attempt at moving closer to securing European football for next season.

Having lost their two previous league games against Arsenal and West Ham United, both in London, the Old Gold will be doing all they can to pick up all three points in front of their home fans today against team from the capital in Patrick Vieira’s side, who are currently three places and 10 points behind the Midlanders in the league table.

On the chalkboard

In regards to which players Bruno Lage could pick in his starting XI to take on the Eagles, one man who started last weekend against West Ham but we think should be taken out of the team on this occasion is Fabio Silva.

Since arriving at Molineux in September 2020 from FC Porto for a club-record fee of £35.6m, the 19-year-old has only netted four goals in 54 appearances across all competitions, showing that he hasn’t been particularly reliable when it comes to finding the back of the net.

Furthermore, the £19.8m-rated striker’s performance against the Hammers last weekend showed why he may not be suited to start this time around either, having had just one clear shot at goal throughout the entire 90 minutes at the London Stadium, and that was off-target.

The youngster also made just 14 accurate passes and won only one of his six duels, ultimately earning himself a disappointing overall match rating of 6.1/10. That made him the lowest-rated player from either team according to SofaScore, even lower than Francisco Trincao, who only played 60 minutes and came in for criticism from some journalists for his performance.

Labelled a potential “hindrance” for the club as a result of his poor performances in the past by Liam Keen, that is exactly what he was for Lage last time out and why he shouldn’t be given the opportunity to start again this time around, with Wolves in need for a victory to reignite their push for Europe.

With that in mind, now could be the right time for the Wolves boss to bring Raul Jimenez back into the team this afternoon and hope that he can do the business for them in front of goal.

In other news: John Percy shares worrying Wolves update, it’s a “big blow” for Lage

West Ham United boss David Moyes is desperate to sign a new striker target as news emerges on Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins, as per insider reports.

The Lowdown: Irons eye striker…

The Irons and Moyes, reportedly convinced that Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata had signed in the late hours of January, thereby ending West Ham’s long search for a forward, were left bitterly disappointed (The Evening Standard).

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Phone calls to the Colombian’s representatives were unanswered with the 31-year-old going AWOL, leaving Moyes stranded without a senior back-up option for the second half of 2021/2022.

Their quest to add a new central striker now continues into the next summer transfer window, and according to club insider Claret & Hugh, the Hammers boss is very keen on Premier League star Watkins.

The Latest: Moyes sets sights on Watkins…

Moyes has allegedly been ‘seriously tracking’ the 26-year-old in his quest to finally fill the striker’s position.

Watkins is the Scotsman’s top target, and despite Steven Gerrard’s side being adamant they won’t sell, it is believed that won’t stop West Ham from attempting a move.

A ‘key London Stadium insider’ told C&H: “It’s become clear Villa are not interested in selling the player but that won’t stop us trying.”

The Verdict: Move on…

There are various stumbling blocks to this move, not just Villa’s strict no sale stance, but also the fact he could cost around £60 million, according to reliable reporter Luke Hatfield.

Moyes’ interest is certainly understandable given Watkins’ status as a fairly young England international with proven goalscoring ability over the last few seasons.

He’s also been called ‘unbelievable’ by Villa pundits like Dan Bardell (via This is Futbol), but given the appear to make West Ham’s life difficult in attempts to land the striker, it could be best to move on for now and look at alternatives.

In other news: West Ham insider makes contrary Rice claim in big boost for Moyes, find out more here.

West Ham United journalist Roshane Thomas of The Athletic has shared a ‘dressing room’ belief involving defender Aaron Creswell after his sending off against Frankfurt.

The Lowdown: Irons bow out…

The Premier League side have been knocked out of Europe following their sensational run to the Europa League semi-finals, putting an end to their dream of clinching an unprecedented Europa League title.

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David Moyes’ side made West Ham supporters believe they could do the previously unthought of after impressively knocking out the likes of Sevilla and Lyon before facing off against Frankfurt over two legs.

The Bundesliga side eventually beat Moyes’ men 3-1 on aggregate with Rafael Borre sealing their place against Rangers in the final on Thursday – scoring the only goal of West Ham’s second leg tie away in Germany.

Cresswell’s early red card for a professional foul, his second in less than a month, played a major role in the complexion of the game with Thomas sharing his ‘dressing room’ belief.

The Latest: Thomas makes Cresswell claim…

The reporter, taking to Twitter, says West Ham’s left-back will have been ‘hurting in the dressing room’ and it is ‘concerning’ that Cresswell has been dismissed twice in a ‘matter of weeks’.

He explained:

“Cresswell will be hurting in the dressing room, but you can’t defend like that when you’re the last man. All the more concerning it’s happened twice in a matter of weeks.”

The Verdict: Big error…

The 32-year-old certainly didn’t cover himself in glory against Frankfurt and West Ham will be hurting, just like the player, after just missing out on a blockbuster final bout against Scottish giants Rangers.

However, Moyes and his squad can take pride in the fact they got that far and allowed Irons supporters to imagine the previously unthinkable.

Just two years ago, the east Londoners were in real danger of relegation from the English top flight and it is quite simply astonishing what West Ham have achieved since then with minimal investment off the field.

In other news: ‘Something special’ – Journalist says ‘massive player’ could be open to joining West Ham, find out more here.