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West Ham United have reportedly made a bid for Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa as David Moyes looks to add to his squad ahead of the January transfer window closing in just over a week.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Peter O’Rourke has confirmed that the Hammers have been negotiating a deal to sign Barbosa on an initial loan deal from the Brazilian outfit.

“They’re still in and around Gabigol but the problem is Flamengo would prefer a straight-up sale for the Brazilian striker,” said O’Rourke.

“West Ham are trying to negotiate a loan deal with an option to buy and so far Flamengo are not interested in that, so it’s a bit of a stalemate at the minute.”

The east London club have just one senior striker in Michail Antonio and are yet to make a signing this window, meaning that Moyes and co. could be set for a dramatic final week.

West Ham must sign Barbosa

Chasing Champions League football with one senior striker is a disaster waiting to happen for the Irons. Luckily, Antonio has only missed one Premier League game for West Ham this season but could easily pick up an injury or suspension over the final months of the season.

The Hammers have been able to find goals of late from their wingers, with Jarred Bowen in particularly hot form, scoring four goals in his last four games. However, that isn’t sustainable and the east Londoners will need to add depth to their attack.

Valued at £23.4m by Transfermarkt, Barbosa’s record for Flamengo is particularly impressive, scoring 84 goals in 123 appearances for current employers Flamengo, with the Brazilian outfit signing the 25-year-old from Inter Milan two years ago.

In fact, Flamengo legend Zico showered the striker in high praise, stating: “I think Gabigol has everything to be the greatest striker in Flamengo’s history. It’s getting there. His performance got better and better, consolidating himself as one of the greats.

“He’s already gone down in history. He is young and can do much more, and hopefully, he can do it. Doing this is always good to give joy to the Rubro-Negro fan and, logically, we always expect this from a guy who has the potential that he has.”

Granted, the Brazilian has already endured spells in Europe which proved unsuccessful, making just ten appearances for Inter Milan and scoring once as well as playing in five matches for Benfica, also scoring once.

However, West Ham, in the predicament that they’re in, cannot ignore a goal record like the one Barbosa has at Flamengo, regardless of the level at which he has been playing.

Not only is Antonio Moyes’ only senior striker, but he hasn’t exactly set the world alight this campaign. After a prolific start to the season where he scored five goals in his first six Premier League games of the season, the Jamaica international has only found the back of the net on three occasions in the top-flight since.

If the Hammers are serious about making a push for a top-four finish, it is vital that they add at least one reinforcement up front.

Meanwhile, West Ham target is made available for sale…

Newcastle United tasted their second successive defeat in the Premier League as they fell 3-1 to Liverpool at Anfield on Thursday night.

Eddie Howe’s side took the lead thanks to a superb strike from Jonjo Shelvey, before goals from Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold saw the Reds clinch all three points.

One man who’s certainly given the Newcastle boss some food for thought going forward, is Matt Ritchie.

The Scotland international found himself on the bench again before the game – he’s been out of the starting line-up since the clash against Arsenal – but following Jamal Lewis’ injury, was forced to come on very early in the first-half.

While having to deal with the likes of Salah and Alexander-Arnold was always going to be a thankless task, Ritchie just couldn’t get to pace with the game.

As per Sofascore, he made no tackles whatsoever and didn’t win a single duel in the time that he was on the pitch – compare that to the likes of Jacob Murphy and Joelinton who each won eight and nine respectively.

Ritchie also couldn’t get going the other way either, failing to attempt a single cross and actually having fewer touches than even goalkeeper Martin Dubravka too – a sign of just how much he was penned back.

And, Ritchie’s situation is made all the more pressing by the news that Lewis’ injury is said to be a “bad” one according to Howe.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, the Newcastle boss added: “It’s a hamstring injury, which is a surprise with Jamal because he’s obviously so athletic.

“He’s been excellent in terms of his athletic work for us so far, so for that to happen so early in the game, I was surprised.”

With Paul Dummett still not fully fit, and Lewis seemingly set for an extended period out on the side-lines, it appears Newcastle have no choice but to stick with Ritchie in that left-back role for the time being.

It’s another major headache for Howe and one that he would have been desperate to avoid, no doubt hoping to focus his attentions elsewhere.

The January transfer window has already seen them linked with a number of players, including Sven Botman at Lille and a potential new central midfielder too.

But, having Lewis and Dummett out, and Ritchie having to once again play in an unfamiliar role, a new left-back may be something for the Magpies boss to consider.

Ritchie’s performance certainly didn’t show anything like the quality that would suggest he can be a short-term answer, let alone a longer-term one.

Meanwhile, Newcastle have suffered a major injury blow…

David Moyes’ West Ham United side got 2022 off to a perfect start against Crystal Palace on Saturday evening, with the Hammers running out 3-2 victors at Selhurst Park.

The fixture looked to be done and dusted at halftime, with Michail Antonio’s 22nd-minute opener and Manuel Lanzini’s brace giving West Ham a 3-0 lead at the interval.

However, Palace did come extremely close to levelling the scores right at the death, as Jean-Philippe Mateta’s spectacular bicycle kick flew just wide after Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise had pulled two goals back for the hosts.

Nevertheless, the Hammers hung on to all three points, a result which – coupled with Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat against Manchester City – sees Moyes’ men well and truly back in contention for a top-four spot.

Aside from the result, the displays of a number of his starting XI will have been extremely encouraging for the 58-year-old manager – particularly that of Declan Rice, who ran the show after returning to the side following his suspension.

12 defensive actions

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch on Saturday evening, the defensive midfielder enjoyed 60 touches of the ball – the joint second-most of any West Ham player – completed 41 of his 46 attempted passes – one of which was key – found his man with two of his four attempted long balls and ended the fixture with an assist to his name – setting up Lanzini’s stunning first goal.

The £67.5m-rated man also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making three tackles, three interceptions, two clearances and winning four duels, totalling 12 defensive actions.

These returns saw the £62k-per-week 22-year-old earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.2 – ranking him as West Ham’s third-best performer on the day.

Football.London journalist Tom Clarke also appeared to be impressed with the performance of the England international, awarding Rice a seven in his own player ratings, as well as stating of the midfielder’s display: “Back in the team and back to running games. Drove forward well and got West Ham on the front foot after a sloppy start.”

Indeed, it is clear for all to see that the academy graduate did run the game for Moyes’ side against Crystal Palace, something which Rice will have to maintain going forwards should his team have any chance of securing a Champions League finish in the top flight this season.

In other news: Forget Dawson: £61k-p/w flop who lost 66% duels may have played his last game for WHU

With the EFL discussing ending the current tv blackout of 3pm kick offs, I wonder how long it will take for the Premier League to also start looking at tv options and the constant fixture changes?

With the world at a standstill not long back, with lockdowns and restrictions to attending live games, the football world illustrated perfectly it was able to screen all games to keep us football fans happy and connected to our clubs.

I think there are those amongst us now, who would prefer to slow down, and watch some of the games at the more traditional Saturday 3pm instead of scrambling around for all the different kick off times.  As Simon Jordan said   in his TalkSport show , ‘Live is live’ and those who enjoy getting to the game, will still do exactly that.  But for those that have responded to the slow down during the pandemic, surely it is time for sport to look again as to how people consume the game and how best to cater for it?

Fans of Sky Sports Soccer Saturday will no doubt be aware that, after 25 years presenting the show, Jeff Stelling is stepping down at the end of the season and he has partnered with Abbot Ale to introduce a new pint drinking concept to British pub culture.

Football is amongst the top ten activities we like to do, when not working – and with the UK being amongst the worst in Europe for long working hours, it does look like there is an appetite for having a re-think over work to life priorities.

Abbot Ale revealed that Brits expect to be able to slow down at the age of 43 – after living a ‘fast paced’ life for 25 years.  They questioned 2000 people and almost half agreed the slower pace during lockdown was enjoyable.

That is why Abbot Ale is on a mission to get the nation to slow down and savour.

Jeff Stelling is set to spread the slow down message, explaining;

“As I get a little older, I am trying to slow down! Life is still so frantic but I want to enjoy pleasures like a dog walk, a round of golf or especially a good pint! I say cheers to those who have the option of slowing down that bit sooner than me!”

 And after 25 years fronting Soccer Saturday, no one can disagree that Jeff deserves some time to slow down and chill.

TOP 10 ACTIVITIES BRITS DO – WHEN THEY SLOW DOWN:

Go for a walk Enjoy nature Read a book Listen to music Going for a meal Do some gardening Cook something nice Have a beer or wine Watch sport Going to the pub

And some work together very nicely don’t they?  I like to walk to a pub, have a pint, a meal, watch the football, then walk home….!

Aston Villa have been one of the clubs linked with a January loan move for PSG midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, with the Dutchman struggling for game time in Paris.

What’s the story?

After a transfer to Spanish giants Barcelona fell through during the summer, Wijnaldum opted to go to France and join PSG after his contract at Liverpool expired.

However, the 31-year-old has only managed to accumulate 949 minutes of football this season under Mauricio Pochetinno, who once labelled the £27m-rated midfielder as “aggressive”.

According to 90min, the former Liverpool star has been linked with an array of Premier League clubs, including Newcastle, Everton and Aston Villa with the Parisians reportedly willing to allow the Netherlands international to go on loan in January in a quest for minutes.

The major implication to any deal going through is the fact that Wijnaldum is reportedly earning over £300k-per-week, meaning that the French giants would have to cover a significant proportion of his salary if he was to play elsewhere for the remainder of the season.

Imagine him & McGinn

It has already been reported that the Villans plan to invest heavily and Steven Gerrard will be assessing his squad over the coming weeks to identify areas for improvement.

The 41-year-old appears to have found his preferred midfield trio for the time being, with John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba all starting together in the last three games.

McGinn in particular has been a stand out performer under the Englishman scoring in the 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace and has averaged a 7.62 match rating under Gerrard, according to SofaScore.

The Scotsman has been linked with a £50m move to Manchester United with new manager Ralf Rangnick looking to “inject energy” into his team. It’s easy to see why he’d be a good addition for anyone, let alone Villa after he was described as “unbeatable” by Ryan Babel.

The Dutchman has amassed a pass success rate of 89.5% proving his ability to keep things ticking over with a measured approach in the middle of the park which combined with McGinn’s dynamic and bullish approach would be quite the sight.

Should McGinn stay and Wijnaldum join, the Villans would certainly mean business with a mouth-watering midfield with one of either Luiz or Nakamba likely to fill the third place in the middle.

Furthermore, if Villa were able to land such a deal, it would prove a major statement of intent from the West Midlands club, with Villa seven points off of the top six.

West Ham could be facing a losing battle in their bid to keep Declan Rice at the club for the long term after an intriguing claim emerged this week…

What’s the word?

According to ever-reliable Hammers insider ExWHUemployee, who is one of the most trustworthy when it comes to all things at the London Stadium, claimed that the 22-year-old midfielder would be tempted by Chelsea, should they reignite their interest in 2022.

He told ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast this week:

“The thing is, though, like realistically, I mean, I know Declan would be tempted by offers but Chelsea at the moment, are they going to pay that much fee of money for him? I don’t know. But they are probably the club that would most tempt him, I would imagine.

“Manchester City, possibly. Manchester United, possibly.”

Rice has regularly been linked with a move away from the Irons, especially as he is yet to sign a new deal, with talks over that prospect shelved until the summer, as per fellow insiders Claret and Hugh.

A losing battle?

This suggestion should come as a major concern to David Moyes and West Ham as Rice is perhaps one of the most crucial cogs to their success, particularly over the past 18 months.

For example, right now, the England international sits atop of the WhoScored rankings for average rating (7.54), even ahead of Michail Antonio, having sat fourth overall last term.

Unlike most campaigns, Rice leads the way for assists (three) and is just one of four players to have featured in all of the 900 minutes available from the opening ten league games.

[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!”]

Aside from Ben Johnson, who has only started three games, the £63m-rated beast also ranks first for tackles (2.5), interceptions (two), average number of passes (60.8) and passing accuracy (91.8%) per game, as per WhoScored.

This shows just how important he is, both defensively and in the final third. Pretty much everything the team does runs through him throughout the game.

Recently Moyes laughed off the Hammers’ previous £100m asking price when asked if he was worried about potential bids for his star man. “No, I don’t, because there was a bargain to be got with Declan at £100m. That bargain’s now gone,” he told Sky Sports (via the Metro).

However, suggestions that teams like Chelsea couldn’t afford him are a little far-fetched seeing as they splashed €115m (£97.7m) on bringing Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Therefore, the 58-year-old Scotsman and those concerned with the east London outfit should be massively concerned by Rice’s likely temptation for the Blues, with January and then the summer on the horizon.

AND in other news, Zero-to-hero: Moyes has totally transformed “unbelievable” £18m-rated West Ham dynamo…

Crystal Palace are unlikely to make a move for out-of-favour Manchester United forward Anthony Martial, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The Lowdown: Martial struggling for minutes

The Frenchman has struggled to force his way into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans at Old Trafford this season, making just two Premier League starts prior to the Norwegian’s departure from the club this morning.

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani and Jadon Sancho all appear to be ahead of Martial in the pecking order, so he could leave the Manchester club soon.

Palace have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old, who has scored 94 goals in his career during spells with Monaco and United.

The Latest: Barclay plays down Palace move for Martial

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Barclay played down the idea of Martial heading to Crystal Palace, admitting that the Eagles likely couldn’t afford his wages.

The journalist said: “Would he even want to go to Crystal Palace? He’s obviously out of favour at United, and they probably are looking to let him go, but I would be pretty shocked.

“He would either have to take a massive pay cut or Palace would have to go down a massively different route.”

The Verdict: Highly unlikely

Martial is a talented footballer who has had good times at United – his record of 79 goals in 266 appearances is not to be dismissed – but as Barclay says, it is hard to see a move to Palace ever materialising.

The France international earns an eye-watering £250,000 per week at Old Trafford, which is almost double that of Palace’s highest-earning player Wilfried Zaha (£130,000). Also, Martial’s current United deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2024, so Patrick Vieira couldn’t even snap up his compatriot on the cheap.

Besides, it’s not as if the Eagles have been stuck for goals this season either – Christian Benteke, Wilfried Zaha, Conor Gallagher and Odsonne Edouard have already netted 15 times between them in the Premier League alone – so Martial isn’t a player that Palace desperately need.

In other news, some Palace fans criticised one player’s performance against Burnley. Find out who it is here.

A number of West Ham fans have been showering Ben Johnson with praise after his performance against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Hammers picked up a sweet win against Spurs at the London Stadium, prevailing 1-0. Michail Antonio was on the scoresheet, and the Irons have now moved up to fourth place in the Premier League table. David Moyes and co will surely be confident of improving on their sixth-place finish last season after this result.

Johnson was included in the starting line-up for his third league outing of the campaign (Transfermarkt) as he continued to deputise for the injured Vladimir Coufal. Once again, the 21-year-old helped the Irons keep a clean sheet as he kept the likes of Heung-Min Son and Sergio Reguilon quiet down his right flank, and lots of fans were absolutely delighted with what the youngster had to offer.

West Ham have not conceded a goal whenever he has been on the pitch this season (Transfermarkt), with Johnson starring as he won all seven of his duels and made five tackles in a tremendous defensive display (Sofascore).

These Hammers fans took to social media platform Twitter in their droves to share their thoughts on Johnson’s “class” performance.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Johnson

“Ben Johnson has been wonderful this season. 5 games he has started in he has kept a clean sheet in every single one of them. Still a few things to work on going forward but he kept Son quiet expertly today, his awareness and urgency is superb.”

Credit: @AzamWHUFC

“Ben Johnson was immense today.”

Credit: @aldredtj

“Ben Johnson ain’t put a foot wrong defensively yet, been class”

Credit: @DraigCawson

“Remember when we were all fuming when we let Ngakia go? Moyes got it spot on once again. Ben Johnson unreal talent”

Credit: @antonymmartin84

“How amazing has Ben Johnson been by since he has come into the side the way!? I thought he was so good yesterday. Never thought I’d say this but Coufal might not even get back in straight away”

Credit: @W_Bellow

“Ben Johnson was superb – but can’t underestimate how the arrival of Zouma has improved confidence and skill of whole back line”

Credit: @Tony_McNulty

In other news, many West Ham United fans loved this Jesse Lingard news

West Bromwich Albion manager Valerien Ismael is plotting a move for Daryl Dike in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield, who revealed in a recent interview with GIVEMSPORT that the Orlando City centre-forward features very highly on Ismael’s list of targets for the winter window.

When asked about West Brom’s potential interest in the 21-year-old, Hatfield said: “I’m sure he’s a player who is very, very high on their list. There were links with him almost endlessly over the summer and his form for Orlando has been very good.

“He’s got a really good goalscoring record in the MLS. No disrespect to the league, but it is maybe a couple of steps below the level that Albion are playing at or hope to play at in the Premier League. He’s clearly a player who’s got real talent.”

Ismael must act

Jordan Hugill has failed to find any real run of goalscoring form since his arrival at The Hawthorns on a season-long loan deal back in August, with the 29-year-old hitting the back of the net just once over his 10 Championship appearances this season. Therefore, a move for a proven goalscorer in January would seem essential for the Baggies if they are to have any hope of securing promotion back to the Premier League come next May.

As Hatfield suggests, Dike would very much seem to be a fantastic option for the club to pursue, as the USA international has been in fine form for Orlando in the current campaign.

Indeed, over his 15 MLS fixtures, the £9m-rated marksman has bagged seven goals – a scoring frequency of one in every 151 minutes of football played – provided one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.7 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game

These metrics have seen the player who Nani dubbed a “special” talent average a SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as his team’s joint third-best performer in the division.

However, it is not only Dike’s form in America which suggests that he would make a fantastic signing for Ismael, but also his returns while playing under the Frenchman during a loan spell at Barnsley last term. The 6 foot 2 striker scored nine goals over 19 Championship appearances at Oakwell at a rate of one goal every 143 minutes.

As such, considering Hugill’s incomparable return of one goal in 562 minutes of Championship football played this season, Ismael simply must do all he can to land Dike in January, as the 21-year-old undoubtedly possesses the goalscoring ability to fire West Brom back to the Premier League.

In other news: Cost the club £13m, left for nothing: WBA had a nightmare on “stupid” £30k-p/w flop

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell thinks that Celtic may receive an extra £2m in the deal which took Ryan Christie to Bournemouth over the summer, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Nixon’s claim

The 26-year-old left Celtic on deadline day, joining the English Championship club in a transfer which was thought to be worth an initial £2.5m. However, according to The Sun’s Alan Nixon (print edition, p. 61, September 3rd), as cited by Football Insider, the Hoops will bring in an additional £2m for the Scot should the Cherries seal promotion to the Premier League this summer.

They currently sit top of the division after 11 games, and Campbell – who regularly features on Sky Sports – thinks that Ange Postecoglou’s side could receive that seven-figure sum.

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The Latest: Campbell reacts

When asked by Football Insider if he expects Bournemouth to go up, therefore meaning Celtic would be owed £2m, Campbell said:

“Bournemouth are looking good so it looks likely they’ll get it.

“Extra money is always sweet, especially when it is a couple of million. A couple of million can go a long way at Celtic.

“Get it in the coffers and see where you can spend it.

“This rebuild is going to take a few transfer windows. They still need to strengthen. They need more players.

“Celtic Football Club need to be challenging for the league. A couple of million can help them bring in a couple more players.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed…

Christie was into the final six months of his Celtic contract when he left Parkhead, so it would be great business by the Hoops if they manage to bring in £4.5m in total for the attacking midfielder.

He was free to pen pre-contract terms with clubs outside of Scotland in the summer, so the initial £2.5m fee was better than nothing.

It appears as if it could get even better for Celtic, though, so Hoops fans should be keeping a close eye on how Scott Parker’s Bournemouth side fare over the coming months.

In other news: Journalist reckons ‘fantastic’ Celtic ace could leave, with Postecoglou overlooking him.