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An exciting West Ham transfer claim has emerged this week…

What’s the word?

The Irons are yet to complete any business in the transfer market since it opened a month ago and with the team back in for pre-season training ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, many supporters were beginning to worry about the club’s plans to bolster David Moyes’ playing squad.

However, it appears that moves may be on the horizon as the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee dropped a fresh ten-word claim to fans on Twitter.

When asked if the Hammers’ activity would pick up now that Euro 2020 had drawn to a conclusion, the anonymous but trustworthy source replied:

“I hope so mate yes, that’s what I’ve been told.”

Time to do business

This should come as hugely exciting news to many around the London Stadium as it seems that the West Ham insider has been told to expect some form of business in the near future.

It’s crucial for GSB and the club’s recruitment team to complete some transfers as soon as possible as they will only be setting Moyes up for failure by not doing so.

The Scotsman pulled off the unthinkable last season, steering the East Londoners to a place in the Europa League, just one year on from avoiding relegation to the Championship with one game to go.

He did so whilst facing a number of squad problems.

From January, he only had one senior striker at his disposal – an injury-prone Michail Antonio – and on the subject of injuries, every week there was seemingly a new name sat on the treatment table.

Indeed, the Irons currently head into next season with a lack of strength in depth.

That new forward is yet to be found despite links to every man and his dog, whilst there is very little cover behind the likes of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek in midfield and similarly in both full-back positions.

It’s also thought that Moyes is keen to add a centre-back to his armoury, on top of a Jesse Lingard return, too.

With kick-off against Newcastle United only a month away, it’s time for the Hammers to start signing players and that certainly appears to be more likely now that Euro 2020 has finished.

Whilst many still await that first arrival, excitement in East London should start to ramp up following Ex’s latest claim.

AND in other news, GSB enter into negotiations for “phenomenal” £25m dynamo, Irons fans surely buzzing…

Ludogorets’ Kiril Despodov is on Rangers’ list of targets, according to a report from Tema Sport. 

The lowdown

Despovodov, 25, is predominantly a right-winger, but he’s capable of playing across the frontline.

He only joined Ludogorets permanently last summer, having impressed the Bulgarian club during his loan spell from Cagliari.

Despodov has two and a half years left on his contract and is valued at £2.88million by Transfermarkt.

Rangers have only made one addition so far in January, loaning James Sands from New York City FC.

They have, though, recalled two attacking players in the form of Cedric Itten and Jake Hastie.

The latest

The report states that Despodov has attracted the interest of Rangers, as well as Super Lig outfit Istanbul Basaksehir.

But he apparently ranks only fourth in their list of priorities behind fellow right wingers Akinkunmi Amoo (Hammarby in Sweden), Brian Ocampo (Nacional Montevideo in Uruguay) and Robert Muric (Rijeka in Croatia).

The verdict

Despodov boasts an impressive record this season with nine goals and 12 assists in 29 appearances across all competitions.

Two of those goal contributions have come in the Europa League, though he wasn’t able to prevent Ludogorets propping up Group F.

How does he compare to the other names under consideration?

Well all of the players appear to be in a similar price bracket – Muric and Ocampo are valued at £2.7million, with Amoo a marginally more expensive £3.6million.

It’s Despovodov who leads the way for goal contributions in the most recent season though, with Amoo next on 18 overall (13 goals, five assists), followed by Muric (eight, seven) on 15 and Ocampo on 12 (four, eight).

It feels a little harsh, then, that he’s only regarded as plan D.

In other news, this ‘powerhouse’ could soon leave Ibrox.

Leeds United missed out on Ben Godfrey as a teenager amid comments that the centre-back was snubbed by the club following a trial…

What’s the story?

After being released by Middlesbrough as a youngster, Godfrey would then go on trial at Elland Road, Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday, with none of them leading to a contract, thus leaving the defender contemplating his future in the game.

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He said: “It felt a little bit like the dream was over. For them to say no was a massive confidence-breaker, really. It looked like the end of the journey.

“The moment that stands out massively is after that Leeds United trial. The coach told me they were not going to offer me anything but to go and prove him wrong. That stuck with me. I was desperate then. I could not wait to go and prove them wrong.”

Godfrey’s rise to the top

Daniel Farke, Godfrey’s former boss at Norwich, once tipped him to reach the very highest level, declaring: “Whoever signs Ben Godfrey can be unbelievably happy. It is no coincidence he is captain of the England Under-21s. This club has had some decent players in the past so to be rated the biggest transfer fee for a figure that is on the world level says everything about his potential.

“I am pretty sure he will play for best clubs in the world one day and he has the potential to captain England. That is what I wish for him. He is one of the best centre backs in the world in terms of potential.”

While Godfrey hasn’t exactly emerged as a real cornerstone of England’s defence, he has picked up a couple of caps for the Three Lions and earned himself a high-profile move from Norwich to Everton just a couple of years ago while Carlo Ancelotti was the manager on Merseyside.

Indeed, the 24-year-old’s potential and ability was on clear display just this past weekend, when the Toffees ran out 1-0 winners against Manchester United at Goodison Park. Godfrey was instrumental at the back, making a whopping game-high 13 clearances (more than double that of the man in second), and he wasn’t once dribbled past either.

Described as an “absolute baller” by Everton’s official Twitter channel, the £25m-rated Godfrey has certainly carved out a fine career for himself since that rejection from Leeds a number of years ago.

The 6 foot ace has proved not only the Whites wrong, but all those other clubs who snubbed him too.

AND in other news – Signed for £5m, now worth 700% more: Orta struck dream Leeds deal with “quality” 22-year-old

Spending significant sums of money is not something Crystal Palace have been able to do very often throughout their history, and when they have, it’s often gone wrong.

The likes of Mamadou Sakho and Christian Benteke were purchased for astronomical fees by the club’s standards, with little to show for the extensive outlay.

Things have changed somewhat since Patrick Vieira’s arrival over the summer, with a host of new and relatively expensive acquisitions already making huge impacts at Selhurst Park.

However, Palace’s history is littered with dozens of bargain buys who have helped them punch above their weight rather than record-breaking signings, and Jordan Ayew could be the best of them all.

Although the Ghana international might not be universally popular among some of the Eagles’ fanbase due to his lack of end product – he hasn’t scored a goal in any competition since 7 November 2020 – he has undoubtedly been outstanding value for money.

After enjoying a successful loan spell in south London throughout the 2018/19 campaign, Palace forked out a mere £2.5m to secure his services on a permanent basis from Swansea City.

“I am very happy to have returned. I really enjoyed myself last season,” he revealed upon his unveiling.

Previously, former Palace boss Roy Hodgson had said that Ayew had “played his part in the club securing its highest Premier League points tally in the last campaign”.

The following season, Ayew had arguably already paid back his lowly transfer fee, bagging nine goals and laying on a further two assists in 37 top-flight appearances, forming a promising partnership with Eagles talisman Wilfried Zaha.

Despite the goal contributions drying up since then, the £32,500-per-week wizard has seen his market value rise to £7.2m, meaning that Palace chairman Steve Parish could secure a healthy profit if he decides to part ways with Ayew next summer.

His intelligent pressing, incredible work rate and defensive contribution have made the Ghanaian a valuable asset to both Hodgson and Patrick Vieira, showing that Parish struck gold by picking him up for such a minimal fee.

In other news… 98% pass success: Palace beast shines on international duty, he’s now a “transformative force” 

Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking to sign Mexican forward Hirving Lozano from Napoli this summer.

What’s the story?

That’s according to Napoli Today, who claim that Wolves have been ‘following’ the 26-year-old for some time.

The winger joined the Italian club from PSV Eindhoven for a reported £36m in the summer of 2019 and hasn’t really lived up to the price tag with 25 goals and 12 assists in 110 appearances for the Serie A outfit.

However, Lozano could be reunited with current-Wolves striker and Mexico teammate Raul Jimenez at club level, with the latter making his desire to play alongside the forward, nicknamed ‘Chucky’, in Bruno Lage’s side.

Imagine him & Jimenez

Despite still being able to qualify for European football next season with Wolves sat in eighth, Lage’s men have struggled in the final third this term.

Only Brighton, Burnley, Watford and Norwich have scored fewer than the West Midlands outfit’s 33 Premier League goals this term in 32 matches.

Therefore, adding reinforcements to the attack would certainly be shrewd going into the new season as relying on the defence to be as colossal as it has been this campaign next is unsustainable.

Granted, the 26-year-old’s spell at Napoli has been incredibly inconsistent with his first season seeing the Mexican score five goals in 39 matches before a much-improved 15 in 43 matches last term before scoring just five all season this term.

However, having linked up with Jimenez on numerous occasions for the national team, Wolves could reap the rewards of reuniting the Mexico internationals at club level.

The £31.5m-rated 30-year-old has also endured a mixed season this term, scoring just six goals upon a miraculous return from a skull fracture.

Lozano has been subject to praise from his coach Luciano Spalleti, who called the winger “unique”, as well as midfield legend and Barcelona manager Xavi, who said he’s a footballer who is “capable of making a difference.”

There is certainly a risk by signing the 26-year-old, however, with the Mexican at a great age to still improve whilst also having plenty of experience and Wolves needing extra quality in the final third, it would certainly be a gamble worth making.

AND in other news: Forget Raul: Wolves must sign “special” 139-goal star who has the “mindset of a lion”

Speculation has been rife regarding the possible transfers Newcastle could pull off in the January window following PIF’s takeover of the club.

The likes of Raheem Sterling, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Timo Werner are just a few of the many names linked with a switch to St James’ Park after Mike Ashley sold the club to the Saudi Arabian consortium.

However, the focus must now be drawn to the players who could lose their game-time as a result of incoming transfers as it would be beneficial to have some out the door before bringing in new arrivals, due to limitations on the size of the squad and preserving harmony among the group.

One player who should be sold in the January window is midfielder Jonjo Shelvey. The 29-year-old has been a liability for Newcastle in the middle of the park and should be replaced by PIF, or whoever the manager is come the opening of the transfer market, with an upgrade in that position being signed instead.

Whilst Shelvey has the silky skills on the ball and the ability to switch the play with his excellent range of passing, he often lets himself down with a lack of work off the ball and his poor decision-making. Despite playing in central midfield, he has a career average of just 0.9 interceptions and 1.2 tackles per game, showing that he does not put the hard graft in defensively.

He has picked up 27 yellow cards and four reds during his time at St James’ Park, with the latest dismissal coming in last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Tottenham. Shelvey was brought off the bench by Bruce to help rescue the game and instead ended up being sent off for two silly challenges, giving his teammates a taller mountain to climb.

In two Premier League appearances this season, racking up 94 minutes of play, the former Liverpool man has completed one tackle, made zero interceptions, blocks or clearances and received three yellows cards, with two of them leading to a red on Sunday. On the ball, he has not been his useful self either, as he failed to complete a single dribble and provided just one key pass.

Tellingly, the 29-year-old has recorded the lowest average WhoScored rating of anyone in the Magpies’ squad this season with a paltry 5.22, being by far the worst player in a team occupying a place in the Premier League relegation zone. That does not paint a pretty picture of his form.

With Steve Bruce reportedly set to be sacked, the £70k-per-week dud’s time at St James’ Park could also be up after his dismal cameo appearance against Spurs. If Newcastle’s next manager was watching that game, he may have already jotted down a mental note to get rid of Shelvey at the first possible opportunity.

He proved himself to be a liability and that is not the sort of character or player you want to have around when trying to rebuild the club to lead them into a future of positivity and success. Therefore, it could be time for the Magpies to ruthlessly axe Shelvey by cashing in on him in the next transfer window, based on both his style of play generally and his disciplinary record, which was highlighted against Tottenham.

AND in other news, “Sources say”: Craig Hope drops major Newcastle claim that’ll delight supporters…

Leeds United are eyeing a late transfer window swoop for Club Brugge starlet Noa Lang.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports from The Telegraph, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been been watching the 21-year-old ahead of a potential move this summer, although they are set to face intense competition to try and land him.

And writing recently on Twitter, The Athletic’s Phil Hay said: “They like Lang and that’s a genuine link but they haven’t actually made a concrete move for him.”

Now, Sport/Voetbalmagazine (via Sport Witness) claim that Leeds remain interested in signing Lang before deadline day, but that Brugge are looking for a massive bid to let him leave.

Bielsa will be buzzing

Able to play anywhere across the frontline, Lang showed Jadon Sancho-like abilities in his loan spell at Brugge last season, bagging 17 goals and providing a further 11 assists in just 37 games, including netting in the Champions League.

With that impressive goal-scoring record, and the fact he still remains very young at just 21, a move for Lang would be extremely exciting not just for Bielsa but for the club’s fans too.

Dubbed a “phenomenon” by Belgian journalist Peter Vandenbempt, the winger made history when he became the first player in 60 years to mark his debut with a hat-trick for Ajax, while his teammate at Brugge, Cyriel Dessers, has even admitted that Leeds’ interest in the flier is not the least bit surprising.

He said: “He is absolutely ready for the Premier League. He was fantastic last season. Then it is logical that there is a next step.  I would love to see him in the Champions League with Club Brugge, but he has shown that he is one of the best footballers in Belgium.

“He is a graceful footballer, but he also works very hard. I often sat on the bench, so I could keep an eye on him there. But the way he works, I didn’t know he had that in him. He has really taken a step. The interest does not come out of nowhere. I know how Leeds work.”

If the Whites can pull off a late transfer window deal for Lang, then Bielsa will surely be buzzing.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this Premier League record breaker…

After Ange Postegoclou fielded an extremely young and inexperienced Celtic side in the club’s incredibly impressive 3-2 win over Real Betis last week, it would very much appear as if the future at Parkhead is a bright one.

Indeed, the 56-year-old handed Celtic debuts to both 21-year-old Osaze Urhoghide and 20-year-old Liam Shaw in the Europa League fixture, in addition to awarding first-team minutes to exciting prospects Liam Scales, Adam Montgomery and Ewan Henderson.

However, it is not only on the periphery of Postecoglou’s first-team squad where there are a number of promising talents, the club’s B team side also looks to be littered with up and coming gems – none more so than 16-year-old Rocco Vata.

Vata could be the next Moravcik

Son of Celtic cult hero Rudi Vata, Rocco put pen to paper on his first professional deal with the Hoops earlier this summer, and the attacking midfielder has been highly impressing in the Scottish Lowland Football League ever since.

Indeed, following yet another spectacular goal in Celtic B’s 1-0 win over East Stirlingshire on Friday – with the teenager turning on the afterburners in order to latch onto Mackenzie Carse’s defence-splitting through ball, before taking a touch and crashing his shot past the opposition goalkeeper off the crossbar – the reserve side manager, Tommy McIntyre, was rather understandably full of praise for the youngster.

McIntyre said: “We got a great goal. I thought it was a fabulous goal. He was probably the best player on the night so he deserved the goal. He’s got to get a lot of credit himself. He’s just natural. He plays and we coach him but he’s got to perform on the day. He’s certainly taking everything on board we’re trying to get out of him. There’s more to come from him, there’s no doubt, but he’s young. What a fantastic goal tonight.”

However, the midfielder’s special strike last week was by no means his first of the current campaign, as, during a Republic of Ireland U17 fixture against North Macedonia back in October, the teenager also bagged a breathtaking goal – turning a helpless defender before unleashing a thunderous 30-yard drive into the far corner of the opposition net.

And, although the youngster who The Celtic Bhoys dubbed a “star in the making” undeniably has a great deal of developing to do if he is to go onto break into the Ange Postecgolou’s first-team squad, there are undoubtedly shades of the Hoops’ former playmaker Lubomir Moravcik about Vata.

Indeed, in an article that could quite easily be describing the 16-year-old sensation, These Football Times wrote of the Slovakian midfielder: “He was one of those players who seemed to have more time on the ball than those around him. He dribbled superbly… and scored many spectacular goals from distance with both feet – a rare talent indeed.”

As such, should Vata be able to maintain his current level of performance over the next year or two, Postecoglou could well go on to unearth Parkhead’s next Moravcik in the youngster – something that would certainly delight the Celtic faithful.

In other news: Major Celtic transfer development emerges that’ll have Ange buzzing

Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas is wanted by a number of Turkish sides ahead of the January transfer window, according to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Barkas’ Scotland struggles

The Hoops forked out £4.5m on the 27-year-old back in July 2020, however, it hasn’t turned out to be an inspired piece of business.

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Barkas has made just 23 appearances in green and white, with just one of those coming under Ange Postecoglou. He hasn’t been seen since his Parkhead blunder against FC Midtjylland in a Champions League qualifier back in July and has only made one Scottish Premiership matchday squad.

And it now seems as if the 6 foot 4 colossus is set to leave Glasgow in 2022.

The Latest: Joseph’s post on Barkas

Joseph was a busy man on Monday afternoon, providing plenty of Celtic-related transfer updates.

He finished with a piece of outgoing news, claiming Barkas, thought to be on £20,000-a-week at Parkhead, is ‘open’ to a departure in 2022, whether that be a permanent or temporary one.

“Finally, a number of Turkish clubs are interested in Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas, who is believed to be open to a loan or permanent move next month.”

The Verdict: Get rid…

Postecoglou doesn’t need to keep hold of Barkas after signing Joe Hart over the summer and having Scott Bain and Conor Hazard as back-ups. [Transfermarkt]

So, on that basis, getting his hefty wage off the books at Lennoxtown seems to be the best decision, even if it is on loan for the rest of the season.

If Celtic receive a respectable permanent offer, then he should leave for good, but not needing to worry about his £20,000-a-week salary could be priceless, especially with the Hoops looking into deals for Japanese trio Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi.

In other news: ‘Outstanding’ star may miss four games as Celtic issues worsen ahead of Betis clash

Celtic’s transfer window started off in a quiet fashion but now the campaign is underway, they are approaching the market with a sense of ruthlessness.

The Hoops have signed a title-winning goalkeeper in Joe Hart and signed a top-flight’s leading scorer in Kyogo Furuhashi.Now, however, they could welcome the son of a club legend to the club; Jordan Larsson.What’s the word?Speaking to Rekatochklart (via Glasgow Times) this week, former Sweden star Marcus Allback touted Henrik Larsson’s son as the ideal signing for the Hoops in a revealing interview.Jordan currently plays his club football for Spartak Moscow in Russia where he has caught the eye with his goal-scoring antics.Consequently, he earned a place in the Sweden squad for the recent European Championships.Speaking in light of that, Allback commented: “If Jordan Larsson was to sign for Celtic, I know that would be a great signing for both the player and the club.”Allback continued: “Jordan is a great player and has a lot of good qualities that he could bring to the team. He’s not the tallest, but he is strong, his mentality of working hard and always making runs, taking on players and his effort to defend, is something that would suit playing for Celtic.”Better than Henrik?Although the chance of Jordan signing for the Glasgow club has been ruled out in the past, stranger things have certainly happened in football.Valued at £13.5m via Transfermarkt, his price tag would surely be out of the range of Celtic – even if they do sell Odsonne Edouard.However, if the opportunity emerges to sign him, Ange Postecoglou must do everything in his power to lure him to Paradise.After all, this is an offensive player with the world at his feet, an individual capable of dominating defences and taking the opposition to the cleaners.Described as a “great talent” by Allback, he has 25 goals in total for Spartak, 15 of which came during a wonderful 2020/21 campaign in Russia. On top of that, he provided five assists for his teammates while completing two key passes per game.Larsson is yet to score this term but has racked up a jaw-dropping 4.3 key passes per match. In comparison, only Ryan Christie – 4.5 per outing – comes anywhere close to replicating those sorts of numbers this season.What’s most appealing, though, is the idea that he could become better than his father.Henrik will always go down in Celtic history as one of the greats to wear the jersey. The Swedish hero bagged 174 goals in 217 Premiership outings for the club for instance.His son doesn’t find the net with the same regularity but claims have already been made that he’s on the right path to stardom.Speaking in 2016, Henrik Larsson commented: “I have said all along that the only way to deal with people comparing him to me is to become a better player than I was.”“He is already on his way to doing that. Jordan is playing in a higher division than I was at his age and he has already been capped for Sweden – and scored – at under-21 level, again, something that I had not done at his age.”The 24-year-old has since become a prominent player in Europe and is well on his way to becoming a genuine star on the continent.Celtic would be foolish to pass up a transfer as romantic as this if a deal can be arranged.Sadly, that does feel slightly farfetched for now.AND in other news, Alan Nixon issues ten-word Celtic update that’ll surely leave Hoops fans buzzing…