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West Ham United have failed in their attempts to bring Duje Caleta-Car to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent claim made by Claret & Hugh, with the West Ham insider revealing in a recent post that, despite David Moyes’ side’s continued attempts to find an agreement with Olympique de Marseille regarding a deal for the centre-back, sources on both sides of the transfer have stated that a compromise between the two clubs does not look likely to be reached.

It is reported that the Hammers are looking to take the 25-year-old on a loan to buy deal, while Marseille are only willing to part with the Croatia international for an up front fee of £15m.

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In their post, Claret & Hugh said: “West Ham are believed to have finally missed out on signing Croatian central defender Duje Caleta-Car. The Hammers have been chasing the player for several weeks and are likely to continue doing so up until the end of the window.

“But Claret & Hugh’s information from both sides of the deal is that Marseille are unwilling to do a loan to buy option and continue to insist on a £15 million permanent deal. The Hammers have made it clear they have no interest in such a deal at this point and want to take a look at the player over the remainder of the season.

“We are planning to pursue things until the end of the window but Marseille sources insist no deal other than a permanent switch is considered suitable.”

Moyes can kiss top four goodbye

With West Ham’s absolute priority targets in the January transfer window having been a new centre-forward and a new centre-back – neither of which Moyes has managed to land – the news that the Premier League side are set to miss out on a defender they have been pursuing for a large portion of the current market is sure to have left Hammers fans livid with their club’s strategy this winter.

Indeed, with a little under 36 hours until the transfer window closes on Monday evening, each hour that passes from now on looks to reduce the club’s likelihood of bringing a new centre-back to the London Stadium this winter – meaning the stalemate with Marseille regarding a deal for Caleta-Car appears to have been extremely important time wasted.

And, with the Hammers pushing for a top-four finish in the league this season, should Moyes indeed fail to bring in both a new centre-back and centre-forward this month, the Scot may as well kiss goodbye to the prospect of Champions League football next season now – as the 58-year-old’s squad simply does not have enough strength in depth to maintain a top-four push in its current state.

In other news: “I can confirm…”: ExWHUemployee drops huge transfer update, WHU fans will be buzzing

Everton’s winless run was extended to seven matches after they fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford in their Premier League clash this afternoon.

The game’s crucial moment occurred in the 24th minute when Bees talisman Ivan Toney slotted home a well-taken penalty to score his first home goal of the season.

It was summer signing Andros Townsend who was guilty of committing a high tackle on the Bees’ Frank Onyeka, and referee Darren England awarded a spot kick after reviewing the challenge on the pitchside monitor.

In a match short on quality between two out-of-form teams, Salomon Rondon had Everton’s best opportunities to find the back of the net and grab an equaliser.

The Venezuela international was thwarted by Brentford goalkeeper Alvaro Fernandez in the first half before a goalbound effort was blocked after the interval.

However, unlike Rondon, Anthony Gordon was unable to impose himself upon proceedings throughout the 90 minutes and put in a rather forgettable performance in west London.

As per SofaScore, the 20-year-old was awarded a match rating of just 6.2 out of 10, the lowest received by any of his teammates to feature this afternoon.

When looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why that was the case. Gordon lost possession a whopping 18 times against the Bees, lost eight of his 14 duels and was unable to pick out a teammate with any of his five crosses, letting Rafael Benitez down in the process.

On an afternoon to forget, the academy graduate was also disappointing in the eyes of 90min reporter Sean Walsh, who awarded the youngster a four out of 10 rating and wrote: “Some decent dribbles but nothing to worry Brentford”.

With a tricky run of fixtures coming up against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, Benitez will be hoping that Gordon can return to form as soon as possible after a difficult afternoon against the Bees.

In other news… Everton could secure Benitez’s next Hamsik in 18y/o prodigy with “exciting potential”

Rangers could potentially look to sign Heerenveen midfielder Joey Veerman after Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s arrival, according to journalist Stuart Hodge.

The Lowdown: Van Bronckhorst takes charge

A new era at Ibrox is now in full swing, with Van Bronckhorst replacing Steven Gerrard as Gers manager following the latter’s switch to Aston Villa.

The Dutchman won his first Premiership match in charge on Sunday, with his side picking up a 3-1 victory away to Livingston.

It is a promising start to life as Rangers boss for Van Bronckhorst, who will be hoping to achieve similar success to his playing career at Ibrox, when he won two league titles.

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The Latest: Veerman linked with Rangers move

He will be no doubt be eyeing up a few signings in order to further stamp his blueprint on the team and one player who could move to Rangers is Veerman, who has been linked with the Scottish champions in recent months.

That’s according to Hodge, who told GIVEMESPORT that he could see a transfer materialising. He said: “That one, yeah, potentially. But I think more so, that’s a market that van Bronckhorst will know well, that’s a market that’s affordable for Scottish clubs.”

The Verdict: Strong creative addition

Veerman is a midfielder with great potential, with Dutch coach Robert Molenaar once hailing him for having ‘extremely good’ technical ability.

Still only 23, he has already registered six assists in just 13 Eredivisie starts this season, highlighting the creativity he could bring to Van Bronckhorst’s team. Only James Tavernier (13) has accrued a higher assists tally for the Gers in 2021/22 across all competitions, with Ryan Kent (five) the next closest.

Veerman’s average of 2.4 key passes per game is also only bettered by Tavernier (3.9) at Rangers, so he is someone who could be an exciting and productive signing.

In other news, some Rangers fans have blasted one player after an incident against Livingston. Read more here.

Flocking to Twitter, these West Ham United fans have reacted to a transfer update involving their club and Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa.

David Moyes’s side, looking to end their year-long search for a new striker after the sale of Sebastien Haller last January, are reportedly eyeing Michail Antonio alternatives ahead of the winter window next month.

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It is believed that one of West Ham’s transfer priorities is a forward alongside the addition of a new centre-half and potentially Jesse Lingard (The Evening Standard), with the likes of Adam Hlozek and Divock Origi apparently on the agenda (ExWHUemployee).

Other forwards are also being considered as Eurosport journalist Dean Jones shares the latest. According to his information, West Ham are keen on South American forward Barbosa who has been in fine form for Flamengo over 2021.

It is believed he could even become available on a loan deal as the Irons and Moyes weigh up short term striker additions.

Irons react…

Given Barbosa has racked up a brilliant 29 goals over the calendar year in all competitions, it’s hardly surprising that some supporters see him as a would-be ‘dream’ signing.

However, some also believe that a loan would be difficult to pull off – find all of their reactions to the development down below:

“This would be the dream for me”

Credit: @AlfieMax_WHU

“YEEEEEES GABIGOL”

Credit: @brad_hass4

“Get him in West ham”

Credit: @Jinglis01492553

“A loan would be awesome but I just don’t see it happening.”

Credit: @NeilFitzUk

“Loan would be excellent, but this reeks of Bacca!”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

“here we go again”

Credit: @whujoe

In other news: ‘Can’t wait’, ‘Best news today’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘amazing’ update has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Fans of Wolverhampton Wanderers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which Tim Spiers shared an article of his concerning Wolves centre-forward, Willian Jose.

In his article for The Athletic, Spiers discussed the fact that, since joining Wolves from Real Sociedad on a five-month loan deal back in January, the 29-year-old has now played 11 hours of football for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side without finding the net once, taking a total of 10 shots and having 19 touches in the opposition box to no avail.

The journalist goes on to claim that the chances of Wolves making the Brazilian’s loan deal an £18 million permanent move this summer – with the club having the option to buy the striker at this figure – appear to be increasingly slim.

And, after Spiers relayed his report on Twitter, fans of Wolves flocked to have their say on the matter, with many stating their belief that the £34,000 per week forward is simply not good enough for Premier League football.

So, what exactly did these Wolverhampton Wanderers fans have to say in reaction to Tim Spiers’ article regarding Willian Jose?

“Didn’t see it last night personally, just think he’s way off the pace at times.”

@Jandersonn94

“No pace, no quality, no goals, no good. Get rid.”

@Curly34008700

“Put him back on the plane now, one of the worst signings we’ve ever made. Looks like a National League player.”

@WolfgarRichie

“Not the level we are looking for at all. If we sign him it shows where our ambition levels are at.”

@casmalta

“No goals, no effort, no chance – send him back in the summer and get someone who can actually score goals.”

@TheAdmiral2153e

“Fabio is so clear of this fraud, send him back to Sociedad.”

@nj_401

“Dire.”

@FW90

“Lazy. Disinterested.”

@Gus2fur

In other news: This well-rounded midfielder is reportedly on Wolves’ radar – find out more here!

Many Glasgow Rangers fans were delighted with an incident involving Scott Brown during the Old Firm derby on Sunday.

The Gers faced Celtic for the third time this season at the weekend and drew 1-1 after Alfredo Morelos cancelled out Mohamed Elyounoussi’s opener. In essence, though, the match was a dead rubber as the Gers had already confirmed their status as Premiership champions.

The week preceding the match proved to be a difficult one for the Ibrox outfit. They were knocked out of the Europa League last Thursday by Slavia Prague after losing 3-1 on aggregate, but the match was marred by allegations of racist abuse towards midfielder Glen Kamara.

The rivalry between Rangers and Celtic is fierce, but that did not stop Brown from walking into the Gers half to embrace Kamara as the two teams warmed up before kick-off. A clip of the moment was shared by Sky Sports Scotland on Twitter, and many Gers fans could do nothing but praise the Celtic captain.

These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on Brown’s gesture.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Brown below

“I might hate him with a passion but that was class, well done Scott, we stand together”

Credit: @sea_ibrox

“I totally cannot stand the boy as a player but an amazing gesture from Scott Brown, fair play! Some things are bigger than football!”

Credit: @theruralrider

“Any thoughts I hold on scott brown matter not a jot today. That was a touch of class. Fair play.”

Credit: @JackReg31454571

“Absolutely hit the nail on the head mate. Sometimes rivalry just doesn’t matter. Hats off to Broony”

Credit: @Gav1nsm1th87

“Class touch”

Credit: @ArgyllWarrior

“Hate him but good gesture from him”

Credit: @Declan_1872_

In other news, many Rangers fans slammed this man’s performance against Celtic.

Finance expert Kieran Maguire, featured on Sky Sports, believes the decision to operate a Celtic B team in the Lowland League has been a worthwhile venture. 

The lowdown: Here to stay

Having originally been trialled as a pilot scheme to develop Scottish youngsters, clubs recently voted for the participation of the young Hoops and Rangers sides to continue for the 2022/23 campaign.

Neither side can be promoted or earn relegation but the lure of competitive action has been preferred over the original academy style setup.

Following a report from the Daily Record confirming that the Lowland League had received a financial boost in the wake of the Old Firm’s inclusion, Maguire has given his view.

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The verdict: Good deal for all parties

Speaking to Football Insider, the regular contributor for Sky Sports suggested that the decision has proven to be a hit.

“It was a successful experiment, at the end of the day,” Maguire said.

“The fact the Lowlands League wants it to continue shows that the benefits outweigh any detriment.

“They will have also benefited from higher attendances because people will come to see the Colts teams when they are in town.

“It hasn’t held back the Lowlands League teams themselves.

“They have probably upped their game because it is a feather in the cap to beat Rangers or Celtic, even if it is the Colts teams.”

The verdict: Positive early signs

Whilst it’s difficult to quantify the fruits of the B team’s labour just yet, Celtic certainly appear to have a very promising collection of youngsters on the books at present.

The likes of Mikey Johnston, Dane Murray and Karamoko Dembele have all emerged as options for Ange Postecoglou’s side at various points this season whilst supremely talented teenager Ben Doak recently earned a high profile switch to Premier League giants Liverpool.

Continuing to blood the Lennoxtown youngsters in a competitive environment can only be a positive for the future at Parkhead and it would appear to also be a huge financial boost to the lower reaches of the Scottish football pyramid – win-win.

In other news, a journalist has provided a worrying Celtic transfer update. Read more here.

According to Wigan Today, Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of bringing Kyle Joseph to Ibrox after Wigan Athletic administrator Paul Stanley insisted nothing would change before deadline day.

What’s the word?

Steven Gerrard’s side have enjoyed a superb Scottish Premiership season thus far as they find themselves far ahead of Celtic in the title race.

Reports have emerged over the past few weeks that Rangers are interested in signing the 19-year-old, who has made 14 League One appearances with five goals and one assist to show for his 12 starts.

Gers chiefs believed Wigan would panic as the deadline drew ever closer and would be forced into accepting a cut-price bid.

But the League One strugglers are refusing to budge, which is precisely why Ross Wilson must renew their efforts to sign the highly-rated teenager before the transfer window closes this week.

Wilson must act now

After former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor suggested that Rangers could be forced to sell Alfredo Morelos after his reckless behaviour in recent weeks, Joseph – who has been tipped for greatness by Leam Richardson – could be just the man to complete Gerrard’s dream attack for years to come with an eye on the future.

Whilst Cedric Itten is also predominantly right-footed and plays upfront, the Scotland U19 international offers far more of a threat in attack, as he has shown his all-round game is solid and he can create chances for his teammates whilst scoring himself. As per WhoScored, he currently averages more shots (2.1) per game and is caught offside on fewer occasions than Itten.

Former Rangers youth academy graduate Kal Naismith recently heaped praise on his young strike partner following his return from injury.

“I really enjoyed it up there with young Kyle Joseph,” said Naismith. “He’ll be a top player, a really, really good player and he works his nuts off not just in the games but all week in training as well, he has a great appetite for the game and a great attitude – I enjoy playing with him, he did a lot of work for me in what was my first game back after not having a lot of training.”

Ianis Hagi, on the other hand, has managed the same amount of shots (2.1) and more key passes (1.2) in the Scottish Premiership, picking up a whopping nine assists so far, via WhoScored.

Signing Joseph could turn out to be a shrewd investment for the future, as having the two of them in the same team and starting alongside each other could cause havoc for any opposition, with Ryan Kent lining up on the opposite flank.

AND in other news, the stats that show why Rangers signed Jack Simpson…

With the summer transfer window now quickly approaching, Everton will be keen to splash the cash.

They’ve already identified a right winger as a priority but the Toffees need to consider looking at their right-back spot as well.

On the chalkboard

Carlo Ancelotti has enjoyed a productive first full season with the Toffees but defensively, there are still plenty of issues to iron out.

Mason Holgate endured a shocker against Aston Villa by losing possession to Ollie Watkins who scored but he was then hauled off after just 45 minutes against Sheffield United on Sunday.

A potential stand-in at right-back, things wouldn’t bode well if Seamus Coleman suddenly picked up an injury.

Jonjoe Kenny has had a torrid loan spell at Celtic so doesn’t seem a viable option which leaves them with the aforementioned Coleman as their only competent option.

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Even then, he’s hardly set the world alight this term. Aged 32, he is approaching the end of his best days and that was evident against Villa last Thursday.

With his contract expiring in the summer of 2022, Ancelotti should be searching for replacements.

Odriozola on the way?

One player Everton have been linked with in the last few weeks is Real Madrid full-back Alvaro Odriozola, someone who could move to England on a two-year loan deal.

The 25-year-old was signed from Real Sociedad for €30m (£26m) but rather unsurprisingly, hasn’t been afforded too many opportunities at the Bernabeu.

The full-back has only started eight times this season in La Liga but despite his lack of minutes, he’d still be an upgrade on Coleman.

Speaking about Odriozola in 2018, Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay said: “I’ve known Alvaro since he was a boy as he was friends with my son. I’ve seen him grow up. He is a great person, very responsible.”

Aperibbay added: “He’s a player that will always give his best. He is very fast, I think among the fastest players in La Liga. He is very talented and has a lot of projection.”

Coleman has clearly lost a yard of pace in the last few years so adding someone like Odriozola to the Everton ranks would be incredibly beneficial.

The Spaniard is a rampant force down the right-hand side and possesses plenty of creativity. During his final campaign with Real Sociedad in 2017/18, he produced 155 crosses, putting him in the top five players for that statistic in La Liga.

The Everton skipper has always been a similar player for the Toffees, producing an impressive 28 assists during his time in Merseyside. That said, Odriozola has actually provided more key passes per match (1.2) throughout their respective careers.

Coleman, by comparison, has managed just 0.8. Of course, the Irishman has a larger sample size but it bodes well that Ancelotti could be gaining such a like-minded replacement.

The 25-year-old would be a solid signing from Marcel Brands and co.

AND in other news, Forget Gordon: Ancelotti must unleash “fearless” 21 y/o Everton beast next season…

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that he cannot imagine Jack Grealish leaving his old side for Tottenham.

The north London club could lose their star man Harry Kane in the summer and may need to undergo a rebuild.

Tottenham are known admirers of Grealish, having a bid of £25m turned down for the player a few years ago, and will have the funds to make another move for him, along with a striker, if they can get the £150m+ they are said to want for Kane.

Hendrie, however, believes the above is a non-starter given the current state Spurs are in.

Asked whether a Kane-less Tottenham reigniting their interest in Grealish as part of a rebuild could be a possibility, the ex-Villa player said to TT:

“If Kane left, why would he even contemplate going to a football club that’s selling their big players? Really and truly, you may as well stay where you are. I just think it’d be a no-brainer just to stay at the football club that he’s at.

“You’re taking big players out of the equation and possibly losing even more big players at your football club because you’re losing your prized asset, so definitely not for me.”

With Manchester City currently in the frame to sign Grealish when the transfer window opens, ultimately, it does look like Tottenham have missed their chance to bring the attacking midfielder to north London.