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Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed West Ham United may now have a great opportunity to sign Terem Moffi after a key development.

What’s the word?

The Hammers had very much been on the hunt for the Lorient striker and even saw a bid in the region of £25m rejected earlier on in the window.

That offer may have been turned down because his club knew there was interest from other parties and so they could hold out for a bit of a bidding war.

Indeed, Nice had been linked with Moffi too and The Independent recently reported that the Ligue 1 side had seen three of their own offers turned down for the striker.

However, it now looks as though Nice are set to sign Youssef En-Nesyri instead. Indeed, the Moroccan has agreed to leave Sevilla and move to the French club, according to Foot Mercato.

Amid this latest update, Ex has explained that this could now “open up the door” for the Hammers to make a move for Moffi this winter.

Speaking on The West Ham Way podcast, he said: “The other forward that they want to sign and are still bidding for is Moffi. As I’ve repeated it all window, the Lorient forward.

“Now, Nice were meant to be in for him. This is an interesting turn, and he was meant to favour staying in France. But Nice, now interestingly, appear to be close to signing in En-Nesyri, who was the forward that we tried to loan at the start of summer from Sevilla.”

He continued: “But anyway, if En-Nesyri then joins Nice, that means they’re not in the running for Moffi. So that could open up the door for us to sign him.”

Reinforcements needed?

Of course, West Ham have already signed one striker with Danny Ings arriving from Aston Villa for a reported £15m. However, he looks set for a long spell on the sidelines with a bad knee injury.

Seeing as Moffi was a target before that recent transfer, it would make a lot of sense for David Moyes to go back in for the Lorient attacker.

What’s more, as Ex points out, En-Nesyri was another previous target for the Hammers as they looked to sign him on loan this winter.

But with the Sevilla man now potentially off the market, the next obvious option is indeed Moffi. Taking it all into account, that certainly looks like the deal to keep an eye on for the time being.

With 12 goals in 18 Ligue 1 matches for his side so far, it certainly feels as though the Nigerian could come in and add something to the West Ham attack in the second half of the season.

Manchester United may have only recently secured the loan signing of Burnley’s Wout Weghorst, although attention is already turning to who could be the long-term, centre-forward addition this summer.

According to the Daily Mail, the Red Devils are seemingly keen on making a move for Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane at the end of the season, with the 29-year-old said to be valued at around £85m with just 18 months left to run on his current deal.

Although there have since been claims that the England skipper may be open to extending that contract with the Lilywhites, the Old Trafford outfit will be hoping that the lure of potentially competing for silverware under Erik ten Hag could tempt the prolific striker into sealing an exit from north London.

Such a move could well represent a real coup for those at the Theatre of Dreams, with journalist Ryan Taylor – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – suggesting that the £200k-per-week sensation could be “perfect” for the three-time European champions.

Asked whether Kane is Ten Hag’s top target this summer to fill the centre-forward void, the transfer insider stated:

“I think so, but it does depend on one key factor and that’s whether he feels Kane fits the system. Personally, I think he would be perfect for United with the way they’re playing at the moment, in terms of dropping deep and players like Rashford going in behind.”

The 80-cap maestro has only recently laid bare his quality after drawing level with the late-great Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer on 266 goals, with that latest effort away to Fulham ensuring that the one-club man boasts 199 Premier League career goals to date.

Such ruthlessness and reliability in front of goal has unsurprisingly seen the Walthamstow-born menace earn comparisons to a legendary figure in United’s history in the form of Ruud van Nistelrooy, with Wayne Rooney having previously stated:

“Harry is a classic No.9, the closest I’ve seen to Ruud. If I were building a team, he’s the one I’d start with. Harry Kane: there’s my No.9, then I’d build the rest around him.”

The now-retired Dutchman was, of course, a truly devastating presence in attack under Sir Alex Ferguson, having netted 150 goals in just 219 games in all competitions in the red jersey, including 95 goals in only 150 top-flight games.

The one-time PSV Eindhoven man – who belatedly arrived in England in the summer of 2001 – was famed for his single-minded approach to goalscoring, having been lauded as an “absolute machine” by former teammate, Roy Keane.

Kane also appears to have that knack for finding the back of the net with scary regularity, having been described as the “most reliable of finishers” by another iconic Red Devils figure of the recent past, Gary Neville.

As such, should the Spurs man sign on the dotted line come the summer and make the move to Manchester, he could potentially emulate Van Nistelrooy’s breathtaking spell at the club.

Journalist James Copley has revealed his disappointment over Sunderland’s inability to bring in another striker during January.

The Lowdown: Sunderland are threadbare

The Black Cats lost Ellis Simms at the beginning of the year as Everton decided to exercise their recall option in his loan deal, although he’s hardly been used since returning to Goodison Park.

Sunderland’s misery was further compounded when it was confirmed that Ross Stewart would be out for the rest of the season after suffering an injury to his Achilles during the FA Cup draw against Fulham.

However, Tony Mowbray’s side decided it was best to only bring in youngster Joe Gelhardt in on loan, with the Leeds United ace having just 19 games of Championship experience under his belt as he is tasked with leading the line for Sunderland this season.

The Latest: Lack of strikers is a worry

The decision from Sunderland hasn’t necessarily gone down well with some people – including Copley – who tweeted about his disappointment around the striker situation and how the club are well-stocked in every other area apart from at centre-forward.

He wrote: ‘The major frustration is that Sunderland are well-stocked with clear succession planning in most positions. This doesn’t negate the good work done generally (and there have been large slices of bad luck too), but it is still disappointing. Been an issue for a year now.”

The Verdict: A risky strategy from Sunderland

Given that Stewart’s injury was sustained with plenty of days left in the transfer window, it is quite bizarre that the Sunderland hierarchy didn’t see fit to hand Tony Mowbray another option at centre-forward.

The fact that Gelhardt hasn’t played much first-team football this season – he’s started just one game in the league this term – means he will have a huge amount of pressure on his shoulders starting on Saturday.

Sunderland are playing a very risky game during this second half of the season as they had a very real chance of finishing in the play-offs places and remain just a few points off the top six, but with just one fit striker on the books, that would now appear to be a very tall order.

Aston Villa lost for the first time in the Premier League in 2023 as they were beaten 4-2 on their own turf by Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.

Villa had the lead early on Ollie Watkins put them 1-0 up with an excellent finish to score on the rebound from Emi Buendia’s effort that hit the crossbar.

However, Boubacar Kamara was left with his head in his hands after being dispossessed in his own box just moments later, which led to James Maddison rattling in an equaliser.

Harry Souttar’s own goal put the hosts in front again but goals from Kelechi Iheanacho, Tete and Dennis Praet ensured that Brendan Rodgers’ side picked up all three points.

Whilst Kamara was at fault for the opening goal with a sloppy concession in his own box, the real villain of the match was certainly left-back Lucas Digne.

The France international’s defending for Leicester’s second goal was particularly shocking. He allowed Iheanacho to get goal side of him from a simple crossing position, after Tyrone Mings stepped across the box, and stood still as the Nigerian international pounced on the opportunity to head past Emi Martinez.

Digne was also caught high up the pitch for Tete’s goal and left Mings isolated against the tricky Brazilian winger, which allowed the forward to run off the back of the centre-back to score the third goal for the Foxes.

In the first half, the former Everton defender lost 100% (2/2) of his individual duels and failed to make a single tackle or interception, whilst completing 81% of his attempted passes, as per Sofascore.

The 29-year-old’s woeful display in the opening 45 minutes was enough to convince Unai Emery to substitute the Frenchman as Alex Moreno came on to replace him.

Kamara, meanwhile, won nine of his 15 battles, including 100% (3/3) of his aerial duels, and made three tackles and one interception for the side, as per Sofascore.

The former Marseille gem put his early mistake behind him to compete well in the middle of the park and largely dominated the opposition in his physical contests.

Whereas, Digne should be held accountable for two of the goals that Villa conceded and also contributed very little in defence before being taken off, as the dud was dominated by Leicester’s forwards.

Therefore, the left-back was worse than Kamara as the 29-year-old dud struggled badly and did not make up for his error for Iheanacho’s goal, whilst the defensive midfielder was, at least, able to make a number of defensive contributions in an attempt to make up for his own errors.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has already showcased his willingness to look towards the youth ranks during his time at St James’ Park, with promising playmaker Elliot Anderson seemingly the most notable success story of recent times.

For all the importance of continuing to push for silverware and a Champions League berth, it may also seemingly be in the club’s long-term plan to keep promoting exciting youngsters from the academy, with that approach likely to help the Tynesiders save millions on possible new recruits.

One such asset who is seemingly destined to make the step-up in the near future is 20-year-old starlet Matthew Bondswell, with the “highly rated” left-back (as per journalist Sarah Clapson) having been involved in Howe’s pre-season plans.

Although that has yet to lead to a competitive Magpies debut at first-team level, the former RB Leipzig gem – who was previously on the books at Nottingham Forest – has no doubt caught the eye of late, having previously been described as “outstanding” by Kieran Trippier.

The Nottingham native – who failed to feature while on loan at Shrewsbury Town last season – has sparkled in Newcastle’s youth setup so far this term with one assist from his 12 outings across all fronts, having initially signed for the Tyneside club in 2021.

The Magpies could seemingly have a real gem on their hands if they are to put faith in Bondswell any time soon, with the former England U18 international having previously been likened to Real Madrid star David Alaba, due to his ‘God-given athleticism, cultured left foot and … malleability’, as per the official Bundesliga website.

The pair are also alike due to their ability to feature in a variety of roles, including centre-back or central midfield. That bodes well for the impact that Bondswell could make in Howe’s side at St James’ Park.

To be compared to the Austria international is high praise indeed, with Alaba having enjoyed a lengthy and glittering career at the elite level, previously racking up 431 appearances during his spell at Bayern Munich, where he won 27 trophies.

Now at the Bernabeu, the versatile 30-year-old – who also has 98 caps for his country – has already scored five goals and provided seven assists in 70 games in all competitions for the La Liga giants, having previously been lauded as “one of the best in the world” by former Bayern team-mate Joshua Kimmich.

To potentially have their own version of the experienced rock is no doubt a mouthwatering thought as far as Newcastle are concerned, with Bondswell perhaps able to stake his claim for a more prominent role in Howe’s squad in the years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on a move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing Toney

It was reported earlier this season that Tottenham sporting director Fabio Paratici was eyeing a swoop for the 26-year-old ahead of a potential move in the January transfer window, but Spurs instead chose to strengthen other areas of the squad.

Right-back Pedro Porro was brought in on a £5m loan deal with a £39m obligation to buy, while winger Arnaut Danjuma arrived on loan, with Antonio Conte choosing to wait until the summer before signing an out-and-out striker.

The Latest: Spurs keeping close tabs on Toney

As per Football Insider, Tottenham are keeping close tabs on Toney, who is currently holding talks with Brentford about a new contract.

The implication is that if these discussions do not go to plan, Spurs could swoop in for the 26-year-old, considering Richarlison and Heung-min Son are said to be struggling for form, with the duo managing only 10 goals in 48 appearances combined this season.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Given that Tottenham have Harry Kane at their disposal, who recently broke Jimmy Greaves’ record as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, it may be difficult to attract Toney, as he knows that he will almost certainly be playing second fiddle to the England captain in N17.

That said, if they are able to tempt the ‘sensational’ 26-year-old (as dubbed by presenter Ste Howson) into a move to north London, he would be a fantastic signing. That much is indicated by his superb scoring record in the Premier League this season, netting 13 times in 19 outings and also weighing in with three assists.

His prolific goal return for Brentford – 61 goals in 110 appearances – begs the question as to just how prolific he could be in a team of Tottenham’s calibre, and Paratici should continue to monitor the progress of contract talks at the Gtech Community Stadium over the coming weeks.

Phil Hay has claimed that Leeds United are admirers of out-of-work coach Marcelo Gallardo.

The Lowdown: The manager search continues

After sacking Jesse Marsch over a week ago, Leeds are still without a permanent manager, and caretaker boss Michael Skubala will take charge for the time being, including for their relegation six-pointer at the weekend.

Leeds have certainly been trying to land a new manager, though they have been foiled in their attempts to bring in a new coach, with the likes of Andoni Iraola, Arne Slot and Alfred Schreuder all now off the table.

Someone who may well have been easier to land is the unattached Gallardo, who is yet to take up another job since leaving River Plate last year, although his unwillingness to join mid-season is proving to be a stumbling block.

The Latest: Gallardo is wanted by Leeds

Hay has admitted Leeds do admire Gallardo, who has been called ‘legendary’ and would love him as their manager, although he has also claimed on The Phil Hay Show that the Argentinian is unwilling to join a club without a pre-season to work with the players.

He said: “They like Marcelo Gallardo, who was at River Plate for eight years and left that job in October, but everybody around Gallardo says he does not want to take his next job at this stage. He wants it to be with a full season ahead of him, which I totally understand; it makes sense.

“That’s kind of the Bielsa attitude towards work, is that you want pre-season so you can plan it properly – you don’t really want to firefight.”

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The Verdict: Leeds must make an appointment sooner rather than later

Given that Leeds have got the two Manchester United games out of the way that were always going to be tough tests, the Whites now have two huge games on the horizon against relegation rivals Everton and Southampton, though having a new man in place in to prepare for them clearly would have been ideal.

In terms of bringing someone in from elsewhere, the Whites are seemingly back at square one, with Schreuder – who was in the Elland Road stands last weekend – now reportedly out of the running for the vacant role, so many will hope Orta and Andrea Radrizzani have something else up their sleeve.

When Marsch was sacked, many will have expected that something was in the pipeline, and even more so following Radrizzani’s ‘white smoke’ tweet, which suggested something was close to being finalised, but that has not come to fruition.

And while Skubala may yet be a relatively safe pair of hands for now, the Leeds board could well be counting their lucky stars he has got something of a tune out of the squad since Marsch’s departure – or Tuesday evening’s announcement will surely have seemed far more panicked indeed.

Southampton hit the jackpot in signing Danny Ings from Liverpool back in 2019, signing the striker for £20m after injuries hampered his chances of success on Merseyside, and while his goal threat is missed at St. Mary’s to this day, recent exploits suggest the deal was heaven-sent in cashing in for the maximum.

After scoring 46 goals and supplying ten assists from 100 appearances for Saints, Ings was granted a £25m departure to Aston Villa in 2021, and ever since, he has failed to replicate the feats that left him in eminent standing among the expansive crop of Premier League strikers.

During his stay at Villa Park, the 30-year-old only scored 14 goals from 52 outings, despite the Villans finishing higher than Saints and out-scoring them last season.

The 5 foot 10 gem was shipped out to West Ham United for £15m last month, and despite being in the early stages of his spell with the Irons, the nomadic marksman has failed to score or assist from his first four outings, yet to receive a match rating higher than 6.7, as per Sofascore, in east London.

The innate predatory instinct will seemingly never abandon Ings, once heralded as “dangerous” by his former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, but there is no questioning the most prolific and fruitful period of his professional career stays with Southampton, something that appears set to remain intact as his value diminishes further and further.

How much is Danny Ings worth now?

At the height of his powers, according to Football Transfers, Ings was valued at £23m, but now, just three years on, he is considered a £10m player.

And considering former Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl sold him for £25m, his current value now represents a whopping 60% decrease, which is alarming considering he is still only 30.

Frankly, Ings should still be firing at full throttle, but having started just eight of his 22 Premier League matches this season across two outfits, he is clearly not entrusted to the same level that was once placed in his powers.

As per Whoscored, the former Burnley star has failed to record the same level of striking output since departing Hampshire, where he was a thorn in his opponent’s sides in averaging at least two shots per match, also only recording a better average rating across two Carabao Cup matches with Aston Villa this season.

As such, while Ings was a resounding success on the south coast, his decline in value over the past few seasons is evidence that Southampton perhaps banked on the forward at the opportune moment.

Current fortunes suggest a first-rate striker would be a coveted asset for the struggling outfit, but Ings might not be the same vibrant presence he once was, and a recent away victory over Chelsea offers hope for the remainder of the campaign.

The Celtic revolution under Ange Postecoglou only continues to motor on, full of steam with a seemingly never-ending supply of fuel.

Since the Australian took the reins at Parkhead, the Hoops have gone from strength to strength, bouncing back from a rocky and final term under Neil Lennon in 2020/21 to win the Premiership a season later before putting themselves in the driving seat for back-to-back titles in 2022/23.

It would be a fine reward for the incredible work Postecoglou has done in Glasgow and their Viaplay Cup final victory on Sunday was just another reminder.

In truth, it was another fairly straightforward Old Firm victory for the Bhoys who went 2-0 up thanks to strikes from the returning Kyogo Furuhashi.

Alfredo Morelos set up a potentially nervy final quarter with just his third goal in this fixture but it was ultimately too little too late.

It was just typical that it was Kyogo who came up with the goods. He was the first Japanese signing the manager made and since then, several have entered Paradise to varying levels of success.

But their centre-forward has always been the beating heart and energetic smiling force of this team. There is rarely ever an occasion where he isn’t sporting a colossal grin and after his brace on Sunday, he will likely now have one of the most beaming looks since his emergence in Scotland.

Yet, he will have another of Postecoglou’s old chums to thank for the third trophy of the current regime; Aaron Mooy.

How did Aaron Mooy play in the League Cup final?

The Aussie has “silenced” the critics – as per Charlie Nicholas – in quite some fashion this term.

At the beginning of his stint in Scotland, he was a slow figure who struggled to keep up with the pace of a frantic Celtic side.

An outfit that prioritises a relentless press and break-neck offensive play, it has taken him several months to get to grips with things.

Yet, since the break for the World Cup, he has played like a man-possessed, registering seven goal involvements to take his tally to six goals and seven assists in all competitions.

The £23k-per-week earner didn’t add to that total at Hampden Park on Sunday but his influence was still felt, finding himself involved in both goals.

It was the Australian’s pass that fed Greg Taylor to cross for Kyogo to fire home the opener and then it was Mooy again who was supplying the pre-assist for the second.

Indeed, the former Huddersfield Town man was “having some game” in the middle of the park – as eluded to by Australian journalist Adam Peacock.

This time the 32-year-old slid an inch-perfect ball in behind the Rangers defender that Reo Hatate got on the end of before sweeping a pass across to Kyogo once again.

It was a fine display from the Sydney-born ace who was simply “running the show” in the words of reporter Thomas Wynne Lewis.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United are “really keen” on signing youngster Luca Fletcher who is currently on trial with the club.

What’s the latest on Luca Fletcher and his West Ham injury?

While the January transfer window has come and gone this season and we are still many months away from the summer market, it seems as though the Premier League club are still eyeing up some new arrivals.

However, the latest linked names won’t be players to come in and sign for the first team. Instead, the Hammers have been tipped to hand 15-year-old Fletcher an offer to come in and play for the club’s academy whilst he is on trial having been with Reading earlier on in the season.

Indeed, while speaking about the situation, Ex told The West Ham Way podcast, that the teenager has impressed the club and seems to be the standout trialist.

He said (5:39): “So we’ve got two players, former Reading players, currently on trial.

“Apparently, Luca Fletcher is the one they really really like and so they’re tempted to bring him in soon.”

Who is Luca Fletcher and will he end up at West Ham?

Still only 15 years of age, it’s hard to know the full potential of the young centre-forward but the talent spotters at West Ham clearly feel as though he might be worth taking a punt on.

To be fair, he has impressed at international level with the England U16 side. Indeed, earlier on this season, he scored three goals in two games against Turkey’s U16 as the youth teams met twice in the space of a week.

Seeing as he’s in the Three Lions’ academy setup already, he must be fairly highly rated and so perhaps it would be a good move for West Ham to get him swiftly confirmed as one of their own.

Taking it all into account, Fletcher certainly looks like a name to keep an eye out for in the future.