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West Ham United may be about to hatch a plan B in terms of midfield recruitment after seeing a bid for Lille’s Amadou Onana rejected. 

The lowdown

As per the Daily Mail, the Hammers offered the Ligue 1 side £20m for the defensive midfielder, but they were rebuffed. Lille, who finished 10th in the French top flight, are said to be adamant that the 20-year-old is not for sale this summer.

Les Dogues have already lost Sven Botman to Newcastle United in a £33.3m deal, while right-back Zeki Celik has been lured to Roma (via Transfermarkt).

Another midfielder in Renato Sanches could also be set to leave the club after agreeing terms with Paris Saint-Germain.

The latest

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reported that West Ham are ‘considering other midfield options’ after Lille dismissed the Irons’ offer for Onana.

It seems that, rather than testing the French club’s resolve with an improved fee, the Premier League outfit might instead turn their attention to a different target in that position.

The verdict

Who else might interest West Ham in terms of defensive midfield acquisitions?

It’s certainly an area that they need to address, with Alex Kral leaving the club following his season-long loan spell and Mark Noble hanging up his boots. Cover and competition for Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek is required.

They could look at a player who is stylistically similar and has Premier League experience in Brentford’s Vitaly Janelt. The German may not be quite as young as Onana, but at the age of 24, he is still only at the beginning of what should be his peak footballing years.

Valued at £12.6million by Transfermarkt, he might prove to be a more achievable acquisition.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked with a move for Portuguese midfielder Andre Almeida in recent weeks but the youngster’s disappointing form last season suggests he could be another Vitinha at Molineux.

Recent reports have claimed that the Old Gold are preparing a bid for the Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder, who would reportedly cost £9m, as Bruno Lage looks to add to his options in the middle of the park.

However, it is difficult to see what the 22-year-old would add at Molineux, as his performances in recent seasons have been less than impressive.

In the 2021/22 league campaign, Almeida made 31 appearances in the Portuguese top-flight, contributing no goals or assists and averaging a poor 6.63 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He also averaged just 24.3 passes per game last season, whereas both Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho were closer to 60 passes per fixture in the Premier League, so it is difficult to see what qualities he would offer Wolves as a central midfielder.

Almeida might have a lot of potential, but he has no experience of the Premier League and struggled in Portugal last season, so it would be a surprise if he was a success in a more physical and competitive league.

His signing would perhaps be reminiscent of the deal that saw Vitinha join Wolves on loan from Porto in 2020, with the youngster going to make just 19 appearances for the Old Gold, the majority of which came from the bench.

He would average a shocking 6.23 rating from WhoScored for his performances, while Nuno Espirito Santo suggested he perhaps wasn’t ready for the Premier League, so it was definitely a failed signing.

While he has subsequently gone on to star for Porto and earn himself a move to PSG this summer, Almeida’s lack of goals and assists for Vitoria Guimaraes suggests that he will not follow the same trajectory.

If Wolves are to rectify their shocking form from the end of last season and propel themselves up the Premier League table next season, then Lage arguably needs to be aiming much higher with his new signings.

AND in other news: Lage must seal Wolves swoop for £18m machine who’s “exploding”, imagine him & Neves

Liverpool have ‘enquired’ about Ajax forward Antony ahead of a potential summer move, according to a fresh transfer rumour on Tuesday morning.

The Lowdown: Antony to leave Ajax?

The Brazilian has become a star player for the Eredivisie champions, registering 42 goal involvements (22 goals and 20 assists) in 78 appearances overall.

Antony has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the recent past but rivals Manchester United have also been tipped to snap him up, with the player of course holding a good relationship with Erik ten Hag.

Now, a new update suggests the Reds’ interest isn’t going away.

The Latest: Liverpool approach

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have ‘made contact’ with Ajax regarding the signing of Antony as they eye up a ‘potential deal’.

It is stated that the Dutch giants value the 22-year-old at £59million however, with the Reds currently unwilling to pay that amount.

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The Verdict: Is he needed?

While Antony is unquestionably an exciting young footballer – Paul Robinson has called him a ‘top player’ – it is hard to see how Liverpool can pay so much for someone they can’t guarantee regular playing time to.

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Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez will arguably make up the Reds’ strongest new-look front-three next season, while Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino are also key figures in their own right.

Antony would likely have to bide his time in order to earn minutes, so moving to United, where there are fewer world-class attacking options, still feels more likely.

Nottingham Forest are willing to battle Everton for the signing of Wolfsburg youngster Aster Vranckx this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim.

The Lowdown: Vranckx impresses for Wolfsburg

The 19-year-old burst onto the scene in Germany last season, making an impressive 24 appearances in the Bundesliga, scoring twice in the competition.

Vranckx has been watched by both Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola in the past, which highlights the reputation he has as an exciting young prospect.

The midfielder still isn’t without suitors and it could be that a move to the Premier League is on the cards this summer.

The Latest: Forest ready to battle Everton

According to journalist Loic Tanzi on Twitter [via Sport Witness], both Forest and Everton ‘advance’ in regards to their interest in snapping up Vranckx.

The pair both ‘hope to sign’ the talented Belgian before the start of the new season.

The Verdict: One for the present and future

Vranckx looks like a huge prospect – he has three caps to his name for Belgium’s Under-21s – and it would be exciting to see Forest acquire his services this summer.

He possesses the technical quality to thrive in a Steve Cooper side – he also averaged 1.4 tackles per game in the league last season – and his playing time in the Bundesliga last season proves that he can cut it in a top European league.

Granted, Vranckx would necessarily come in as an immediate starter, but he could be a strong squad player who matures into a key man as the years pass.

An update has emerged involving Glasgow Rangers and an opportunity to bring a new striker to Ibrox in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Football Scotland reporter Mark Hendry has claimed that the Light Blues have the chance to sign an Italy international ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He tweeted: “Wolves’ Patrick Cutrone offered to Rangers but new striker hinges on Alfredo Morelos transfer future.”

The accompanying article states that the Gers will only swoop for the Premier League attacker – who was signed for £16m – if they lose their Colombian talisman or decide to part ways with Kemar Roofe.

Imagine him & Rabbi Matondo

Cutrone has struggled since his move to England, and Rangers could offer him the chance to start a fresh chapter of his career and rediscover the form that he showed prior to his spell at Wolves.

He began his career with AC Milan in Italy and caught the eye for their reserve team as he scored a stunning 43 goals in 67 games. The predator then made the breakthrough into the first team as a teenager and went on to score 27 goals and provide eight assists in 90 appearances.

Cutrone also showcased his goalscoring instincts for Italy at youth level. He scored a whopping 40 goals across various age ranges for his country and has been capped once by the senior Azzurri side.

One-time Ibrox icon Gennaro Gattuso managed Cutrone in the past and claimed that he has “venom inside of him”, which is backed up by his form for Milan and Italy at such a young age.

At the age of 24, he still has plenty of time to get his career back on track after three goals in 28 games for Wolves, and playing alongside someone like Rabbi Matondo in the Premiership could help him to do just that.

The Welsh winger offered fans a glimpse of what he is capable of in the recent friendly against West Ham and his assist for Tom Lawrence – racing down the right to cut the ball back to his team-mates – is the kind of play on which Cutrone could thrive.

He produced 11 assists for Manchester City’s youth team and was directly involved in 12 goals on loan at Cercle Brugge last term.

Matondo can use his pace and trickery on the wing to provide the Italian centre-forward with the service that he needs in order to find his feet and regain the goalscoring touch that he showed earlier in his career.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops Rangers “agreement” claim that’ll delight Gio van Bronckhorst…

West Ham United are waiting on free agent Adnan Januzaj to make a decision regarding his future, according to a report from El Diario Vasco.

The lowdown: Hammers’ interested

Following an initial report from Spanish outlet AS claiming that the Hammers are among the clubs interested in Januzaj, reputable journalist Dean Jones recently claimed that a deal is ‘pretty much set up’ to reunite the attacking midfielder with David Moyes.

The 27-year-old Belgium international played under the Scot on 60 occasions during their time together at Manchester United and Sunderland before both went on to rekindle their careers elsewhere.

Now, having left Real Sociedad after making 167 appearances for the La Liga outfit, Januzaj is seemingly on the verge of deciding his next move…

The latest: ‘On the verge’

As per El Diario Vasco, the 15-cap Belgium star is believed to be ‘on the verge’ of picking his next club.

It’s claimed that Januzaj is wanted by Real Betis, Napoli and in Qatar and Saudi Arabian leagues, as well as attracting admiration from West Ham and Everton.

The report also states that the man once hailed as ‘gifted’ by reporter David Cartlidge is currently training ‘alone’ whilst pondering where to ply his trade.

The verdict: Fingers crossed

Still holding a perceived market value of £10.8million (Transfermarkt), signing Januzaj for free would have to be regarded as a no-brainer for Rob Newman and GSB.

Moreover, still at the peak of his career despite failing to live up to early expectations, adding the versatile Belgian to David Moyes’ attacking options would be a welcome move from the Irons.

Last season, Januzaj scored five times and provided three assists in 43 appearances across all competitions, highlighting his continued importance to an elite-level side that finished in a highly respectable sixth position in the Spanish top flight.

Overall, the 6 foot 1 ace – who is equally adept on either wing – earned a 6.81 Sofascore rating whilst successfully completing 1.4 dribbles and 1 key pass on average per game.

That recent form combined with an ability to play in numerous positions makes Januzaj the perfect addition to Moyes’ squad as West Ham seemingly actively pursue another attacking signing, having also been linked to Nice forward Amine Gouiri.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Ismaila Sarr to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato, who claim that, following Raphinha’s €58m (£48.5m) move to Barcelona earlier in the summer transfer window, Victor Orta is looking to replace the Brazilian in Jesse Marsch’s squad ahead of the Whites’ upcoming Premier League campaign – with the Watford winger said to be one of the Spaniard’s targets.

The report goes on to state that the recently relegated Hornets are believed to only be willing to part with the 24-year-old for an offer in the region of €35m (£29m), a figure it remains to be seen whether Leeds will meet.

“Unbelievable” signing

While it is true that £29m would be an extraordinarily large fee for the Whites to pay a Championship side for one of their talents, considering just how impressive Sarr has been for Watford ever since his £40m signing from Stade Rennais back in the summer of 2019, the argument that the Senegal international would be an unbelievable signing is an easy one to make.

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Indeed, over his £24.3m-rated forward made an instant impact, scoring five goals, registering six assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 1.7 dribbles per game.

However, with the Hornets finishing 18th that season, a spell in the Championship followed, with Sarr once again impressing – bagging 13 goals, providing 10 assists and creating 11 big chances over his 39 league fixtures in 2020/21, helping Watford secure an immediate return to the top flight with numbers akin to that of the departed Raphinha.

Yet again, the £71k-per-week attacker impressed over his 28 Premier League outings last time out, totalling numbers that would certainly make a great deal of difference to the Leeds side, scoring five goals, registering two assists and creating five big chances, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, making one key pass and completing 1.5 dribbles per match.

As such, considering the fact that Sarr achieved these returns as part of a side who have suffered two relegations in the past three years, it is not difficult to see why Troy Deeney dubbed the 24-year-old an “unbelievable” talent, nor is it hard to understand why Orta is reported to have made the Senegalese sensation his “top target” this summer, as the Watford star would undoubtedly make an unbelievable addition to Marsch’s attacking options at Elland Road next season.

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Southampton will find it difficult to sign Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer.

The Lowdown: Hudson-Odoi wants Chelsea exit

The Guardian reported last weekend that the 21-year-old has asked to leave the Premier League giants on loan in a bid to find more game time, and after being omitted from the Blues’ match-day squad for their opening day victory against Everton, an exit looks highly likely.

Fabrizio Romano first credited the Saints with an interest in the forward when he revealed that they have enquired about his availability, but there are doubts regarding the possibility of a deal being pulled off.

The Latest: Jones shares Saints concern

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones admitted that he thinks Hudson-Odoi won’t view Southampton as an ideal club for him to join in comparison with other offers he might receive. He said:

“Southampton is the one that has been most widely circulated. I’m not wholly convinced, at this point in time, that Hudson-Odoi sees that as the best place for him.”

The Verdict: Good deal for both parties?

If Ralph Hasenhuttl could convince Hudson-Odoi to put pen to paper at St. Mary’s, he would be a wonderful addition to the squad, even if it is temporary.

The Chelsea starlet only made 11 starts in the top-flight last season due to injury, but managed to make a positive impact when given the chance, averaging 1.7 key passes and 1.2 shots per game, via WhoScored.

Hudson-Odoi wants minutes under his belt and he could be a guaranteed starter under the Austrian if he hits the ground running, so a move to the south coast could be a lot more appealing than he thinks.

Wolves are reportedly interested in signing Chelsea’s Ethan Ampadu this summer, and the Wales international could be the ideal man to replace Conor Coady at Molineux.

What’s the word?

According to reports from Italy, a number of Serie A clubs are interested in taking the former Exeter City man on loan, while he has also attracted the interest of Wolves.

However, they suggest that Ampadu is keen on a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge as he seeks regular first-team football, which looks unlikely at Stamford Bridge following the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly and the potential addition of Wesley Fofana.

Ideal Coady heir?

Wolves made the somewhat surprising decision to loan out their captain to Premier League rivals Everton earlier this month, with Bruno Lage seemingly set to favour a four-at-the-back formation this season.

While Nathan Collins has arrived from Wolves, partnering Max Kilman in the heart of Lage’s defence, you could argue that more cover is needed in that position before the transfer window shuts.

Lage does have Willy Boly available too but the Ivorian’s form last season, when he was ranked as one of Wolves’ worst performers in the Premier League, suggests that he won’t be featuring too much this season.

The Portuguese boss also has young options in Yerson Mosquera and Toti, but neither have much Premier League experience, so Ampadu could definitely be a shrewd acquisition when you consider his experience and versatility.

The Welshman, despite being just 21, has been a regular in each of the last two seasons with Sheffield United and Venezia respectively, so will undoubtedly be looking for another season of first-team football.

Ampadu is also capable of playing in defensive midfield, which is where Coady started his career at Liverpool before adopting the centre-back role during his time at Molineux.

The Chelsea youngster, who was dubbed “versatile” by his Wales manager Rob Page, earned a lot of praise from Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom during his time at Bramall Lane.

He said: “The biggest thing with Ethan is his application and his love of the game and his professionalism to be as good as he can be. That’s a real bonus of him if you like, and he’ll fulfil his potential, wherever that may be.

“He’s been used in a number of positions cos he’s got a good brain and he knows the roles. But he’s also keen to find a position that he can become a master in and that’s something I’ve encouraged with Ethan.

“It can be an attribute that you can fill all the gaps. But I think Ethan has aspirations to be a top player at the top teams and at international level, so I think to become a master in one position will help him with that.”

Considering Ampadu is still only young, he could definitely adjust to whatever role Lage wanted to utilise him in, and the Welshman could prove to be the ideal man to replace Coady in Wolves’ squad this summer.

TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has revealed that Everton are ‘pushing’ to sign Neal Maupay in what ‘could be a late twist’ to the transfer saga.

The Lowdown: Forest bound?

Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed earlier this week that Nottingham Forest are ‘closing in’ on Maupay, and that he ‘will be their next signing’.

However, it looks as if that deal is far from done, as other clubs are now entering the race for the Brighton and Hove Albion striker.

The Latest: Everton ‘pushing’

Taking to Twitter, Crook revealed that there ‘could be a late twist’ in Maupay’s proposed move to Forest, adding that both the Goodison Park outfit and Fulham are ‘pushing’ to sign him as well:

“Could be a late twist in Neal Maupay’s move from BHAFC to NFFC with both EFC and Fulham pushing for the Frenchman.”

The Verdict: One to watch

Given the Merseyside club’s need for a striker after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury, this deal could be one to watch.

Hailed as an ‘exciting‘ forward by former Seagulls ace Glenn Murray, Maupay has been his club’s top scorer in all competitions for five years straight, stretching back to his time at Brentford as well as Brighton.

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Of course, the Frenchman boasts three seasons of Premier League experience, so should be able to settle in fairly quickly at the Toffees, and at 26 years of age, they would be getting a player about to enter his prime.

Frank Lampard’s team will have to be quick if they are to hijack his proposed move to the City Ground.