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Ex-Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has claimed that West Ham United are now expecting Declan Rice to leave the club this summer following his omission from the Irons’ recent promotional campaign.

The Lowdown: Irons’ advertising campaign

According to Football Insider, the 23-year-old has not featured in any of the Hammers’ promotional content as the East London outfit continue to advertise their new kit ahead of the 2022/23 season.

Back in April, The Athletic reported that David Moyes’ side would only consider bids for their star man if they neared the club’s whopping £150m valuation.

This followed extensive rumours which linked Rice with a move away in January, with the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United the most prominent of suitors.

The Latest: Kenny’s claim

Kenny, 44, has reacted to Rice’s recent absence in confusion, concluding that it must mean that the midfielder is set to leave the club this summer, otherwise he would be the star of their advertising campaign.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed:

“I find it strange that they haven’t had him in the pictures.

“Is it a massive sign that they aren’t expecting him to be there? For me, it is. Why would you not have your main player there?

“He’s a fan favourite, an England international. To not have him on the pictures for the new kit, I just don’t get that.

“Unless they know he isn’t going to be there so there is no point in taking them.”

The Verdict: Worrying absence?

Whilst rumours of an East London exit for Rice are hardly new, the emergence of potential evidence – if you want to call it that – could be viewed as extremely worrying news for West Ham fans.

The England international has refused to sign multiple contract offers with the Irons, but it has been reported that GSB will not allow their star man to leave this summer, with the player’s current deal lasting until the summer of 2024 and an option for a further year which can be triggered by the club.

Therefore, if Kenny’s suggestion is correct and Rice is set to leave this summer, then West Ham are surely counting on an absolutely huge offer for the 23-year-old as his departure would not come without a colossal fee.

In other news: Irons interested in signing James Ward-Prowse…

Leeds United are reportedly closing in on the signing of Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca, with the Spaniard set to be the club’s third summer addition.

What’s the word?

As per The Athletic’s Phil Hay, a deal to bring to the 25-year-old to Elland Road is now imminent, with the transfer insider revealing that the move “should get done this week.”

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This corroborates an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano who revealed that it is now a “done deal”, with the former Espanyol man set to sign for a fee of around €12m (£10.4m) plus add ons having committed to a contract until 2026.

The Yorkshire side have already acted swiftly to land Red Bull Salzburg duo Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson, with the Jesse Marsch revolution currently in full swing.

Supporters will be buzzing

Despite no confirmation from the club as yet, the indication is that Roca is firmly on his way to becoming a Premier League player, bringing to an end what has proven a brief and frustrating stint in Germany.

The £6.3m-rated gem had been plucked from La Liga two years ago for a fee of around €15m (£13m), although has since gone on to make just 24 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga champions, failing to score or register an assist.

That may be a point of concern for some sections of the Leeds support, although the £31k-per-week gem is undoubtedly a hugely talented individual, having even been compared to former Liverpool and Real Madrid maestro Xabi Alonso following his move to the Allianz Arena.

In his final campaign for the Catalan side, during the 2019/20 season, the 6 foot playmaker showed just what an impressive impact he can make when handed the chance, having averaged 2.3 tackes, 0.9 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per game in his 35 league outings, while also averaging a solid 2.3 dribbles per game.

Clearly a player capable of doing a bit of everything, he will add quality to a midfield that has been devoid of depth in recent seasons and ultimately been stretched to breaking point, while his arrival will also help to soften the blow should prize asset Kalvin Phillips depart, with the local lad reportedly a top target for Manchester City.

Roca will seemingly be able to take on the Englishman’s role at the base of the midfield if required, with his qualities in and out of possession making him an ideal fit for the role, having been lavished with praise by former Bayern technical director Michael Reschke: “Roca plays like a quarter-back. He has good passing, short and long range, his technique is good and he has a good mentality.

“Defensively, he is very aggressive in one on one situations and brings a lot of emotion to the team. He was certainly well respected by his teammates. The one downside perhaps is that he could be a little stronger.”

That glowing assessment will be music to the ears of the Elland Road faithful, with supporters no doubt buzzing that the club are on their way to securing even more early transfer business, as they look to improve upon last season’s nail-biting, relegation scrap.

IN other news: Leeds now plotting swoop for “reliable” £22k-p/w starlet, he’s the new Dani Alves

A claim has emerged on Leeds United’s interest in Lewis O’Brien heading into the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor has claimed that the Huddersfield man will still be a target for the club despite Marcelo Bielsa’s exit from Elland Road earlier this year.

He told GIVEMESPORT:

“I think he (O’Brien) will still be a player of interest to Leeds because Brenden Aaronson wasn’t anything to do with Jesse Marsch, that was a signing that Bielsa was keen for, given his running stats.

“I think in the Champions League this season, no player ran more than Aaronson, which obviously with his Murderball football, it was key for that. So, it’s clear the targets have sort of come in from upstairs, and Victor Orta has a clear strategy.”

Supporters will be delighted

Supporters will be delighted with this claim for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it shows that there is a clear style in place at the club and they are not looking to change that any time soon. Having this structure above the head coach means that it is not a complete disaster when someone like Bielsa ends up moving on.

Leeds were not going to go out and bring in a manager who wanted to play defensive, park the bus, football who would have wanted a completely different style of player in the window. This allows for continuity within the playing squad in the long-term irrespective of the man in the dugout as they have an identity that they want to stick to.

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Fans will also be buzzing with this news because O’Brien has the potential to be an excellent addition to Marsch’s squad next season.

The central midfielder enjoyed a terrific campaign in the Championship with Huddersfield as they missed out on promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.

O’Brien averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.00 across 43 games in the second tier as he showcased his ability to perform to a high level on a consistent basis.

He caught the eye with his energetic displays as he won a whopping 7.5 duels and made 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game. Along with his excellent work off the ball, he chipped in with three goals and three assists to prove that he can also make an impact in the final third.

These statistics suggest that he has the potential to make the step up to the Premier League as he has proven his quality in the Championship. Therefore, fans will be delighted by the club’s efforts to bring him to Elland Road this summer.

AND in other news, “No chance..”: Journo reveals crushing Leeds transfer claim, supporters will be gutted…

Everton are renowned for their transfer disasters since the arrival of Farhad Moshiri back in 2016, and after spending over £500m the club found themselves battling with the chance of being relegated from the Premier League this season, so there is a lot that needs to change going forward to improve the stability.

Frank Lampard joined on Deadline Day and made two signings in Donny van de Beek on loan from Manchester United and a permanent move for Dele Alli, both of which have made little to no impact since arriving at Goodison Park, proving there is still room for improvement in identifying players even with a new manager in charge.

Dele will remain in Merseyside next term but he will need to drastically improve on his tally of zero goal involvements for the Toffees.

With that being said, Everton could repeat their disastrous trick of bringing a Tottenham outcast to the club this season. That’s because they’ve now been linked with a move for Harry Winks this summer, who is reportedly valued at £20m by his current club.

To put things simply, it’s another transfer the club should be looking to avoid.

The Spurs midfielder was blasted by Graham Roberts for his performances at his current side, with the former Spurs defender claiming:

“He’s gone Mr Conservative, he plays simple, and if I don’t give the ball away, I’m a great player.

“You’re not, he’s become an average player, and that’s being fair.”

According to SofaScore, Winks ranks 15th out of 23 players in the Tottenham squad this season and it’s no surprise when you look at his overall output in his 19 Premier League appearances.

The 26-year-old who was dubbed “sloppy” by Alasdair Gold has committed two errors that have led to shots, has only made 0.6 key passes, 0.8 tackles and interceptions, and is dribbled past 0.7 times on average per game. That proves that he lacks effectiveness and coasts through games with a mediocre output in defensive and attacking play.

Everton are in no position to add more players who are anonymous and lack dominance in the midfield at Goodison Park, and are desperately in need of adding more leaders in their team who can be direct and work hard to make sure the Toffees don’t find themselves in the same position as they did this season.

Lampard and Farhad Moshiri must work together to identify players who can come into the club and make an instant impact that can make drastic changes to the current team to inspire better results in the Premier League, Winks is not the player they should be spending their tight transfer budget on.

AND in other news: “Speechless”: Big Finch Farm transfer development will worry Everton supporters

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has shared a promising update on the club’s transfer plans after a ‘huge’ development this week.

The Lowdown: £150 million injection?

On Tuesday, some very significant news came out of Hotspur Way, with ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy announcing a seismic £150m capital increase ahead of the summer window.

After Spurs head coach Antonio Conte guided the Premier League club to a place in next season’s Champions League qualification pot, it now appears that he could be set for a financial windfall in his bid to attack the transfer market.

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Some members of the press, such as BBC journalist Simon Stone, have described this as a ‘significant’ development, given that the £150m can be invested into transfers and player salaries. Fabrizio Romano also described the news as ‘huge for Tottenham’, with Gold now sharing a ‘big’ update on the Lilywhites’ transfer plans.

The Latest: Gold shares promising update…

According to the football.london reporter, the ‘bulk’ of this £150m will be used to back Conte in the summer, as well as funds from player sales.

Sharing his article in a ‘big piece’, he explained (via Twitter): “Understand the bulk of the £150m, as well as funds from sales, will be ploughed into backing Conte in this coming window.”

The Verdict: Very important…

A list of potential targets have already been drawn up ahead of transfer chief Fabio Paratici’s crunch meeting with Conte in Italy, including the likes of Alessandro Bastoni, Gleison Bremer, Djed Spence, Christian Eriksen, James Ward-Prowse, Kalvin Phillips and Gabriel Jesus (The Telegraph).

If Spurs are serious about providing Conte with what he needs ahead of his first full season at Tottenham, the cash injection will come as massive for Paratici and co in what is shaping up to be a very exciting summer.

Indeed, few would have envisaged this positivity at N17 after the unceremonious sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo late last year.

In other news: ‘Told Spurs are ready…’ – Kilpatrick shares another exciting update for supporters! Find out more here.

Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor believes Leeds United forward Joe Gelhardt may be ‘another’ player to leave cheaply if the Whites go down this weekend, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Exit links

Gelhardt has established himself as a regular in the match-day squad this season and has failed to feature in just three of the last 14 Premier League games.

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The 20-year-old provided a moment of quality last weekend to set up Pascal Struijk in injury time against Brighton, but reports earlier this month claimed that top-flight rivals will look to poach the youngster if Leeds find themselves in the Championship next season.

Jesse Marsch’s side now know that a defeat against Brentford on the final day of the season will send the club back to the Championship, and Agbonlahor has had his say on a number of Leeds stars and their futures.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s claim

Agbonlahor, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to FI at what relegation could mean for Leeds.

He said that Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips will hand in ‘transfer requests’, should the Whites go down and also believes Gelhardt is ‘another’ who could leave for a ‘cheap fee’.

“If Leeds go down they are going to lose loads of players.

“Phillips and Raphinha will be handing in transfer requests to leave. They will not go back to the Championship.

“The biggest thing is that the Championship is getting harder and harder to get out of. Sheffield United haven’t gone up, you’ve got Norwich, Watford, and Middlesbrough all up there as favourites to come up. Leeds will find it hard to come straight back up.

“As much as it’s massive money wise, it’s about keeping your players too.

“Gelhardt is another one that clubs will be wanting to nick for a cheap fee.”

The Verdict: Make him a regular

Should the worst-case scenario happen this weekend, then the likes of Raphinha and Phillips will almost certainly leave. You’d expect that a few more big earners could also depart, however, Leeds should be under no pressure to part ways with Gelhardt.

He’s under contract until 2024 and has shown his quality this season, so it could be wise to make him a regular starter in a rebuild under Marsch in the Championship.

Hopefully, Leeds can better Burnley’s result on Sunday and fans won’t have to worry about a Premier League side poaching Gelhardt and another spell in the second tier – only time will tell.

In other news: Orta now finally set to accept defeat as Leeds plot exit for Bielsa ‘mistake’ – opinion. 

Everton have had one of their worst seasons in the Premier League era, narrowly avoiding relegation in what was a campaign filled with tension and poor performances under both Rafael Benitez and Frank Lampard.

There is no doubt that the latter must improve his squad over the summer, as a club the size of Everton shouldn’t be battling relegation, and a major restructure of the playing roster is surely imminent.

With the likelihood that there will be some incoming transfers, the manager will need to get rid of some deadwood, with Andre Gomes surely near the top of the list to go.

The Portuguese midfielder signed for Everton from Barcelona in 2019 for £22m and it hasn’t exactly represented the best value for money, playing 100 games for the Toffees and only scoring twice. Gomes was also dubbed “reckless” by David Prentice, and Lampard could see this summer as the ideal time to move him on, especially when there’s an ideal replacement already being linked with the club.

Spanish outlet AS recently reported that Everton are keen on signing 17-year-old Barcelona midfielder Gavi, who has been dubbed “spectacular” by his manager Xavi. To earn that praise from such an iconic footballer would make it a great move for the Toffees to sign the teenager not just for next season, but for what he could produce further into the future.

The youngster has made 33 La Liga appearances this season, chipping in with two goals and five assists. To make that kind of impact for a club like Barcelona at such a young age suggests that he has an extremely bright future, and Everton could make a massive statement by signing him this summer.

Gavi could be the fulcrum around whom Lampard can build his side; and with the 17-year-old’s talent and maturity, it would be a shrewd signing. It would also mean that Everton could axe Gomes, whose performances this season have left a lot to be desired.

AND in other news, Everton handed huge injury lift as early Arsenal team news emerges

Manchester United are looking to strike a deal for Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.

What’s the word?

That is according to journalist Oriol Domenech, who was speaking on Gerard Romero’s Twitch stream, [via The Express]. He claimed that incoming United manager Erik ten Hag is keen to add the 22-year-old to his ranks after the allegedly bullet-proof signing of Frenkie de Jong has all but been confirmed.

Domenech said that the 52-year-old wants both former Ajax players at Old Trafford to ignite his era in charge of the Red Devils. Both De Ligt and De Jong were part of Ten Hag’s Ajax squad which reached the semi-finals of the Champions League three years ago.

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Imagine De Ligt and Ten Hag together again

Having managed the 22-year-old at Ajax, Ten Hag knows exactly what De Ligt’s game is all about. The Juventus star, who is rated at around £63m by Transfermarkt, braved the move to Turin back in 2019. He hasn’t looked back since, making 27 or more Serie A appearances in each of his three seasons with the Bianconeri.

The young Netherlands international has also managed to transition his goalscoring touch from Ajax, having scored in each of his seasons at youth and senior level in Amsterdam and managing to keep this consistent across his three years at Juve.

With a passing completing rate of 89% in the current Serie A campaign, De Ligt is sound in possession, and that figure suggests that he nicely suits Ten Hag’s philosophy of playing progressively from the back.

However, his arrival would pose an issue for either Raphael Varane or Harry Maguire, both of whom are right-footed. De Ligt is also a natural right-footed centre-back; and judging by the way he sets up his Ajax side, Ten Hag likes to have one left-footed and one right footed centre-back within his four-man defence.

With Varane listed on FBRef as 59% right footed, Ten Hag could utilise the Frenchman’s left-footed ability and could deploy him as a left-sided central defender. In that case, Maguire – who currently occupies the role of left-sided centre-back despite his right-footedness – could well wave goodbye to his starting berth.

De Ligt, who has been dubbed “an absolute monster”, will turn 23 in August – the same age that Ruben Dias was when he made his move to Manchester City – so it could be the perfect time in his career for him to make an impact in the Premier League.

In other news – “100% sure..”: Man Utd can sign “underrated” £38m-rated gem who’s “better than Dias”

Paul Heckingbottom has delivered a Sheffield United injury update before the clash with Fulham, revealing that a return for Rhian Brewster could be on the cards sooner than expected.

The Lowdown: Out of action

The 22-year-old first joined the Blades from Liverpool back in 2020, for a club-record fee of £23.5m, penning a five-year deal with the club.

The England U21 international sustained a serious hamstring injury during United’s 2-0 victory over Peterborough in January, which ruled him out for the rest of the season.

The Yorkshire outfit also have a couple of other key first-team players, including the likes of David McGoldrick and most recently Oli McBurnie, facing spells on the sidelines, but it seems as though the most positive news to come out of Bramall Lane is surrounding Brewster.

The Latest: Promising signs

During a pre-Fulham interview with Yorkshire Live, the Blades boss admitted that out of all of the squad members on the injury list, it’s the former Liverpool starlet who has the best chance of staging a return in time for the start of pre-season.

He said: “Probably Rhian has the best chance. He has been on the grass for the first time.

“Others are touch and go and it will be a case of seeing how they go, but Rhian is the furthest down the line.”

The Verdict: One for the future

Despite only having made 16 appearances across all competitions for the Blades due to injury this season, the 5 foot 9 attacker has proven that he can be prolific in the final third, having made a total of 23 goal contributions in just 28 outings for Liverpool’s U23s side.

Given the fact that Heckingbottom’s side currently find themselves in the play-off places with one game left to play, there’s a strong chance that Brewster could be coming up against some of his former teammates next season, so the fact he will be able to ramp up his form and sharpness in the summer is great news.

Brewster has previously been dubbed a “magnificent” player by Reds legend Steven Gerrard, and for someone still at such a young age, there’s no doubt that he will prove to be a key player for United in years to come.

In other news… the Blades have pulled out of a move to sign a new shot-stopper.

Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie is ecstatic that six Hoops players have made it into PFA Scotland’s Team of the Year for 2021/22.

The Lowdown: Hoops dominate Team of the Year

The Hoops are on the verge of being named the new Scottish Premiership champions, taking a six-point lead with them into the final three matches of the campaign.

Celtic’s dominance has now been recognised, with the news that Cameron Carter-Vickers, Josip Juranovic, Tom Rogic, Callum McGregor, Jota and Kyogo Furuhashi are all named in the Team of the Year.

All six have enjoyed superb seasons, playing a huge role in Ange Postecoglou’s side being so close to title glory.

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The Latest: McAvennie reacts to news

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie couldn’t hide his delight at the news:

“I can’t believe it, if you told me six players would make it into the team of the year at the end of last season, I wouldn’t believe it. The team we had last year was rotten. In such a short time Ange has turned it around.

“If you look at those six, Juranovic, Jota, Kyogo and Carter-Vickers all came in this season. I can’t believe that. Four brand new signings all in the team of the season, it’s just, wow.

“That is down to Ange as well because he brought them in. He is the one to thank in all this.

“McGregor and Rogic have improved so much as well, all of them deserve it. I know it doesn’t really mean much but it’s just another sign for the incredible year we have had and hopefully it’s a good sign for the future.”

The Verdict: Richly deserved recognition

To see over half of the Team of the Year dominated by Celtic players is just reward for their efforts, with Postecoglou getting huge amounts out of his squad in his first season at Parkhead.

Carter-Vickers has been an influential figure on loan from Tottenham, averaging 4.1 aerial duel wins per game, while Rogic and McGregor have brought class and fight to the midfield.

Meanwhile, Jota has been another inspired loan signing, chipping in with 18 goal contributions in the league – nine goals and assists each – and both Juranovic and Kyogo have also done their bit for the cause at right-back and in attack, respectively.

In other news, Celtic are reportedly keen on selling one player this summer. Find out who it is here.