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Everton have made a breakthrough in talks regarding a deal to bring Dele Alli to Goodison Park on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent claim made by Paul Gilmour, with the reporter revealing on Sky Sports News (15:50) that Frank Lampard’s side are now in extremely advanced talks with Tottenham Hotspur regarding a last-gasp deal to sign the 25-year-old midfielder.

Speaking about the deal, Gilmour said: “Things moving very quickly. Talks between Everton and Tottenham. We are told a breakthrough has been made and even a medical has been booked. Two and a half year deal. Sources telling us this is looking good for Dele Alli to make a permanent move. Frank Lampard, we are also being told, a key factor in this deal going through.”

Major coup

While it is true that Dele has been in far from his best form in recent seasons, it is undeniable that the former England international is nevertheless a player who possesses a considerable amount of ability.

Indeed, the £22.5m-rated man burst onto the Premier League scene following his £5.97m move to Spurs from Milton Keynes Dons back in 2015, scoring ten goals and registering nine assists over 33 league outings in his debut campaign, before following this up with returns of 19 goals and nine assists over his 36 top-flight fixtures in 2016/17, as well as nine goals and 11 assists over 36 appearances in 2017/18.

As such, with Lampard currently lacking any natural option in attacking midfield, should the 43-year-old believe that he can help the £100k-per-week number 10 refind this form following a switch to Everton, the signing of the forward could prove to be a major coup for Everton – as a fit and firing Dele has already proven that he can be one of the most exciting players in the top flight of English football.

In other news: “It’s true…”: Journo drops major update on last-gasp EFC deal, Lampard would love it

A number of West Ham supporters are excited after the Hammers were linked with a January move for Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

David Moyes’ men were given a reality check in the Premier League last weekend, losing 1-0 away to Wolves and seeing their top-four hopes dented in the process.

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It has still been a wonderful start to the season for West Ham, though, and there is no reason why they can’t secure Champions League football next season.

For that to happen, a few reinforcements would arguably help in January, allowing Moyes to keep his squad fresh as the season goes on. That is especially the case in attack, where there is no natural centre-forward alternative to the injury-prone Michail Antonio.

According to Football Insider [via West Ham Fan Zone on Twitter], the Hammers are reportedly interested in signing Sparta youngster Hlozek, with the striker scoring 32 goals in 106 appearances for the Czech club despite only turning 19 in July.

West Ham fans love Hlozek rumour

These West Ham fans reacted positively to the rumour on Twitter, with some believing that the teenager would be an “excellent” signing in the winter transfer window.

“Now I’m liking this”

Credit: @MarcClimpson

“Lingard, Hlozek, Antonio, Bowen, Fornals, Lanzini & Benrahma when he comes back from AFCON… That’s a serious attack!”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

“Nice”

Credit: @callumwhu123

“This would be a huge deal! 6ft1, quick, strong, excellent finisher, great work rate & good in the air. At just 19, get him on Antonio’s weight training plan & we build an absolute beast…especially with pace & skill around him”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

“Please West Ham”

Credit: @LiamWHU1

“I really hope it happens”

Credit: @LedingtonJohn

In other news, another striker has also been linked with a move to West Ham. Find out who it is here.

Glasgow Rangers are set to appoint Dave Vos as the latest member of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s backroom team at Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Dutch publication De Telegraaf (via the Daily Record), who claim that Vos has informed Ajax he will be leaving the club to become one of the 46-year-old manager’s assistants at the Premiership side, following the likes of Roy Maakay, Arno Phillips and Yori Bosschart to Ibrox.

The Record go on to state that the deal for Vos has been brokered by Van Bronckhorst’s agent Guido Albers, with the former Ajax U18 coach putting pen to paper on a contract until either 2024 or 2025.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how highly rated Vos is as a coach, the news that the 38-year-old has left his role in the Netherlands in favour of a switch to Glasgow is sure to have fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, Vos is reported to have received his initial training at the Central Institute Training Sports Leaders – following in the footsteps of the prestigious dutch coach Louis van Gaal – and subsequently studied at the Cruyff University, before passing his Professional Football Coach Course last year – with De Telegraaf dubbing him an “ambitious trainer.”

The coach then gained employment at Ajax, working his way up through the club’s various age groups and ultimately being appointed as the U18 manager at the start of this season.

As such, the appointment of the 38-year-old very much looks to be an incredibly exciting one for all involved with Rangers, as Vos has helped to develop a number of exceptionally talented players in the famous Ajax youth system in recent years, something that he will undoubtedly be looking to replicate in Scotland.

If he achieves that in his new surroundings, he’s sure to be a massive hit in the Premiership alongside van Bronckhorst in what could end up becoming a dream combination at Ibrox.

In other news: Forget Roofe: Gio must unleash “incredible” £8.3k-p/w Rangers gem, he’s a match-winner

Tottenham Hotspur continued their impressive Premier League form under the management of Antonio Conte with a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, making it six league games unbeaten for the 52-year-old Spurs coach.

And, the performance against Patrick Vieira’s side was arguably one of their most impressive under the Italian, with goals from Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son sealing a dominant win for Tottenham – a result which sees the club climb to fifth place in the Premier League standings.

However, despite a number of impressive individual displays, one player who once again failed to live up to expectations was Tanguy Ndombele, with the 24-year-old failing to make any real mark on the match after being introduced in the second half.

Lost 100% duels

While it is indeed true that the France international was only on the pitch for 11 minutes against Palace, the central midfielder’s returns will nevertheless be something of a cause for concern for Conte.

Indeed, the £25m-rated man managed a grand total of just nine touches of the ball, completed a mere eight passes, was dribbled past by an opponent on one occasion, conceded one foul and lost all three of his attempted duels.

These returns saw the £120k-per-week midfielder earn an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.3, ranking him by far and away as the worst performer of any Tottenham player on the day.

As such, while it may be slightly harsh to judge the Frenchman on such a limited amount of time on the pitch, it is undeniable that Ndombele will have done nothing to convince his manager that he is deserving of a start when Spurs visit Southampton on Tuesday evening.

If the 24-year-old’s second-half stint was a test run, it was certainly one which the former Olympique Lyon midfielder failed.

In other news: Forget Moura: £62k-p/w THFC gem with 4 key passes proved he’s no longer “miles off it”

David Moyes may have West Ham United’s next defensive titan already in Ajibola Alese, as Fabian Balbuena reportedly prepares to leave the Premier League club in the summer.

Balbuena is nearing the end of the three-year contract awarded upon the Paraguayan’s £6.5m arrival in 2018, and appears to be focusing on a future away from east London.

The centre-back’s agent, Renato Bittar, confirmed as much to Versus Radio earlier this week, having stated that talks are already underway with potential suitors.

Balbuena has been linked with clubs from around the world with his £40,000-per-week deal due to expire in June, with Flamengo, Internacional, a Saudi Arabian outfit plus a team from Major League Soccer previously said to be weighing up offers.

Flamengo have held a long-standing interest in Balbuena’s potential availability as a free agent, but Bittar adds that his client is currently considering a longer stay in Europe despite speculation of desires to return to Brazil after his two years at Corinthians.

“We are talking with several teams but nothing in particular,” Bittar said. “There are several options for Fabian.

“For now, he will not continue at West Ham, but [he] will continue in Europe.”

Balbuena has played 59 times in three seasons at the London Stadium but has only stepped foot onto the field for 90 minutes since December 27, having fallen out of Moyes’ Premier League plans and only been called on to feature against Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup.

The 29-year-old leaving the Irons in the summer could leave Moyes’ centre-back options at Angelo Ogbonna, who turns 33 in May, Craig Dawson, should he be kept after a season-long loan from Watford, Issa Diop and the highly-rated 21-year-old Frederik Alves.

Moyes is claimed to be keen on signing another senior option to supplement his centre-back group next season, but may already have his sought-after depth in the West Ham academy.

Alese penned a new contract at the London Stadium on Tuesday, one that keeps the 20-year-old tied down in claret and blue through to the summer of 2023, with the option to extend the terms by a further year.

The academy starlet has been with the Irons since the age of seven and is currently away on loan with League Two side Cambridge United, where the England U20 international is gaining valuable first-team experience as the U’s strive to secure the fourth-tier title.

He has so far only featured twice under Mark Bonner since his arrival at the Abbey Stadium on Deadline Day of the winter transfer window but has impressed West Ham coach Kevin Nolan, who closely worked with Alese before the loan transfer was finalised.

“It’s fantastic that Aji has become the latest young player to commit his future to the club,” Nolan said on Alese’s new contract. “He is one of a talented group we hope will go on to break through and establish himself in the first-team in the future.

“We did a lot of work with Aji on the training field last year when he came back from his loan spell at Accrington. He’s a great lad, with a very good attitude towards his development, and he took a lot on board, in terms of what we expect from him and the targets he needs to set himself.”

An impressive run in the Cambridge side as they fight for promotion into League One could be enough for Moyes to begin bedding Alese into the West Ham first-team upon his return, with the Hammers set to be boasting a somewhat different defensive unit next season.

AND in other news, West Ham face a £51.5m asking price to sign a dynamic star who grew up learning from Frank Lampard…

David Moyes should look to discover his Mark Noble heir by unleashing West Ham United product Keenan Appiah-Forson next season.

Noble has committed to extending his time in claret and blue into an 18th and final term by recently signing a new one-year deal, that will see the curtain fall on his Irons career in the summer of 2022.

Mr West Ham’s farewell tour will provide Moyes with a piece of welcome depth in the engine room as the veteran is presently his only back-up to Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek, who have played every minute of regular time in the Premier League this season.

West Ham could look to bolster their numbers in the centre of the pitch with a revived approach for Matias Vecino in the summer, after reports surfaced in Italy last week that Inter Milan are looking to sell the former Irons target for between €8-10m (£7-8.5m).

Yet Moyes could look to save David Sullivan and the Irons board a few million pounds that can go toward the arrival of Sebastien Haller’s replacement, simply by unleashing Appiah-Forson and seeing what the 19-year-old has in his locker.

Many people at the Hammers academy expect the Englishman to go on and achieve big things at the London Stadium, with forward Kai Corbett one of several prospects to praise Appiah-Forson in the Academy Spotlight segment of West Ham’s matchday programme.

“He does so much work, the team wouldn’t be the same without him,” Corbett noted, via quotes by The Athletic, ahead of West Ham’s 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur last month.

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Jamal Baptiste, Dan Chesters and Bernardo Rosa are also noted to believe Appiah-Forson deserves much more recognition than he currently receives, while Terry Westley – West Ham’s Academy Manager between 2014-19 – has likened him to Chelsea star N’Golo Kante.

“I left when he was still a scholar, but I’ll never forget how committed Keenan was,” Westley told The Athletic. “He always listened and wanted to improve. I can tell he’s really enjoying himself and that’s what warmed the staff to him. You could always rely on him to do well.

“Keenan’s small but he’s such a tough boy. He’s similar to N’Golo Kante in terms of his work ethic because he’s so difficult to mark. Keenan has a lot of potential and it’s great that young players are getting an opportunity at West Ham under David Moyes. Keenan could be next.”

But while Westley suggests Appiah-Forson “could” be next, the talented teen should be next and given the chance to learn first-hand from Noble, Rice and Soucek while proving his potential to Moyes as the next chapter comes into focus at West Ham.

He is an established regular in Dmitri Halajko’s Under 23s with 12 appearances and three goals in the Premier League 2 this season from the deep-lying midfield role, and has already enjoyed his first taste of senior football.

Appiah-Forson was given an example of first-team action as West Ham beat Newport County in the EFL Trophy back in September 2019, and has gone on to feature in three further cup ties – including beating Portsmouth away to the League One side last November.

The next step for Appiah-Forson is either a loan move away to enjoy consistent first-team minutes or to make the step up to Moyes’ ranks, which should soon be on offer.

AND in other news, a West Ham winter target is set to be available for £17m this summer…

Sunderland journalist Philip West was left slamming the display of Luke O’Nien in their 1-1 draw at home to Rotherham United in League One on Tuesday.

The Lowdown: Vital point?

It is safe to say that the Black Cats were not at their best at the Stadium of Light, but grabbed themselves what could be a vital point in their hopes of securing a play-off place.

A Michael Ihiekwe own goal in the 88th minute spared their blushes after the central defender had given the visitors the lead early in the first half, and that point keeps the Black Cats in the top six… just.

The Latest: O’Nien slammed

Taking to Twitter, West slammed a few of the performances from the Wearside club, including O’Nien’s:

“Too many of our players are having an off-night here. Matete went into his shell after the yellow, O’Nien has been poor, and Broadhead has been neutralised.”

The Verdict: Harsh

The criticism of O’Nien seems harsh as he was one of SAFC’s better players on the night.

Yes, he was guilty of giving possession away no fewer than 15 times in total, and also made two fouls, no dribbles or key passes (SofaScore), but the central midfield player at least put a shift in for his team and improved as the game went on.

O’Nien won 11 individual duels, more than anyone else on the pitch, and also recorded two tackles, one clearance and interception, while he himself was fouled five times, again more than any other player, as SofaScore gave him a respectable 6.9/10 overall rating.

Nonetheless, he looks to have secured his starting place as Alex Neil’s side face Morecambe away from home on the final day.

In other news, find out what exciting Sunderland update has Roker Report buzzing here!

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a fresh injury blow ahead of tonight’s Premier League encounter with Liverpool.

According to the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, first-choice left-back Sergio Reguilon will miss the match with a muscle injury.

It’s claimed that the 24-year-old is set to miss ‘around three weeks’ which will come as a major blow to Jose Mourinho and his squad.

Reguilon was an unused substitute during their 4-1 win over Championship strugglers Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup fourth round on Monday night.

He underwent a scan on Wednesday to determine the extent of the problem.

This news comes at the worst possible time as Spurs not only have a difficult fixture against the defending champions, who they could leapfrog into fourth place this evening, but they also have London rivals Chelsea, a fifth-round tie with Everton and the league leaders Man City on the horizon.

As Kilpatrick says, he’s likely to be out for three weeks which means he’ll miss all of the aforementioned quartet of fixtures.

To make matters worse, Mourinho could even be without Ben Davies, the likely replacement for the Spaniard, as he was forced off with a knock in injury time earlier this week, though he’s hoping to be passed fit, as per the same report.

That leaves the Spurs boss with a mounting problem and a crucial decision as to who will fill the void. It could mean the relatively inexperienced Japhet Tanganga is thrown into the deep end in the role for only the fourth time in his short career.

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And even if Davies makes it, he has been wildly inconsistent, surpassing a mediocre 6.8 WhoScored average only twice in his eight league starts and in the last encounter with the Reds, he managed a disappointing 6.48.

Whoever is selected by Mourinho is going to face a tough evening with Mo Salah likely to line up on the right flank for Jurgen Klopp. The Egyptian winger has contributed towards 16 goals in 16 league starts this term.

After signing from Real Madrid alongside Gareth Bale for £25m in the summer, Reguilon has set the ground alight for Spurs this campaign.

He has started 12 of his 13 top-flight appearances and has featured a total of 20 times in all competitions, providing five assists, via Transfermarkt.

The five-time Spain international has been Spurs’ best left-sided defender as per WhoScored ratings (6.87), which also ranks him seventh in the whole squad of all players who have started ten or more matches in the Premier League.

Only Harry Kane (14) and Heung-min Son (ten) have contributed more assists than Reguilon this campaign, so clearly his influence in attack is just as valuable as what he can do defensively.

Even then, he’s performing better than Davies – per FBRef, the 24-year-old is averaging double the number of tackles per 90 (2.37) as well as double the number tackles and interceptions combined per 90 (3.47) than the Welshman, proving to be the tougher defender to get past on that flank.

Therefore, in his absence, Spurs are likely to be a far weaker team – both in attack and defensively. And there’s no guarantee that Davies is in full fitness, as suggested by Kilpatrick.

Mourinho has plenty to ponder before kick-off tonight.

AND in other news, Mourinho must unleash “unplayable” Spurs beast on Liverpool tonight…

Former Manchester City star Michael Ball has told Football FanCast that the club are more likely to sign Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund than Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur.

The club have been heavily linked with both strikers in recent days and weeks.

Sky Sports reports that Kane has asked Spurs to leave this summer amid interest from City, Manchester United, and Chelsea.

It would be immensely expensive to sign the England captain this summer, given that he has three years left to run on his contract.

Still, City would surely have the financial resources required to sign Kane should they want to.

However, Ball believes that a deal for Haaland is more realistic.

The Borussia Dortmund striker is just 20, while Kane will turn 28 later this year, and he has scored a staggering 39 goals in 40 games thus far this season, with 22 of those coming in 2021.

As such, Ball believes Haaland, most realistically linked with the club by Goal, would be a more realistic purchase in the coming transfer window.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “Brilliant choice to have as a manager, if your club can go ‘which one do you want’, but Man City have got the resources, but realistically, I probably see Haaland happening more than Kane.”

Many fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed an image of the Hammers’ Czech Republic duo Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal.

So far this season, both Soucek and Coufal have hugely impressed throughout West Ham’s assault on the top four of the Premier League table. Soucek has scored eight goals and averaged a WhoScored match rating of 7.36, while Coufal has provided his teammates with three assists and averaged a match rating of 6.97 – ranking the pair as the club’s second and fifth-best performers in the top flight respectively.

After West Ham relayed an image on Twitter of the ‘Czech-mates’ on the training ground, many fans of the club flocked to have their say on the “amazing” duo, with plenty heaping a considerable amount of praise on their performances for the club so far this season.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to the club’s post on Twitter?

“These two are like the proper old-time men of football – hard as nails and love playing the game. Salah take note.”

@Ricky87867277

“They’re amazing.”

@whugrace

“Oh I love them.”

@SamGadd_16

“Please never leave.”

@Ludders59

“I C O N S.”

@watsondara07

“Give them statues.”

@Tylerrjones16

“The goats themselves.”

@westhamwhu49

In other West Ham United news, many fans wanted this Premier League ace after a contract claim – find out more here!