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West Ham have been linked with a shock move for Alexandre Lacazette this week…

What’s the word?

According to French publication Jeunes Footeux, the 30-year-old striker isn’t going to extend his contract with Arsenal, meaning he will become a free agent in the summer.

As a result, he could even be sold during the January transfer window, with the north London outfit keen to see some return on their investment.

It’s thought that the Irons are closely monitoring his situation, along with Premier League rivals Everton, so the Frenchman wouldn’t be short of suitors in England.

He is currently valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt and is reportedly on wages in the region of £182k-per-week at the Emirates Stadium.

Best since Soucek?

From a pure name standpoint alone, Lacazette would be one of the Hammers’ biggest signings of recent times, though as we’ve seen with the likes of Felipe Anderson and Sebastien Haller, that counts for very little.

However, with the Gunners star out of contract at the end of the season, this move represents a very low-risk one as he won’t cost GSB a penny in terms of transfer fees.

Furthermore, his qualities in the Premier League are already proven – as recently as Monday, he bagged a crucial equaliser to extend their unbeaten run to six matches.

As per Transfermarkt, the 16-cap international has scored 68 times in 175 appearances for the north London giants, of which 51 goals have come from 131 top-flight appearances, whilst he has also provided 29 assists.

Lacazette has averaged a goal or assist every 116 minutes across the course of his Arsenal career, ever since joining in a £52.7m move from Lyon in summer 2017.

That’s a very respectable record for someone that hasn’t started week-in, week-out, thanks to his frontline partner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

He has also been dubbed a “goal machine” by former teammate Sokratis, whilst he has previously been likened to former Hammers man Ian Wright by the late Gerard Houllier.

“He scores more than 25 goals every season. One thing he will bring to Arsenal is goals,” the ex-Liverpool and Lyon boss told talkSPORT. “He is a bit like Ian Wright, really. You don’t seem to see him and then suddenly he moves.”

This calibre of signing could really elevate the east London outfit onto a new level, particularly after qualifying for the Europa League last term.

The arrival of Lacazette could be their best signing since Tomas Soucek, the unknown Czech beast who’s already become a fan-favourite and one that cost merely €21m (£18m).

David Moyes’ new head of recruitment Rob Newman must push ahead with plans to secure the Premier League veteran. On the above evidence, it would be a very smart and astute signing to make.

AND in other news, Forget Rice: £50k-p/w West Ham beast who had 121 touches was Moyes’ unsung hero at Everton…

With just four points on the board from seven Premier League games so far this season and without their first win of the campaign, Southampton and their fans have not had much to shout about in recent weeks.

Their previous league outing saw Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side fall to a 3-1 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge that also saw club captain James Ward-Prowse pick up a red card resulting in a three-game ban that will commence after the current international break.

What’s the latest?

Despite their poor start to the season, one shining light that the club can take pleasure in is the fact that midfielder Will Smallbone made his return to the pitch during Saints B’s 4-1 defeat away at Charlton Athletic in the EFL Trophy. He returns after picking up a serious ACL injury away at Leicester City back in January.

Smallbone, who is a product of Southampton’s youth academy, eventually made his senior debut for the club in January 2020 in a 2-0 victory over Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup after working his way through their youth teams.

Since then, the midfielder, who is currently valued at £1.8m according to Transfermarkt, has made 13 appearances for Hasenhuttl’s side across all competitions in which he has managed to score one goal and provide two assists along the way.

Replacement for Ward-Prowse?

Moving forward, with Southampton set to take on Leeds United at St. Mary’s after the international break, we feel that if Smallbone, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £17.3k-per-week according to Spotrac, is fit enough, he could definitely be the right man to come in and play while Ward-Prowse is serving his ban.

Following on from the Leeds game, Southampton then takes on fellow league strugglers Burnley before a Carabao Cup clash once again at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, after which Ward-Prowse will be back with the team.

However, given how long Smallbone was out of action for, we feel that Hasenhuttl will have to be careful with just how many minutes the midfielder plays. The last thing he wants to do is potentially cause any further damage to his injury and keep him out on the sidelines for another period of time.

Either way, with Leeds and Burnley both currently next to Southampton in the league table, we feel that the Saints will undoubtedly be targeting these fixtures as their possible first wins of the season. Having a player like Smallbone cover while Ward-Prowse sits out will definitely aid their cause.

In other news: Hasenhuttl must ruthlessly axe £75k-p/w Southampton dud, he made just 9 passes v CFC – opinion

Steve Howey reckons Manchester City will be unstoppable if they manage to get their hands on top transfer target Harry Kane.

City chief Pep Guardiola has publicly confirmed his interest in the England captain, who picked up the Premier League’s Golden Boot and Playmaker awards last season.

It comes after Kane reiterated his desire to leave boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur having grown frustrated at the lack of silverware being won by the north London club.

Speculation that Kane could be on the move to the Etihad Stadium was ramped up even further after the striker was omitted from Spurs’ matchday squad for their opening weekend win over City.

The reigning Premier League champions have already broken the British transfer record by completing the £100million signing of Aston Villa talisman Jack Grealish during the transfer window.

Howey believes City will get their hands on back-to-back titles, despite astute business elsewhere, if they can persuade Spurs to sell star man Kane.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Howey said: “If they can get someone like Kane, who is an out-and-out goalscorer, it’s game over. I don’t care about Chelsea getting Romelu Lukaku, it’s game over.”

Newcastle United’s owners would only be emboldened by the scenario of relegation, according to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh. 

The lowdown

With nearly a third of the season gone, Newcastle find themselves rooted to the bottom of the Premier League. They have failed to win any of their first 13 matches, and should they lose their next two games against the two teams directly above them in Norwich City and Burnley, they could find themselves starting to get cut adrift.

Newcastle’s takeover made them one of the richest clubs in world football, but there is a very real risk that they’ll be operating in the Championship next season.

The latest

In a Q&A for The Athletic on Monday, one Newcastle fan feared that the club would ‘not satisfy the Saudi objective’ if they drop out of the Premier League, and worried that the owners may not ‘stick around’ in the event of demotion.

However, Waugh put the supporter’s fears to rest by replying: “PIF, nor any elements of the consortium, had relegation as being part of their plan. They want to survive this season and that remains the goal.

“However, in the event of demotion, I see little chance of PIF walking away. In fact, one well-placed source told me recently they believe that would only ’embolden’ PIF to bring Newcastle back to the Premier League and to eventually build the club into one who can compete for trophies.

“Remember, this is a long-term investment for PIF. They haven’t bought the club just for a season or two. They want to increase Newcastle’s value from £305 million to several billion if possible, and that will take time. Relegation will see the value of the club dwindle in the short term, but PIF isn’t going to cut its losses and walk away at that stage. I am pretty confident of that.”

The verdict

In January, Newcastle will surely try to assemble a squad which is too strong to go down. A report from The Telegraph suggested that the owners had made £50m available for that purpose.

However, players may be hesitant to commit long-term given the risk of dropping to the second tier, and that could be why loan moves are an important part of their strategy.

Nevertheless, the bottom line here is that, given the extent of the Magpies’ wealth, relegation might only delay their charge by a couple of years.

In other news, Waugh has also revealed Eddie Howe’s transfer wishes for January

Manchester United are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Anthony Martial this summer following a disappointing 2020/21 campaign for the Frenchman.

What’s the story?

According to ESPN, the Red Devils’ hierarchy would allow the 25-year-old to depart Old Trafford over the coming months if they receive an acceptable offer to sign him.

The report claims that the Glazer family have given manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a £100m transfer fund for the current window, but that figure will be topped up by any money raised by the departures of players deemed not to have a future with the club.

Solskjaer will be fuming

Martial has been an enigmatic figure ever since he arrived on English shores for a huge fee potentially rising to £58m back in 2015. His ability and potential has rarely been in doubt, but he’s failed to produce his best form on a consistent basis throughout his six-year stay at United.

It seemed as though the France international had turned a corner in 2019/20, when Martial managed his most productive campaign to date, bagging 23 goals and providing 12 assists in 48 appearances.

However, in true Martial style, he failed to build upon that impressive showing last season, contributing to just 10 Premier League goals before an injury ended his campaign prematurely in March.

With the arrival of Jadon Sancho finally confirmed, the former Monaco ace may see his game-time reduced even further in 2021/22, but it would still arguably be a mistake to cut the 25-year-old loose.

On his day, Martial is a world-class performer capable of bypassing any defender with his magnificent dribbling skills and slotting the ball past any goalkeeping due to his deadly finishing ability.

It’s easy to forget that he’s just 25 and only approaching his peak years due to how long he has been playing at the highest level. Not many players are capable of leading the line week in, week out for a club the size of United in their early or mid-20s – he still has 78 goals for the Red Devils, which is not a meagre tally.

The £40.5m-rated gem still has much to learn and plenty of room to improve further, but the arrival of Sancho alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood may allow him scope to do so away from the limelight.

Even if Martial can’t force himself into Solskjaer’s starting XI next term, the Norwegian would surely be fuming to see him depart Old Trafford.

To win the biggest trophies in football in the modern era, a squad brimming with top talent is required, and Martial’s departure would leave United short on strength in centre-forward depth. He deserves at least another year to showcase his true ability, but only time will tell whether he gets it.

In other news… Get it done: Woodward must complete Man Utd swoop for “special” £54m-rated gem 

David Norris was impressed with Harvey White during his loan spell with Portsmouth last season and has urged the club to re-sign him this summer.

The teenager made the loan switch from Tottenham for the remainder of the campaign in January as Pompey looked to get their promotion bid back on track.

And whilst their hopes of making the top-six bid proved a failed one, White made a big impact in what was his first taste of regular senior football.

White had made just two first-team appearances at Spurs prior to his Fratton Park move, but quickly became a regular under Paul Lambert and then Danny Cowley as Portsmouth finished eighth, two points off the play-offs.

The 19-year-old ended up appearing in all but five of Pompey’s final 26 League One matches, and even scored his first professional goal in the victory at Oxford.

Norris was asked whether the former side should bring the midfielder back next season, and he exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“I think they should. I heard he did very well. It was his first loan, which can always be a little bit of a worry, players find their feet coming away from clubs to lower leagues might need a loan move or two to settle down.

“But from what I heard and what he’s done, he did very well. He didn’t look out of place, looked hungry and can pass the ball as well.”

Tottenham Hotspur could look to seal Franck Kessie in January by using Tanguy Ndombele as a makeweight, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Italian outlet Calciomercato.it claim Spurs are keen on signing the 24-year-old midfielder from AC Milan, with his contract set to expire at the San Siro in the summer.

It means he is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any foreign club in January, though the north London outfit appear to want him then, rather than at the end of the season and could offer the wantaway Frenchman in return in a desperate attempt to shift him out.

The 44-cap Ivory Coast international, who is valued at €40m (£34m) by CIES Football Observatory, has rejected Milan’s proposals of a contract extension – their latest offer being reported at around €6.5m-per-year (£5.6m-per-year).

Bye-bye Ndombele

Ndombele’s future was very much the talk leading up to deadline day.

In August, it’s thought that the former Lyon maestro informed the Spurs hierarchy that he was open to leaving the club, having failed to feature in pre-season under Nuno Santo, as per The Athletic.

But by the time the transfer window drew to a close, Sky Sports News (via the Daily Mail) claimed that Spurs failed to find a ‘suitable deal’ to allow his departure.

If the 24-year-old club-record signing isn’t committed to the club, then it could be wise to utilise him in a potential swap deal for Kessie, especially given his mooted £200k-per-week wages.

It’s not as if he has lived up to expectations either, managing only eight goals and eight assists in 75 appearances as a box-to-box option in the engine room.

By comparison, Kessie found the net 13 times last season alone (and he also provided four assists), a feat that was only bettered by Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the San Siro, via WhoScored.

His form in recent times has earned lofty comparisons to his fellow countryman and former Premier League star Yaya Toure.

“I want Kessie in my team, he scores, he assists, he has personality, he has quality, he doesn’t lose the ball, he is intelligent. I’m watching him carefully, with Roma it was devastating,” claimed former AC striker Antonio Cassano to Bobo TV (via MilanLive.it).

“He reminds me of the Yaya Toure at the best times. He is a different player but in terms of impact, he is holding Milan’s midfield alone.”

In addition to his exploits in the final third, Kessie also averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.2 dribbles per league outing, via WhoScored, proving to be an industrious presence at either end of the pitch.

It’s no surprise to see that he’s also been described as “a complete player” by his current boss, Stefano Pioli. Those numbers certainly reflect that.

All in all, Spurs’ sporting director Fabio Paratici should look to save face on their club-record man by trying to offload him for a direct replacement. On the above evidence, they’d be getting a better player for a fraction of the price.

The Premier League front-runners must secure the titan-like presence of Kessie in January, rather than waiting until the summer.

AND in other news, Spurs handed “frustrating” injury blow ahead of Premier League return this weekend… 

When Leeds United signed Rodrigo from Valencia for a club-record £26m fee last year, Marcelo Bielsa would no doubt have been hoping, indeed expecting, that the forward would make his mark in the Premier League.

The Spain international arrived at Elland Road off the back of some impressive campaigns in La Liga, where he rebuilt his career after an earlier spell in England with Bolton.

In fact, in the 220 games that he played for Los Che, he scored an impressive 59 times and provided another 41 assists, featuring consistently in competitions such as the Champions League and Europa League.

Rodrigo endured a difficult debut campaign at Elland Road, however, completing the full 90 minutes just four times in the Premier League, while also missing a number of games either through injury or a viral infection.

After being given the chance and trust of his manager to start in the opening game of this season against Manchester United, Rodrigo completely let his manager down with a woeful display, prompting Bielsa to hook him at half-time.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross gave him a four, saying: “Had next to no impact on the game with or without the ball. Really struggled with picking up the right men when the hosts had the ball. Hooked at the break.”

It was no surprise that numerous Leeds fans on Twitter tore into the Spain international for his performance against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Given the fee for which he joined, it’s quite telling that CIES now have his market value down at a measly £6m – a reflection perhaps of his total lack of form, injury troubles and the fact that he will turn 31 in a few months’ time.

Victor Orta hasn’t got much wrong at Leeds since becoming the club’s transfer chief and has presided over some superb pieces of work in the market, signing the likes of Raphinha and Illan Meslier to name but a few.

However, Rodrigo is quickly becoming Orta’s biggest transfer blunder at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Leeds must give this star a chance…

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph has shared when Celtic hope to seal a deal for new managerial target Ange Postecoglou.

The Lowdown: A busy weekend…

It’s safe to say the Hoops hierarchy haven’t had a stress-free Bank Holiday weekend.

A deal for long-term target Eddie Howe collapsed on Friday afternoon, with problems with backroom staff, budget and personal reasons all contributing to a deal falling through.

They swiftly moved on to Yokohama F. Marinos manager Postecoglou, with the Hoops in advanced talks with the 55-year-old on Friday evening.

The Latest: Joseph’s Twitter post

Joseph took to social media late on Saturday evening to update supporters on Celtic’s pursuit of Postecoglou, admitting the Hoops are looking to ‘conclude the deal by the middle of next week’ – a telling nine-word admission on the club’s hopes of landing Neil Lennon’s permanent successor as soon as possible.

“Talks progressing well between Celtic and Ange Postecoglou’s representatives. Celtic hope to conclude the deal by the middle of next week. Yokohama F Marinos take on Shimizu S-Pulse at 5am (UK time) tomorrow. Farewell match for their boss?”

Postecoglou guided Yokohama F. Marinos to a 2-1 win over Shimizu S-Pulse on Sunday but was coy when asked about a possible move to Scotland.

The Verdict: Off-field positions need to be filled

Celtic need to fill the manager and director of football (DoF) roles quickly with the summer transfer window now looming.

All avenues appear to point to Postecoglou as manager and Fergal Harkin as DoF, with the latter, currently with Manchester City, possibly knowing the Australian well due to the connections within the City Football Group.

Before you know it, the Hoops will have Champions League qualifying fixtures to fulfil, so it could be crucial to have their key off-field positions filled to give the club the best chance of succeeding in Europe.

You’d expect a number of player incomings and outgoings to materialise as well, so planning for the 2021/22 campaign needs to get underway as soon as possible.

By the sounds of it, the Hoops are hoping to conclude a deal for Postecoglou by the middle of next week, however, as we now know with Howe, that isn’t guaranteed.

In other news: Hoops keen on signing international winger, find out more here. 

Manchester United are expected to have several outgoings this summer due to contract expiration, but Erik ten Hag could be set to offload even more players as new transfer interest emerges.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic, Crystal Palace are interested in bringing back Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Selhurst Park this summer.

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The report suggests that there has been no official move made for the right-back, and no decision will be made on his future at Old Trafford until new manager Ten Hag has come in to assess the squad he has inherited.

This comes following the news that fellow defender Harry Maguire may also exit in the summer

Forget Maguire

This new development from Crystal Palace could be a huge benefit to the Dutch coach, who can finally axe the defender from the team as he attempts to rebuild the squad and revive the club when he joins this summer.

The 24-year-old defender who was dubbed “reckless” by Jamie Carragher, has been disappointing in his 26 appearances for the club this season with uninspiring and poor defensive performances throughout.

Wan-Bissaka has had two errors leading to shots, gave away a penalty to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, loses possession 14 times per game on average, has only won 37% of his aerial duels and only wins possession 0.3 times per game.

That proves the right-back is showing no dominance or threat in his position and making costly mistakes that have contributed to Manchester United’s poor season.

The Red Devils are said to be already looking at replacements to fill the boots in the right-back role, with the Daily Mail reporting back in January that they are eyeing up a move for Tariq Lamptey this summer, so this speculation about a move back to London for Wan-Bissaka could be a win-win situation for both the player and the club.

With Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani all set to leave on a free this summer, Ten Hag will likely have a busy transfer window ahead of him and we could see a number of new faces at Man United this summer whilst many old faces are shown the door to kick off the new manager’s revolution.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Man Utd dealt major injury setback ahead of Chelsea, Ralf will be gutted