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West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Bamba Dieng to the London Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that David Moyes’ side – along with Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, Leeds, Crystal Palace and Celtic – are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Olympique Marseille centre-forward ahead of launching a potential bid over the remainder of the summer transfer window.

Earlier reports from France had revealed that, after falling out of new manager Igor Tudor’s good books, the Ligue 1 side are open to the sale of the 22-year-old forward this summer – with owner Frank McCourt believed to be willing to accept an offer in the region of €13m (£11m) for the Senegal international.

“New Sadio Mane”

Considering the sheer amount of hype surrounding Dieng, it is not difficult to understand why Moyes would be interested in a deal to bring the striker to east London ahead of the bulk of West Ham’s 2022/23 campaign.

Indeed, the £9m-rated talent enjoyed an eye-catching breakthrough campaign at the Orange Velodrome over his 25 Ligue 1 appearances – only 11 of which came as starts – last season, scoring seven goals, registering one assist and creating four big chances for his teammates – playing a key role in Marseille securing an unexpected second-place finish in the league.

The 22-year-old also highly impressed over his five appearances in the African Cup of Nations campaign earlier this year, scoring two goals – in the round of 16 against Cape Verde and in the semi-final against Burkina Faso – to help Senegal seal their first ever AFCON title.

Furthermore, those in the know clearly have high hopes for the young forward, with former Marseille manager, Jorge Sampaoli, stating his belief that Dieng is an “explosive player with great potential,” while Graeme Bailey revealed that the Senegalese sensation has been labelled the “new Sadio Mane,” before adding that he feels as if the striker is a “serious talent.”

As such, while it is true that Moyes has already added Gianluca Scamacca to his attacking arsenal at the London Stadium this summer, should the 59-year-old be successful in his attempts to also lure Dieng to the club, he could well have unearthed the next Mane for the east London side – a prospect that is sure to excite Hammers supporters.

Fabrizio Romano has said that Leeds United will only make further signings ‘if they find top opportunities’.

The Lowdown: Striker shortage

The Whites have made six new first-team signings this summer while also adding Darko Gyabi and Sonny Perkins to the club’s academy ranks.

More is seemingly required before September 1, though, especially with Saturday’s draw with Southampton highlighting a striker shortage. Joe Gelhardt didn’t travel due to a minor injury and Patrick Bamford was withdrawn in the first half with an abductor problem.

Links have since emerged to FC Zurich forward Wilfried Gnonto, with reports claiming that the Whites want to get a deal wrapped up in the next 10 days.

The Latest: Romano’s update

Romano took to Twitter on Monday morning to provide a transfer update from Elland Road.

He rubbished rumours regarding moves for Ismaila Sarr and Juan Mata while adding that the club have been following Gnonto for a long time. The transfer expert said that ‘Leeds will complete new signings only if they find top opportunities’.

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The Verdict: Risky?

Charles De Ketelaere was a perfect example of Leeds willing to act on a ‘top opportunity’, but as we know, the Belgian opted for AC Milan over Elland Road.

It does seem risky that the club are seemingly happy to make no further signings, though, especially in attack. Bamford’s injury struggles have continued already this season, which could put plenty of pressure on a youngster like Gelhardt.

Jesse Marsch did use Rodrigo as a number nine in the second half on Saturday, with the Spaniard scoring twice, but hopefully a new forward is brought in before the end of the month to put everyone’s minds at rest.

Nottingham Forest have fallen behind in their pursuit of one former City Ground loan star… 

What’s the word?

According to Manchester Evening News, Southampton have emerged as surprise frontrunners to sign Manchester United youngster James Garner.

Along with the Saints, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Forest had all shown an interest after United decided to sell the 21-year-old.

Some may have expected Garner to naturally gravitate towards a return to the City Ground, but Steve Cooper will now have to act fast to ensure that the Reds do not miss out on bringing this highly-rated youngster back into the fold.

This deal would add another young English talent to the squad after Forest completed the signing of Morgan Gibbs-White from Wolverhampton Wanderers. 

Imagine him and Freuler

If Garner were to return to Nottingham, one player he would certainly benefit from having around is one of their newer signings in Remo Freuler.

The former Atalanta captain has a wealth of experience, and alongside Garner, the two could form a wonderful midfield partnership to keep the Tricky Trees in the Premier League.

The Swiss ace and the England under-21 international could both be seen as well-rounded midfielders, and therefore both are just as likely to threaten on the attack as they are to put their foot in when necessary.

Garner featured 44 times for Forest in the league last season, which suggests that it would not take long for him to re-acclimatise himself with the surroundings in the Midlands. Despite playing from a deeper role, his four goals and eight assists in 2021/22 outline him as a creative threat from this position.

To combine this attacking output with Freuler’s more modest four goal contributions in Serie A last term, that makes for a fine return from central midfield. The Switzerland international also ranks in the top 7% for progressive passes among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, so he could find the likes of Jesse Lingard from deep in dangerous pockets of space to start attacks.

The former Atalanta man also comes to the City Ground with a wealth of Champions League experience (21 appearances), which he could bestow upon the young Garner to accelerate the latter’s development.

The £17k-per-week ace’s value to the team is also reflected in his defensive duties, as he averaged 1.4 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and 0.9 clearances per game in 2021/22. He is unafraid to do the dirty work, and for a team who will likely have to battle for every point they earn this season, he could be the ideal midfielder for a heroic underdog story.

Combined with his offensive statistics, this outlines him as the “perfect” midfielder, using the words of journalist Josh Bunting, and he could flourish beside the brains and experience of Freuler. The two midfielders could be instrumental in keeping Forest in the Premier League, if they are to team up.

Everton may have already found their Anthony Gordon replacement…

What’s the word?

According to journalist Simon Phillips, the Toffees are already preparing for life without their homegrown starlet. They could be set to pull off a huge coup, though, swooping in for one of Manchester United’s targets as their Premier League rivals occupy themselves with the Antony saga.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Phillips claimed in relation to Everton: “There’s interest in Cody Gakpo, that’s one name given to me that they could turn to, to replace Gordon.”

The 23-year-old will reportedly be available for £35m, just over half the reported fee that the Merseyside club look set to receive for Gordon.

He’s way better than Gordon

At just two years his senior, Gakpo boasts far better stats than the 21-year-old Englishman.

In 35 Premier League games for Everton last term, Gordon managed just four goals and two assists in a struggling team. Meanwhile, the Dutchman recorded an exceptional 21 goals and 15 assists across various competitions for PSV Eindhoven.

Although the Eredivisie ranks notably lower than the Premier League in UEFA’s association club coefficient, the disparity between their numbers is so insurmountable that it overcomes the gap in quality between the respective divisions.

Gakpo shows no signs of slowing down either, recording two goals and one assist in his first two Eredivisie starts this season.

His performance against Rangers earlier this month also drew praise, as journalist Josh Bunting claimed that the 23-year-old was “so quick and always looking to take on the full-backs, Cody Gakpo is electric, his close control is absolutely outstanding”.

Meanwhile, Gordon has missed one big chance, creating none, and has recorded a disappointing 27% dribble success rate in his opening three Premier League games this term.

Ultimately, the Merseyside maverick only truly excels in the defensive side of the game. He sits in the top 6% for pressures, top 4% for tackles and top 1% for blocks per 90 among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months, but Lampard will want more offensive output from his team, who have struggled in front of goal this season.

Since the Chelsea rumours emerged, his productivity in front of goal has evaded him, although it remains to be seen whether he ever possessed it.

To trade in this raw English talent for the young but accomplished Dutchman would be a stroke of genius by Everton, especially considering that it would leave money left over for further additions. Gakpo is clearly better than Gordon already, with arguably a higher ceiling too.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s interest in Leander Dendoncker in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Magpies have hijacked Everton’s attempts to sign the Belgium international from Wolves.

The report claims that the Toffees have had an offer of £8.5m turned down for the 27-year-old and are now preparing a second swoop.

It is stated that the Toon are in the market to add a holding midfielder to their squad and they have identified Dendoncker as a target.

Isaac Hayden upgrade

Newcastle let their only natural enforcer in the middle of the park leave earlier this summer as Isaac Hayden was sent on loan to Norwich.

The 27-year-old missed the second-half of last season due to injury after struggling to find form in the first few months of the campaign. He averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.60 and completed 79% of his passes across 14 appearances (including 12 starts) in the Premier League, which ranked him 24th in the squad.

Hayden is a number six who is capable of winning the ball back and disrupting opposition attacks with his strength and his reading of the game, making three tackles and interceptions per match last term.

However, the quality of his performances week in, week out were not good enough, and the Magpies can now land an upgrade on him by signing Dendoncker from Wolves.

The £90k-per-week machine has had a strong start to the current campaign as he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.00 across four appearances, making 3.3 tackles and interceptions per match and completing 87% of his passes.

This comes after he averaged ratings of 6.77 and 6.84 in the last two seasons for Wolves respectively – significantly higher than Hayden’s score in 2021/22.

Dendoncker has also caught the eye at international level for Belgium. In the UEFA Nations League earlier this summer, he averaged a sublime rating of 7.37 in three outings as he made 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game and completed 94% of his passes.

Journalist Joe Edwards dubbed him a “selfless” player, which suggests that the midfielder is capable of doing the dirty work to allow Newcastle’s attacking players such as Bruno Guimaraes, Allan Saint-Maximin and Alexander Isak to do their damage in the final third.

The midfield monster has shown that he can break up play whilst also being reliable in possession, and this could make him an ideal fit for a holding role in Eddie Howe’s midfield three. He can sit at the base and allow Joelinton and Guimaraes to push on and press high, as they would know that they have an enforcer providing them with the protection to do so.

Hayden’s unreliable passing and poor quality of performances meant that he was unable to fulfill this role effectively, and the statistics suggest that Dendoncker would come in as an upgrade on the Englishman in that position.

Aston Villa are likely to secure the signing of Jan Bednarek on loan before Thursday’s transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Athletic and Sky Sports contributor Dan Bardell, who delivered a fresh update on Villa’s plans to ‘The Transfer Talk’ show on Bank Holiday Monday.

“I think Villa probably will get one or two in before the deadline later this week,” he said.

“I think they’ll get a centre-back in because they need to, because they lost Diego Carlos who was a big summer signing. It sounds like it will be Bednarek from Southampton on loan.

“From what I hear, that looks like the most likely.”

The 26-year-old cost the Saints just £5m back in 2017 and is now estimated to be worth around £25.6m, per CIES Football Observatory.

Can save Gerrard’s bacon

After just one win in their opening four games, stretching to a run of just three wins in 15 games under his tenure, manager Steven Gerrard is under intense pressure to turn things around at Villa Park.

The Midlands side were once again defeated at the weekend, losing 1-0 to West Ham United in a narrow encounter but it doesn’t look as if things will get any easier going forward as it’s Arsenal up next on Wednesday night and then defending champions Manchester City on Saturday.

It seems as if the serious injury to summer signing Diego Carlos has taken some steam out of the club, particularly after they enjoyed quite a successful and positive pre-season campaign.

The Brazilian’s absence must be filled as it’s clear that Gerrard doesn’t trust his other options as much. For instance, Tyrone Mings was once again absent from the starting XI, this time due to a reported illness.

Bednarek could be the man to save the Liverpudlian’s bacon heading into deadline day this week.

His vast Premier League experience of 133 appearances, leadership and attitude could be everything that the manager needs to transform their fortunes. One particularly glowing endorsement from his manager, Ralph Hasenhuttl, should provide plenty of encouragement.

“He is robust. He is one of the best defensive fighters, I say always he’s a firefighter who really does everything to protect his own goal,” he told the Daily Echo, whilst one source once suggested to The Athletic:

“If Hasenhuttl told him to run through a brick wall because it will result in three points, he’d do it.”

Indeed, that appears to be the case as the Poland international – who was also dubbed a “monster” by journalist Sam Tighe – ranks rather favourably to other central defenders in Europe’s elite divisions – per FBref, he sits amongst the top 4% for interceptions (3.18), the top 4% for non-penalty goals (0.13) and the top 10% for blocks (2.23) per 90.

On that evidence, Bednarek is an absolute tank at both ends of the pitch and with wages reportedly in the region of just £20k-per-week, he could be an absolute steal as a short-term fix in Carlos’ absence.

Villa chief Johan Lange could certainly get this deal over the line, given Bardell’s recent revelation and that should be a big relief to the under-pressure manager in the dugout.

AND in other news, Villa could end the transfer window with a bang by signing “phenomenal” £38m talent…

Newcastle United have reportedly ‘joined’ fellow Premier League rivals Everton in the race to sign Villarreal winger Nicolas Jackson.

The Lowdown: Everton interest

The Goodison Park outfit were credited with interest in Jackson in August, but a deal never materialised, and he ended up staying at Villarreal past the summer transfer window.

Thus, it opens the door for other clubs to potentially swoop in for his signature in January, should the La Liga side be open to a sale.

The Latest: Newcastle join race

Taking to Twitter, reliable journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed that the Magpies have now ‘joined’ the Toffees in the race for Jackson, who has a €32m (£28.6m) release clause in his current deal at Villarreal:

“Newcastle have joined Everton in the race to sign Villarreal attacker Nicolas Jackson. Jackson has impressed for Villarreal this season and has a €32m release clause in his contract.”

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The Verdict: Another good option

Jackson would certainly add another good option to the North East club’s attack, with eight goals and 10 assists combined in 46 games in total for Villarreal’s B and senior team (Transfermarkt).

His impressive performances of late have earned him his first call-up to the Senegal national team, and the 21-year-old could well earn his first caps in the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Nonetheless, the likes of Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin would surely relish playing with Jackson, with the former even sharing the same agent as the right-winger, which could help the Tynesiders’ chances of pushing through a deal in January.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) reportedly sent Newcastle United scouts to watch Mykhaylo Mudryk in action for Ukraine.

The Lowdown: Mudryk tracked

The St. James’ Park outfit are reportedly ‘tracking’ Mudryk ahead of a potential move for the Shakhtar Donetsk winger in the January transfer window.

Eddie Howe is thought to have given the green light for a deal, and so this will be one to watch once the window opens.

The Latest: Scouts sent

Writing in his latest piece for 90min, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed that scouts from the North East club were sent to watch Mudryk in action for Ukraine in their 3-0 loss away at Scotland in the UEFA Nations League on Wednesday night.

However, scouts from Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Everton, Leeds United, West Ham United, Wolves, Arsenal and Chelsea were also in attendance, meaning that the Tynesiders will likely face a lot of competition for his signature.

The Verdict: Get it done

Hailed as an ‘absolutely phenomenal’ player by Tottenham pundit John Wenham amid links to Spurs, Mudryk has exploded onto the scene this season, with two goals and three assists in five games in all competitions at club level, including four goal contributions in the UEFA Champions League already (Transfermarkt).

If there is a chance that a deal can be done in January, then the Magpies must look to take it with open arms.

Howe was keen to sign an attacking midfielder in the summer, and Mudryk could certainly be the answer to his prayers with his rapid dribbling abilities and end product.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is ‘very happy’ in the Scottish Premiership despite being linked with a move to the Premier League, according to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Wolves and Leicester links

After an impressive debut season in Glasgow, the 57-year-old is reported to have been discussed as a suitable candidate for the managerial vacancy at Wolves, with Leicester also said to be keen on landing his services.

As a result of this interest, the Hoops are hoping to tie him down, with Football Insider suggesting that the club are preparing to offer him a new long-term contract to fend off potential suitors.

The Latest: Postecoglou ‘happy’ at Celtic

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Joseph revealed that Postecoglou remains fully focused on the task at hand at Celtic, and would only consider leaving if a major European club come calling. He said:

“I think he’s not someone who would just jump ship for the sake of it or for a few extra quid.

“I think he very much sees his path as something of a success ladder. If he feels that he’s done his job at Celtic, which I don’t think he does at all because he has been talking about this as phase two of the project, then he could go.

“But I know he’s very happy at Celtic and he says it himself, so it would take something huge – like a giant of football – to take him away from Celtic now.

“If he’s at the end of his project, we’ll see what club he goes on to. But I’m sure, at the moment, Celtic fans would love him to stay for as long as possible.”

The Verdict: Massive boost

Postecoglou not currently having any plans to leave Celtic will be a huge relief to supporters who will know just how much of an outstanding impact he’s had in the dugout.

The Greek-born coach has won 50 and drawn eight of his 72 matches in charge (titles.

Ange is capable of getting his hands on even more silverware should he continue his reign, and it would be a massive coup if the club could convince him to put pen to paper on a new deal.

Manchester United could make a move for Napoli attacker Hirving Lozano when he leaves the Serie A club next summer, according to a transfer report.

The Lowdown: Lozano set for Napoli exit in 2023

The 27-year-old’s current deal with the Azzurri doesn’t expire until 2024 but it could be that he exits next year, having not always been a key player in recent times.

Lozano first earned widespread attention during the 2018 World Cup, when his performances for Mexico caught the eye as he scored one goal (the winner against Germany) and set up another at the tournament.

Since then, he has registered 40 goal contributions (26 goals and 14 assists) in 123 Napoli appearances, also once being hailed as ‘incredible’ by journalist Maxi Angelo.

The Latest: Man United linked with Lozano

Speaking to Gonfia la Rete [via Sport Witness], agent Alessandro Monfrecola claimed that United are among a number of clubs where Lozano could end up in 2023.

He stated:

“Next June, Lozano will leave in my opinion, also because he earns over 4 million at Napoli.

“Although he is delighted to be here, he has never hidden that he aspired to the top English clubs, although now he is probably realising that Napoli itself is a top club.

“He has never hidden that he loves Barcelona and Real Madrid, but unless Ancelotti falls in love with him again, he has no market. I think he could land in Manchester United or Everton. This does not exclude that other English teams could enter the negotiation.

“My personal prediction is that he will leave in June, but he is very happy here.”

The Verdict: Good squad option?

Lozano might not necessarily come in as someone who could take United’s starting line-up to the next level in 2023/24, but he could be a great squad signing.

He possesses quick feet and end product in wide areas, not to mention plentiful experience which has seen him earn 58 caps for Mexico, so he could be a shrewd prospective addition.

Attack is still an area of United’s team in need of reinforcements, with Cristiano Ronaldo ageing and often ignored, Anthony Martial injury-prone and Marcus Rashford linked with a move away, and Lozano would perhaps give it an injection of fresh quality and unpredictability.