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West Brom are not interested in signing Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane this summer, according to Joseph Masi.

The Lowdown: West Brom keen on Hourihane move

Valerien Ismael will be looking to make new signings ahead of his first season at The Hawthorns, as the Baggies look to return to the Premier League.

One player who has been linked with a summer move to West Brom is Hourihane, who found game-time hard to come by at Villa last season. The 26-cap Republic of Ireland international only appeared four times in the top flight and was loaned out to Swansea City in January.

The Latest: Journalist plays down rumour

Despite the Baggies’ apparent interest in the £42,000-a-week midfielder, Express & Star journalist Masi played down the rumour on Twitter on Sunday.

Responding to a question from a West Brom fan, he stated: “From what I am hearing Albion aren’t interested in him.”

The Verdict: Strong squad option

Hourihane could be an ideal signing for West Brom, so it is disappointing to hear that their interest seemingly isn’t genuine.

At 30, he may not represent a long-term addition, but he has international experience and has played 31 times in the Premier League. He also showed some good form in the latter half of last season, scoring five times during his loan spell at Swansea as they made it to the play-off final.

Ismael could benefit from having more seasoned individuals in his squad who know how to earn promotion from the Championship, as Hourihane did with Villa back in 2018/19.

In other news, West Brom have suffered a potential blow in their quest to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s interest in Burnley centre-forward Chris Wood…

What’s the talk?

According to the Northern Echo, the Magpies have made contact with Burnley over a potential deal for the attacker this month.

The report claims that he is in the final 18 months of his contract but Sean Dyche does not want to lose any of his key players in the midst of a relegation battle, which could make it a difficult deal for the Toon.

New Andy Carroll

Eddie Howe can land Newcastle’s new Andy Carroll with a deal to sign Wood from the Clarets this month. He could come in to be the main focal point for the team at the top end of the pitch and serve as a foil for the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson to play off.

Carroll scored 36 goals and provided 26 assists in 134 games for the Magpies after coming up through the ranks. In his final campaign for the club, he produced a stunning 11 goals and ten assists in just 19 Premier League matches.

Across his entire top-flight career, he scored 24 headers from his 54 goals. Wood, meanwhile, has scored 50 goals in the division and 17 with his head, showing that he is a similar type of striker to Carroll in the sense that he is a big target man who can be aimed for with crosses into the box.

The £72k-per-week beast was also previously compared to Toon legend Alan Shearer, with ex-Leeds man Ben Parker saying of a goal he scored a few years ago:

“It was a fantastic header. He’s kind of like Sheareresque and I don’t think there are many strikers in the division, especially in the Championship, even going to the Premier League, who would have scored with that header.

With 50 goals in 155 Premier League matches, Wood has proven that he can score goals at this level and, therefore, he could be an excellent addition to the team.

This is why Howe must work hard to ensure that he is able to snap up Carroll 2.0 in the coming weeks, as it would strengthen his own side whilst weakening Burnley by taking away a goalscorer from their XI.

AND in other news, “A lot of talk”: Journo drops big NUFC transfer claim that’ll leave fans excited…

Wolves may have to accept that they will have to cash in on midfielder Ruben Neves this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Neves’ future in doubt

The 25-year-old has been a fantastic servant for Wanderers down the years, dictating many midfield battles and scoring some spectacular goals along the way.

Neves has arguably enjoyed one of his best seasons yet at Molineux in 2021/22, bagging four goals, two assists and averaging 2.3 tackles per game.

There have been constant rumours linking the Portuguese with a move away this summer, however, with Barcelona among those keen on signing him.

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The Latest: Journalist drops fresh claim

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke admitted that Wolves may have to let Neves go at the end of the season:

“There are fears obviously that Wolves might have to end up cashing in on Neves this summer. He’s been such a good servant to them as well. He’s helped them establish themselves in the Premier League.”

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The Verdict: Matter of time?

While the idea of Neves staying on at Wolves is exciting, it looks increasingly likely that he will head off for a new challenge in the summer, given the number of reports emerging.

Some players simply hit a sell-by date at a club, and while the midfielder clearly loves playing for Wanderers, he may feel that it is time to test himself somewhere with loftier ambitions.

It would be hard to begrudge Neves a transfer after offering so much since joining in 2017 – he has made 207 appearances overall – and the key will be ensuring the vast money earned for his sale is spent wisely ahead of next season.

In other news, a Spanish source has dropped a key Wolves transfer claim.

A Newcastle United chief has now had a meeting over the potential signing of Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: On fire

Nunez is certainly on fire this season, with 11 goals and two assists in 18 games in total over all competitions for Benfica, including strikes against Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League (Transfermarkt).

His growing reputation has also seen the striker play six times for the Uruguay national team ahead of the likes of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, scoring two goals (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the 22-year-old certainly has a bright future ahead of him, and may not be playing in Portugal much longer.

The Latest: Nickson meeting

As per Maisfutebol, Head of Recruitment at St. James’ Park, Steve Nickson, has now had a meeting with Benfica president Rui Costa over potentially signing Nunez, but the Portuguese giants do not want to let him go until the summer at least.

The player has a contract with them until June 2025, and has a whopping release clause worth €150m (£127.8m), although it is thought that the starting price for talks would be close to €50m (£42.6m).

The Verdict: Survival

The North East club must avoid relegation down to the Championship before they can even think about signing Nunez in the summer.

Described as an ‘incredible talent’ by sports journalist Maxi Angelo, there will no doubt be other suitors for him, especially given the fact that he has already shown his worth in the Champions League.

Nonetheless, if the Tyneside outfit can survive, then there is no reason that they cannot tempt him to move to the Premier League next summer, and he would certainly be a real signing of intent for their long-term project.

In other news, find out boost NUFC have now received in pursuit of this ‘extraordinary’ star here!

Newcastle United moved on to 43 points on Saturday as they beat Norwich 3-0 in a Premier League encounter at Carrow Road.

The Magpies are well clear of relegation and are on course to avoid the drop down to the Championship after an impressive resurgence under Eddie Howe.

They can now start to think about what they are going to do in the summer transfer window as attention turns to 2022/23 and their ambitions to compete higher up in the table.

One player the club are reportedly in the running for is Napoli centre-forward Victor Osimhen, who has been thriving in the Serie A this season.

Speaking about a potential transfer, his agent – Andrea D’Amico – said: “If a very important offer arrives, it goes away. But this is true for every player who plays in Italy.”

“At the moment I have no requests from the Premier, but it is early, it is a situation that remains evolving. England remains a top-tier market. When I speak of an important and indispensable offer for Osimhen, I mean offers of 150 million.”

Imagine him & Bruno

If the Magpies can bring the £126m (€150m) attacker to St. James’ Park then he would be able to form an exciting partnership with Bruno Guimaraes.

Osimhen has scored 12 goals in 19 Serie A starts this season and averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.12 for Napoli. The dynamo also scored four goals in five Europa League matches earlier in the campaign and this shows that he has been a reliable scorer, and performer, for the Italian side.

He is finally fulfilling the potential that he showed earlier in his career. Whilst in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg, his then-manager Andries Jonker outlined his talent, saying: “He has great potential in him. He is ambitious, quick and highly unpredictable, he will be a star in the future if he maintains his focus.”

Guimaraes, meanwhile, has four goals and one assist in 13 games in the Premier League since arriving in England in January. He has averaged a fantastic SofaScore rating of 7.25 as he has been able to hit the ground running in the top-flight under Howe.

The Brazilian has proven that he can make an impact in the division and now you can imagine what his link-up with a striker as clinical as Osimhen would look like. Imagine both of them exchanging passes and running at opposition defences next season; it’s an exciting thought and a dream that PIF can, hopefully, realise in the coming months.

AND in other news, “Newcastle want..”: Journo drops exciting claim on £109m duo, it’ll delight supporters…

The Athletic journalist Phil Hay has praised match-winner Rodrigo’s improved performance in Leeds United’s vital 2-1 win away to Norwich City.

The Lowdown: Massive win for Leeds

The Whites faced a huge game at the bottom end of the Premier League on Sunday, but they prevailed to secure a much-needed three points.

It wasn’t a classic at Carrow Road, but goals from Raphinha and Rodrigo helped Marcelo Bielsa’s side to climb out of the relegation zone.

After the late draw at home to Wolves and now a crucial away win, the hope is that Leeds may slowly be turning a corner after a poor start to the season.

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The Latest: Hay praises Rodrigo

It was Rodrigo who fired home the winner on Sunday, finding the net from distance as he bagged his second league goal of the campaign. His ball distribution was also on point, completing 24 of his 28 passes, while he also won five duels and had three shots in total (SofaScore).

Taking to Twitter after the game, Hay spoke positively about the Spaniard with the seven-word verdict of: “Rodrigo got better as that went on.”

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The Verdict: Still need more from Rodrigo

It was a key contribution from Rodrigo, who now has two goals in as many league outings, but there is still a feeling that more is required from him, having been described as a ‘huge’ player by Hay in the past.

The 30-year-old is the club’s record signing but is yet to perform like it overall, with two goals in 12 appearances still a disappointing return so far this season.

With Patrick Bamford out injured, it is vital that Rodrigo continues to steps up to the plate in the coming weeks, justifying his price tag in the process. More performances like yesterday’s should help.

In other news, three Leeds players struggled despite the eventual win over Norwich. Find out who they are here.

Leeds journalist Phil Hay has made a big Andrea Radrizzani transfer claim ahead of the 2022 summer window…

What’s the talk?

The Athletic reporter has claimed that the window could be a busy one for Leeds as owner Andrea Radrizzani wants to take the club into Europe.

Replying to a fan questioning the lack of money spent in the summer, Hay said: “What I’m starting to feel now is that if this season is going to be a slog (and it looks like it will be) now is the time to start seriously thinking about what to do next summer.

“Investment in the squad will definitely be needed because Radrizzani is the one who keeps talking about Europe. It seems like next summer should be so much more active than this one.”

Leeds fans could be buzzing

Leeds fans will surely be left buzzing by this claim from Hay as it suggests that they are in for an exciting summer next year. The Whites added only two senior players to their squad in the window just gone, with Junior Firpo and Dan James arriving from Barcelona and Manchester United respectively for a combined fee of £39.69m.

Young goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson was also brought in and Jack Harrison’s loan from Manchester City was finally converted into a permanent deal. Their spending totalled £53.01m as they made nothing from outgoings, which shows that Radrizzani did invest a fair amount in the squad despite the relatively low number of new faces.

It also highlights why Leeds fans may now be excited about what could be to come next summer. Hay believes that the club could be in for a busy transfer window in comparison to the one just gone, which suggests that more than £53m could be spent. Fans will surely be delighted as it means that big money could be invested in some exciting talent to add to the squad, particularly if the rest of this season continues to be a “slog”, as Hay put it.

They will also be buzzing with the club’s ambition to qualify for Europe in the coming seasons. Imagine a European night at Elland Road after so long without one to enjoy… it sends chills down the spine. If Radrizzani can give Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta the funds to go and build a squad capable of challenging for the top six, then fans could start to believe that the glory days will return to Yorkshire.

Rangers extended their unbeaten run to six matches in all competitions as they beat St Johnstone in a tense match on Saturday.

Steven Gerrard’s side went 1-0 down just after half-time as Filip Helander was caught out from a long ball and Michael O’Halloran made the most of it to fire the ball into the back of the net.

A cooly dispatched penalty, won by Ryan Kent, from Kemar Roofe soon saw Rangers level the scores. Captain James Tavernier, returning to the side, then secured the three points with a stunning effort from distance in the 79th minute.

Despite Kent, Tavernier and Roofe being heavily involved in the goals, another player stole the show with his performance – Glen Kamara.

The Finland international produced an excellent display in the middle of the pitch as he helped to keep Rangers on the front foot throughout the match. He was able to win possession back and dictate play in the engine room, allowing the Gers to control the ball and ultimately turn that 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win.

Defensively, Kamara was excellent. Per SofaScore, he won an impressive 82% of his duels on the pitch as he came out on top in five of his six ground battles and won three of his four aerial contests. He also made two clearances, one tackle and an interception.

This shows that he was active in winning the ball back for his side and competing in physical battles against the St Johnstone midfield. By winning the vast majority of his duels, he kept Rangers in possession and that allowed Gerrard’s side to dominate the ball and continually create the chances needed to get back into the game.

Offensively and in transition, Kamara also excelled. Per SofaScore, he had 73 touches of the ball in midfield – more than Steven Davis and Joe Aribo – whilst completing 85% of his passes and both of his attempted dribbles – also being fouled twice.

These statistics highlight his control of the match in possession. He was running the show in midfield by dictating the play and allowing the likes of Tavernier, Kent and Roofe to then work their magic in the final third.

Gerrard will surely be delighted with the 25-year-old’s display and will be hoping that he can keep it going for the rest of the campaign.

AND in other news, Gerrard must seal Rangers deal for “instrumental” maestro, he won’t cost a penny…

It has been widely speculated that Rafael Benitez has fallen out with Lucas Digne, and news coming from the Everton camp on Friday afternoon appears to suggest that the pair can’t resolve their issues.

What’s the story?

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano gave an explosive transfer insight regarding the Toffeed, taking to his Twitter profile to drop this exclusive to his millions of followers:

“EXCL: Ukraine left back Vitaliy Mykolenko is currently undergoing his medical as new Everton player, here we go! 🔵🇺🇦 #EFC”

“He’s set to join Everton from Dynamo Kiev on a permanent move, final price around €21/23m. Personal terms agreed.”

The medical may further fuel rumours of an irreparable fall-out between the Everton manager and the French left-back, who has not been in the matchday squad since the Merseyside derby.

As recorded by WhoScored, since his arrival to the Premier League. no left-back has earned a higher rating than Digne, winning 28 aerial duels and 52 tackles in his 15 appearances for the Toffees this season. He also scored against Queens Park Rangers in their Carabao Cup tie.

According to The Athletic, Digne became frustrated in conversations with the Everton manager and continuously challenged Benitez, with the pair having reportedly ‘rarely seen eye to eye’ – specifically when it came to tactics – and tensions allegedly boiled over just ahead of the Arsenal match a couple of weeks ago.

Fans will be gutted

Digne has established himself as a fan favourite, with the left-back speaking out about the reaction that many fans have had to him since he joined the club, saying: “They have even written a song for me, and I want to say thank you to them for that. We have something special in this club.”

Quite a few Everton fans have taken to Twitter to express their feelings and thoughts on the news shared by Romano. One fan tweeted; “If we sell @LucasDigne we are stupid, @everton you need to sack that fraud @rafabenitezweb #rafaout”

Another wrote: “I’ll be so, so angry if Digne is forced out of Everton in January. Angry at Rafa, and at the club by default, as with most things these days.”

It’s clear that some fans aren’t happy about potentially axing the £119k-p/w left back from the side, and with squad depth already thin and injuries piling up, Benitez cannot afford to lose any more players. Freezing out Digne could come back to bite the manager unless Everton can complete the mooted signing of Mykolenko, and even then the Ukrainian may have a hard act to follow.

Either way, his impending arrival seems to suggest that Benitez intends to move on from Digne, who might have already played his last game for the club.

In other news: Benitez could solve big issue at Everton by signing this gem

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Manchester City defender Steve Howey has hinted at Jack Grealish potentially taking Raheem Sterling’s spot in the Premier League champions’ starting XI.

Both players started in the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, with Grealish deployed in midfield alongside Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho and Sterling used further forward in attack.

However, star man Kevin De Bruyne was left on the bench for the opening fixture, while Phil Foden is currently unavailable for selection due to injury.

When both players are fully fit, you would expect them to be selected by Pep Guardiola, meaning someone like Sterling or Grealish could drop out. And Howey thinks it could be the former, with Grealish likely to operate in his position further up the pitch.

When asked by TT who could be sacrificed in order to accommodate the former Aston Villa captain, the ex-City star said:

“Well we know with Raheem sometimes he didn’t start [last season] and that was without Grealish there.”

While it would not be a shock to see Grealish have to settle for the bench now and again as a result of Guardiola’s rotation policy, having signed him for £100m, it is hard to imagine the £300,000-a-week England international spending too much time out of the side.