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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer has dropped his verdict on Phil Jones amid reports linking him with a move to the Hawthorns this transfer window.

Earlier in the month, the forgotten Manchester United centre-back was mooted as a loan target for the Baggies, as per the Daily Star.

They claimed that the 28-year-old colossus was free to leave the Red Devils this month and that they were prepared to pay a sizeable portion of his £120k-per-week wages, even if he remains under contract until 2023.

Jones hasn’t featured for United this season but Albion’s defensive issues continue to increase tenfold after they leaked another five goals to Manchester City on Tuesday night.

It means Sam Allardyce’s men hold the worst defensive record in the Premier League, conceding 12 more goals than any other side, while no team across Europe’s elite divisions has leaked as many goals at home than West Brom.

And Palmer believes Jones could help solve their backline problems…

He told FFC:

“Big Sam’s always fancied him. He has always fancied Phil Jones – big, strong, athletic.

“I haven’t seen Phil play for ages, I thought he’d do really well at Manchester United because he’s got serious pace about him and he’s athletic. It’s just not worked out for him at all.

“Sam certainly needs quality throughout his side. He needs a central defender. And Sam gets the best out of people. It could be a good fit for both Phil and West Brom.”

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The 27-time England international may have not featured in a competitive game since January 2019, but he is someone that Big Sam knows very well from their time at Blackburn Rovers.

Indeed, Allardyce dubbed the young Jones a “leader” who would one day go onto captain England – he was partially right, at least.

The £5.4m-rated defender has played 200 times in the Premier League and over 30 times in Europe, per Transfermarkt; vast experience that is lacking in abundance in this current Albion squad.

Clearly, if fit, he’d be a welcome addition at the Hawthorns.

AND in other news, 3 new signings, no Sawyers: How West Brom’s XI may look after deadline day…

According to ESPN’s Julien Laurens, Arsenal are one of the clubs interested in signing RB Leipzig star Marcel Sabitzer.

What’s the story?

The Austria international has been a revelation for the Bundesliga side, captaining them to some impressive performances, including in the Champions League where Leipzig knocked out Manchester United in their final group stage game.

Now, it appears Sabitzer is on the radar of Mikel Arteta’s side, with Laurens revealing on The Gab and Juls show: “There is another club (interested in Sabitzer), I think Arsenal are very keen as well. I think there’s a few English clubs (interested).

“He will be perfect for the Premier League – the way he plays, 26 years old, it’s a good age, all that energy. I think he’s ready. He’s just ready. Maybe (he) needs a bit of time to adapt, but I’m not even sure he needs that. He would be a great signing, potentially quite cheap as well for the kind of player that you’re getting. It’s a no-brainer.”

Forget Isco

Make no mistake about it, if it’s a choice between Isco and Sabitzer, the Gunners absolutely have to go after the younger, and more in-form player in the £31.5m-rated Leipzig star.

His coach at the Bundesliga side, Julian Nagelsmann, has waxed lyrical about his abilities, saying: “I have always said I want more goal threat from midfield. He clearly took that both literally and personally. He’s a very important player for us.”

That ability to get goals from midfield is something Arsenal have lacked since the days of Aaron Ramsey, who of course left the Emirates to join Serie A giants Juventus on a free transfer.

Too much of the goal-scoring burden has been placed on the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, so Sabitzer’s arrival would help to lessen that and make the Gunners more of a threat from elsewhere on the pitch than just up front.

It’s a move Edu simply has to make.

AFC Bournemouth forward Joshua King showed David Moyes what West Ham United are missing in just 13 touches against Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night.

King entered the action at the Vitality Stadium as a late substitute to replace Dominic Solanke as boss Jason Tindall sought to see out a 1-0 win to solidify the Cherries’ place in the automatic promotion places.

Bournemouth have been in top form since their return to the Championship with 10 wins in 19 games, but are yet to see the best from King who remains without a goal or an assist after playing just 347 minutes in a heavily disrupted campaign.

King missed the start of the season through a thigh injury and later tested positive for coronavirus, before sustaining a back injury in training that kept the Norway forward out of action until Tuesday’s meeting with Wycombe.

West Ham had strived to sign King in the summer under the instructions of Moyes but failed to seal a deal, with Bournemouth rejecting the Irons’ offer of £13million as they chased at least £17m for the 51-cap international.

Moyes has remained keen on the idea of working with King at the London Stadium ever since, with reports surfacing lately claiming the Hammers boss has stressed the importance of offensive additions after marking the 28-year-old as his top January target.

Irons chiefs are confident Bournemouth will be more inclined to accept a lower sum in January with King’s £45,000-per-week contract due to expire in the summer, and would have seen what sort of impact the former Manchester United trainee could bring to the club in his brief cameo during the week.

He may not have scored or assisted with Junior Stanislas’ 68th-minute strike all that separated promotion-chasing Bournemouth and their relegation-threatened opposition, but King impressed in his limited window of opportunity.

Only Diego Rico (15) took more touches than King (13) following Tindall’s late triple substitution, per WhoScored, while being the only Cherries player to record a 100% pass success rate with each of his seven passes finding a teammate.

King was additionally the only Bournemouth player to register a key ball, successful dribble or aerial duel won in the closing stages, while Wycombe piled on late pressure with Daryl Horgan and Fred Onyedinma doing their best to inspire a comeback.

Moyes would no doubt have been impressed by what King brought to the field at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday night, despite only playing the final nine minutes.

AND in other news, West Ham are showing short-term vision in the transfer market by targeting a £52k-p/w star who won’t cost David Sullivan a penny.

Carlo Ancelotti can cast Andre Gomes to the side and solve Everton’s creativity crisis with a winter raid on SS Lazio for rumoured target Luis Alberto.

What’s the word?

According to Il Tempo, via Sport Witness, the Toffees are monitoring Alberto’s situation at the Stadio Olimpico and could offer the former Liverpool dud a route out of Italy amid a dramatic fallout with his Serie A side.

Alberto is currently butting heads with the Lazio hierarchy after publicly shaming their decision to purchase a new luxury private jet, instead of paying the first-team their full salaries during the global crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

His public outburst on Twitch saw Alberto handed a fine worth up to €70,000 (£62.4k), and will soon meet with manager Simone Inzaghi to see it they can mend the Spaniard’s shattered relationship with President Claudio Lotito and Sporting Director Igli Tare.

Lotito and Tare were furious with Alberto’s outburst and immediately dropped the 28-year-old from the senior squad feeling he betrayed them, and are not expected to offer a recall for this weekend’s meeting with Crotone.

Alberto is very loyal to Inzaghi, who is acting as a mediator and is a staunch advocate of the Spaniard, but could be offered a move to Everton with Ancelotti eager to solve his side’s lack of creativity.

Sevilla, where Alberto grew up, are also interested in the £45million-rated gem who had started six of Lazio’s opening seven Serie A fixtures this term, offering one goal.

Move aside Gomes

While Alberto is said to be loyal to Inzaghi, who likewise harbours a high level of respect for the Spaniard, Ancelotti can solve his creativity crisis by bringing the 28-year-old to Goodison Park in the New Year.

Alberto just penned a new, five-year contract with Lazio in September after a top-draw 2019/20 campaign, with only Atalanta’s Alejandro Gomez (16) claiming more assists than the Inzaghi favourite (15) who ranked first among all Serie A players for key balls (106), per WhoScored.

The former Liverpool flop, who managed just one assist and zero goals in 12 outings for the Reds in 2013/14, ranked joint-fifth in the Italian top-flight for successful (73) and attempted (107) dribbles, fifth for total passes (2,074) and eighth for shots taken outside the box (55) last term, as well.

His form in Italy has seen Alberto prove former Malaga head coach Javi Gracia right, having backed the midfielder to recover from his Anfield horror while with the La Liga side in 2015.

“He is talented, finishes well and scores goals,” Gracia said, via quotes by The Guardian. “He has a promising future. I have no doubt that he is a very good player.”

Ancelotti would no doubt adore having those traits at Goodison Park, where he has seen his current midfielders struggle to create chances with Abdoulaye Doucoure (8) ranking first among the Italian’s central options for key balls, Allan for successful (9) and attempted (14) dribbles and Gylfi Sigurdsson for shots taken from range (4) in the Premier League.

Gomes, meanwhile, is last for shots from outside the box (0), joint-third for key balls (3) and third for total passes (209) and successful dribbles (3), having played the third-most minutes (366) in the top-flight thus far.

It remains to be seen how Alberto’s crunch talks with Lazio chiefs Lotito and Tare go, and whether or not they decide to cash-in on the 28-year-old this winter despite his new contract.

AND in other news, seriously naïve comments from a Premier League hero show a “fantastic” Everton ace is criminally underrated.

West Ham United’s failure to sign Bologna centre-half Takehiro Tomiyasu this summer is set to cost David Moyes deeply, with the Serie A outfit confident their star defender will soon be worth in excess of £30million.

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, AC Milan strove to sign Tomiyasu in the recent transfer market but failed to convince Bologna to reduce their €25m (£22.6m) valuation closer to the Rossoneri’s offer of €15m (£13.5m) plus a small bonus clause.

Bologna refused to negotiate their asking price as they are convinced the 21-year-old will be worth more than €30m (£27.1m) to €35m (£31.6m) in only a matter of years, making conditions far from ideal for any side wishing to sign Tomiyasu in January.

The Japan international, for his part, is happy at the Renato Dall’Ara yet is aware that Milan continues to track his situation, though the San Siro giants are expected to adopt the same approach as the summer as Tomiyasu’s performances have not consistently been at the highest level.

Tomiyasu has started all five of Bologna’s Serie A fixtures this term, but Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side are yet to keep a clean sheet, have lost on four occasions and have conceded a total 10 goals to sit outside the relegation places only on goal difference.

His form is unlikely to see West Ham revive efforts to strike a deal, either, after the Irons took a keen interest in the 20-cap talent this summer, per the Evening Standard, amid Moyes’ search for a new right-back as Tomiyasu is also capable of playing in wide defence or holding midfield if needed.

A costly error?

While Tomiyasu has not hit the same heights this season as he achieved last term, the 21-year-old Japan international may yet prove to be a costly mistake for West Ham as he is a player well thought of in Italy.

Bologna describe their €7m (£6.3m) signing on their official website as: “Physically well structured, ambidextrous, he has the aptitudes of a true defensive playmaker.

“Takehiro strikes for reactivity, strength in anticipation – in particular, he dominates on high balls – and uncommon football intelligence.”

Tuttobologna reporter Manuel Minguzzi also lauded Tomiyasu while speaking with the Chronicle this summer, after Newcastle United scouted the defender in view of his impressive start to life in Italy once signed from Belgian side St Truiden.

“Tomiyasu is a very versatile defender: he can be both a full back and a central player, he is very applied and focused,” he said. “Fans can always expect maximum professionalism and commitment from Tomiyasu.

“As a central [defender] he made some mistakes, but in Serie A it is quite normal because adaptation is needed. Tomiyasu also possesses great qualities when building the game. I was very struck by the fact that in the first year of Serie A, he immediately became the protagonist.”

Tomiyasu currently averages 67 touches a game in the Italian top-flight, and has played Bologna’s highest number of passes (265), won the most aerial duels (11), recorded the most clearances (17) and made the second-most interceptions (14), per SofaScore.

Clearly, then, if the Japan international is able to shrug off his early struggles this season, his form will return and raise frustrations in east London that West Ham were not able to seal a deal this summer.

AND in other news, David Moyes needs a “terrific” West Ham man he expects “much more” from to step up now more than ever.

Carlo Ancelotti must regret handing Andre Gomes a starting role in Saturday’s Merseyside Derby after witnessing the Everton midfielder struggle against Liverpool.

The Toffees hosted their Stanley Park neighbours at Goodison Park this weekend looking to maintain an unbeaten start to the season, having won each of their opening Premier League and Carabao Cup fixtures.

An early goal from Sadio Mane left Everton on the back foot from the third minute, but the Blues refused to break and moved level through Michael Keane midway through the first half.

Mohamed Salah later restored the Premier League champions lead, yet Everton were able to dig deep again through Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s tenth goal of the season and seventh in the league.

The Merseyside Derby continued to edge in Liverpool’s favour through a late sending off for Richarlison, with referee Michael Oliver showing the Brazilian a straight red card for a studs-up foul on Thiago Alcantara.

Jordan Henderson appeared to further punish Everton when his stoppage-time effort found a way past Pickford, but would be denied following a VAR check which deemed Sadio Mane to have been marginally – albeit debatably – offside in the build-up.

Everton were able to hold on and claim a draw as a result of David Coote’s decision at Stockley Park, however Ancelotti will have been questioning his decision to start Gomes having witnessed the 27-year-old struggle throughout the affair.

Gomes returned to the Everton starting line-up to face Liverpool having sat out the Blues’ 4-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion prior to the international break through a minor issue, marking his fourth appearance of the league season.

Ancelotti ultimately had to haul the £21.6m-rated midfielder off in the 72nd-minute once Liverpool moved into a 2-1 lead, however, after a lapse second of concentration from Yerry Mina presented Salah with his chance to strike past Jordan Pickford with a well-placed volley.

Gomes was seemingly always at least a yard off the pace during his time on the field, with the former FC Barcelona midfielder Marco Silva once hailed as “a player with high quality” (Liverpool Echo) losing possession 13 times and losing nine of his 13 duels, per SofaScore.

The £112,212-per-week man, in fact, won just three of his 12 ground duels, committed four fouls, was caught offside once, dribbled past once, misplaced each of his three long balls, failed to find a teammate with his sole cross, failed in two of three attempted dribbles, failed to record a single effort on goal and was shown a yellow card.

Gomes was able to record one key ball from his 20/26 accurate passes, two tackles and one clearance, but his overall impact on proceedings left Liverpool able to utilise their right-hand options in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Salah.

AND in other news, a Premier League rival has shown Everton a great deal of respect by blocking the Blues’ bid to land Carlo Ancelotti’s £10m target.

According to Football Insider, Southampton have opened talks to sign Newcastle right-back DeAndre Yedlin.

The Saints are already on the verge of signing Theo Walcott on a short-term basis, and now they are eyeing a loan move for the USA international.

The report adds that the Magpies have given the green light for him to make the switch to St. Mary’s Stadium.

Yedlin has failed to make a single appearance for Steve Bruce’s side this season in the Premier League, whilst he appeared just 16 times last term as well. Prior to that, though, he was a regular, playing 90 times across three league campaigns.

He has 62 caps for his country, and also played in the top tier with Sunderland and Tottenham – albeit fleetingly. This is a man who has a whole host of experience at this level, and at 27 years old, you would not say that his best years are behind him.

With this being a temporary deal, this is a cheap option for Ralph Hasenhuttl and co. The Saints will be hoping that they can get this deal over the line, as it provides competition and cover for Kyle Walker-Peters without the cost of a permanent move.

Let us know what you think below!

Leeds United’s central defensive conundrum will be the biggest bugbear for Marcelo Bielsa this summer, but he can make the situation a whole lot easier if he lands a new and emerging target.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun on Sunday’s print edition (26/07, page 63), the Yorkshire giants could turn their attention to Manchester United youngster Axel Tuanzebe.

It’s claimed that loan star Ben White’s chances of returning to Elland Road next season are pretty slim considering Brighton are remaining in the top-flight and have plans to use him – unless an offer that can’t be refused lands at their door.

He’s also sure to have interest from the PL’s elite, including Liverpool and both Manchester clubs.

As a result, Tuanzebe is being lined up as the 22-year-old’s replacement.

Glaring void

This move is certainly an interesting one to make, particularly given the need for a centre-back or two next season.

In addition to White’s return, Bielsa will be without Gaetano Berardi, who is not only out of contract but is also seriously injured with an ACL tear – meaning he’s not going to pay for anyone until at least April.

The 6 foot 1 Red Devils talent has rarely been utilised by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season, featuring ten times in all competitions – in part, this has been down to injury woes but also the form of Victor Lindelof and skipper Harry Maguire, so a loan move may suit all parties.

It’s claimed by The Athletic that United see the former England U21 centre-back as the next Rio Ferdinand and that he can save the club millions of pounds in the transfer market.

The England legend, of course, made a name for himself in west Yorkshire before moving to Old Trafford, so maybe Tuanzebe can get some vital experience before going onto stardom in a similar nature.

If that’s not enough, his teammate Luke Shaw has labelled Tuanzebe as “unbelievable” before claiming that his talent is “frightening” and that he has “got everything”.

Based on these assessments, Victor Orta would be foolish not to consider the 22-year-old as a replacement for White.

AND in other news, Leeds eye audacious swoop for “special” 23-goal sensation

Newcastle United fans may love what Jose Mourinho said about the proposed takeover in the North East prior to their Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur at St. James’ Park.

As per his pre-match press conference (via The Chronicle), the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss said about his opponents: “Hopefully, the takeover helps them to become an even bigger and better club.”

Indeed, some members of the Toon faithful may take some joy from the fact that a coach of a rival team is urging the prospective £300 million deal between Mike Ashley and Amanda Staveley’s Saudi Arabian-led group to go through.

In addition, it may be encouraging that Mourinho also shares the views of some of the Magpies that the approval of the bid could potentially lead on to bigger and better things.

NUFC supporters will surely be hoping that there are plenty of funds to possibly spend in the upcoming summer transfer window providing that the takeover is given the green light by the top flight.

The buying side would surely be looking to invest in the squad with the potential abundance of wealth available to them, which may improve the quality shown on the pitch and thus get better results.

Newcastle have also not won a major trophy since the Fairs Cup in 1969, so the consortium will also be looking to add some more silverware to the trophy cabinet, and spending money on players and the club itself may help to achieve this.

Nevertheless, everything is still up in the air at this moment in time as a final decision is yet to be announced by England’s highest division.

Geordies, are you encouraged by what Mourinho has said? Comment below!

Tottenham are ready to raid Jose Mourinho’s old club Real Madrid for Lucas Vazquez in the summer.

Vazquez, who moved to Madrid from Espanyol, finds himself below the likes of Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale and Isco in the Bernabeu pecking order.

The former Spanish international has only played 18 games for Los Blancos this season, although he has made more than 200 appearances in total, and has now entered the final year of his contract.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Spurs are keen to sign Vazquez this summer, and such a move may ultimately benefit Son Heung-min.

Although the Spaniard has struggled for consistency this season, as he has registered just two goals and one assist so far, it is worth pointing out that he has won the Champions League three times and lifted the La Liga trophy.

Vazquez has been beset by multiple setbacks in recent years, including a recurring calf problem, and the 28-year-old is working on his recovery from injury.

Real Madrid have held talks with his representatives over an extension but both sides are at a stalemate, which Daniel Levy is eager to exploit.

Meanwhile, Son is Spurs’ second-highest scorer with only two goals separating himself from Harry Kane this season, while he has supplied more assists than the England international.

The South Korean has scored nine goals and created eight assists in the Premier League, taking three shots per game, averaging more than one key pass and completing at least two dribbles per match on average (via WhoScored).

Mourinho previously wanted Vazquez at his old club Manchester United and Tottenham are willing to spend £15m on the right winger, although the Galacticos value him at £23m.

The Spurs manager has been plagued by injuries to his wide options throughout the season so far. Son and Steven Bergwijn have only recently recovered from long-term injury problems, their returns set to boost the Londonders as they had slumped to several poor results in their absence.

Taking this into consideration, Vazquez could provide cover for the wide men as he would share the workload with the 27-year-old Korean to reduce the risk of injury. As his track record shows, he has bags of experience at the top levels of the game, and he has recently revealed he wants to move to England.

However, Spurs have not met Madrid’s asking price, which could prove to be a major sticking point.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Lucas Vazquez in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!