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West Ham United are back in Premier League action this afternoon as they welcome one of their local rivals to the London Stadium.

David Moyes’ men host Tottenham Hotspur in what is sure to be an exciting encounter, with both matches bringing plenty of goals last season.

The Irons will be looking to make it three wins on the trot, having sealed a resolute 1-0 victory over Everton last Sunday and extended their 100% record in the Europa League by defeating Genk 3-0 just a few nights ago.

Both teams occupy a spot in the top seven, with the north Londoners holding an edge in fifth place. A win for the Hammers could see them leapfrog today’s opponents into fourth.

That means Moyes must get his team selection spot on ahead of kickoff. And if Thursday night was any sort of test for some of his fringe stars, then Andriy Yarmolenko wouldn’t have passed with flying colours.

The long-serving Ukraine international has struggled for game time in the past 18 months and failed to take a rare opportunity to impress the Scotsman.

He has played only 33 minutes in the Premier League so far this season and started just the one game throughout the whole of the 2020/21 campaign, as per Transfermarkt.

Yarmolenko started and played the full 90 against the Belgian giants this week but failed to provide a goal or assist. And he was just one of two players to record a rating lower than 7.0 by SofaScore.

The 31-year-old forward managed only one shot throughout the whole game and lost five of his eight duels (62.5%), so evidently, he struggled in front of goal and was rather weak against the opposition.

Much of his time in east London has been like this, however.

Across only 65 appearances since his £18m arrival in July 2018, the versatile attacker has only delivered ten goals and six assists, with injuries and inconsistencies a big factor.

Incredibly, there has often been a lack of effort on his part – as seen by his appearance against Manchester United in the Premier League, further proving why he cannot be starting in the competition.

“I’m not sure David Moyes was entirely happy with the efforts of Andriy Yarmolenko there,” said Sky Sports commentator Rob Hawthorne during commentary. “Still the dialogue is ongoing between the West Ham manager and the Ukrainian forward, who he has just brought on. He certainly wants to see more from him.”

Once dubbed “special” by teammate Declan Rice, Yarmolenko has no right to be involved in the Irons’ starting XI when a team like Spurs come to town.

Moyes must axe the £3.6m-rated flop from his lineup, with Michail Antonio looking likely to return after his absence, along with Said Benrahama, who is surely the first-choice out wide.

He’s never been good enough for the Hammers.

AND in other news, Moyes could unearth West Ham’s next Joe Cole in 19 y/o gem “similar to Jack Grealish”…

Flocking to Twitter, these Sunderland fans seemed less than impressed with the performance of defender Denver Hume against Manchester United’s Under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy on Wednesday night.

Lee Johnson’s side, looking to retain the cup they won last season, have now secured qualification from Group F as they narrowly beat the Red Devils 2-1 yesterday evening.

Tyrese Dyce opened the scoring for Sunderland on Wearside but it didn’t take long for the visitors to draw level again through United youngster Zidane Iqbal.

Alas, just under ten minutes later, The Black Cats regained control of the contest with Stephen Wearne getting in on the act – a strike which eventually guided Sunderland through the group stage with a game to spare.

However, on what was a solid evening, one man who didn’t impress supporters was Hume – with the 23-year-old losing possession 17 times and losing more than half of his ground duels (SofaScore).

Here’s what Sunderland supporters had to say on the left-back as they took to social media.

Sunderland fans slam Hume…

“Hume looks like he’s just not trying to actually run when we need to defend”

Credit: @safcreportt

“Hume is even out of his depth at this level, he is totally useless. Gives the ball away at this level at an alarming rate. Should not be anywhere near 1st team squad.”

Credit: @DarkKnightFTM

“All Hume does is play the team into trouble time after time.”

Credit: @newby08

“Denver Hume is even out of his depth against Man Utd youngens. He is absolutely dink. He’d struggle in non-league he would”

Credit: @Brysa08

“I’d very much like to never seen him in a Sunderland shirt ever again, please and thank you”

Credit: @MKA97FTM

“Things I learnt tonight watching our kids vs there kids. Denver Hume is a million miles away from Dennis Cirkin, Dyce looks a better back up to Cirkin, thought he was brilliant tonight. Don’t get the fuss or hype over losing Hugill, thought he was ok tonight but nowt special”

Credit: @44stu

An update has emerged on Celtic’s pursuit of Manchester City defender Ko Itakura…

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Sports, Celtic are unlikely to sign Manchester City centre-back Ko Itakura on loan this month despite tracking him over the summer.

The report does not give a reason for the prospective move falling through, but does mention that the Hoops watched him play at the Olympics for Japan.

Fans will be frustrated

Celtic fans will be frustrated with this worrying update from Sky Sports, as it now seems like the Japan international will not be arriving at Parkhead this summer. Although it does not completely rule out the possibility of him coming to Scotland, the signs are not promising at the moment and supporters could be gutted because he could be a shrewd addition to the squad.

The Cityzens man spent last season on loan to Groningen in the Eredivisie and put in some stout defensive performances. In 35 starts, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.12, making 4.2 clearances and 2.0 interceptions per game.

Former Dutch footballer Haans Kray lauded him as ‘incredibly fast’ and hailed his impact in the Netherlands. He said: “One of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie. He can play football well, he can head well and he is incredibly fast. He’s such a good player but Manchester City don’t see anything in him.”

This shows that he has the ability to standout in the Eredivise as a centre-back, whilst not quite having the quality – in Pep Guardiola’s eyes – to make it in the Premier League for the champions. Although it is difficult to judge the difference between the Eredivisie and the Scottish Premiership, Celtic are reportedly closing in on the signing of Georgios Giakoumakis from VVV-Venlo – suggesting that the club believe the skills on show are transferable to their level.

Therefore, he could have been a solid signing for Celtic as he proved himself to be a reliable defender in the Netherlands and could have brought those qualities along with him to Parkhead. This is why fans will be fuming that it is now unlikely to happen.

AND in other news, 100% duels lost: Celtic disaster who made just 3 passes embarrassed Ange vs AZ…

A key update has emerged on Rangers left-back Borna Barisic, regarding interest from English outfit Aston Villa…

What’s the talk?

Club media partner Heart & Hand Podcast has claimed that they have been told that there has been no contact between the two clubs at this stage.

Barisic has been linked with a switch to the Midlands, but the Gers insider has called any reports claiming that talks have been held are false.

They Tweeted: “Asked and been told there has been no contact between Rangers and Villa about Barisic. Any reports to the contrary are false.”

Delight

This update will surely delight Rangers fans as it suggests that there is no serious interest from the Premier League side at this stage. There is less than a month to go until the transfer window opens and you can forgive supporters for being concerned that Steven Gerrard may want to come back and raid his former club.

Whilst this claim from Heart & Hand does not entirely rule out the possibility of the Croatian international departing next month, it does show that nothing is in the works right now and there is no need to worry about his future at Ibrox for the moment.

Supporters would be delighted by him staying in Glasgow as he is a crucial player for the club and his exit would be a huge blow for Gio van Bronckhorst. He has proven his quality in Scotland over the last few years, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.28 this season after achieving a score of 7.40 last term.

Barisic has won an impressive 61% of his duels this season whilst also creating 2.0 chances per game and making 2.1 tackles and interceptions. This shows that he is able to merge solid defending with quality on the ball to progress the play from left-back, which is why fans would be gutted by his departure and will be delighted by this update on the lack of concrete interest in his services.

Hopefully, Villa will look elsewhere to strengthen their squad instead of raiding Rangers and Barisic will remain at Ibrox in the long term. His statistics show how important he is to the club moving forward and how difficult it would be to replace him in the transfer window, providing another reason for why the fanbase will be buzzing by this news.

AND in other news, 180 duels won: Wilson sealed masterclass with “important” £14k-p/w Rangers colossus…

Wolves took to the transfer market last summer with a ruthless eye. They spent an eye-catching sum of money, paying over £50m for the acquisitions of Nelson Semedo and Fabio Silva.

However, this year has been completely different for the Old Gold.Huge fees haven’t been paid with spending limited at Molineux. Trincao has been added to their ranks on a loan deal but beyond that, not much will catch the eye in terms of incomings.One player they were linked with heading into the summer was Valencia’s Kang-in Lee. Yet, with a release clause of £71m, a deal looked completely off the table.Fresh reports dictate that he may be available for just €10m (£8.5m) and if he is, Wolves must seek out a deal.An attacking midfielder by trade, Lee is one of the most exciting prospects in South Korean football.Dubbed “spectacular” by Valencia great Dario Felman, he made 27 appearances for Valencia last term, scoring just one goal but providing four assists for his troubles during an impressive season.Also capable of playing on the wing, there are plenty of strings to a bow that cuts through opposition defences in devastating fashion.Compared to David Silva, he was in particularly good form during the Tokyo Olympics. Lee found the net on three occasions for his country, demonstrating that he has the qualities to thrive on the biggest of stages.Speaking about his game previously, Valencia academy director Luis Vicente Mateo said: “He is willing to learn every day, regardless of whether he is in first or second-team training. He is a player with outstanding talent.”His numbers aren’t the greatest just yet but Wolves have proven themselves to be the perfect club for young players coming through.You only need to look at Pedro Neto who captured the imagination with some dazzling performances last term, ending the campaign as the club’s Player of the Season and their joint-top scorer.What’s particularly exciting about Lee’s style of play is his close touch control. The 20-year-old completed 1.6 dribbles per game last term – a tally that would have placed him fourth in the Wolves squad.Considering just how young he is, those numbers will only improve. He must be at the top of Wolves’ priorities for now.AND in other news, Wolves eye swoop for “tenacious” 37-cap warrior, he could be their new Ruben Neves…

The West Bromwich Albion managerial chase looks to have taken another twist with the news that the Baggies are considering a move to appoint Javier Pereira as Sam Allardyce’s successor at The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by TEAMtalk, who claim that the West Brom chief executive, Xu Ke, has turned his attention to China in the club’s managerial search, and has identified the Henan Jianye FC boss as a potential candidate for the role at the Championship side.

It is then reported that Sheffield United held talks with the Spaniard prior to their appointment of Slavisa Jokanovic earlier this summer, while Fulham are also considering a move for the 55-year-old as Scott Parker’s potential replacement, as he is expected to leave Craven Cottage in the coming days.

Fans will be furious

Having left his role as Fulham’s assistant head of football operations in favour of a move to manage the Chinese Super League side back in September of last year, it is claimed that Pereira worked something of a miracle at Henan Jianye last season, having avoided relegation from the top flight of Chinese football despite his team appearing destined for the drop.

However, things have not started overly well for the Spaniard this season, with his side picking up just two points from the first four fixtures of the 2021 campaign, with Henan Jianye currently sitting bottom of the Group A table.

Furthermore, while Pereira does have experience of English football behind him, having been Jokanovic’s assistant manager during the Serbian’s spells at both Watford and Fulham, the 55-year-old has never managed in the English Football League, meaning his appointment would be something of a gamble – particularly as the Baggies are hoping for an immediate return to the Premier League next season.

And, with a manager who has a bonafide track record of achieving promotion from the Championship currently available in the shape of Chris Wilder, Guochuan Lai’s potential appointment of Pereira would seem to be an unnecessary risk, as well as being yet another decision made by the owner that could well leave fans of West Brom furious.

Passing on Wilder to bring in a man with no history of managing in England does not seem like the type of thing that would go down well with the West Brom faithful, and they’d have every right to feel angry at their club’s owner if that’s the decision he chooses to make.

In other news: Lai could have just made his biggest West Brom mistake to date, fans are rightly livid

Tottenham Hotspur demanded £40million for Everton target Harry Winks, according to The Times’ Gary Jacobs. 

The lowdown

Winks started just nine Premier League matches for Spurs last season, and has only played 61 top-flight minutes so far this term (via WhoScored).

It’s a tricky period for a player Mauricio Pochettino once compared to Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

The 25-year-old has two years left to run on his £50,000-per-week contract at the North London club.

Winks has racked up ten England caps since his debut in October 2017, but has yet to make the squad for a major tournament (via Transfermarkt).

The latest

The report states that both Everton and Aston Villa were interested in signing the Englishman during the summer transfer window.

However, Spurs’ valuation deterred both clubs from making a move.

Had Everton agreed to pay £40million, it would have been their second biggest transfer outlay of all time.

The verdict

It was inevitable that Everton pulled out when that figure was floated. £40million is a frankly extortionate price tag for Winks, a player who despite his ability on the ball lacks the athleticism to thrive as a true box-to-box midfielder.

In all honesty, you could question whether, even for a quarter of that price, he truly improves Everton. This is a player who has stagnated in north London.

Rafael Benitez is probably better looking elsewhere if he’s intent on bolstering his midfield ranks.

In other news, a contract extension for this midfielder has been predicted.

When Ciaran Dickson raced away after scoring for Celtic’s Old Firm rivals in 2019, he wouldn’t have expected to be scoring a goal whilst wearing Hoops’ shirt just three years later.

Dickson has always been a talented player but he was released this summer and looks to have joined the Bhoys following a few weeks without a club.

Though, a matter of years ago, he looked like one of the biggest talents to come through the Gers academy. He netted in a dramatic FA Youth Cup final at Hampden where Scotland’s two biggest teams met each other.

He had the world at his feet but his career hasn’t quite fully taken off. However, if things don’t work out at Rangers; just join their fierce rivals instead.

Dickson hasn’t been seen in the first team yet but earned his debut for the Celtic B team last weekend where he scored in the club’s SPFL Trust trophy defeat to Morton.

Playing in midfield, the 19-year-old was a threat going forward and adds to a wide array of promising young attacking players at the club.

Owen Moffat has already scored five goals in one game this season while Celtic are eagerly awaiting the return of Karamoko Dembele who should be a star in the Lowland League.

Ange Postecoglou has already spoken of the importance of bringing through homegrown players and after scoring last weekend, Dickson will now be on the Australian’s radar.

Continue how he’s going and he could be Celtic’s new David Turnbull. Comments made about the teenager back in 2019 show just how similar they are.

Graeme Murty said: “Ciaran is a really interesting guy because he possesses some wonderful technique, we are still building things onto him in terms of capacity and in terms of understanding but he deals with the ball very very well.”

Turnbull easily has one of the most aesthetically pleasing techniques in the squad and seems to be going from strength to strength.

Like Dickson, he’s capable of striding forward from midfield and scoring goals. The Scot already has five strikes to his name in 11 outings this term for instance.

Quotes from Steven Gerrard also tell a story of his excellent attributes: “I thought young Dickson was terrific. He played with energy, personality and character. He’s the type who will never let me down.”

On that evidence, it seems as if the Bhoys have got their hands on an incredibly promising player.

AND in other news, Forget Carter-Vickers: Celtic’s “walking joke” who won 100% duels starred last weekend…

Ipswich must seal a swoop for “tremendous” St Johnstone striker Guy Melamed after a major update on the attacker’s future.

What’s the talk?

The Scottish Premiership side have confirmed, via the East Anglian Daily Press, that the 28-year-old will be leaving the club at the end of the month. Melamed’s contract at St Johnstone expires at the end of June and the forward has opted against extending his spell in Scotland.

The East Anglian Daily Press has reacted to this by revealing that he is one of three strikers Ipswich are monitoring heading into the transfer window. Sunderland’s Charlie Wyke and Accrington Stanley’s Colby Bishop are also said to be players who Paul Cook would like at Portman Road.

Speaking about Melamed earlier this year, St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson lauded the “tremendous” impact the Israeli forward has had at the club. He told the Daily Record: “His contribution to the team over the last couple of months has been tremendous.

“He has that quality so we are talking and hopefully something can be done. I’m just pleased we have given Guy a platform to come and play his football.

“I think he has had to realise what he has to do to get there but all credit to him.

“He has been here on his own. His girlfriend has been back in Israel and he has been stuck in his flat.

“But he always comes in with a smile on his face, wants to work and play games.

Fans would be buzzing

Ipswich fans would surely be buzzing if the club are able to snap up Melamed on a free transfer. Cook’s side found goals incredibly difficult to come by in the 2020/21 League One season and that makes signing a striker a top priority for the Blues this summer.

James Norwood was Ipswich’s top goalscorer in League One with nine goals, with Gwion Edwards (six) the only other player with more than four league goals for Ipswich throughout the campaign. This suggests that Cook needs additional firepower in his squad, and Melamed could provide that for him.

The £360,000-rated beast managed seven goals in 23 appearances for St Johnstone, including 11 league starts, during the season. He averaged a goal every 142 minutes in the Scottish Premiership, whilst Norwood averaged one every 174 minutes in League One for Ipswich.

Melamed could prove to be an upgrade on the 30-year-old in the centre-forward position, or he could be viewed as valuable competition with both players chipping in with goals to help Ipswich fight for promotion to the Championship.

The Israeli could be an excellent addition to Cook’s squad ahead of next season and prove to be a bargain addition given that he is set to leave St Johnstone on a free transfer. Ipswich could add a reliable goalscorer, as shown by his minutes-per-goal ratio, without spending a penny on transfer fees, and the competition could help Norwood to up his own game knowing that a quality player is coming through the door to potentially take his spot.

AND in other news, Ipswich must act to land “competitive” £3.4k-p/w beast after major transfer update… 

West Ham United currently have the second-oldest squad in the Premier League with an average age of 28.9 according to Transfermarkt.

Two of the oldest outfield players in David Moyes’ squad are centre-backs Angelo Ogbonna (33) and Craig Dawson (31).

In terms of what sort of transfer business the east London club could be involved in during the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though the Hammers could be set to wave goodbye to one of their defensive players, but not one of their more senior ones.

According to a recent transfer report from L’Equipe, the recent Europa League meeting between West Ham and Olympique Lyon gave the two sides the chance to discuss a potential summer deal for Issa Diop that would see the defender swap east London for France.

Since joining the Hammers back in the 2018 summer transfer window for a then club-record fee of £22m from Toulouse, the centre-back has made 121 appearances across all competitions.

In those appearances, the Frenchman has managed to chip in with eight goals and three assists.

Despite being one of West Ham’s youngest players, it would be a good idea for the club to cash in on him this summer if they can.

Having started just 10 Premier League games in this campaign, the 25-year-old has found himself down in the pecking order behind Dawson and Kurt Zouma who have both played more often than Diop.

Also, when he has been able to get on the pitch, the defender has failed to show Moyes that he has what it takes to potentially become a first-choice centre-back.

With an underwhelming overall performance rating of 6.46/10 from WhoScored, Diop is currently listed as the third-lowest rated Hammers player to start more than one league game.

To highlight his lack of effectiveness at the back for his team, the Frenchman has only won three of the nine tackles he’s attempted and gotten dribbled past on eight different occasions.

Even though he was previously described as being a “monster” by Jose Mourinho in terms of winning his duels against Paul Pogba back in 2018, Diop has been anything but that this season, losing 20 of the 39 aerial duels he’s been involved in.

Taking all of this into account, this summer would be the ideal time for Moyes to finally axe Diop from the club and get his hefty £61k-per-week wages off their books.

In other news: “Gives West Ham the edge…”: Insider drops huge transfer claim, Moyes will be buzzing