Tottenham and sporting director Johan Lange are now "lining up a stunning" bid as manager Ange Postecoglou identifies a new top transfer target.

Spurs prioritising new centre-back in January

As confirmed by Postecoglou this week, Spurs are "working" on January transfers behind-the-scenes and "pushing hard" to strengthen key areas. Reliable news outlets like Sky Sports back that a centre-back is very top of Tottenham's transfer wishlist, with Lange drawing up names to potentially go for when the winter market reopens.

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Postecoglou himself has also publicly admitted that the Lilywhites quite simply need to sign a new centre-half, regardless of Ben Davies' impressive form as their makeshift stand-in for Micky van de Ven.

"Centre-back is still a position where, especially in our structure, it is one of the few positions where you need guys with outstanding attributes in there," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's defence (via football.london).

"We’ve been very fortunate that he [Davies] has been able to fill in for us there.

"He’s really good at taking in information, he really understands the game, not just his own role but how we want to play and that’s helped him.Having Romero next to him helps in that sense and Vic because he’s taken a bit of a leadership role back there as well. Ultimately, we still need to sign another centre-back because at the moment we are a little bit on tenterhooks because if something happens again we are short and we are already short."

A few promising names have been linked to bolstering Postecoglou's backline.

Indeed, when it comes to centre-backs on Tottenham's radar, there is a rumoured long list from this past month which includes Uruguay star Sebastian Caceres, Everton's Ben Godfrey, Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi, Genoa's Radu Dragusin, Union Saint-Gilloise centre-back Koki Machida, Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite and a few others.

Tottenham line up "stunning" Morato move

According to The Sun, another highly-rated defender to have caught Spurs' attention is Benfica star Morato.

The Portuguese's contract contains a £68 million release clause, but his form has resulted in Postecoglou personally making him Tottenham's top transfer target.

It is believed Spurs are "lining up a stunning" Morato bid in January as a result. The Lilywhites' scouting department have ran the rule over him four times this season, and they appear to be impressed as Lange and chairman Daniel Levy plot to sign the young centre-back next month.

While his clause stands at £68m, Benfica are cash-strapped and may need to sell for a "bargain" price next month. It's added that Morato is "leading the way" to join Spurs in January, as Postecoglou hopes Levy backs him with new additions.

He could hardly do much better than Benfica's starlet, who's seen as one of the best-rated young defensive talents in Portugal right now.

The 22-year-old was extremely impressive against RB Salzburg in the Champions League earlier this week, helping them on their way to a 3-1 win.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Seleção Brasileira Sub-17 realizará, entre os dias 08 a 18 de março, atividades preparatórias na Granja Comary, em Teresópolis. O período de treinamentos será a 3ª etapa de preparação para o Sul-Americano da categoria, com data prevista para 31 de março, no Equador.

>> Confira a classificação atualizada do Brasileirão 2020 e faça sua simulação
>> Relembre todas as camisas do Palmeiras lançadas pela Puma

Para esses últimos testes antes do torneio, o treinador Paulo Victor Gomes (PV) convocou três atletas do Palmeiras. São eles: o zagueiro Gabriel Vareta, o meio-campista Luiz Freitas e o atacante Giovani Henrique.

– É a nossa primeira convocação do ano, continuando o planejamento de preparação iniciado na reta final do ano passado. A ideia é dar sequência ao processo com os atletas que vêm desde o sub-15 e abrir oportunidades de observação para novos jogadores. É um grupo e uma geração que conhecemos muito – comentou o treinador.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras x Atlético-MG pode marcar a volta de Gabriel Veron, que busca jogar primeira final da temporadaPalmeiras24/02/2021Futebol NacionalAtlético-MG x Palmeiras: onde assistir, arbitragem e escalaçãoFutebol Nacional24/02/2021PalmeirasBoletim: Palmeiras encaminha venda de meia e ‘entra pra ganhar’ negociação por BorréPalmeiras24/02/2021

Com atletas 2004 e 2005 na lista, o jovem Gabriel Vareta é um dos três únicos jogadores da geração 2005 convocados, juntamente com Arthur e Matheus Gonçalves. Apesar da pouca idade, o zagueiro foi titular em boa parte da conquista do Campeonato Paulista Sub-20, na temporada passada. Em novembro de 2020, ele havia sido convocado pela primeira vez à Seleção sub-17.

Já Luiz Freitas e Giovani Henrique são presenças constantes na Amarelinha. Meio campista habilidoso e extremamente técnico, Luiz está no clube desde o sub-11 e faz parte dos jogadores que cresceram dentro da Academia de Futebol. Artilheiro da base palmeirense em 2020, Giovani é quem comanda o ataque alviverde, sendo tratado como uma das principais joias do clube.

CONFIRA OS CONVOCADOS:

Goleiros:
Gabriel – Esporte Clube Bahia
Leandro – São Paulo Futebol Clube
Mycael – Club Athletico Paranaense

Laterais:
Ataide – Club Athletico Paranaense
Vinicius Tobias – Sport Club Internacional
Biro – Sport Club Corinthians Paulista

Zagueiros:
Gabriel Santos – Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Kaiky – Santos Futebol Clube
Rômulo – Clube Atlético Mineiro
Tiago Coser – Associação Chapecoense de Futebol
Ythallo – São Paulo Futebol Clube

continua após a publicidade

Meio campistas:
Andrey – Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama
Arthur – Fluminense Football Club
Mateus Amaral – São Paulo Futebol Clube
Luiz Freitas – Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Thiago Henrique – Fluminense Football Club

Atacantes:
Caio – São Paulo Futebol Clube
Giovani – Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Mateus Lima – Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
Matheus Gonçalves – Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
Matheus Nascimento – Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
Sávio – Clube Atlético Mineiro
Ângelo – Santos Futebol Clube

At the halfway mark, it's difficult to judge Ange Postecoglou's success at Tottenham Hotspur so far based on results alone. The former Celtic manager initially got off to an excellent start to put his side in discussions over the Premier League title race, before their first league defeat of the season – a 4-1 loss against Chelsea – saw the wheels start to fall off, due partially to things out of the Aussie's control.

Injuries to key players haven't helped and Spurs' squad depth has been exposed for all to see. That's where the January transfer window could come in, however, with those in North London potentially now turning their attention to a Bundesliga defender after the rumoured move for Radu Dragusin.

Tottenham transfer news

Whilst the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario have all impressed this season, it has quickly become clear that Spurs needed more reinforcements during the summer transfer window.

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Injuries to Van de Ven and Cristian Romero have already forced Postecoglou's hand when it comes to forming makeshift centre-back partnerships and it is something he will hope to avoid in the future. Dragusin's potential arrival should certainly help things, but the Lilywhites could yet look to land one more reinforcement.

Fabrizio Romano told Caught Offside in his Daily Briefing that Spurs know Ko Itakura well and the Borussia Monchengladbach man could be high up on their list once they shift their focus from Dragusin.

The transfer expert said: “Itakura would like a Premier League move one day, and Tottenham know him so well but their focus now remains on Radu Dragusin as mentioned for days. Liverpool have also sent their scouts to follow him multiple times in the last year, so let’s see if some club will try to negotiate with Borussia Monchengladbach now or next summer.”

"Outstanding" Itakura has earned Premier League return

Once securing a move to Manchester City, Itakura never really got his chance in the Premier League before securing a permanent move away from The Etihad in the summer of 2022. Almost two years later, the Japan international could now finally get his chance in England's top flight with a January move, and it would certainly be deserved.

As Itakura's stats show when compared to Romero, Ben Davies and Van de Ven, he'd be more than capable of keeping up with Spurs' current options.

Player

Tackles Per Game

Interceptions Per Game

Aerial Duels Won Per Game

Pass Percentage

Ko Itakura

1.7

1.7

2.1

88.7%

Ben Davies

1.4

0.6

1.9

92.1%

Micky van de Ven

1.6

0.4

1.3

94.6%

Cristian Romero

2.1

1.1

2.1

92.3%

At the centre of praise during his time at Gladbach, Itakura was previously singled out by former boss Daniel Farke, who said via Gladbach's official X account: "Ko Itakura is another important player for us. He is a top character and has become a leading figure, despite only being here a short time. He has been outstanding so far and long may it continue."

With the winter window open, the Gladbach defender could certainly be one to keep an eye on, especially if Spurs conclude a deal to sign Dragusin nice and early.

Left-arm spinner Sultan Ahmed’s 3 for 33, including the prized scalp of Steven Taylor, helped UAE hold off USA’s pursuit of 183 in a 24-run win at ICC Academy in Dubai.Bowling with the new ball, Sultan struck his first blow in the fourth over when he had a charging Monank Patel stumped down the leg side for 8. Fast bowler Zahoor Khan took another key wicket off the final ball of the Powerplay when Ahmed Raza took a sensational diving catch on the run at deep midwicket to remove Jaskaran Malhotra for 21 to make it 37 for 2.As a stiff breeze blowing across the ground picked up, UAE’s bowlers excelled at keeping the ball wide of the stumps to deny USA opportunities to lift the ball into the air to clear the short boundary on the west side of the ground. Instead, they forced the USA batsmen to hit into the wind towards the much bigger boundary to the other side. While USA added 99 runs when UAE bowlers were bowling into the wind, they only added 59 runs hitting into the wind.Shaiman Anwar launches Timil Patel over the leg side for one of his five sixes•Peter Della Penna

While Taylor and Xavier Marshall added 72 for the third wicket, their struggles adjusting to the windy conditions meant the stand stretched across nine overs as neither batsman was able to find the boundary with regularity. By the time Marshall was well caught by Sultan at deep midwicket to start the 16th over, USA needed 74 off 29 balls.With pressure mounting, Roy Silva tried his best to beat the wind, shuffling across his stumps to flick Sultan over fine leg at the start of the 17th, but in his attempt to repeat the shot on Sultan’s next legal delivery, he failed to get the elevation and picked out Ashfaq Ahmed on the ring. Four balls later, Taylor charged Sultan and creamed a drive flat to Shaiman Anwar on the cover boundary for 49 to effectively end USA’s chances at 129 for 5 after 17 overs. Zahoor took the ball for the final over with USA needing 32 and a slower ball yanked to long-on by Elmore Hutchinson off the second ball of the 20th over mathematically sealed it for UAE.Shaiman’s crucial catch to dismiss Taylor followed his 62 off 30 balls that earned him the Player-of-the-Match honors. Arriving in the second over after Ashfaq was caught behind edging a drive off Jessy Singh, Shaiman added 81 for the second wicket with Rohan Mustafa in brisk time. Mustafa was the aggressor early in their stand, punching Hutchinson for three consecutive fours between cover and mid-off to start the fifth over.After a methodical start, the arrival of legspinner Timil Patel brought out the best in Shaiman. He hammered USA’s all-time leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket for a pair of sixes over the leg side in the eighth over, then drove him over long-on for three consecutive sixes in the 14th, the first of which brought up a 26-ball half-century.Timil finally got his revenge off the fifth ball of the over, dragging his length back for Shaiman to scoop a catch to Silva at long-on, but by that stage UAE were in a commanding position. USA captain Saurabh Netravalkar produced a fantastic death-overs spell which handed him two wickets in the 18th to give USA hope, but Raza’s straight six off Jessy began a 12-run frame in 20th over to ensure the hosts had more than enough runs in the bank to clinch the two-match series.

BCCI asked to work out fresh and appropriate sanction for the former fast bowler, ‘preferably’ within three months

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Mar-20192:01

‘Life ban lifted feels like a lifeline for me’ – Sreesanth

In what has come as a relief to former India fast bowler Sreesanth, the Supreme Court has “set aside” the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI for his alleged role in the 2013 IPL corruption and spot-fixing scandal. The apex court of the country has asked the BCCI to “reconsider” and “revisit” the length of any fresh ban, “preferably” within three months.Under the BCCI’s new constitution (registered in August 2018), all the duties earlier discharged by the disciplinary committee, made up of BCCI officials, will be performed by the ombudsman going forward. Therefore, Sreesanth’s fate will now be decided by Justice (retd) DK Jain, recently appointed for the job.Welcoming the court judgement, Sreesanth said he was positive about returning to the game. “The Supreme Court has given me a lifeline and it has helped me restore my dignity,” he said after the court delivered the verdict on Friday. “It’s a great opportunity for me to get back on the field.”The case dates back to 2013, when the BCCI disciplinary committee had penalised several players including Sreesanth on the basis of an internal probe conducted by Ravi Sawani, then head of the board’s anti-corruption unit. Along with Sreesanth, then with Rajasthan Royals, two of his team-mates – Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – also received life bans for their alleged role in the spot-fixing scandal.The BCCI action followed the arrest of Sreesanth and the others by Delhi Police for alleged promises made to bookmakers during the 2013 IPL. The charges against Sreesanth pertained to the match against Kings XI Punjab, played on May 9.’It’s a great opportunity for me to get back on the field’ – Sreesanth•PTI In the Friday judgment, the court was told that in “exchange” for the sum of INR 10 lakh, Sreesanth had “agreed to concede 14 or more runs in the second over” of his spell. And in order to “confirm the fix”, he was “required to place a hand towel in his visible pocket while ensuring there was no such towel during the first over”.That information was extracted from a taped conversation between Jiju Janardhan, Sreesanth’s close friend and team-mate at an Ernakulam club, and alleged bookie Chandresh Patel by Delhi Police on May 6, 2013, three days before the match.Sawani, a former joint director of India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, had prepared two reports – a preliminary one (based on the taped conversations mentioned above), and a supplementary one, which was prepared after questioning Sreesanth in person and taking a written undertaking from the player.Based on Sawani’s findings, the BCCI disciplinary panel, comprising then president N Srinivasan along with the two vice-presidents, Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah, held Sreesanth guilty of “match-fixing and non-reporting of offences” under the BCCI’ anti-corruption code.The Supreme Court was hearing the matter because earlier this year, Sreesanth had challenged last August’s order of the division bench of the Kerala High Court, which had negated a judgment issued by the same court asking the board to lift the ban. The two-judge division bench had ruled that the BCCI ban could not be overturned or reduced.Sreesanth’s lawyer Salman Khurshid, a former Indian minister of external affairs, plead his case in the latest instance, and said that the BCCI had not followed the laws of natural justice while determining the sanction, and pointed out that a life ban was “excessive and maximum”. Khurshid argued that Sreesanth should have been penalised with a five-year ban at the most for not reporting the approach made by bookies, an offence under the BCCI’s code of conduct.In its judgement, the court concluded that BCCI had “not violated” any principles of natural justice while determining the sanction. However, the court did point out an anomaly in the BCCI verdict, that the disciplinary committee did not “advert to the aggravating and mitigating factors” as listed under its code.”Without considering the relevant provisions of Anti-Corruption Code, the disciplinary committee has imposed a lifetime ban on the appellant [Sreesanth] which sanction cannot be held to be in accordance with the Anti-Corruption Code itself,” the court said in the 73-page judgement. “When range of ineligibility which is minimum five years, maximum life time ban is provided for, the discretion to which, either minimum or maximum or in between has to be exercised on relevant facts and circumstances.”The court also said that Sreesanth had conducted himself with dignity by not immediately challenging the original ban. Keeping that in mind, the court said the BCCI ought to review its original sanction on the player.”The order dated 13.09.2013 of the disciplinary committee only to the extent of imposing sanction of lifetime ban is set aside. The disciplinary committee of the BCCI may reconsider the quantum of punishment/sanction which may be imposed on the appellant as per Article 6 of the Anti-Corruption Code. The appellant may be given one opportunity to have his say on the question of quantum of punishment/sanction.”

Burnley have opened talks with an overseas club regarding an exit for one of their senior squad members in January, according to a reliable reporter.

Burnley form under Vincent Kompany this season

The Clarets have had an extremely disappointing start to the new campaign having won just two, drawn two and lost 13 of their opening 17 games, meaning that they currently find themselves second from bottom in the Premier League relegation zone.

In order to survive the drop at the end of the season, Vincent Kompany will know that he may need to enter the market next month to find reinforcements who will strengthen his squad, but to do that, the manager could first have to make room by getting rid of some of his existing players.

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BySean Markus Clifford Dec 19, 2023

Someone who appears to have been placed on the chopping block is Darko Churlinov, with the left-winger having made just 13 appearances since completing his move to the top-flight from Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart last summer (Transfermarkt – Churlinov statistics).

The North Macedonia international is yet to feature in any competitions this season because he has been unavailable for selection due to contracting blood poisoning which left everyone at the club worried for his health, and it sounds like the 23-year-old could soon be moving onto new pastures elsewhere to secure a fresh start.

Burnley in talks to sell Churlinov

Taking to X, Sky Sports Germany reporter Dirk Schlarmann revealed that Burnley are in discussions to sell Churlinov to FC Schalke, though as it stands, there is yet to be a significant development in negotiations.

He wrote: "Schalke – small update on possible transfers: Contact between Burnley and S04 regarding #Churlinov is close, as we reported, but there is no breakthrough yet. There is currently no contact with Patric Pfeiffer – I would rate it as rather “cold” at the moment."

Clarets need to keep "exciting" Churlinov

While Churlinov hasn’t been given a regular chance to prove what he’s capable of yet at Burnley, mainly due to recent health issues, Kompany seemingly has a player with excellent qualities on his hands, therefore, the club could be making a mistake if they were to sanction his sale in January.

The Skopje native has clocked up 59 involvements (41 goals and 18 assists) in 159 appearances since the start of his career, showing what a positive impact he can have in the final third, but he’s also comfortable playing in several other areas.

Sponsored by Adidas, the forward is a versatile operator having been deployed in ten different positions over the grass following his arrival on the professional scene, including everywhere across the frontline, four roles in the midfield and two in the defence.

As claimed by Josh Bunting, Burnley were making an “exciting” recruit when they signed Churlinov, so allowing him to leave without properly having the opportunity to showcase his talents could be the wrong decision to make at Turf Moor.

أعلن نادي نيس الفرنسي عن موعد تقديم ثنائي الفريق الجديد، محمد عبد المنعم ويوسوفا موكوكو، في مؤتمر صحفي.

وانضم محمد عبد المنعم إلى صفوف نيس الفرنسي قادماً من الأهلي المصري بقمية 4.5 مليون دولار.

بينما التحق يوسوفا موكوكو إلى صفوف الفريق الفرنسي قادماً من فريق بوروسيا دورتموند على سبيل الإعارة.

اقرأ ايضاً.. فيديو | ماذا قدم محمد عبد المنعم في مباراته الأولى مع نيس أمام أنجيه في الدوري الفرنسي ؟

وذكر نيس عبر موقعه الرسمي على منصة “إكس”، أنه سيتم تقديم محمد عبد المنعم ويوسوفا موكوكو غداً في مؤتمر صحفي في تمام الساعة الثانية والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

وخاض محمد عبد المنعم أول مباراة له مع فريقه نيس الأحد الماضي أمام إنجيه وانتهت بفوز رفاق عبد المنعم بنتيجة 4/1.

Rendez-vous demain midi pour suivre les présentations officielles de Mohamed Abdelmonem et Youssoufa Moukoko 🆕📲

↪︎ 13h30 en direct vidéo sur toutes nos plateformes pic.twitter.com/zaRXk1RoyY — OGC Nice (@ogcnice) September 3, 2024

With the arrival of the new year, Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to kick on and push for a place in the top four after an impressive 3-1 win over Bournemouth yesterday. Ange Postecoglou has the perfect opportunity to boost his side's chances as the January transfer window is now officially open, and it looks like the first signing is edging closer, as Spurs have agreed personal terms with centre-back Radu Dragusin.

Tottenham seeking new midfielder

According to reports, Ange Postecoglou wants Spurs to sign a new midfielder in January, alongside a striker and the obvious requirement at centre-back. Tottenham currently have a whole range of options in the middle of midfield, with the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp, Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma and Giovani Lo Celso, but two of those will depart for AFCON this week and Hojbjerg could yet leave the club.

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Of the remaining players, only really Lo Celso and Bentancur offer anything going forward, so it makes sense for the north London club to move for a creative midfielder to boost their ranks. One thing that is for certain is that beyond the African Cup of Nations, Sarr will still have his place at the club, regardless of any signings in the meantime, as he's set to sign a new six-year deal at Tottenham.

However, there may be a new man in front of him as Spurs have reportedly been in talks to sign Conor Gallagher from Chelsea.

Conor Gallagher transfer update

According to Ben Jacobs' update on his official X account, Tottenham are not in formal talks yet over Chelsea's Gallagher, despite the above link suggesting talks are underway.

He stated: "Reiterating my understanding from this morning. Hearing Spurs and Chelsea are not in formal talks yet over Conor Gallagher despite reports in Italy."

Conor Gallagher's Premier League statistics – 2023/24 (Sofascore)

Key passes per game

1.3

Balls recovered per game

6.8

Big chances created

6

Touches per game

73.7

Assists

4

Goals

0

Appearances

19

Conor Gallagher made a name for himself whilst on loan at Crystal Palace back in the 2021-2022 season, scoring eight goals and laying on five assists in more of a free roam role (Transfermarkt). However, he hasn't quite been as effective since returning to Stamford Bridge, with just three goals and five assists in 68 appearances.

For someone who is only 23, Gallagher has already received high praise from a whole host of managers though, including Thomas Tuchel, who described his development at Palace as "extraordinary and outstanding".

With Sarr and Bissouma often being deployed as sitting midfielders in Ange's midfield, Spurs could be the perfect side for Gallagher to really spread his wings again and operate in a free roam role, much like Lo Celso has been doing in recent games. It's clear to see from his stats even this season that the creative spark is still there, with four assists, six big chances created and 1.3 key passes per game in a Chelsea side that has the inconsistent Nicolas Jackson operating up front on a regular basis.

Just imagine what the Englishman can do with the likes of James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski on the end of his creativity.

Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City's success is "not boring" or due to financial strength and took a savage swipe at other Premier League giants.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Man City chasing fourth successive title
• Guardiola rejects suggestion dominance is 'boring'
• Takes swipe at PL rivals

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Amid their pursuit of a historic fourth successive English league title and the potential to achieve a domestic league and FA Cup double in consecutive seasons, Guardiola emphasised that City's achievements are anything but mundane. He refuted suggestions that financial prowess solely drives their dominance in English football and highlighted that other big spenders such as Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal should have beaten them to silverware.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  “It’s not boring,” said Guardiola. “It’s difficult. Before it was the money. For that reason, Manchester United should have won all the titles, Chelsea – all the titles, Arsenal – all the titles. They spend as much money in the last five years as us. They should be there. They are not there. For that reason, Girona shouldn’t be in the Champions League [next season] and Leicester should win the Premier League.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite ranking seventh in net spending among Premier League clubs over the past five years, significantly lower than rivals like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal, City's success is attributed to strategic player acquisitions and squad management. They have been able to offload surplus players, like Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte and Cole Palmer, for substantial fees which is a major indication of their fiscal prudence.

  Despite the departures of such superstars, City remain steadfast in conquering English football once again – to set a new record of winning four successive championships.

  “In the beginning of the season we didn’t think about it,” Guardiola said. “But then we were in February, March and April, we were still there. After that it ignites something in all our heads.

  “No team has done it. That shows how hard it is. Liverpool in the '80s, Sir Alex Ferguson’s United in the '90s. Chelsea with [Roman] Abramovich and Jose [Mourinho], Arsenal with [Arsene] Wenger didn’t do it.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  City can also become the first club to win the domestic double of the Premier League and FA Cup for two consecutive seasons if they maintain their run until the cup final against United on May 25 at Wembley.

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared what the West Ham board and directors are currently "working" on for January.

Fulham 5-0 West Ham

Before Sunday's embarrassing result at Craven Cottage, Irons boss David Moyes was enjoying a fine run of six wins over West Ham's previous eight games in all competitions – including victories against the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham.

Few could've predicted that West Ham would be on the wrong end of a 5-0 humbling at Fulham over the weekend, and it's a result which has piled the pressure back on Moyes.

Player facing "difficulties" inside West Ham as "tension" with Moyes shared

He’s apparently having a tough time.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 9, 2023

The Scotsman's contract expires at the end of this Premier League season, and reports suggest Moyes is likely to leave West Ham in 2024 and not be offered fresh terms to stay.

The extent of West Ham's defeat at Fulham has resulted in some calls for West Ham to part company with Moyes sooner than that, but it's reported that Moyes is in no danger of an imminent sack despite the big loss (The Guardian).

Speaking after the trip to west London, Moyes was apologetic over the performance but admitted that, on paper, West Ham are still in fairly good stead after two tough away games.

"Everyone had two away games or two homes in this period and not many have taken six points," said Moyes on the Fulham defeat (via whufc.co.uk).

"Two away games, if you’d given me three points Id have probably said yes. If you’d given me two draws we’d have said that might have been good results away from home, so to get three points from the two games wasn’t that bad.

"But more importantly it was a disappointment today in how we performed."

West Ham arguably missed Edson Alvarez in midfield and were forced to play Jarrod Bowen as a makeshift striker again in the absence of Michail Antonio.

Technical director Tim Steidten wants to sign a new forward for West Ham as we approach the January window, according to club insider ExWHUemployee, as their lack of depth up front has arguably been exposed lately.

The winter transfer market represents an opportunity for West Ham to strengthen in key areas, and hopefully avoid terrible defeats akin to the weekend.

Fabrizio Romano shares West Ham transfer plan

Now, renowned transfer reporter Romano has shared an update on West Ham's transfer plans for January. Sharing what the club's board and directors are plotting next month, the journalist claims they could actually be set for a busy month as the Hammers hierarchy get "working".

“I expect West Ham to be busy in January as they’re looking at opportunities around," said Romano to Caught Offside.

"Though it’s still too early to say anything about specific names. Nothing is advanced, but the owners and directors are working on it.”

This will come as a promising bit of news for supporters, and we believe the signing of a new striker should take first priority.