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West Ham have been handed a double injury boost ahead of their Europa League clash this week…

What’s the latest?

According to Claret and Hugh, an Irons source has confirmed that both club captain Mark Noble and right-back Ryan Fredericks are back in full training and are set to be available for selection heading into Thursday.

The retiring midfielder missed the win over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday, whilst the latter has been out since his early withdrawal against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup last month.

The Hammers could go one step closer to qualifying for the knockout stages with a win over Belgian outfit Genk, so having further players available at David Moyes’ disposable is certainly a benefit.

Double boost

Whilst neither is a regular starter in the Scotsman’s starting XI, particularly in the Premier League, both are more likely to be handed opportunities in competitions like this one.

Fredericks provides valuable cover for Vladimir Coufal, who has been injured in recent weeks too, whilst Noble could be crucial this week with Alex Kral unavailable.

His presence could hand a rest to either Tomas Soucek or Declan Rice, who won’t be able to keep up this consistent rate of matches into 2022.

The report also states that West Ham are in line to receive around £670k if they manage to clinch a victory at the London Stadium, taking their overall earnings beyond £2m, which is a welcome financial boost.

Their chances of clinching a result, whilst keeping the squad fresh, have certainly been bolstered thanks to this latest development.

Moyes’ men currently sit top of Group H with a three-point cushion over Dinamo Zagreb in second place, and a victory over Genk could see that lead double should Rapid Wien defeat the Croatian side.

The Irons also have the small matter of a London derby this weekend as they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the London Stadium, so the 58-year-old may well have that game in mind heading into Thursday’s clash.

That’s why Noble and Fredericks’ potential involvement is so significant this week and exactly why Moyes will be delighted ahead of kick-off.

AND in other news, Newman can seal West Ham bargain in 6 ft 4 “diamond” who was once “very keen” to join…

Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips believes Raphinha will want to leave Leeds United now that he has made his debut for Brazil.

The Lowdown: Raphinha makes Brazil debut

£28.8m-valued Raphinha (Transfermarkt) was included in Brazil’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers this past week against Venezuela and Colombia.

He made his debut from the bench against the former and produced an impressive display, providing two assists as La Selecao won 3-1. He also featured in the 0-0 draw with Colombia (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Phillips questions Raphinha future

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips believes Raphinha may now be looking to depart Elland Road if the Whites cannot invest heavily to push for European football. He said:

“I think it’s going to be very hard.

“Leeds need more investment in their squad, they need to start buying players that can keep them fighting even further up the table.

“Over the next year, year and a half, people like Raphinha will leave, his head will get turned by other clubs.

“Raphinha is getting into Brazil squads, he’s playing for Brazil now. He’s not going to want to play for Leeds, he’s going to want to move and play for a bigger club that’s playing in the Champions League. Someone of Raphinha’s quality should be playing in the Champions League.

“It’s just the reality of football. If Leeds can’t invest and get a better squad that’s challenging to get into Europe he will want to leave. That’s just normal.”

The Verdict: Top quality

Since making the move to Yorkshire from Rennes in France, the winger has slowly but surely evolved into one of Leeds’ most important players. Last term, he found the back of the net six times and provided nine assists in 30 Premier League games, and has already scored three times in seven outings in this term’s competition.

Now he has embarked on an international career, and with Leeds not in or looking close to European competition, it will unfortunately be difficult to hold on to Raphinha in the long term.

While he is still 24 and has plenty of time ahead of him, it may not be long before he gets restless, but the silver lining is that Victor Orta and co will be in line to scoop a massive profit when he does.

In other news, Noel Whelan is excited by these Leeds plans.

Sheffield United look set to receive a significant financial boost following the summer sale of Aaron Ramsdale.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Alan Nixon’s report for The Sun on Sunday (via The 72), with the journalist claiming that Slavisa Jokanovic’s side could be set to receive some of the add-ons from the goalkeeper’s initial £24m move to Arsenal in the very near future.

Nixon went on to state that the 23-year-old has revealed to friends that he expects to start in the Gunners’ fixture against Norwich City next weekend, and that United will be due some of the remaining £6m of the potential £30m transfer fee after the England international has played a handful of games for the bottom of the table Premier League side.

Jokanovic will be buzzing

While losing the services of a goalkeeper as talented as Ramsdale will undoubtedly have come as a blow to Jokanovic, it is undeniable that receiving a £24m transfer fee while in the second tier of English football is an extremely big boost for the Blades, something that would only be made better should the club indeed be due to get paid some of the potential £6m in add-ons in the near future.

While the closure of the summer transfer window means that the 53-year-old will have to wait until January to bring in further additions to his side, the extra injection of cash will nevertheless leave the Serbian manager buzzing, as it is abundantly clear that the Blades are in need of greater depth in their first-team squad.

Indeed, things could hardly have started worse for the recently relegated side in their 2021/22 Championship campaign, with one of the pre-season promotion favourites having picked up a mere two points over their opening five fixtures of the season, results which have left Jokanovic’s side sitting in 23rd place in the second tier table.

As such, an extra £6m added to the Sheffield United January transfer kitty would certainly be a welcome boost for Jokanovic, who looks as if he will be facing a fight to avoid dropping out of the Championship at present, rather than securing promotion from it.

In other news: Report sheds light on SUFC deadline day disaster, Jokanovic will have been gutted

Dele Alli is among three players who could leave Tottenham Hotspur in January, according to Alasdair Gold for Football London. 

The lowdown

Spurs generated just £29.43m from sales during the summer against their £60.21m spend (via Transfermarkt), so in theory, offloading more players in January could generate funds for new manager Antonio Conte to put his stamp on the squad through recruitment.

Dele started Spurs’ first six matches of the new season under Nuno Espirito Santo but hasn’t been named in a Premier League XI since.

The latest

In a Football London Q&A on Monday, Gold namechecked £27m-rated midfielder Dele as he identified players who could be transferred out in the New Year. Harry Winks (valued at £18m by Transfermarkt) and Joe Rodon (£9m) were also tipped for potential mid-season exits, although Gold added that the Wales defender could leave on loan rathe than permanently.

In response to a question on potential January outgoings, the journalist replied: “It depends what the situation is in a month’s time for certain players.

“For instance, if the current situation does not change and there are no injuries in the centre of the park, I’d be surprised if Harry Winks does not want to leave for regular football. The same goes for Joe Rodon, who is not getting the minutes at centre-back in the Premier League.

“There is also the Dele Alli situation and whether Conte sees him as part of his plans going forward and exactly where he fits. He was seven minutes away from making it a hat-trick of half-time substitutions under the past three Spurs head coaches.”

The verdict

Spurs have to beat Group G leaders Rennes in the final round of fixtures to guarantee progression in the Europa Conference League. If they go out of that competition, then there’ll be fewer opportunities, and a reduced need, for the players mentioned by Gold.

Conte is said to have some pretty ambitious plans for January, with one report even mooting a double swoop for Matthijs de Ligt and Stefan de Vrij, and Spurs may need to be ruthless with their squad players for his vision to be realised.

In other news, Spurs are in the frame for this Premier League defender

Kevin Campbell is worried about Alfredo Morelos’ future at Glasgow Rangers but, whether the Colombian leaves or not, the former Premier League striker believes it will be resolved quickly.

The Lowdown: Morelos in demand

The £10.8m-valued Morelos (Transfermarkt), who spent the summer on international duty with Colombia at the Copa America, has been heavily linked with a move to Porto in recent months (Antena 1).

Nothing concrete has occurred yet, but he is not yet available to Steven Gerrard either as he remains in quarantine after returning to Scotland following a short break (The Daily Record).

The Latest: Campbell worries

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell believes that the rumours are not good but, no matter what happens, he thinks the situation will be resolved quickly. He said:

“None of this sounds good but this type of thing has happened with Morelos previously and nothing has happened.

“Steven Gerrard is just playing it a bit tongue and cheek. It sounds like Morelos agent is talking a lot, or at least one of his representatives is.

“But at the end of the day he is a Rangers player and he is contracted to the club until 2023.

“Obviously he was out at the Copa America so there will be a little delay on him coming back but when he is back I am sure they will resolve things quickly.”

The Verdict: Concentration

It was reported earlier during this transfer window that Morelos had agreed personal terms with Porto ahead of a move (Antena 1), but that is not really different from what emerged last year. If you remember, the 25-year-old was said to have come to an agreement with Lille (via Mohamed Bouhafsi), but that transfer never materialised.

Morelos is an important player for the Gers, as his record of 94 goals in 182 games shows (Transfermarkt). If he is concentrated on the job at hand at Ibrox, he can be a real danger, but that may not be the case if his future remains in doubt. The situation does need to be resolved as soon as possible, even if that means he is sold.

In other news, this Rangers ace is on the verge of a move away from Ibrox.

West Bromwich Albion have agreed a deal to bring Adam Reach to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claimed that Albion have made a breakthrough in talks with the former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder, with the club now finalising the 28-year-old’s contract ahead of his move to West Brom on a free transfer.

The report added that Blackburn Rovers were also interested in signing the former England under-20 international this summer, but it would now appear that Valerien Ismael’s side have beaten them to the player’s signature.

Ismael will be over the moon

With West Brom having been relatively quiet in the summer transfer window thus far, Ismael will undoubtedly be over the moon with glee if the Baggies have indeed managed to secure the signing of Reach ahead of their opening fixture of the Championship season next weekend.

With the Frenchman being short in options on the left-hand side of his Albion team, the addition of Reach – who is capable of playing in every position along the left – would very much appear to be an astute addition to the 45-year-old’s side.

Indeed, over his 44 Championship appearances for Sheffield Wednesday last season, the £2.52m-rated midfielder scored five goals, registered three assists and created five big chances for his teammates, taking 1.3 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The £20k-per-week man also impressed in a defensive capacity, averaging 0.9 interceptions, one tackle and one clearance and winning 2.8 duels per match.

These metrics saw the man who Chey Dunkley dubbed a “leader” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.82, ranking him as Darren Moore’s sixth-best performer in the second tier last time out.

As such, it would appear that Reach could quite easily be deployed at left wing-back, left midfield or even on the left-hand side of the West Brom front line next season, versatility which will be a huge boost for Ismael over what will be a challenging and tiring Championship campaign.

In other news: West Brom dealt major transfer blow over “athletic” 5ft 8 dynamo, fans will be fuming

Leeds United signing Jack Harrison permanently from Manchester City is a “no-brainer”, former Whites midfielder David Norris has told Football FanCast.

The 24-year-old has spent the last three seasons on loan at Elland Road, initially joining Marcelo Bielsa’s side back in 2018.

He now looks set to join them on a permanent basis, though, with the Daily Mail reporting that Leeds will pay Manchester City £13m to sign Harrison outright this summer.

For Norris, Bielsa and director of football Victor Orta getting this deal done is a no-brainer.

“His attitude, his determination, his endeavour, he does both sides of the game, which is obviously a must with Bielsa, and a good pro,” the ex-Leeds star said.

“Only [heard] good, positive things about him. It’s a no-brainer if they can get that one done.”

For £13m, signing Harrison really does look like a no-brainer. The English attacker has undoubtedly proven himself in the Premier League.

He carried a real threat in attack during the 2020/21 campaign, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists.

Harrison was the most dispossessed Leeds player on average (via WhoScored), so there is room for improvement there. But, overall, you would have to say he would be a quality signing for the Whites based on what he has already produced.

Mohamed Salah is not demanding £500,000 per week to extend his Liverpool’s contract, according to the Liverpool Echo.

The lowdown

The Mirror floated the figure, which is more than double his current salary of £200,000, over the weekend. Salah is into the final two years of his contract at Anfield, and while talks are ongoing, the two parties have yet to make a breakthrough.

Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have all penned new deals in recent months (via The Athletic), but there’s said to be interest in Salah from European giants such as Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

The Egyptian international joined Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017 and has since gone on to score 127 goals in 206 appearances for the Reds.

The latest

The Liverpool Echo reported that Salah’s demands are ‘not in the region’ of the £26m per year which was ‘suggested over the weekend’.

The Anfield club are ‘continuing to press ahead’ in negotiations in the hope of addressing a ‘priority’ and putting any speculation over the Egyptian’s future to bed.

The verdict

Had Salah genuinely been demanding £500,000 per week, then there was a very real risk that talks would break down altogether. That kind of sum could shatter a club’s wage structure.

Still, you’d imagine he is in line for a substantial salary hike, with the Reds under pressure to tie down arguably their biggest asset for the remainder of his peak years.

Kylian Mbappe’s potential move to Real Madrid may have strengthened Salah’s hand further, as there’s a very real chance that PSG could start sniffing around as the 29-year-old edges closer to the end of his current deal.

In other news, another Liverpool player could join Firmino on the treatment table.

Liverpool look set to miss out on one of their transfer targets this summer as Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus edges closer to Bayern Munich.

What’s the story?

According to German outlet Bild (as reported by the Liverpool Echo), the current Bundesliga champions have already agreed a £34 million deal for the 24-year-old, although he’s not expected to move until the summer of 2022.

The Reds had been linked with Neuhaus in recent weeks as they continue to search for Gini Wijnaldum’s replacement, but it seems like they have missed out on this occasion.

Klopp will be gutted

Although Liverpool’s rebuild isn’t expected to be extensive over the coming months, Jurgen Klopp is set to bring in some fresh faces to reignite the Anfield outfit’s title charge.

Cover at centre-back was required, along with added strength in depth up-front, but an heir to the departing Wijnaldum is also thought to be high up on the German manager’s wish list.

Neuhaus has developed an impressive reputation in recent campaigns after a string of standout performances at Borussia-Park.

The youngster’s return of six goals and six assists in 33 top-flight appearances from the Monchengladbach engine room in 2020/21 clearly caught the attention of some of the continent’s biggest clubs, with Bayern seemingly winning the race for his signature.

Marcus Thuram was evidently enthralled by his teammate’s performances last year, calling on German national team manager Joachim Low to take the £31.5m-rated gem to the European Championship.

“Flo is simply an outstanding player. Flo deserves to be at Euro 2020. If I were national coach, I would call him 100 times,” claimed Thuram.

It appears Low listened to the Frenchman’s advice, selecting Neuhaus for the delayed competition, but Klopp is likely to be gutted by the revelation regarding his proposed transfer.

Bayern have a reputation for hoovering up the Bundesliga’s best talent, so his arrival in Bavaria will come as little surprise.

Nevertheless, Neuhaus would have been a natural fit in Klopp” high-energy, gegenpressing system, and it’s a matchup that could have proved to be extremely successful for both parties.

And, in other news…Edwards masterclass: Liverpool must seal swoop for £40m beast who has “everything” 

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Leandro Paredes to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that both Tottenham and Inter Milan are keen on a deal for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder – whom the Ligue 1 side would be willing to part with for a figure of around €25m (£21m) this summer.

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The report goes on to state that the Argentina international is both a favourite of Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte, with it being said that the 52-year-old manager would gladly welcome the arrival of Paredes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of Spurs’ 2022/23 campaign.

Paratici’s next Bentancur

While it is true that Conte currently possesses a number of solid options in the middle of the park – with Oliver Skipp, Harry Winks, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur all capable of playing in the Italian’s midfield two – the signing of Paredes would certainly provide the 52-year-old with greater quality in the position.

Indeed, over his 15 Ligue 1 appearances this season, the £18m-rated Argentine has highly impressed for Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG side, scoring one goal and registering two assists, as well as making an average of 0.7 interceptions, 1.5 tackles, 0.5 key passes and winning 2.8 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per game.

These returns have seen the £148k-per-week talent average a very respectable SofaScore match rating of 7.01 – however, perhaps the French top flight is not the best barometer on which to judge the defensive midfielder.

Indeed, it was over Paredes’ 27 Serie A outings for Roma in 2016/17 when the 44-time capped international proved his ability, with the 27-year-old scoring three goals, providing one assist and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.8 tackles, 1.7 key passes and winning 3.7 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per fixture.

These metrics saw the former Boca Juniors starlet average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.27, ranking him as the Giallorossi’s eighth-best player in the Italian top-flight – playing a crucial role in his side’s capture of a second-place finish in the league.

It was this level of form that led to Paredes establishing a reputation as one of Europe’s most exciting talents, with the former PSG midfielder, Fabrice Pancrate, previously stating of the Argentine: “He’s smart, technical, aggressive in a good way, and he’s not just a nasty gamer. He is also beautiful to watch. His tempo is perfect.”

As such, should Conte believe he can help the 27-year-old get back to his best, Paredes would undoubtedly make a fantastic addition to the Italian’s midfield – leading us to believe that his £21m summer signing could well see Paratici repeat his January capture of the increasingly impressive and previously underrated Bentancur from Juventus.

AND in other news: Paratici must seal Spurs deal for £350k-p/w “monster” who would “go to war” for Conte