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West Ham United insider ExWHUemployee claimed earlier this week that the London Stadium natives were in talks with Joao Mario’s agent over a potential return to the Premier League, which could see David Sullivan acquire superb midfield depth for David Moyes.

The Irons are expected to strengthen their engine room in the upcoming off-season, to add numbers to a unit currently featuring just Tomas Soucek, Declan Rice and veteran captain Mark Noble.

Mario may emerge as an option for the east Londoners as he will enter the final year of his Inter Milan contract this summer, and is currently on loan with Liga NOS giants Sporting CP.

The Leoes are keen to retain Mario beyond his temporary spell, with reports by O Jogo last month stating that discussions were already underway after Inter Milan let it be known that the 28-year-old is available for a fee of €10m (£8.5m).

There is confidence at the Estadio Jose Alvalade that Mario will stay at the club, and it is believed that he is likewise keen to secure a permanent move following the performances of Ruben Amorim’s side this season.

But Irons insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that Mario’s agent has been in touch with the London Stadium natives to sound out any interest in a return to the Premier League, following a loan spell for the latter half of the 2017/18 season.

A return is expected to hinge on whether or not Moyes feels Mario can still perform in the English top-flight, yet word of a potential reunion has excited some supporters.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-west-ham-news-and-views” title=”Latest West Ham news, views and gossip!”]

Moyes was at the West Ham helm when Mario moved to England in the final days of the 2018 winter market, and was left impressed by the 46-cap Portugal international’s performances over the following months.

“I think Joao Mario has done well since he came in,” Moyes said that April. “He brings a little bit of flair, he’s good on the ball, and a bit of natural talent. What goes unnoticed is that he’s actually a really hard-working boy as well.”

Mario only scored twice and offered one assist over his 14 appearances in claret and blue, but his importance on the pitch helped the Hammers to stave off the threat of relegation after arriving with the club just four points clear of the bottom three.

A return to Inter Milan only saw him start 12 of 20 Serie A outings before a move to Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow and later Sporting CP for the current term, where the midfielder has been a mainstay missing just two Liga NOS fixtures and starting 19 of 22 appearances.

His creativity has again been lacking for the Leoes with two goals and one assist to date, but the hard-working £88,000-per-week maestro has offered a box-to-box presence that could offer Moyes superb depth if signed this summer.

Mario has offered Sporting a higher average volume of shots from central and holding midfield positions per 90 minutes (0.9) this season than West Ham have seen from Rice (0.8) in the Premier League, and records 1.4 tackles to the Englishman and Soucek’s 1.9, per WhoScored.

He further carries possession up the field more successful with 2.1 dribbles per 90 to Rice (0.9), Noble (0.8) and Soucek (0.4), and provides more key passes (1.3) than each of the Irons trio (0.7 Rice, 0.5 Soucek, 0 Noble).

Mario may not prove to be a ground-breaking signing if brought back to the London Stadium, but Sullivan would add experienced depth capable of delivering when needed if he convinces Moyes to accept a summer transfer.

AND in other news, David Moyes could discover his Jesse Lingard replacement in a “gifted” £18m-rated maestro…

Celtic are believed to be worried over an 11th-hour twist in their pursuit of manager Eddie Howe.

According to an exclusive report from Football Insider, the Hoops fear that English Premier League side Crystal Palace could scupper their verbal agreement with the 43-year-old as they look for a possible replacement for Roy Hodgson.

Celtic’s Howe concern

They have been informed from a Hoops source that ‘there is concern Palace could ambush their deal with a move on their own’.

Reports elsewhere have suggested that Howe has agreed in principle to take over at Parkhead, after ironing out fine details on Friday. However, Football Insider’s report on Saturday morning suggested that Celtic are concerned over Palace possibly hijacking a move for the former Bournemouth boss.

Transfer Tavern take

Celtic have had experience of seeing a deal dramatically collapse this year, so you can understand the club’s reported concern. The Hoops reportedly reached a pre-contract deal for defender Ben Davies in January, only for him then to move to Liverpool 24 hours later.

Fingers crossed that lightning doesn’t strike twice in regards to Howe, but if things go well, an announcement could be made over the coming days.

In other news: Celtic star doesn’t want to play for the club again; find out who it is here. 

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull who moved from West Bromwich Albion to Wolves in 1986, admits he can’t see Chris Wilder taking the job at the Hawthorns if they decide to not stick with Sam Allardyce next season.

Wilder parted ways with Sheffield United through mutual consent last week after guiding them to a ninth-placed finish in the Premier League last season, before The Daily Star reported that the Baggies could look to bring him to The Hawthorns as a replacement for Allardyce.

The former Blades player took over when they were in League One and in three seasons they had made it to the top flight despite operating on a relatively small budget. However, both parties saw it fit for Wilder to leave his boyhood club.

Speaking on whether Chris Wilder could make an immediate return back into management at West Brom and what might be holding him back from doing so, Bull told FFC:

“Chris Wilder probably could but I think it would be the same situation as at Sheffield United because they’ve got no resources and no money. Would the chairman back him? I don’t think so.

“I think Chris Wilder has been in management now so he probably wants to have a six-month rest and charge his batteries up.

“He’ll want to get the zest back in him and then Chris Wilder will be out there again soon.”

Sheffield United were pushing for a place in Europe last season before the season was paused for Covid-19 and they haven’t been able to cope playing without any fans.

The Blades have won just seven league games since football returned last June, with three of them coming at the end of last season.

Fabinho returned to Liverpool’s midfield when he came on as a substitute in the loss to Fulham on Sunday.

Even though the Reds could not find an equaliser to stave off a sixth consecutive home defeat, the 27-year-old was able to offer them a glimpse of what they had been missing in the middle of the park.

The Brazilian came up with three ball recoveries in the space of 15 minutes and helped sustain his team’s pressure on the Fulham goal (via WhoScored).

Jurgen Klopp’s Fabinho headache

Jurgen Klopp must now decide whether to keep him there for the Champions League round of 16 second leg against RB Leipzig on Wednesday or move him back into defence.

Using Fabinho as a holding midfielder would mean placing trust in the inexperienced duo of Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak to clean up at centre-back if Leipzig bypass the midfield. It would be Phillips’ European debut after he was left out of the Reds’ initial Champions League squad.

Kabak, incidentally, was missing through injury at the weekend but the expectation is that he will return for the trip to Budapest (via The Athletic).

The hope is that playing central defenders in central defence and defensive midfielders in defensive midfield restores structure and balance to this pale imitation of a Liverpool team.

Here are the verdicts from some Kopites on the dilemma in response to a tweet from news feed LFC Transfer Room, with one wanting the Brazilian back in midfield “ASAP”.

These Reds fans want Fabinho shielding Kabak and Phillips

“This is probably the CB pairing we should try to have fit for the rest of the season. Fabinho in midfield asap.”

Credit: @DHardayal

“Yes please but it won’t happen. If Fab is fit, he’ll be back there. The fact that he dominated playing the 6 when he subbed in on Sunday won’t change the mind of the gaffer.”

Credit: @DaBigDaddyRen

“Watch Klopp play Fab at CB. Time to take some risks now.”

Credit: @SMiTLA

“It’s Phillips +1 now, he’s earned it”

Credit: @martyn1200

“It’s all about extra protections around the centre halves. And no high line plz”

Credit: @GusandSaM

“ABSOLUTELY YES, BRING BACK THAT INTENSITY”

Credit: @Mang_Tebal

“Perfect. Not sure why anyone would want Fabinho in CB”

Credit: @BaileyYNWA

“Fab must be back to mid, if not same result”

Credit: @mav8381

In other news, Kabak is not the only likely returnee for the Leipzig clash.

Reports have suggested that Manchester United are unwilling to meet Tottenham Hotspur’s asking price for striker Harry Kane.

The England captain has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford for a considerable amount of time. With Edinson Cavani quickly approaching the twilight of his career having only signed a one-year deal at Old Trafford, albeit with the option of a second, the Red Devils have to make a move for Kane.

The Tottenham forward’s Premier League record really does speak for itself.

Now rated at £108m and being paid £200k per week at Tottenham, he has plundered an eye-watering 159 goals in 235 league appearances, an astounding record.

He has hit double figures in each of the last seven campaigns, even notching 30 during the 2017/18 season.

This all means that Kane has a strike rate of 0.67 goals per game, which is better than Marcus Rashford’s 0.31, Anthony Martial’s 0.33, Mason Greenwood’s 0.19 and of course Cavani’s record of 0.33.

With the mercurial Bruno Fernandes teeing Kane up with his 2.8 key passes per game, then an extremely fruitful relationship could well be in the offing in the future.

It won’t just be Kane’s goals that United will benefit from though. The 27-year-old’s creativity has improved just this season.

With ten Premier League matches to go in 2020/21, he already has 13 league assists, having added to those in his exhilarating performance in the 4-1 thumping of Crystal Palace.

The positives of Kane’s arrival at Old Trafford do not end there. Near neighbours Manchester City have also been backed to make a move for the Tottenham superstar in the near future.

If United manage to get there first, it could potentially signal a swing in power, not only in Manchester, but also in the Premier League.

So, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly keen to recruit a striker as soon as this summer, no target makes more sense than Harry Kane.

AND in more news, take a look at Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s brilliant performance in the Red Devils’ 2-0 victory in the Manchester derby…

Everton have been gifted a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Fulham as Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that James Rodriguez will be fit to feature.

The Colombian maestro was forced to sit out his side’s FA Cup fifth round win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night due to a tight calf.

Rodriguez sustained the issue during last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Manchester United, where the 29-year-old had scored Everton’s second for his fifth goal of the season.

Ancelotti withdrew Rodriguez from the action at Old Trafford midway through the second half as a precaution, having seen the midfielder fail to shake the issue following the break.

Everton had hoped to see the former Real Madrid playmaker feature in midweek, but will now be able to call on Rodriguez when Scott Parker’s Fulham visit Goodison Park.

But the injury picture at Goodison Park is not ideal, with Ancelotti adding that Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jordan Pickford will be missing.

“Both [Calvert-Lewin and Pickford] will not be available for the game on Sunday. We are looking for the next game on Wednesday where we think both of them will be available,” Ancelotti said on Friday.

“We have back Andre Gomes, James, Josh King, and in the next week we think Allan will be back, so the squad is ready for the next games.

“James is fine. He trained yesterday and today and is available for the game on Sunday. No problem.”

Having Rodriguez back available for selection on Sunday will come as a huge boost for Ancelotti, as only top-scorer Calvert-Lewin (18) and Richarlison (8) have scored more often for Everton than the Colombian (5) has across all competitions this season.

Only Gylfi Sigurdsson (7) has provided as many or more assists than Rodriguez (7), too, but may now find himself undeservingly axed from the starting line-up to make way for the 29-year-old’s return.

Sigurdsson more than held his own in the role against Tottenham in midweek, with the £16m-rated Iceland international directly involved in four of the Blues’ five goals.

The ex-Swansea City creator provided the assist for Calvert-Lewin’s initial equaliser before scoring to put Everton 3-1 ahead, and later playing the pass through for Richarlison and Bernard to strike go ahead goals after Spurs mustered a comeback.

But Ancelotti may not feel there is room in the side for both Sigurdsson and Rodriguez, who has only failed to start one of his last eight Premier League appearances in a central role.

AND in other news, Everton are monitoring an “exciting” teen prospect Carlo Ancelotti could sign for free…

Celtic suffered yet another dip in their 2020/21 season after St Mirren dealt them a shock defeat in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday. The Saints took an early lead and managed to come away with all three points thanks to an impressive first-half performance.

Despite Odsonne Edouard’s initial equaliser, the Hoops couldn’t do enough to come away with a result. Naturally, Neil Lennon was highly disappointed with the display at Celtic Park and he has hit out at his players for their below-par performances in the league.

One man who came under heavy fire was Leigh Griffiths, who has been a controversial topic within the Celtic camp.

“You can look at Leigh, what’s his contribution?” The manager asked in his post-match interview. This isn’t the first time that Lennon has scrutinised the striker. Back in the summer, the Irishman was unhappy with the condition in which Griffiths returned to team training, complaining he was “overweight”, via talkSPORT.

Lennon could push Griffiths away from Celtic

Griffiths recently vocalised his passion for giving back to the club he has spent almost seven years with. Speaking to the Glasgow Times back in October, the 30-year-old made it clear that he wants to break into the top 20 highest ever goal-scorers for the Hoops.

However, the £15,000 per week striker has been out of favour this season and has been struggling for regular game time. Griffiths has only featured in 12 Premiership matches this campaign, with just seven of those coming as starts. But in his limited game time, he has still managed to find the back of the net five times and provide a further two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Griffiths popped up with some important goals this term, including his strike against Aberdeen to help secure a 3-3 draw.

He has undoubtedly played a big part in Celtic’s success over the years too. But with just 18 months left on his current contract, Lennon’s comments could be enough to drive Griffiths out the door to look for a new chapter.

His remaining playing years are limited and if he feels undervalued at Celtic, he may be forced to look elsewhere not only to just bag himself regular game time,  but also to feel like a trusted and appreciated member of a squad.

In other news, Exclusive: Rob Lee dismisses idea of Frank Lampard to Celtic…

According to The Evening Standard, Arsenal are interested in Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell.

What’s the word?

Having excelled for Palace’s development squads in the 2017/18 season, Mitchell has really broke onto the scene at Selhurst Park.

In Patrick van Aanholt’s absence, Roy Hodgson took a shining to the left-footed defender and was duly rewarded after he made his Premier League debut against Leicester City last year.

The 20-year-old has impressed since the start of this season with a WhoScored rating of 6.58, the ninth-best out of all Palace players and more than than Van Aanholt overall – bettered by the likes of established regular starters Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha.

Arsenal’s interest will come as no surprise to Palace fans given their mixed bag of results this season but the potential loss of Mitchell would be a devastating blow for the Eagles boss.

Stand firm

Whilst Wilfried Zaha has been heavily linked with the Selhurst Park exit in recent months, losing a young prospect in Mitchell would arguably be just as significant.

Of course, when the big guns come calling it can prove to be rather difficult to ignore such a tempting offer.

Mitchell’s defensive awareness on the left-hand side of the defence will no doubt have piqued the interest of those courting the London-born left-back.

While some modern-day full-backs like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James will look to bring the ball out from the back and bring others into play, Mitchell is prepared to the dirty work, as shown by his willingness to throw himself into a tackle (or two), as he currently averages 3.4 tackles per game in the Premier League this season.

This is also the best of all defenders in the squad and is indeed the highest amount of tackles by any Palace player overall, ahead of the likes of James McArthur, Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne.

He also boasts a fine positional awareness, relying his speed, guile and cunning to limit goalscoring opportunities and break up attacks at the back, as evidenced in his 2.9 clearances and 1.1 interceptions per match since the start of the season.

It’s no wonder, then, that Hodgson has dubbed him an “excellent” colossus, with his former U16s coach Anthony Hayes even describing him as something akin to a “silent assassin.”

Steve Parish now needs to take note as this is precisely why he simply can’t afford to lose the £4.5m-rated ace. He’s too important to their chances of guaranteeing Premier League survival this season.

AND in other news, Steve Parish made a big call by signing Mainz striker Jean-Philippe Mateta on loan…

Leeds’ start to the New Year hasn’t exactly been ideal.

They suffered defeat to Tottenham and were then swept aside in rather embarrassing fashion by League Two Crawley last weekend. They can be thankful, therefore, that the transfer window is open.

What’s the word?

Cast your minds back to last summer and you will remember a certain link to a French striker.

The Sunday Mirror (August 9th print edition, page 66) reported that Leeds were interested in signing Celtic forward Odsonne Edouard.

Of course, a deal didn’t happen, but with speculation mounting again surrounding his future in Glasgow, there has been an update on Celtic’s stance towards the attacker.

That’s courtesy of journalist Ignazio Genuardi who said this week:

“While no agreement could be reached for an extension, Celtic is gradually revising its requirements downwards for a possible departure of the former Parisian Edouard. Today, there is more talk of a price around €25-30m.”

In English money, that price would equate to around £27m.

Orta must sign him

Leeds must bite Celtic’s hands off if Edouard is indeed available for that sort of fee. The Whites aren’t desperately in need of a new striker but they’d certainly land an upgrade on Patrick Bamford here.

The Whites forward has been nothing short of superb since they were promoted, helping himself to ten goals in just 17 outings. However, by signing Edouard, Victor Orta would land an even more prolific striker.

The Frenchman has been a star in Scottish football, racking up goals as though they’re going out of fashion. Last term, he netted 28 goals from 47 appearances and so far this season, he’s registered 11 strikes – one more than Bamford.

However, he isn’t just about scoring goals. Like Leeds’ current number nine, he’s phenomenal at bringing others into play. The Hoops forward picked up 19 assists for his teammates in 2019/20, a record that blows Bamford’s tally of two out the water.

On top of that, his footwork also surpasses Marcelo Bielsa’s favoured striking option. Bamford is a player who likes to play with his back to goal, but while Edouard can also do that, the 22-year-old gets in behind and can run with the ball too.

Epitomising the Celtic forward’s qualities, former Hoops player Frank McGarvey once said: “I just love watching Edouard. He has that bit of magic in his feet, and he reminds me of Charlie Nicholas. You just know if he gets the ball just outside of the box the other team are in trouble.”

Truth be told, that’s what sets Bamford and Edouard apart. Although the former has nifty feet himself, he doesn’t use it on a regular basis.

Reports circulated a few weeks ago that Leeds were slightly concerned about their forward’s future at the club. If they signed Edouard, they may be able to greenlight a potential exit, rather than worrying about his contract situation.

Irrespective of that, however, Leeds must sign him. He is a sensational goal scorer.

AND in other news, Leeds must swoop for “outstanding” 26 y/o, he could be game-changing…

Christmas is here, which means 2020 is drawing to a close – perhaps a good thing if you are a Sheffield Wednesday fan.

The last 12 months have been topsy-turvy for everyone involved in football, but none more so than the Owls – we’ve had delayed wages, points deductions, a change in management and plenty of players come and go.

Hillsborough Stadium has seen it all this year, but how much can you remember?

The Yorkshire outfit are embroiled in a relegation battle this term having picked up only 12 points from their opening 20 matches, though they have had six points taken off them.

They did enjoy a mini-run in the FA Cup early in 2020 but for large parts, it’s been rather dour at Sheffield Wednesday.

So take your mind off things with this quick quiz, only the die hard Owls fans will be able to get at least 70% on this.

Go on, we dare you to give it a go…

AND in other news, Sheffield Wednesday can resolve striker woes with loan swoop for 18 y/o sensation…