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David Moyes will be fuming with Sebastien Haller after the striker again failed to lead the line as West Ham United beat Leeds 2-1 on Friday night.

Haller was given the starting reigns as the sole centre-forward in Moyes’ plans after the Scottish coach confirmed Michail Antonio was yet to overcome the hamstring injury which prevented his involvement against Manchester United last week.

Moyes has now been without Antonio for five of West Ham’s last six top-flight fixtures, and will be eager to see the 30-year-old make progress in training ahead of hosting London rivals Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

Moyes had hinted at a potential change to his plans ahead of travelling to Leeds, with Haller’s slack form of late forcing the former Manchester United boss into considering alternative attacking options.

Haller has scored twice all season in the Premier League but allowed chances to go begging in recent weeks, opening the potential for Said Benrahma to earn his maiden Irons start at striker.

“I need to look for alternatives for when we need them,” Moyes said when asked over a potential role at Elland Road for the Brentford loanee, via quotes by football.london’s Sam Inkersole.

Ultimately, Moyes opted to keep Haller in the side with Benrahma slotting into midfield following a late knee injury to Arthur Masuaku.

Haller was far too weak against Leeds, with the ball bouncing away time and time again. He ended a frustrating night having lost possession a mammoth 23 times, while losing 22 of his 32 duels, per SofaScore.

The £27million-rated attacker won just five of his 18 ground duels, five of 14 aerial contests and committed four fouls. He never looked like scoring, either, despite striking four of his five efforts on target with one blocked, as Haller racked up 55 touches and one successful dribble from three attempts.

Haller was already playing on borrowed time with Antonio absent and reports surfacing that West Ham could listen to offers for the former Eintracht Frankfurt star, who now faces an anxious few days before the Irons host Crystal Palace as Moyes likely weighs up his alternative options again.

AND in other news, a £3.6m-rated flop not seen since September may have played his final game for West Ham already.

Sheffield Wednesday are still looking for their first victory under Tony Pulis and they may not get a better opportunity than this afternoon at Hillsborough Stadium.

There’s a genuine chance for the Owls to break their duck today as they welcome The Sky Blues to south Yorkshire – they have only won once on the road this term.

Last time out, Wednesday were well-beaten by Nottingham Forest, which moved them a whopping seven points adrift of safety heading into the festive period.

Pulis has plenty of injury concerns, so what sort of XI could we see today?

Here’s what we are predicting…

The 62-year-old could make as many as five changes.

He is expected to run the risk of starting veteran shot-stopper Keiren Westwood as he comes back into replace Joe Wildsmith between the sticks, but he will be without Joost van Aken, Julian Borner, and Massimo Luongo, as per YorkshireLive.

It means we could see a central defensive pairing of Chey Dunkley and Tom Lees, despite the latter’s costly blunder in midweek whilst both full-backs are swapped out.

Moses Odubajo is axed for Liam Palmer with Matt Penney coming in for van Aken.

We’re expecting to see skipper Barry Bannan and Joey Pelupessy keep their places in central midfield, but Liam Shaw could be dropped in favour of Callum Paterson.

Adam Reach and Kadeem Harris take their places on either flank with the final alteration coming upfront.

The struggling Josh Windass may drop to the bench in favour of Jordan Rhodes as the only other striker in the squad. He has underperformed in an Owls shirt, managing only 14 goals in 88 appearances, one of which coming this term.

He needs to rediscover his goalscoring boots if Wednesday are to stand a chance of surviving in this division.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Windass reacts to Sheffield Wednesday’s latest blow…

Lots of Everton fans have been hailing a transfer link to Moises Caicedo as Diario Extra have reported that they are interested in his signature.

As per the news outlet, his next destination is either at the Goodison Park faithful or a club in the MLS, therefore seemingly ruling out the possibility of him going to Manchester United.

The Ecuador international is a highly-regarded prospect with four senior caps for his country already as well as 31 games played for his club Independiente at the tender age of just 19 (Transfermarkt).

A central midfield player by trade, he could certainly learn and develop under Carlo Ancelotti, and so it would be a wise idea by the Merseyside club to get a deal over the line as soon as possible.

Everton fan reaction to Caicedo link

These Toffees supporters hailed the link to Caicedo on Twitter, with one Blue even branding the midfielder as having ‘superstar potential’:

“Cracking player, sign him up”

Credit: @parryateverton

“Hell of a player!!”

Credit: @alvaro_ajimenez

“All the voices from here on the other side of the pond who closely follow South American football say this kid is the real article. Superstar potential.”

Credit: @AirborneDJ

“Never mind Khedira, this is type of player #efc need to be signing. Players with potential and who have everything to prove. Even if he didn’t work he has a sell on”

Credit: @TomFox87

“Could be a Marcel Brands masterclass this”

Credit: @MainManMina

“If we can add a few like him and Max Aarons every year along with Godfrey that’s the way to build”

Credit: @pdefc84

In other news, find out what injury update to one EFC ace has been lauded by fans here!

West Brom are reportedly interested in bringing Demarai Gray to the Hawthorns, according to reports this week…

What’s the word?

The Daily Mirror (05/01, page 47) claim the 24-year-old winger, who has featured just once in the Premier League this term, is a target for Sam Allardyce amongst others.

Top-flight rivals Leeds United are thought to be leading the race with Southampton and Sheffield United also mentioned in the report.

It is thought that the Foxes ace feels he has no long-term future at the club as he enters the final six months of his current contract, which also means he’s free to join any foreign outfit with Ligue 1 side Marseille also linked.

Worse than Phillips

Albion are on the verge of securing Robert Snodgrass on a free transfer from West Ham, so a move for Gray doesn’t seem worthwhile.

He has failed to live up to expectations at the King Power Stadium, indeed it is a surprise to see that the wide man has made 133 appearances in the Premier League since Leicester activated his £3.7m release clause in January 2016.

In those matches, Gray has only been able to muster up ten goals and 11 assists, and evidently, current Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers is no longer a fan considering he’s played 459 minutes all season.

A stark contrast to September 2019 when Rodgers lauded the winger a “big talent”  and June 2020, emphasising this point, calling him a “wonderful talent” who “can do everything” even claiming he had been “exceptional” – though his lack of action on the pitch clearly tells another story.

Last season in the top-flight, Gray failed to average over 1.1 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

Which is far worse than what Matty Phillips conjured up despite being in and out of the side on the Baggies’ way to promotion.

Even though the former QPR man has been found out at this level, managing just 0.5 shots and 0.4 dribbles per game, the last thing Big Sam will want is another disastrous winger on his hands.

The Baggies must steer clear of the £55k-per-week flop this transfer window.

AND in other news, West Brom can find next Claudio Yacob in £13.5m powerhouse…

If Leeds decide to strengthen any area in the January transfer window, then the priority has to be in defence.

The Whites have only just welcomed Liam Cooper back from injury, but Robin Koch and Diego Llorente are both still on the sidelines. They can be thankful, therefore, that the market is open for business.

What’s the word?

According to Foot Mercato, Leeds are one of the teams interested in signing young Lens defender Loic Bade.

The report states that the centre-back is a very popular player and thus, both Lyon and Rennes are monitoring his situation.

The 20-year-old also has willing suitors away from France as Leeds are reportedly eyeing Bade along with Germany’s Borussia Monchengladbach and Italy’s AC Milan.

As per Transfermarkt, the Frenchman is valued at just £5.4m, so he presumably wouldn’t cost Victor Orta a great deal of money if he did push ahead with a deal.

Forget Struijk

Bade is hardly a household name but he has quickly emerged as one of the best young defenders in Ligue 1 and he could very quickly follow in the footsteps of William Saliba and Wesley Fofana.

Those two young centre-backs caught the eye in Ligue 1 for St Etienne before moving to the Premier League, joining Arsenal and Leicester, respectively.

It’s difficult to be certain about whether he’d take to English football as well as someone like Fofana, or if he’d take time to settle in as Saliba has, but either way, he’s an impressive talent.

Described as a “dominant” defender who plays like Raphael Varane by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, he has a host of qualities that could be game-changing for Leeds.

A crucial point to note, however, is that statistically, he is better than current stand-in defender Pascal Struik.

The Lens prodigy, who stands at a mighty 6 foot 3, has won 4.3 aerial duels per game this season while coming out on top of 2.2 tackles a match. On top of that, when watching Bade, it’s clear to see that his reading of the game is phenomenal, and the fact that he is making 2.8 interceptions a game on average, backs that up.

If you compare his numbers to Struijk, there are vast differences. The Dutchman has only wins, on average, two aerial battles a match, whilst avering just 1.8 tackles a game, so he wins fewer headers and challenges than Bade.

Clearly, Bade would be an upgrade on the Leeds youngster, but he could also offer more than the likes of Liam Cooper in the air.

That’s because he has, on average, won more aerial duels than any Leeds player per game this season. His numbers would also rank sixth among Marcelo Bielsa’s men for tackles, if they were compared to the Leeds squad.

But can he do it against the very best? Well, he was part of the Lens defence that kept a clean sheet and won 1-0 against PSG earlier this season. They didn’t have Kylian Mbappe or Neymar on that day but given that PSG still have some excellent players, he’s proven that he can be more than competent in the bigger games.

With Leeds lacking genuine centre-back cover and after their defence collapsing so badly against Crawley in the FA Cup last weekend when they had to rotate, signing a player with Bade’s expertise would prove invaluable as the season reaches its conclusion.

The 3-0 defeat last Sunday clearly showed that Bielsa can’t rely on those coming through the academy just yet. Thus, he needs to invest in the market and sign someone like Bade. The defender has potential – just as Leeds’ current crop of U23s have – but pivotally, he’s already proving himself in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Orta needs to bring him to Elland Road.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Alioski: Orta must seal Leeds swoop for 22 y/o who “will fit Bielsa’s style”…

According to reports, Arsenal are interested in signing Real Madrid starlet Vinicius Junior.

What’s the story?

The Brazil international has found himself in and out of Zinedine Zidane’s side in La Liga this season, completing the full 90 minutes just four times.

Now, Spanish publication OkDiario claim that both Arsenal and Premier League rivals Liverpool are among those clubs who are chasing Vinicius’ signature, and that Madrid are ready to cut their losses on the £36m-rated winger in order to make a move for PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe.

Bad news for Willian

After arriving in the summer on a free transfer, it’s fair to say Willian hasn’t exactly shown Arsenal why they brought him in from Chelsea.

He’s managed just three assists in 19 games in all competitions, and has yet to find the back of the net for his new club either. It’s been no surprise that in recent weeks, he has found himself out of Mikel Arteta’s starting eleven, with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe all seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order.

And were Vinicius to arrive at the Emirates, then it would further limit Willian’s chances of getting himself back into the team, just a year after he first joined the Gunners.

In Vinicius, Arsenal would be getting a supremely talented and young Brazilian winger, who has already earned huge plaudits for his ability and potential.

Former Argentina manager, Jorge Valdano, raved: “Vinicius is a (Ousmane) Dembele who doesn’t stop. He’s like an impetuous, untamed thoroughbred. He’s always in a hurry. We are talking about an 18-year-old boy who is already starting for Real Madrid. This is the ultimate proof that great players become addicted.”

The 20-year-old’s arrival at the Emirates would see Edu work his Brazilian magic once again, just like he did with Martinelli back in the summer of 2019.

Meanwhile, Arsenal must land this “phenomenon” in the January transfer window…

Crystal Palace have been linked to Ozan Tufan throughout the whole of the transfer window and the latest transfer reports suggest they have made a new deal which involves a player-swap.

The latest on Tufan

According to FotoMac, the Eagles have made a late deadline day bid to sign the player, offering around €10 million (£8.8 million) along with Christian Benteke.

Would this be a good move

The 25-year-old Turkey international, who is valued at £9m, is versatile and has shown his quality for both club and country this season. He has managed, on average, 1.6 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game. Offensively, he has managed 1.5 shots and 1.1 key passes per game. He has also scored four goals and picked up four assists during this campaign. (WhoScored).

Tufan is at a good age, and has a lot of experience at a very high level, both on the international stage and in Europe (Transfermarkt). He has 30 goals for both club and country and he would definitely add some great depth to the Palace squad.

Palace manager Roy Hodgson has praised Benteke this season following his brace against West Brom, saying: ‘We’ve always known that Christian Benteke is a quality centre-forward with an awful lot of strings to his bow. It was great last Saturday that he was able to show the world that.’

He has scored three goals in 14 Premier League games. However, across the 2018/19 and the 2019/20 seasons, Benteke only managed three goals in 44 appearances (Transfermarkt).

With the club also announcing the arrival of Jean-Phillip Mateta, it could be a good idea for the club to increase their quality in midfield and allow Benteke to depart.

In other Palace news, have a read of a bizarre statistic about the club which fans aren’t happy with here!

Many Crystal Palace fans have been reacting to a tweet about Jean-Phillip Mateta following the South London side losing 2-0 on Monday night.

The Frenchman made his debut but it will not be one to remember and journalist for The Athletic Matt Woosnam tweeted: “An underwhelming debut for Jean-Philippe Mateta but a performance that largely wasn’t his fault. The same old problems reared their head last night for #CPFC. It’ll need better service & creativity for Mateta have a chance to thrive.”

From the first minute you could tell it was going to be a hard game in the attacking sense for Palace as they immediately set up in a defensive 4-4-2 shape. This meant that the midfield and attack had no real link up and this was shown by the fact that they only managed three shots on target during the match (SofaScore).

Mateta had been in great form this season for Mainz before his move to Palace (WhoScored). He haf played 17 times in all competitions and picked up ten goals and one assist, with seven of these goals coming in the Bundesliga. He is only 23 so has lots of potential, however, the South London faithful will not see his proper quality in attack if Roy Hodgson remains so defensive tactically.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the tweet:

“Our constant lethargic approach generally to play in the first half since the restart can not just be a coincidence. I think the management is now stale and the players not motivated to play for this management anymore. The training must be extremely dull based on the tactics.”

Credit: @MilesMonty

“Worrying trend no creativity, people will say it’s cause of no wilf, but I think there’s a really lack anyway. Can only pray they get someone in that can rebuild the squad in the summer, dream of Gerrard expect a 1 extension for Roy”

Credit: @GMCRae91

“How can our forwards score when all the other player are on the half way line not allowed to attack . Even when we were 2-0 down no support.”

Credit: @Jameso04

“It’s as if maybe it’s not the strikers themselves that are the problem…”

Credit: @Sitdown_Jim

“If all he’s doing is receiving the ball with his back to goal on the halfway line then there’s no hope.”

Credit: @El_Vim_Fuego

“Hard to impress when there is such a lack of midfield creativity. The hope is that tbe team will accumulate a few more points to stay in the league. Then, set more ambitious goals with a progressive coaching team.”

Credit: @Coxee

In other news, Palace are willing to offer more money for a European midfielder after their first bid was rejected. Have a read who they are after here!

Carlo Ancelotti must block Moise Kean from joining Paris Saint-Germain in a permanent transfer this summer as the striker could be vital for Everton next season.

What’s the word?

According to Fabrizio Romano in his column for CBS Sports, Ancelotti is hopeful of having Kean back at Goodison Park for the 2021/22 campaign following his year in the French capital.

The 20-year-old has scored 14 goals in 26 games across all competitions for the Parisian giants thus far this term, with his latest strike coming against FC Barcelona in a 4-1 Champions League Round of 16 win at the Camp Nou last week.

PSG do not have an option to buy the Italian inserted into their loan agreement, though Sporting Director Leonardo would like to explore keeping the forward in France having been in love with Kean for a number of years.

Everton are expected to demand a sizeable profit on the £29m paid to Juventus in 2019 if the Premier League outfit are to sell Kean at the end of the season, with a value of no less than €45-50m (£39-43m) expected.

Leonardo had previously tried to lure Kean away from the Allianz Stadium during his time operating a similar role at AC Milan in December 2018, when he made multiple approaches to the Turin outfit while the Old Lady considered the striker’s long-term future.

Juventus had also explored re-signing Kean last summer and are believed to be considering another approach at the end of the season, having failed to seal a reunion for the eight-cap international due to Everton demanding a return of the full fee paid 12-months prior.

Should Everton retain Kean?

Everton’s alleged valuation of Kean may prove to be an obstacle that not many sides – including PSG and Juventus – are willing to move in order to sign the Italian this summer, but Ancelotti should block any deal even if one offer comes in over the £39m requested.

Kean can play a key role in the Toffees’ efforts next season having rediscovered his form in front of the net after a dry and underwhelming debut campaign at Goodison Park, featuring just two goals in 33 appearances across all competitions.

Those performances are a distant record of the player he has become with PSG, where Mauricio Pochettino has not been surprised by Kean’s performances during his first two months at Les Parc des Princes.

“I was not surprised by the performance of Moise Kean in Barcelona. If I say that I was surprised, that would mean it was a bet. It was not a bet, we know his qualities,” the former Tottenham Hotspur coach said, via quotes by Goal’s Benjamin Quarez.

Former Italy international Federico Balzaretti also praised Kean following the Camp Nou affair, telling Le Parisien: “He is able to play anywhere [in the attack].

“He’s a modern, physical player. He has quite a few technical qualities, even if that is not his main strength. But when he is confident, he makes very good choices.”

As well as scoring, Kean tested Marc-Andre Ter Stegen on two other occasions and provided a key pass against Barcelona, bettering his average performances in Ligue 1 fixtures where he offers 1.9 shots and 0.3 key balls a game, per SofaScore.

Only Dominic Calvert-Lewin (2.52) is averaging a higher number of shots per game for Everton in the Premier League this season.

And with the Toffees in the mix for European football, with five points separating Ancelotti’s men from fourth-placed West Ham and with a game in hand, having Kean and his new lease of life back on Merseyside next season could see the striker take on a key role he rarely looked like securing a year ago.

AND in other news, Everton eye free transfer of £113k-p/w maestro who “always gives everything”…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer praised the impact that West Brom’s January signings have had since arriving at the club.

The likes of Mbaye Diagne, Okay Yokuslu, Robert Snodgrass and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were all brought in by manager Sam Allardyce during the last transfer window and are contributing to the Baggies’ fight at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Diagne, in particular, is making quite the impression at the Hawthorns, with the Senegalese striker managing to find the back of the net in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United in February.

Overall, Palmer is pleased with what he has seen from Allardyce’s new recruits, feeling that they have settled in well at the club.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Palmer said:

“He’s got the players that he wanted to get in and they’re playing really well. Most of the guys that he’s brought in are foreigners who haven’t had any taste of English football before, they’ve hit the ground running.

“The players that he’s brought in have settled in fantastically well. The likes of Snodgrass have done well for Sam.”

Next up for Allardyce and his January signings is a clash against Everton at home as West Brom look to build on their recent 1-0 win over Brighton.

The Baggies could move three points behind relegation rivals Fulham by the end of Thursday should they win and Scott Parker’s side lose to Tottenham, so Allardyce will no doubt be desperate to see some big performances from his winter additions and the rest of the team.