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If Thursday night was a trial, then mooted West Ham target Paul Onachu would have hardly passed with flying colours.

In fact, his performance may be enough to put new Irons head of recruitment Rob Newman completely off making a move as the 27-year-old struggled against the east London outfit in the Europa League.

The Hammers dominated Belgian outfit Genk and came out on top with a 3-0 victory at the London Stadium to maintain their 100% record in the competition.

According to the Daily Mail, West Ham are among many clubs interested in a move for the Nigeria international, who is thought to be valued at around £20m.

There is said to be competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, whilst Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid have also been linked by the report.

Well, luckily for David Moyes and co, they got to witness his credentials firsthand, and on that basis alone, he could struggle to have much of an impact in England as the Irons absolutely silenced him with their two backup central defenders.

Onuachu may have bagged 11 goals in 15 appearances beforehand, providing a total of 56 goals in only 85 games for the Jupiler Pro League outfit, but there is a vast difference in the quality of opposition.

The £19.8m-rated forward, who was once dubbed a “goal king” by former Wimbledon star John Fashanu, looked rather poor against the Irons.

Both Issa Diop and Craig Dawson dealt with his 6 foot 7 stature and usually impressive aerial ability (he has won 3.6 aerial duels per league game this term) with aplomb.

Onuachu was hooked after 73 minutes, having failed to make any sort of impact. As per SofaScore, his two attempts on goal were fired off target, with one of those a particularly weak effort with what was a golden chance for the visitors, whilst the towering striker also won only 50% of his battles in the air and managed just one successful dribble from three attempts.

It’s no secret that Moyes needs another frontline addition to help provide backup to Michail Antonio, who was not even in the squad on Thursday night, but on that midweek showing, the answer may not be the Genk talisman.

Newman must steer West Ham clear of the 27-year-old or else risk making a major transfer blunder.

AND in other news, Moyes handed fresh injury blow to key West Ham star ahead of Spurs…

Manchester United have entered talks to sign Borussia Dortmund defender Dan-Axel Zagadou.

That’s according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, and, as to be expected, a number of United fans have been reacting to the rumours on social media.

Zagadou is 22 years of age and is out of contract with Dortmund at the end of June. The French centre-back has made 80 appearances for the club, however, he has suffered from numerous injury issues, missing 77 games since 2017/18.

Despite that, it seems as if United are keen to take advantage of Zagadou’s contract situation, with Aouna revealing on Twitter that Ralf Rangnick has started discussions with the defender’s agent.

Dortmund want to extend Zagadou’s stay in Germany, but he is now free to pen pre-contract terms at Old Trafford.

United fans react

@utdreport shared Aouna’s claim on Twitter on Wednesday morning. This is what these United fans had to say in reply, with many not keen on a transfer and one describing his injury record as ‘awful’.

“A extremely injury prone CB? Please no”

Credit: @MrCampbell98

“This can’t be true.. Very laughable”

Credit: @Sir_Skippa

“awful injury record NEXTTTT”

Credit: @UtdRajj

“He’d be our worst centre back”

Credit: @JoleanMU

“Just had a look at his stats….. this man is never going to be fit”

Credit: @TotalUnited

“A midfielder is more important”

Credit: @ShawzzyUTD

In other news: ‘Wow’ – Many MUFC fans erupt at journalist’s swap transfer news. 

Crystal Palace are eyeing up a move for Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Aribo a success at Rangers

The Nigerian has proven to be an excellent signing by the Gers after arriving in 2019, registering 25 goals and assists apiece in 141 appearances.

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Aribo has continued to be a key figure for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side this season, chipping in with eight goals and five assists in the Scottish Premiership.

A worrying update has now emerged from a Rangers perspective, however, with a possible summer exit on the cards.

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The Latest: Palace keen on move

According to Football Insider, Palace are interested in signing Aribo at the end of the season, with a recruitment source claiming they are ‘keeping tabs’ on his situation. Eagles club officials have even gone to scout him at Ibrox recently, further highlighting the level of keenness on show.

The 25-year-old’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, at which point Rangers could lose him on a free transfer if he hasn’t extended his stay.

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The Verdict: Potential big loss

Aribo has grown into an influential figure at Ibrox, as shown by his aforementioned statistics, so losing him would be a big blow for Van Bronckhorst.

The idea of joining the Patrick Vieira revolution at Palace could be too good to turn down for the midfielder, with the Frenchman already getting strong performances out of vibrant players such as Wilfried Zaha, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.

The hope is that Aribo stays at Rangers, of course – Ezri Konsa has hailed him as ‘unique’ – but it is easy to envisage a scenario where his head is turned by a move to Selhurst Park.

In other news, Rangers are reportedly eyeing up a stunning move for one player. Read more here.

Jack Harrison, Raphinha and Pascal Struijk stood out as star performers in Leeds United’s crucial 3-2 win away to West Ham on Sunday afternoon.

The Whites picked up an enormous Premier League victory in east London, battling their way to a priceless three points after a thrilling game.

Harrison scored a hat-trick against the Hammers on a memorable afternoon for the winger, as the visitors dug deep amid more injury problems.

We’ve delved into the numbers from statistical website Sofascore to analyse the Whites’ three best performers from those to have played at least 45 minutes of action. No prizes for guessing who one of them was, but who else stood out against the Irons?

Jack Harrison – 9.0

There was no doubting who the best player was for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, as Harrison enjoyed arguably his best game for the club.

Aside from the headline-making hat-trick, the 25-year-old also won two tackles and four ground duels and played two key passes in a superb all-round display.

That’s now four goals in his last three appearances for Harrison, who appears to be returning to his best.

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Raphinha – 7.8

Raphinha has been Leeds’ best player so far this season and he was a constant threat to West Ham’s defence today.

The Brazilian was unfortunate to see a brilliant assist chalked off for offside but he still managed to play an incredible eight key passes against the Hammers.

Not only that, but the Brazilian created two big chances and hit the woodwork with a stunning free-kick, while also pitching in defensively by winning five ground duels and one tackle.

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Pascal Struijk – 7.3

Struijk has been limited to 10 league starts so far this season but he was excellent on Sunday, playing an important role in a huge win for Leeds.

The 22-year-old won all five ground duels that he contested at the London Stadium, summing up the dominant nature of his performance. The Dutchman also won five tackles and made one interception, not being dribbled past once in the whole game.

In other news, one Leeds player has been linked with a move away from Elland Road. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United have launched as many as five offers for players on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed in a recent post on The West Ham Way that the Irons have as many as five active deals on the table on the final day of the January transfer window.

In his post, the West Ham insider said: “We have five offers currently in for players and as we hear things we will let you know.”

Moyes is finally acting

Despite it being clear to everyone involved with West Ham, David Moyes included, that the Hammers were in desperate need of both a new centre-back and centre-forward this January, as the clock ticked over to 00:01 on Monday morning, the 58-year-old had yet to make a single signing over the 30 previous days of the month.

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It is undeniably good news that Moyes is finally acting in the transfer market, but if the Scot is unable to secure any of the five live deals he is working on today, West Ham’s apparent reluctance to move for any of their targets prior to the final day of the window could very easily come back to haunt the 58-year-old and his transfer team.

However, with the majority of the day still ahead, and the Hammers being linked with some very exciting players in the form of Duje Caleta-Car and Hugo Ekitike, Moyes could still have enough time to bring a number of fresh faces into the London Stadium who could improve the Irons’ first-team squad – although Monday will nevertheless be a very nervy day for West Ham fans.

In other news: ExWHUemployee drops gutting deadline day update, it’s not “what the fans want to hear”

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Newcastle United have a truly excellent striker in their ranks.

Elias Sorensen is just 19 and has been in quite brilliant form for the club’s youth teams. This season alone, he has scored 12 goals in 14 Premier League 2 games and has also netted four in five in the EFL Trophy, all of which came against senior sides – Doncaster Rovers, Notts County, Grimsby Town and Macclesfield.

His step up from the Under-18s to the Under-23s has been seamless. After netting 15 goals in 33 outings for the U18s, including six assists, Sorensen found a ruthless streak upon his age jump.

The same is true of his international career. Sorensen played for the Under-17s and the Under-18s for Denmark but did not score. But he has two in two for the Under-21s.

The Shields Gazette quote senior manager Rafael Benitez from November, when the Spaniard claimed that the teenager was knocking on the door of the first-team after training with them.

He said: “We’re lucky to have some young players coming sometimes to help the first team. He did well. He has energy and movement.

“We’re just talking about a couple of training sessions, but you could see the lad has the effort and desire to play in the first team.

“It depends on him. The players have to knock on the door by what they do on the pitch.”

His latest test came in January. Fresh from signing a new contract with the Magpies, he was loaned to Blackpool, in League One. He has made one appearance so far, managing just 32 minutes.

Chronicle Live report that Sorensen spoke to Sean Longstaff about his move, with the midfielder having played for the Seasiders before making his breakthrough at Newcastle. He has made six Premier League appearances this season.

He said: “You see Sean getting a few games in the Premier League now and he went away to Blackpool and Kilmarnock, so a few loan spells for him worked very well.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

“I spoke to him about it and he liked it when he was here. I thought it would be a great opportunity for me as well.

“I’m excited to see what it brings. Hopefully, I can get a few games in League One and show what I’m capable of.”

If his record in the youth teams is anything to go by, Sorensen will take the third-tier by storm.

Newcastle fans should keep an eye on him. If he can reach his potential, he could well be the club’s next great No.9.

An update has emerged on Manchester United gem Dean Henderson, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the England international has been mentioned as a possible goalkeeper target for the Magpies.

The report claims that a loan deal for Henderson would be costly for Newcastle, with Lazio shot-stopper Thomas Strakosha among their alternative options.

Krul 2.0

Eddie Howe, who is reportedly close to taking over on Tyneside, could unearth Tim Krul 2.0 for Newcastle by signing Henderson in the January window.

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Krul played 185 times for the Magpies after coming through the ranks as a young goalkeeper and kept 53 clean sheets for the club. He established himself as a regular in the Premier League and Henderson could be the newest long-term number one at St. James’ Park.

The 24-year-old has 49 Premier League appearances under his belt to date for Manchester United and Sheffield United and has kept 18 clean sheets in that time. He has played 27 times for the Red Devils in all competitions and kept an impressive 13 clean sheets.

Former United boss Jose Mourinho once hailed the shot-stopper and praised his arrogance. He told talkSPORT:

“I am a Henderson fan. When I was at United he was a kid, and I tell this story because it shows his nature.

“He came to my office asking for a loan, he went to Shrewsbury, but this kid said to me then, ‘When I come back, I want to be number one’. We looked at each other because we had De Gea and this kid never played one game, but he has had incredible development.

“The loans were all very successful. The way United organised them I think United did amazing for him and he did amazing for himself. He has this arrogance in him, this trust and belief which I think an England goalkeeper needs.”

This, along with his statistics in the top-flight to date, highlights the potential the £120k-per-week gem has heading into the rest of his career. 24 is incredibly young for a goalkeeper and Howe could bring in the club’s number one for years to come if he signs him, as he has shown that he has the quality to keep clean sheets in the Premier League.

Therefore, he has the potential to be a top-tier goalkeeper for a number of years and could be the next Tim Krul at St. James’ Park as he could come in and solidify his place in the starting XI if he is able to fulfil his potential and remain consistent.

AND in other news, Forget Hayden: Newcastle gem with 9 duels won was Jones’ real hero vs Brighton…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been lauding a goal scored by Tony Weston for the club’s B team on Saturday.

The striker opened the scoring for the young Gers away to East Kilbride in the Lowland League, but it was not enough as the hosts eventually won 2-1 in the end at K-Park.

Nonetheless, it was yet another goal for Weston, who had scored five goals in eight games across all competitions this season prior to his latest strike (Transfermarkt), as he really starts to hit top form.

If the 18-year-old keeps on scoring goals for Rangers B, then he will surely catch the eye of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who may want to start thinking about promoting him to the first team sooner rather than later.

Rangers fans laud Weston goal

These Gers fans were left lauding Weston’s goal as news of it was shared by the club’s Academy channel on Twitter, despite the team’s loss:

“It’s that man again”

Credit: @JM5472

“What a season the kid is having.”

Credit: @RangersBanter17

“Main man doing main man things”

Credit: @HeartandHutts

“To the surprise of nobody, well in Tony”

Credit: @grumpyhaggissss

“Goal machine”

Credit: @LBeattie92

“Get in there Tony”

Credit: @harryhastings

In other news, find out what injury news has been bemoaned by many Gers fans

Aston Villa could have Marvelous Nakamba back in a matchday squad for the first time since December today, with the Zimbabwe midfielder back from a knee injury which has ruled him out for nearly four months.

The Villans host Tottenham Hotspur in the late kick-off and will look to return to the top half of the table with a victory.

Villa manager Steven Gerrard confirmed that the 28-year-old is in contention to feature today after playing for the under-23s last Friday, saying: “He has played for the under-23s. So you couldn’t rule out the possibility of him making the matchday squad soon. If not for the Tottenham game, then he’s certainly going to be available for that Leicester fixture.

“But he has an outside chance of being involved in the matchday squad this weekend, although it wouldn’t be a start.”

Although there are doubts regarding Nakamba’s fitness, Gerrard should definitely consider reintroducing the Zimbabwean back into his team if possible.

On the chalkboard

It’s fair to say that the Villans have endured an inconsistent campaign in 2021/22, although a top-half finish is still very achievable.

Therefore, the final eight Premier League games of the season should be taken seriously, with this stage of a campaign sometimes seen by players as an opportunity to take their foot off the gas when there seems little to play for other than pride.

Having as many players fit and available as possible will certainly be vital to ensure a strong conclusion to the season, and Nakamba’s return will be incredibly welcome.

In the 28-year-old’s absence, the regular midfield trio of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey has borne fruit on occasion, but there is a lack of competition in the middle of the park.

After Nakamba and those three, Morgan Sanson is the only other senior central midfielder in the squad, with 18-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka being slowly integrated into the first team. The Frenchman has disappointed this term and could well depart in the summer, with Nantes reportedly interested in him.

Moreover, Luiz was poor against Wolves last week, with SofaScore handing the Brazilian a 6.4/10 match rating.

Although the Zimbabwean – who has previously been described as “outstanding” by former Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor – may not start every game until the end of the season, his presence should certainly encourage the other midfielders to remain consistent in order to avoid losing their place in the team.

Prior to his injury, Nakamba had started all of Gerrard’s first five games in charge and certainly has an admirer in the 41-year-old, who was a world-class midfielder as a player.

His is a timely return, even if it is to be from the bench this evening as the manager has hinted, and Aston Villa should certainly benefit from having the £34k-per-week midfielder back in action as they look to secure a first top-half Premier League finish in 11 years.

In other news: Aston Villa’s “crazy” £22.5m-rated talent could now leave, fans will surely be fuming

Aston Villa are reportedly in the hunt to sign Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij this summer with manager Steven Gerrard keen to improve his defensive options.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, Villa are keeping tabs on the Dutch defender with Gerrard looking to sign an A-list centre-back this summer.

The report also states that the defender was valued at around £40m in January with the 30-year-old’s current deal at the San Siro expiring in 2023.

The West Midland club’s Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur are also reportedly interested in bringing de Vrij to England this summer with manager Antonio Conte in charge when Inter won the Serie A title last season, with the Dutchman a key contributor to their success.

In fact, the Italian coach once exclaimed that the defender was “like Bonucci.”

Aston Villa must swoop for de Vrij

Valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt despite having just over a year left on his contract, de Vrij certainly won’t come cheap for whoever lands the defender’s signature.

However, it’s no secret that Aston Villa have ambitious plans for the upcoming transfer window, particularly after being able to lure a player of Philippe Coutinho’s pedigree to Villa Park in January, albeit on loan.

The Villans are on course for their first top-half finish in the top-flight for 11 years which will lay decent foundations for Gerrard after the Englishman’s first season in charge of the West Midlands side, having joined from Rangers in November.

Naturally, the next step will be to consolidate that place and push for European qualification. The signing of de Vrij would undoubtedly be a serious statement of intent.

The 30-year-old defender has spent almost eight years in Italy having joined Lazio from Feyenoord in 2014, where he was dubbed a “monster” by teammate Mauricio, before making the move to Inter Milan in 2018 on a free transfer.

Although, this isn’t the first time a Premier League club has been linked with a swoop for the 55-cap Netherlands international.

As well as his impressive international experience, de Vrij boasts impressive experience at club level too, winning the Scudetto last season whilst racking up 46 appearances in European competition as well as 347 in top-flight league football across the Eredivisie and Serie A.

Compared to Aston Villa’s current centre-backs, the 30-year-old is a major step up in quality and calibre.

Although Tyrone Mings has established himself as a regular in England manager Gareth Southgate’s squads, the 29-year-old has only found regular game time in the Premier League whilst being at Villa during the past three seasons.

As for the likes of Ezri Konsa, Calum Chambers and Kourtney Hause, none are current internationals whilst Chambers’ experience of playing in Europe and winning the FA Cup and Community Shield is as experienced as any of Villa’s current defenders get.

Moreover, according to SofaScore, De Vrij wins the majority of both his aerial and ground duels, has a 92% pass completion rate, only loses the ball 4.8 times per match whilst having 62.5 touches on average per Serie A game, also making at least one tackle and interception per game.

Contrastingly, Aston Villa’s best defender statistically, Tyrone Mings, averages 58.5 touches per league game whilst completing 80% of his passes, losing possession 10.4 times per game on average.

The Englishman does manage to make at least one interception per game but is currently averaging 0.6 tackles.

It’s clearly evident that the signing of de Vrij would seriously improve Gerrard’s squad, the main issue will be convincing the Dutchman to swap the San Siro for Villa Park.

In other news: Imagine him & Coutinho: Gerrard must now unleash Villa maestro who “can do anything”