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Nottingham Post journalist Paul Taylor said via his official Twitter account on Monday that Nottingham Forest have told him that they aren’t pursuing West Ham United starlet Reece Oxford despite reports to the contrary over the weekend, and Reds fans have been quick to react.

The Mirror reported on Sunday that the Championship play-off hopefuls were keen on a massive £8m move for the Irons outcast, who could leave the Premier League club before Thursday’s deadline.

However, Taylor says that Martin O’Neill’s men actually aren’t tracking the 20-year-old at all, with the Irishman still only completing a deal to sign Yohan Benalouane from Leicester City since replacing Aitor Karanka at the helm earlier this month.

Forest bounced back from defeat in the 66-year-old’s debut game in charge against Bristol City to beat Wigan Athletic 3-1 at The City Ground on Saturday, and they lie four points outside of the top six ahead of the transfer window slamming shut this week.

Nottingham Forest supporters took to social media to have their say on Taylor’s transfer update, and while one said they “don’t think we will be paying anywhere near that much for any player”, another said: “Pity. Type we should be after”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Leeds United missed out on the signing of now Liverpool star Luis Diaz according to claims made by Stewart Downing…

What’s the story?

He said: “Diaz has been brilliant. The first thing I look at when a player comes to the Premier League is the physicality. How do they handle all that? But he looks like he likes it. He gets stuck in, he bounces straight back up, he goes again.

“He looks like he’s been here for years. It says a lot about him that he’s been able to do that. A lot of clubs were chasing Diaz – I know Everton, Spurs, Leeds were all looking – but it couldn’t have turned out better for him, I don’t think. He’s got the best move and Liverpool have got a great player.”

Bielsa’s last blunder at Elland Road?

Marcelo Bielsa is, and always will be, a Leeds United icon.

The Argentine took the Whites from the Championship to the riches of the Premier League, and guided the club to an impressive first season back in English football’s top-flight.

His start to the current campaign though, went downhill rapidly, and his departure came amid a torrid run of results that left Leeds staring down the barrel of relegation.

But while on the whole, he got so many things right, missing out on Diaz may go down as final mistake at Elland Road.

The exciting winger joined Liverpool in the January transfer window, and while Diaz choosing the Reds would have been understandable if it was a straight battle, Leeds may have shown a bit more pro-activeness and tried to get a deal as soon as they were left impressed by him.

Instead, they chose not to act on their interest, and Diaz has proven to be a superb signing in his short time at Anfield thus far.

The 31-cap Colombia international was in scintillating form for his former side Porto this season, registering a very impressive 16 goals and six assists in only 29 appearances for the Liga NOS giants.

It was no surprise that he would earn a high-profile move to the Premier League in January, and he has certainly hit the ground running at Anfield, scoring two goals in his first six games for Liverpool.

Now valued at £58.5m by CIES, the 5 foot 10 star has been dubbed a “livewire” and as being “phenomenal” by Portuguese football expert Alex Goncalves – exactly the kind of rave reviews that would have had the Leeds faithful very excited.

Having Diaz and Raphinha line up on the flanks would have been a frightening prospect, but Leeds’ loss is very much Liverpool’s gain.

AND in other news – Leeds must finally offload £15k-p/w outcast who last played at Elland Road in 2018

Newcastle United are back in Premier League action on Sunday with an away clash against Tottenham Hotspur.

Having lost their two previous league games against Chelsea and Everton, both away from home and with a 1-0 scoreline, the Toon will undoubtedly be hoping that they don’t make it a hat-trick of away defeats on the bounce against Antonio Conte’s side.

Heading into the showdown in north London, it seems as though the Magpies have been handed an injury boost which will surely be music to the ears of many Toon supporters.

What’s the news?

Speaking in his latest press conference ahead of Sunday’s match, Howe was discussing the current fitness situation regarding defender Fabian Schar, who left the Switzerland squad early with an abductor injury during the recent international break.

He said: “Fabian Schar came back having not trained or played but we’ve had a couple of sessions with him so we think he’ll be fit.”

Having played the full 90 minutes in all but one of Newcastle’s league games since late November, it’s safe to say that Howe sees the Swiss international as a pivotal figure in his squad.

Also, to highlight how important a figure he is at the back for the Toon, the 30-year-old has won 71.4% of his tackles, the third-highest of any Newcastle player to make more than one tackle, also recording far more interceptions (60) than any of his team-mates.

Even from an attacking point of view, Schar has shown how useful he can be by scoring one goal and providing two assists in the current campaign.

Taking all this into account, it’ll definitely have a lot of Toon supporters buzzing if the Swiss colossus is indeed fit enough to start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and able to maintain fitness for the remainder of the season.

However, with Spurs striker Harry Kane scoring seven goals and providing three assists in his past eight league appearances, Schar will certainly have a tough test on his hands trying to contain the England captain for 90 minutes if the Newcastle defender starts tomorrow.

In other news – Ashley howler: NUFC will be having nightmares over “ridiculous” £90m-rated “monster”

According to a report from Goal, Liverpool are interested in signing Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma as a long-term replacement for Sadio Mane.

The lowdown: Long-standing admiration

The Reds have previously been linked with a move for the 25-year-old and recent performances in Spain have only further cemented the former Bournemouth star’s burgeoning reputation.

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Signed for £21.3million in 2021 (Sky Sports), Danjuma has scored 14 times and registered another four assists in 29 appearances so far for Unai Emery’s side.

Now it would appear that Liverpool’s interest in the Dutchman is only growing, with his goal against Bayern Munich on Tuesday sure to catch the eye.

The latest: Mane successor?

As per Goal, Liverpool, and by extension new transfer guru Julian Ward, are said to be ‘interested’ in signing Danjuma but are ‘unlikely to make a bid’ in the upcoming summer window.

It’s claimed that Liverpool view the six-cap Holland ace as a ‘possible successor’ to Mane – who is fast approaching the final 12 months of a contract on Merseyside.

The report also states that the Reds ‘could sanction’ a bid next year for the winger with a mooted €75million (£63million) release clause.

The verdict: Rising star

After flopping on the south coast – failing to score or assist in 14 Premier League outings and completing 90 minutes just twice in those games – Danjuma has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence in Spain.

Despite struggling in England, he has been impressing in La Liga and in the UEFA Champions League, ranking as his club’s sixth-best player in the top flight and third-best in European action, per Whoscored.

Described as a ‘nightmare for defenders’ by Kevin Phillips, the skilful winger has completed 1.2 successful dribbles per game from 20 league appearances so far this season (Sofascore).

Under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt), the release clause could represent value for money for a player who possesses the necessary range of attacking assets to replace Mane in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

In other news, Liverpool target reportedly set to leave Bundesliga giants. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur’s quest to find a new attacking playmaker should see them turn to James Maddison this summer.

During a recent interview with reporters, manager Antonio Conte hinted at the fact that a no.10 could be high on the agenda during the off-season and the Leicester City gem would surely be an ideal candidate.

Earlier this month, The Sun claimed that Spurs had entered the race – alongside arch-rivals Arsenal – to sign the Englishman, who could be sold by the Foxes in a bid to bolster other areas of Brendan Rodgers’ playing squad.

Maddison is thought to be valued in the region of £60m, as per the report, and he has since been backed as a player that would suit the Lilywhites and the Italian head coach.

“He’s a very intelligent attacking player. He scores goals, gets loads of assists, and he’s a player Tottenham have been crying out for,” former Leeds striker-turned-pundit Noel Whelan told Football Insider.

“They got Giovani Lo Celso after Christian Eriksen left – that never worked out. They’re really missing that midfield player who has an eye for a killer pass.

“He’s proved he can do it in the Premier League by being a very important piece of the puzzle for Leicester.

“I think he would suit Tottenham down to the ground. With that front three in front of him, they could go to the next level with him.”

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-levy-conte-paratici-thfc” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

Indeed, the north London outfit have lacked that true attacking midfielder to sit in the hole behind the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, and given his experience and current form in the top-flight, there won’t be many better candidates than Maddison.

As per Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old maestro has delivered 14 goals and nine assists across 45 appearances in all competitions this season, averaging a direct contribution once every 126 minutes, which is better than the figures Eriksen put up before his departure.

The Dane scored or assisted every 152 minutes in a Spurs shirt, whilst the bulk of Conte’s creativity has come from the usual suspects – the aforementioned attacking duo, who have combined for 14 assists alone.

Pairing Maddison with the likes of Kane, Son and winter arrival Dejan Kulusevski has got to be a mouthwatering prospect with the Leicester star once being dubbed a “special talent” by The Times’ Henry Winter.

Just like Eriksen, the £45m-rated dynamo could also provide Conte with a major threat from set-pieces, having drawn a great deal of inspiration from one of the best to ever do it, David Beckham, growing up.

An average of 1.4 key passes per game across the Premier League, Europa League and Carabao Cup this season further highlights his creative ability and it’s one that could see Kane and co absolutely thrive upfront.

So, on the above evidence, sporting director Fabio Paratici and Tottenham’s recruitment team would be foolish to not consider the Foxes gem heading into next season.

Just as Whelan suggests, he could be the perfect fit for what Spurs need this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs can complete Conte’s frightening trio with swoop for £33m-rated “absolute beast”…

Crystal Palace have rebuffed a ‘host’ of loan bids for youngster Jack Wells-Morrison, according to TEAMtalk. 

‘A number’ of clubs in the second and third tier have approached Palace about taking Wells-Morrison on a temporary basis, among them London rivals Charlton Athletic.

But Patrick Vieira has ‘no intention of letting him go’ and instead wants to integrate him into the first team squad.

The lowdown on Jack Wells-Morrison

Wells-Morrison is predominantly a central midfielder but he can also play in slightly deeper or more advanced roles.

He’s still awaiting a senior debut for The Eagles, but he was named on the bench for Saturday’s FA Cup third round trip to Millwall.

Having scored eight goals in 24 appearances in the Under-18 Premier League, the 17-year-old earned a swift promotion to the Under-23s and has now racked up 15 PL2 outings (via Transfermarkt).

As noted by TEAMtalk, Morrison has been with the club for 11 years and his family are season-ticket holders at Selhurst Park.

Fan feed Palace Xtra relayed the news, and here’s what supporters made of it, with some feeling he could come into the first-team more next season when Conor Gallagher departs.

Many Palace fans flock to Wells-Morrison news

“Can only mean he’s involved in first team setup surely. Maybe just backup needed during AFCON”

Credit: @Joe_LT59

“Damn this kid must be good”

Credit: @JacobMozz

“Would be amazing if he can get a few sub appearances before the end of the season. Vieira must rate him to keep him from going on loan”

Credit: @jdmcpfc1990

“Championship??? Bro we must rate him so highly”

Credit: @SWPalace

“Gallagher replacement already at the club”

Credit: @joelcpfc_

“I’ve been SO impressed with him at U23 level and it excites me massively that Vieira sees him as someone we could potentially use this season”

Credit: @liamb0117

In other news, Palace are interested in this forward.

It’s fair to say that Rangers have had a disappointing second half of the season, despite the Europa League triumphs, the side’s Scottish Premiership form has been poor.

Coming into January with a six-point lead was the ideal scenario for Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his men, then the winter break happened, and Rangers lost arguably their best player of the season, Joe Aribo, to the Africa Cup of Nations and the wheels fell off slightly.

The onus was on van Bronckhorst to strengthen, especially in the midfield areas following Aribo’s brief departure and the sale of Juninho Bacuna, however, the club missed out on an excellent opportunity.

During the summer and January windows, the Gers were constantly linked with Dutch midfielder Joey Veerman, who was playing at Heerenveen. A deal couldn’t be struck and as van Bronckhorst moved into his first transfer window with the team during January, there were hopes of a chance to secure him.

Yet again, Rangers were slack, and PSV Eindhoven eventually signed the midfielder for £5m as he joined his boyhood club.

Former Rangers striker Michael Mols lavished “perfect” praise on his fellow Dutchman and it’s not hard to see why.

Since his arrival at PSV, Veerman has scored six and notched six assists in only 21 matches, a fabulous return.

If we compare this to Aribo in the same period, two goals and five assists, it proves that the Ibrox side should have splashed the cash in January and the club may have been heading into the last four matches in the league with their six-point advantage still intact.

As the summer transfer window looms on the horizon, Ross Wilson can’t afford to let similar players of that class escape their grasp again. After all, with Aribo touted with an exit, 23-year-old Veerman would very much have been the perfect heir.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst can brutally axe “shaky” Rangers dud in deal for “annoyingly brilliant” £0 machine

Tottenham Hotspur appear to still be confident in securing Adama Traore despite the time it’s taking to get the deal over the line…

What’s the word?

That’s according to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who has hinted at there being a twist in the transfer saga heading into next Monday’s transfer deadline.

“Slightly different noises coming from all three sides of the Adama Traore transfer. Still a belief that it will happen eventually but it’s interesting to see the different takes on exactly what’s happened so far and that state it’s at right now,” he said on Twitter.

In an accompanying article, it’s claimed that Spurs are yet to make their move for Traore, despite reports of a £15m bid being rejected last week.

The expected move for the Spain international is being driven by sporting director Fabio Paratici, who tried to sign him during his time in charge of Juventus, whilst manager Antonio Conte is open to the signing as he fits the mould of that attacking right wing-back he desires.

There is a confidence that a deal can be struck before deadline day but the contrasting noises are certainly cause for concern for much of the Lilywhites faithful.

Twist in the tale?

It would be a travesty for the north London outfit to miss out on one of their reported top targets, especially as they have been linked with a move for him all month.

To leave it this late is bad enough but if they were to avoid signing him entirely, then it’s going to cause some uproar in both the Spurs dugout and in the stands.

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One outlet suggests £20m will be enough to secure him, whilst another believes Wolves are looking for a deal in the region of £30m. These are all intricacies that should have been dealt with earlier in the month because we’re now in the final five days of the window with nothing to show for it.

There have even been reported fears amongst some players at Hotspur Way that the Italian head coach, who has a Premier League and FA Cup to his name, will walk from the club if he’s not backed this window.

With Conte not trusting summer signing Emerson Royal in the right wing-back role, it would be wise to consider a move for one of the most “unplayable” threats in the division.

As this deal continues to rumble on, so will the fans’ anger as they too want to see their world-class head coach backed financially. The squad really needs some more quality and Traore would add that.

AND in other news, Bid accepted: Spurs close in on “extraordinary” £25m-rated beast, Conte will love him…

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Attila Szalai to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Dharmesh Sheth, with the Sky Sports journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that David Moyes’ side, as well as both AC Milan and Newcastle United, are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Fenerbahce centre-back ahead of a potential move this month.

Sheth went on to state that all three clubs are currently in the market for a new defender, while the Turkish side are believed to be demanding a figure of between €15m-€20m (£12.5m-£17m) to part with the 23-year-old during the winter window.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Interest from Premier League & Serie A in Fenerbahce defender Attila Szalai. West Ham United, Newcastle United & AC Milan looking at him. All in the market for a centre-back. Hungary international. 23 years old. Would cost around €15m-€20m.”

Szalai would be an “exemplary” signing

Considering just how much potential Szalai quite clearly possesses, in addition to the fact that West Ham are lacking any real strength in depth in the heart of their defence, it would certainly appear as if a move for the Hungary international would be a very wise one for Moyes to make this month.

Indeed, over his 21 Super Lig appearances last season, the £13.5m-rated centre-back – who is also adept at playing both left and right-back – was in exceptional form for Fenerbahce, helping his side keep six clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 2.5 clearances and winning 60% of his duels per game.

The £15k-per-week defender also chipped in for his side going forwards, scoring three goals and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.8 shots and making 51 passes per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Emre Belozoglu dubbed an “exemplary” talent earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as his club’s sixth-best performer in the top flight of Turkish football.

As such, when taking into account just how much West Ham have struggled defensively in the absence of both Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna – keeping just two clean sheets – it would very much seem as if the Hammers could do with the addition of a fresh face in the position this January.

As a result, Szalai very much looks to be a fantastic candidate for the role.

In other news: Ex reveals West Ham “talks” for “ridiculous” January signing, he’d be a major upgrade

West Ham remain “focused” on recruiting a new centre-back in the January transfer window, with Burnley’s James Tarkowski among the names being discussed…

What’s the story?

The Hammers have seen a number of injuries hit their central defenders over the course of this Premier League season, so it’s been no surprise to hear that David Moyes has got his sights set on strengthening that area of the pitch.

Now, transfer insider Dean Jones has delivered an update on where things currently stand.

He said: “Everything I’m told about West Ham remains focused around the centre-back options that we’ve heard before. There’s Tarkowski, who will obviously be really hard to get out of Burnley, and Nat Phillips.”

Premier League proven

The 6 foot 1 colossus has made 175 appearances in the Premier League alone since joining the Clarets in February 2016, and has earned some rave reviews for his performances,

Danny Murphy once hailed him as a “super player” after an impressive performance in a victory over Everton, while Tony Philliskirk, former Head of Academy at Oldham, once told The Athletic: “He became the main man on defensive and attacking set pieces, that as a player makes you think you are an integral part of the team.

“He became that because of his level of performance. He was humble and never got ahead of himself. His confidence increased and he became a leader which we discussed with him, organising those in front of him.”

Also described as “exceptional” by his peers, the £50k-a-week earning Tarkowski is the kind of proven Premier League option that would surely be able to hit the ground running at the London Stadium were the Hammers to make a move in these final couple of weeks of the transfer window.

With Moyes’ side well in the hunt for a Champions League spot, ensuring that any new signing can acclimatise quickly and help them in that push will be crucial, and Tarkowski’s years of experience in the top-flight would make him a very shrewd acquisition.

Given the injuries they’ve had at the heart of defence this season – not least to the likes of Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma – and the fact they’ve got the Europa League knockout stages and FA Cup latter rounds to come too, it’ll be a very busy end to the season.

It’s exactly why Moyes badly needs someone like Tarkowski.

Meanwhile, West Ham are monitoring this Ligue 1 star…