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According to reports by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, reported West Ham target Jesse Lingard has decided that he will not be leaving Manchester United in January.

However, ExWHUemployee has responded to this news, claiming that the mooted transfer is not dead in the water just yet.

The Lowdown: Lingard decides to remain at Man United

Ornstein wrote that Lingard has chosen to remain at Manchester United and intends to battle his way into interim manager Ralf Ragnick’s plans, therefore likely ruling out a move in the upcoming January transfer window.

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This follows The Mirror’s report (via The Independent) which claimed that West Ham are looking to bring in the 29-year-old on a permanent deal in the January transfer window. Lingard has played just 87 minutes of Premier League football this season, having come on as a substitute in each of his eight top-flight appearances.

The attacking midfielder is set to enter the last six months of his contract after talks over a new deal at Old Trafford failed to progress during the summer. However, Lingard looks set to remain at his boyhood club in January, with a move elsewhere proving to be more likely in the summer.

The Latest: ExWHUemployee makes Lingard claim

Despite Ornstein’s announcement, ExWHUemployee claimed on his ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast that both West Ham and Newcastle will still attempt to persuade Lingard to accept a move in the January transfer window.

Taking to Twitter, he said: “It’s a possible option that he was considering. I still think there will be attempts to persuade him otherwise (by us and Newcastle) and hopefully we will succeed but I don’t think he is desperate to go now as options in the summer will be better for him.”

The Verdict: January move unlikely but possible in the summer

It comes as no surprise that the Hammers will continue in their pursuit of the attacking midfielder. The England international enjoyed a fantastic spell on loan at West Ham for the second half of the 2020/21 season, where he scored nine goals and produced five assists in 16 appearances for the club.

Lingard received huge praise after reviving his footballing career, with former Manchester United and Hammers defender Rio Ferdinand describing his stint in London as ‘amazing’.

Despite the Irons’ determination to bring him to the club in January and with Newcastle ramping up their interest, it seems more likely that the 29-year-old will run down his current contract before leaving Manchester in the summer. Where he goes then is the big question.

In other news: ‘I miss this Antonio’ – Lots of West Ham fans react to ‘unreal’ footage shared by the club

Following on from their impressive 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League last Monday, Wolves are in FA Cup action this afternoon with a clash against Championship side Sheffield United at Molineux. 

With Wolves having the likes of Jonny Otto, Pedro Neto, Yerson Mosquera and Hwang Hee-chan out injured and Romain Saiss away on international duty getting ready to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations, Bruno Lage will have to make do without several members of his senior squad.

On the other hand, with Wolves recently recalling Dion Sanderson and Ryan Giles from their respective loan deals in the Championship and securing a deal for Japanese midfielder Hayao Kawabe, these players could feature prominently today.

Taking all this into account, here’s how we feel Wolves could line up for their FA Cup clash against the Blades. We anticipate as many as seven changes from the side which started in the win at Old Trafford.

In goal, even though Jose Sa has kept eight clean sheets in his 19 Premier League appearances this season, we think Lage will take him out of the team on this occasion and give John Ruddy the chance to play.

In a back three, we can see the familiar duo of Conor Coady and Max Kilman starting, but with the recently-recalled Sanderson coming in for the absent Saiss to see if he can impress the manager and convince him that he deserves to be in the squad on a regular basis.

For the wing-back positions, on the right we think Lage will drop Nelson Semedo and give Ki-Jana Hoever a runout, with Rayan Ait-Nouri coming back in on the left after being on the bench against the Red Devils.

In the two central midfield positions, it’s entirely possible that Lage gives Monday’s match-winning hero Joao Moutinho a rest to save him for their next league outing against Southampton, with Leander Dendoncker coming in to take his place next to Ruben Neves.

With the front three, we can see Lage bringing in Adama Traore and Fabio Silva for Francisco Trincao and Raul Jimenez, who is currently earning £100k-per-week according to Salary Sport but is without a goal in his last six games, in order to freshen up the attack next to Daniel Podence.

In other news: Journalist drops 19-word Wolves update which will surely have a lot of fans fuming

One of Liverpool’s main summer arrivals last summer was Greek left-back Kostas Tsimikas from Olympiakos.

The 24-year-old eventually signed for the Reds for a reported £11.75m fee, penning a five-year contract in the process.

However, it could have been so different, with new reports from The Athletic revealing that current Tottenham Hotspur left-back Sergio Reguilon was on the Reds’ wishlist. Just under a year down the line, Jurgen Klopp must regret not swooping for the Spaniard instead.

Tsimikas has been barely seen in a Liverpool shirt so far having made just six appearances for the club, with just one of those coming in the Premier League.

This has led to a huge over reliance on first-choice left-back Andrew Robertson. Indeed, the Scot has only missed three matches for the Reds throughout the current campaign, his only absences coming in the domestic cup competitions.

Whilst Tsimikas has rarely been afforded opportunities and having not wholly convinced when he has been on the pitch, Reguilon has been fantastic for Tottenham.

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Rated at £22.5m, the Spaniard has made 28 appearances for the north Londoners this season, notching five assists. Interestingly, that is the same tally that current Reds defender Robertson has managed to rack up this season.

The Tottenham man’s form has certainly not gone unnoticed either, with pundit and former Premier League defender Micah Richards praising his “brilliant” performances. It therefore goes without saying that Reguilon would likely have provided far better competition at Anfield for Robertson than Tsimikas.

This would have allowed Klopp to rest the former Hull City man more regularly, which would have been hugely beneficial as the Reds continue to battle on two fronts for a top four Premier League finish and in the current edition of the Champions League.

On reflection, the Reds certainly made a blunder in signing Tsimikas over Reguilon.

AND in more news, Liverpool have been handed a huge boost in their Kylian Mbappe pursuit…

Rangers, and by extension their sporting director Ross Wilson, are preparing to make a six-figure bid for Aberdeen starlet Lancelot Pollard, according to The Scottish Daily Express.

The lowdown

Pollard, a 15-year-old attacker, has worked his way up through the youth ranks with the Dons, even featuring for their under-18 side.

Having won the club’s Young Talent of Month award in October, he’s regarded as one of the leading talents in their academy.

Rangers are planning for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first summer transfer window at the helm after he took over from Steven Gerrard in the autumn.

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The latest

Reliable reporter Scott Burns, a long-serving journalist for The Scottish Express, says that Rangers are ready to submit a six-figure offer for Pollard to win the race for his signature.

They know that there’s ‘big interest’ in the player and therefore feel pressure to get the deal over the line.

Liverpool are actively pursuing Pollard, while Manchester United have been monitoring him too.

The verdict

The fact that six-figure fees are on the table for a player so young speaks to his potential, as does the interest of three heavyweights.

Pollard is seemingly levels above the other players in his age bracket, hence Aberdeen’s decision to fast-track him.

If Liverpool were to match Rangers’ offer, then it could come down to which club can offer the player the clearest long-term path to first-team football.

While he’s unlikely to be in the senior picture for a good while yet, it’s definitely a name worth remembering.

In other news, Frank McAvennie reacts to transfer developments involving Rangers and a PL club.

Many Derby County fans have been left to slam the display of Lee Gregory in their 0-0 draw at Barnsley in the EFL Championship on Wednesday evening.

The striker, currently on loan from Stoke City, was guilty of missing a big chance to win the match, but instead the Pride Park faithful had to settle for a point to edge them ever closer to safety.

Gregory did not have the best of games by his standards, losing out on five of his duels, while also failing to record a single successful dribble and losing possession of the ball 11 times (Sofascore).

Aside from that one great chance, the 32-year-old struggled to make any sort of real impact on the fixture, recording fewer touches than his own goalkeeper Kelle Roos and a mere 25 in total, the fewest out of any Rams player to have started the clash (Sofascore).

Derby fan reaction to Gregory display

These DCFC supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with one fan even going as far as to claim that the Englishman was ‘rubbish’:

“Gregory was rubbish send him back !!! #dcfc #dcfcfans”

Credit: @JillianW123

“Roos and Mengi really good today. Edmundson worked very well in midfield but lacks control with the ball at his feet. Gregory had an absolute stinker with an awful touch when he was through in the first half and missing the 1v1 in the second. Lucky not to give away a pen #dcfc”

Credit: @Joe43534774

“Must admit Lee Gregory is worse than I thought #dcfc”

Credit: @rooybears

“We let Marriott go on loan and we sign Lee Gregory no wonder we are in trouble #dcfc”

Credit: @Rammie007

“It’s the reason why Gregory allowed out on loan. Not good enough, doesn’t score enough. We need Derby players in the summer not loan players”Credit: @ijclarke72″Gregory has had the chance to win 3 games now, and fluffed them all. Not impressed.”Credit: @RamInSwedenIn other news, find out who was hammered for their display versus Cardiff City here!

Former Rangers star Michael Ball insists there will be plenty of pressure on John Lundstram if he does make the move to Ibrox to join the Scottish club.

The midfielder has left the Blades following their relegation to the Championship and is available on a free transfer this summer.

He has been heavily linked with a move to the Ibrox, where he would join up with Steven Gerrard following Rangers’ Premiership title victory.

Indeed, the Gers are looking to strengthen from a position of real power, having gone unbeaten throughout the campaign and won the title at a canter.

Lundstram made a total of 120 appearances for the Blades, scoring eight goals and laying on nine assists.

Last season, he managed to score five Premier League goals, though he endured a goalless campaign this term.

And Ball believes there would be huge pressure on him to succeed if he did move to Scotland.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “For players like John, it’s one of them where you go to a football club, a huge football club at Rangers, a massive pressure, you’ve got to perform week in, week out.

“Has he got the ability to do that? Only time will tell. But his wages will probably be a lot less and if you’re going up there, you’re going up there to work hard and win titles.”

Sharing the latest on Jesse Lingard and his transfer saga with West Ham United, the Sun have now come out with their own update on the situation.

The Lowdown: Lingard and the Irons…

The Englishman was deemed surplus-to-requirements at Manchester United before West Ham came calling to offer him a route out on loan in the January transfer window.

What followed was an absolutely sensational spell at the London Stadium, where he managed a very impressive nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League over the second half of 2020/2021 (WhoScored).

As a result, West Ham are known to be keen on securing a permanent move for the 28-year-old this summer.

The Latest: West Ham dealt Lingard blow…

Sharing an update on Lingard, the Sun have now come out with a pretty damning claim.

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They believe the midfielder has now done a full U-turn on his stance of wanting to join West Ham this summer.

Indeed, he would apparently ‘far prefer to stay’ at the Red Devils and has ‘admitted to friends’ that his big hope is rebuilding a career at Old Trafford.

After a supposedly candid meeting with United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the player has apparently said he wishes to remain at the club amid West Ham’s interest.

The Verdict: Pinch of salt…

While this comes a blow for West Ham, other sources like ExWHUemployee believe the contrary and there are bound to be numerous sources coming out with different developments over the next few weeks.

West Ham, meanwhile, will certainly be hoping they can secure a move for Lingard given his electric form at the end of last campaign.

It is believed that a move for Lingard is one of the club’s top priorities this summer alongside signing a new centre-back and striker to support Michail Antonio (Claret & Hugh).

As a result, the club will be hoping for more positive updates on Lingard over the window.

In other news: ‘According to some sources…’  – Journalist relays enticing West Ham transfer development, find out more here.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s hopes of keeping Danny Ings at Southampton this summer look to have suffered a huge blow, with Manchester City reportedly interested in signing him ahead of next season.

According to Sky Sports, City have identified the 28-year-old as a more attainable replacement for Sergio Aguero than Erling Haaland should the Argentinian leave this summer when his contract expires.

City would be in a strong position to sign Ings, too, given his precarious contract situation at Southampton, with his current deal set to expire at the end of next season.

The former Liverpool man has publicly revealed his desire to play for a club in the Champions League and City would certainly be able to provide that, with Pep Guardiola’s side well on their way towards winning the Premier League title this season.

You would not blame the £19.8m-rated forward for wanting to join a club such as City and play under Guardiola but it would undoubtedly be a huge blow for Hasenhuttl and Southampton, considering Ings’ impressive record on the south coast.

The striker has contributed 42 goals and nine assists in 92 appearances for the Saints, which included 22 goals in the top-flight last season, which saw him finish as the joint-second top scorer in the Premier League.

His performances earned him a call-up to the England squad and, although he has struggled with minor injury problems this season, he still has eight goals and three assists in the top flight.

Given Southampton’s struggles this season, which have seen them dragged into a relegation battle despite a promising start to the campaign, some may worry that without Ings they would struggle to score anywhere near as many goals.

Although Che Adams has found form again recently, he endured a difficult run earlier in the season and it would be tough on him to step up as Southampton’s main goalscorer should Ings depart.

Last season, former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe was full of praise for Ings’ performances in the Premier League, saying: “The most impressive thing about Danny is, of course, he’s an outstanding player.

“Technically he’s very good, plays with real intelligence and the way he’s come back from his disappointments, the injury setbacks he’s had, the way he’s fought back and kept his mental strength has been hugely impressive.”

Although Southampton are clearly desperate for Ings to sign a new deal, it seems clear that he wants to join a Champions League outfit, and this reported interest from Man City could prove to be the catalyst for him leaving the south coast this summer.

And, in other news… Southampton signing £7.2m-rated beast could be bad news for £55k-p/w Saints regular

Bundesliga expert Daniel Pinder has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that Jerome Boateng is still capable of playing at the highest level amid rumours that he could join Tottenham this summer.

The 6 ft 3 Bayern Munich defender’s contract is up at the end of the season and he is now being linked with a move to the north London club.

Boateng, who reportedly turned down the chance to join brother Kevin-Prince at Spurs previously, turns 33 in September and has had his injury problems down the years but, even so, Pinder is confident that the German would still be a useful asset to Tottenham.

Discussing whether Boateng is a player who Spurs would be able to rely on, Pinder told FFC:

“A couple of years ago, he was declining and people were second guessing whether he could still play at the highest of levels, you know, Bayern Munich. I think at the time, Manchester United, PSG were all interested.

“He was criticised by club management because he launched a new lifestyle magazine, and he was told to focus on his football. And I think since Hansi Flick came in in 2019, he’s arguably been Bayern Munich’s best central defender.

“This season, he’s missed just three games, is averaging almost six progressive passes per 90 and 1.5 interceptions per 90. So, yeah, I do think he can still play at the highest level for three or four more years.”

Following Jose Mourinho’s dismissal from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium dugout, it will be interesting to see if this reported interest in Boateng remains.

Currently, the Premier League outfit have Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga as central defensive options.

Tottenham Hotspur are trying to prise Franck Kessie away from AC Milan…

What’s the word?

According to La Repubblica (via Sport Witness), Spurs will attempt to sign the 24-year-old powerhouse by offering the Serie A outfit wantaway midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.

Earlier this week, reports emerged claiming the north Londoners had offered Kessie a long-term €8m-per-year (£6.85m-per-year) deal to join them upon the expiry of his current contract in 2022.

The Ivory Coast international has previously expressed his desire to remain at the San Siro, though he was far from convinced by their latest offer and as a result, Fabio Paratici and co are trying to sign him now, instead of next summer.

Get it done!

Ndombele’s wishes to depart N17 have been made no secret in recent weeks. The Athletic claim that his snub from the starting XI for their EFL Cup final clash with Manchester City kickstarted the change in his demeanour.

During the off-season, the Frenchman has requested an exit, believing he could secure a move to a Paris Saint-Germain or a Bayern Munich, which is why Nuno Santo is yet to include him since taking charge – he won’t select a player that doesn’t want to be there.

Offering him up in a move for Kessie, who is valued at £34m by CIES, could be quite a shrewd move with Ndombele’s wages in excess of £200k-per-week, and considering the Milan star is out of contract in a year’s time, the Italian giants could be forced into letting him go for a lot cheaper than they would’ve expected.

The 24-year-old has been an industrious presence in midfield for Milan, contributing at either end of the pitch to great effect.

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As per WhoScored, he ended the 2020/21 campaign as their fourth highest-best player with an average rating of 7.15. He found the net a whopping 13 times from the engine room, a figure only bettered by the talismanic Zlatan Ibrahimovic (15).

The box-to-box beast also contributed 1.3 shots, 1.2 dribbles and 0.8 key passes per league outing, proving that he is efficient at bringing the ball forward and making that crucial link between the defence and the attack.

Meanwhile, an average of 1.5 aerial duels won, 1.4 tackles and 1.2 interceptions, via WhoScored, would suggest that Kessie is a solid presence and one that isn’t easily bypassed in midfield.

It’s no wonder his head coach Stefano Piolo dubbed him “a complete player” who gives us physicality, energy, quality, protects the defence and knits the moves going forward too” and is “invaluable” to the team.

Furthermore, ex-Milan boss Vincenzo Montella once hailed the Ivorian as an “extraordinary player” with “sublime intelligence.”

Evidently, those that have worked with him only have praise for the 24-year-old, so he’s clearly got something special about him if every manager that walks through the door in Milan is selecting him and subsequently praising him.

These are all attributes that we should be seeing from Ndombele in that box-to-box role alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and whilst his technical ability is unrivalled, top-quality and consistent performances from a club-record £55m signing have been far and few between.

Kessie has scored more goals in one season than Ndombele has in two years in north London.

Paratici must look to axe Ndombele in favour of Kessie, especially as he’s going to be available for bargain price given his contractual situation.

Get it done, Spurs.

AND in other news, Paratici masterclass: Nuno could form scary Tottenham unit with “special” £54m-rated gem…