da realsbet： With seven goals conceded, one goal scored and no points on the board, it would be fair to say that West Ham United’s Premier League season has got off to just about the worst start possible.

da winzada777： Graham Potter’s side looked utterly hopeless on Friday night, were played through with ease and are in desperate need of some serious steel in the middle of the park, someone like Declan Rice.

While things didn’t always go his way in East London, the former Hammers captain was determination personified, and if he were still in the side, we do not doubt that the situation would be far better at present.

Fortunately, while the Englishman is plying his trade elsewhere in the capital, it now looks like West Ham are eyeing a late move for someone who could be their new Rice.

West Ham target their new Declan Rice

West Ham’s midfield situation was not great heading into the summer, and in recent weeks it has only got worse.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

After a couple of rather uninspiring campaigns, Mexican international Edson Alvarez has left the club to join Fenerbahçe on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

The departure of the former Ajax star has left an already leggy-looking midfield in even greater need of reinforcement, specifically with younger, more energetic players.

Fortunately, the club seem to have realised the same thing, as they appear to have identified the perfect recruit, someone who could be their new Rice.

At least that is according to a recent report from Foot Mercato, which has claimed West Ham are still very interested in Soungoutou Magassa.

The report reaffirms previous claims that the Hammers made an offer of around €16m for the Frenchman, about £14m, but that Nottingham Forest have made an even better offer of €17m, about £15m, and that Atalanta are now interested as well.

It looks like the Irons are going to have something of a battle on their hands to land the AS Monaco ace, but he seems like he’d be worth it, especially as he could be their new Rice.

Why Magassa could be West Ham's new Rice

Now, while fans obviously shouldn’t expect Magassa to be on the same level as Rice to begin with, there are some apparent similarities between the two.

The first is that, like the former West Ham captain, the young Frenchman first started as an impressive centre-back, before slowly moving up the pitch and finding his best position at the base of midfield, as a six.

Therefore, if he does end up making the move to East London before the window slams shut next week, he’d be doing so to fill in where the Englishman thrived during his time at the club.

However, the similarities go deeper than just a position, as, just like the former Irons star, the tremendously “effortlessly” brilliant Monaco ace, as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, is both a monstrous presence in the midfield and a technician with the ball.

We can clearly see these two parts of his game when examining some of his outstanding underlying numbers.

Magassa’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Dribblers Tackled

1.88

Top 1%

Ball Recoveries

7.59

Top 1%

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

1.81

Top 2%

Dribbles Challenged

3.62

Top 2%

Tkl+Int

5.22

Top 2%

Tackles

3.48

Top 3%

Interceptions

1.74

Top 4%

Passes Blocked

1.39

Top 6%

Switches

0.77

Top 7%

Through Balls

0.42

Top 10%

Blocks

1.74

Top 10%

Successful Take-Ons

1.11

Top 12%

Tackles (Def 3rd)

1.25

Top 14%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

42.70

Top 14%

Passes into Final Third

5.78

Top 18%

Tackles Won

1.60

Top 18%

All Stats via FBref

For example, when it comes to the defensive side of the game, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe for ball recoveries, the top 2% for tackles plus interceptions and the top 6% for passes blocked per 90.

When it comes to his ability with the ball, he’s ranked in the top 7% of midfielders for switches, the top 10% for through balls and the top 12% for successful take-ons, also all per 90.

Finally, despite still being so young, Mattinson has described the midfielder as being “composed when under pressure” and someone who has a “forward-thinking mindset,” which sounds an awful lot like the former Hammers star.

Ultimately, West Ham need young and dynamic midfield reinforcements this summer, and even though he’s not reached his full potential just yet, Magassa looks like he’d be the perfect addition, especially as he could be the club’s next Rice.

da betano casino： This Saturday, Spurs will have initially hoped to have paraded a certain England international by the name of Eberechi Eze around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

da cassino online： Alas, the boyhood Gooner decided that Arsenal was for him and after the setback of Morgan Gibbs-White a few months earlier, Thomas Frank and Co were back to the drawing board once again.

They ultimately decided on Xavi Simons. The Netherlands international moves to north London from RB Leipzig in a deal worth £51m.

It was a risky play from Daniel Levy, largely because for a long time it looked as though Chelsea would bring him to Stamford Bridge. For once, however, Spurs got their man.

The task now is to bolster the forward line further.

What to expect from Spurs on transfer deadline day

With the arrival of Simons, it remains to be seen whether Spurs look at strengthening Frank’s options further.

They will certainly try to do so and have a number of attackers lined up already. Lucas Paqueta of West Ham has been mooted as a target but now appears to be on his way to Aston Villa instead.

Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman is another player Levy and the recruitment team could explore. The Nigerian has been pushing for an exit all summer long and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he finally got his move on deadline day.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

There’s also the curious case of Morgan Rogers. Last week it was reported that Spurs had held exploratory talks over bringing the England international to north London. Yet, with a price tag of £80m, it’s an incredibly unlikely deal, particularly this late in the window.

Still, according to TEAMtalk, the ‘dream option for Spurs’ if they fail to secure summer target, Savinho, is indeed Rogers.

Villa have given the Lilywhites no indication that they are willing to sell but Spurs have been exploring the deal since Thursday.

How Morgan Rogers compares to Xavi Simons

After James Maddison suffered a horrendous ACL injury in pre-season, Frank knew he needed to add a new number 10, someone capable of scoring and creating in equal measure.

Maddison may not have been at his best last term but he did still find the net on 12 occasions, registering a further 11 assists in all competitions. Spurs needed someone capable of replacing that output and Simons certainly ticks a lot of boxes.

The 22-year-old scored 11 goals and supplied eight assists in 2024/25, nearly matching the output of Maddison.

Well, in Rogers, they’d secure a player capable of being elevated by Simons. In short, they’d be truly game-changing together.

Since leaving Middlesbrough behind for Aston Villa in January of 2024, the former Manchester City youth gem has been a revelation in the Midlands.

Last season, Rogers scored a Champions League hat-trick, earned his England debut and racked up a whole host of goal involvements.

It was a stunning 2024/25 campaign for the 23-year-old who bagged 14 goals and supplied 16 assists in all competitions. So, based on raw output, he’s an upgrade on the talented Simons but just imagine the thought of those two playing together. Frank’s attack becomes infinitely better overnight.

Rogers vs Simons – 24/25 League

Stat (per 90 mins)

Rogers

Simons

Goals

0.23

0.42

Assists

0.29

0.25

Key passes

1.47

2.13

Progressive passes

3.55

5.86

Progressive carries

3.29

3.56

Attempted take-ons

4.62

4.18

Successful take-ons

1.91

1.38

Successful take-on %

41.3%

33.%

Data via FBRef.

Analysing the numbers further, we get a sense for the main similarities and differences between the two players.

Simons certainly looks a bit more creative, registering more progressive passes and managing more key passes throughout the 2024/25 campaign. Thus, he’d be a fabulous supply line for Rogers who could play on the left wing next to the Dutchman.

They’d bounce off each other tremendously well, considering when it comes to dribbling and beating a player, Rogers is your man. He’s elite at taking players on and that’s rubberstamped by the fact that he completes over 40% of the dribbles he attempts.

Combine that with the ability to score goals and you certainly have one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe right here. It’s hardly a surprise that Villa presenter Kate Tracey has described him as a “superstar”.

That’s exactly what he is and if Villa could land a sensational coup in the remaining hours of the window, it would send out a huge message to their Premier League rivals. Just imagine Rogers and Simons in the same side. It’s a scary thought.

da poker： Tottenham Hotspur love a deadline day signing under Daniel Levy and, well, they’ve made another one.

da premier bet： On Monday, Spurs completed the signing of striker Randal Kolo Muani, arriving on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain, costing a €5m (around £4.3m) loan fee, with no option or obligation to buy included.

This certainly gives Thomas Frank plenty of choice when it comes to his centre-forward position, with Richarlison having started all four matches in that position so far, including the UEFA Super Cup, bagging a brace on the opening day of the Premier League season against Burnley.

That’s not to mention Dominic Solanke, who joined Spurs as recently as last summer for £65m, but has seen just 49 minutes of action so far this season, spread across three substitute appearances, although he remains a contender for serious minutes.

However, will Tottenham still rue selling one of the highest-scoring players in Europe since the start of last season, one that could have flourished in North London had he not moved on?

What Randal Kolo Muani will bring to Tottenham

Tottenham will become the fifth club Kolo Muani has represented in just six seasons, searching for a more permanent home.

His major breakthrough came at Nantes, scoring 12 Ligue goals in 2021/22 for the Canaries, earning a move to Eintracht Frankfurt, who snapped him up as a free agent.

Well, one season and 23 goals later, Kolo Muani joined Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth, potentially, as much as £78m on deadline day of 2023, but this has not proved to be a shrewd investment from les Rouge-et-Bleu.

Never truly in Luis Enrique’s plans, the Frenchman scored just 11 goals in 54 PSG appearances, spending the second half of last season out on loan at Juventus, for whom he bagged a more than respectable ten goals in 22 outings, eight of which came in Serie A. He most recently scored a brace against Al Ain during the Club World Cup.

Now though, having scored goals in Ligue 1, the Bundesliga and Serie A, he’ll be looking to add the Premier League to this list, hoping to make his Tottenham debut against West Ham after the international break.

Well, perhaps Spurs would never have needed to sign Kolo Muani, had they not sold one of their best academy products of recent times.

Ex-Tottenham striker free-scoring in Europe

Having scored 17 goals in 15 appearances for the U18s, as well as nine goals in nine UEFA Youth League outings, there was plenty of excitement from within the Tottenham fan base about Troy Parrott, even before his senior debut in September 2019.

Nevertheless, despite being free-scoring at youth level, the Irishman made just four senior Spurs appearances, loaned out to Millwall, Ipswich, Milton Keynes and Preston, before exploding in the Netherlands.

During the 2023/24 season, on loan at Excelsior, Parrott scored a total of 17 Eredivisie goals, averaging a goal every 127 minutes, made all the more impressive by the fact that his team finished third-bottom, subsequently netting seven times during the play-offs, including four in the final, but this was in vain as the Rotterdam-based side were relegated, defeated 7-6 on aggregate by NAC Breda.

This though, caught the attention of bigger Dutch clubs, including AZ Alkmaar, who agreed to pay €8m (around £6.7m) to sign him permanently from Tottenham last summer.

Well, the Cheeseheads are certainly glad they made this decision, given that the Republic of Ireland international scored 20 goals last season, four of which came in the Europa League, on target against Elfsborg, Ferencváros, Galatasaray and Roma.

Well, Parrott has started this season absolutely on fire, netting ten times already, including seven in five Conference League qualifying outings, as well as a brace on the opening day of the Eredivisie season against Groningen.

The table below documents how prolific he has been since joining AZ.

Top-scorers: Europe’s top 7 leagues (24/25 & 25/26)

Players

Club(s)

Goals

Viktor Gyökeres

Sporting & Arsenal

56

Kylian Mbappé

Real Madrid

47

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich

47

Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona

42

Serhou Guirassy

Borussia Dortmund

42

Ousmane Dembélé

Paris Saint-Germain

37

Erling Braut Håland

Manchester City

37

Raphinha

Barcelona

35

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

35

Sem Steijn

Twente & Feyennord

33

Vangelis Pavlidis

Benfica

33

Troy Parrott

AZ Alkmaar

30

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table documents, Parrott is keeping quite illustrious company when it comes to players who’ve scored 30 or more goals across all competitions since the start of last season, with the Irishman skyrocketing up that leaderboard following his exploits last month.

For comparison, Kolo Muani has scored 12 goals during the same timeframe.

Former Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has certainly been impressed by Parrott’s form in the Eredivisie, labelling him a “striker who actually has everything”, impressed by his “killer instinct” in front of goal.

Thus, the Republic of Ireland international could prove to be the one that got away for Spurs fans, even if they’ll be pleased to see him thriving over in the Netherlands.

da dobrowin： Now that the summer transfer window is done and dusted, Liverpool will feel they are in a strong position to retain the Premier League title they won so confidently under Arne Slot’s management last season.

da aposte e ganhe： The Reds had just parted ways with iconic manager Jurgen Klopp, and many expected his successor, who had found success with Feyenoord in the Netherlands, would fall by the wayside in keeping with comparable circumstances at Arsenal and Manchester United.

And despite opting against a trigger-happy transfer window, Slot’s Liverpool knuckled down with the options available, giving rise to new heroes such as Ryan Gravenberch in the number six role.

But now that Liverpool are at the top, they are determined to stay there, bolstering their ranks with superstars like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, as well as many more, including Hugo Ekitike, Isak’s rival at number nine and with three goals and an assist from his first four outings in Red.

However, it didn’t all go the way of sporting director Richard Hughes, with a deadline-day deal for Marc Guehi falling through after Crystal Palace failed to land a suitable replacement and Oliver Glasner threatened to walk.

Could it prove a significant blow for the Merseysiders?

Why Liverpool wanted Guehi

Over the past four years with Palace, Guehi has gone from strength to strength and established himself as one of the Premier League’s standout centre-backs.

Said to have been an “absolute gem” by former Reds coach Michael Beale, who also coached him during his formative years in Chelsea’s academy, from the start, it’s no surprise that Guehi’s performances for club and country over the past few years have earned Liverpool’s vested interest.

With Ibrahima Konate now in the final year of his contract at Anfield and Virgil van Dijk having turned 34 in July, it felt necessary that FSG green-lit the signing of a new centre-half, and indeed Liverpool pushed to sign Bournemouth prodigy Dean Huijsen before he signed for Real Madrid.

But Liverpool did win the race for Italy star Giovanni Leoni, who, aged 18, is regarded as one of the best defensive prospects in the world, and put pen to paper on a £30m transfer.

But Guehi would have added proven quality to the ranks, and it’s anticipated that Liverpool will return for the Three Lions star next summer.

However, maybe Liverpool’s worries would have been eased if they had kept their homegrown version of Guehi at the club this season.

Liverpool already sold their own Guehi

Much of the reasoning behind Liverpool’s decision to sell Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen in a £35m deal this summer made sense, but the centre-half had showcased his potential under Klopp, and he may yet become one of Europe’s leading defenders.

However, much of Quansah’s gains made across a brilliant breakout year in 2023/24 were undone when Slot took Klopp’s place, hooking him at half-time during the opening game of the season, a 2-0 win over newly-promoted Ipswich Town.

Slot commented post-match that Liverpool were struggling for success in the duel, but it perhaps proved a psychological blow for the up-and-comer, who thereafter was benched for 11 successive league fixtures and started only three further matches before the end of the campaign.

Still, he had previously been hailed as an “absolute monster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and certainly boasts the range of passing and movement on the ball to emulate the style Liverpool were going for with the signing of Guehi.

Integral in winning the Carabao Cup as Klopp bowed out after nearly nine years, Quansah started regularly toward the end of the Premier League campaign, completing 89% of his passes, winning 64% of his duels, as per Sofascore, and looking very much at home alongside the redoubtable Van Dijk..

Taking that term and comparing it with Guehi’s recent effort with the Eagles, you perhaps begin to see that Liverpool might have already had their own version in the ranks.

Quansah (23/24) vs Guehi (24/25)

Stats (per 90)

Quansah

Guehi

Goals + assists

0.15

0.15

Touches

97.11

62.70

Pass completion

88.6%

83.5%

Passes attempted

88.64

51.93

Progressive passes

5.07

3.94

Progressive carries

0.98

0.65

Shot-creating actions

0.98

1.29

Ball recoveries

5.45

4.30

Tackles + interceptions

3.18

2.62

Clearances

2.95

4.80

Blocks

1.21

1.62

Aeriel duels won

3.40

2.00

All data via FBref

Sure, Leverkusen offered a sizeable figure for the 22-year-old, and Liverpool knew his chances of consistent minutes across the season were slim, but Quansah could have played a part, allowed to develop further as his experience grew under Slot’s wing.

While he remained a fringe player throughout, the England U21 international stepped into the campaign and popped up with some big moments after the new year, especially when the Reds came under the cosh against Wolverhampton Wanderers and required some big defending.

While it would be anticipated that Guehi’s ball-playing and other more progressive metrics would increase upon leaving Palace for Liverpool, the fact that Quansah managed to showcase a proficiency in such a system makes an interesting comment on the player he could now become in the Bundesliga.

FSG will be content after inserting a €60m (£51m) buyback clause into his contract with Die Werkself, but having now missed out on Guehi, the Anfield side might look back with hindsight at having allowed a player of significant potential and similar attributes to have left earlier in the window.

Leoni is a potential superstar, but Liverpool will need to ensure they do not overburden the teenager after only a few steps on English shores.

Had Quansah, a defender who has played 58 matches for Liverpool, scoring three goals, providing three assists, and winning several titles, stayed put, Slot’s side might have that final bit of quality and depth needed as they stare at a promising season with many forks in the road.

da bwin： Arsenal finally ended their long search for a prolific number nine with the signing of Viktor Gyokeres in the summer, and Mikel Arteta is silently hoping the Swede can replicate his heroics from Portugal.

da supremo： Over two sensational campaigns for Sporting CP, Gyokeres scored 97 goals in 102 appearances — firing Rui Borges’ side to a domestic double last season and motivating sporting director Andrea Berta to splash a potential £64 million on him.

Arsenal’s confirmed summer signings

Price tag

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Piero Hincapie

Loan

The Gunners agreed to pay a guaranteed £55 million, plus a further £9 million in potential add-ons for the 27-year-old, and you can make a serious case that this comes as a bargain fee.

Gyokeres’ proven goalscoring consistency in one of Europe’s top five leagues, not to mention the fact he’s currently in the prime of his career, emphasise how Berta potentially secured one of the signings of the summer.

The former Coventry City and Swansea City star also has some experience in England already, with Berta reportedly persuading Arsenal to move for Gyokeres over fellow long-time striker target Benjamin Sesko (The Athletic).

Arsenal made proposals for Sesko in the summer of 2024 and in January this year, making multiple attempts to sign the Slovenian, but Berta’s arrival prompted the north Londoners to shift focus towards Gyokeres instead.

Thus far, despite barely having a sniff against tough opposition in Man United and Liverpool, Gyokeres did net a Premier League brace during Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Leeds United, with the player still arguably finding his feet in Europe’s toughest, most competitive division.

That being said, some critics already have doubts, like Rio Ferdinand, with the pundit telling his YouTube channel that he’s yet to be convinced by Gyokeres after his performance at Anfield just prior to the international break.

Now, ex-Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy has explained his own doubts about the centre-forward in an interview with The Metro.

Gael Clichy explains why Arsenal could regret signing Viktor Gyokeres

The Frenchman says that Gyokeres lacks the link-up play to help Arsenal, insisting that now-Liverpool star Alexander Isak was far more suited to Arteta’s system.

Football is often very reactionary at the best of times, and perhaps Gyokeres has come in for some unfair criticism since his arrival from Sporting due to the heavy expectations on his shoulders.

Arsenal are desperate to end their two-decade-long wait for a Premier League title, with Gyokeres widely seen as one of the potentially game-changing signings to help them do just that.

Arteta’s side take on Nottingham Forest in the early kick-off on Saturday following the return from internationals, and Gyokeres can take advantage of the visitors settling under new manager Ange Postecoglou.

A convincing display against Forest in a must-win game will do wonders to restore faith in Gyokeres, with Postecoglou’s brand of open, high-pressing football potentially playing right into the number nine’s hands.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!