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West Ham expect to lose Declan Rice to a Champions League side next year, regardless of where they place this season.

The Lowdown: Constant improvement

Having earned the role as the Irons’ skipper at the tender age of 23, Rice is clearly valued in more ways than one. His emergence into stardom has been sensational, and he has continually improved specific parts of his game.

For instance, last season, he struggled to create chances from midfield and was arguably too conservative in his approach play.

He ended the season with just 24 chances created, and has almost matched that with just 15 games played, ranking as the Hammers’ second-most creative attacking threat this season with 19 chances created, leading the charge for most assists with two.

The latest: Expected to leave

According to a report from Football Insider, sources expect West Ham’s £62k-per-week talisman to depart the London Stadium, with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2024.

Whilst the Hammers have the option of another 12-month extension according to the report, as the piece states, the next couple of windows represent the last realistic chance of securing a favourable fee for the England World Cup star.

The Verdict: True sentiment

Whilst West Ham will be doing everything they can to keep hold of Rice, ultimately he is destined to depart the side in search of Champions League football, having stated his goals in an interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap.

He may not achieve that at the London Stadium, which is why he will inevitably seek pastures new. Ultimately, West Ham will want to keep him as long as possible, but the report reflects true sentiment in the fact that his price tag will dwindle down with each window that passes by.

Next year could well be the year.

Nottingham Forest striker Hwang Ui-Jo is set to cut short his loan with Olympiacos to return to the Premier League, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Underwhelming spell

The South Korean arrived at the City Ground from Bordeaux over the summer but was immediately sent out on a season-long loan to the Super League giants in a bid to show what he’s capable of.

However, that has not proven to be the case with the 30-year-old having provided just one assist in ten games, and seeing as his loan club are unhappy with his level of performance, he is now expected to come back to the Midlands ahead of time.

The Latest: Forest set for Ui-Jo return

According to Greek outlet Sport Time (via Sport Witness), Ui-Jo is in his ‘last days’ at Olympiacos, and is set to be returned to Forest in January ‘after only 6 months’.

It’s stated that Evangelos Marinakis’ second club are ‘preparing’ to bid farewell having ‘never escaped mediocrity’, with there even being a possibility of him returning before the start of the World Cup.

The Verdict: Blessing in disguise?

Whilst Ui-Jo’s loan hasn’t exactly gone as planned, he’s previously been hailed ‘wonderful’ by former Bordeaux manager Jean-Louis Gasset, and getting him back early could be a blessing in disguise if he can just find a little bit of form and confidence.

The forward scored 11 goals and had two assists to his name last season which is what would have attracted Forest to him in the first place, and who’s to say he couldn’t replicate that form under Steve Cooper.

The Reds are currently sitting rock bottom of the table, but a fresh face in the final third could be just what they need to find the winning formula and start turning their season around.

West Ham United are back in action at home to Danish outfit Silkeborg this evening, with David Moyes’ side looking to maintain their perfect start to the Europa Conference League group stage campaign.

The Hammers’ upcoming opponents had provided them with a stern test when the two sides met earlier this season, however, with the east London outfit only narrowly securing victory following what was an entertaining encounter in Denmark.

That triumph notably saw summer signing Gianluca Scamacca get himself on the scoresheet in stunning fashion with a thumping finish from just outside the area, with the Italian international likely hoping to repeat that feat at the London Stadium later today.

The hope will be that Moyes persists with the £35.5m man against Kent Nielsen’s side despite the towering marksman’s struggles of late, with the imposing gem having produced an underwhelming display against Bournemouth on Monday evening.

That victory saw the £90k-per-week titan record just 30 touches from his 74-minute outing, with the former Sassuolo man notably losing possession on 12 occasions, having been somewhat wasteful in his centre-forward berth.

Such a limp showing had followed another anonymous display against Liverpool at Anfield last week, with Scamacca having notably squandered a potential opening late on after lashing his effort high and wide from the angle.

That being said, any trip to Merseyside is a typically gruelling affair for any visiting side, while Scamacca did at least showcase flashes of his quality against the Cherries earlier this week, notably laying on three key passes as a sign of his creative flair.

While he has failed to score in his last three league games, the £27m-rated ace still boasts six goals in 16 games across all fronts this season, with that tally still making him the club’s top scorer so far this term.

A player who can “cause nightmares” for any opposition, according to Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson, the nine-cap menace notably has two goals to his name in just four group-stage games this season, with the hope being that he can add to that tally tonight.

While Moyes may see the wisdom in giving the one-time Genoa loanee a rest amid this hectic run of fixtures, the Scotsman could be bettered served allowing the new man to continue to find his rhythm in his new surroundings.

Getting back amongst the goals against unfancied opponents could well be an ideal confidence booster for Scamacca.

Leeds United have welcomed a number of exciting talents to Elland Road during Victor Orta’s tenure as the club’s director of football, with Joe Gelhadrt, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, Darko Gyabi, Sonny Perkins and Mateo Joseph – amongst others – all arriving in LS11 over the last three years.

However, while a number of these players are either already a regular part of Jesse Marsch’s first team squad or catching the eye in Michael Skubala’s U21 side, there is one youngster Orta brought into the club who has arguably been of the Whites’ best signings in recent memory – Illan Meslier.

Indeed, after impressing during a season-long loan spell back in 2019/20, Leeds paid FC Lorient just £5m to make the goalkeeper’s temporary switch a permanent move in the summer of 2020 – with the 22-year-old having more than proved worth at least ten times this outlay in the time since.

Indeed, the £35m-rated shot-stopper highly impressed over his first two seasons in the top flight, making an average of 4.0 and 3.8 saves per game in 20/21 and 21/22 respectively – the second-most and most of any ‘keeper each season – as well as averaging SofaScore match ratings of 7.13 and 6.87 – ranking him as Leeds’ third-best and sixth-best performer in each respective campaign.

It has been a similar case over the £22k-per-week talent’s seven Premier League appearances so far this season, having kept two clean sheets and made an average of 3.3 saves – at a success rate of 70% – per game, with these metrics seeing the France U21 international average a SofaScore match rating of 6.93 – ranking him as the Whites’ sixth-best player in the league.

And, following the youngster’s show-stopping display in the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday, former Leeds defender Matthew Kilgallon stated his belief that Meslier is now one of the leading goalkeepers in the top flight in one-on-one situations.

In comments cited by The Yorkshire Post, the 38-year-old said:

“He came out waving a few times, didn’t he? But do you know what I like about him, he’ll come out again. And he did, and he caught one in the second half. That’s what I like about him. You can tell he’s a confident lad. His one-on-one saves, he’s probably the best in the league, in my opinion.”

As such, considering his extraordinary development over the past two years, in addition to the fact that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are reported to be interested in the goalkeeper, it is clear to see that Orta very much hit the jackpot on the “unreal” – in the words of Graham Smyth – Meslier.

Tottenham Hotspur’s spotless start to the 2022/23 campaign came to a disappointing end on Tuesday evening, with Antonio Conte’s side succumbing to a 2-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon in their second Champions League group stage fixture.

Despite creating two big chances and taking 12 shots – five of which hit the target – at Sporting’s goal, the usually reliable trifecta of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Richarlison all endured something of an evening to forget at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Meanwhile, another of Spurs’ typically solid trios – that of Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies – also had a stinker against their Portuguese opposition, with two last-gasp goals from Paulinho and Arthur Gomes seeing Lisbon take all three points.

However, despite the largely underwhelming collective performance of the Tottenham side on Tuesday evening, there was nevertheless one bright spark for Conte on the night – in the shape of left wing-back sensation, Ivan Perisic.

Indeed, the 33-year-old summer signing once again proved that, despite his advancing years, he is nonetheless one of Spurs’ most creative and hard-working players at present – turning in yet another display of the highest quality against Sporting.

Over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £17m-rated defender enjoyed 68 touches of the ball – the third-most of any Tottenham player – completed three of his four attempted dribbles, found his man with two of his nine attempted crosses and created one of his side’s two big chances – a first-half cross put on a plate for Richarlison, who headed at the goalkeeper.

The £178k-per-week wing-back also worked incredibly hard in a defensive capacity, making five tackles and winning 10 duels – at a success rate of 62.5% – with these returns seeing the Croat earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.5 – the best of any Spurs player.

Furthermore, Alasdair Gold also appeared impressed with the performance of Perisic, with the football.london journalist awarding the flanker an eight in his own player ratings – the highest aside from Hugo Lloris’ nine – as well as stating of his display:

“Crafted a couple of first-half chances for Richarlison and Emerson and further opportunities in the second half that should have been put away. An excellent creative outlet down the left for Spurs and used all of his experience for much of the match.”

As such, while Conte will undoubtedly be looking to put Tottenham’s first loss of the 2022/23 campaign behind him as quickly as possible, the performance of Perisic was undoubtedly one of the few positives in an otherwise disappointing Spurs display.

Leeds United are considering making a late move for long-term transfer target Ryan Kent.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that, with Daniel James being linked with a move away from Elland Road this summer – with both Tottenham Hotspur and Everton believed to be keen on the 24-year-old – Victor Orta could be tempted to reignite his long-term interest in a £15m move for the Glasgow Rangers winger in the coming days.

The report goes on to touch on the Whites’ failed attempt to bring the Scotland international to the Premier League back in the summer of 2020, however, with one year remaining on his current contract at Ibrox, previous reports have suggested that the former Liverpool forward would be open to a move away from Glasgow this summer.

Orta can bin James with Kent

Considering the contrasting returns of Kent and James over the course of the past 12 months, should an opportunity arise for Orta to swap the latter for the former over the remainder of the summer transfer window, it is something the Whites’ sporting director simply must grasp with both hands.

Indeed, after sealing a £30m move to Elland Road last summer, the £16.2m-rated James failed to impress over his 34 Premier League appearances last term, scoring just four goals – despite being deployed up top 14 times – providing four assists and creating five big chances, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 0.8 key passes and completing 0.6 dribbles per game.

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These metrics saw the £50k-per-week forward who Graeme Souness dubbed “reckless” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.64, ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s joint ninth-worst performer in the top flight of English football last time out.

In comparison, over Kent’s 26 Scottish Premiership appearances in 2021/22, the £15.75m-rated winger was in much more impressive form, scoring two goals, registering eight assists and creating 10 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.5 shots, making 1.7 key passes and completing 2.0 dribbles per fixture.

These returns saw the £52k-per-week attacker who Steven Gerrard labelled “dangerous” average a SofaScore match rating of 7.06 – a rating which, should he have achieved at Leeds last season, would have ranked him as the Whites’ best performing outfielder in the Premier League.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old also played a key role in Rangers’ widely unexpected run to the 2021/22 Europa League final, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating five big chances over his 13 appearances in the competition – averaging an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.08.

As such, should Leeds manage to bring in a reported £20m for James in the coming days, it would appear highly advisable for Orta to immediately spend a potential £15m of this money on the Rangers sensation, as it is evident that the Scotland international would represent a huge upgrade on the 24-year-old Welshman.

Crystal Palace are making moves towards their fifth signing of the summer transfer window, with reports suggesting that Sasa Lukic could join Patrick Vieira’s side from Torino.

What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet TuttoSport (via Sport Witness), the Eagles have been in contact with the Serie A side about the signing of Lukic, although they will face competition from Napoli and Sevilla.

They claim that the Serbia international has refused to train after the club failed to fulfil contract promises, which suggests that an exit could well be on the cards before the transfer window shuts later this month.

It’s thought the player could cost €20m (£16.8m) this summer.

Vieira needs him

Vieira has gone some way towards replacing Conor Gallagher at Palace with the signing of Cheick Doucoure, but the Englishman left a big gap at Selhurst Park and more midfield additions could be required if the Eagles are going to push on.

Last season saw Lukic enjoy arguably the best season of his career, as he made 35 appearances for Torino in Serie A, in which he contributed five goals and four assists, averaging a solid 6.85 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

If he had produced the same level of performance for Palace in the Premier League, then he would have been ranked as the third-best performer behind Gallagher and Wilfried Zaha, which goes to show the quality that he could add to Vieira’s squad.

He also would have been joint third with Odsonne Edouard for overall goal contributions, which suggests that he can add a real threat from midfield. That was something Palace lacked last season, as only Gallagher regular contributed in that aspect, with no other central midfielder finding the back of the net in the Premier League.

Lukic has captained Torino in recent seasons so would also add some real leadership to the squad at Selhurst Park, while at just 26 years old, he could become a mainstay in Palace’s younger-looking side for years to come.

Therefore, with an exit seemingly on the cards for Lukic, Vieira should do all he can to ensure that Lukic becomes Crystal Palace’s fifth signing of the summer. He could just fill that Gallager-shaped hole that’s currently staring the French manager in the face.

Sunderland would be wise to follow the signing of Ellis Simms with the capture of Nathan Broadhead, according to Roker Report writer and podcaster Philip West.

The Lowdown: Broadhead impresses on loan

The 24-year-old enjoyed an impressive spell on loan at the Stadium of Light last season, playing his part in them eventually being promoted to the Championship.

Broadhead scored ten goals in just 15 starts in League One and was also hailed as ‘fantastic’ by former Black Cats manager Lee Johnson, such was his impact.

Now back at Everton, he has again been linked with a return to Sunderland, with his future very much up in the air and his teammate, Simms, already moving to Wearside this week.

The Latest: Podcaster wants summer move to happen

Someone who is keen for the move to happen is West, who took to Twitter to get behind the signing on Friday:

“I don’t want to be too greedy regarding signings (I do really) but if we could add Nathan Broadhead after the loan deal for Ellis Simms, that really gives us some considerable firepower. Would love it to happen.”

The Verdict: Ideal for attacking depth

Given the manner in which Broadhead shone for Sunderland last season, it makes perfect sense for them to bring him back again, even if it is on a permanent deal.

He only has one year remaining on his current Everton contract and the Toffees may be keen to sell him for a reduced amount, rather than risk losing him for free next summer.

Broadhead could come in and enjoy both a partnership and competition with the likes of Ross Stewart and Simms, ensuring the Black Cats are well-equipped to steer clear of the Championship relegation battle in 2022/23.

West Ham United are in pole position to clinch the signing of free agent Jesse Lingard, according to the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones. 

The lowdown

The 29-year-old is currently without a club after leaving Manchester United at the end of his contract. He memorably spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan at the London Stadium, playing 16 games in which he scored nine goals and provided five assists.

It looks like he may become the Hammers’ third signing of the summer after centre-back Nayef Aguerd joined from Rennes and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola made his loan move permanent.

Even though the Irons won’t have to fork out a transfer fee, it’s still fair to say Lingard won’t come cheap, with Football Insider claiming that he has asked for a wage of £150,000 per week.

The latest

The Daily Mail reported that Lingard is ‘ready’ to sign for West Ham and snub his other suitors, a list which also includes Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.

The midfielder ‘enjoyed’ his previous stint at the London Stadium and will be hoping to pick up where he left off if he does return to the Stratford venue.

The verdict

It would actually have been best for all parties had Lingard signed for West Ham last summer.

Manchester United would actually have banked a transfer fee for a player who is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, rather than losing him for nothing this year, while the Hammers would have got their hands on a player who, as mentioned early, previously thrived in David Moyes’ side.

The 29-year-old ultimately spent much of the 2021/22 season watching on from the sidelines – indeed, he only played 355 top-flight minutes between August and May.

He bagged just two goals, one of which was ironically a late winner away to West Ham in September 2021. Fatefully, that went a long way towards the Red Devils pipping the Irons for sixth place in the final standings, consigning Moyes’ team to the Europa Conference League next season.

BBC Sport’s Shamon Hafez called it a ‘stunning’ goal, so the Hammers will be relieved to have Lingard back on their side if they can strike a deal for their former loanee.

A huge Newcastle United update has emerged on their pursuit of Moussa Diaby in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

90min reporter Graeme Bailey has claimed that PIF are eyeing up a mega bid to sign the France international dynamo ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He Tweeted: “Newcastle United ready record-breaking offer for Moussa Diaby. Outstanding Frenchman is at the top of Eddie Howe’s wanted list when it comes to a new winger. NUFC have already done a lot of work on him and think they can get him.”

In the accompanying article, it is stated that the Magpies believe that they can get a deal done with an offer in the region of £40m – a hefty profit for the Bundesliga club on the £12m they paid PSG for his services in 2019.

Hit the jackpot

Chronicle editor Aaron Stokes recently claimed that the club would hit the “jackpot” with a deal for the forward and that perfectly describes what this move would be.

PIF would be striking gold with a swoop for the winger as his statistics suggest that he has the potential to be an elite attacker in the Premier League.

In the English top-flight last term, only three players ended the campaign in double figures for both goals and assists – Mason Mount, Jarrod Bowen, and Mo Salah – and no player managed more than 13 assists.

Diaby, meanwhile, scored 13 goals and provided 12 assists in the Bundesliga for Leverkusen last season. This means that he would have been one of the top-performing forwards in England and only one assist off taking home the playmaker crown with his tally in Germany.

At the age of 22, he also has plenty of time left on his hands to develop and improve as a player. The Magpies would, therefore, be signing a player with huge potential as he can grow over time and fulfil his potential, with the right attitude and coaching.

Four players have either been bought or sold by Premier League teams in excess of £100m and 11 deals have been done between £70m and £100m.

This illustrates how much money the top performers in the division are worth to clubs and Diaby’s stats – in relation to the best attackers in England last season – suggest that he has the quality to be in that bracket.

Therefore, PIF can hit the jackpot with a deal in the region of £40m as they could be signing a player worth double – or even more than – that if the Frenchman hits the ground running in the Premier League. They could then cash in to make a huge profit in the future or enjoy his talents for many years to come.

AND in other news, PIF plotting NUFC swoop to sign “sensational” £60m “baller”, imagine him & Botman…