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West Ham have strengthened heavily this transfer window with Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko and Jack Wilshere being the standout names.

However, manager Manuel Pellegrini could yet make further additions before the transfer window closes, although a rumoured target from Porto is unlikely to be one of them.

The Breakdown

Portuguese outlet O Jogo (via Inside Futbol) reports West Ham have been trying to sign Yacine Brahimi, but have been turned down by the Algerian winger.

Brahimi, who is valued at £23.4m by Transfermarkt, would have been a terrific acquisition for the Hammers. But looking at how much the Algeria international is likely to cost and what Pellegrini already has at his disposal in attack, it is hardly the end of the world.

Marko Arnautovic spent much of last season playing up front, but Pellegrini could return the Austrian back to the left-hand side, which happens to be Brahimi’s preferred position.

And while Anderson and Yarmolenko both enjoy playing on the right, given how much money was splashed out on the pair, instead of Arnautovic, Pellegrini could also end up pushing either one of the two onto the opposite flank in order to find a way to get both of his new signings into the side.

Furthermore, albeit a good one, Brahimi would be an expensive signing West Ham could live without.

West Ham, of course, have shown this summer that they have no problem spending big. But at this stage of the window, the Hammers are better off shifting their efforts elsewhere with other areas of the squad in need of more attention.

It was a a boring affair at St.Mary’s yesterday as Southampton drew 0-0 against Burnley to the frustration of Mark Hughes.

Summer acquisition Mohamed Elyounoussi and deadline-day signing Danny Ings were introduced in the second half to add fresh impetus, but it was not enough to help the Saints secure all three points.

And Hughes has since criticised his squad for not showing what they are truly capable of.

The Breakdown

Speaking after the game (via the Belfast Telegraph), Hughes said: “It was a little bit of frustration [kicking a bottle on the sideline] because I see these players every day and I know the quality they have in close quarters.

“But I don’t think we were brave enough early on.”

Hughes, however, was much more complimentary of the performance of Ings. “When he came on he looked as fresh as a daisy. He came on, retained the ball on the half-turn, running between the lines, and gave us a glimpse of what he will bring to the party,” the Southampton boss told BT Sport.

But while Ings’ cameo was promising and he should be able to score goals regularly for Southampton — if he can stay fit — Hughes will not doubt be asking for more from his attacking players.

Elyounoussi and Nathan Redmond, who was quite poor last season, will be expected to carve out opportunities for the likes of Ings and Charlie Austin.

The Saints do not have a tonne of attacking options to choose from so a lot of responsibility, in regards to chance creation, will fall upon the pair.

As well as the 11 goals he scored for Basel in the league last term, the Norwegian was also able to register eight assists, and that is the kind of creativity and overall threat  Southampton will need in the final third to avoid another relegation scrap.

It is still early days for Elyounoussi and Southampton, though, and a draw against Burnley who have become a very hard team to breakdown, is not a terrible result.

Arsenal are confident they will keep hold of Aaron Ramsey and tie him down to a new contract despite a number of big-money offers, according to The Mirror.

What’s the story?

The 27-year-old has now been at Arsenal for a decade since signing from Cardiff City and the midfielder has gone on to make over 200 league appearances for the club, scoring 36 goals.

The Wales international, who featured 24 times in the Premier League last season for the Gunners, only has one year left on his current deal, leading to fears he could be pinched on the cheap by a rival club.

According to the report, Manchester United, Chelsea, Lazio, Barcelona and a number of Chinese Super League clubs have shown interest in the midfielder, but now it looks like Arsenal have convinced him to stay and commit his future to the club.

Ramsey will reportedly hold out for a mega-deal from the club, but it comes as Unai Emery has been told to cut the club’s inflated wage bill.

Keep him

Unai Emery does have an inflated squad at Arsenal that he needs to trim, however, he needs to sort out the dead wood and the players that still have something to offer.

Aaron Ramsey has developed into a very important player for Arsenal, although it remains to be seen how he will fit in Emery’s new system, but fans won’t want to see another player leave on the cheap because of their contract situation such as Alexis Sanchez, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie.

The board should take a look at their rivals Tottenham Hotspur who consistently tie down their top talents to long-term deals well before they are in danger of running them down.

Even though Emery needs to trim the wage bill, he should still accommodate Ramsey and get rid of the other high earners at the club who haven’t warranted a new deal.

West Ham are ready to send Reece Oxford away on a season-long loan deal after changing their stance on the player, The Daily Mail states.

What’s the word?

One of the summer’s most lengthy sagas is showing no signs of coming to a halt as West Ham have changed their stance regarding Reece Oxford once again, with The Daily Mail stating Manuel Pellegrini is ready to send him on loan.

The 19-year-old spent last year with Borussia Monchengladbach, only returning to East London for a short cameo in January, and was a transfer target for the German side until Sky Sports reported that Oxford had committed his future to the Hammers.

That seemed to suggest that Oxford would get his head down and work to establish himself in the first-team but Pellegrini seems to have another plan in mind, as the Hammers will now seek to offload the teenager before the end of August.

The right move?

While Reece Oxford is likely to get more regular appearances on loan elsewhere, West Ham simply do not have the depth to allow the 19-year-old to leave and would certainly live to regret their decision further down the line.

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Capable of playing in midfield or at the heart of defence, the versatile teenager has the capabilities of becoming West Ham’s strongest candidate to play a holding midfield role in Pellegrini’s side – a position that has already caused problems this season.

Neither Jack Wilshere or Mark Noble are suited to the role, while 32-year-old summer acquisition Carlos Sanchez is not a long-term solution to a problem that has been present for the Hammers throughout the past few seasons.

Pedro Obiang remains a contender for the position but hasn’t managed to nail down a spot in recent years, raising questions on his suitability, while the Hammers also saw their depth take a hit in this area when Edimilson Fernandes was allowed to join Fiorentina on loan.

If Oxford does go it also suggests that Pellegrini isn’t willing to work with and improve the club’s young players – something that should concern the supporters who will always love to see youth starlets in the starting XI.

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Tottenham fans had to endure a frustrating transfer window as Mauricio Pochettino’s side failed to make any summer signings but performances on the field have been good.The Lilywhites have won both of their opening games in the Premier League and have enjoyed seeing arch-rivals Arsenal drop points, while they were also treated to seeing Manchester United suffer defeat on Sunday against Brighton.It gave Spurs fans a chance to keep a close eye on Anthony Martial, whoÂThe TelegraphÂstated was a transfer target for Pochettino’s side in the summer, and some expressed their delight at missing out on his services – while others suggest a bargain could be secured in January.After a falling out with Jose Mourinho in pre-season, Martial was a surprise starter in the 3-2 defeat at the hands of Brighton and now faces a fight to re-establish himself as a regular for the Red Devils with it being likely he will be dropped for this weekend’s mammoth clash against Spurs.You can find some of the best reactions from Twitter below, where Spurs fans gave their views on the France international’s performance.

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Derby County supporters in the Transfer Tavern have been somewhat happier in recent times after seeing their team get back to winning ways in the Championship earlier this week.

Frank Lampard’s men went into their clash with Ipswich Town at Pride Park on Tuesday night off the back of successive defeats at the hands of Millwall and Leeds United, thus leaving the Rams with just three points from their opening three games. Yet the East Midlands giants doubled their tally on Tuesday as goals from Joe Ledley and Tom Lawrence sealed a routine victory over Paul Hurst’s Tractor Boys, thus moving Derby up to 11th place in the Championship table.

Consequently, there have been many upbeat Rams fans up and down the country in recent times, although they are unlikely to be overly thrilled by the news that striker Nahki Wells has joined fellow Championship side Queens Park Rangers on loan for the rest of the season.

Lampard’s men were linked with a move for the £4.05 million-rated hotshot (as per Transfermarkt) earlier in the summer, and failure to bring the striker to Pride Park could well come back to haunt the East Midlands club.

Ultimately, the forward ranks at Derby have made a pretty slow start to the new campaign, as although attacker Tom Lawrence has netted three times so far this term, David Nugent is the only other forward to have bagged in the Championship.

And with the likes of Cameron Jerome and Chris Martin not even used by Lampard, and new signings Martyn Waghorn and Jack Marriott yet to get off the mark, one wonders whether another striking option could have benefitted the Rams as the season wears on.

And there aren’t too many better options in the second tier than striker Wells, who has scored a remarkable 45 goals in 144 appearances at Championship level, netting at least seven in all four campaigns he has played in the league.

Add in the fact that he has reached double figures in each of his last three seasons in the second tier, and it’s clear that the 28-year-old knows exactly where the back of the net is at Championship level – he’d surely be a huge asset to any side in the division.

Steve McClaren’s struggling QPR are the team that have managed to lure him away from Premier League side Burnley, but such has been their difficulties in failing to pick up a point from their opening four matches, Wells could well have been convinced by a move to a more progressive and upwardly-moving Derby.

And having been linked with the striker earlier in the summer, failing to clinch a deal for the 28-year-old could well come back to haunt Lampard’s men this season.

Derby fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to a recent report from L’Equipe, Benjamin Pavard has played down talk that he has agreed to join German giants Bayern Munich. The 22-year-old currently plays his football at Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart and has done so since 2016, in which time the defender has played 59 times for the club, although is probably best known for helping France win the World Cup during the summer.

And reports had linked the versatile defender to German champions Bayern, only for the £36 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) to play down that talk, which could leave the door ajar for Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham to make a move for the 22-year-old in January, given they were linked with him during the summer.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while Pavard has been a regular for Stuttgart in the last few years, it was his efforts at the World Cup in Russia during the summer which really made many aware of his capabilities, what with the defender starting six of their seven games en route to winning the competition, in which time he scored a sensational goal in victory over Argentina.

In fact, he played the whole tournament at right back to further underline his versatility having played much of his football at Stuttgart in the heart of the defence – as such, it’s hardly surprising that Spurs were interested in the Frenchman, what with the futures of centre back Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose uncertain throughout the summer.

And while the duo stayed at the North London club beyond the European deadline on August 31, their futures are again likely to be the source of speculation come January and then again in 12 months’ time, which is why news that Pavard has not agreed to join Bayern should be of keen interest to Pochettino.

Clearly, the 22-year-old has got huge ability as both a right back and indeed a centre back, and while he maybe didn’t enjoy a great start to the World Cup in the first game against Australia, he grew into the tournament to become a hugely integral member of Didier Deschamps’ team – he proved his capabilities on the biggest stage of all.

And at the tender age of 22, he is only likely to keep improving as a defender, and under the stewardship of Pochettino, who has a proven track record of developing young players, the Frenchman will surely flourish.

Add in the fact that victory in a World Cup will only do his confidence the world of good, and Pavard looks like exactly the sort of signing Tottenham should be targeting in January in a bid to improve their squad ahead of the second half of the season and beyond.

And having been linked with him during the summer, alongside the news that he hasn’t agreed a deal with Bayern, the door is surely ajar for Spurs to reignite their interest in the 22-year-old.

Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

After starting the season well with a 2-0 win away at Fulham, Crystal Palace have hit bit of a slump with three successive defeats against Liverpool, Watford and Southampton. 

Up front will be manager Roy Hodgson’s biggest concern with Christian Benteke having taken his struggles in front of goal from the previous campaign into this new one, while the team, as a whole, looks absolutely toothless in attack whenever star man Wilfried Zaha is unavailable.

In comparison, defensively, Crystal Palace look a much better and more balanced unit with Mamadou Sakho often putting in very commanding performances at the heart of Hodgson’s defence.

James Tomkins has also been decent at the back since arriving at Selhurst Park in 2016, but the addition of another English centre-half would undoubtedly make the Eagles even stronger in that department and ease any fears of a relegation scrap.

And that man is John Terry.

Terry is still a free agent having left Aston Villa in the summer after the expiration of his contract with the West Midlands club, and could make for a solid reinforcement in January once the Premier League registration window reopens.

Despite being 37 years of age, £900k-rated (via Transfermarkt) Terry still has plenty to offer. The former Chelsea and England captain has never had pace, relying on his reading of the game instead to halt attacks before they manifest into something dangerous.

Ultimately, Terry would add a calming presence to Crystal Palace’s defence and could form a strong central defensive partnership with Sakho or come in as cover for either the Frenchman or Tomkins.

Defence is not a pressing matter for the Eagles right now — or at least compared to attack — but, if for whatever reason Hodgson was interested in bringing in a centre-half in January, then it could be worth looking at Terry.

Aston Villa managed to keep hold of Jack Grealish during the summer transfer window despite strong interest from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

At one point, it appeared almost certain that Grealish would head for Spurs, but the 23-year-old stayed with Villa beyond the end of the summer transfer window.

[ffc_insert title=”Check out the Big Interview with Ben Dinnery & Johnny Wilson” name=”Fixture In Focus Podcast Special” image_ link=”https://fixtureinfocus.podiant.co/e/369d9b4fb86294/” link_text=”Click here to play”]

There is no question that he is a huge talent, and on form, is Villa’s best player, and probably one of the biggest threats in the Championship.

Grealish has only managed one assist from eight Championship matches this term, however, and has found it very difficult to make his mark in a number of games.

Villa returned to winning ways in the Championship with a 2-0 success over Rotherham United on Tuesday night, with Grealish playing the whole match at left wing.

The Villa fans were not impressed with the 5ft 9in ace’s performance, however, and many have taken to social media to reveal their displeasure.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Everton will be taking on a West Ham United team that have not picked up a single win since the Premier League season began.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side have lost all four of their matches – the only club in the division to do so.

Despite this, it would be understandable if some Everton fans were nervous about Sunday’s meeting at Goodison Park due to their injury woes.

Marco Silva is expected to be without Phil Jagielka, Seamus Coleman, Michael Keane, Andre Gomes, Yerry Mina, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and a handful more.

On top of that Richarlison is serving a ban following his recent sending-off, which means that the Toffees have a limited team to choose from.

The Merseyside outfit have had a mixed bag of results since the season began.

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Silva’s team have not lost a game but they have picked up just two wins in five outings in all competitions, with one of those victories coming in the Premier League.

On Reddit, some fans have been discussing the club’s injury crisis.

Do the Football Gods just hate us? from r/Everton

Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.

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