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Sky Sports co-commentator Andy Hinchcliffe was full of praise for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice during the Hammers’ 2-1 victory against Everton on Sunday afternoon. 

The lowdown: Ever rising stock

The 23-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence over the last two seasons and has quickly become one of the first names on the team-sheet for both club and country.

Despite failing to make the headlines thanks to Aaron Cresswell’s stunning strike and the goalscoring return of Jarrod Bowen, the man recently heralded as a £150million player was at the heart of yet another workmanlike victory for David Moyes’ side.

As per Sofascore, the midfield enforcer enjoyed 95 touches, blocked two shots on goal and completed an outstanding 77/82 passes (94%%) in a 7.20/10-rated outing.

The latest: Praise from Hinchcliffe

Speaking during Sky Sports’ live coverage at the London Stadium, ex-Everton man Hinchcliffe was full of praise for Rice: “Such an important player. He provides that screen in front of the West Ham backline and gets back in time and time again. He reads the game so effectively.”

That reading of the game was evident in the performance against the Toffees as the 29-cap England ace completed three interceptions during 90 minutes (Sofascore) to help the hosts towards three points.

The verdict: Colossus

Even in light of the eye-watering valuations being branded about, Rice continues to justify the plaudits with each passing display.

Seemingly capable of taking each and every game in his giant stride, the £67.5million-valued star has blossomed as a player under the tutelage of Moyes in east London and so far this season has added eight direct goal contributions to an already well-rounded game (Transfermarkt).

With the dominant Englishman in this kind of form, West Ham supporters may feel a tilt at the Premier League top four and possible Europa League glory is not beyond the realms of possibility.

In other news, West Ham suspends fresh contract talks with star player. Find out who it is here.

Liverpool are set to complete the signing of highly-rated Celtic midfielder Ben Doak, according to Football Insider.

What’s the story?

According to their sources, now that the Reds have agreed the signing of Fulham’s Fabio Carvalho, they are close to agreeing on a deal for the Celtic teenager who has already been pictured holding a Liverpool shirt.

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The 16-year old is set to sign an initial three-year deal with Liverpool paying around £600k in compensation to the Scottish club. It’s understood that to begin with he will play for the club’s development side.

More exciting than Carvalho

Fabio Carvalho has lit up the Championship this season, with 14 goal contributions in 29 appearances, so we know an awful lot about how good he is.

However, the fact we know less about Doak, and that Liverpool are signing the youngster for such a fee for his age, makes this one more exciting and intriguing.

He has already made two senior appearances for the Hoops, one of which was as a late substitute in an Old Firm game which shows just how highly thought of he is in Scotland.

Where he has excelled is at youth level for his country. Doak has made six appearances for Scotland U17’s scoring four times, which included a hat-trick in a 6-1 rout against Georgia last month.

He’s been described in glowing terms as a “generational” talent by Bhoys Analytics and will be looking to the likes of his fellow countryman Andy Robertson when judging how successful a move to Anfield can be.

Doak rejected a professional contract from Celtic to move south of the border and sign for Jurgen Klopp’s side. Whilst this may seem like a bold decision, it’s not every day that you get offered the chance to sign for one of the best teams in Europe.

He is a wide player with the ability to play on the wing and in the full-back position, adding a further string to his bow, with Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou describing him as a “fantastic kid” who is “composed” for his age.

It was reported by The Athletic that Leeds were also interested in signing the teenager but Liverpool managed to seal the deal first.

Overall it’s an extremely exciting signing, he may not feature in the first team straight away but with a lot of clubs interested, he must be special. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on how he progresses through a Liverpool set-up that is known for developing great players.

IN other news: Fewer touches than Alisson: Liverpool gem who won just 16.6% duels let his side down

Tottenham Hotspur could yet move for a centre-back on deadline day…

What’s the word?

The north London outfit are closing in on the double swoop for Juventus duo Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski but it appears they may not be done just yet with hours left to go in the window.

That’s according to reliable Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, who delivered an exciting claim to GIVEMESPORT today. He said:

“At centre-back, I believe – effectively – we could see a rabbit out of the hat. But that could hinge on outgoings.”

Much-needed addition

Spurs manager Antonio Conte is adding some solid depth to his Spurs squad in the aforementioned signings  – the Uruguay international adds a better option in the engine room with club-record flop Tanguy Ndombele on his way out, whilst the Swede offers a hugely versatile presence in the attack.

However, that isn’t enough if he’s to truly get the north London outfit back in the top four. The Italian head coach has already worked his magic, losing only one league game since his arrival in November, so just imagine what he could do with a couple more additions.

It’s thought that he requested signings in three priority positions, whilst there has always been suggestions of a desire to bolster his backline, where the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga have struggled to look the part in recent months.

Spurs have been linked to a number of options in the role, including Conte’s ex-Inter beast Stefan de Vrij, Milan’s arch-rival captain Alessio Romagnoli and sensationally, Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt, who sporting director Fabio Paratici has signed before.

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All three would be outstanding additions to Spurs’ squad but time is running out if they are to secure any one of them, if not any other central defender.

If the Lilywhites can land Conte a new colossus late on in the January transfer window, then both he and the fanbase will surely be absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Spurs eye club-record swoop BEFORE deadline, it’s Conte’s dream signing…

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their Premier League meeting with Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via the official Tottenham website), Antonio Conte revealed that, despite withdrawing from the Wales squad ahead of their friendly against Czech Republic on Tuesday, Ben Davies will be available for tomorrow’s visit of the Magpies.

Regarding the current condition of the 28-year-old, the Spurs boss said: “Ben is okay. He had a little problem, but he’s available.”

Great news for Tottenham

Considering just how important Davies has been to this Tottenham side since Conte’s arrival in north London last November, the news that the defender has recovered from his knock in time for Sunday is undoubtedly great news for Spurs.

Indeed, following the 52-year-old’s move to the club, the £18m-rated left-back has featured in all but one of the Italian’s 27 games in charge, with 25 of these coming as starts, most often on the left of Tottenham’s three-man defence.

Of Davies’ 23 appearances as one of Spurs’ three central defenders this season, the £60k-per-week Welshman has impressed, averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.81 – slightly better than his 6.79 rating over nine outings at left-back.

As such, the news that the 28-year-old will be fit to face Newcastle this weekend will certainly come as a huge boost to Conte and Tottenham, especially considering the club’s considerable lack of depth at left centre-back, with the position being one of Fabio Paratici’s priority targets in the summer transfer window.

AND in other news: Paratici plotting £59m bid for 24 y/o “appreciated by Conte”, he’s “perfect” for Spurs

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Kurt Zouma returns from his one-match suspension for the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Goodison Park on Sunday and could take his place in the starting XI, but he may have an unexpected issue to deal with.

On the chalkboard

The Chelsea loanee missed the 3-0 win against Cardiff City in Wales on Tuesday night as a result of his dismissal against Watford earlier this month, but the 24-year-old is available again for the massive derby clash with the Premier League title hopefuls.

While Phil Jagielka came in and kept a clean sheet against the Bluebirds alongside Michael Keane with Yerry Mina on the substitutes’ bench, it is the partnership between Zouma and Keane that has seemingly become Marco Silva’s preferred one.

Should the Frenchman get the nod at the weekend he may well have thought he would be competing against either Roberto Firmino or Mo Salah, but instead it could be Sadio Mane.

Tough opponent

Not many would have predicted that Jurgen Klopp would start the Senegal international through the middle against Watford on Wednesday in Firmino’s absence through injury, given the German had Salah, Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi to choose from.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

However, that is exactly what he did and the former Southampton man impressed in the centre, scoring two goals in the opening 20 minutes of the 5-0 success against the Hornets.

Mane has the pace and sheer unpredictability that perhaps someone like Firmino doesn’t, and even if the Brazilian is back it is the African star that could keep the spot he excelled in during the week, considering he can also play behind the striker or out wide.

That isn’t good news for Zouma, as even though he can be relatively quick when he wants to be he may not have the mobility to deal with the twists and turns of the 26-year-old.

A finance expert has now dropped an exciting Everton revelation involving Farhad Moshiri and the Bramley Moore stadium project.

The Lowdown: American interest

As per The Daily Mail, the Goodison Park faithful have now attracted interest from American bidders willing to pay £350m to buy them.

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Moshiri is looking for outside investment to help fund the Bramley Moore project, after investing more than £500m in the Merseyside club since his arrival.

The Latest: Maguire reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, finance expert Kieran Maguire has now given his reaction to the reported interest, revealing that Moshiri thinks that the Bramley Moore project will ‘turn things around financially’:

“If the £350m means Moshiri writing off his debt then they would be getting it at a discount.

“Moshiri effectively bought them for £175m. Since then, he has added to the club by lending it large sums of money.

“He would end up having to take cut in terms of the total he has invested into Everton. A lot will depend on how he feels on a long-term basis.

“The noises I’ve heard from Everton are that he is committed and believes the Bramley Moore project will turn things around financially.

“That will coincide with things improving on the pitch as well because the more resources you have coming in, the more you can spend on new signings.

“As far as new owners would be concerned, they’d have to fund the stadium. So, it’s £350m plus the £400m to £500m that the stadium is going to cost.“

The Verdict: Exciting

Given the concern for the Toffees in terms of the losses recorded in their financial accounts, the fact that the Bramley Moore project could ‘turn things around financially’ is certainly exciting.

Of course, new investment would help with that, whether that is Moshiri continuing to show his commitment or the American businessmen coming in.

The stadium is going to cost a lot of money in itself, but the Blues would hope that the money generated from its initial construction would surpass that, and so they could find themselves in a better financial position, while the supporters get to enjoy the new stadium.

Nonetheless, the club need a boost after what has happened to them on the pitch this season, and the new stadium should go some way in providing that.

In other news, find out which ‘real leader’ has now emerged as an EFC target here!

This forms part of our Loan Watch series, where The Transfer Tavern analyse how one club’s player is doing on loan based on a recent performance.

The Lowdown: January loan

Ellis Simms was sent out on loan to Hearts by Everton in the January transfer window and has since scored six goals in 16 games across all competitions for the Scottish Premiership outfit (Transfermarkt).

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It has been reported that Farhad Moshiri is now plotting a ‘major’ overhaul of the squad in the summer, including potentially selling both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, so the majority owner at Goodison Park will now have to decide what to do with Simms once he comes back from his loan spell in Edinburgh.

The Latest: Simms scores

After coming off of the bench in the 72nd minute, Simms ended up scoring the winner for Hearts just 11 minutes later as they beat Dundee United 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in their first game after the late-season Premiership split.

The striker, who also achieved a 100% pass success rate in his short cameo, made an instant impact, and looks to be blossoming into a fine player at just 21 years of age.

The Verdict: Keep him!

If Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison are sold, and Everton find themselves relegated from the Premier League, Frank Lampard’s team must be looking to keep Simms in the senior squad for next season.

The youngster made his plenty of goals already at youth level, so he has already shown his credentials to play more regularly for the club.

Nonetheless, his performances and goals for Hearts are surely giving Moshiri a headache as he weighs up whether to sell Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, which in turn would then potentially open up a pathway for Simms.

In other news, find out which Toffees duo were deemed ’embarrassing’ against Liverpool

Southampton are reportedly in advanced talks over the potential signing of Brazilian attacking midfielder Tete as a free agent from Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk.

What’s the story?

According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, the Saints have held advanced discussions with the 22-year-old, on whom Premier League rivals Brentford and Leicester City are also keen, whilst the midfielder has received offers from AC Milan, Atalanta and Benfica.

The Daily Mail reported earlier this month that Brazilian players at Shakhtar Donetsk are looking to terminate their contracts with the Ukrainian outfit prematurely given Russia’s invasion of the country.

Tete is one of 12 Brazilians at Shakhtar and, at just 22 years of age, he certainly appears to be a bright prospect.

Hasenhuttl must secure Tete’s signature

It’s no secret that signing young players and developing them is in Southampton’s transfer blueprint under Ralph Hasenhuttl, as the acquisitions of Tino Livramento, Armando Broja and Kyle Walker-Peters have shown, and Tete certainly fits that bill.

The attacking midfielder already boasts a plethora of experience, having made a combined 27 appearances in both the Champions League and Europa League whilst playing 108 times for the Ukrainian giants, scoring 31 goals and setting up another 15 in that time.

Valued at £18m, the prospect of signing the midfielder, who prefers playing on the right flank, on a free transfer would certainly be a mouth-watering deal for the Saints, who are all but certain to compete in the top flight once again next season.

In fact, there is still a genuine possibility of Hasenhuttl’s side securing their first top-half finish in five years, as they sit 11th with nine league matches remaining.

The Saints struggled to score in the early stages of the season but the return of Stuart Armstrong has provided a major boost.

Since the Scotland international returned from a calf injury at the back end of 2021, Southampton have picked up 18 points in 12 league matches whilst also reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, showing how instrumental the 29-year-old has been for Hasenhuttl’s side.

There’s certainly competition for places in attacking midfield, with the likes of Nathan Redmond, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Nathan Tella, Theo Walcott, Moussa Djenepo and Will Smallbone all playing there at some point this season.

However, there is only room for two wide 10s operating on each flank in the Austrian’s preferred 4-2-2-2 setup, so if Tete is to join Southampton, other players may need to be moved on to accommodate the Brazilian.

Nonetheless, just imagine the prospect of him and Armstrong wreaking havoc in the final third at St Mary’s. It’s one that Hasenhuttl would surely love.

In other news – Forget Broja: Ralph must unleash 17-year-old Saints prodigy who “leads the line very well”

Tottenham Hotspur failed to find Antonio Conte a new right wing-back in January but there could be a ready-made solution already at the club.

And it’s not Emerson Royal or Matt Doherty…

January disaster

According to The Times, the Italian head coach was keen to bolster the right flank with a new option as he does not believe that the Brazilian, who was signed from Barcelona in the summer, fits the profile he needs in the final third.

Similarly, the Ireland international was made available for a transfer but evidently, no departure materialised.

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers powerhouse Adama Traore emerged as a key target, but it’s thought that the Spaniard rejected the opportunity as he had doubts over playing a wing-back role, before he rejoined Barcelona instead.

Tariq Lamptey of Brighton and Hove Albion was also considered but that was seen as too expensive to even bother pursuing.

Academy solution?

With lingering doubts over his only two senior options at right wing-back, Conte could do little wrong in promoting Marcel Lavinier from the academy as the 21-year-old continues to make his mark.

The youngster was part of Spurs’ 25-man squad for the UEFA Europa Conference League and unlike the aforementioned first-team duo, he offers rapid acceleration and pace that’ll undoubtedly cause trouble in the final third and will only help in tracking back.

‘Lavinier loves to get forward and is very direct – often looking up and aiming to ping balls into the area, but he’s an equally competent defender,’ claim the Daily Mail.

‘His confidence is boosted by how comfortable he is on the ball – he’s a decent finisher for a defender and has considerable technique, making him a great option as an attacking full-back.’

Lavinier left Chelsea for Hotspur Way and it was surprising that the Champions of Europe didn’t stand in his way, having contributed three goals and eight assists across the U18 and U21 squads, per Transfermarkt.

He has also already tasted 16 minutes of first-team action, having been handed a debut by Jose Mourinho last season, so he wouldn’t be overawed by the prospect of battling Emerson and Doherty for that starting XI spot.

Under the right coaching, Lavinier could really blossom into the attacking wing-back that Conte is so desperate for at Spurs. There will not be a better manager to make this happen, so the Italian should turn to the young U21 speed demon in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops intriguing claim about Spurs’ summer plans…

Southampton will look to return to winning ways in the Premier League this afternoon as they make the short trip down the south coast to take on Graham Potter’s high-flying Brighton.

Having ended a run of no win in six with a 1-0 victory over Arsenal, the Saints returned to their bad habits, losing 2-0 at lowly Burnley on Thursday evening.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men are safe, but a top-half finish looked extremely possible a month ago with a place in the top ten come the end of the season now looking a tall task.

However, the Saints will leapfrog the Seagulls with a victory at the AMEX Stadium today, so, who should Hasenhuttl entrust to oversee victory on the south coast?

Here is how Football FanCast expects Southampton to line up in Sussex:

Saints XI: Forster, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Salisu, Perraud, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, S. Armstrong, Elyounoussi, Adams, Broja.

Having played around with different formations of late, we expect Hasenhuttl to return to his favoured 4-2-2-2 set-up with the use of a back-five offering inconsistent results in the last two matches.

After an exceptional game against Arsenal and another bright display at Turf Moor, Fraser Forster keeps his place in between the sticks as expected.

However, there is a change in the defence as Mohamed Salisu returns to the starting lineup, having been dropped after the 6-0 defeat to Chelsea two weeks ago.

The Ghanaian is undoubtedly the Saints’ best defender but had been under par for a handful of games, hence Hasenhuttl proving to the 23-year-old that his place in the side isn’t guaranteed.

Jan Bednarek keeps his place whilst Yan Valery and Lyanco drop out to allow the change of formation.

The former has been developed into a centre-back this season having notoriously been a right-back but has a bad habit of proving unreliable when handed a run of games, with The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon labelling the £16k-per-week 23-year-old a “weak link” in the defence.

As expected, Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse continue their partnership in central midfield whilst Stuart Armstrong and Mohamed Elyounoussi will look to provide width and creativity against a solid Seagulls side that have conceded 40 goals in 33 matches.

The final change comes up front, with Che Adams making his return to the side, having been an unused substitute against Arsenal and coming off of the bench against Burnley.

The £18m-rated striker has netted eight goals this term and has looked his best when deployed alongside Armando Broja.

The two sides meet for a 2pm kick-off with just one point separating the south coast outfits.

AND in other news: Forget Broja: Ralph must unleash 17-y/o Saints prodigy who “leads the line very well”