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West Ham United supporters have been handed a significant update on the club’s pursuit of Villarreal star Arnaut Danjuma.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Danjuma move…

Irons head coach David Moyes is now seeking to upgrade his attacking options following the arrivals of Nayef Aguerd from Rennes and Alphonse Areola from Paris-Saint Germain on a permanent deal.

The east Londoners are tipped to be ‘very busy’ as Moyes sets his sights on ‘at least’ six new signings before the commencement of the 2022/23 Premier League season (Sky Sports).

As per reliable reports, Danjuma is one forward who has been heavily linked with a move to Rush Green over the last 48 hours.

The Latest: Journalist shares Danjuma update…

After West Ham ‘talks’ and an ‘official approach’ to sign the former Bournemouth star, 90min journalist Toby Cudworth has now dropped a significant update.

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He explained (via Twitter): “Fast moving story but now told #WHUFC backing away from Danjuma. Was offered to the club & an approach was made, pending approval from David Moyes and management – but they have concerns. Deal unlikely as of now.”

The Verdict: Blow for West Ham?

Given the Dutchman’s obvious quality, this could be one that Moyes and co might want to revisit at a later date – provided that another club doesn’t poach Danjuma in the meantime.

As per WhoScored, the 25-year-old finished 2021/22 as Villarreal’s top scorer in La Liga (10) and averaged their most attempts at goal (2.7) per 90, perhaps indicating that he could be a real threat for West Ham.

Danjuma has also been branded a ‘nightmare’ to play against by one-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Kevin Phillips, and the Hammers must weigh up their next move carefully.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be set for a disaster if they allow £18m-rated Adama Traore to move to fellow Premier League club Leeds United this summer.

What’s the story?

According to journalist Peter O’Rourke who spoke with GiveMeSport, Leeds director of footballer Victor Orta is a huge fan of Traore and will do all he can to bring him to Elland Road this summer.

O’Rourke explained how Orta has previously worked with Traore when he was at Middlesbrough, and that he has been chasing him for a long time.

The Spaniard spent the second half of last season on loan at FC Barcelona, so perhaps Wolves don’t want him, but selling him to a league rival would be a big mistake.

 Lage needs to keep him

Despite being allowed to leave on loan, we think that Wolves should keep Traore and that Lage needs him to be part of the squad to help the club achieve success.

He moved to Molineux back in 2018 for a then club-record fee of £18m which was a lot for a Championship player at the time. Although he didn’t perform that greatly last season, his transfer has arguably been a success, with him being directly involved in 29 goals since his arrival.

He has also attracted a lot of attention for his ability to dribble past players, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp calling him “unplayable” and Rio Ferdinand dubbing him a “machine” for exactly this reason.

The Wanderers scored just 38 goals last season, so the involvement of Traore over the next campaign could help them improve on that and it wouldn’t come at an additional cost.

What’s most important is that they don’t allow the player to move to a direct rival. Despite only narrowly escaping relegation, Leeds could be more competitive next season and as a result, be in direct competition with Wolves for a high mid-table finish.

Allowing them to sign Traore will only strengthen their chances of achieving that and could leave Lage’s side in trouble themselves. He’s proven to be an asset for the West Midlands club in the past, so there’s no reason he can’t play a big part next season.

AND in other news: Wolves interested in signing “special” £20m gem, he’s the “talent” that Lage needs…

Aston Villa may still bring in another couple of signings this summer, amidst their aggressive and fast start to the current transfer window.

What’s the word?

One of those may well be Luis Suarez, with Dean Jones claiming (via GIVEMESPORT) that Steven Gerrard’s side still “have a decent chance” of signing the former Barcelona and Liverpool striker.

The 35-year-old will officially depart Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid at the end of this month, with his contract set to expire in the Spanish capital.

Speaking on the Suarez case, Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “I think there is still a decent chance that they sign Suarez, and I think that Gerrard will be ideal for him, and I think that works vice versa too.

“It doesn’t mean that Suarez has to start every game, but having him as an option, having him as a game-changer, literally, is like something in your armoury that is amazing for the amount of pressure there’s going to be schedule-wise next season.

“Clubs are really having to consider what they’re going to do in terms of balancing out the amount of games that are coming, particularly after the World Cup.”

Supporters surely buzzing

The latest news surrounding Villa’s chances of bringing Suarez back to the Premier League bodes well for all involved and will surely leave the fan base buzzing.

Jones makes some emphatic points on why the signing would be astute from a Gerrard perspective.

Quite simply, they lack established squad depth options up top; and considering their desire to push up the table, based on their recent transfer business, a winning mentality combined with experience at the top level would do no harm to a progressive Villa squad.

Do not underestimate the effect that an instinctive finisher like Suarez can have on an aspiring squad like Gerrard’s.

He may be 35, but the Uruguayan has just come off the back of an 11-goal campaign in La Liga (the same as Villa’s top league scorer Ollie Watkins) over 35 appearances, proving that he can still make an impact in a major European league.

Gerrard must make this transfer happen if Villa are to give themselves the best chance of achieving their ambitions for next season.

In other news: Lange plotting Villa bid for “exquisite” 34-goal sensation, imagine him and Coutinho 

Tottenham Hotspur are considering a potential swap deal involving Pau Torres and Giovani Lo Celso. 

That’s according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, who was speaking to GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

Spurs are known admirers of Spanish centre-back Torres, having tried to sign him last summer. He ‘turned them down’ on that occasion but might now see Spurs as a ‘more attractive destination’ after they returned to the Champions League, with Alasdair Gold naming him as one of four LCB targets recently.

The 25-year-old ‘ticks all the boxes’ for Antonio Conte.

Other players thought to be on their shortlist include Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan, RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

Lo Celso spent the second half of the 2021/22 season on loan with The Yellow Submarine, featuring in every La Liga game and starting 11 times.

The latest

Taylor revealed that ‘initial’ talks had been held between the two clubs about the possibility of a mutually beneficial exchange.

“Torres has been the subject of initial swap-deal discussions with Villarreal because obviously, they want to sign Lo Celso on a permanent basis,” he said.

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The verdict

Spurs clearly carry more appeal now than they did 12 months ago.

They had finished down in seventh place in 2020/21 and took until the start of July to appoint Nuno Espirito Santo as their permanent manager following the sacking of Jose Mourinho in April.

Now they have Conte, a five-time league title winner, in charge, and they’re targeting a Premier League title bid.

Would this deal be a straight swap? Well, Transfermarkt value Torres at £45million, much higher than Lo Celso (£19.8million).

You would expect Villarreal, then, to demand plenty of cash in addition to the midfielder.

They know that Torres, in the words of his former coach, ‘has everything’ to succeed at the highest level and can fulfil his ‘enormous potential’.

In other news, this off-field development has a journalist saying ‘wow’. 

Journalist Mark Carlaw, editor of the West Ham Way website used by club insider ExWHUemployee, has been left excited as ‘fantastic news’ comes out if the club.

The Lowdown: Hammers set for busy summer…

Hammers boss David Moyes is seeking to build upon his side’s phenomenal rise up the Premier League over these last few seasons with new faces and upgrades to his squad.

Links have emerged to top attackers and defenders alike, perhaps most notably England international Jesse Lingard and Rennes star Nayef Aguerd.

As the first team remains a priority, Moyes has also been planning for the long-term and eyeing up moves for some of the country’s brightest young talents.

West Ham confirmed on Friday that they’ve signed ‘highly-rated’ starlet Daniel Rigge from Man City, beating nine rival clubs in the process.

The Latest: Carlaw thrilled…

Speaking on Twitter, Carlaw claims the signing of City’s former gem is an ‘unbelievable coup for the club’ – going on to call Rigge ‘one of the brightest young players in English football’.

He also states the England Under-16 international’s arrival is ‘fantastic news’ as GSB secure a real sensation for West Ham.

The Verdict: Great news…

Rigge comes to Rush Green with a glowing reputation and is ‘widely considered’ to be a major emerging prospect.

The 16-year-old’s arrival on a scholarship contract could provide West Ham and Moyes with a possible superstar in years to come going by how in-demand he was across the nation.

Nine clubs cannot be wrong in their pursuit of Rigge and the Irons have done very well to beat them all to his signing.

In other news: Journalist says West Ham are ‘in talks’ to sign an ‘amazing’ forward, find out more here.

Liverpool have rejected Bayern Munich’s opening £21m bid for Sadio Mane, according to reliable journalist Paul Joyce.

The Lowdown: Mane leaving Liverpool?

After six years at Anfield, it looks as though the Senegal forward will be departing before the start of next season as he looks for a fresh challenge.

The 30-year-old has been one of the true modern greats for Liverpool, scoring 120 goals in 269 appearances, along with winning the Champions League and Premier League.

Bayern are the clear favourites to sign Mane this summer, and an official bid has now been tabled from the German champions.

The Latest: Liverpool reject Bayern bid for Mane

Taking to Twitter late on Sunday night, Joyce confirmed that the Bundesliga giants have seen their first bid turned down by the Reds. He revealed:

“Liverpool have turned down Bayern Munich’s opening bid for Sadio Mane. It was for £21m guaranteed, plus £4m in add-ons payable if, for example, Bayern won the Champions League.”

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The Verdict: Ridiculously low offer

Frankly, for Bayern to expect such a low bid for Mane to be accepted is bordering on ludicrous, considering the forward’s current standing in the game.

He has been described as ‘world-class’ by Jurgen Klopp in the past and is still one of the foremost attacking players in Europe, having netted 23 goals in 2021/22.

If Bayern want to get their man, they will have to pay a far bigger amount than £21m, with Liverpool needing to remain stubborn in the coming weeks and demand a fee which is much more indicative of Mane’s phenomenal abilities.

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly ‘ramping up’ their interest in one player. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their plans for the upcoming transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Sunday Mirror (5/6, page 69), the Black Cats are considering a swoop to sign out-of-contract shot-stopper John Ruddy in the coming weeks.

The report claims that they are weighing up a move for the Englishman after Premier League side Wolves decided to release the veteran instead of offering him a new deal.

Alex Neil would love him

Kristjaan Speakman is plotting a move for the one-cap England international and must bring the experienced goalkeeper to the Stadium of Light as Neil would love him next season.

Ruddy is vastly experienced in the top two divisions of English football and knows exactly what it takes to win promotion out of the Championship.

He has been promoted to the Premier League as a title-winner (with Wolves) and twice with Norwich as a runner-up and then a play-off winner. This shows that he is no stranger to getting out of the second tier and he can bring invaluable experience to the younger members of the squad.

In his career to date, the 35-year-old has played 163 Championship matches and kept 58 clean sheets. He has also featured in 122 top-flight games and kept 27 shutouts, playing in both divisions for Wolves and the Canaries.

Upon the confirmation of his exit from the Molineux stadium, Wolves reporter Tim Spiers heaped praise on Ruddy as he tweeted: “A model professional, a massive character in the dressing room and an excellent goalkeeper.”

This highlights what he can offer to Sunderland off the pitch as he can be a huge influence on young Anthony Patterson next season. It would be an excellent opportunity for the Black Cats youngster to have a player of Ruddy’s professionalism, experience, and quality in the building as he can learn from him in training.

The 6 foot 3 colossus is also no stranger to Neil as they worked together at Carrow Road. Ruddy played 76 times for the Scot in Norfolk, including in a 2-0 play-off final win over Middlesbrough at Wembley in 2015, and this means that they already have a pre-existing relationship.

Sunderland’s head coach would, therefore, love to have him at the Stadium of Light next season for the reasons stated above and because he already knows what he would be getting from the shot-stopper.

AND in other news, Speakman plotting Sunderland bid for 6 ft 3 “Rolls-Royce”, he can get SoL rocking…

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans for Karl Darlow heading into the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Magpies are set to offer the shot-stopper to Manchester United in an attempt to land Dean Henderson ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the Red Devils are in need of an experienced goalkeeper to replace Lee Grant – who has retired – and Darlow could fit the bill for Erik ten Hag.

Huge Eddie Howe masterclass

The Newcastle boss can seal a huge masterclass by negotiating a deal to offload the ex-Nottingham Forest man to Old Trafford whilst also securing a loan/permanent move for Henderson.

Axing Darlow would be an excellent piece of business by the club as he proved, this season, that he is not good enough to provide serious competition to Martin Dubravka.

Toon legend Alan Shearer claimed that the £30k-per-week shot-stopper looked “nervous” between the sticks for the Magpies against Brentford this season and that was a theme throughout the early parts of the Premier League campaign.

He was called upon in eight games under Steve Bruce and struggled badly as he conceded 1.9 goals per match in that time. The 31-year-old averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.47 and made one error directly leading to a goal as well as giving away one penalty as he made himself a liability to the team.

Therefore, selling him to Manchester United – given the season he had – would be an incredible move by Howe and Newcastle, before you factor in the possibility of it helping them land Henderson as part of the deal.

The report claims that the Magpies want the England international in to replace Dubravka and his form in the Premier League in previous years suggests he has the potential to be a superb signing.

In his two top-flight campaigns, Henderson has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.94 or higher and kept 17 clean sheets in 49 games. The Slovakian number one, meanwhile, has averaged a score of 6.88 this term for Newcastle and kept eight clean sheets in 27 outings.

He is eight years older than the Red Devils stopper and this means that the former Sheffield United loanee can come in as a long-term option for Howe between the sticks. This is another reason why this swap deal, in whatever way it materialises, would be a masterclass by the head coach.

AND in other news, PIF could sign Newcastle’s answer to Haaland in “sensational” £60m “monster”…

Transfer insider Dean Jones has been told that Manchester United are ‘extremely close’ to signing Benfica forward Darwin Nunez, GiveMeSport report.

The Lowdown: Nunez links

The Red Devils appear to be on the hunt for a new marquee striker this summer, with Nunez and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford.

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Approaches have been made for both and United are willing to spend big on Nunez, who knocked Erik ten Hag’s Ajax side out of the Champions League last season.

Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is reportedly on the brink of reuniting with Ten Hag in Manchester, and it looks as if Nunez could follow suit.

The Latest: Jones’ claim

Jones, talking to GMS, had this to say on United and Nunez, stating that he’s been told from a ‘source’ that an Old Trafford move is ‘extremely close’.

“One source described this deal to United to me as being ‘extremely close’.

“They consider Atletico Madrid as their main rivals to sign him, from what I hear, but obviously, loads around Europe are looking. If Darwin does move to Old Trafford, it will be a brilliant signing for the Ten Hag era.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Nunez has come off the back of an outstanding campaign, scoring 34 times in 41 games. He impressed as a centre-forward, left-winger and second striker, so a move to United could be just what Ten Hag needs.

It looks like it could be an expensive deal with United willing to spend €80m (£67.8m), but you’d like to think it would be a shrewd long-term investment following his excellent campaign.

The new boss could find himself short of attacking options with Edinson Cavani leaving, so Nunez could be the ideal signing to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in a front two, in behind or on the wing.

In other news: Reliable journalist leaks Man Utd talks as Ten Hag now eyes ‘terrific’ Englishman. 

Manchester United will travel to Anfield on Sunday afternoon to take on one of their biggest rivals, Liverpool. It is the chance for Ruben Amorim’s side to finally win back-to-back games under the Portuguese boss for the first time, but it will be tough.

United’s record away to the Reds in the last decade or so has been abysmal. They haven’t won at Anfield since the end of the 2015/16 campaign. That day, Wayne Rooney’s strike was the only thing that separated the two sides.

The season before, Juan Mata’s heroics secured all three points for the Red Devils.

Looking back on ‘Juanfield’

One of the most iconic trips to Anfield in recent history for United was certainly the 2014/15 clash. The Red Devils were victorious thanks to Mata’s two goals, which led supporters to lovingly dub the game as ‘Juanfield’ after the Spanish midfielder.

It was a superb performance from the former United number eight. He gave his side the lead with a right-footed strike in the first half in front of the Kop, poking the ball past Simon Mignolet less than a quarter of an hour into the game.

His second goal will always be the one that stands out. Mata doubled United’s lead with a fantastic scissor kick, checking his run before executing the acrobatic effort to perfection.

His strike nestled into the bottom left corner to put the Red Devils 2-0 up. MUTV commentator Stewart Gardner said it was “one of the great United goals at Anfield.”

Despite Daniel Sturridge’s strike, which pulled a goal back for the home side, it was always going to be hard for Liverpool to get back into the game. Steven Gerrard was infamously sent off at the start of the second half, just 38 seconds after entering the fray.

It was a win that will live long in the memory for United, with Mata’s brilliance off the right-hand side the reason why they secured the victory. Amorim has a player of his own who could replace the heroics of ‘Juanfield’.

Amorim can unleash his own Juan Mata

Despite another poor start to the season, United do have attackers who can hurt the opposition.

Bruno Fernandes is always a threat, although he is playing in a pivot. Matheus Cunha scored at Anfield last season, and Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko are in fine goalscoring form.

However, the key man for United this weekend could be Bryan Mbeumo. The Cameroonian star has shown great promise in his short Red Devils career so far, with two goals and one assist across eight games in all competitions, replicating Mata in operating off that right flank and cutting in onto his favoured left foot.

The 26-year-old has built up a strong reputation with fans and pundits alike. Former United academy player turned MUTV commentator Ben Thornley said last season that he is “unplayable” for a lot of defenders.

This could see him cause problems for Liverpool’s left-back, although it is unclear if that will be Milos Kerkez or Andy Robertson. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have also shown defensive frailties this season.

On top of that, Mbeumo knows what it takes to score past the Reds.

He did so as a Brentford player back in 2022/23, running in behind the Liverpool defence, latching a long pass ahead of Konate and slotting the ball past Allison.

It would be excellent for United if Mbeumo can replicate his performance that day.

The Cameroon star was imperious, creating two chances, making five ball recoveries and, of course, getting a late third goal in a 3-1 win.

A win at Anfield on Saturday would be huge for Amorim. Not only would it be back-to-back three points in the top flight, but a win at one of their biggest rivals for 10 years, which would be a huge achievement for the Portuguese boss.

How he would love Mbeumo to recreate the heroics of ‘Juanfield’ this weekend, and earn United a huge three points.

Forget Mainoo: Amorim has the next Pogba in "generational" Man Utd talent

Manchester United appear to have another elite-level star already within Ruben Amorim’s ranks.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 18, 2025