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West Ham United are ‘in the market’ for a ‘few’ more signings this summer, Sky Sports News’ Dharmesh Sheth reports. 

The lowdown: Busy Hammers

The Hammers have already added Alphonse Areola, Flynn Downes, Maxwel Cornet, Gianluca Scamacca, Thilo Kehrer and Nauef Aguerd to the London Stadium ranks during the ongoing transfer window.

Italian left-back Emerson then became the latest addition to David Moyes’ squad as the 28-year-old completed a switch from London rivals Chelsea to take their summer expenditure to £125.1million (Transfermarkt).

However, with links to the likes of Hans Vanaken, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Conor Gallagher continuing to circulate, one well-informed onlooker has suggested that GSB could be willing to sanction yet more arrivals…

The latest: ‘They’re in the market…’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Sheth has claimed that West Ham remain ‘in the market’ for further additions to the squad prior to the September 1 deadline.

 “I still think they’re in the market to bring in a few.

“They’ve already signed seven players and Emerson’s arrival has taken their spending to more than £120million. This is the biggest outlay in any window for West Ham United.

“It’s not that they’re not backing the manager – they are. There’s concern at the start of the season because of the results and they haven’t scored. There’s no panic, though.”

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The verdict: More needed

Despite entering the season with confidence of another positive campaign ahead, the Irons have made a sluggish start to their Premier League quest, losing all three of their opening three fixtures without scoring a single goal.

Albeit their early European ventures have been more successful, Rob Newman and Moyes are wise to be looking to add further reinforcements to the squad and a big-money swoop for Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta looks to one they are focusing on.

Beyond the mercurial Brazilian, there remains room in the east London ranks for another centre-forward and perhaps another central defender as injury-prone players in both positions continue to cause issues with their availability.

Newcastle United are believed to have made contact regarding a deal for West Ham United defender, Harrison Ashby.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies have spoken to the east London outfit regarding a move for the 20-year-old, with manager Eddie Howe keen on a new right-back recruit following the recent ACL injury to Emil Krafth.

The report suggests that the Tynesiders are interested in signing the young full-back as a result, with the 5 foot 10 menace facing an uncertain future at the London Stadium with just a year left on his current deal.

Howe would love it

As mentioned above, the northeast side have suffered a real blow with Krafth likely to be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, leaving Howe with little cover for first-choice full-back Kieran Trippier on the right of the defence.

Although the former Bournemouth boss does have Javier Manquillo to take on that role of understudy to the former Atletico Madrid man, the Spaniard appears somewhat surplus to requirements at present, having failed to feature so far this season.

In fact, the former Liverpool man has made just 13 appearances since the 44-year-old took charge back in November – only eight of which have come from the start – with that a sign that he is clearly not a trusted presence at St James’ Park.

The Newcastle boss would then simply love the chance to bring in a young and “fearless” talent – as he has been described by West Ham podcaster Sam Delaney – in the form of Ashby, with the Milton Keynes-born ace seemingly an ideal fit to support the aforementioned Trippier.

Although the 5 foot 10 starlet is currently behind the likes of Vladimir Coufal and Ben Johnson in the pecking order under David Moyes – making just six senior outings to date – he has caught the eye at youth level, having been dubbed a “tremendous prospect” by Scotland U21 coach Scot Gemmill.

With three goals and nine assists in just 36 games for West Ham’s U21 side, the one-time Chelsea academy asset has proven himself a real potent threat from his full-back berth, with Howe likely to enjoy the chance to nurture his talent over the coming years.

It may not be the most high-profile deadline day capture, although Ashby could prove to be a real gem of an addition in the near future.

Everton are believed to have been rebuffed in their attempts to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Leander Dendoncker, with manager Frank Lampard looking to bolster his squad before the window closes.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland, the Toffees lodged a bid of around £8m for the Belgium international, although that offer was subsequently rejected by the Midlands outfit.

The report suggests that the Merseysiders are keen on bolstering their midfield ranks in the coming days following the departures of Dele Alli and Jean-Philippe Gbamin to Besiktas and Trabzonspor, respectively.

The 27-year-old has just a year remaining on his existing deal a Molineux – albeit with the club retaining the option of a 12-month extension – while he has failed to start the last two league games for Bruno Lage’s side.

The Goodison Park outfit have, of course, already raided the Old Gold for the signings of Ruben Vinagre and Conor Coady, with the pair joining on loan earlier this summer.

Imagine him and Onana

Dendoncker’s arrival would help to bolster an area of the pitch that has long been scrutinised, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher previously criticising the “lack of athleticism” in Lampard’s side following the 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last season.

The addition of the 29-cap gem would offer a more dynamic presence in midfield, with the former Anderlecht man – who made the move to England back in 2018 – having scored 12 goals and provided four assists in his 159 outings for his current side from his holding role.

Not just a threat in the final third, the £25.2m-rated ace also provides real defensive strength, as he notably ranks in the top 10% for blocks made among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues – a better record than the likes of Allan (top 13%), Abdoulaye Doucoure (top 38%) and Andre Gomes (top 22%).

A Premier League-ready player who should take little time to adjust to his new surroundings, the £90k-per-week man could also offer a real boost in the dressing room, having been dubbed a “big character” by Lage back in February.

His leader-like presence could well help to guide his international colleague Amadou Onana in the centre of the park, with the 21-year-old still finding his feet in English football after his big-money move from Lille.

That Belgian connection could well prove vital in helping to build a formidable midfield unit under Lampard, with the 44-year-old potentially finally able to settle on a preferred pairing after chopping and changing in his tenure thus far.

With Dendoncker providing the calm, experienced head, it would allow Onana to be the more aggressive and front-foot figure in the midfield, with the latter man having proven his worth as an elite ball-winner, ranking in the top 5% for tackles made, as per FBref.

As deadline day looms, Everton supporters will no doubt be hoping that the club renew their attempts to sign the Wolves man, with an Onana-Dendoncker axis likely to be a real key pairing.

Celtic are currently reaping the rewards following their decision to sign goalkeeper Joe Hart last year, with the resurgent 35-year-old having gone on to prove an integral figure in last season’s title success under Ange Postecoglou.

The former Manchester City colossus has racked up 31 clean sheets from his 63 appearances for the Parkhead outfit thus far, having enjoyed a real revival following a difficult last few seasons after falling by the wayside for both club and country.

Prior to the veteran’s arrival, however, the Hoops could well have landed another Englishman in the form of Dean Henderson, with the current Nottingham Forest man having been linked with a move to Glasgow almost two years ago, prior to the January 2021 window.

A move to join the Scottish Premiership side had been mooted with the impressive ‘keeper having struggled to dislodge David de Gea at parent club Manchester United, following what had been a promising two-year stint on loan at Sheffield United, where he was dubbed an “insane” talent by teammate Sander Berge.

Speaking at the time, pundit Alex McLeish had given his backing to the move, stating: “Yeah, he’s quite special. From the footage I saw of him from the whole of last season he was at a fabulous level.

“His team actually had a great season built on the back of some fantastic work by him. That’s what they say about a goalkeeper, they can save you, a good club goalie, 10 points a season, an international goalie 15 points a season, a world-class goalie, 20-odd points a season.

“These are the numbers that these goalkeepers, along with the coaches, strive to make and that, for me, would be a very strong statement.”

As it proved, however, no temporary departure came to fruition as the Whitehaven-born star stayed on at Old Trafford, eventually ending the 2020/21 campaign ahead of the aforementioned De Gea in the pecking order, making 26 appearances in all competitions.

The 6 foot 2 brute would likely have retained his place in the Red Devils’ starting ranks for the following season had it not been for a Covid-19 setback, with his lack of game time subsequently seeing him join Forest on loan over the summer.

Prior to that move to the City Ground, there had been talk that Newcastle United were potentially interested in a £40m swoop for the 25-year-old, with that a marker of the calibre of player that Celtic have missed out on.

The current campaign has seen the £100k-per-week man impress despite a difficult few weeks for Steve Cooper’s newly-promoted outfit, saving penalties from Declan Rice and Harry Kane already this term.

The goalkeeping “machine” – as dubbed by one source – also proved his quality during his stint at Bramall Lane, notably recording 13 clean sheets for the Blades in the top tier during the 2019/20 campaign, with that the fourth-best record in the division.

A player with full confidence in his own ability, Henderson could well have solved the goalkeeping woes at Celtic Park prior to Hart’s arrival, with the club having been left with £4.5m flop Vasilis Barkas and reserve stopper Scott Bain in the sticks during the 2020/21 season.

Although it would have likely only been a loan swoop, the one-cap gem’s arrival in Scotland would no doubt have been a major boost, particularly amid the turmoil surrounding Neil Lennon’s final season in charge as the club finished 25 points behind rivals Rangers.

In truth, it was something of a nightmare not managing to secure the Englishman’s signing.

Glasgow Rangers were busy in the summer transfer window as they invested in their squad by bringing in a host of new signings to Ibrox.

Sporting director Ross Wilson wasted no time in snapping up John Souttar (although he penned a pre-contract deal back in January), Ben Davies, Malik Tillman, Antonio Colak, Ridvan Yilmaz, Tom Lawrence, and Rabbi Matondo.

However, the Light Blues did not recruit any players in the goalkeeping department after extending Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin’s respective contracts over the summer.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s options in that position appeared to be in need of an upgrade after McGregor’s shaky form in the Premiership last season. The 40-year-old made four errors directly leading to shots or goals for the opposition in the Scottish top flight, with his mistakes making him a weak link in the team as he was all too often error-prone.

This led to the Dutch head coach making McLaughlin his number one for the 2022/23 campaign, but the Scotland international has not repaid the faith shown in him.

In the Premiership this season, the former Sunderland man has made one error leading to a goal in six appearances and has let in every other shot on target against him, with a save percentage of 50%. This indicates that he has struggled badly in terms of shot-stopping and is conceding goals at an alarming rate, in relation to the number of shots that he is facing.

Therefore, the £6.1k-per-week goalkeeper has been a liability for the Light Blues, and his performances may result in Wilson and Van Bronckhorst regretting not dipping into the market to sign a new number one.

The head coach has not handed a single appearance to Robby McCrorie since arriving at the club in 2021, and if he is not willing to give the Scotland international a chance, this means that the Dutchman could need to look further down the ranks in search of a solution to the goalkeeping situation.

One player who could be the heir to McLaughlin between the sticks is B-team goalkeeper Lewis Budinauckas, who has established himself as the Gers’ first-choice at youth level.

The 20-year-old has played 13 times for Rangers B and has been named on the bench in the Champions League this season, which suggests that Van Bronckhorst has kept a close eye on his development.

His academy teammate Adam Devine described him as a “confident” goalkeeper who you “can always depend on” after an impressive performance against Celtic in the Glasgow Cup in April, which shows how highly he is rated and appreciated by his peers.

The gem has also had experience at senior level with loan spells at Civil Service Strollers and Raith Rovers, although he was an unused substitute for the latter in the Championship.

He is a promising young player with his entire career ahead of him, and Van Bronckhorst could be the manager to give him his first taste of first-team action at Ibrox to see if he is good enough to be McLaughlin’s heir, whilst hopefully ending the continuing problems between the sticks for Rangers.

Tottenham Hotspur arrival Djed Spence will not be handed playing time by Antonio Conte in Emerson Royal’s absence, claims N17 insider John Wenham.

The Lowdown: Spence’s minutes

Since arriving at Hotspur Way, the 22-year-old has only played a single minute of Premier League football in a Lilywhites shirt.

Instead, Emerson has emerged as the Italian’s favoured option at right wing-back, having started seven out of eight top-flight games this season.

However, in Spurs’ 3-1 defeat in the north London derby, the Brazilian full-back was sent off for a high challenge on Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli.

The Latest: Wenham’s claim

Despite the opportunity to offer Spence first-team game time in the Brazilian’s absence, Wenham, an N17 ‘insider’ for FI, believes Conte will still opt for other options ahead of the £20m arrival.

When questioned over potential minutes for the 22-year-old, he told Football Insider:

“No, I have to think like Conte now.

“It’s insane. If it was up to me, I would be starting Spence now. Royal can play on Tuesday [v Frankfurt], he isn’t suspended in that competition, that’s confirmed.

“Despite the red card, I think it would be wise if he did start that game because there are so many games coming in October that if he is going to miss three then we may as well use him one more time.

“In those three games, whoever steps up, whether it be Doherty, Sessegnon, Spence or Perisic, I expect them to establish themselves.

“I don’t see Royal now coming back into the Premier League side for a long time barring suspension or injury. I really don’t.

“I think [red card] that will have angered Conte no end.”

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The Verdict: Loan move needed?

Having exploded onto the scene last season whilst on loan with Nottingham Forest in the Championship, it begs the question as to what Spence has to do to impress Conte in training.

As per WhoScored, the full-back averaged an impressive 1.6 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and 1.4 clearances in the English second division last year, also adding 1.8 dribbles and 1 key pass per game to his attacking resume.

Therefore, if Conte continues to remain angry at Emerson and ends up benching him for another squad player other than Spence, it may just be time for the 22-year-old to go out on loan in search of regular first-team football – in an ideal scenario, in the Premier League.

Sports injuries expert Ben Dinnery says that Glasgow Rangers supporters will be ‘frustrated’ with the latest news on John Souttar.

The Lowdown: Surgery

As shared by Sky Sports, Souttar has now been ruled out of action until after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, after he had surgery on his ankle.

The central defender suffered an ankle injury when in action for Hearts last season, which kept him out for a number of weeks, although he did return before the end of the campaign ahead of his move to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team in the summer.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in both injury and data analysis, claims that it was a ‘gamble’ for the Ibrox outfit to sign Souttar, due to his injury problems at Hearts, and thinks that supporters will be ‘frustrated’ by his latest setback:

“All things considered, it’s a gamble because you have to look at the pros and cons when recruiting a player.

“As a supporter, you might be frustrated because you want him in the first team. The club will be fully aware of that.

“There might have been a differentiating issue in terms of the timeline, but it’s not always about short-termism that supporters want. Clubs are investing more over the long term.

“You make a judgement call and hope that it pans out and works okay. Unfortunately, up until this point, it appears that it has backfired.

“There are no guarantees when it comes to injury, but you have to remain optimistic that things pan out as you’d like them too.”

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The Verdict: Injuries piling up

The injuries seem to be piling up for the Gers, with Tom Lawrence also ruled out until after the World Cup.

They join the likes of Jon McLaughlin, Filip Helander, Nnamdi Ofoborh and Ianis Hagi on the treatment table, in what is turning out to be a worrying situation for Van Bronckhorst.

As for Souttar, he has only managed to play 67 minutes of football for the Light Blues so far this season, and supporters will no doubt be frustrated that they have not been able to see their new signing in action at all over the last few weeks.

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has shared his thoughts on West Ham United winger Maxwel Cornet after a ‘tough’ injury setback.

The Lowdown: Hammers on high…

After a worrying patch of Premier League form through August and September, with David Moyes picking up just one win against Aston Villa in that time, it appears West Ham are starting to gain momentum.

October has seen the Hammers clinch three wins from three in all competitions, including impressive top flight victories against the likes of Wolves and Fulham.

Meanwhile, their UEFA Europa Conference League campaign is going smoothly and another win against Anderlecht at the London Stadium this week could seal top spot in Group B.

West Ham, however, have had to achieve all of this without summer signing Cornet after he was taken off injured during their 2-0 victory over Wolves.

The Latest: Campbell reacts to ‘tough’ Cornet injury blow…

Former Arsenal striker Campbell, sharing his verdict on the Ivorian’s setback, believes it is a ‘tough’ one to take for Moyes and West Ham.

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However, he does hold hope he will back sooner rather than later. Campbell explained to Football Insider:

“Not only is he a dribbler, he is one of those players who can turn the jets on.

“He can shift. Once you have got that, there are different permutations to what these guys can do.

“I think it is a tough one. Unfortunately injuries are a difficult thing for teams right now.

“Cornet has started his West Ham career pretty well to be honest.

“Hopefully it is not too long that he is out because he is doing ok.“

The Verdict: Fingers crossed…

Cornet has dazzled when available and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet away to Chelsea earlier this campaign.

His dramatic late equaliser at Stamford Bridge was controversially ruled out through VAR with BBC pundit Ian Wright also backing that the 26-year-old looks ‘dangerous’ when given an opportunity.

As Moyes and the east Londoners attempt to get their season back on track, Cornet’s involvement would come as a real boost.

Wolverhampton Wanderers hope to have striker Raul Jimenez back to full fitness and available for selection before the World Cup begins, according to journalist Liam Keen.

The Lowdown: Jimenez’s injury

After missing the first two games of the 2022/23 Premier League season with a knee injury, the Mexico international returned as a substitute against Tottenham, before leading the line for the Old Gold in their subsequent matches against Newcastle and Bournemouth.

However, the 31-year-old hasn’t played a minute of football since, with an ongoing groin injury cited as the reason for his absence.

As a result, the Wanderers have been without their top scorer from last season, who has netted 55 goals in 150 appearances in a Wolves shirt.

The Latest: Keen’s news

Keen has shared an update on Jimenez’s road to recovery, relaying comments from interim boss Steve Davis:

“Wolves hope to have Raul Jimenez back before the World Cup break but are still unable to put a timeline on it, according to Steve Davis.”

The Verdict: Great news

With the Midlands outfit struggling to find the back of the net this season having only amassed four goals in the league thus far, Wolves brought Sasa Kalajdzic in to fix the issue.

However, after a couple of weeks with the club, the Austria international suffered a devastating knee injury, sidelining him for a minimum of six months.

As a result, in a desperate, last-chance move, the Wanderers welcomed Diego Costa to the Molineux on a year-long contract.

However, having failed to find the back of the next in an Old Gold shirt as of yet, fans will be rearing to see Jimenez, hailed as a ‘special’ player by former boss Nuno Espirito Santo, back fit and firing upon his return at the Molineux.

Sunderland return to action in the Championship on Saturday as they take on Burnley at the Stadium of Light with the aim of bouncing back from their last outing in the division.

Tony Mowbray’s side lost 2-0 to his former side Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park and that result has left the club sitting 13th in the table as it stands.

The Black Cats had only lost one of their last six prior to their clash in Lancashire and they will now be looking to avoid back-to-back defeats as they take on Vincent Kompany’s men.

Mowbray may look to shake his team up after a disappointing defeat last time out and one player he must now unleash from the start is central midfielder Abdoullah Ba.

Elliot Embleton started in that position against Rovers but struggled to impress as he recorded a SofaScore rating of 6.6, making one tackle, interception, and block combined, whilst being dribbled past once in 64 minutes.

Ba came on for him and caught the eye in his 26 minutes of action. The Frenchman won 100% (3/3 and 1/1) of his individual duels and attempted dribbles, whilst completing one tackle and not allowing a single player to dribble past him.

His former boss Paul Le Guen previously claimed that he has “similarities” with Paul Pogba, Lassana Diarra, and N’Golo Kante, saying: “Of course, he still has a long way to go to reach the heights of these three, but I believe he has the potential and strength to become a star on the pitch.”

The 19-year-old may not play like a Pogba or a Kante yet but he seemingly has the scope to get there in the future and Mowbray must now see how he deals with starting a Championship match at his age.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as a “pearl” and hailed his attack-minded player from midfield on his website, writing:

“[A] player that always tries to find a vertical option in his game with dribbling, progressive runs, and passes/very capable of pushing his team forward to finishing positions.”

This suggests that he could help Sunderland to progress through the lines against Burnley, whilst his statistics off the bench against Blackburn show that he is strong defensively and can provide a shield in front of the defence.

Therefore, Mowbray must forget Embleton and finally unleash the French gem – who has only made five appearances as a substitute so far this season – from the start against the Clarets.