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West Ham United are set to receive a welcome boost, following an update on the fitness of defender Vladimir Coufal.

What’s the word?

According to Claret and Hugh, the 30-year-old will be in line to feature against Aston Villa later this week, despite having been forced off late on in the defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion at the London Stadium on Sunday.

The report suggests that the Czech Republic international was knocked unconscious in that disappointing 2-0 loss, although should be available for the trip to Villa Park next weekend, with a club insider stating: “He was concussed after being knocked unconscious. As a result it will be the stipulated six days before he can play again”.

That fact should, however, ensure that the full-back is absent from Thursday’s Europa Conference League, second-leg clash away at Viborg FF, albeit with the Hammers already firmly in control of the tie following their 3-1 victory at home last week.

Welcome relief

Amid what is already proving a tricky start to the new season for the east London outfit, it will surely come as a welcome relief to manager David Moyes that Coufal won’t be out for an extended period of time, with the Scotsman likely needing all the help he can get to reverse the current slump.

Having won just one of their final seven league games of last season – with that solitary triumph coming against relegated Norwich City – the Irons have seemingly carried that form into the current campaign, having slipped to three straight defeats in the top-flight thus far.

As such, Moyes’ men currently find themselves at the foot of the Premier League table with five goals conceded and none scored as yet, with one key factor in that dismal opening having been the absence of key figures in defence.

Summer signing Nayef Aguerd could potentially be out until the New Year after undergoing ankle surgery, while the typically reliable Craig Dawson is yet to feature this season as he nurses a thigh complaint.

With veteran ace Angelo Ogbonna only recently making his long-awaited return from injury in the victory in midweek, the Hammers have been left desperately short of options at the back, even with the addition of Paris Saint-Germain man, Thilo Kehrer.

Losing Coufal for the clash with Steven Gerrard’s side on Sunday would have been yet another unwanted headache for Moyes and co, although the assumption is that the right-back should be to retain his place in the starting XI.

The £35k-per-week brute has been a hugely consistent figure at the club since joining from Slavia Prague back in October 2020, providing 12 assists in 74 games in all competitions thus far, with his involvement no doubt set to be vital as West Ham chase their first three points of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur are in talks over a potential deal to sign Yannick Carrasco before the transfer deadline on Thursday night…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Telegraph’s chief football correspondent Jason Burt, who claims that Spurs manager Antonio Conte has long admired the Belgian international and is attempting to strike a deal before the end of the summer window.

It’s also believed the Lilywhites tried to sign the 28-year-old from Atletico Madrid on deadline day in January but the LaLiga outfit were unwilling to sell him at that point.

Carrasco has a release clause in the region of £51.2m but last time, the Spaniards were looking for around £25m to let him leave and the player has made no secret of his desire to one day play in the Premier League.

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Perisic 2.0

Interestingly, the report goes on to state that the 6 foot 1 dynamo would be utilised as a right wing-back as further competition for the divisive Emerson Royal; someone who Conte was reportedly not keen on earlier this year, as per The Times.

In Carrasco, a winger by trade, the Italian could well be seeing his next Ivan Perisic, who under his stewardship went from being a winger all his career to a wing-back at Inter Milan – and now the pair have reunited in north London with the Croatian still acting as his first-choice left wing-back.

The Belgium star is a hugely versatile talent as shown by the five different roles he played for Atletico last season.

Across 44 appearances, he was deployed on both flanks – both as a wing-back and as a natural winger – as well as upfront as a striker. He delivered six goals and seven assists, per Transfermarkt.

FBref even liken his statistical profile to that of Perisic, so it’s easy to see why Conte would be ever so keen to land him in a late move this week.

When compared to other wing-backs across Europe, the £42.5m-rated wizard ranks within the top 2% for non-penalty goals (0.14), the top 2% for shot-creating actions (3.76) and the top 1% for touches in the opposition’s box (5.39) per 90.

That clearly highlights his ability to get on the ball and cause havoc in the final third, something that Conte wants to see from his wing-backs and something that is perhaps lacking in Emerson, who has managed just three goal contributions in his 45 appearances for Spurs.

Carrasco, who was once described as a “complete player” by his manager Diego Simeone, is also more than capable in his defensive duties, having averaged two tackles and one clearance per game in 2022/23 so far, via WhoScored, so he could well be the perfect complement to Perisic at Hotspur Way.

As such, sporting director Fabio Paratici must look to get this late swoop over the line before the 11pm deadline on Thursday.

The Perisic-like Carrasco and the Croatian himself would be a mouth-watering and rather attacking wing-back pairing in the English top-flight. Conte wants him, so the Italian supremo has to now deliver.

AND in other news, Paratici could undo Spurs’ summer business in “shock” move for £30m “headless chicken”…

Wolves youngster Fabio Silva has hit some impressive form on loan in Belgium, thriving in Europa Conference League action this week.

The Lowdown: Anderlecht loan

Bruno Lage decided to send Silva on loan to RSC Anderlecht in Belgium for this season in order for him to get more minutes and further his development after struggling to adapt to the physicality of English football.

The striker was limited to just impending Diego Costa, Silva’s game time was likely to be even more limited this campaign.

The Latest: Impressive performance

Silva played for Anderlecht in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday night, and scored the winning goal as his side beat Danish team Silkeborg IF 1-0 in their group stage opener.

The Portugal U21 international scored from the penalty spot with just under ten minutes to go in the match, admitting that he ‘celebrated like crazy’ after tucking it away.

Aside from his goal, Silva was the star of the show, achieving the highest rating (7.7) of anyone on the pitch by SofaScore, while he also had more shots (seven) than anyone else and made a joint-high two key passes.

He also won two duels in the game, and had 43 touches of the ball in total (SofaScore).

The Verdict: Someone to think about

Given that the Wanderers have struggled to score goals yet again this season, with only 38 scored in the Premier League last term and just three so far this campaign, the joint-lowest of any team, one could question whether sending Silva out on loan was such a good idea.

He now has seven goals and two assists in 12 matches in total for Anderlecht (Transfermarkt), showing that perhaps more patience was needed before deciding to let him go.

Kalajdzic now has an ACL injury, and Costa may struggle to get up to speed straight away having not played any competitive football since January, so perhaps Wolves should have kept hold of Silva for this season.

West Ham United could make a second attempt to sign Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka in January, according to The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Irons’ summer enquiry

The 24-year-old looked set to be leaving Old Trafford over the summer after falling down the pecking order, with there being serious interest from his former side and Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.

The Irons were also name-checked and were even believed to have made an enquiry regarding his availability before the deadline, though Erik ten Hag was adamant that his man was not for sale.

The Latest: West Ham targeting Wan-Bissaka

According to The Athletic (via Claret and Hugh), West Ham ‘could make another move’ for Wan-Bissaka after learning that he might ‘be available for transfer’ in the New Year.

It’s reported that the right-back is ‘keen on a return’ to London after ‘struggling’ to take to life in Manchester.

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The Verdict: Don’t do it…

Whilst Wan-Bissaka is a household name, he’s suffered a serious lack of game time of late, so David Moyes should avoid pursuing this deal any further.

The Croydon-born ‘monster’, as hailed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has only played four minutes of football this season, and would therefore likely need a considerable amount of time to get up to full speed.

The Scot needs someone who would already be match fit and raring to go, and for the unrealistic valuation that would be put on his head by United, it’s simply not worth it.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) reportedly sent Newcastle United scouts to watch Mykhaylo Mudryk in action for Ukraine.

The Lowdown: Mudryk tracked

The St. James’ Park outfit are reportedly ‘tracking’ Mudryk ahead of a potential move for the Shakhtar Donetsk winger in the January transfer window.

Eddie Howe is thought to have given the green light for a deal, and so this will be one to watch once the window opens.

The Latest: Scouts sent

Writing in his latest piece for 90min, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed that scouts from the North East club were sent to watch Mudryk in action for Ukraine in their 3-0 loss away at Scotland in the UEFA Nations League on Wednesday night.

However, scouts from Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Everton, Leeds United, West Ham United, Wolves, Arsenal and Chelsea were also in attendance, meaning that the Tynesiders will likely face a lot of competition for his signature.

The Verdict: Get it done

Hailed as an ‘absolutely phenomenal’ player by Tottenham pundit John Wenham amid links to Spurs, Mudryk has exploded onto the scene this season, with two goals and three assists in five games in all competitions at club level, including four goal contributions in the UEFA Champions League already (Transfermarkt).

If there is a chance that a deal can be done in January, then the Magpies must look to take it with open arms.

Howe was keen to sign an attacking midfielder in the summer, and Mudryk could certainly be the answer to his prayers with his rapid dribbling abilities and end product.

Wolves have been boosted in their efforts to sign West Ham defender Craig Dawson, with Pete O’Rourke claiming a January move could be on the cards.

The Lowdown: Deadline day Dawson

Wanderers have been famed for being a strong defensive outfit in recent years but they did lose Conor Coady, Romain Saiss and Willy Boly during the summer.

It has left Bruno Lage with fewer options than he had before and Dawson was one player who was strongly linked with making a move during the recent transfer window, as a deal collapsed on the final day of the summer.

It looks as though the 32-year-old could still be a target, however, following a new claim.

The Latest: Defender could join in January

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Pete O’Rourke talked up Wolves’ chances of signing Dawson in January, due to him wanting to be closer to family:

“I think there’s real potential this move could be rekindled in the January window. The reason that Dawson wanted to leave was for family and personal reasons because he wanted to move closer to his family home.

“It’s something that’s still going to be on his mind and he wants to secure that move back to the Midlands. Obviously, that gives Wolves a huge advantage because they can offer Dawson that.”

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The Verdict: Strong short-term signing

While Dawson wouldn’t necessarily be an world-class signing for Wolves, he is someone with a wealth of experience who could provide excellent squad depth, pedigree and leadership.

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The defender has made a total of 238 appearances in the Premier League and Jonathan Woodgate has hailed him for being ‘so reliable’ as a footballer, while his own teammates dubbed him ‘unbelievable’ last season.

Dawson is out of contract at West Ham at the end of the season and that means Fosun could pick up a bargain in January – it is a deal well worth doing.

Manchester United are looking at a move for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Martinez profiled

Martinez made the move to Villa Park from Arsenal back in 2020 and has made 83 appearances for the club, keeping 27 clean sheets.

Labelled as ‘unbelievable’ by Villa teammate Matty Cash and called ‘one of the best goalkeepers in the world’ by international compatriot Lionel Messi, Martinez has played every minute of action under Steven Gerrard this season.

The 30-year-old is under contract until 2027 after signing fresh terms earlier this year, but it looks as if United are interested in his services.

The Latest: United links

According to FI, United are keeping close tabs on Martinez ahead of a potential move. They claim that the Argentine is on the Old Trafford radar due to doubts over David de Gea’s long-term future at the club.

The report adds that United’s recruitment team rate Martinez highly, with Villa valuing the ‘keeper in the region of £45m.

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The Verdict: Interesting

Jordan Pickford has also been linked with the Red Devils recently, so it looks as if De Gea could well end his 11-year association with the club next year when his deal expires.

There hasn’t been any real movement on fresh terms for the Spaniard, so it makes sense for United to eye up possible replacements, including Martinez.

It could be a hard deal to complete, though, due to his contract situation and Villa’s demands, but it appears that United will monitor a move over the coming months.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Wilfried Singo.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Torino Granata (via Sport Witness), who claim that, following the interest of Antonio Conte over the summer transfer window, Torino may now be willing to part with the right wing-back in the January market, as long as they were to receive an offer they simply could not refuse – reported to be in the region of €30m (£26m).

Should no move materialise this winter – be that by Tottenham or any other interested party – the report goes on to claim that the 21-year-old will be available to sign next summer, with the Ivory Coast international’s current deal at the Stadio Olimpico set to expire in the summer of 2024.

“Revelation”

Considering Spurs’ struggles at right wing-back so far this season, coupled with the Premier League side’s previous interest in Singo, it is not a difficult scenario to imagine that, should an opportunity arise for Fabio Paratici to make a move for the 21-year-old in January, he would jump at the chance to do so.

Indeed, Emerson Royal’s red card against Arsenal once again highlighted the fact that the 23-year-old is a “complete liability” – in the words of Jamie O’Hara – at the back, while Conte is evidently not comfortable with the idea of deploying either Matt Doherty or Djed Spence at wing-back – with the duo having played a combined 26 minutes of football so far this season.

As such, the signing of a new player in the position would appear something of a must this winter, and, considering Singo’s performances in Italy over the past year, the defender would very much look to be something of a perfect fit for Conte’s right wing-back role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Indeed, according to FBref, the £17.5m-rated talent ranks in the top 11% of full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 7% for non-penalty xG, the top 8% for shots, the top 14% for dribbles completed, the top 14% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 38% for progressive passes over the last 365 days.

From these metrics, it is clear that the £4.3k-per-week sensation is very much a forward-thinking defender first and foremost, something that cannot be said of Conte’s current first-choice in the position, Emerson – with Singo bettering the Brazilian in goals scored (three to one), assists provided (four to one) and big chances created (four to one) in their respective leagues last term.

Conte himself has revealed that he prefers his wing-backs to be predominantly attack-focused, with the 52-year-old stating in comments cited by football.london earlier this year:

“The wing-back is really important if you play with three at the back. They’re important because it’s no good if they are too defensive because in this position you need to have quality. I like to have players that in the past was a winger because in this situation they are good at one vs one.”

As such, should Paratici be presented with an opportunity to land the player who Matteo Bonetti dubbed a “revelation” in January, the Italian sporting director simply must do all he can to prise him away from Turin, as it is clear that Singo could well be the perfect player to finally end Tottenham’s wing-back woes.

Aston Villa managed to continue their unbeaten run last night on the road at Nottingham Forest but will feel somewhat aggrieved that they could not find a winner against a side wallowing in 19th.

Depending on how you view their results, it actually marks just one win in their last seven now, and Steven Gerrard will certainly be feeling the pressure.

In what was a feisty affair, few stood out in a game that never really seemed to find its rhythm.

Despite dominating 61% of the ball, the Villans managed just two shots on target. One of which was Ashley Young’s scorching equaliser. The full-back impressed and would have been the standout player for the visitors if not for Emiliano Buendia.

The Argentine was one of few who continued to pry at the Forest defence, and his workmanlike yet classy performance was clearly noticed by SofaScore, who gave him a 7.5 rating for the game. This was only beaten by the extra 0.1 handed to the goal scorer.

Compared to his team’s average of 6.83, it further outlines him as one of the star players of the game.

Having been handed his first start since August, his desperation to have the ball was outlined in his 66 touches. However, he was not wasteful with it.

He was 100% accurate with his long balls and even gave two key passes, showing how creative he was throughout.

However, it was his defensive display which will have impressed his manager even more.

To combine such talent with an attitude like Buendia’s suggests that he has all the tools to become a really outstanding talent in the Premier League.

He was involved in a mammoth 13 ground duels, of which he managed to win nine. For a winger, the 25-year-old did not shirk his defensive duties to help out Matty Cash, who was returning from injury.

His five tackles further compound his all-around display, which could only have been capped off had he scored or assisted the winner.

Pundit Jack Collins noted back in January of this year about the “stunning performances” he had been putting in. It seems that if he is given a run now, with displays such as this, he certainly could recapture that form.

Although his side were not at their best, Gerrard can at least look to Buendia as the shining light for his side on another disappointing night.

Glasgow Rangers returned to winning ways on Sunday as they beat Motherwell 2-1 away from Ibrox in the Premiership to quickly drown their European sorrows.

The Light Blues had been smashed 7-1 by Liverpool in midweek and Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side reacted well to pick up three points in the Scottish top-flight.

It was far from a glamorous performance from the Gers but it was enough to pick up all three points as Malik Tillman and John Lundstram scored the goals.

The former opened the scoring with a sensational solo run, darting past several players before firing the ball past Liam Kelly, and the latter found the back of the net from a corner.

Motherwell pulled one back towards the end of the match in bizarre fashion as Allan McGregor misjudged a free-kick and allowed the ball to sail over his head and into the far corner, despite his starting position being on that post.

Rangers managed to see out the rest of the match but it was far from a perfect display as a number of players failed to show the best of themselves.

Whilst McGregor could be faulted for the goal that the Gers conceded, one player who was arguably worse than the 40-year-old veteran was left winger Ryan Kent.

The Englishman, who has scored just once in the Premiership in 2022, struggled badly on and off the ball throughout the match as he went through another game without a goal contribution.

In possession, Kent was wasteful on the ball. As per SofaScore, he only created one chance from 50 touches and failed with three of his four attempted dribbles, whilst only completing half of his four crossing attempts.

He also passed up an excellent chance to get a shot away in the box on his left foot early on in the game. Instead of pulling the trigger on his weak side, he tried to cut in on his right and was smothered off the ball.

Therefore, he did not make the most of the opportunities he had to dribble at players, put the ball into the box, or shoot, and van Bronckhorst will surely be disappointed by the forward’s lack of quality in the final third.

The £18k-per-week dud also left a lot to be desired out of possession. Via SofaScore, he lost a whopping 81% (13/16) individual duels as he was bullied far too often by Motherwell’s defenders.

McGregor may have made an error, but at least it was only one. Kent, on the other hand, was consistently sloppy both in and out of possession, as he cost his team on a regular basis. For that, he was certainly worse than the Rangers stopper during the course of the match.

The manager will undoubtedly feel let down by the attacker’s display.