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David Sullivan should strive to seal a deal for Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos this summer as West Ham United will be on alert to his potential availability.

That’s the view of former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who has told Football Insider that the London Stadium hierarchy will have their eyes on Morelos ahead of the next transfer window.

The Hammers are expected to be active in the off-season looking to improve David Moyes’ offensive options, after he opted against using the £20m raised from Sebastien Haller’s exit to sign a replacement that he “wasn’t sure about” in the winter.

Morelos revealed to Colombian network Caracol Radio last weekend that one of his “big dreams” is to make a move to the Premier League one day, having been tracked by clubs such as Liverpool previously.

Morelos has been in great form north of the border this season with 15 goals in 36 games across all competitions, including 10 in 24 Premiership outings as Rangers clinched the title.

Seven of the 24-year-old’s strikes and eight of his 12 assists for the term have even come in 11 fixtures since the turn of the year, as he took his performances to another level.

Robinson expects his efforts will have Premier League suitors on alert, and that only the offer of a lucrative pay rise will keep the £33,000-per-week forward at Ibrox.

“It is not a secret – Premier League clubs have been looking at him and I think West Ham will be keeping an eye on him,” Robinson claimed. “It is a move that Morelos will have to weigh up. If Rangers financially reward him and offer him Premier League level wages, then he may stay.

“Do you want to play in the Premier League with West Ham, or do you want to win more trophies at Rangers? Steven Gerrard is building something special there and I think it is going to be a really exciting club to be a part of over the next few years.”

If West Ham’s talent spotters have cast a view towards Rangers in recent months, they will no doubt have been impressed by Morelos’ efforts under Gerrard that have helped fire the Glasgow giants into the Last 16 of the Europa League.

Morelos registered six assists over the two Round of 32 legs with Royal Antwerp last month, while scoring once as the Gers won 9-5 on aggregate and currently sit level at 1-1 with Slavia Prague for a place in the quarter-finals.

His goals have not been the defining factor in Rangers’ successful Premiership title quest, with James Tavernier (11) and Kemar Roofe (10) writing their names on the scoresheet as often as the 24-year-old (10).

But that’s not to say he would not make a decisive difference at the London Stadium, where Moyes could reap the rewards of Gerrard polishing the edges of a rough diamond previously plagued by disciplinary issues and a habit of earning red cards.

Morelos has racked up 43 yellow cards, four second bookings and three straight reds in 174 games for Rangers, but has only been cautioned seven times this term and is yet to be given his marching orders in any competition.

Gerrard still expects the forward to reach another level with his performances on the pitch, too, even though he already gives more than just goals.

“When you are talking about a talent like Alfredo, people automatically just judge him on goals. But as his manager who works with him every day, I think he has evolved in the time he has been here,” Gerrard said, via quotes by The Glasgow Times.

“We have tried to support him and guide him, because people forget how old he was when he arrived and how old he is now. He is still at a stage in his career where he can get better, physically, mentally, tactically and technically.

“There are still big compartments of his game that he can improve. That’s the exciting thing. But there is no doubt he has evolved. He has improved his link-up play, improved tactically without the ball in terms of what the team needs and demands from him.”

West Ham’s actual interest in Morelos remains to be seen, but Sullivan could do far worse than looking to raid Rangers now that the 10-cap Colombian has won a Premiership title.

AND in other news, West Ham face a £51.5m asking price to sign a dynamic star who grew up learning from Frank Lampard…

Issa Diop was David Moyes true hero as West Ham beat Sheffield United 3-0 on Monday night.

The French centre-half returned to the Hammers’ starting line-up of a Premier League game for the first time since December for the visit of Chris Wilder’s relegation-threatened Blades.

Moyes was without his regular first-choice Angelo Ogbonna after the Italian sustained a high ankle sprain during last Tuesday’s FA Cup defeat at Manchester United.

Diop had sparked concerns of a concussion at Old Trafford following a clash of heads with Anthony Martial, but was passed fit to face Sheffield United after showing no signs of an injury.

West Ham would have been delighted to have had Diop in the side on Monday night as the 24-year-old produced an assured display on his return to action, in what was only his fourth top-flight start of the season.

The £18m-rated titan, linked with a Deadline Day move to Liverpool earlier in the month, also headed home the Hammers’ second of the night with an excellent connection to Aaron Cresswell’s free-kick inside quarter of an hour of the second half.

Declan Rice had opened the scoring with a perfectly placed penalty minutes before the break, and showed great leadership to drive the Irons forward with a dominant display in the engine room.

The England international is very much coming into his own in the captain role with Mark Noble often taking a seat on the bench, in what could be Mr West Ham’s final year at the London Stadium.

And yet it was Diop, not Rice, who was Moyes’ true hero against Sheffield United, having stepped in to replace Ogbonna – who the Hammers boss describes as “magnificent” and a “really important” player – and he rarely put a foot wrong.

Diop listened to every bit of advice Craig Dawson and the bench passed over to appear as if he has been playing regularly this season, despite the Blades’ visit to the London Stadium being only his second outing beside the Watford loanee after 30 minutes at Manchester United.

Other than half an hour at Old Trafford, Wilder’s side also represented the first top-flight opponent that Diop has faced since December 16, having been an unused substitute in West Ham’s previous 10 Premier League games.

Yet the £67,000-per-week titan outshone Dawson and Aaron Cresswell in Moyes’ back three, with Diop offering a joint team-high two successful tackles with Ben Johnson but with a 100% success rate, per WhoScored, with Sheffield United also unable to dribble past the Frenchman.

Diop further offered a joint game-high four clearances with Vladimir Coufal and the Blades’ John Egan, to match Ogbonna’s average of 4.4 a game this term.

Moyes further saw Diop win 71% of his duels with success in four of six ground contests and one from one in the air, while Dawson and Cresswell each won just one ground duel from three and two respective contests, per SofaScore.

Diop’s efforts should more than ensure he retains his place in the West Ham backline over Fabian Balbuena for when the Irons host London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, having filled the Ogbonna void more than adequately.

AND in other news, West Ham may rue not signing a £1.8k-p/w target in January as he nears a pre-contract agreement…

Paul Robinson has claimed ‘that could be it’ for Steve Bruce at Newcastle if they lose their three upcoming games in the Premier League this month.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and England international goalkeeper has predicted that the St. James’ Park faithful’s next three matches may determine as to whether or not Bruce keeps his job in the North East:

“They seem to have been sucked back into it unwittingly and rather quietly in recent weeks.

“With their injury list, especially up front, it’s going to be a big ask for them. West Brom v Newcastle is a massive game for both clubs. But it’s a huge, huge game for Newcastle.

“A 1-1 draw against Wolves probably wasn’t enough. They need to start putting wins together.

“Their next three fixtures will determine whether they stay up. They’ve got West Brom away, Villa at home and then away to Brighton. That could be it for Bruce.”

Should Newcastle axe Bruce?

Should results not go their way in the next three fixtures, the Tyneside club will surely have a big decision to make as to whether or not they want to carry on for the rest of the 2020/21 term with Bruce still in charge.

West Brom and Brighton are currently two teams in and around the Tyneside club at the moment in terms of battling them for survival, while Aston Villa is a home fixture that they should be looking to try and take all three points from.

Given that it is relatively late on in the season now, points on the board are absolutely vital for the Magpies, especially against sides that they are fighting against to avoid relegation from the top flight down to the EFL Championship.

As Robinson points out though, the next three games, all of which take place before the March international break, could decide Bruce’s ultimate fate.

In other news, find out what claim Bruce has been raging at here!

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former footballer and current pundit Carlton Palmer has been discussing Liverpool transfer target David Alaba.

It has been suggested recently that the Reds have offered the Austrian international a contract in the hope of signing him on a free transfer in the summer, although it seems as if Real Madrid are currently in pole position to complete a deal for the Bayern Munich ace.

Whilst the 28-year-old wouldn’t be able to fix Liverpool’s current defensive crisis if he arrived in the summer, he could be a great long-term addition to Jurgen Klopp’s side and could become a regular alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defence.

In a previous interview with Football FanCast, Palmer suggested that Alaba is “world-class”, so it is no surprise to hear him urging the Merseyside outfit to sign him in the summer, as he exclusively told FFC:

“If you look at Alaba, who’s going to be free in the summer. The fact that he’s going to be free in the summer, he’s 28 years of age. If Liverpool are looking for cover, he’s a very versatile player. He’s one I’d be looking at, because, I’m thinking, any club would be saying ‘well, we’re not going to give you more than £13/14 million for him, because he’s free in the summer.”

Palmer told us that he believes that the Reds should consider a bid for Alaba now, considering the fact Bayern Munich wouldn’t be able to demand a significant fee, as they are almost resigned to losing him for nothing at the end of the season.

Certainly, the Austrian would significantly improve Jurgen Klopp’s current options if he were to join in January and whilst paying a fee for someone who’s free in a few months time may not bee deemed as too smart from a financial perspective, getting Alaba could prove to be the difference between Liverpool retaining the Premier League title or just settling for a top-four spot, as their recent form has been far from good enough.

Unfortunately for Liverpool supporters, Klopp has admitted that January signings are unlikely, so they may have to wait until the summer to see if Alaba opts to join the Anfield outfit.

And, in other news… Forget Tsimikas: Liverpool can sign Robertson’s true heir in £10.8m-rated wonderkid

Celtic continue to find themselves linked to potential new managers as, with the Hoops struggling this season and looking like they will be surrendering their title to arch rivals Rangers, Neil Lennon could soon find himself out of a job.

Their Glasgow neighbours are running away with this season’s Premiership, leading the reigning champions by a mammoth 23 points. Celtic have struggled to climb through the gears as the campaign has ticked by and now change could be on the horizon.

Speculation around Lennon’s future continues to be rifeand one man who could, reportedly, come in and take his place is Rafael Benitez. According to The Mirror, the former Liverpool and Newcastle boss is in the picture to take over at Celtic after leaving his position in China and even at the age of 60, Benitez is reportedly still keen to find a new role.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer gave his thoughts on whether he could picture Benitez at the hilt of the Scottish outfit.

“Well he’s gone to China, so I could see him going anywhere,” the pundit said. “So yeah, of course, Celtic is a massive club.”

Indeed, the Premiership heavyweights have had an uncharacteristically poor season and are in need of a boost. Not only have they seemingly thrown away their chances of a tenth consecutive league title, but they also had an early exit from the Europa League.

The Hoops were dumped out of the competition following a disappointing group stage, which saw them finish bottom of their group having accumulated just four points. They also conceded the joint most goals (19) of the group stages, with only Ludogorets and Dundalk shipping as many.

“I suppose Benitez would want to know what funds he would have available in the transfer market,” Palmer continued. “I think he found it very difficult with the owners at Newcastle in trying to progress the club forward. But I could see that [move to Celtic] being a fit.”

The former midfielder went on to discuss Lennon’s position at the club, praising his stature as a “top manager”, but ultimately admitting his days are numbered.

“He’s done great things at Celtic, but once you’re fighting the tide, you’re fighting the tide. You’re never going to get out of it again.”

It remains to be seen if Lennon is sacked, and if Benitez ends up in the Parkhead hotseat but if those things do happen, it seems that Carlton Palmer would not be shocked.

In other news, Lennon has sealed his own Celtic fate by not bolstering his squad…

Many Manchester United fans have been slamming the display of Marcus Rashford versus Manchester City in the 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in the Premier League yesterday evening.

The 23-year-old did not have the best of games at all for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, losing out on six of his individual duels, as well as failing to record a single shot on target and only having a mere 23 touches of the ball all match (Sofascore).

The forward also failed to put in a single cross or play a long ball, and lost possession six times, earning him a quite measly rating of just 6.5 on Sofascore, the lowest out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch.

It was certainly not a performance that will do the England international any sort of favours whatsoever going into the busy Christmas period.

Manchester United fan reaction to Rashford display

These Red Devils slammed his performance on Twitter, with one Man Utd supporter even claiming that the striker was ‘awful’:

In other news, find out which global speedster Man United have been eyeing here!

When you assess Aston Villa’s season, it’s difficult to pick a gaping hole in their squad.As a result, spending in the January transfer window could be a rather limited affair for Dean Smith and Johan Lange.What’s the word?It’s been quiet on the transfer front for the Villans since the window opened. Rico Henry has continuously been linked but at long last, we have a potential incoming to report of.It won’t be a marquee addition but it will be one to provide more competition and inject further youthful exuberance into the first-team picture.That’s because according to La Lazio Siamo Noi (via Sport Witness) Aston Villa are in the hunt to sign Norwegian starlet Sivert Mannsverk.The 18-year-old has caught the eye in his homeland and is set to be available for a meagre €2m (£1.7m), but it won’t be a straightforward chase.It’s reported that Arsenal are in the race for Mannsverk’s signature, while Brighton also have an interest in the talented midfielder.Bologna and Ajax are keen but it’s Lazio who have already made contact to sign him. He has many willing suitors because of his “personality, talent, and good physique.”Forget RamseyOne of the most pleasing aspects of Villa’s season so far has been the emergence of Jacob Ramsey. The 19-year-old made his first Premier League start against Wolves last month and looked immensely comfortable, completing two dribbles and registering two shots.It was a dynamic performance that typified Ramsey, but his progress to first-team stardom could be halted if Mannsverk is signed.The teenager is already the captain of his club and has superb leadership skills, producing goals and assists in impressive numbers for his age.During 2020, he registered five goals and also provided five assists for his teammates. Capable of playing as a defensive midfielder or further forward in attacking phases, he is a versatile individual and that should stand him in good stead if he moves to England.He could also be assured that Smith would use him. This Villa squad is already particularly young, with the hierarchy prioritising bringing players to the club that they can develop, rather than individuals who are past their best.It’s a task breaking into this Villa midfield but Mannsverk has a bright future ahead of him. Whether his ceiling is higher than Ramsey’s, however, remains to be seen.AND in other news, “Dangerous” AVFC dynamo who “continues to shine” is Smith’s unsung hero…

David Moyes enjoyed a narrow escape this summer with West Ham United failing to sign Sporting CP forward Jovane Cabral.

What’s the word?

According to O Jogo, Sporting have informed Cabral’s representatives that they intend to sit down and discuss a new contract for the 22-year-old, after promising one of their most valuable assets of an extension if the attacker stayed in Lisbon this summer.

Cabral was widely linked with a move away from the Jose Alvalade Stadium by the Portuguese media this year, with A Bola claiming in September that West Ham were rivalling Fulham and an unnamed English side but that each had seen offers rebuffed.

Hertha Berlin, another Italian side and Tottenham Hotspur were also positioning themselves for advances, however no bid ever met the green and whites’ €35million (£31.5m) valuation or their request of €20m (£18m) plus bonuses and a future sell-on clause.

Though West Ham refusing to meet Sporting’s demands now appears to have been the right decision, given Cabral has only created one big chance to score and produced 0.6 shots per game over five appearances since the 2020/21 Liga NOS season began, per SofaScore.

Narrow escape

As well as offering little creativity with an average of 0.8 key balls and zero accurate crosses, Cabral has only recorded 0.6 successful dribbles, 6.6 accurate passes in the opposition half, won 1.4 ground duels and has lost possession 6.4 times a game, per SofaScore, ahead of facing Tondela on Sunday night.

His record for the campaign to date offers little evidence to suggest West Ham would have been making the right decision in paying Sporting their lower €20m fee, let alone the full €35m, as the 22-year-old Cape Verde international could have proven an even worse purchase than Felipe Anderson.

The Irons spent a then-club-record £36m to purchase Anderson from Lazio in 2018 but a torrid second campaign from the Brazilian was enough for the east London outfit to sanction a one-year loan with FC Porto, in the hopes he can rediscover his initial form.

Anderson struck ten goals and provided five assists across all competitions during his debut season, but only provided a single goal and five assists during his second year in claret and blue as he eventually fell from the starting line-up under Moyes.

It remains to be seen if Anderson can rediscover his form in Portugal, having so far failed to contribute to the scoring in two Liga NOS outings totalling 49 minutes, but what is clear is that it looks right now as though West Ham dodged a potentially expensive bullet with Cabral.

AND in other news, West Ham can sign the new Nemanja Vidic in a £43.3k-p/w “powerhouse” David Moyes courted this summer.

Manchester United should consider themselves fortunate they picked up all three points after the Red Devils edged to victory in a gruelling encounter with West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford on Saturday night.

Several players were at fault for the poor performance, especially in the second half as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side survived a controversial penalty call, before referee David Coote pointed to the spot at the other end only moments later.

Bruno Fernandes forced a fine save from Baggies goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, although he was handed a reprieve by the referee after the former United keeper was adjudged to have strayed well off his line, with Fernandes firing into the top corner with his second attempt.

Marcus Rashford, who has been in such red-hot form this season, was uncharacteristically underwhelming, as he only managed to win seven out of 13 ground duels and missed one big chance, whilst Juan Mata didn’t offer much going forward either, with zero shots on target all game.

But it was Anthony Martial who massively let Solskjaer down with his disappointing display, as he has once again failed to find the back of the net in the Premier League so far this season.

The £54m-rated beast (via Transfermarkt) was rather wasteful leading the line, as he lost possession a staggering 18 times, which was more than Mata and Rashford. He also missed one big chance and delivered just one key pass throughout the game, via SofaScore.

Quite why the Frenchman played the full 90 minutes we’ll probably never understand, especially when you consider the fact that United were clinging on to a one-nil lead in the second half.

Martial took 60 touches of the ball, so he should have been able to spearhead the attack, but this wasn’t the case as the misfiring striker only managed just two shots on target, only to be denied by Johnstone with two excellent saves on both occasions.

He received an average rating of 7/10 for his efforts from 90min, who claimed he ‘should have broken the deadlock with a simple scoring chance early on, but couldn’t fire past Johnstone’ and added he was ‘kept under wraps for the rest of the game,’ whilst Samuel Luckhurst was even more scathing in his assessment, noting he ‘had an early header saved before he squandered a gilt-edged chance soon after’ and accused him of ‘going through the motions at times.’

Paul Scholes recently criticised the 24-year-old following the defeat by Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League for his “non-existent” movement as the Red Devils suffered their second defeat in four days after being humbled by Arsenal, which paints an all-too familiar picture.

Solskjaer should have taken Martial off long beforehand to save him from further embarrassment as he once again failed to make much of an impression.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Marlon Harewood baffled by Paul Pogba’s Manchester United situation…

Leeds United’s transfer deadline day looks set to be an exciting with Raphinha looking likely to join the Whites in a deal worth an initial £17m.

Leeds have been after a winger for the entirety of this window with names such as Said Benrahma, Daniel James and Ryan Kent strongly linked at different points.

Now, it seems as though they have finally got their man with the Rennes wide man set to join on deadline day, but despite a winger coming in, United still need to do one more thing.

Indeed, the Whites need to bring in a midfielder after failing to secure the signature of Michael Cuisance from Bayern Munich.

Whether or not a midfielder is absolutely needed is up for debate, but the fact that United so publicly chased Cuisance and almost signed him before the deal collapsed at the 11th hour, shows that they were in the market for a midfielder, and if they don’t land one, it will be seen as a failure on Victor Orta’s part.

The cohort of Mateusz Klich, Adam Forshaw, Kalvin Phillips and Pablo Hernandez should be enough to help United towards their goals this season, but if Leeds fail to add reinforcements after a summer of pursuing options such as Rodrigo De Paul and Cuisance, they will look a bit incompetent.

Orta clearly prioritised the midfield spots as an area that needs bolstering, and if he doesn’t get his man after coming so close to signing Cuisance, he will deserve a lot of blame, despite what has otherwise been a successful transfer window.

Anything can happen on deadline day, so Leeds could still get their midfielder, but if they don’t, Orta will be due a bit of stick.