Despite having already added Issa Diop and Ryan Fredericks to his squad, West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini could look to bring in a couple more defenders with another centre-back possibly being lined up.

The Breakdown

Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) are reporting West Ham are interested in signing Spartak Moscow central defender Ilya Kutepov to further strengthen the heart of their backline which already consists of Diop, Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna.

Kutepov has clearly made an impression with Russia at the World Cup with the likes of Fiorentina, Lyon and RB Leipzig also said to be targeting the 24-year-old. A bidding war is now likely to ensue and if West Ham miss out on Kutepov, then the club should continue the ambitious approach they’ve shown in this transfer window and make an enquiry for Barcelona’s £8.1m-rated (via Transfermarkt) Yerry Mina.

Mina, who has scored three goals at the World Cup for Colombia, has really struggled at Barcelona since making his move to the Camp Nou from Palmeiras back in January. The 23-year-old, as reported by outlets such as Marca, has since been linked with a move away from the La Liga champions and his performances in Russia have now likely caught the attention of many.

At 6’5″, Mina, as he’s shown at the World Cup, is practically unchallengeable in the air, and in general, has the characteristics to be a top Premier League defender.

Even if West Ham are leading the race for Kutepov, the east London club should try their luck with Mina first.

According to reliable club insider @ExWHUemployee on Episode 94 of The West Ham Way radio show, West Ham United are lining up a summer move for Lyon attacker Memphis Depay.

What’s the word, then?

Well, @ExWHUemployee said on the radio show that the Irons want to bring the former Manchester United flop back to England, and the Dutchman is believed to want a return to the Premier League to prove himself.

With a deal for Lazio’s Felipe Anderson proving problematic, Manuel Pellegrini could choose to switch his attentions elsewhere, and a move for Depay would certainly be exciting given his record for the Ligue 1 outfit last term.

The 24-year-old scored 22 goals and provided a further 17 assists in 51 appearances in all competitions, to help his side finish as runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain in the French top flight.

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Would he be a good signing for West Ham?

Even though he only scored seven goals and provided a further six assists in 53 outings in total for the Red Devils, his record last time out shows that he has clearly improved and matured since his time at Old Trafford under Louis van Gaal.

Meanwhile, another former Red Devil in Hernandez struggled in his debut campaign at the London Stadium and often found himself behind Marko Arnautovic in the pecking order, and much of that may have been down to the lack of a wide player that can get the ball into the penalty area where the Mexican is.

However, Depay showed last time with his 17 assists that he can put quality deliveries into the box, and knowing how good Hernandez’s movement is he could get on the end of them and become a regular starter under Pellegrini to finally ignite his Hammers career.

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Eberechi Eze, Matt Smith and Ilias Chair were all on the scoresheet as Queens Park Rangers recorded a 3-0 win over Barnet in a pre-season friendly earlier this week.

It was a strong performance from QPR, but there is absolutely no doubt that one player in particular caught the attention of the club’s supporters.

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Eze opened the scoring with a wonderful effort in the first period, and it led to the QPR fans demanding that their club secures the future of the 20-year-old.

Eze, who has previously been on the books of Arsenal, Fulham and Millwall, scored twice in 16 Championship appearances for the R’s last season.

The midfielder also spent time on loan at Wycombe Wanderers in League Two last term, and managed five goals in 20 league appearances for the club.

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Eze’s current deal with QPR is due to expire in the summer of 2020, and it would be fair to say that the club’s fans are desperate for an extension.

The London-born midfielder will certainly be looking to continue his impressive form during pre-season ahead of the 2018-19 Championship campaign, which starts next month.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the QPR supporters can be seen below:

Manchester United have already made a good plunge into the transfer market this summer, with Jose Mourinho already adding the likes of Fred and Diogo Dalot to the ranks.

The Red Devils simply must get closer to rivals City next season to appease growing fears among fans that the club are going to end up falling somewhat short in coming years in terms of winning silverware.

Here in the Tavern, we think a new striker should be on the shopping list, and we think German forward Timo Werner, a player who is valued at £54m by website Transfermarkt, would be a superb addition.

Werner has seen his stock rise over the last few seasons and once again was in impressive goalscoring form last term, knocking in 21 goals in all competitions. A fully fledged member of the German squad now, Werner will no doubt get his move to one of the giants of the game at some point, and despite failing to impress in Russia this summer, there will be plenty of interest in the youngster.

While United do have the likes of Marcus Rashford and Alexis Sanchez in the squad, another striker can never hurt, and a player of Werner’s quality and potential would be a superb addition for the Old Trafford club.

United fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

It’s been quite a summer for Nuno Espirito Santo. After storming to the Championship title last season, Wolverhampton Wanderers have wasted no time this summer is adding some serious quality to their squad. 

The calibre of signings made by Wolves shows a signal of intent that they are not just in the Premier League merely to survive next season. Signings such as Ruben Vinagre and Rui Patricio are not the signings you would expect of a newly promoted side. Of all the promoted sides, Wolves certainly look the favourites to have a comfortable season next term.

The West Midlands outfit already look strong, but another quality addition could put them on the verge of doing something special in the coming season.

With that in mind, 22-year-old winger Andrija Zivkovic would be the perfect addition for Wolverhampton Wanderers. The winger, who is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, is a hugely exciting talent.

After seriously impressing at a young age for Partizan, the Serbian made the switch to Benfica. He has already been capped eleven times for his country. The young winger has pace, technical ability and an excellent cross into the box. If Wolves could lure him to Molineux, he would only improve with regular Premier League football under his belt.

Defensively, the West Midlands outfit look very solid. Particularly with Portugal international Rui Patricio between the sticks commanding his area. Likewise, up top having players such as Leo Bonatini, Wolves look incredibly strong. However, the prospect of having Helder Costa on one wing, and Zivkovic on the other would strike fear into any Premier League defence, and would be an addition worth shelling out on.

Wolves already have a very strong squad going into next season, but they should drop everything now and go for one more high quality addition. Zivkovic could provide that extra piece of magic which is the difference between finishing mid-table, and being on the verge of challenging for a European place. With the signings the Molineux outfit have so far made, the sky is the limit in the coming season.

Liverpool’s excellent business has made them second favourites to lift the Premier League trophy next year.

The Reds finished the season in fourth but did reach the final of the Champions League. Jurgen Klopp has spent over £170m to bring Fabinho, Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker to Anfield. Liverpool now have a squad that is capable of challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title.

The strength of their first-team is evident, but there is little attacking depth outside of Liverpool’s famed forward trio. Shaqiri will provide some much-needed cover on the wings. However, both Divock Origi and Dominic Solanke have struggled immensely in pre-season. Despite Daniel Sturridge’s resurgence, more attacking options are needed.

According to reports, Crystal Palace forward, Wilfried Zaha, still wants to leave the club this summer and Klopp should attempt to bring him to Anfield. Palace don’t want to lose their prized asset nonetheless the Ivorian is desperate to play Champions League football. The Eagles want close to £50m for the ex-Manchester United winger – a transfer request could see their price come down.

Valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, Zaha enjoyed a stellar campaign in the Premier League last season, scoring nine and assisting three to help his side avoid relegation. The 25-year-old is an excellent dribbler – only Eden Hazard completed more take ons in the Premier League last season (Squawka). He is comfortable right across the forward line making him the ideal option for Klopp.

If their asking price is reduced, Liverpool would be foolish to turn him down.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

Wolves did such good business last summer and played so well in their Championship promotion season that many observers felt they were entering the Premier League with a squad already equipped to make an instant impression on the big time.

However, the Old Gold were never going to be able to resist flexing their financial muscles again in preparation for their return to the top flight and Jorge Mendes has once more helped them do exactly that.

The latest coup the super-agent has helped the Molineux outfit pull off is the cut-price signing of Joao Moutinho, bringing his considerable Champions League and international experience to the Midlands.

There are reasons for caution with this one, but we asked Wolves fans whether their new man would be an overall success and their enthusiasm at having signed the Euro 2016 winner was clear.

A whopping 91 per cent of them think that the cultured midfielder will succeed in the Premier League, as shown by the full poll results below…

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West Ham fans are split on making a move for Maxime Gonalons, after it emerged that several Premier League sides are chasing his signature.

According to Sky Sports, Crystal Palace tabled a €10m (£8.9m) for Roma’s Gonalons last week.

The experienced midfielder was unable to force himself into the first eleven with Roma last season, and is looking to revive his career elsewhere, with a whole host of teams lining up for his signature.

Cheikhou Kouyate’s impending move to Crystal Palace could actually open the door for West Ham to swoop for Gonalons, who could be the leader the Hammers have been missing in midfield.

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The eight-cap Frenchman played over 300 games for Lyon, putting him eighth on their all time appearances list, and his experience and leadership qualities would not go amiss at the London Stadium.

With Kouyate making the switch to Palace, a swoop of around £10m for the Roma midfielder could be just what Pellegrini needs, saving funds for one big final swoop on a marquee midfielder.

Fans can’t decide on a move though, with just 45 per cent backing a move. You can check out the full poll results for yourself down below…

Both Tottenham and Liverpool have been linked with a move for PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot, and Spurs must make sure they win the race for his signature.

What’s the story?

According to L’Equipe, Rabiot has rejected a new contract in Paris as he enters the last 12 months of his contract.

The wiry midfielder was linked with a move to North London this summer, and the race is now on to sign him on a pre-contract in January.

Various reports have linked Liverpool with a move for the Frenchman, as Jürgen Klopp seeks to fill that third position in his midfield.

The Reds’ boss signed Naby Keita and Fabinho this summer, but the failure to land Nabil Fekir means there is an open spot in Klopp’s 4-3-3.

Rabiot did post on social media about his love for Anfield earlier this year, but Tottenham absolutely must jump ahead of the Reds in the race for a pre-contract agreement.

Very rarely will you find a world class player that’s available on a free signing, and locking up the midfielder in January could atone for Tottenham’s lacklustre summer window.

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Bargain Dembele upgrade?

Tottenham fans were incredibly frustrated with their lack of business this summer, and undoubtedly the biggest cause for concern is the midfield. Mousa Dembele is entering the last year of his contract, Victor Wanyama is solid but not game-changing, the same could be said for Eric Dier, and let’s not even get into Moussa Sissoko.

Signing Rabiot would give Pochettino an instant replacement for the departing Dembele, and the perfect signing to make Tottenham’s attack even better. The 6 ft 2 in midfielder is incredible technically gifted, and is one of the best young passers in world football.

While he plays as a defensive midfielder, his game-reading ability and superb technique would help build attacks from deep, and allow the likes of Christian Eriksen to roam freely and create chances.

His Ligue 1 stats for PSG last season speak for themselves, averaging nearly two tackles per game, winning one aerial duel per game, boasting a 92 per cent pass completion rate and creating nearly one chance per game.

Rabiot is tall, strong, athletic, smart, extremely gifted with the ball at his feet and at just 23 has already won multiple league titles. Beating Liverpool to his signature would be a huge coup, and would make Daniel Levy a hero after his troublesome summer.

So, Tottenham fans, would you like to make a move for Rabiot in January? Can you beat Liverpool to his signature? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

Nottingham Forest are among the top spenders in the Championship and that is because they hope this season can be the one where promotion is achievable. 

13 players have rocked up at the City Ground throughout the summer period so far and that could yet be built on with a couple of weeks left to complete their dealings. They aren’t guaranteed to be any more successful because they have spent a lot but a number of new talented players gives them the platform to build from and remain in hope of Premier League prosperity.

One player who would be a great addition for Nottingham Forest this summer is Isaac Hayden – who is valued at £6.3 million on Transfermarkt.

The Englishman has reportedly pleaded for a move away from St James’ Park this summer and the way Nottingham Forest are moving, that could be a perfect move for the pair of them. At 23-years-old, Hayden has already been an important player during Newcastle’s Premier League campaign, in which he made 26 appearances, scoring on one occasion.

Hayden is an extremely versatile player that is accustomed to playing as a central-midfielder, a defensive midfielder and if needed even a centre-back. That in turn would make him a strong buy for Nottingham Forest, who are hoping to strengthen their team just that bit more to make promotion a more viable option.

Should all their new signings gel tighter quickly and results occur quickly, Forest have a great shot at doing themselves justice this season. The concern is now that Newcastle don’t have the opportunity to go out and replace Hayden which could scupper a potential deal but Forest have to do all they can to get this one across the line.

Do you agree… Let us know!