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West Ham could soon be bolstered by fresh investment in the near future and the London Stadium faithful will be excited by comments on their potential investor this week…

What’s the word?

Daniel Kretinsky, who is a Czech billionaire and Sparta Prague’s co-owner, is thought to be in talks with GSB over purchasing a minority share in the Irons, believed to be around 27%, as per The Guardian.

The Athletic also suggest that the 46-year-old may eventually take a majority stake in the club in the long-term future.

Now, according to Czech Republic ambassador Libor Secka, the Hammers could really benefit from Kretinsky’s business acumen and football knowledge.

He told ExWHUemployee’s ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast: “I think at this moment, West Ham is the most popular club, given all the Czech players there. Their prestige and reputation in the Czech Republic are very high.

“He [Kretinsky] started from zero. He started as the man who analyses the financial markets, but he is smart and very hard working so step by step he created himself. The money he’s got is down his efforts and smart approach.

“If the agreement could be done, it could be beneficial for West Ham because Daniel is a fan of football. Apart from being a good businessman, he’s a supporter of the game.”

An exciting prospect

Given the resentment that GSB have faced from the east London fanbase over the years, this news will come as a major source of encouragement over the club’s future, even more so as this deal is thought to be the ‘beginning of the end’ for the current ownership.

David Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady have been faced with demonstrations, marches, banners and chants throughout their tenure at the London Stadium, so to hear about that fresh investment – which could lead to more in the future – should leave many supporters absolutely delighted.

When new names are mooted in the boardroom, you could be forgiven for thinking the worst – after all, they will often be businessmen and women only looking to serve themselves, rather than the club and their fanbase.

However, this latest claim from Secka, should provide plenty of encouragement to fans, as Kretinsky is seemingly a “supporter of the game” and a “fan of football.”

If the Hammers can see this over the line in the coming weeks, it’ll only continue their impressive rise over recent times, having finished sixth last season before going unbeaten in the Europa League this term.

As per The Athletic, West Ham are the world’s 18th richest club and the Premier League’s eighth richest – valued at £370m by Forbes – so further financial backing will only improve their footing in this regard, and subsequently, their attractiveness to more investment and to players in the transfer window.

Kretinsky’s links to Sparta and Czech football will only aid manager David Moyes even more, having found absolute steals in Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal from Prague rivals Slavia.

All in all, Secka’s comments should leave much of the Irons faithful absolutely buzzing with excitement over what lies ahead.

AND in other news, Forget Rice: “Sensational” West Ham monster who made 8 tackles stole the show at Villa…

An update has emerged on Leeds United target Lewis O’Brien, regarding Huddersfield’s plan for him ahead of January.

What’s the talk?

The Sun on Sunday (07.11.21, pg. 59), via Leeds Live, claim the Championship side are set to demand a fee of £10m for the combative gem in the upcoming transfer window.

The report states that the Terriers are struggling financially and Leeds could look to take advantage of that with a renewed swoop for the midfielder.

Imagine him & Phillips

Leeds must ensure that they can get a £10m deal over the line for O’Brien in the January window as he could be a shrewd addition to the squad. Imagine a midfield of O’Brien and Kalvin Phillips for the Whites in the Premier League in the second half of the table… it could result in some fun battles in the middle of the park.

O’Brien has averaged 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game in the Championship for Huddersfield this season, whilst averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.86. Phillips, meanwhile, has also made 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game, but in the Premier League for Leeds – averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.76.

This suggests that the pair could form a defensively titanic pairing in midfield as they are both capable of winning the ball back for their side. Earlier this season, Terriers boss Carlos Corberan hailed the midfielder’s ability to stand up in training and in matches. He said:

“He’s an example of the players we have as a club. We want our academy players to have an impact on the first team.

“(Head of football operations) Leigh Bromby is very focused on the academy and we want to develop the young players because we know how important they are going to be for this club and to see how O’Brien works every single day, how he competes every time is very good.

“He can play well or he can play badly but it is very difficult to find a game where O’Brien doesn’t compete well. Sometimes how you play can depend on the opponent, the shape, the structure, your team-mates, but how you compete is down to you.”At the age of 23, the Huddersfield man also has the potential to improve further. Bielsa could work with him on the training pitch and look to turn him into a top Premier League player over the course of the next few years, with Phillips on a similar path at the age of 25.

AND in other news, Forget Raphinha: Leeds dynamo with 79 touches ran the game for Bielsa vs Leicester…

Eddie Howe is reportedly now targeting three of his former players to sign for Newcastle United in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Busy January

That promises to be a busy month for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium as they look to bring in some new faces to help them fight off relegation from the Premier League.

They have been linked with January moves for the likes of Ross Barkley, Dean Henderson and Lorenzo Insigne in recent days, suggesting that Howe could have a major squad overhaul on his hands.

The Latest: Familiar faces

As per 90min, Howe is now ‘considering’ making some of his former players at Bournemouth his ‘top transfer targets’ in the winter window.

The newly-appointed Newcastle manager has been ‘promised funds’ by the new owners, and Nathan Ake, Jefferson Lerma and Lloyd Kelly are three names among his ‘main targets’.

Howe spent a combined total of £63m on the trio when he was at the Vitality Stadium, and Lerma remains his record signing at £25m.

The Verdict: All in!

Newcastle need all of the help that they can get in order to avoid the drop, and bringing in Ake, Lerma and Kelly would certainly strengthen a number of different areas on the pitch.

Howe will know how to get the best out of them, and given that they have played under him in the Premier League before, they all know what it takes to survive in the top flight.

Lerma and Kelly, who are both still at Bournemouth, should be hungry enough to step up a division and give it another go, while Ake is now playing at the highest level with reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, so all three seem well capable of contributing to a run which could see the Magpies escape the relegation zone.

In other news, find out whose agent ‘continues to have contacts’ with NUFC over a potential transfer

Leeds United are struggling to find form in the Premier League this season following an excellent 2020/21 campaign which saw the newly-promoted side finish ninth in the top flight.

Bielsa’s team have had to deal with a number of injury issues over the last few months, which is surely one reason for their slow start.

Patrick Bamford and Luke Ayling are still missing without a definitive indication of when they may be back. However, the Whites have seen the return of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha in recent weeks, which will give them a boost in their upcoming fixture against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

One player who hasn’t been able to truly make an impactful presence in the teams so far is August signing Dan James.

Leeds signed the Welshman from Manchester United for £25m late in the summer transfer window, but despite getting an assist against Norwich, he hasn’t been able to unleash his full potential at Elland Road as of yet.

The 24-year-old winger spoke to FIFA.com about his time so far with Leeds, saying: “I’ve not reached my potential yet.

“I’m getting a lot more game time now and I’ve obviously got my own goals. I’ve got so much more I can improve on, so much more to give. Hopefully I’ll show that in the coming years.”

Leeds could really capitalise on the recent return of Raphinha by encouraging an attacking partnership with James going forward in their Premier League campaign.

The Welsh winger now has the opportunity to link up with the Brazil international, so Bielsa should unleash the £16.2m-rated gem to create a potential attacking masterclass, combining both players to enable Leeds to climb the table and secure their future in the Premier League.

James was hailed by former Manchester United team-mate Andreas Pereira, with the Brazilian midfielder saying: “He is so explosive and so fast. When you think about having to run to the ball, he’s very fast to it.”

Bielsa will be looking to add goals and targeting ways to be more direct in creative play, which he could easily unlock with James’ pace and Raphinha’s clinical finishing – the latter has struck five goals in 10 league appearances so far this term.

Leeds take on a tough challenge against Spurs this weekend, and Bielsa will be hoping that he can rely on his forward line to land a blow on Antonio Conte’s team.

In other news: Phil Hay confirms one Leeds injury blow before Spurs trip

Leeds United’s poor form in the Premier League continued at the weekend as they were condemned to a fifth defeat of the season at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, and it was another game in which Tyler Roberts did himself no favours whatsoever.

The Yorkshire giants find themselves just one place above the relegation zone after 12 matches, with only two points separating them and 18th-placed Burnley.

Of course, there have been some factors that have contributed to their disastrous campaign thus far, most of which boils down to persistent injury problems that see Marcelo Bielsa lose several key players, such as vice-captain Luke Ayling and leading talisman Patrick Bamford.

However, the fringe members of the Argentine’s squad aren’t taking their chances and may not be good enough to compete in the big time and that seems very much the case for the 22-year-old Wales international.

He is a player that is capable of playing anywhere in attack, so with Bamford, Raphinha and even Rodrigo absent at the weekend, it was maybe a surprise to see Joe Gelhardt selected up top.

In fact, Roberts has started just once in the Premier League – a 1-0 defeat to Southampton – so that is rather telling in itself, so if Bielsa no longer trusts him, having handed him a new long-term contract in only June this year, then he ought to be sold this winter whilst his value is at an all-time high.

Valued at €15m (£13.5m) by CIES Football Observatory, the former West Brom graduate could generate some much-needed funds to bolster the playing squad in the necessary areas, with players that are going to feature, unlike him.

Roberts scored just once in 27 top-flight appearances last season, perhaps showing that he is just not right for this level of football, not yet at least.

“Is he good enough? In my opinion he isn’t,” claimed ex-Whites frontman Noel Whelan to Football Insider in February. ” I need him to show me more. He needs to show more fight and desire. I just do not see that.”

Meanwhile, he left Bielsa “furious” for one moment in their defeat to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, another game in which he had the perfect opportunity to prove himself in, but didn’t.

“It was interesting to see the flashpoint which convinced Bielsa to go for Gelhardt last night, though.

“Roberts received the ball in a promising position last night with Arsenal out of shape and rather than look to turn Maitland-Niles, as he had the time to do, he waited and looked for contact from behind to go down.

“The referee waved played on and the hosts took the ball away. Bielsa was furious and barked immediately for Gelhardt to come on,” as revealed by LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross.

The 22-year-old came on in the 72nd minute against Spurs but was graded as their worst-performer on SofaScore, having managed only nine touches, whilst he made just one pass from five attempts (20%), too.

Wasteful and passenger-like, much of his time in the Premier League has been like this, so it’s time for Bielsa to be ruthless and axe him from the team this January.

AND in other news, Forget Firpo: £60k-p/w Leeds lightweight who lost possession 24x badly let Bielsa down again…

Wolves are exceeding expectations in their Premier League campaign this season, especially after so many injury issues with key players being sidelined over various stages of the season so far.

With Raul Jimenez returning from injury over the summer it was a great boost for the team, especially after he scored the winning goal at the weekend. However, Pedro Neto, Jonny Otto and Yerson Mosquera are still out with no set date for return.

One player has come into the side this season and had an incredible impact on the side’s current form in the Premier League, and could now sign a long term deal with the club.

What’s the word?

Wolverhampton Wanderers journalist, Tim Spiers, took to Twitter in response to a fan account suggesting that the club is cash strapped by focusing on Hwang Hee-chan’s potential move to Molineux, explaining that the Midlands outfit wanted to complete a deal.

He tweeted; “Cash strapped? Nope, no idea where that comes from. Can certainly sign Hwang in January if they agree an advanced deal with Leipzig. They seem pretty keen to do it.”

Wolves seem confident that they can sign Hwang and can land him for £13m thanks to an option to buy, an exciting piece of news for everyone at Molineux.

Fans will be buzzing…

It’s easy to see why supporters would be enthralled by this news as Hwang has been an unstoppable force for Wolves this season and has impressed a number of people in the football industry, including teammate Raul Jimenez who he has formed a partnership for the side.

“It’s good for us that he has set up quickly,” Jimenez said.“It’s good to know that he’s comfortable with the team. It’s on loan now but he gives everything to the club like he has a permanent deal with us. It’s good to have him.”The loan player from RB Leipzig has settled in quickly, netting four goals in ten appearances for Bruno Lage’s side, and is now on the radar of many Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, who are reportedly interested in stealing the signature of the South Korean star.Hwang has been a fan favourite since he arrived at the club this summer, thanks to his hard work and dedication to the forward line, building a fantastic attacking partnership with Jimenez.Fans have been taking to Twitter to praise the forward;One fan tweeted; “Renato and Hwang. UCL football soon!”Another got excited about the potential permanent signing, tweeting; “Rightfully so, he has been incredible for us and as a new signing whose still trine understand the ropes of EPL and a new team.”With Wolves keen to land him properly next year, the club’s faithful followers will surely be buzzing at what’s to come.Lage will be hoping he can continue his run of form against Norwich City this weekend, where Hwang will be expected to start and could secure some more important goals for the side to continue their top half dominance in the league.In other news: Wolves handed huge injury boost ahead of Norwich clash

Many Everton fans have been reacting to some news which has emerged on Lucas Digne.

Writing in his latest piece for The Athletic, Patrick Boyland has revealed that the left-back was dropped from the squad in the 2-1 home win against Arsenal on Monday night because of a ‘disagreement’ with Rafael Benitez about his role in the manager’s system.

He feels as if a more defensive approach affects his ability to influence the match, and that seems to show by his increase in defensive stats, with more tackles, interceptions and blocks averaged in the Premier League so far this season compared to 2020/21 (WhoScored).

However, he has no assists to his name this term, compared to seven in the last campaign (WhoScored), so being more defensive has certainly limited his attacking potential.

While some Everton fans feel as if Digne should be allowed more freedom to move forward, others believe he should respect Benitez’s decisions as his manager and superior.

Everton fans on Digne news

These supporters gave their reaction to the news as it was shared on Twitter, with one Toffees fan going as far as to call Digne a ‘tyrant’:

“No win in 8 [sic] and one of our captains, you would think he should be able to challenge the manager. Seems quite the tyrant, let’s hope @rafabenitezweb sees some sense.”

Credit: @g4j4s4

“Be shocking if this goes any further than a disagreement, he’s the best LB we’ve had since Baines, obviously massively out of form”

Credit: @daleando86

“@rafabenitezweb ridding the club of any quality. Almost as if he’s still being paid by Liverpool, either that or he’s the worst manager we have ever had, that includes Mike Walker”Credit: @keepitreal_82″Digne has quickly become one of those fullbacks who likes going forward but is dodgy at defending. If he’s kicking off about it, cash in on him in January.”Credit: @generalmont”Digne’s performances over the past two seasons clearly highlight it is his attitude or lack of effort that is to blame here. He’s been poor long before Benitez arrived so blaming Rafa holds absolutely no merit.”Credit: @SteWoodside48″He’s the manager, do what he asks. Simple.”Credit: @davidgilli10In other news, find out what off-field news has had these Evertonians talking

West Brom welcome Reading to The Hawthorns this afternoon and will be hoping to take all three points to close the gap to second-placed Bournemouth.

Valerien Ismael’s men could be just three points behind the automatic promotion places if the Cherries lose today to Blackburn Rovers, so it is vital for Albion to go into this game all guns blazing. However, there could be a setback after Ismael revealed some concerning news in his press conference which will leave Baggies fans gutted.

The pandemic has been on the rise in the football leagues. Both Championship and Premier League clubs have been experiencing higher rates of infection in the last month, and now it seems that the West Brom camp has been hit too.

Ismael revealed the extent of the Baggies’ viral outbreak last night, telling the press: “We’ve got two positive cases and possibly a third one”, and adding that “two players will miss the game”.

The names of those who have contracted the virus have not been revealed, but we will surely see if any of the first team is affected when the line up is revealed this afternoon, and the West Brom manager will be hoping that it won’t unduly affect their chances of winning today.

This fresh blow to the squad will see the club needing to indulge in some damage control to ensure that the affected players haven’t infected others, causing a huge outbreak which couldn’t come at a more vulnerable time for the Baggies.

West Brom could be without eight players today, with a number of injuries also affecting the squad after Matt Phillips was written off for the upcoming clash at The Hawthorns, alongside Dara O’Shea, Ken Zohore and Kean Bryan, who remain sidelined without any certainty as to when they will return.

Ismael will already be working hard to keep his side in sight of a promotion place at the top of the Championship, but this latest setback with the viral outbreak could put a spanner in the works ahead of the January transfer window.

In other news: Ismael must secure this Premier League signing for Albion

Following on from their 2-0 win over Norwich City at Carrow Road in midweek, Aston Villa are back in action this weekend with a home clash against Burnley for their latest Premier League outing.

With this in mind, it seems as though Villa have been handed a potential injury boost ahead of their showdown against Sean Dyche’s side which will surely have Villa manager Steven Gerrard thrilled.

What’s the news?

According to the Birmingham Mail, after picking up knocks in midweek against Norwich, Villa’s quartet of Matty Cash, Emi Buendia, Ezri Konsa and Ashley Young are all “expected to be fine come kick-off this weekend,” which would be a big boost for the Villans and their hopes of securing three points.

With Gerrard set to hold his pre-Burnley press conference due this afternoon, it’ll be a big relief for the Villa fans if he confirms this claim that Cash, Buendia, Konsa and Young will be fit enough to be available for tomorrow’s game.

Villa were without Jed Steer, Anwar El Ghazi, Morgan Sanson, Keinan Davis and Marvelous Nakamba for the Norwich game. The latter has picked up a serious knee injury that could keep him out of action for the rest of the season, so it’s fair to say Gerrard and the fans are due a bit of good news.

Having the likes of Cash, Buendia, Konsa and Young fit enough to play against Burnley will be a big positive for Gerrard and Villa heading into Saturday’s match.

Given how the quartet have all played in at least 12 of Villa’s 17 Premier League games so far this season with Cash being the only player to have started all 17 of them, it’s safe to say that they are important players for Villa and Gerrard to call on.

Cash and Konsa are a crucial part of Villa’s defence while Buendia can do his bit going forward with one goal and two assists under his belt in the league, and Young can be deployed in either a defensive or attacking role given his versatility, which effectively adds to the gaffer’s depth and choices in multiple positions.

In other news: Gerrard must offload Wesley

The board at West Ham United are waiting on David Moyes to clarify his January transfer targets as talks continue with agents, according to reports by Claret and Hugh.

The Lowdown: An additional centre-back is needed

West Ham will be looking to bring in a centre-back in the January transfer window following the injuries sustained by defensive duo Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna.

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The Hammers have been missing Zouma in the backline, as the Frenchman was integral in making crucial clearances for the team, leading the squad in this respect with 5.2 per game. However, it is expected that the 27-year-old will make a return from his hamstring injury in the middle of January, alleviating the pressure on current partnership Issa Diop and Craig Dawson.

An addition was made essential following the season-ending injury sustained by Ogbonna, who suffered a cruciate ligament rupture. This comes as a blow to the Italian, whose contract is set to expire in the summer – just when he is expected back from injury.

This illustrates just how vital it is that Moyes brings in additional cover at the back, as a few injuries have severely altered the team’s defensive dynamics.

The Latest: Hammers board wait on Moyes amidst talks

According to reports by West Ham insiders Claret and Hugh, the Hammers’ new board is waiting to hold its first meeting in light of the resurgence of the pandemic. This meeting is expected to cover transfer targets for the January window, but it is reported that Moyes is yet to make his final decision regarding who he wants the club to prioritise when pursuing a new centre-back.

West Ham have shortlisted Liverpool’s Nathaniel Phillips and Burnley’s James Tarkowski as potential options ahead of the transfer window. It is understood that talks are ongoing with the players’ agents, but the board meeting will need to be held first before a decision can be made on finer details such as payment.

The Verdict: Big decision for Moyes

Moyes will have a tough time considering which out of the two aforementioned options he wishes to prioritise in the club’s pursuit of a new centre-back. Stronger links have been made with the Liverpool defender, who could well be a perfect addition to the side.

Phillips has received huge praise whenever he has been thrown into action for the Reds. The £15m-valued colossus has made more clearances per game (three) than any of his team-mates in the Carabao Cup this term, while Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has described some of his performances as ‘unbelievable’.

If the Hammers decide to pursue Phillips, the board will need to meet quickly as a variety of clubs could be interested in the player in January based on those figures and endorsements.

In other news: West Ham insider lifts lid on exciting behind-the-scenes Rush Green development