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Sam Inkersole has revealed West Ham United are prioritising a deal for former Fulham loanee Alphonse Areola rather than continuing to pursue West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper Sam Johnstone.

Hammers boss David Moyes is looking to draft in a new first-choice goalkeeper as Lukasz Fabianski enters the final year of his £65,000-per-week contract.

West Ham have been strongly linked with making a move for Johnstone, who was one of England’s back-up goalkeepers during their run to the Euro 2020 final.

However, it now appears Moyes has turned his attentions to Paris Saint-Germain and France custodian Areola, who made 37 appearances for Fulham last season.

Reports suggest West Ham are looking to negotiate a season-long loan move with a view to a permanent transfer next summer, which would coincide with Fabianski’s time at the London Stadium coming to an end.

While football.london reporter Inkersole feels it would be a shrewd piece of business, he fears it will be difficult to keep Areola and Fabianski happy.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Inkersole said: “Lukasz Fabianski has not exactly been a terrible goalkeeper for West Ham. He’s only got one year left on his deal so maybe they are planning for the future.

“Sam Johnstone is a homegrown player, which is dime a dozen in the transfer window. Clubs want to find homegrown players.

“But I think Areola looks like the one which is going to be more likely to get done. He’s a very good goalkeeper and it would be a very good move for West Ham but I would be interested to see how he dovetails with Fabianski and who plays when.” 

Celtic had an incredibly difficult campaign in 2020/21 but with Ange Postecoglou at the helm, there is renewed hope.

He touched down in Glasgow for the first time following quarantine on Wednesday afternoon and the new Hoops boss has now completed his first interview with club media at Lennoxtown.

What’s the word?

Postecoglou has spoken impressively so far during his short spell in charge of the club, talking of his desire to strengthen his squad in the window when he was first hired.

The Hoops have been linked with plenty of players in the last few days from Cameron Carter-Vickers to Aaron Hickey.

However, fresh reports suggest the Bhoys are aiming to improve their options in the final third too.

Transfermarkt reporter Manuel Veth claims that Celtic are watching Ryan Gauld ahead of a potential move.

The Premiership side will face competition from Vancouver Whitecaps who have already registered a bid for his services.

Christie upgrade

Ryan Christie endured a particularly difficult season in 2020/21. With James Forrest out injured, the Scot was forced to play in an unfavoured role on the flanks.

The Scotland international is an attacking midfielder by trade but only played in that position on ten occasions.

Christie featured on the right-hand side of midfield 21 times but only scored two goals and registered a solitary assist from that role on the field.

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Overall, the 26-year-old netted 13 fewer strikes than he managed during the prior campaign, seriously taking his foot off the gas in the final third.

The midfielder was still taken to the European Championships but managed just 45 minutes during the entire tournament; that happened to be the opening half of Scotland’s 2-0 defeat to Czech Republic.

Christie is due to leave the club shortly. This summer is the final chance they can secure a fee for his services with the player’s contract expiring in January.

Ryan Gauld, however, would be an expert replacement.

The 25-year-old has come a long way since breaking through at Dundee United as a teenager. Dubbed a Mini Messi, Gauld hasn’t quite lived up to his full potential.

He moved to Sporting Lisbon when he was younger and now plays for Farense in the top-flight of Portuguese football. A number of clubs have chased his services in the last few months but Celtic must ensure they are at the front of the queue.

Gauld scored nine times last season, taking his tally for Farense to 20. The attacking midfielder was also creative enough to supply seven strikes for his teammates.

Previously described as “unstoppable” by Kenny Miller, the Celtic target has always had a bit of Brazilian flair about him.

It’s rare for a Scottish player to possess technical excellence but Gauld certainly has that in his armoury.

He provided 2.3 key passes per game last term, a tally that was only bettered by David Turnbull in the Hoops squad.

Gauld is also far more efficient in front of goal than Christie. He scored nine league goals from 2.4 shots per game in 2020/21. Celtic’s enigmatic forward, however, found the net on only four occasions in the Premiership from 2.8 attempts per match.

One of the biggest criticisms of the Bhoys attacker last term was his reckless shooting. Therefore, any upgrade on that is likely to go down well at Paradise.

Postecoglou must do his best to bring the Scottish talent back to his home country.

AND in other news, McKay must complete Celtic swoop for “tireless” 16-goal ace who can “destroy” teams…

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Everton defender Michael Ball believes Duncan Ferguson should be given a chance in the Goodison Park dugout.

The Merseyside club are on the lookout for a new manager following Carlo Ancelotti’s shock move to Real Madrid.

They have since been linked with the likes of Nuno Espirito Santo, David Moyes and even Rangers boss and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.

Nothing has materialised yet, however, and Ball is now of the opinion that if his old side are not happy with the names that they are currently considering, then they should turn to assistant manager Ferguson.

“If there’s no one there who’s perfect, then give Duncan an opportunity. He’s been there with three or four managers now, he’s worked under them all, he can pick and choose the best out of each and every one and the players would be honestly coached.

“Duncan as the front man, as the main guy, it’s probably what Everton need right now.”

The 49-year-old had a short stint as Everton boss before Ancelotti’s arrival back in the 2019/20 season, where he was able to pick up some brilliant results.

Under him, the Toffees were able to beat Chelsea 3-1 at home and grab a 1-1 draw away against Manchester United. All things considered, it does not sound like the worst option for Farhad Moshiri.

Leeds United defender Barry Douglas is reportedly holding talks with Bristol City over a summer move to the Championship club.

The Lowdown: Douglas to leave Leeds

The 31-year-old spent last season on loan at Blackburn Rovers, making 30 appearances in the league after being deemed surplus to requirements at Leeds.

There is no future for Douglas at Elland Road, despite being hailed for his ‘wonderful left foot’ by Tony Mowbray during his loan spell, and he will leave when his contract expires at the end of this month.

The Latest: Defender to hold Bristol City talks

According to Football Insider, Bristol City have ‘opened talks’ with the left-back over a summer move, with ‘strong interest’ being shown from a number of clubs.

The Robins are at the front of the queue according to a requirement source, despite interest from clubs in Turkey and the United States.

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The Verdict: A good servant

It is the right time for Douglas to leave Leeds, with Marcelo Bielsa clearly seeing no future for him at Elland Road, as his team look to go up another gear.

The Scot has been a solid servant for the Whites, though, making 27 appearances in the 2018/19 season and registering five assists along the way – he has 65 career total assists.

Leeds’ search for a new left-back now needs to pick up pace, considering Douglas is leaving and Ezgjan Alioski is also expected to move on.

In other news, one Leeds attacking player has been tipped to leave the club this summer. Read more here. 

A source from Leeds United has claimed that Junior Firpo should sign in a ‘matter of days’.

The Lowdown: Alioski leaves

Ezgjan Alioski has left Elland Road as a free agent as his contract ran down, meaning that Marcelo Bielsa’s team will be looking for a new first-team left-back if the North Macedonia international does not re-sign soon.

The Argentine will be looking for a player to suit his style of play and is capable of coping with the demands of the Premier League.

The Latest: Firpo almost done

As per Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), both the Yorkshire club and FC Barcelona are finalising the last details of a transfer for Firpo, with the fee believed to be in the region of €15-18m (£12.9-15.5m).

A source from the Whites has told the news outlet that discussions between the two teams remain at an ‘advanced’ stage, and that a deal should be completed in a ‘matter of days’.

The Verdict: Good signing

Given that Alioski has now technically left, the Whites certainly need to bring in a new starting left-back, and Firpo fits the bill.

Having developed his game playing with the likes of Lionel Messi, the 24-year-old is certainly an exciting talent, as Barca legend and former left-back Eric Abidal even went as far as to claim that he could turn out to be ‘one of the best’ in the world in his position a year ago (Tribuna).

Firpo certainly has the qualities to thrive under Bielsa in the top flight, as he was described by Barcelona upon signing him as having ‘tireless legs’ and ‘electricity’, implying that he is very fast (fcbarcelona.es).

Described as an ‘outstanding’ player by former Premier League full-back Alan Hutton recently (Football Insider), Firpo could well turn out to be a very smart signing by LUFC.

In other news, find out what transfer claim has been dropped on Leeds’ ‘exciting signing’ here!

How Wolves go about welcoming new players to Molineux this summer will seemingly depend on who leaves the club.

Reports this week dictate that if the Old Gold want to spend big, they’ll have to sell some of their best players first.

Ruben Neves is one of the stars of this team and could be sold but there remain doubts over the future of Adama Traore too.

It’s a complex time for the Wolves board who lost Nuno Santo as a result of their proposed transfer plans this summer.

He was left unhappy with the lack of resources he was going to be given so, understandably, he took his leave.

One manager the club have been linked with is Bruno Lage. A deal has been moving forward in the last few days and it would appear that he is at the top of their shortlist.

He and his team were dubbed “spectacular” for the way they won the Portuguese top-flight with Benfica while Lage’s progressive style of management and the way he can take young players forward is admirable.

Lage could also be highly beneficial in landing one of Wolves’ long-standing targets; Carlos Vinicius.

The Benfica striker spent the campaign on loan at Tottenham where he played just nine times in the Premier League.

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Spurs had an option to buy the Brazilian this summer but it’s unlikely they’ll take up that opportunity.

Wolves are queuing up for his signature and could finally sign him this summer. They had a bid rejected last January and were knocked back again before he joined the Lilywhites.

It’s now thought he could cost the Midlands outfit around €25m to €30m (£21m-£26m).

If that goes through then he could form a simply magical partnership with Lage. The duo worked together at Benfica and it’s under the Portuguese manager that Vinicius thrived.

In 2019/20, the striker played 41 times with Lage at the helm, scoring 22 goals and providing a further 12 assists for his teammates.

It was a marvellous campaign for a player who seemed to love playing under the Wolves-linked head coach.

Thus, if the pair link up in the Midlands next season, they should hit the ground running. Vinicius knows how Lage works and the manager knows how to get the best from him.

With Willian Jose heading back to Real Sociedad, signing another forward certainly makes sense.

Speaking last year, Jose Gomes, his former manager at Rio Ave, said: “He’s a powerful player, and very intelligent. He is someone who always gets himself into goalscoring positions.”

That’s already an improvement on Jose who only scored one goal in the Midlands, very rarely getting himself into areas he could score from.

Vinicius and Lage is a mouth-watering combination for Jeff Shi to consider.

AND in other news, Wolves could be set for huge blow after crushing Tim Spiers reveal, fans surely gutted…

Ben Jacobs has dropped a claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United as an update emerged involving Mike Ashley and the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Ashley files anti-competition lawsuit

As per The Shields Gazette, the Magpies and Ashley are looking to take the top flight to court for what they believe to be anti-competitive behaviour in their decision-making process on the proposed takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

The North East club have also adopted the anti-competition case presented to them by Newcastle Consortium Supporters Limited (NCSL), as the EPL were given fresh case legal papers with Ashley looking to force them to wave through the bid.

The Latest: Jacobs drops worrying takeover claim

Jacobs, someone who has been following the whole takeover saga very closely, has since claimed that Ashley’s lawsuit against the division is “not just a ploy to further punish EPL, but a very personal battle to gain something from what increasingly looks like a failed takeover.”

He also added that “the timing of the new damages case doesn’t bode well,” given that there is still an arbitration hearing between Ashley and the league yet to take place and it seems odd that he now wants to claim damages, suggesting that he may not be confident in winning the arbitration case.

The Verdict: Takeover could be in jeopardy

Given the fact that Ashley is now trying to claim damages against the Premier League, despite the fact we are still awaiting the result of the pending arbitration hearing, the takeover could be in real danger of going under.

Still, there is hope if a positive outcome comes out of the case, but for now it seems as if a potential takeover at St. James’ Park is looking increasingly unlikely, and to make matters worse for fans, Jacobs seems to think Ashley has seen opportunity in a process which is destroying their dreams.

In other news, find out what big blow NUFC have received before Leicester City here!

If football was played on the tea-stained piece of paper sitting on your desk, then last night’s game between Everton and Sheffield United will have been a foregone conclusion.

It will have resulted in the home side coming away with all three points, presumably from a couple of clinically taken Dominic Calvert-Lewin goals.

However, this is the Premier League, a division that so often captivates and lures us in even when there’s nothing to play for.

The Blades may be sitting rock bottom of the top-flight and already relegated but that didn’t stop Paul Heckingbottom’s men from putting up a spirited fight.

Courtesy of 17-year-old Daniel Jebbison, Sheffield United managed to beat the Toffees 1-0.

It was a disastrous and embarrassing result for Carlo Ancelotti, one that’s seen his team lose vital ground in the race for European football next season.

Mason Holgate was again at fault during the game and left his manager raging as he dragged him off at half time. Though, another player who will have the manager cursing his team is Richarlison.

On his day, the Brazilian is an effervescent character, someone who can change the game in an instant with a piece of trickery. However, those moments have been few and far between for the spritely attacker of late.

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Richarlison now hasn’t scored since 4th March, nor has he assisted a goal since 5th December.

His creativity and instinct inside the area has completely deserted him and he’s now running down blind alleys.

His performance at Goodison on Sunday was a concern. Even against the third-worst defence in the league he looked toothless, spurning a glorious opportunity to score late inside the opening period.

James Rodriguez played the ball in but the forward’s header was straight at Aaron Ramsdale, a goalkeeper who made six saves during one of his best days of the season.

Richarlison was fortunate to last the 90 minutes given his performance. He made just 15 passes and lost the ball every 3.5 touches.

He lost 60% of his defensive duels, played just one key pass and didn’t complete a single dribble either.

For a player with so much flair in his locker, this was a particularly disappointing night.

So often one of the most vibrant players in this Everton squad, Ancelotti can only carry him so far. At the moment Richarlison is fortunate they have a lack of depth in attack.

Ahead of the summer window he needs to improve or be wary of finally being replaced in the starting XI.

AND in other news, Everton could find their very own TAA by signing £3.5k-p/w gem with “enormous ability”…

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer believes Sam Allardyce could have got more out of this Everton squad than Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Both Allardyce and Ancelotti have had spells in the Goodison Park dugout, with the former being sacked by Everton back in 2018 and the latter recently leaving to return to Real Madrid.

During his short tenure at the club, Allardyce came under heavy criticism for his style of football, though he was still able to guide the Toffees to an eighth-placed finish.

It is two places higher than where Everton finished last season despite Ancelotti bringing in the likes of James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure, the last two for sizeable fees.

With similar resources, Palmer has suggested that Allardyce could have done a better job than the new Real Madrid manager.

“He finished eighth in the league with Everton only a few years ago and still got the sack because the fans weren’t happy with the brand of football,” the ex-Leeds United midfielder said.

“Ancelotti has finished there or thereabouts and look at the amount of money he spent. Now people might say the brand of football is better, but he spent a lot more money. Put Sam Allardyce with that same squad of players he’s got now, where would Sam finish?”

Given that he was able to steer Everton to eighth having found them in 13th after taking over, perhaps the former West Brom boss could have got the Merseyside club into Europe with a nice transfer budget like the one Ancelotti had.

Mark Warburton will be looking to witness a reaction from his Queens Park Rangers side this afternoon as they head to the north-east for another Championship outing.

The Rs endured a late second-half collapse against Rotherham United last time out and even though there is little to play for at this stage of the season, a win over Middlesbrough will bring much joy back in west London.

But what sort of lineup could we see from the 58-year-old at the Riverside Stadium today? Here’s our predicted XI as well as the latest team and injury news from the Superhoops camp…

There could be as many as four changes and a welcome sight in defence following fresh injury updates this week.

According to Warburton, there is a chance that Jordy de Wijs is able to feature despite suffering a broken nose up at Rotherham. “Hopefully he’ll be okay this morning and okay to travel,” the QPR boss revealed to West London Sport.

Whilst skipper Geoff Cameron is expected to be unavailable once again. Therefore, the backline should remain unchanged, meaning it will be Seng Dieng between the sticks, with de Wijs in between Yoann Barbet and Rob Dickie.

Osman Kakay has impressed at right wing-back, delivering an assist for Lyndon Dykes’ opener on Tuesday night, so he should keep Todd Kane out the side but Warburton should be able to welcome back Lee Wallace after a rest in midweek.

He’ll replace Niko Hamalainen on the left after a disastrous showing. The 24-year-old will be lucky to feature again this season after that performance.

In midfield, we could finally see Dominic Ball get a rare start with Stefan Johansen expected to remain as a key cog in that engine room.

There should also be returns for Chris Willock and Ilias Chair, who were both surprisingly dropped for the trip to Yorkshire – their creative presence in attacking midfield was sorely missed and Warburton will think twice before doing that again.

It means young duo George Thomas, 24 and Charlie Kelman, 19, will drop to the bench.

Dykes, who is in red-hot form with 12 goals for the season, will lead the line once more in the absence of the suspended Charlie Austin.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Dieng: QPR ace who lost possession 16x offered Warburton nothing last time out…