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The Athletic’s West Ham United journalist Roshane Thomas believes that Jarrod Bowen is likely to start for the club against Southampton this weekend at the expense of Felipe Anderson, per The U Irons podcast (February 24, 16:44).

What’s he said?

The January signing from Hull City has played just 16 minutes for the club in the Premier League since his acquisition.

He made his debut as a second-half substitute against Manchester City before playing six minutes at Anfield against Liverpool on Monday evening.

Did he really play for us?! No West Ham fan has managed to name all of these obscure Irons signings….

Indeed, Bowen was almost a game-changer, going through on goal with Alisson Becker in the last minute of normal time, only to be denied by the Brazilian’s head.

£36m man Anderson, meanwhile, had just one shot on target in the game, which was off target.

And Thomas believes that Bowen could replace Anderson in the starting XI as David Moyes’ men prepare to play Southampton this weekend.

He said: “I think if he [Moyes] does [start Bowen] then I imagine it’ll be for Anderson, because Bowen had more chances than Anderson in this match.”

Need a spark

If West Ham are to climb out of trouble – they remain in the relegation zone – then they really need a spark of inspiration.

Bowen could well provide that.

He was electric for Hull before his move to east London, scoring 16 goals and registering six assists in 29 Championship outings.

Of course, it is not a given that he will instantly take to Premier League football – he could well struggle – but he possesses the attributes to make an impact.

Quick, strong on the ball and a deceptively skilful dribbler, Bowen could be the mercurial presence West Ham have been crying out for.

Starting him against Southampton makes all the sense in the world.

Meanwhile, David Moyes was let down by one man against Liverpool!

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Southampton failed in their reported attempts to bring Birmingham City forward Che Adams to St Mary’s during the January transfer window, and following his latest performance they may well have missed the boat on an attacking signing for the second year running.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Mirror reported last month that Saints had bid and were keen to bring the exciting 22-year-old to the south coast as they looked to strengthen their options in the final third, but the deadline came and passed without any deal happening.

The situation certainly mirrored that of a similar one 12 months earlier when they had attempted to sign Quincy Promes from Spartak Moscow, with a move once again not proving to be a doable.

Adams’ impressive season went from great to even better as he netted a hat-trick in his team’s 4-1 win against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Saturday, taking his tally to 19 goals in 31 Championship appearances this term.

Why have Southampton missed the boat?

Adams will have already caught the eye of a number of Premier League clubs during the current campaign, and that number is only likely to have increased if they see him scoring three goals in one half.

Meanwhile, Southampton’s defeat to Cardiff City at home on Saturday – coupled with other results going against them – meant that they ended the weekend in the relegation zone, and they might not even be in the top flight if they try again for the 22-year-old at the end of the season.

Just over a year ago, The Daily Mail reported that Saints would try again to sign Promes last summer, but instead the Dutchman moved to Sevilla.

A similar fate could await the south coast outfit when it comes to Adams this time around as well.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

According to a recent report from The Metro, Everton are interested in a January move for defender Marcos Rojo. The Argentina international currently plays his football at Premier League giants Manchester United and has done so since 2014, but the centre back has failed to make a senior appearance for the Red Devils this term to call into question his future at Old Trafford.

And reports suggest that Marco Silva’s Everton are keen on a move for the 28-year-old, but with it reported to set the Toffees back £18 million, alongside the fact that he really wouldn’t strengthen the club’s defensive ranks, director of football Marcel Brands risks undoing Everton’s brilliant summer work by wasting £18 million on the Premier League defender.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the calibre of players Dutchman Brands convinced to sign for Everton during the summer underlined the direction the club are hoping to head under the stewardship of new manager Silva – it was a summer window in which the Toffees made a statement of intent.

Three players in the form of Lucas Digne, Andre Gomes, and Yerry Mina made the move from Spanish giants Barcelona to sign for the Merseysiders to underline Brands’ influence, while the club also flouted their financial muscle by spending £50 million on Richarlison – a deal at the time ridiculed by many, but one that is looking more and more like a masterstroke.

Add in the loan addition of Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma, and Everton signed some seriously talented players over the summer in a bid to bridge the gap to the top six – yet Rojo simply isn’t in that bracket.

The 28-year-old made the move to Old Trafford little over four years ago as former boss Louis van Gaal sought to improve his defensive ranks, but the fact that Rojo has appeared just 68 times in the Premier League for the Red Devils since then underlines just how far he has been, and continues to be, down the pecking order.

Yes, injuries have played a part in his struggles for football this term, but many may have expected, especially given United’s difficulties defensively this season, that his return to the matchday squad against Everton last month would pave the way for his first appearances of the season in the weeks that followed – instead, he failed to make the next two Premier League matchday squads.

And after a shambolic World Cup with Argentina, despite scoring a great goal to help his country qualify for the knockout stages, it’s plainly obvious that Rojo simply isn’t good enough to come in and immediately bolster Silva’s backline – the likes of Mina, Zouma, and Michael Keane would surely be ahead of him in the pecking order.

And after a summer in which Everton fans were excited by the calibre of signings Brands was making, the Dutchman risks undoing that brilliant summer work by wasting a hefty £18 million on Rojo.

Everton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Newcastle United supporters in the Transfer Tavern are reasonably satisfied at present after seeing their side pick up their first point of the 2018/19 Premier League season on Saturday.

Rafa Benitez’s men were beaten 2-1 by Tottenham on the opening weekend of the campaign but grabbed a 0-0 draw from their trip to newly-promoted Cardiff City on Saturday, although they did have the chance to win all three when Kenedy stepped up to take a late penalty, only for Bluebirds goalkeeper Neil Etheridge to deny the Brazilian star. Nonetheless, the Magpies are up and running for the new season, and will seek to take that positivity into their next clash against Chelsea on Sunday.

As such, there are some happy and some frustrated Newcastle fans up and down the country at present, some of whom have taken to Twitter to demand manager Benitez axes Mohamed Diame from the starting eleven this weekend, in favour of new signing Ki Sung-yueng.

And while the former hasn’t exactly made the greatest of starts to the new season, his efforts last time round suggest that the £4.5 million-rated star (as per Transfermarkt) deserves another chance in the first team against Maurizio Sarri’s Blues this weekend.

Rewind 12 months, and things really didn’t look good for the 31-year-old given he failed to start any of Newcastle’s opening nine Premier League games last season, what with the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Isaac Hayden, and summer signing Mikel Merino clearly ahead of him in the pecking order.

However, the former Senegal international slowly but surely earned more appearances and eventually starts in Benitez’s side, before becoming a regular alongside Shelvey over the Christmas period and into the New Year, featuring in every single Magpies league game in 2018.

And that was because Diame had re-discovered his best form and was producing the goods in the middle of the park to help Newcastle finish tenth in the Premier League last term – he was a far cry away from the midfielder that seriously struggled at the start of the campaign.

In fact, the 31-year-old was arguably one of the Magpies’ best performers in the second half of the season to underline his credentials in the middle of the park, and while he hasn’t quite got up and running this time round, he has earned the opportunity in the midfield such were his exploits last season.

Yes, Ki is a very fine player and has proven his worth at Premier League level before, but one mustn’t forget that Diame was excellent for the North East giants last season, and as such it is surely just a matter of time before he produces his best form once again – it took him time last season to really get into his stride.

So while some Newcastle fans are calling for Benitez to make a change, they are wrong to suggest that Diame should be dropped, as he certainly deserves another opportunity in the Magpies midfield.

Newcastle fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Everton have had a tough start to the season given that they had to face Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United inside their first five Premier League games of the campaign.

Ronald Koeman’s men did not pick up a single point from any of those three encounters; in fact they did not score a goal, instead conceding nine.

Expectation was high ahead of the season due to the Merseyside outfit’s summer spending, which exceeded £100m.

However, the team have won just two of their seven league fixtures and sit two points above the relegation zone.

Attacking options have been a problem, with Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez failing to deliver on a consistent basis.

Now that the international break is over, the team will be determined to go on a run of positive results, starting with an away match against Brighton at the Amex.

Michael Owen, who spent eight years playing for Everton’s rivals Liverpool, thinks that the Toffees will have to wait for their next win.

In the pundit’s BetVictor column, the 37-year-old has predicted a 1-1 draw.

“Everton have only scored six times in their last 12 PL games and they looked devoid of confidence in front of their own supporters against Burnley last time. It is possible that they will play with more freedom on the south coast, but the Seagulls were good value for their home win against Newcastle in their last game at the Amex and I think they will get a draw against Ronald Koeman’s side.”

According to reports in The Sun, unsettled Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw has issued a come-and-get-plea to Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino.

The 21-year-old worked with the Argentine during the duo’s spell with Southampton, and he is keen to be reunited with him at White Hart Lane this summer as he looks to leave the Red Devils.

The England international has fallen out of favour with Jose Mourinho this term – despite making a substitute appearance against Everton on Tuesday night – with the Portuguese boss claiming that he is a “long way behind” the likes of Ashley Young, Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind in fighting for a starting spot at Old Trafford.

Spurs supporters were quick have their say on the rumour via social media, with many believing that Shaw wouldn’t get into their side either because of the form of Danny Rose.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction to the story…

Make no mistake about it, Manchester United have appointed Jose Mourinho to win them the Premier League title.

The Red Devils have spent three years in the wilderness since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, qualifying for the Champions League only once and finishing as lowly as seventh place under the Scot’s immediate successor David Moyes.

The Portuguese, who has lifted the English title three times before, will be handed an enormous transfer budget for the summer to get the Red Devils back on track. But money doesn’t always translate into success, especially in the ever-chaotic realm of the Premier League.

Giving us an insight into United’s chances under Mourinho, however, is the official fixture list for the 2016/17 Premier League season, which was released online just moments ago.

With that in mind, here are the FIVE fixtures that could determine whether Mourinho’s first season at Old Trafford ends in triumph or disappointment.

MANCHESTER UNITED VS MANCHESTER CITY – October 10th

It’s the Guardiola vs Mourinho rematch but this time with the backdrop of the Manchester rivalry. United got the better of City last season and although that may be a much tougher task next term, they need to hold their own at Old Trafford.

LIVERPOOL VS MANCHESTER UNITED – October 15th

United did the double over Liverpool in the Premier League last season and need to maintain that dominance, especially with the Reds on the rise under Jurgen Klopp. Claiming a good result at Anfield could well be the difference between United challenging for the title or simply a top four finish.

MANCHESTER UNITED VS CHELSEA – April 15th

The world is itching to discover what will happen when Jose Mourinho faces the club he won three Premier League titles with and left in disgrace last December. Likewise, Chelsea will likely be competing at the top of the table once again next season, so beating them is vital to United’s title chances.

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ARSENAL VS MANCHESTER UNITED – May 6th

Jose Mourinho’s record against Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is so dominant it borders upon genocide. Transitioning that over to his United tenure will be a huge boost to the club’s title ambitions, especially if they can claim points against the Gunners away from home.

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SPURS VS MANCHESTER UNITED – May 13th

Spurs are likely to be involved in the Champions League race at the very least next season, so their meeting with Manchester United on the penultimate weekend of the campaign could be a make-or-break affair for both clubs. Likewise, United’s dominance of Spurs has worrying declined in recent seasons, winning just two of their last seven against the north Londoners.

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Bayern are on the lookout for a new manager after confirming that the ex-Chelsea boss will be leaving in the summer

On Wednesday morning, we got the news we had all been expecting for some time: Thomas Tuchel had been given his marching orders by Bayern Munich. The announcement did come with a twist, though, with the German not set to depart his post until the end of the season.

It's an odd decision, considering that many of Bayern's top players have seemingly lost faith in Tuchel and they have a campaign-defining Champions League last-16 second-leg clash with Lazio to come next month. Perhaps finding someone to take the job mid-season seemed impossible, or maybe the club are looking to save some money by avoiding a hefty compensation package.

Regardless, the search is now firmly underway to find Tuchel's successor and there is a lot of options out there. Below, GOAL has analysed 10 of the top candidates who could end up in Bavaria this summer.

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  Xabi Alonso

  Liverpool will have greeted the news of Tuchel's imminent departure with trepidation. The Reds are understood to have identified Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso as their No.1 target to replace Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.

  However, with Bayern now on the lookout for a new head coach too, competition for his services is about to ramp up significantly. It's not hard to see why both clubs are so besotted by Alonso. In a short space of time he has overhauled Leverkusen's playing style, making them one of the most watchable teams in Europe, while also getting extremely impressive results.

  For now, the Spaniard's focus will very much be on bringing the Bundesliga title to western Germany, but in the summer he has a seismic decision to make. Both the Bayern and Liverpool jobs are appealing, though he could even disappoint both by opting to stay put for the time being.

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  Zinedine Zidane

  Zidane has been out of the game for some time now, having not returned to management since he left Real Madrid in May 2021. There's been plenty of rumours since, with interest coming from Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and the United States, but Zizou has remained on the sidelines.

  Could that change this summer now the Bayern job has come up? He would seem to be a pretty good fit at least. Tactically flexible, Zidane's main strength appears to be his squad management. And with Bayern possessing a lot of egos at present, his ability to be a unifying figure who commands respect would be welcomed.

  Whether he would be interested in the role is another matter. Zidane holds a burning desire to manage France one day and during a tournament year – after which Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps could feasibly leave – he may prefer to remain a free agent.

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  Hansi Flick

  Flick's reputation took a battering during his time in charge of Germany. However, it should not be forgotten what an outstanding job he did at Bayern between 2019 and 2021.

  Parachuted in to save Die Roten's season following Niko Kovac's disastrous reign, Flick would go on to lead the club to only their second-ever continental treble. His only full campaign wasn't quite as successful, but he still led Bayern to the Bundesliga title – something Tuchel is currently proving is far from the guarantee it is often portrayed as.

  The less said about his time as Germany boss the better, but if the club are looking for a safe pair of hands, Flick could be the ideal, short-term choice to provide a bit of stability.

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  Jurgen Klopp

  If Klopp wishes to sever all ties with his beloved Borussia Dortmund, while also severely p***ing off Liverpool fans, he could give Bayern a call. We're pretty sure he's happy enough sitting back and relaxing, though. At least for the next year anyway.

The Reds have almost completely overhauled their midfield for the same amount of money it would have taken to sign the England international

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp knew exactly what he would be asked in his first press conference after it had been revealed that the club had pulled out of the race to sign Jude Bellingham. "What you want to know is, as I sit here, am I angry with our owners (Fenway Sports Group) that we can’t do this or that? No I am not. I am not," the German insisted back in April.

"I don’t agree all the time with everything we do, but I am employed here. I am not here to be angry about things that will work out or not work out. The way we did things in the past is the way we will do it in the future, that is the way."

However, while Klopp may not have been angry, the fans were furious. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher spoke for many of his fellow Scousers when he said that "after a year working on a deal, it feels like a timid surrender to step aside and allow Manchester City and Real Madrid to fight it out."

"Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp built a level of trust with regards to transfers which was the envy of Europe," Carragher wrote in . "That trust has gone with news they will not be pursuing Jude Bellingham this summer. Everything pointed to waiting for Bellingham. The supporters were sold the dream that the next Steven Gerrard was Anfield-bound."

He added: "There are times when a club of Liverpool's stature has to flex some muscle and remind their rivals they can and will be there to compete off and on the pitch. To walk away because there is now too much work needed across the whole squad smacks of weakness, negligence and poor planning."

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  A season wasted waiting for Bellingham

  Indeed, what really incensed the supporters was the claim that FSG had ended their interest in Bellingham for financial reasons, as if they had only just realised that Borussia Dortmund would demand a fee in excess of £100 million ($120m) for the most south-after midfielder on the market.

  Consequently, their entire pursuit of the 'perfect' signing felt like a complete waste of time, time that really should have been spent reinforcing the midfield last summer, ahead of a campaign in which Klopp's engine room inevitably – but abruptly – ran out of steam.

  Liverpool tried to sign Aurelien Tchouameni but ended up with Arthur Melo. Unsurprisingly, they paid a heavy price. The team that had come within two games of a quadruple the season before failed to even finish in the top four of the Premier League, meaning the Reds failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2016.

  There was, therefore, an understandable fear among the fans that Liverpool would fail to land any of their top transfer targets this summer.

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  The signing of the summer so far

  However, less than three weeks since the window opened, they have already significantly strengthened their midfield with two excellent additions – and for roughly the same amount of money that Real Madrid paid for Bellingham.

  The acquisition of Alexis Mac Allister for just £35m ($44m) is the signing of the summer so far. The Argentine was one of the best players in the Premier League last season, a key cog and the top scorer (10 goals) in a wonderful Brighton team that qualified for Europe for the first time in the club's history.

  Even more impressively, he played a pivotal role in his country's World Cup win. Mac Allister was left on the bench for the duration of Argentina's shock 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in their tournament-opener, but he started every game thereafter, scoring the vital opening goal in the must-win group-stage clash with Poland and providing the assist for Angel Di Maria's strike in the final win over France.

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  'Messi was looking for Mac Allister'

  What really stood out in Qatar, was Mac Allister's almost total understanding of the game at the age of 24, which enables him to interpret a variety of roles. "It was so special watching him during the World Cup," Brighton attacking midfielder and former Liverpool favourite Adam Lallana told podcast in January. "Not playing to begin with but then him proving himself… and playing so well that there's no way this guy doesn't play!

  "Then, by the end, to see (Lionel) Messi looking for him… Messi was looking for him to link, to play! Alexis' role was to almost mirror where Messi was. Whether Messi was deep, he would take high positions. If Messi was high, he would drop. That just shows how much he understands – his football intelligence. Okay, he's not the quickest or the strongest, but he's so smart, like (Luka) Modric. He knows that football is faster than anyone, or anything."

  Fellow new signing Dominik Szoboszlai is a little bit quicker than Mac Allister, but they are similar players in the sense that the Hungarian is a multi-talented midfielder of invaluable versatility.

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  'As talented as Haaland'

  According to Jesse Marsch, Szoboszlai's former boss at both Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig, "As talent goes, there aren't many better players that can play his position. Some are strong, some are technical, some are good tactically, and some can defend well or run a lot. However, Dominik is special because he has all of these skills combined. Dominik is just as talented as Erling Haaland."

  Klopp is clearly keen to avoid such bold statements, and that is wholly understandable. Liverpool may have paid £60m ($76m) for Szoboszlai, but he is still only 22. Then, there's the fact that the last midfielder the Reds signed from Leipzig, Naby Keita, has just left Anfield as arguably the most disappointing signing in the club's history – certainly in terms of hype.

  Keita was meant to be perfect for Liverpool, a player capable of doing it all, and yet he ended up doing absolutely nothing. Injury didn't help, but there was also the fact that he wasn't very good.

  Klopp's caution is unsurprising, then. "There is no pressure," the manager insisted. "Dominik is still a very young player. He has so much development ahead of him and this means it makes sense for us all to be patient and to give him the time and space to allow his talent to come through within our team."

Mikel Arteta and Edu are looking to offload several players before the start of the new season but some will be harder to shift than others…

As is often the way during the transfer window, all the talk at Arsenal right now is about possible incomings.

But getting players out of the door is just as important when it comes to building a settled and happy squad, which is why the club are working hard behind the scenes to move several players on.

Below, GOAL takes a look at some members of Mikel Arteta’s senior side who could leave over the coming weeks…

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  Bernd Leno

  With Matt Turner’s move from New England Revolution now having been made official, Bernd Leno’s exit feels inevitable.

  When he left for his summer break at the end of last season, there was an understanding in place between the player and the club that he would be able to move on.

  All parties are open to making a deal happen and there are clubs interested in taking the German international, who still has aspirations of making his nation's World Cup squad.

  Fulham are believed to have already held talks over a possible move, while there is also interest from some Bundesliga sides.

  Nothing has been agreed yet, but it’s highly likely the 30-year-old will have a new club by the time the transfer window comes to a close.

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• Arthur Okonkwo

  Another goalkeeper who looks set to be on the move this summer. Unlike Leno, however, Okonkwo will only be leaving on loan.

  The highly-rated 20-year-old has spent the past year in the senior squad and has gained valuable experience doing so.

  But he and Arsenal both believe the time is right to go out and get some regular senior first-team football, so a move away from North London is almost a certainty this summer.

  Interested clubs are already being sounded out, with Arsenal and Okonkwo’s representative planning to make a final decision on the shot-stopper's next step soon.

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  Hector Bellerin

  After enjoying a successful loan spell at Real Betis last season, Hector Bellerin is keen to return to his hometown club on a permanent basis.

  Discussions have been taking place throughout the summer to try to find a solution that suits all parties, with Bellerin’s high wages proving problematic as it stands.

  The right-back took a major pay cut to spend last season with Betis and it remains to be seen if he is willing to do that for the long-term.

  For the moment, Bellerin is back at Arsenal and has started pre-season training at London Colney.

  He has just one year left on his contract, however, and attempts to secure him a move back to Spain this summer continue.

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  Nuno Tavares

  There is a possibility that Tavares will be able to leave on loan this summer, but his immediate future is all linked to possible incomings.

  If Arsenal manage to bring in cover for the left side of defence, then Tavares could potentially move on just a year after he arrived in North London from Benfica.

  Marseille are believed to be interested in a loan, while Atlanta are also keeping tabs on Tavares situation.

  But if Arsenal fail to bring any in who can provide cover for Kieran Tierney, such as Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez, then the likelihood is that Tavares will remain.