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There is no understating the perilous situation West Ham United are currently engulfed in; frankly, something needs to change before the unthinkable prospect of relegation from the Premier League becomes reality.

What’s the talk?

West Ham boss David Moyes is under considerable pressure, with the club languishing near the pit of the division in 17th place and on a detrimental five-match losing skid.

According to PUNCH Sports Extra, the Hammers are set to turn the page back to their previous interest in Nigerian defender Ola Aina, who has been starring in Italy with Torino since departing from Chelsea on a permanent deal in 2019.

The prospective move follows action from the summer, when Sky Sports reporter Jasper Taylor stated at 15:41 on deadline day that GSB had a late bid rejected for the marauder.

“Unreal”

Aina follows the long line of promising talents to rise through the ranks at Chelsea’s Cobham academy, but fail to earn a place in the senior team, spending two seasons out on loan before signing for Torino after a season still on Chelsea’s books.

While it’s true that Aina enjoyed an unsuccessful loan spell with Fulham during the 2020/21 campaign – playing regularly but failing to save the London outfit from relegation – there is a greater depth of quality in this West Ham team.

The exploits of Moyes’ tenure tell the story: Europa League and Europa Conference league qualification across his two full seasons with the Irons, with the Europa League campaign falling at the penultimate hurdle against eventual champions Eintracht Frankfurt, and the Conference League ongoing – with the east London outfit assuredly topping their group phase.

On just £31k-per-week, Aina could inject fresh life and vitality into the ranks, bombing up and down the right flank and looking to initiate forward manoeuvres with greater consistency than those already in the side.

Having made 103 appearances for Torino since his debut, the 26-year-old has become a mainstay in his team, situated in the right-back position for a competitive outfit in the Italian Serie A.

As per FBref, the 29-cap star ranks within the top 7% of full-backs in Europe’s top leagues for dribbles completed at 1.42 per 90 minutes, a higher tally than even that of Jarrod Bowen (0.77) in the last year.

He also sits in the top 16% for rate of goals – illustrating an approach that will always put onus on transitions into the final third, searching for goals and assists.

Lauded as “unreal” by reporter Michael Oti Adjei for an exquisite assist at the African Cup of Nations, Aina could provide the creative, forward-thinking spark from the base of the withered outfit, replacing the likes of Vladimir Coufal, who has failed to replicate his feats of past seasons this term.

Moyes is a man that needs swift action in order to remedy a flagging season, and with the hammer very dull indeed, Aina could bring a cutting edge to return the club to the place the proud fanbase demands.

Newcastle United journalist Luke Edwards has poured cold water on recent transfer rumours linking the Tyneside club with a move for Chelsea midfielder Jorginho. 

The Lowdown: Newcastle linked with Jorginho

Earlier this week, it was reported that the £110k-per-week Italian is a prime target for the Toon heading into the upcoming January transfer window.

As things stand, the midfielder, who has starred in a Champions League win with the west London club, is set to see his contract at Stamford Bridge expire at the end of the season.

With the winter window close to opening, an update has emerged regarding the Magpies’ recent link to Jorginho.

The Latest: Conflicting reports

In a Twitter post, Edwards went completely against the rumours of a move for the classy midfield maestro.

“There is no interest in Chelsea’s Jorginho.”

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Attached to this post was an article Edwards wrote for The Telegraph where he had this to add about the links to Jorginho.

“Sources, though, have denied Newcastle have any interest in Chelsea’s Italy international Jorginho as he does not have the mobility to play in their midfield system and his wage demands would be far too big.”

The Verdict: Right call

Despite making more passes into the final third of the pitch (73) than any other Chelsea player in the Premier League this season as well as having the highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (42) at the club, Jorginho’s overall performances this season have not been particularly impressive.

Specifically, the midfielder’s efforts have earned him a rather underwhelming overall season rating of 6.57/10 from WhoScored, leaving 13 other Chelsea players with higher ratings than him.

That – and the two factors that Edwards mentioned in his recent article – makes it easy to see why the Magpies are apparently not looking to bring the Italian to St. James’ Park next month.

Liverpool have been considered the front-runner to sign Jude Bellingham over the coming months ahead and now there has been a new update on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to the head of football at SPORT BILD Christian Falk, Liverpool are now in “advanced” talks for the Borussia Dortmund and England midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Falk tweeted:

“TRUE. Liverpool are favorites to sign Jude Bellingham (19) from BVB next Summer. Talks are more advanced than with Real Madrid. The family of Bellingham prefers the transfer to LFC.”

It’d be a big coup

There is no doubt that the signing of Bellingham would be a major coup for Liverpool and the news that the club are in advanced talks with the player’s family preferring a move to Merseyside will surely excite the Anfield faithful.

Indeed, there has been a lot of upheaval and uncertainty at the club over the last few months with FSG reportedly ready to sell the club and Julian Ward resigning from his position as the sporting director just six months into his role.

However, this opportunity to sign Bellingham could be monumental for the club in their pursuit of improving performances on the pitch and rebuilding their ageing personnel in the centre of the park.

James Milner, Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson are all well into their 30s and in the latter stages of their career, so adding some youthful and energetic players could be a huge boost for the Reds.

Bellingham has had an incredible start to his career after leaving Birmingham City to join Dortmund, tallying up 112 appearances, scoring 19 goals and registering 21 assists so far.

Not only that, the £129m-valued ace – who was dubbed “powerful” and a “superstar” by Roy Keane – has been a standout performer at the World Cup in Qatar for England.

Over four appearances, Bellingham has been one of the tournaments very best players, dominating his opponents on a regular basis.

He has scored one goal, a lovely header in England’s thrashing over Iran, delivered one assist and tallied up a 93% pass completion rate.

He has averaged 1.3 key passes, one interception, 2.8 tackles, 1.5 successful dribbles and 6.5 duels won per game, proving to be a remarkable all-round asset for Gareth Southgate.

With that being said, the signing of the talented midfielder could be the turning point for Liverpool’s midfield and would provide the Reds with a huge talent for many years ahead. Indeed, it would be a seismic coup if the club were to land one of the best young players on the continent.

Pundit Noel Whelan doesn’t think Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha will join Aston Villa following rumours of a possible move.

The Lowdown: Villa speculation

Zaha is out of contract at Selhurst Park at the end of the current campaign and is not close to signing an extension despite being verbally offered a pay rise.

The 30-year-old has been linked with a move to Aston Villa in recent days as a result, with Villa Park thought to be the most likely next destination for the Ivorian at this moment in time.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments

Whelan, who previously contributed for the BBC, was talking to Football Insider regarding Zaha and a potential move to Villa Park, but doesn’t believe a move will materialise.

“I think realistically, you can only see him going to a London club.

“I don’t think he wants to leave the capital unless it’s for Man City. We saw him go to Man United, and he wasn’t the same player.

“If he’s going to finish his career and finish it on a high – you’re looking at Arsenal, Chelsea, or Tottenham.

“I don’t see Aston Villa as a potential.

“He’ll want to challenge for league titles, cups, and play in the Champions League. That’s not something that Villa can offer.”

The Verdict: True…

Whelan makes some valid points regarding a possible move to the Midlands, where you could argue it would be a sideward step.

Unai Emery’s side won’t be able to offer European football and look unlikely to offer it next season despite a positive start under the Spaniard.

Therefore, if Zaha wants to take his game to the next level, perhaps it would benefit him more by joining a club in the Champions League or Europa League, whether that be in England or abroad, with his situation still one to watch closely heading into 2023.

In sensational fashion, West Bromwich Albion seem to have well and truly left the misery of the Steve Bruce era behind.

Cruising to a 2-0 victory over Stoke City at The Hawthorns, Carlos Corberan has masterminded the most sensational of turnarounds which sees them creep out of the relegation zone at last.

It also marked their third successive victory, which was particularly impressive given how before this run they had not even won twice on the run, let alone three times.

Although they only had 49% of the ball, despite normally dominating, they still were fluid in their attacks and clinical when they had to be.

Their 16 total shots outline this, whilst another clean sheet will please the Spaniard more than anything.

Of the defence, Kyle Bartley once again announced himself as the hero, however, his goalscoring exploits have somewhat allowed the likes of Jed Wallace and Matt Phillips’ lack of cutting edge to go unnoticed.

The latter was particularly poor today, although the former did record the worst SofaScore rating of anyone on the pitch.

With just 34 touches all game, the invisible display of Phillips might have been what led to this lack of possession for the Baggies. He did not offer to receive the ball, and without possession seldom defended well enough to win it back.

This is exacerbated through his zero clearances, blocks, interceptions or tackles, whilst he was also dribbled past once too, via SofaScore.

When he did have the ball, the 31-year-old was especially wasteful, hence why he was dragged off with ten minutes to go.

Having lost possession eight times, this meant that for every 4.2 of the 34 touches he enjoyed on Saturday, he would have the ball stolen by the opposition.

This lack of control, therefore, trickled through into his lack of creativity, where he recorded zero key passes and managed no shots on or off target. With age one can expect the physical aspects of the game to start to desert a player, but today marked a lack of quality and effort unexpected from a man of his professionalism.

Despite recording an impressive result, this performance will worry Corberan and may make him think twice about relying on this stalwart to occupy the wing.

With quality such as Grady Diangana to replace him too, this display could, and likely should, have lost him his space in the Spaniard’s starting side.

Wolves will be looking to bounce back from their narrow defeat against Manchester United when they take on Aston Villa away from home on Wednesday evening.

Julen Lopetegui’s side were unable to build on their last-gasp win over Everton when they took on the Red Devils at Molineux, with Marcus Rashford’s goal earning Erik ten Hag’s all three points and ensuring that the Old Gold would remain in the relegation places.

Another tough game awaits the Spanish manager this evening as his new side takes on a resurgent Aston Villa.

They have looked completely transformed under Unai Emery and earned another impressive win over Tottenham Hotspur in their most recent fixture

Here is how Football FanCast expects Lopetegui to line his side up at Villa Park, with four changes from the side that started last time out.

Jose Sa was perhaps unfortunate to be on the losing side against United after making a string of impressive saves, so he keeps his place in between the sticks for this one.

Although Hugo Bueno has impressed in recent fixtures, two games in quick succession might be a big ask for the youngster, so Jonny Otto comes in at left-back.

Nelson Semedo, Max Kilman and Nathan Collins complete the defence, with Lopetegui no doubt in the market for some more defensive additions in this month’s transfer window.

There is one change in midfield, as Joao Moutinho drops out in favour of the more dynamic Boubacar Traore, in the hope that he can make Wolves more defensively sound against their Midlands rivals.

Lopetegui should also reintroduce Adama Traore on the wing to give Wolves an added counter-attacking threat, so Hwang Hee-chan drops out after another game without a goal against United, while Daniel Podence keeps his place on the opposite flank.

Finally, with Diego Costa struggling to replicate the form that made him a “monster” – as dubbed by Jose Mourinho – at Chelsea, the £50k per week striker is dropped to the bench having failed to score for the Old Gold yet.

As a result, Raul Jimenez is handed perhaps a final chance to win over Lopetegui at Villa Park, with new signing Matheus Cunha waiting in the wings.

Amid Wolverhampton Wanderers’ current slump and ongoing search for a new manager, one other point of concern has been the underwhelming impact of summer signing Goncalo Guedes so far this term.

Signed from Valencia for a reported fee of around £27.5m in the recent window, those at Molineux had likely been expecting to see a repeat of what the forward had showcased during his time in Spain, having scored 36 goals and provided 30 assists in 178 games for the La Liga side.

While it is still early days with regards to his time with the Midlands outfit, the Portugal international has thus far been something of a disappointment, with just a solitary goal contribution in eight Premier League outings to date.

The nadir of the 25-year-old’s time in England thus far arguably came at the weekend as he was hooked at half-time during the 3-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, having been dubbed a ‘passenger’ by Birmingham Live’s Alex Dicken in his post-match player ratings.

There is, of course, still plenty of time for the former Benfica ace to get into his stride and begin to deliver the goods for the Old Gold, although at present any new managerial arrival may well be questioning his place in the side.

One figure who could well slot into the attack in the future ahead of Guedes – if the latter man continues to underperform – is that of Theo Corbeanu, with the 20-year-old having showcased his quality while on loan at Blackpool so far this term.

Although Wolves will have to bide their time before bringing the Canadian into the first-team fold – having joined the Tangerines on a temporary deal until the end of the season – the youngster could well be worth the wait, such has been his form of late.

Having spent last season on loan in League One with both Sheffield Wednesday and MK Dons, recording seven goal contributions in that time, the fleet-footed forward has made a smooth transition to life at a higher level, with three goals in just 13 Championship games already this season.

The £1.35m-rated ace is clearly a player who “knows where the goal is”, in the words of current boss Michael Appleton, having also netted twice in just seven appearances at senior international level to date.

With a place in his nation’s World Cup squad potentially on the horizon for the Ontario-born starlet, Corbeanu could well go on to showcase his talents on a global stage in Qatar in the coming months, with it set to be no real surprise if he does earn a place in John Herdman’s squad.

The promising winger has thus far been restricted to just a solitary first-team appearance back at his parent club – with that coming against Tottenham Hotspur back in May 2021 – although after signing a new four-year deal earlier this summer, he could well have an important role to play moving forward.

Crystal Palace are heading in the right direction under Patrick Vieira. The Frenchman guided the club to a 12th place finish in his maiden Premier League campaign last season.

He also guided them to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and claimed some big scalps in the league too, defeating Manchester United, Arsenal, and Manchester City during the season.

So far this term, Palace have lost just twice and came close to beating both Liverpool and City and there is a big scope for a top-half finish under the former Arsenal midfielder.

In order to do this, however, he will have to keep the crucial members of his squad, and with Wilfried Zaha being routinely linked with a move away from Selhurst Park and his contract expiring next summer, Vieira faces a big January conundrum.

Could be make or break for Vieira

With his contract status in mind, Palace wanted up to £30m for the winger if he were to move in the summer.

Thankfully, a move didn’t materialise and he remains at the club, for now anyway. There has been a new contract offer put on the table to keep the player at the club beyond next season, but whether he signs it or not remains a different story.

If talks drag on, will Vieira sell in January in order to get a transfer fee, or is his importance to the team beyond any figure and they let him leave for nothing at the end of the season?

It’s a decision most won’t envy, but the manager should be doing everything he can to keep Zaha.

Journalist Tom Barclay spoke to GIVEMESPORT regarding the player and said the 29-year-old was “an absolute Palace legend” and his impressive stats during his spell in London justify this high praise.

With 87 goals and 73 assists for Palace in 435 appearances in all competitions, Zaha’s ability and importance is key to the direction Vieira’s side is heading in.

This contract and transfer talk hasn’t seemed to affect him this season, however, with the winger scoring four goals and adding a further assist in just five Premier League matches.

He won the club’s player of the season award in three consecutive seasons and despite the additions of attacking talents such as Odsonne Edouard, Malcolm Ebiowei, and Eberechi Eze in the previous few years, Zaha is still the team’s biggest goal threat, netting 15 last season, seven more than anyone else.

Whatever happens, Zaha is an icon at Selhurst Park and the supporters should enjoy him while they have the chance.

Leeds United have been dealt a fitness concern ahead of their Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via Leeds Live), Jesse Marsch revealed that, despite earlier hopes that Patrick Bamford could have been included in the Whites’ squad for the 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Barnsley on Wednesday, the 28-year-old is once again a doubt for the trip to the south coast on Saturday.

Speaking about the current condition of the England international, the Leeds manager said: “The big question mark is Patrick Bamford. We think he’s doing well and moving forward.

“I think also with the performances of the team, it allows us to be patient but we will still have a call to make for exactly what it means for this weekend. But we want to put him in the best position possible to physically be ready to pick up where he left off.”

Big blow for Marsch

It is true that Leeds have not exactly struggled for goals in the absence of Bamford so far this season, having bagged three against both Chelsea and Barnsley in their last two games. However, it is nevertheless undeniable that the centre-forward once again being unavailable for a fixture as challenging as Brighton – who currently sit in fifth, just behind Leeds – will come as a big blow to Marsch.

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Indeed, the long-term effects of the Whites being without Bamford’s services up front are clear to see from the club’s return of goals last term, when the England international managed only seven starts in the league as a result of numerous knocks and Marsch’s team found the net just 42 times – the joint fifth-worst record in the league.

For comparison, when the £14.4m-rated striker featured in every game of Leeds’ 2020/21 Premier League campaign, the Whites scored 62 goals in the league – more than both Chelsea and Arsenal – while Bamford netted on no fewer than 17 occasions, ranking him as the division’s joint fourth-highest scorer.

As such, it is evident that Leeds are a much more fluent attacking outfit with the 28-year-old leading the line.

That leads us to believe that the Englishman’s continued absence for the trip to Brighton on Saturday will do nothing to help the Whites’ chances of returning to Yorkshire with all three points in tow – something which would represent a gutting outcome for supporters and Marsch alike.

Eddie Howe has given the green light for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) to sell Newcastle United ace Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Lowdown: One in, one out?

It has been reported that the St. James’ Park outfit are internally ‘confident’ that at least one more signing will be made before the transfer window closes, following the arrivals of goalkeeper Nick Pope, central defender Sven Botman and left-back Matt Targett.

It is thought that they will now go for another attacker, but may have to sacrifice one or two of their own in order to fund any potential deals.

The Latest: Saint-Maximin can go…

As per Football Insider, ‘sources from the club’ have told the news outlet that they are ‘willing’ to sell Saint-Maximin in order to help recruit a ‘top-class’ forward.

Howe has personally given the ‘green light’ to let the Frenchman go if they can land one of their top targets.

His lack of end product is thought to be an ‘issue’ for both him and his coaching staff, and if a club come and put £40m on the table, the Tynesiders would sell him.

The Verdict: Dangerous

It would be mightily dangerous to sell Saint-Maximin if a player of the same or more quality is not immediately lined up as his replacement.

Despite only managing to score five goals last season, the winger was the Magpies’ second-best performer in the Premier League, making a team-high five assists, while none of his teammates could match his six man-of-the-match awards (WhoScored).

He remains a key player for the Toon, and so it will not be easy to replace him should he go.