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Insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that the recent West Ham United transfer links to Ruslan Malinovskyi are ‘wide of the mark’.

What’s the word?

With January now upon us, it’s that time of the year when rumours begin to swirl and it half feels as though every Premier League side is linked with every footballer on the planet.

For instance, the Hammers have recently been tipped to make a move for Malinovskyi of Atalanta. Indeed, according to Calciomercato, David Moyes and co are keen on a deal.

Despite this latest talk, it sounds as though it might be wise not to pay it too much heed. After all, insider Ex has now claimed that West Ham are not currently likely to make a move for the player.

He wrote on The West Ham Way Patreon page: “Despite reports linking us to the signing of Ruslan Malinovskyi of Atalanta, we can confirm that these are wide of the mark.

“The 29-year-old Ukrainian international is out of contract in the summer so does tick a box (players coming close to end of contract) that we wish to explore, however, no move has been made.

“There are reported to be a number of clubs in the race for the player and it isn’t thought at this point that West Ham will make a move.”

Not interested…

Even if West Ham were keen on Malinovskyi, it doesn’t sound as though it would be an easy deal for them to compete with the likes of Marseille linked and Tottenham Hotspur said to be his preferred destination.

The 29-year-old may well be an attractive proposition for a number of clubs as his contract looks set to expire this summer (via Transfermarkt). However, some reports in Italian media (via Football Italia) claim that he has actually signed a two-year renewal.

Either way, it sounds as though it won’t make a huge amount of difference to the Hammers as this seems to be one deal they won’t be pursuing this winter.

Chelsea have made a dreadful start to the 2022/23 campaign, having plummeted to tenth place in the Premier League after 17 matches having clinched a place in the top four last season, and the club are consequently eyeing prospective signatures of the highest quality…

Having assumed ownership of Chelsea in 2022, Todd Boehly has plunged right into the thick of the transfer market and fortified the squad with a plethora of signings across the field, spending a total of £315m to date.

And with the centre of the park still considered an area for further reinforcement, West Ham United’s sublime anchor Declan Rice has been touted for several months with an eventual move to Stamford Bridge, having risen through the ranks at Cobham Academy during his formative years.

And with news emerging that Blues boss Graham Potter is considering allowing established ball-playing maestro Jorginho to depart upon his contract expiry at the conclusion of the campaign, space is being made for someone of Rice’s ilk to enter the fray, despite Hammers’ claims that a bid in the region of £100m is paramount.

Rice the remedy

Jorginho has been a stalwart for the Blues since arriving from Napoli in a £50m deal in 2018, making 210 appearances and scoring 29 goals, along with nine assists.

And having clinched several major honours including the Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup, the Italian ace’s control from the centre of the park has been paramount to the club’s success.

However, with his contract indeed due for expiry at the end of the season, the 31-year-old appears to be considered expendable by his west London outfit, with the youthful Rice holding the potential to be the catalyst for success over the next era of the club’s football.

And this season, Jorginho’s average league rating of 6.83 is the first time during his Chelsea career that Sofascore has dropped his rating below the 7.00 mark; not exactly a statistic to leave Boehly emboldened as he assesses his next transfer move.

Rice, in retrospect, has recorded an average rating 7.23, achieving a simply sublime average pass accuracy of 90% while making 2.3 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game.

And from an offensive standpoint, the 39-cap England international has scored a goal and provided two assists, creating two big chances and making 1.2 key passes per match.

Quite simply, he could spearhead the charge for years to come, and at just 23 years old there is still plenty of nurturing as the player creeps closer towards a pedestal

Potter must act swiftly to sign the “force of nature”, as once lauded by journalist Rob Blanchette, and he can indeed serve as the driving pillar to soar Chelsea toward success, replacing the dwindling Jorginho in the process.

Tottenham Hotspur will find it ‘difficult’ to complete a deal for Sporting Lisbon right-wing back Pedro Porro in January, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Tottenham chasing Porro

At the start of the transfer window, Tottenham were said to be close to completing a deal for the 23-year-old which would have amounted to £35m, but negotiations were not as quick as initially anticipated.

Spurs cooled their interest in the Spaniard upon learning that Sporting were demanding his £40m release clause to be paid, and the move has seemingly now been thrown into jeopardy.

The Latest: Could be difficult

According to Romano, Porro is Tottenham’s main transfer priority this month, but Sporting are reluctant to sell him if the clause in his contract is not met.

The Italian tweeted: “Understand Pedro Porro is top of the list for Tottenham as new right back. Spurs will try to sign Porro as player would be keen on the move.

“It’s difficult deal in January as Sporting have been very clear: €45m release clause or no way. Stance could change in June.”

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The Verdict: Keep pushing

Considering that Tottenham were believed to be close to securing a deal amounting to £35m, paying an extra £5m for a player with Porro’s ability doesn’t seem excessive, and Daniel Levy should pay the full amount before another club does.

The defender has been lauded as a ‘special talent’ by journalist Zach Lowy, and he would be a perfect signing for Antonio Conte in an attacking sense. He has averaged 4.61 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes over the past year, placing in the 99th percentile compared to his positional peers in Europe’s major leagues.

Pundit Noel Whelan has recently called the right wing-back position Tottenham’s ‘most fragile area’, owing largely to the disappointing form from Emerson Royal, who was labelled ‘dreadful’ by journalist Josh Bunting earlier this season, so it is clear that an upgrade is needed at the earliest availability.

West Ham United are reportedly in for yet another striker but could lose out if they don’t act quickly…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to French publication L’Equipe, who state that OGC Nice seem set to sign Terem Moffi after having a bid accepted for the Nigerian. 

This comes just days after Sky Sports reported the Hammers’ initial £25m bid.

The report claims that the French outfit has a deal in place with Lorient for the forward, but awaits the sale of Andy Delort before they can sign their top target.

As such, this leaves a small window of opportunity for director of football Mark Noble to gather additional funds and secure this deal.

Must act quick

If the Irons are truly serious about their interest in Moffi, then they must work with haste to add another striker to their squad.

It could be an integral deal in solving one of their big issues, as goalscoring has somewhat escaped David Moyes’ side at times this season. They have managed just 15 goals in 19 Premier League appearances, and unsurprisingly sit joint-bottom of the table.

That is in no small part thanks to the two strikers already at the London Stadium, who have both endured toothless campaigns thus far.

Michail Antonio can be somewhat excused given his age, with the 32-year-old having scored twice in 18 appearances.

But the man who was brought in to replace him has truly disappointed, as Gianluca Scamacca represented a £35.5m outlay of which they have seen little return.

The Italian has only mustered three league goals, and with an expected goals of 2.47, he is depressingly good value for that return.

This exacerbates the need for Moffi, especially given the perilous position they find themselves in. Moyes cannot afford to give the 24-year-old Italian time to acclimatise; he has to perform now.

That is exactly what the 23-year-old is doing in France, as he boasts 12 goals in just 18 appearances this season. He is only three shy of West Ham’s total goals scored in the league, which is both a damning indication of their performances as well as a glowing recommendation of their target.

His proficiency in front of goal is exactly what has been lacking, with journalist Jacque Talbot labelling him as “deadly as they come”. FBref even ranks him in the top 14% for non-penalty goals, compared to his position peers, which adds to his credibility as a lethal finisher in Europe.

With Nice closing in on a deal, it is left to the east London outfit to make their final move. It could be one of paramount importance, as missing out on this deal could be the difference between safety and relegation.

Liverpool could look to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes this month, according to Daily Express  journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Liverpool targeting a midfielder

It is no secret that Jurgen Klopp is trying to bolster his squad with a new midfielder, with Jude Bellingham being linked with a move to Anfield, while Mason Mount has also emerged as a potential option in recent days.

The Reds are in need of some new signings in that area of the pitch, with both Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain seeing their contracts expire at the end of the campaign, while Fabinho has been the subject of criticism from Scott Minto for his performances this season.

The Latest: Nunes the likeliest option

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Taylor claimed that reported target Nunes could be Klopp’s midfielder of choice if the Liverpool manager chooses to bring in another midfielder this month.

The journalist said in relation to prospective January signings for the Reds: “I think Matheus Nunes is the likely one if they were to move for a midfielder [this month].

“That’s not to say they’d be able to strike a deal. With Wolves likely to sign João Gomes after the arrival of Mario Lemina, if you look at their midfield roster, it’s now very overinflated.”

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Lauded as ‘unbelievable’ by former team-mate Goncalo Santos, the 24-year-old has really started to find his form in recent weeks. He was especially impressive in Wolves’ recent Carabao Cup clash at Nottingham Forest, receiving the joint-highest SofaScore rating of any outfield player on the pitch (7.5) and winning eight of the 10 ground duels that he contested.

The Portugal international is not renowned for his attacking contributions, weighing in with just three goals and two assists for Sporting Lisbon in the league last season. However, his recent exploits indicate that he is quite combative defensively, making 29 tackles in the Premier League this term.

Liverpool have previous in signing gems from Wolves, with Diogo Jota arriving at Anfield for £41m in September 2020 and going on to score 34 goals in 93 Reds appearances so far.

Klopp could pull off another masterclass by bringing in Nunes from Molineux for a similar fee, with The Telegraph reporting that £44m could be enough to tempt his current club into a sale.

An update has emerged on Everton and who they would like to take over from Frank Lampard at Goodison Park…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol has revealed that the Toffees do have an interest, from some members of the club, in bringing a current Premier League head coach to Merseyside.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, the reporter said: “Another name that has been mentioned to me is Thomas Frank, the Brentford manager. I’ve been told that there are people at Everton who are big admirers of Thomas Frank.

“Again, I’m being told that people at the club are not sure whether he would leave Brentford (or) whether he would be happy to go and work at Everton.”

Dream Lampard replacement

The Toffees could land a dream replacement for Lampard if they are able to convince Frank to part ways with Brentford to join the club in the coming days.

He put pen to paper on a new contract with the Bees at the end of December 2022 and this suggests that the 49-year-old is committed to his current team, which means that it could be a difficult task for Farhad Moshiri to bring him to Merseyside.

However, if the Everton chief can pull it off then Frank has the potential to be a superb appointment, as the Danish tactician has proven his quality as a manager at Premier League level.

The former assistant manager to Dean Smith at Brentford led his team to 13th in the English top-flight in their first season in the division, after taking them up via the play-offs in the previous campaign.

This season, the Bees are currently sitting eighth in the table – a whopping 15 points clear of Everton – and have scored 32 goals in the Premier League – 17 more than the Toffees.

His achievements with Brentford show that the 49-year-old knows how to manage a team in the English top-flight and that he could play a big role in getting the club out of the relegation zone, given that the coach has prevented Brentford from being near the drop over the last 18 months.

Frank is also an engaging character who could galvanise the fanbase and the players. Jurgen Klopp previously hailed his “entertaining” press conferences and claimed that the football he deploys is “incredible”, which suggests that the Dane could get Goodison rocking with his personality and his style of play.

Therefore, the Brentford tactician could be a dream replacement for Frank and Everton must do everything in their power to convince him to make the switch, however unlikely it may seem at the moment.

Glasgow Rangers have managed to secure deals for Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin this month as Michael Beale looks to assert his own stamp on the first-team squad at Ibrox, and with less than 24 hours to go until the transfer deadline, there could yet be more incomings.

The Premiership club have recently been linked with a move for Anderlecht youngster Noah Sadiki, who is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, and the Belgian could fit into Beale’s philosophy of moving for players who are still developing and could be sold for a high profit further down the line.

There could well be a good omen with a move for Sadiki, with Raskin also joining the club, as the last time that Rangers signed a Belgian player during the winter transfer window, they overturned a January deficit to Celtic and eventually went on the win the league title.

That was in January 2005, when Alex McLeish signed Thomas Buffel from Feyenoord, and he went on to play an integral part in the Light Blues claiming their 51st championship crown.

He scored four goals in 15 matches during the second half of the 2004/05 campaign and secured the title on the final day of the season as Celtic lost away to Motherwell. Although a nine-point deficit this time around could prove too much to claw back, the Ibrox faithful will be clinging on to any omen or bit of fortune which comes their way.

Sadiki might not have the same impact as Buffel, but the “highly talented” teenager – as dubbed by Jacek Kulig – still has the potential to enjoy a bright future in Glasgow.

This season, the 18-year-old has registered one assist and created two big chances, averaging 0.3 key passes per match and succeeding with 67% of his dribble attempts from either a right-back or right-wing position.

His versatility could be an added bonus for Beale, and despite his lack of experience at the top level, there is no reason to doubt that the youngster couldn’t gain some minutes during the second half of the season for Rangers.

Signing Buffel in 2005 proved to be a masterclass as McLeish led his side to a dramatic title triumph which is still talked about to this day, but if Beale secures a move for Sadiki and the club wins the Premiership crown this year, it could well eclipse the legendary ‘Helicopter Sunday’.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United are unlikely to pull off a transfer for striker Terem Moffi this January.

What’s the word?

The Hammers seemed extremely keen to add to their attacking ranks this month and have already completed a £15m move for Danny Ings. However, the striker has since picked up an injury.

Seeing a £25m bid was made for Lorient and Nigeria forward Moffi earlier on in the window, the club may now be key to get this deal across the line too.

In a new development, though, it looks as though West Ham and David Moyes will have to look elsewhere, with perhaps a loan deal for someone else being more likely.

That is according to inside Ex who explained on The West Ham Way Patreon: “Whilst we have an offer in for Moffi this deal doesn’t seem like it will be completed and there are other loan deals on the table for more attacking players too.”

What now?

Interestingly enough, Michail Antonio has been linked with a possible exit this winter – the likes of Everton and Wolves have been said to have some interest in the striker – but Moyes has shut down any such talk.

Indeed, the manager recently told the press: “But at the moment we want Mick here, we want him playing well, we want him scoring goals, and we’re happy to have him.”

Perhaps if Ings had stayed fit and Moffi had agreed to join too, then Antonio would have been allowed to leave but with so much uncertainty over the position – with Gianluca Scamacca also currently out due to a knee injury – it’s easy to see why the Irons don’t want to weaken their options any further.

Of course, there is still a little bit of time left in the window to make a new signing. As Ex points out though, that may have to be a loan deal with a transfer for Moffi looking far too complicated to complete this January.

Arsenal head into today’s Premier League clash against Everton having enjoyed a solid January transfer window, adding Jorginho, Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard to their title-chasing squad, and Mikel Arteta will surely be happy with the business that the club conducted.

Despite racing away at the summit of the table, the Gunners tasted defeat in their last match as Manchester City prevailed 1-0 in the FA Cup against a much-changed Arsenal side who appear to have one thing and one thing only on their minds – a first league title since 2004.

A trip to Goodison Park to face a struggling Everton side should give Arteta and co the ideal chance to bounce back to winning ways and assert their dominance in the league. The Spaniard may also unleash Jorginho and Kiwior at some stage.

The starting XI will also be back to near full strength following the rotation against City, and Arteta must surely unleash Martin Odegaard against the Toffees, with the Norwegian aiming to carry on his excellent form this season.

Odegaard has been a revelation since joining Arsenal on an initial loan two years ago. Nine goals and seven assists during his first 18 months in north London laid the foundation for what has simply been a magnificent campaign for the 24-year-old so far.

His performances during the first six months of 2022/23 has seen him receive a Sofascore rating of 7.49/10, ranking him not only as the club’s second-best performer in the Premier League this term but also as the fourth-best player in the top-flight, showing just how integral he is to Arsenal’s chances of glory.

Across 18 league appearances, he has scored eight times, registered five assists and created ten big chances, along with averaging 2.2 key passes per match. That underlines his attacking threat from a midfield role, helping to shoulder the burden from the injured Gabriel Jesus, the club’s main centre-forward.

Odegaard also chips in defensively, making 1.1 tackles and winning 3.4 duels per match, but it is his attacking feats which have been incredible and led to comparisons with a former Arsenal icon.

Football London editor Hush Kerai was full of praise for the 24-year-old’s performance against Nottingham Forest in October, describing Odegaard as like “watching Bergkamp”; and with the Dutchman gaining legendary status among the Arsenal faithful, there is arguably no higher praise.

Having appeared as a late substitute against Man City last week, the £115k-per-week star simply needs to be unleashed from the start against Everton today. Their new manager Sean Dyche could be set to walk into a baptism of fire if the Norwegian is in the mood, which he has been so often this season.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has claimed the future of Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane is in doubt now that he has become the club’s record goalscorer.

What’s the word?

It was a pretty good weekend for the Spurs striker as he helped his team pick up an important win in the Premier League. Indeed, the 29-year-old scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Manchester City.

However, not only did that goal help Tottenham pick up all three points and move just one point and one place behind Newcastle United in the Champions League places, but it also saw Kane reach an important milestone.

Indeed, the England captain netted his 267th goal for Spurs, meaning he has now supposed Jimmy Greaves to become the north London club’s all-time top scorer.

However, having achieved this goal, Sutton has wondered if that could be enough to convince Kane that this summer will be the right time to finally leave the club for pastures new.

Speaking live on BBC 606, he said: “I mean, it does beg the question, doesn’t it?

“Now that, you know, he’s got the record at Spurs, what happens in the summer? I mean, are there Spurs fans out there who think that he could be lured away? I don’t know.”

Next challenge

With Kane yet to win a major trophy at Tottenham, he has had to become a club legend by setting personal records and now that he arguably has the most important individual accolade a player can have at a club, he may feel the time is right to seek a new challenge.

What’s more, he will be turning 30 in the summer and with his contract expiring in 2024 this might be the best chance to leave Spurs while he is still in his prime years.

The likes of Manchester United and Bayern Munich are both often touted as possible destinations and it’s certainly reasonable to think he would have a better chance of winning silverware with those clubs.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see how it all plays out in the summer. For now, though, Kane seems pretty happy to have beaten this record at Tottenham.

Indeed, speaking after the game, he BBC Match of the Day: “When you look at the names who have been here, to overtake Jimmy Greaves – one of the greatest to play the game – I’m extremely grateful.”