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West Ham all but sealed their spot in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals as they eased to a 2-0 win against AEK Larnaca in Cyprus.

Two goals from the much-lamented Michail Antonio eased the pressure on David Moyes following last weekend’s embarrassing defeat against Brighton, although his side were always expected to win against the Cypriot minnows.

While Antonio impressed on his return to the side, contributing two impressive finishes on Thursday evening, it was arguably Said Benrahma who was Moyes’ star performer against Larnaca.

How did Benrahma perform versus Larnaca?

As per Sofascore, the Algeria international would earn an impressive 8.2/10 rating for his performance, which was the best of any player to feature in the game from both sides.

The former Brentford man was instrumental in the Hammers’ opener, as he sent Larnaca’s right back to the shops before whipping in a delightful cross, which Antonio simply had to steer home.

This was just one of two big chances that the 27-year-old would create on Thursday, with Antonio missing a chance for his hat-trick when he hit the post in the second half.

Benrahma looked extremely assured in possession and dangerous every time he received the ball, completing 24 of his 27 attempted passes with an 89% success rate, which is an improvement on his 84.6% average in the Premier League so far this season.

The wide man, who touched the ball on 42 occasions, played two key passes, registered three shots and completed four dribbles in total, which again is a significant improvement on the 1.4 key passes, 1.9 shots and 1.5 dribbles he has averaged in the top flight.

It was something of a surprise when Moyes decided to take him off just after the hour mark, as he also contributed in defence, winning six of his seven duels on the night and completing two tackles, which again is impressive given he has managed just 0.7 tackles per game in the Premier League.

This wasn’t the first time that the Algerian winger has impressed in Europe, as he also earned a huge amount of praise from Joe Cole last season after a strong performance against Genk.

Cole said on BT Sport (via Read West Ham): Tonight at times he was unplayable. Fantastic, that’s how good he is, as soon as he saw the defender and squared him up, he knew he was in control of the situation. The finish was exquisite.”

West Ham fans will be hoping that the decision to sub Benrahma was simply to rest him ahead of Sunday’s big fixture against Aston Villa, where a defeat will surely spell the end for Moyes at the London Stadium.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly ‘increasingly hopeful’ of agreeing a new contract for Ryan Kent.

The Lowdown: Kent attracting transfer interest

The 26-year-old’s contract at Ibrox expires in the summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent at the end of the season.

He has recently been linked with a move to English Championship leaders Burnley, who look set for automatic promotion back to the Premier League, as they sit 12 points clear at the top of the table.

The Latest: Contract agreement close?

As per Football Insider, Rangers are ‘increasingly hopeful’ that Kent will sign a new deal with the Premiership giants.

Their contract offer is currently the ‘best on the table’, and the latest round of talks has been positive, which represents a huge step forward after reports that discussions between the various parties has previously threatened to run aground at several stages.

The Verdict: Big boost for Rangers

Kent signing a new long-term contract would be a major boost for Rangers.

Hailed as an ‘incredible’ athlete by The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell, the winger can dribble with the ball at an immense speed, as he ranks in the 92nd percentile of all his positional peers outside of Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per game over the past year.

Furthermore, Kent has shown that he has a consistent end product as well, with no fewer than 88 goal contributions in total since he first came to Ibrox the 2018/19 season.

He is often trusted in big games, having been named in the starting line-up to play Celtic in today’s Viaplay Cup final, and at 26 years of age, he still has plenty to offer the Light Blues.

West Ham United’s manager shocked some of the media on Saturday night with an admission he made on the future of his star man, Declan Rice.

What’s the latest?

The Hammers earned a hard-fought point on the weekend against the high-flying Newcastle United which has seen West Ham climb outside of the relegation zone.

However, after the game, Moyes commented on the future of his main man who has been heavily linked with a potential move away in the summer:

‘Undoubtedly he’s going to be a top player and undoubtedly he’ll be a British transfer record and more whenever he leaves West Ham,’ said Moyes.

Rice has been linked with a possible move across London with the likes of Arsenal believed to be interested in snapping up the England midfielder this summer.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Craig Hope admits the comments shocked some in the press room as he admitted Rice could leave the club:

“David Moyes said afterwards – and I thought it was quite a telling admission; you know, it was fairly unprompted. He said whenever Declan Rice leaves West Ham, the bidding starts at a British transfer record.”

Set for summer exit

The future of the midfielder is in question as a result of his ongoing contract debacle which will seemingly go into the summer leaving him with just one-year remaining on his deal.

It has been reported the Hammers have offered their midfielder numerous contract extensions which has seen Rice reject an extended stay on three occasions.

And it is understandable why there are teams chasing Rice ahead of the summer and why the Irons seemingly value the player so highly after what he showed on the weekend.

Across the 90 minutes on Tyneside, Rice racked up three tackles, three interceptions and a clearance, as well as providing a key pass (via Sofascore).

It was apparent Hope was left impressed with the midfielder, with the journalist suggesting he dominated the game at St. James’ Park:

“He just looked bigger, stronger, quicker than everybody else. I thought he was absolutely outstanding. You can see why he is England’s first-choice midfielder.”

But with Rice reportedly rejecting three contract offers, it now seemingly puts a new responsibility on the club to get the absolute maximum price for the midfielder in the summer.

And the type of money which Rice could potentially bring in could allow the Irons to invest back into their squad and build on what has been a fairly disappointing campaign to date.

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.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has offered his thoughts on Glasgow Rangers and their pursuit of a new attacker in the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

O’Rourke has suggested that Michael Beale believes the Swansea winger could bolster his Light Blues squad this month after the gem caught the manager’s attention during a loan spell in League One earlier in the campaign.

The reporter told Football FanCast: “He’s very talented young player, Morgan Whittaker.

“It hasn’t really worked out for him at Swansea but he’s had a really successful time on loan at Plymouth in the first half of the season – scored lots of goals and created lots of goals.

“And (he’s) obviously comes to the attention of Michael Beale at Rangers who obviously sees the potential in Morgan Whittaker and sees him as somebody who could improve his squad at Ibrox right now as well.”

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the Gers have had an offer of £1.5m turned down for the forward, who Swansea reportedly value at £2m.

Striking gold

Rangers could now strike gold by securing a deal to sign the attacker this month, as he is a young player with the potential to improve and has showcased his quality in the third tier of English football.

Retired winger Jobi McAnuff recently heaped praise on the youngster. Speaking on Sky Sports News, via Wales Online, the former Reading man said: “He’s a top, top young player. He’s been out on loan at Plymouth where’s he got nine goals and seven assists.

“He can play wide right or just behind the striker. He scores important goals, he’s a great dribbler and carries the ball well. He’s a fluid player who links into the attack very well and he’s got a fantastic left foot.”

Whittaker averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.10 across his 25 appearances in League One for Plymouth and was directly involved in 16 goals, whilst he also created 1.3 chances per match for his team-mates.

At the age of 22, he could arrive as a player with the potential to earn Rangers millions in profit in the future – like one of their previous signings from League One in Joe Aribo.

The Gers signed the Nigeria international from Charlton after the midfielder scored 10 goals in 39 third-tier appearances at The Valley in 2018/19. He then enjoyed three years at Ibrox in the Premiership before signing for Premier League club Southampton for a reported fee of £10m last year.

This shows that the Light Blues can develop young talents before selling them on for big money, and Whittaker – who has showcased his quality at the same level that Aribo did – could be next in line to earn the club a hefty payday, which is why Beale could strike gold by securing his services this month.

Manchester United return to Premier League action tomorrow night, with the Old Trafford giants taking on Nottingham Forest as Erik ten Hag aims to start off the second half of the top-flight campaign with a victory.

The Dutchman overcame an ominous start to life in charge of the Red Devils, losing his first two league matches before guiding the club to fifth in the table prior to the pause for the World Cup.

United will go into Tuesday’s match with something of a selection crisis in defence, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez absent due to their participation in the World Cup final, while Harry Maguire missed the Carabao Cup win against Burnley last week due to illness.

Aside from that, though, the Red Devils appear to be at full strength. With that in mind, Ten Hag should unleash Bruno Fernandes against Forest, as the 28-year-old has the ability to be a game-changer in a match where nothing but three points will suffice.

The £240k-per-week sensation has been in superb form this season for United, averaging an impressive Sofascore rating of 7.28/10 across his 13 league appearances.

The midfielder has scored twice and registered one assist, but it is his ability to create chances for others which has stood out so far this term, with Fernandes making 2.6 key passes per match while creating eight big chances for his team-mates.

Despite often playing just behind the lone striker, his defensive abilities are also excellent, with the 28-year-old making two tackles and 1.1 clearances per match, proving that he can be effective all over the pitch.

Fernandes carried his domestic form into the World Cup, with a ridiculously high Sofascore rating of 8.38 for his performances in Qatar ranking him as the best performer during the entire tournament, despite him played just four matches for Portugal as they exited in the quarter-finals.

Compatriot Matheus Nunes dubbed him “incredible” following his displays at the finals, and Ten Hag should arguably have him as the first name on the team sheet heading into tomorrow’s match.

There is no doubt he can add to his goal and assists tally against a Forest defence which has conceded 30 goals so far this season, and the Dutchman will be looking at the 28-year-old to inspire the team.

With United having not played in the league for just over six weeks, Fernandes will no doubt be chomping at the bit to pick up where he left off in November.

West Bromwich Albion’s sensational resurgence was furthered this weekend as Carlos Corberan’s side breezed past Rotherham United to make it five wins on the bounce.

With that victory, the Baggies now sit just five points away from the play-off positions, which marks an incredible feat given that it wasn’t too long ago that they sat in the relegation zone under Steve Bruce.

The Spaniard has come into The Hawthorns and instantly freed the players from the shackles of his predecessor’s philosophy, completing this turnaround without having signed any players of his own.

He has built his style predominantly on stability at the back, with West Brom’s most recent rout the first time under him they had truly blown away their opposition.

A pivotal part to that solidity has been Kyle Bartley, who had featured sparingly before the arrival of the new manager.

However, his return to the starting line-up sparked their first win under Corberan and only their second in 12 Championship games. He then played the full 90 minutes in the subsequent two games, which kickstarted their resurgence in form.

He also capped off his displays with goals in back-to-back games, including the winner in a fine away victory at QPR.

The 31-year-old is a stalwart for West Brom but has seen injuries halt his continued presence in the team. Therefore, this January could see him finally replaced in the form of Ryan Porteous.

Having been linked with Albion just under two weeks ago now, the 23-year-old has since gained a host of additional suitors all plotting a swoop for him next month, and with good reason. The Hibernian centre-back has been in sensational form this term, earning a 7.27 average Sofascore rating.

Standing at 6 foot 2, he boasts an extra inch on Bartley, which could make up for the 17% disparity between their aerial duel success rates. Porteous has won just 63% of his, but this is an attribute which can flourish with experience.

The rest of his defensive statistics outline a fine stopper for Hibs who also boasts no little composure in the form of his 79% pass accuracy.

He has averaged 1.4 tackles and 3.5 clearances per game this season, outperforming Bartley in the former but dwarfed by 4.9 per 90 in the latter.

Their immense ability to read danger and get the ball clear is an integral attribute for a defender, and signing Porteous in January could allow the ageing Bartley to bestow further wisdom upon the young Scotsman.

Kevin Campbell issued his verdict on how important a signing the Scotland defender could be, saying: “Porteous – I’ve seen him play a couple of times – he’s a real decent player. Good, aggressive, strong and can play out from the back. 

“The key to everything is having the squad because all you need is a couple of injuries to key players and you leave yourselves open. Corberan and West Brom are not going to put themselves in that position – he’s going to try and strengthen everywhere he sees fit.”

Porteous would be an intelligent move by West Brom to kickstart their January transfer business and would be a fine addition to boost their promotion dreams.

Aston Villa have been sorely lacking creativity this season, however, with the appointment of Unai Emery, there seemed to have been a resurgence of sorts before the World Cup halted domestic play.

Just two wins on the spin for the Midlands outfit helped propel them from nearby the relegation spots to 12th, such is the tightness of the bottom half of the table.

There will be hope that once this break is over that they can recapture this form to continue their resurgence, with some January additions sure to help that process.

One man who has earned recent links is Turkish international Hakan Calhanoglu, who has starred for Inter Milan of late, which would have undoubtedly caught Emery’s eye.

With reports touting both the Villans and Arsenal for his signature, it could prove a pivotal transfer race that will culminate in an expected fee of €30m (£25.7m).

With Philippe Coutinho having disappointed for some time now, the 28-year-old could act as a revitalised version who might form a remarkable partnership with Emiliano Buendia on the flanks.

Having initially starred as an inverted winger on the left, this season for the Italian giants he has been deployed in a more conservative central midfield role, confirming him as an “intelligent player” who is “a leader on the pitch”.

However, he has not allowed his creativity to be stifled, as he still boasts eight goal contributions across both the Serie A and Champions League, looking to build upon his eight-goal and 13-assist haul last season.

Should he make the move to Villa Park, he would offer immense versatility and a silkiness that will have fans quickly forgetting about Coutinho.

To boast these numbers from midfield, pushing him up the pitch and pairing him with Buendia could form a frightening wide presence given their respective abilities.

Calhanoglu has become one of the most productive players in Europe of late, and as such sits at the top of most metrics for his position.

The £153k-per-week dynamo ranks in the top 1% for assists and shot-creating actions, and the top 6% for total shots. Meanwhile, his Argentinian counterpart ranks in the top 6% for progressive passes per 90.

With Danny Ings having also hit goalscoring form since the departure of Steven Gerrard, having scored four in his last four, this potential addition would surely send his exploits in front of goal to another level.

Never before in his career would he have boasted such incredible service, and he could finally ignite his career at Villa Park as the spearhead of this front three.

Despite the fee touted, this could even prove to be a coup, should Calhanoglu translate his form into the Premier League.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is continuing to build an exciting squad full of talented young players at the Stadium of Light.

The likes of Dan Neil, Aji Alese, Edouard Michut, Jewison Bennette, Jack Clarke, and Anthony Patterson are all promising youngsters who could go on to make the club a huge profit in the future if they fulfil their potential on the pitch.

Developing young players in order to sell them on for big money further down the line can help to keep the club financially sustainable as they could fund their own transfer business by cashing in on gems, rather than needing outside investment in order to compete.

One player who could end up being a great example of that is current first-team defender Dennis Cirkin. The 20-year-old, who arrived at the Stadium of Light in 2021, has been touted with a transfer back to Premier League side Tottenham – who have a buyback option worth £6m.

If that move does go through, in January or next summer, and Cirkin leaves to re-join his former club then Speakman will be tasked with dipping into the market, with a chunk of that £6m, to find the heir to the youngster at left-back.

The Black Cats chief could find the ex-Spurs man’s replacement by securing a deal to sign 22-year-old full-back Anthony Glennon from Grimsby in the January transfer window.

Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, and Hull are all interested in signing the full-back and have been ‘making regular checks’ on his performances this season, according to Football Insider.

Former Grimsby boss Ian Holloway described him as being “remarkable” during a previous spell on loan with the club and Burnley reporter Alex James once claimed that the gem has a “big future”.

He would be another player, at the age of 22, who would be joining Sunderland as a young talent with the scope to improve and increase his market value over time.

Glennon has showcased his potential and quality in League Two with Grimsby this season as he has been putting in consistently impressive performances at left-back.

The former Burnley man has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.18 in 13 matches in the fourth tier and is his club’s top performer in the division this season.

He has showcased his ability to drive forward from full-back with 1.8 key passes per game and three assists, from three ‘big chances’ created, in League Two, which shows that he has an attacking mindset and could make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

It remains to be seen whether or not Glennon has the quality to make the step up to the Championship but part of Sunderland’s development model is taking educated gambles on players with potential and the 22-year-old’s statistics suggest that he could play at a higher level, as he has been a standout for Grimsby.

David De Gea sent a hilarious birthday message to ex-Manchester United colleague Juan Mata as he compared him to Malcolm in the Middle's protagonist.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• De Gea wished Mata on his 35th birthday
• Compared him to Malcolm in the Middle star
• Goalkeeper remains free agent since leaving Man Utd

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  De Gea, who spent eight years at United and six years in the Spain national team with Juan Mata, wished the midfielder a happy birthday on social media as the ex-Red Devils and Chelsea player turned 35 on April 28.

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• WHAT DAVID DE GEA SAID

  The goalkeeper uploaded three different Instagram stories tagging his close friend. The first story comprised a photograph of the duo from a Spain national team training, where he wrote, "Happy birthday Amigo. Best of the best."

  David De Gea Instagram

  In the second story, he uploaded a major throwback photograph of Mata from his Real Oviedo days. The third photograph was an image of Malcolm in the Middle protagonist Malcolm, portrayed by actor Frankie Muniz.

  David De Gea InstagramDavid De Gea Instagram

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  THE GOSSIP

  De Gea remains a free agent following his departure from Old Trafford at the end of the 2022-23 season. Several clubs approached him in the last two transfer windows including Saudi Pro League teams but he refused to accept those proposals. However, as per the latest rumours, Real Betis are reportedly keen on signing the ace custodian as a free agent ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DAVID DE GEA?

  The 33-year-old recently fuelled speculation that he could be nearing a return to professional football after posting a video of himself training on social media.