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It will be all change for West Ham United in the summer transfer window, with a new era set to start at the London Stadium. David Moyes left his post as the Hammers manager at the end of the 2023/24 season, with Julen Lopetegui recently confirmed as his replacement.

Indeed, incoming manager Loeptegui will be hoping he can keep hold of the majority of his stars at the London Stadium in order to have a full-strength squad for the start of next season. There are certainly some question marks over a few of his players.

Lucas Paqueta’s future is under question at the moment, due to an investigation, after he “directly sought to influence the progress, conduct, or any other aspect of, or occurrence in certain matches” by receiving yellow cards on purpose, as per the official FA website. The verdict is currently unknown.

West Ham’s other two stars, Jarrad Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, could also leave the London Stadium in the summer. As per one insider, Bowen is wanted by Chelsea, and former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie explained in an interview with Football Insider that Kudus could depart West Ham in the summer.

However, Lopetegui has apparently already set his sights on his first incoming at the London Stadium.

West Ham looking to sign Premier League striker

The man in question here is Nottingham Forest and Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi. Despite a tough season with injuries in 2023/24, the former Union Berlin man impressed and is now wanted by West Ham.

According to a report by Daniel Taylor, the Nottingham Forest correspondent for The Athletic, Awoniyi is of major interest to West Ham this summer as they look to bolster their strike force.

Taylor explained in a transfer Q&A that “David Moyes was also keen and West Ham still like him”, although he did explain that, due to the Nigerian’s persistent injury problems, “his value has diminished”.

Not only that, Taylor claims that the Hammers are one of many Premier League clubs who are interested in bringing Awoniyi to their club. He claims “Chelsea tried for him in the January transfer window”.

He may well cost just £12.7m, which is his transfer value according to Football Observatory. However, that would see Forest make a loss on the deal after they paid Union Berlin £17.5m in 2022.

Another potential stumbling block is the fact that, according to Taylor, Forest would prefer to keep their number nine at the City Ground ahead of an important 2023/24 season, their third consecutive campaign in the Premier League.

What Awoniyi could bring to West Ham

Despite his injury issues this season, Awoniyi still had a good campaign for Nottingham Forest. He played 20 games in the Premier League, scoring six times and registering three assists. However, he missed a block of nine matches and then a block of seven fixtures, due to injury, which meant he could never really get a run of outings together.

His debut Premier League term was a very impressive one. There was a fair amount of pressure on the striker given he was new to the league and signing for a newly promoted side. With that in mind, he scored ten goals and registered one assist in 27 games in the top flight.

Indeed, despite his lack of minutes during the 2023/24 season, Awoniyi’s nine goal involvements would still be a massive benefit for West Ham. Only four Hammers players had more goal involvements than 26-year-old in 2023/24, with Tomas Soucek having the same number. It is also worth remembering that he played fewer games than all players with more goal involvements.

Not only would Awoniyi add goals to this West Ham team but also raise the physical floor of the side. He was described as a “monster of an athlete” by journalist David Hundeyin. He is brilliant with his back-to-goal, and his hold-up play is impressive.

He could have a similar impact at West Ham to that of Jean-Phillipe Mateta at Crystal Palace. They are similar players – as per FBref – both proving to be deadly finishers and physical strikers who excel at hold-up play. Mateta has been one of the in-form strikers in the Premier League of late; West Ham would no doubt hope Awoniyi could replicate that form.

According to Fbref, Mateta's expected goals per 90 minutes is 0.43xG with Awoniyi's slightly less, at 0.41xG. West Ham would be bringing in a top striker to the club, purely based on xG.

Bringing in Awoniyi to add some much-needed quality at centre-forward would certainly be an astute piece of business from the Hammers. It would get Lopetegui’s first transfer window off the perfect start, and West ham fans could well start to see the pieces fit into place already for next season.

Antoine Griezmann has announced his international retirement, with the World Cup winner bowing out with 137 caps for France to his name.

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• Made international debut in 2014
• Won World Cup & Nations League
• Scored 44 goals for his country

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 33-year-old forward made his senior debut for Les Bleus back in 2014, when lining up in a friendly date with the Netherlands. He would go on to be selected in France’s squad for the World Cup finals later that year – the first of six major tournaments that he has graced.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Griezmann – who won the Golden Boot at Euro 2016 – savoured World Cup glory in 2018 as part of a star-studded squad that triumphed in Russia. Another trophy was raised aloft when winning the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League.

• WHAT GRIEZMANN SAID

  Griezmann’s final appearance for France came when stepping off the bench in a Nations League clash with Belgium on September 9. He has posted on social media of taking the decision to walk away from the international arena: “It is with a heart full of memories that I close this chapter of my life. Thank you for this magnificent tricolour adventure and see you soon.”

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Across his 137 appearances, Griezmann scored 44 goals for his country – placing him fourth on France’s all-time top scorers list. Only Lilian Thuram and Hugo Lloris have won more caps, but the experienced frontman is now fully focused on his club career at La Liga giants Atletico Madrid.

Despite Arsenal coming so close to winning the Premier League, the 2023/24 season ended in heartbreak for Mikel Arteta’s side. The title race came down to the final day of the season, with Arsenal needing to win and hope Manchester City dropped points at home to West Ham.

The Gunners did their job, with Kai Havertz securing the three points late on in the game. However, it was not enough to win the title, after Pep Guardiola’s City side beat West Ham 3-1 to win their fourth consecutive title.

It will no doubt frustrate Arsenal that, whilst they were nearly perfect in the Premier League, they could still not overcome City, who drew two more games across the season which gave them the points needed to get over the line.

One of the overarching issues this season for Arsenal has been the lack of a centre-forward who is a real penalty box presence. This may come as a sunrise to many, given Arsenal were the second top scorer in the Premier League this season with 91 goals, only behind City, and had the fourth highest expected goals, with 84.39 xG, as per Understat.

Whilst Havertz has done a good job leading the line for the Gunners this season, with 13 goals and seven assists in 37 games, the lack of a striker is frustrating Arsenal fans, with journalist Layth Yousif stating that the side “need a prolific, goal-laden striker”, following their Champions League exit to Bayern Munich in April.

As the transfer window draws near, Arsenal have been constantly linked with centre-forwards to supplement their side, with one player in particular strongly rumoured to be joining the Gunners this summer.

Arsenal’s striker shortlist

The player in question here is Sporting and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres. The 25-year-old has been superb in his debut season in Lisbon, which has resulted in him being linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.

According to Miguel Delaney of the Independent, Arsenal are hoping to “sign a prime striker before their pre-season tour”, with Gyokeres one of the names on the list. Other options on their list include Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Ajax man Brian Brobbey.

Sporting signed Gyokeres from Championship side Coventry City last summer, for a fee of £20.4m, which was a record sale for the English club, beating the £13m they got for selling Robbie Keane to Inter in 2000.

Indeed, Sporting will be in line to make plenty of profit if Gyokeres departs this summer. According to The Mirror, the Swedish striker will cost Arsenal £68.5m this summer, although that could be further increased.

How Gyokeres would fit in at Arsenal

In short, Gyokeres could finally be the man Arsenal have been crying out for since the days of Robin van Persie, subsequently taking the Londoners from Premier League challengers in 2023/24 to Premier League champions in 2024/25.

In his final campaign before joining Man United, the great Dutchman bagged 37 goals in 48 games, a tally that has not been bettered by anyone in red and white since.

It's a better total than some pretty cracking forwards too, notably Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Should Arsenal sign Gyokeres this summer, they will no doubt be signing one of the best strikers in the world from the 2023/24 season. He has scored 43 goals and registered 15 assists in 49 games in all competitions this season, an incredible return.

In fact, when compared to Arsenal’s current centre-forward options, he outscores all of them. Compared to Gyokeres’ 58 goal involvements, Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah have just 46 in all competitions between them.

In signing Gyokeres, Arsenal would be bringing a “simply incredible” and the “definition of a complete forward” into the club. That was how Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig described the Swede, and it is something that is certainly reflected in his stats outside of goal involvements.

Indeed, Gyokeres’ Fbref numbers speak volumes about the sheer quality he will bring to this title-chasing Arsenal team, on top of the goals and assists that he can add to Arteta’s side. As far as centre-forwards go, Gyokeres is an effective ball-carrier.

He uses his upper body strength to muscle defenders off the ball, and averages 3.52 progressive carries per 90 minutes, and 2.63 carries into the penalty area per 90 minutes. Both of these place him in the top 1% of strikers in Europe's major leagues.

Not only that, he has the ability to create chances out of seemingly nothing. Gyokeres averages 4.08 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, and 0.65 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, both of which place him in the top 3% of strikers on the continent. This is a key attribute to take to this Arsenal side, who don’t really have a number nine who can create chances out of nowhere.

One underrated area of Gyokeres’ game is his playmaking ability. In fact, the Sweden international, who has six goals in 20 games for his country, averages 1.67 key passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 6%. His 15 assists in all competitions this season are perhaps unsurprising, therefore, when you take into account how good he is from a creative standpoint.

But, ultimately, what Arsenal will be paying all that money for is goals, and that is exactly what Gyokeres can bring to Arteta’s side. Having an elite playmaker behind him, like Martin Odegaard is, will only elevate the Swede’s game.

According to Squawka, Odegaard created the third most chances in the Premier League this season, with 102. He was bettered only by Bruno Fernandes with 114 and Pascal Gross with 103. Bukayo Saka was fourth on that list, with 91 chances created. The Arsenal captain created 88 of those chances from open play, which no one in the Premier League bettered.

Having the likes of Odegaard and Saka playing in and around Gyokeres will only enhance the 25-year-old’s game. He will receive plenty of chances, and in games that Arsenal lost narrowly, such as the 1-0 defeat away to Aston Villa, or those draws, including the 0-0 result at the Etihad Stadium, could become victories if Gyokeres gets half a chance, and swing momentum in the title race.

The signing of Gyokeres could represent the swinging of the pendulum in the overarching Premier League title race. As their fans have pointed out, Arsenal need a clinical number nine, and the Swede could be just that.

Arsenal eyeing move for "mind-blowing" £43m Trossard upgrade

The incredible talent could help take the Gunners to the next level.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 21, 2024

JJ Watt sent out a strong "let's not mess" warning to Birmingham CEO Barry Cook, who backed the idea of playing the Wrexham game in the USA.

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• Watt acquired minority stake in Burnley back in 2023
• Warned against idea of hosting league games in USA
• Hailed "history" and "tradition" of sport in England

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The NFL star acquired a minority stake in Burnley along with his wife Kealia Watt back in 2023, following in the footsteps of Tom Brady, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as an American investor in the English game. He takes a keen interest in the sport and tries to watch the Clarets whenever they are in action, even if he is not a regular at Turf Moor.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Watt must have had one eye on the blockbuster 'Hollywood derby' between Wrexham and Birmingham on Monday night where the Blues emerged 3-1 victors over the Welsh side. After the game, Birmingham CEO Cook was asked if there was any talk of the fixture being played in the USA as both teams boast of a significant following across the Atlantic due to their American ownership.

  “Personally, I think that is a great idea,” Cook said. “But I think the EFL wouldn’t see it that way and I think the history and the tradition of our sport and our league tries to ensure that doesn’t happen. That doesn't stop making it a global game even though you are playing here in Birmingham.”

• WHAT WATT SAID

  Watt didn't agree with Cook and wrote on X: "The beauty of the English game is the history, the tradition, the passion. These clubs have been around long before any of us arrived and they’ll be around long after all of us are gone. Modernize some aspects that need it, sure. But let’s not mess with what makes it great."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  There has been a consistent push to host Premier League games in the USA and FIFA is considering the idea with seriousness. They have set up a working group to find out the possible implications of such a move as the sport's apex governing body looks to spread the game beyond the traditional boundaries. However, to host a League One or a Championship fixture outside the UK remains far-fetched at the moment.

Manchester United have agreed to sign a new left-back for Erik ten Hag this summer, with the player himself confirming the move on social media.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils have had plenty of false dawns when it comes to summer transfer windows since Sir Alex Ferguson departed back in 2013, with big names often coming in, but results and performances still nowhere near good enough.

This summer feels like one of the most significant in United's history, however, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe looking to adopt a new model at the club, hopefully sealing the signing of Dan Ashworth as sporting director from Newcastle United. The hope is that it allows better players to be identified, ensuring that underwhelming and expensive signings are replaced by high potential recruits.

Exciting targets already appear to be being lined up all over the pitch, with Ten Hag believed to be keen on a reunion with Frenkie de Jong after working together at Ajax. The Barcelona midfielder is seen as a big target for the United boss, although there is no guarantee he will be in charge at the beginning of next season.

United felt the wrath of Michael Olise in their 4-0 humbling at Crystal Palace last week, with the Frenchman scoring twice at Selhurst Park, and he has also been linked with a summer switch to Old Trafford. Aston Villa are one of the clubs providing strong competition, however, and are reportedly ahead of the Red Devils in the pecking order.

While Andre Onana has improved in United's goal after a rocky start to his time at the club, it could also be that they are lining up a superior replacement for him. Spain and Real Sociedad stopper Alex Remiro is a reported target, having made 41 starts in La Liga and the Champions League combined this season.

Left back says he's agreed to join Man Utd

Now, it looks as though United have added to their left-back ranks, with youngster Dante Plunkett confirming on Instagram that a move to Manchester United has been agreed. Plunkett clearly isn't a player who has been signed as an immediate part of the first-team picture next season, but it is always encouraging to see United bringing in exciting young talent, snapping up Plunkett after a successful trial period from Aston Villa's academy.

Too often in the post-Ferguson era, the Red Devils have opted for signing big-name, ageing players over stars for the future, and it has had a negative effect on the club's progress. Casemiro is a perfect example, with the Brazilian arriving at Old Trafford for £70m back in 2022 at the age of 30, and now looking like a shadow of his former self, making constant mistakes and needing to be sold for a huge loss this summer.

Ten Hag was let down by 3/10 Man Utd star who was worse than Casemiro

He had just 17 touches of the ball at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

By
Joe Nuttall

May 12, 2024

The hope is that Plunkett matures through the youth system over time – he has been singled out by United In Focus as one to watch moving forward – and with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia not without their injury problems, he could even be drafted in sooner than expected.

The new coach is officially on the job, and he's not wasting any time as he prepares for his first camp

If you're trying to track down Mauricio Pochettino over the next month, good luck.

The Argentine's time as U.S. men's national team manager is officially underway, and these first few weeks will be a multi-continental whirlwind that will lay the foundation for his tenure. The job is just getting started, and Pochettino won't be wasting any time.

Before the globetrotting starts, though, Pochettino is due for a quick trip to Atlanta. There are important matters to attend to.

"I think next weekend, we're all heading down to Atlanta," U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson said, referencing the site of the federation's new headquarters. "We'll get some barbecue and do some house hunting."

What comes after will be vital, too. Over the next month, Pochettino will lay the foundation for his coaching tenure, one in which U.S. Soccer hope can transform the American game forever.

For now, Pochettino just needs to get things ready for October. In less than a month, he'll take charge of the USMNT for the first time in Austin, Texas when they take on Panama in the first of two friendlies. In that month, he'll have much to accomplish.

By the time players gather in Texas for his first USMNT camp, he'll almost certainly be relieved. That's the light at the end of the tunnel but, before that, he has an enormous amount of logistics to sort.

From strategic meetings to player evaluations to relationship building, Pochettino has a considerable to-do list. So how will Pochettino's first month play out? GOAL takes a look

• Finding a place to live

  First up, as Batson says, is a bit of personal business. If Pochettino is going to coach in the U.S., he'll need a place to live.

  The coach and U.S. Soccer leadership will be on the case, sorting out his living arrangements. The barbecue Batson mentioned – some Argentinian asado, perhaps? – will be nice, but conducting the home search is a priority.

  Atlanta will be Pochettino's home base. U.S. Soccer is in the process of relocating from Chicago down to Atlanta, with their new base being headlined by a new state-of-the-art training center. The Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center will officially open in 2026, giving U.S. Soccer a new center of operations.

  "I think the idea is to live here in the USA. That is the idea," Pochettino said. "But of course, for different reasons, I will be between Europe and the USA."

  While based stateside, there will surely be trips to England, France, Germany and Italy on the agenda in the very near future.

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  Building relationships

  The most important thing Pochettino will do over the next month is build relationships. He's the newcomer, and he'll need to introduce himself to everyone from the ground up.

  "Not only is he a great coach, but he's what I call a connector of people," said U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker, who previously worked with the coach at Southampton. "He's somebody that can build outstanding relationships, not just with the players who are starting but the players who are not in the team, the staff across the club, somebody that might work in the ticket office or somebody that might work within the administration team.

  "I remember him coming to everybody's office and he would pretty much physically hug everybody in the club. He created this unbelievable spirit, and that's something that hasn't left him."

  Pochettino need to bring that to the forefront as he introduces himself to team leaders. Christian Pulisic took aim at the USMNT's players in the wake of back-to-back disappointing performances in recent friendlies, saying that the team lacked a winning mentality. Matt Turner said the Argentine need to "steady the ship" – one that has been way too wobbly in 2024.

  Over the next few weeks, Pochettino will need to sit down with players and implement ground rules, introducing them to the concepts and expectations they'll face when they do arrive for camp.

  It remains to be seen when and where Pochettino will pop up in Europe over the next few months, but he's already met with leadership in the U.S. A spokesperson confirmed to GOAL that Pochettino met with MLS commissioner Don Garber, LAFC's co-managing owner Larry Berg, Philadelphia Union chairman and principal owner Jay Sugarman and vice chairman and alternate governor Richard Leibovitch, in New York on Friday. And he left all in the room impressed with his plans for the national team.

  "I think we need to create links with the organization and the team," Pochettino said. "I think I'm required to be there with the players, with the staff, with the coaching staff, working around the world, not only here with MLS.

  "That is the plan: to try to build a very good relationship with all the clubs. Clubs, they need to feel our support. Players need to feel that we care for them. It's not OK if, after one month, you go and then you don't feel that relationship. I feel it's important to create a better relationship with the players. They need to feel that."

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  Assembling a staff

  Pochettino's staff is already largely assembled. He's set to be joined by longtime assistants Jesus Perez and Miguel D'Agostino, as well as goalkeeper coach Toni Jimenez. He's worked with each of them for years.

  "If there's one thing I know in my life, I think it's that I have to have people that have the qualifications and then people that challenge me," Pochettino said. "We work because I think the personalities and the quality that they have fit for me as a coach. We've created a very good relationship. Maybe we can say that we are friends, but in between, we are professionals and always are going to be.

  "People say you need to always bring people from outside, but I think that it's priceless to have people that work with you and every day want to challenge you and want to improve and be better. I think, for me, that is the most important thing."

  A spokesman told GOALthat Pochettino will head to Chicago later this month to meet with the current USMNT staff, which was fronted by interim coach Mikey Varas during the September window. The new coach could also expand his staff in the future to include someone with more familiarity with American soccer.

  "We are flexible, and we are always hoping to add people because we know that football is changing," Pochettino said. "We need people, qualified people, working next to us to provide us with information to be better, to help the players to perform."

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  Making the family happy

  There is another aspect of this worth considering: the off-field portion. By making the decision to take over the USMNT, Pochettino wasn't just dictating life for him or his trusted assistants.

  Pochettino's sons are both grown. Sebastiano Pochettino was recently Chelsea's fitness coach and sports scientist. Maurizio Pochettino is a professional player, having most recently featured for Primera Federación club Gimnastic in Spain. Pochettino's wife Karina is also ready to begin this new chapter (and presumably so is his Rhodesian Ridgeback named Sansa, who even has her own Instagram page).

  The coach offered a phrase he learned back in England – "over the moon" – to describe his family's reaction. Everyone in the Pochettino family seemingly is excited about the opportunity.

  "I am happy," he said. "I am motivated and showing passion. My family has seen me in the last few weeks or months with the fire in my eyes. That is the most important thing: how you feel. I feel so, so happy, because I see my family are also so excited for this challenge. They are part of it because they support me."

Tottenham are considering a potential £21 million signing this summer, following a rave review from some of Fabio Paratici's personal contacts.

Postecoglou eyeing new centre-back for Spurs

Despite bringing in Radu Dragusin to the tune of £25 million in January, it remains the case that Spurs and manager Ange Postecoglou are keen to add another new centre-back to their ranks this summer.

Tottenham now eyeing move to sign "intelligent" £50m+ Hojbjerg replacement

He’s a player in demand.

By
Tom Cunningham

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As we've seen time and time again this season, injuries can seriously weaken Postecoglou's starting eleven, and the latest victims of this have been star left-back Destiny Udogie, centre-back Ben Davies and Timo Werner – who will all miss the remainder of 2023/2024.

Earlier this season, both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were also unavailable for large parts due to either injury or suspension, with Spurs often struggling to deal with their absences.

If the Lilywhites are to continue their growth under Postecoglou, strength in depth on par with England's elite is absolutely necessary, and the Tottenham boss is on record stating that he wishes to bring in another centre-half this summer.

“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, said Postecoglou on signing another centre-back.

“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”

Of the centre-backs linked, there are many, with Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly and Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo standing out as the potential bargain options on a free deal. Spurs won't wish to spend huge money on another central defender, considering they already have van de Ven, Romero and Dragusin at their disposal.

Tottenham considering Calafiori move after rave review from Paratici contacts

According to Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey, an astute option for Spurs could also be Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori.

The Italian, who's been called an "aerial monster" by football analyst Ben Mattinson, has been in fine form under Thiago Motta this season and reports suggest he could be available for around £21 million.

FI and Veysey claim Tottenham are considering a summer move for Calafiori, with Fabio Paratici's contacts in Italy left impressed by his excellent displays across this campaign.

The 21-year-old has made 27 Serie A appearances for Bologna over 23/24, registering four assists in that time, and another enticing draw for Postecoglou is that he's also capable of playing as a left-back – meaning he can fill in across multiple areas.

Kingsley Coman has reportedly decided to leave Bayern Munich amid transfer links with Arsenal, Barcelona and Manchester City.

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• Coman linked with Man City and Barcelona
• Winger decides to leave Bayern Munich
• Arsenal also credited with interest

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  reports that after Coman and many of the club's big earners were invited to leave Bayern, the France international has decided not to stay at the club. He is expected to leave the Bundesliga outfit before the transfer window shuts on August 30.

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  Coman has been at Bayern for seven years but his days at the club appear to be numbered, following a trophy-laden spell with the Bavarians. The report adds that Premier League sides are interested in recruiting the 28-year-old, with City, the Gunners, Barcelona and Al-Ahli said to be keeping tabs on him.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Coman still has three years left on his Bayern contract, so he is unlikely to leave for a cut-price deal. A loan may be more achievable but it remains to be seen what will happen next for the ex-Juventus man – who has made 296 appearances and scored 64 goals for Bayern to date.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  If Coman, who has made two appearances and scored one goal for Bayern this season, does not get his transfer move, he could feature for Vincent Kompany's side against Freiburg on September 1.

The pillars of change are shifting down in east London, with David Moyes' tenuous grip on the managerial seat at West Ham United weakened further after a desperate 5-2 defeat against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Having lost, valiantly, to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League quarter-finals last week, a reaction was needed in the top flight to forge a path toward continental qualification, but, eighth in the standings and two points off Manchester United in seventh – who have two games in hand – it's looking unlikely that the Hammers will paint the purple patch needed.

Sporting Director Tim Steidten appears to have had enough, and while the London Stadium owes much to Moyes and the gains made under his leadership, moves have been made to identify a successor, with the Scotsman out of contract in the summer.

West Ham eyeing Ruben Amorim alternatives

Some exciting news arrived on Monday, with The Athletic's David Ornstein confirming that Sporting manager Ruben Amorim is West Ham's top target and is no longer the frontrunner for the Liverpool job, but Steidten has mapped out a list of alternatives.

According to The Guardian, former Germany and Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick is under consideration.

The 59-year-old has been out of work since being dismissed by Die Mannschaft in 2023, though boasts a wealth of high-level experience and an attractive playing style to boot.

Why Hansi Flick would be perfect for West Ham

Flick first rose to prominence when serving as Joachim Löw's assistant as his nation triumphed at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, then moved to Bayern Munich as Niko Kovac's understudy and took the leading position in the dugout when the former Croatia star was dismissed in November 2019.

In that maiden term – not even a full season – at the helm, Flick led Die Roten to a stunning continental treble, winning the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB Pokal. An erudite footballing mind with a far-seeing tactical disposition, Flick, at his best, is up there with the greatest the game has to offer.

One of the most discernible differences when Flick replaced Kovac at the Allianz Arena was a ramping-up of aggression, with goal machine Robert Lewandowski saying: "His tactical and footballing knowledge are at a high level."

He galvanised and wrapped the team into a uniform vision, a singular goal, in short time sparking a change that saw a return to enterprising and fluid attacking football.

It's for this reason that Flick would be the perfect man to lead a new chapter at West Ham. He would arrive at an outfit with a proven record but that nonetheless has fallen by the wayside, and his vision could signal a prosperous change, rooting his philosophy into the London Stadium and swiftly winning the club, wall-to-wall, over.

Moyes has done much for West Ham but his tactics have long been perceived as negative and this has sundered the fanbase into a bleak schism. Success breeds longing, naturally, and the Irons now have a taste of gold.

Amorim, while young and bold and compelling, is more of an unknown commodity and would demand radical shifting in style and system, brandishing a three-at-the-back line-up and completely rewriting the way West Ham play.

Flick, conversely, operates with a 4-2-3-1 set-up – as, would you look at that, does Moyes, albeit with contrasting emphases – though is reliant on similar ball-focused build-up, with those in the rearguard equipped with top-class distribution ability.

Moreover, the German has been described as "world-class" by reporter Stefan Bienkowski, a sentiment echoed by the masses when he was at the summit of his career with Bayern.

While Amorim is the frontrunner, it has been stressed that Liverpool remain on stand-by despite distancing themselves from the Liga Portugal table-topper.

Should West Ham opt against moving for one of the most coveted rising stars in the managerial stratosphere, Flick, not quite the grizzled veteran but wizened and substantiated at the top of the game, would be worth the venture – now that there is a first-rate alternative.

West Ham eyeing an amazing Amorim alternative who’s perfect for Bowen

This manager has reportedly rejected AC Milan as he targets a move to east London.

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 23, 2024

Vinicius Junior has hailed the playing style and ability of Kylian Mbappe but insists Real Madrid will not be 'unstoppable' because of his signing.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Vinicius Jr speaks on Mbappe relationship
• Maintains Real face a "really hard" season
• Mbappe and Vini hoping to dovetail

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Vinicius Junior, who has rejected a hugely lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, has expressed his excitement at playing with Mbappe after the World Cup winner was lured to the club on a free transfer following his exit from Paris Saint-Germain. The pair have yet to truly align, with Real drawing one and winning one of their opening two La Liga games, although Vinicius has expressed his hope that the superstar will start hitting the back of the net with regularity, and has hailed his style.

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• IMAGO
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While there are hopes that Real will be able to conquer all-comers this season, given the sheer weight of attacking talent – they now boast Vinicius and Mbappe as well as Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, and Endrick – Vinicius is not sure that they will be able to simply sweep teams aside as they aim to retain both La Liga and the Champions League.

• WHAT VINICIUS JR. SAID

  Vinicius told CNN: “I love Mbappe’s style, I love how he plays, and the truth is that I’m very excited about what we can do during the season. He’s coming in after having scored so many goals, after winning so many titles. He’s arriving at the club he always dreamed to be in and where every player always dreamed to play for: Real Madrid. God willing, Mbappé will be able to score as many goals for us as he did in his previous team, as he does in the national team, and that he can do even more together with us.”

  The Brazilian added: "The team is very good and has been that way for a long time now. Now with the arrival of Mbappé, everyone says the team can become unstoppable, but for now, we have to perform the best training sessions and try to understand each other as quickly as possible.”

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• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Mbappe and Vinicius will next link up when Los Blancos play Las Palmas on Thursday. Their opponents have yet to win a game this season and Real will hope to put them to the sword.