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According to a report by West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh, Slavia Prague starlet Abdallah Sima is one of two strikers who could be targeted this summer as things stand.

The Lowdown: Hammers and the striker hunt…

Since club-record signing Sebastien Haller opted to depart the London Stadium in early January, David Moyes has been on the search for a striker who can bolster their forward line.

Michail Antonio, whilst scoring 10 goals and assisting five others in the Premier League last season (WhoScored), has also proven unreliable when it comes to keeping fit, and he is currently the only natural senior centre-forward at the club.

A plethora of forwards have been linked to West Ham in recent months, including Adam Armstrong, Youssef En-Nesyri, Tammy Abraham and Ivan Toney (ExWHUemployee).

The Latest: Sima could now be targeted…

Sharing the latest on West Ham’s striker pursuit, club insider Claret & Hugh have revealed the two most likely forward options for Moyes this summer. Indeed, as things stand, the Irons striker target appears to be a choice of either Abraham or Sima.

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The latter comes as an interesting name given his impressive form in the Czech Republic this season and his fledgling age of 19.

West Ham’s priorities this summer are apparently a striker, central defender and the permanent signing of Jesse Lingard from Manchester United.

The Verdict: Do it GSB…

The teenage sensation, valued at around £9.9m by Transfermarkt, could prove to be an amazing alternative to Abraham, who Moyes has previously stated may be too expensive.

Sima has scored a very impressive 20 goals in all competitions for Slavia, and we urge West Ham to prioritise a move for him ahead of the Chelsea outcast.

The teenager has cut a prolific figure in the Fortuna Liga and he would likely serve as another brilliant signing from Slavia alongside Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek. Lauded as a ‘phenomenon’ by Slavia chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik, we struggle to think of a better option for the Irons this summer.

In other news: West Ham player now really wants to leave, Cottee dubbed him their ‘best footballer’…find out more here.

Norwich have joined Nottingham Forest in the race to sign Aston Villa striker Keinan Davis, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Davis at Forest

The 24-year-old left Villa Park to join Forest on loan at the beginning of the year and hasn’t looked back.

Davis, who has scored just six goals in 86 appearances for Villa, has starred in 2022, already netting five times in 13 games at the City Ground.

He has also provided three assists for the Reds, helping them into the Championship playoffs. Unfortunately though, Davis has now been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a hamstring problem.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared an update regarding Davis’ future on Monday lunchtime after being informed by a recruitment source.

They claim that Norwich, managed by former Villa boss Dean Smith, are now ready to rival Forest for Davis’ services. A loan or a permanent exit are both options, with Villa expected to be open to offers for the forward over the coming months.

The Verdict: Right decision?

A £4m figure was included in the recent report, with Davis under contract for a further two years. He has shown at Forest that he can become a regular goal scorer, however, things have never really worked out for him in the Midlands under both Smith and Gerrard.

The current Villa boss was thought to be a big fan of Davis when he arrived at Villa Park from Rangers, but he never featured under Gerrard and now looks set to move on.

On that basis, a permanent exit could be best for all involved over the coming months, so it could be one to keep a close eye on.

In other news: Gregg Evans: AVFC chiefs very excited over midfielder now set to sign at Villa Park

Aston Villa have moved ahead of Wolves and Leicester City in the hunt for Tammy Abraham, according to Football Insider.

Villa are reportedly willing to meet Chelsea’s asking price for the striker and have set aside £40m. It is hoped that the deal will be part of ‘another major recruitment drive’ at Villa Park.

Intriguingly, the report added that Abraham’s proposed arrival could see Ollie Watkins shifted out to the flank. The £75,000-per-week forward is Villa’s top scorer this season with 15 goals.

Villa return an option for Abraham as Tuchel leaves him out in the cold

Abraham has, of course, played for Aston Villa before. Chelsea loaned him to the Midlands outfit during the 2018/19 season, and his 25 goals helped fire them to promotion to the Premier League.

The 23-year-old is actually the Blues’ top scorer this term, having netted one more goal (12) than £45m signing Timo Werner. However, since Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard at the end of January, Abraham has played just 140 Premier League minutes.

An ankle injury sidelined him for five of those games, but the striker appears to be concerned over his future at Stamford Bridge, with the report noting that Chelsea’s attempts to extend his contract have hit an impasse with the Englishman about to enter the final two years of his deal.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Lampard gave Abraham his shot at Chelsea, but now that the 42-year-old has gone, it feels like the striker might follow him out of Stamford Bridge

He would seem an excellent acquisition for whoever signs him, but is Villa the right option? He already has an attachment to the club, but Watkins has done enough to suggest that he can be Dean Smith’s long-term number nine.

Perhaps that £40m would, in all honesty, be better spent elsewhere by the Midlands club.

In other news, Lee Hendrie had this to say about the race for Abraham. 

Southampton have missed out on another of their reported transfer targets for the summer, with Leon Bailey set to join Aston Villa in the coming days.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, Southampton were one of several Premier League sides keen on signing the £31.5m-rated winger from Bayer Leverkusen this summer but it appears as if Aston Villa have won the race to sign the 23-year-old after it was confirmed that they had reached an agreement with the Bundesliga side to sign him in a deal reportedly worth £30m.

Considering Southampton’s budget for new players this summer was always going to be less than Villa’s, even before the rumours of Jack Grealish’s £100m move to Manchester City began, it was perhaps never really on the cards for Southampton to sign Bailey this summer.

Was Bailey a realistic option for Southampton?

Ralph Hasenhuttl suggested before the window that the Saints would target players for £10m or less, so it would have been remarkable to see them bid three times that amount on one player, however, Bailey’s obvious ability and potential suggests that he could prove to be a superb addition to Villa’s squad this summer.

Whilst Southampton fans will appreciate that he was slightly out of their price range, they will no doubt be disappointed to see a fellow top-flight club, who were on the brink of relegation in 2020, spending so heavily this summer as they look to move up the Premier League table.

Although Southampton have been able to bring in Dynel Simeu and Theo Walcott on free transfers, with Romain Perraud confirmed and Tino Livramento likely to be announced in the coming days, you could argue that they are missing a marquee signing to take their squad to the next level.

Hasenhuttl does have a number of options to him on the wing including Nathan Redmond, Moussa Djenepo, Theo Walcott, Stuart Armstrong, Nathan Tella and recent returnee Mohammed Elyounoussi, but those players managex just 11 Premier League goals between them last season,  whereas Bailey managed nine goals and eight assists in just 30 Bundesliga appearances by himself.

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Therefore, whilst Bailey always looked like a slightly unrealistic option for Southampton, Saints fans will be disappointed to see him join Aston Villa instead of moving to St Mary’s this summer.

And, in other news… Athletic report drops exciting Southampton transfer news on “huge talent”

Celtic’s start to the new season hasn’t been the most convincing but there is still plenty of time left in the transfer window to improve sufficiently.

This has been a productive week on the recruitment front for the Hoops by acquiring Joe Hart and James McCarthy.

What’s the word?

Although Celtic have added Carl Starfelt to their defensive ranks, the Bhoys are still interested in signing another centre-back.

They have looked at Mario Vuskovic in the ongoing window but someone they nearly signed in January is still on their radar.

According to Goal, the Bhoys remain keen on signing Ben Davies from Liverpool.

However, they will face competition from Sheffield United and Bournemouth for his services. It’s thought that Liverpool are willing to let him leave Anfield on loan for a season.

Better than Bitton

Considering Nir Bitton’s start to the new campaign, it is of utmost importance that Celtic sign another central defender.

The Israeli was sent off in baffling fashion against Midtjylland in the Champions League and was then at fault against Hearts last weekend too.

He lacks composure and is a rather erratic player, proving to be a liability at times last season too.

Davies, however, has plenty of composure and is a strong-willed character.

Although he’s not played a single game for Liverpool after joining them from Preston in the winter, he’s still a fabulous defender who’s strong aerially and calm in possession.

A glowing review from his manager at Southport, Paul Carden, tells you everything you need to know: “He was a different class and I did think he’d get in Preston’s first team. If you’d have asked me whether he’d sign for Liverpool, I probably wouldn’t have said so.”

Carden added: “He can play as a left-sided centre half, on the left of a three, as a left-back or a left wing-back. He’s not the biggest but he’s comfortable with both feet and reads the game really well. He steps out with the ball.”

Reading the play sufficiently is not an area Bitton thrives in, as evidenced by the error he made at Tynecastle last week.

Consequently, Ange Postecoglou must do everything he can to convince the £60k-per-week Davies to move on loan to Glasgow.

AND in other news, Celtic could sign their new Henrik Larsson in “outstanding” 24-cap “animal”…

After helping Inter Milan to their first Serie A title in 11 years, Romelu Lukaku is a wanted man across Europe and Steve Howey, who made 100 appearances for Manchester City, exclusively told Football FanCast that the striker would have no doubts about joining the Premier League champions.

Lukaku spent two indifferent years at Manchester United where he scored 42 goals in 96 games but eventually departed for Italy with Inter Milan in a £75m deal as he fell out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Sergio Aguero is set to leave after the Champions League final against Chelsea and there have been reports linking Lukaku with a sensational move to the blue half of Manchester, in a similar transfer that saw Carlos Tevez join City back in 2009.

Lukaku has proved himself to be one of the deadliest finishers in Europe with 28 goals this season and Howey spoke exclusively to FFC about how the Belgian would not be bothered about annoying Man United fans if he joined City.

Howey said: “I think given his experience at Manchester United I don’t think he’ll have any major alliances with Man United. I think some players look at it and think I’m going to go to a rival team and I’m going to make sure I’m absolutely amazing.

“He certainly knows where the goal is and his confidence seems to be sky-high. So, I think if he came back to the Premier League, he would strengthen Man City’s team, no doubt about it.”

The Belgian international won his first league title since 2010 this season when Inter Milan, in the end, breezed to the title and Lukaku’s partnership with Lauturo Martinez has blossomed into a dangerous one as the Argentine looks set to reject Barcelona’s advances and sign a new deal.

Lukaku made a name for himself during his loan spell at West Brom as his goals helped spearhead the Baggies to a respectable eight place finish during the 2012/13 season.

Aston Villa could land a massive upgrade on Anwar El Ghazi in the form of Burnley’s exciting winger, Dwight McNeil.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Dean Smith’s side remain interested in signing the England U21 international this summer, and the Villa boss will know all about the danger that McNeil can cause.

He was incredible against Aston Villa

In Burnley’s 3-2 Premier League win over Villa back in January, the 21-year-old scored one and made one as the Clarets came from behind twice to win at home and silence Smith’s side.

As per Sofascore, he finished with a match rating of 8.0, which was by far the highest of any player on the pitch, and when you look at some of the key underlying numbers, it’s easy to see why.

He provided the joint-high amount of key passes for his side, delivered the most accurate crosses of any player on the day, and also came up with two shots on goal, including the one to make it 2-2.

That directness and exciting potential is something that has his teammate at Burnley, Ashley Westwood, raving about him.

He said: “He’s really mature. I think the world of him, he’s a special talent. It’s been good to see him grow up because when he first came training with us he was really quiet.

“He’s already racked up more than 50 games in the Premier League now, which at his age is phenomenal. He’s producing as well so if he keeps doing that and we all keep doing what we’re doing then there will be teams circulating.”

And, when you compare his stats to that of El Ghazi, it really is night and day.

While the Dutchman averaged more shots than McNeil, in every other department, the Burnley man betters him considerably.

As per Whosored, he averaged more key passes, dribbles and crosses per game in the Premier League, while also boasting a far better passing accuracy and being fouled more times per match too.

And, a lot of El Ghazi’s success for Villa came in just two streaks rather than any real consistency, with runs of five goals in five games in December, and then four in seven to close out the season.

Not only did he virtually take down Villa on his own, but McNeil showed on the day and over the course of the entire Premier League season, that he really would be a major upgrade on El Ghazi.

Meanwhile, Matt Maher has dropped a major Aston Villa transfer update…

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been linked with a move to Real Madrid as the 28-year-old nears the end of his current contract with the club.

What’s the story?

The World Cup winner has been attracting the attention of a host of top European clubs for several months after refusing to put pen to paper on fresh terms at United.

And now, according to Spanish outlet AS (via Manchester Evening News), La Liga giants Madrid are eager to sign Pogba and will try to sign him on a free transfer next year.

He will be available to sign on a pre-contract agreement over the winter window which is good news for Los Blancos who want to secure his signature as soon as possible.

Solskjaer will be worried

Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain were heavily linked with a move for Pogba in the previous window before their shock move for Lionel Messi meant his arrival was no longer a financial possibility.

Since then, United are believed to have offered their academy graduate a new contract worth close to £400,000 per week, and although he’s open to re-signing, Pogba’s taking his time over what is a huge decision at this stage in his career.

However, United’s chiefs are set to face a battle to keep the France international on their books after Madrid reportedly rekindled their interest in the box-to-box dynamo over the international break.

Pogba’s impressive displays for Les Blues during their Nations League triumph were just the latest in what’s been an impressive 2021 for the engine room operator, with club teammate Bruno Fernandes lauding him after his magnificent tally of four assists against Leed United on the opening day of the season.

“I’m pretty sure Paul could do five or six (assists) in one game! Paul is a quality player; we all trust him, we all know his qualities,” Fernandes told MUTV after the emphatic victory.

“The point is making those performances and to help the team do better and I’m pretty sure Paul is here to do that.”

Therefore, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is likely to be very worried about this latest revelation, and the Norwegian tactician will be hoping one of his star players remains at Old Trafford for many years to come. After all, it would be a hammer blow to lose a player as good as the France star.

And, in other news…”They expect” – Romano delivers big Man Utd update, Red Devils fans may be concerned 

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith answered questions in regards to his tactical system following the defeat to Arsenal on Friday evening.

As to be expected, his comments – which were shared by reliable reporter Ashley Preece on Twitter – had a number of Villa fans talking on social media.

Smith once again went with three centre-backs but appeared to tweak a 3-5-2 formation to a 5-3-2. He first changed from a back four in September, with the formation earning wins over Everton and Manchester United, but they came away with nothing against Chelsea, Tottenham, Wolves and now Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side dominated at the Emirates Stadium and ran out 3-1 winners, with Smith facing questions about his tactics after the game.

Talking to the media, as relayed by Preece on Twitter, the 50-year-old appeared to blame the lack of players available over the use of his system.

He raged: “It’s not about systems. We haven’t had players available. We came away from Old Trafford three games ago & everyone’s thinking it’s a great system. We lose a few games & everyone thinks it’s a terrible system. That’s the world I’m in. We didn’t do the basics right.”

Villa fans react

Preece’s post late on Friday evening had these Villa fans talking, with many not happy and one labelling Smith’s discontent as ‘very worrying’.

“uh oh, this is the beginning of the end imo”

Credit: @avjosh3

“Oh dear, sounds like Bruce.”

Credit: @EddAVFC

“I’m not Smith out yet but this is very worrying”

Credit: @callumavfc_

“sorry but if this doesn’t tell you that he’s losing it idk what will”

Credit: @jmxavfc

“Ergh this isn’t good. He’s starting to turn on the fans and force excuses.”

Credit: @VillaJaake

“he’s moaning at the fans now, get him gone”

Credit: @JackAVFC77

In other news: Stinging 3/10 verdict for Villa star who lost the ball 15 times v Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in a move to bring Dusan Vlahovic to north London this summer is “concrete.”

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Carlo Laudisa, who revealed in a recent interview with Radio Bruno (via Viola News) that Tottenham’s interest in the Fiorentina centre-forward is very much genuine.

The journalist went on to claim that making an offer matching the €60m (£51m) asking price of the 21-year-old would not be a problem for Spurs should they go on to sanction the €120m (£103m) sale of Harry Kane this summer amid interest from Manchester City.

Finally, Laudisa claimed that the Serbia international has no intention of signing a new deal at the Artemio Franchi Stadium, with the striker still having two years left to run on his current contract with La Viola.

He said: “It’s understandable that Tottenham, with Kane in the sights of Manchester City, look around: Fiorentina have said no for now, but the €60m value can be dangerous.

“I don’t like to venture into predictions, I limit myself to facts, and the facts say that Tottenham’s interest is concrete.

“If the English club were to collect more than €120m for Kane, they would have no problem offering €60m for Vlahovic. His contract? For months, I have received a very specific signal that cannot be ignored: for now, there is no intention of renewing.”

Vlahovic could be Kane’s heir

Considering the remarkable goalscoring form Vlahovic found for Fiorentina last season, it is an easy argument to make that the 21-year-old could well be Harry Kane’s heir apparent if the England captain takes leave of the club.

Indeed, over his 37 Serie A appearances for Vincenzo Italiano’s side last season, the £36m-rated man scored a whopping 21 goals, registered three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, along with taking 2.3 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man who Forza Italian Football editor-in-chief Conor Clancy dubbed a “complete number nine” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Fiorentina’s joint second-best performer in Serie A.

While it is true these returns do not quite match up to Kane’s 23 goals and 14 assists in the Premier League last season, the fact that the Vlahovic is six years Kane’s junior would seem to indicate that the youngster still has plenty of scope for further improvement.

Despite his tender age – with Clancy going on to claim that the 21-year-old is “strong, can link play up [and] can hold the ball up,” as well as stating that he expects the Serbian to “score every time he plays” – these would all appear to be traits shared with the Tottenham talisman.

As such, should Kane indeed move onto pastures new this summer, it would seem as if Spurs could do a lot worse than signing Vlahovic as the 27-year-old’s replacement.

In other news: Spurs dealt transfer blow over “important” £73k-p/w target, Paratici will be livid