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According to a recent report from The Sun, Andy Carroll could be set for a move away from West Ham this month. The England international has been at the East London club since making the loan move from Liverpool back in 2012, and while that move became permanent little under 12 months later, the striker has struggled with injuries to plunge his future at the Premier League outfit into doubt.

And reports suggest that Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham are lining up a surprise £2 million move for the 30-year-old this month in a bid to solve their striking crisis, and with Carroll out of contract at West Ham at the end of the season, owners David Gold and David Sullivan would pull off something of a masterstroke by selling the 30-year-old this month.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while Carroll deserves credit for showing glimpses of brilliance during his time at West Ham, he has on the whole disappointed given the recurrent injuries problems he has suffered during his time at the London Stadium.

This term alone has seen the Englishman muster just eight Premier League appearances for the Hammers to add to another frustrating season for the 30-year-old, who has managed only 137 games for West Ham since his move back in 2012, equating to less than 20 appearances a season.

And with his contract up at the end of the season, it looks as though Carroll will be leaving the London Stadium come the summer anyway such has been his difficulties in shaking off injury, but were Manuel Pellegrini’s men to be able to get rid of him this month, and in doing so getting a fee for his services, it would be something of a masterstroke.

Ultimately, Spurs have seen their striking department depleted greatly in recent weeks following the injury to Harry Kane and the international call-up of Son Heung-min to the South Korea squad, with the duo the club’s top two goal-scorers this term to underline their importance to Pochettino’s side.

Fernando Llorente deputised for the pair in their 2-1 win at Fulham on Sunday but failed to convince, indeed netting an own goal in the first half, and with Vincent Janssen, who has scored just once in open play in the Premier League in the last two-and-a-half years, the only other senior striker at the club, it’s clear reinforcements are needed.

And for just £2 million, it might well be worth the risk luring Carroll to North London in a bid to plug that void, at the same time earning West Ham a small fee for a player they were likely losing for free come the summer anyway.

As such, while the Hammers are surely resigned to making a loss on Carroll this year, earning £2 million for the striker would at least represent some solace from what has ultimately been a very disappointing time for the 30-year-old at the club – in fact, earning anything would represent a masterstroke from messrs Gold and Sullivan such have been his injury troubles over the years.

West Ham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

[ad_pod ]Loads of Everton fans have been reacting to their shock FA Cup exit at the hands of Millwall, and it looks like Seamus Coleman’s time as a first team regular could soon be up.Everton were quite simply outfought on Saturday, as Millwall scored three goals off set pieces to overcome the Toffees 3-2.Marco Silva’s side had to fight for every inch in tense but scrappy first half, and Richarlison was on hand to bag the opener just before half time.Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…It all fell apart rather quickly though, as Lee Gregory equaliser just minutes later, looping a header over Jordan Pickford after Jake Cooper flicked a long ball into the box.Silva’s substitute looked to have saved the day when Cenk Tosun came off the bench to put the Blues back in front, but once again they were pegged back within minutes, as Cooper got his name on the scoresheet with a controversial goal.As if things couldn’t get any worse, Murray Wallace then popped up with a stoppage time winner for the hosts, ending Everton’s chances of winning a trophy this season.While the whole defensive system deserves criticism, Coleman was particularly poor, and fans fear it may be the end for the popular right back.Coleman is a fan favourite at Goodison and for good reason, but after two serious injuries he looks a shadow of his former self.WhoscoredÂranked the 49-cap Ireland international as one of the worst players on the pitch with a measly 6.07 rating, and the Twitter reactions down below do not make pretty reading…

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Tottenham Hotspur host Leicester at Wembley Stadium this weekend and will be hoping that they don’t have to grind a win out in the fashion that they have had to in recent weeks, although the Foxes represent another test for a Lilywhites side missing Harry Kane and Dele Alli, most notably.

Despite the duo’s absence, a pressing concern seems to be that Christian Eriksen could be leaving in the summer, with Mauricio Pochettino reportedly adding James Maddison to his list of potential players to replace the Dane. The Spurs boss can test just how good the number 10 is on Saturday, by giving one player a specific instruction.

On the chalkboard

According to The Times, the north London club are lining up a move for Maddison, who they see as a replacement for Eriksen should he seek pastures new in the summer.

Tottenham are keen to secure more homegrown talent and the signing of Maddison would see the Englishman join up with the likes of Alli, Kane, Kieran Trippier and Harry Winks.

The former Norwich man has impressed in his first season in the Premier League, scoring five and assisting four, so it is no wonder that the bigger clubs are sniffing around.

Sunday’s clash with Leicester presents Pochettino with the opportunity to see the player in action against his own side – the Argentine will surely want to put the Foxes’ danger-man through his paces in order to see how good he really is.

Sit Sissoko on Maddison

Eric Dier is unavailable due to a virus and so it looks likely that Moussa Sissoko will continue alongside Winks at the base of midfield – the Frenchman has enjoyed his new role this season and will be key if his side are to nullify the visitors’ attack.

Maddison is the lynchpin for his side, carrying the ball; connecting the dots; playing his teammates in and working chances for himself. If Spurs want to stop Leicester from having anything in their half, Pochettino should task the powerful Sissoko with following the 22-year-old wherever he goes.

Either this will help the Lilywhites to the three points or, if Maddison deals well with the constant pressure from the Spurs number 17, it will be confirmed in Pochettino’s mind that he is a top class player.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

Liverpool have had their first real difficult period in this Premier League season with injuries being picked up and points dropped over the last couple of weeks.

Manager Jurgen Klopp, however, could be about to be handed a huge boost with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain recovering well from their injury setbacks, something which the English right-back has recently been talking about.

The Breakdown

“The pair [Oxlade-Chamberlain and Rhian Brewster] of them are a credit to themselves,” Alexander-Arnold was quoted saying by the Daily Mirror when speaking about the long-term injuries his two team-mates, who are with the first team in a warm-weather camp in Marbella, have had to overcome.

“They epitomise the spirit around the team and the club, that it’s going to be very difficult to break that spirit and that they’ll bounce back whenever there are setbacks.”

The 20-year-old also spoke about his return to first-team action following his own injury, explaining how good it felt to get back onto the pitch against Bournemouth in a hugely positive development for Klopp.

With Nathaniel Clyne leaving Anfield on loan for Liverpool’s recent opponents, the German has been without someone natural for that right-back position and it has shown to a certain extent.

But with Alexander-Arnold back in the frame again, that should be one less problem for Klopp to worry about, while any potential return of Oxlade-Chamberlain could also prove to be massive in the Premier League title race if he can perform like how he did in the Champions League last season.

Neither Aaron Cresswell or Arthur Masuaku were able to truly impose themselves as West Ham United’s main left-back last season.

The former managed 18 Premier League starts, while the latter made 19, with Ben Johnson filling the gap for the other match.

This offers an indication of just how inseparable the pair were in the mind of Manuel Pellegrini throughout the campaign.

It seemed as though Cresswell may struggle to hang onto his place in the side again this campaign, when he was dropped for four games following the 5-0 defeat to Manchester City.

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However, the Englishman has not looked back since Masuaku’s red card for two bookable offences against Aston Villa, failing to start just one of the following 12 league matches.

Watch Crystal Palace vs West Ham Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

During that time, he has got on the scoresheet three times, with a free-kick against Manchester United, a half-volley to get a draw at AFC Bournemouth and the winner against Chelsea.

On top of his goals, Cresswell has been making a stellar defensive contribution, averaging 2.3 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per game.

An example of how important he can be defensively came against Arsenal, but it was when he was forced off through injury that it truly became apparent.

During his 51 minutes on the pitch, the Hammers didn’t concede once, with the Englishman doing well to keep Nicolas Pepe at bay, making four tackles, four interceptions and one clearance.

However, by the time the clock reached 70 minutes, the Ivory Coast international had recorded a goal and an assist, having got the better of Masuaku twice.

Calling all Premier League experts: Who do these unique statistics belong to? Find out below….

For the goal, Pepe cut inside West Ham’s number 26 before curling the ball into the top corner, while the assist came from Masuaku making a weak attempt at blocking his clipped ball to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

With this in mind, it is difficult to see Cresswell losing his place in the team, especially after the clean sheet against Southampton, meaning that Pellegrini’s selection dilemma could finally have been resolved.

In other news, Danny Mills has been full of praise for a West Ham veteran.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Atletico Madrid were supposed to have their breakout season.

After all, with both Barcelona and Real Madrid – their main competitors for the La Liga crown – somewhat wounded and not really firing on cylinders at the very beginning of the campaign, this was Diego Simeone’s golden opportunity.

But Rojiblancos ended up having problems of their own and with just 16 goals scored in 16 games in the domestic league and eight in six Champions League clashes, they have so far been ineffective in front of goal.

As a result, they sit in sixth place in the table, eight points behind league leaders Barcelona.

And just recently, they were handed more bad news as Mundo Deportivo claim Manchester United could be making a swoop for one of their key players, Saul Niguez.

Of course, the midfielder reportedly has a release clause of €150m (£126.8m) but Paul Pogba’s reported desire to leave the club could spike interest from the Red Devils.

The 25-year-old has been Atletico’s second-best player according to Whoscored and offers the team a little bit of everything, with one goal in 1.3 shots per game, alongside more than just a decent defensive contribution with 2.1 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game.

Evidently, he is someone Simeone can’t afford to lose, especially considering that this Atletico side is very much known for their astute defending – seeing how they have the least amount of goals conceded in La Liga – which makes hard-working midfielders like Saul even more indispensable.

Of course, with Pogba potentially leaving the club, he does look like an excellent alternative for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Granted, the Spaniard doesn’t really influence the final product as much as the Frenchman – seeing how Pogba rattled the inside of the net 16 times across all competitions in 2018/19 – but his presence in the middle of the park is something United can definitely use, especially with their star’s potential departure to mull over.

And with 19 goals conceded in 16 Premier League games, a bit more solidity in front of their defence could definitely go a long way.

From their point of view, splashing the cash for someone like him does make a lot of sense, even in the scenario in which they are forced to pay his release clause.

If his work-rate and skill won’t persuade Solskjaer, maybe his versatility will.

In times of need, Saul can be deployed practically anywhere across the pitch bar the forward line. Against Barcelona, he even played as a make-shift left-back, plugging the holes when Simeone needed him to.

So far this season, we’ve seen him in four different positions as per the games Transfermarkt have in their database and he is the definition of a utility man.

But for that same reason, he is indispensable for the Rojiblancos.

One team’s fortune might mean the other’s demise if this deal goes through.

In other news, many Spurs fans were absolutely loving one of their key man’s recent quotes…

Jurgen Klopp is clearly a fan of Sander Berge.

The Liverpool manager was quick to praise the 21-year-old midfielder following his team’s game against Genk at Anfield in the Champions League earlier this season – albeit something that was confirmed by the player rather than the boss himself – and the Belgian outfit’s sporting director has also said that Liverpool are monitoring him (Radio Punto Nuovo via Goal.com).

Watch Leicester vs Liverpool Free Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

With Fabinho out injured until the New Year, there may have been some worries that they would need a new back-up defensive midfielder for the rest of the campaign, and the Norway international’s display on Merseyside made him a prime candidate. Now, though, it appears that the Reds could miss out on his signature, as Bleacher Report are reporting that West Ham are leading the race for his signature. Berge trained with the Hammers as a 17-year-old, and there is a feeling at the club that a deal could be done for less than £20m.

Can you name the result these iconic Liverpool images belong to? Give it a go now…

On the face of it, it may seem to be a bitter blow for Liverpool to miss out on a player that could have boosted their squad, especially to a team that is already 30 points behind them in the table. However, recent performances from some players in particular mean that this update could be a blessing in disguise.

Since the Brazil international picked up that injury against Napoli, Jordan Henderson has stepped into the breach on the most occasions. Playing at the centre of a midfield three, the 29-year-old captain has filled the void left by Fabinho fantastically. Against Bournemouth and RB Salzburg, the Reds kept clean sheets, and the former Sunderland man excelled, picking up WhoScored ratings of 8.32 and 7.3 respectively.

Fabinho’s absence also led to Klopp trying out a new 4-2-3-1 formation, which we saw against both Everton and Watford. Both of those games ended in victories for the Reds, with the latter providing another clean sheet.

The 28-year-old’s time on the sidelines has coincided with the resurgence of Naby Keita as well. In the two games he has started since then, the former RB Leipzig man has scored twice and assisted once, giving Liverpool an extra attacking edge from the middle of the park.

All of this is not to say that Berge is not a good player. Were he to move to the London Stadium, he could easily do well under Manuel Pellegrini. However, the performances of the players already at Anfield show that he is not required on Merseyside. This update may just be a blessing in disguise.

In other news, Liverpool are leading the race to sign this 19-year-old.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, rumours are beginning to gear up once again.

This weekend there are whispers surrounding one Southampton player leaving in January, and the Saints could be making the right call in letting him go out on loan.

What’s the story then?

Of course, we’re talking about the rumours regarding Jannik Vestergaard potentially moving to Werder Bremen.

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German news outlet DeichStube reported that the 27-year-old could be on his way back to the Bundesliga as they state that Saints should be willing to let him go out on loan.

While loaning out a centre-back that has started 11 league games this season when you’re staring a relegation battle in the face seems rather foolish, it could be a wise long-term strategy.

Long-term thinking

The fact of the matter is that Vestergaard isn’t having the best of times at St Mary’s. Southampton have the second-worst defensive record in the Premier League, and they’ve conceded 25 goals in the 11 games that the centre-back has played this term.

However, that isn’t to say that Vestergaard is a lost cause, as he was quite decent last time he was in Germany as he averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.19 across a whole season once upon a time at Borussia Monchengladbach.

A six-month spell back in a league where he is more comfortable could be just what the doctor ordered.

He could return to the south coast club with a lot more confidence if he’s successful in Germany, and even if he doesn’t have a future at St Mary’s, a successful spell abroad could see his transfer value increase should the club want to then sell him.

Perhaps the only drawback is that Southampton won’t get any money in January to sign a direct replacement, but if Ralph Hasenhuttl has faith in the players getting in the team ahead of Vestergaard, then a loan seems like the best option for all parties.

In other news, Saints seem to be chasing a player who would be perfect for their manager.

Leeds United have been knocking on the door of the Premier League over the past 18 months, and Monday represented this group of players’ first opportunity to play against top-flight opposition since Marcelo Bielsa’s appointment.

With the Whites sitting in first and looking likely to go up this term, the Argentine has to figure out which players can do a job for him in the Premier League and which can’t.

Unfortunately, reports over the past few months indicated that the manager had already made his mind up on one player, but Monday’s showing may mean that he wants to make a U-turn on his previous decision.

Of course, we’re talking about Gaetano Berardi.

The Swiss defender is into the last year of his contract, and the club reportedly have no plans on renewing his deal unless they aren’t promoted to the Premier League this term.

However, his performance against Arsenal showed that he still has something to offer in this team, even in the top flight.

The 31-year-old played against a frontline consisting of someone who has lifted the World Cup, a £72m signing and a former Ligue 1 Golden Boot winner. Against that attack, he more than held his own.

Three interceptions, three clearances and one blocked shot were three key stats in what was a solid performance from the defender as he proved that he’s capable of dealing with the best that the top-flight has to offer.

Would Berardi be a starter for Leeds in the top-tier? Probably not, but Monday proved that he’s good enough to be a backup option and with the Whites only having one senior centre-back signed on beyond this season, keeping the Swiss wouldn’t be a bad thing.

In other news, one pre-match decision from Marcelo Bielsa worried a number of Leeds fans.

West Ham United have joined the race to sign Villarreal striker Karl Toko-Ekambi, as reported by le10sport.

Lyon have also made a move for the 27-year-old, but that was way below the Spanish club’s expectations, allowing West Ham and Newcastle United to register interest of their own.

It is said that they will demand €25m [£21.3m] for Toko-Ekambi, if the Hammers match the Cameroonian’s valuation, they could reignite a previously thriving partnership.

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This comes with Fornals and Toko-Ekambi having linked up to great effect for the La Liga outfit during their time together, as shown in the infographic below.

There is only one other player who Toko-Ekambi has five joint goal participations with, Thomas Mangani, but that was achieved over 64 games, as opposed to the 39 played with Fornals.

Their respective form this season indicates that if they are able to reignite their partnership, it could be fruitful once again.

Across La Liga and the Copa del Rey, the forward has scored 11 goals and provided two assists from 12 starts and seven substitute appearances, showing just how clinical he can be.

Looking at Fornals, he has really come into his own in recent times. He had a stage where he recorded one goal and three assists in six Premier League matches. He also got a goal and assist to ensure that the Hammers made their way past Gillingham in the FA Cup.

Call yourself a West Ham expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

Having failed to get a single goal or assist in his opening 12 Premier League games, the fact that he has gone on to become so prolific in the final third is a definite sign of encouragement.

If Toko-Ekambi is added to the mix, there is somebody who can definitely make the most of that effectiveness towards the opposition’s goal.

The striker also averages 1.1 dribbles per league game, indicating that he is not afraid to be direct with the ball at his feet, something that could even see him act as an ideal support player for Sebastien Haller.

The indication is that this could turn out to be a successful move for the Hammers, especially for Fornals.

Meanwhile, West Ham’s transfer bid shows that they finally understand how severe their situation is.