West Ham United announced on Wednesday that manager David Moyes would be leaving the club following the expiry of his contract at the end of the season, and Shakhtar Donetsk manager Paul Fonseca is one of the frontrunners to replace the 55-year-old at the London Stadium.

The east London outfit finished the Premier League season in 13th position after taking seven points from a possible nine available in their final three fixtures, but poor performances and results – and discontent among the London Stadium faithful – among other things, meant that the Scot wasn’t offered an extension to his deal.

It is no surprise to learn that Fonseca could be near the top of the list of potential targets given his brilliant record with Shakhtar – it is a rumour Hammers fans on Twitter are delighted with – and the fact that he will soon be a free agent unless his own contract is renewed in the next few weeks.

The Portuguese boss has overseen 73 win in 93 matches in all competitions, with his team scoring 205 goals during that period, conceding 82, as per Transfermarkt.

The fact that the Ukrainian outfit were only narrowly knocked out of the Champions League in the knockout stages by eventual semi-finalists AS Roma shows that they have plenty of quality available in their squad, and some of those individuals could make a real difference for the outfit from the English capital in the 2018/19 campaign.

Here are three Donetsk stars Fonseca should bring to West Ham with him, if he is appointed…

While Pablo Zabaleta generally impressed at right-back and right wing-back for West Ham this season, he is getting no younger and has just one year remaining on his contract.

It is clear that the east London outfit need to find a long-term solution on the right-hand side, and they could get their answer if Fonseca is appointed and brings Butko with him to the London Stadium.

The 27-year-old Ukraine international is a regular in the XI for Shakhtar, and as well as showing his defensive skills he has also shown that he can get up and down the pitch and is a threat in the final third too by providing eight assists in 29 appearances in all competitions this term – something Zabaleta often struggles to do now he is 33 years of age.

Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble impressed in the final couple of fixtures of the season after below-par seasons, and it remains to be seen whether those displays will be enough to ensure that they start the 2018/19 campaign in the starting XI.

Kouyate in particular probably needs replacing if the Irons are to kick on, and it seems certain that a new defensive midfielder will be arriving at the London Stadium this summer.

If Fonseca is appointed as Moyes’ successor, he should look to bring the impressive Stepanenko with him, and the 28-year-old would arrive with plenty of experience having made 238 appearances in all competitions for the Ukrainian outfit.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It was often West Ham’s defence rather than their attack that let them down this season, but while they have the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Marko Arnautovic and Joao Mario – if he returns following his loan spell from Inter Milan – on their books, they shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to add quality players in those attacking areas.

One player Fonseca could look to bring to the London Stadium with him if he gets the Irons job is Bernard, with the left-sided Brazilian one of Shakhtar’s key men in recent years with 28 goals and 35 assists in 157 appearances.

The fact that he will soon be available on a free with his contract due to expire next month is just another reason why he should arrive alongside the Portuguese boss.

Do you agree, West Ham fans? Let us know below.

According to Sky Sports, European giants Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan are both interested in signing £16m-rated West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon this summer, and Newcastle United should be looking to bring the Venezuela international to St James’ Park.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Sky Sports report that the 28-year-old has a release clause of £16m in his contract following the Baggies’ relegation to the Championship this season, and he is attracting interest from huge clubs like Atletico and Inter.

Rondon has been in England with the west Midlands club since 2015 and while he couldn’t prevent them going down this term, he still impressed many with his committed and hard-working performances up top.

Meanwhile, one of Magpies manager Rafa Benitez’s main priorities this summer will be to bring a new centre-forward to the club to boost their chances of finishing in the top seven next season, with Aleksandar Mitrovic looking likely to go, Joselu failing to make a big impact following his move from Stoke City last summer and Islam Slimani not making a positive impression during a difficult loan spell.

How did Rondon do this season?

In what was a difficult campaign for West Brom, the Venezuelan was one of their better performers and netted 10 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions, providing a further four assists.

The 28-year-old impressed with his high work-rate and general all-round play as a strong striker, and according to WhoScored.com he won 162 of the 371 aerial duels he faced in 36 Premier League outings to prove that he is up for a battle.

[ad_pod ]

Would he be a good signing for Newcastle?

He certainly would be.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

While he may not a really prolific striker – he has 28 goals in 120 appearances in total for West Brom – he does still provide that goal threat and more importantly is unselfish nature and hold-up play helps to bring his teammates into play.

Because of his height and strength he would also be vital at both ends of the pitch for the Magpies next season, and if Benitez, whose high ambitions will be met if Mike Ashley gets a deal over the line for a 28-year-old Champions League attacker this summer, gets the right players in and around him then his side’s goal tally should be much higher than it was this season next term, and that could be the key to them finishing seventh and the best of the rest.

Tottenham Hotspur are certainly on the right path, despite the fact that they have not won a trophy in a decade.

Mauricio Pochettino has shaped a young, vibrant and title-challenging team over the last few years, but they need to take that next step.

Moving into a brand new state-of-the-art stadium will certainly push the club in the right direction, but they need reinforcements in order to compete once again with the Premier League elite.

Pochettino has proven that he can help young players thrive, so it is worth suggesting that the club swoop for Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic this summer.

The 19-year-old – valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt – has been linked to numerous top-level clubs due to his performances in Germany over the past two seasons.

The USA international, who scored four goals and created five assists in the Bundesliga during the 2017-18 campaign, is versatile in that he can play across the midfield in an attacking position.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The majority of Pulisic’s playing time has been on the right side of attack, which would give Tottenham another option.

We asked you if the North London club should swoop for the teenager, and the outcome was overwhelmingly in favour of a transfer.

Manchester United fans were forced to watch on as their bitterest rivals Liverpool fought Real Madrid for the biggest prize in European football on Saturday and then again as the Reds secured the signing of highly-rated midfielder Fabinho from Monaco.

In a World Cup summer, where all of England’s elite clubs will be spending big; Manchester City in pursuit of European glory and the rest trying to bridge the points chasm, doing smart business early is the key and Jurgen Klopp has done exactly that with his sudden swoop for the Brazilian who can play at right-back and in central midfield.

That is what United fans are hoping their club can provide after a season in which they failed to win a trophy despite it being Jose Mourinho’s fabled second campaign, where he is supposed to win the league.

They didn’t do that and as Liverpool impressed with their blistering football on the pitch, some United fans are becoming worried by the speed they’re doing business off it; especially compared with United…

[ad_pod ]

Ademola Lookman should seriously consider signing for Tottenham Hotspur rather than fight for a place at Everton.

What’s the word?

The 20-year-old moved to Goodison Park from Charlton Athletic last year, but a change in managers has disrupted his progress.

The youngster moved to the Merseyside outfit when Ronald Koeman was in charge, but his game time was eventually limited and he was sent out on loan by new boss Sam Allardyce in January.

During a short spell at Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, Lookman scored five goals and created three assists in 11 league appearances.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”252976″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup”]

It seems, though, that his future at Everton is under question following a report in The Mirror claiming that the youngster is at risk of being axed from the squad.

The club’s new director football Marcel Brands has insisted that he needs to balance the bonds, which could result in some fringe players leaving.

According to The Mirror’s transfer blog (June 5, 13:16), Tottenham have expressed an interest in signing Lookman.

Is Spurs the right place for him?

Mauricio Pochettino needs some established players to take Tottenham to the next level.

However, the Argentine coach has worked wonders with young talent and Lookman’s versatility would certainly fit into the club’s ethos.

The youngster can play anywhere across the attacking midfield areas, as well as up front, but he can cause the most damage from out wide.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Depending on how Marco Silva wants to proceed at Everton, it may be in Lookman’s best interests to join a club like Tottenham.

Pochettino, more than anyone, is likely to give the England Under-21 international a chance in the first team.

If Lookman finds himself in a situation where he can choose to stay at Everton or move to Tottenham, then the latter option should win out.

Schalke midfielder Max Meyer could fill the hole left by Christian Eriksen if the Denmark international decides to leave Tottenham Hotspur.

What’s the word?

There is no indication that Eriksen intends to leave the North London outfit this summer, but his performances from last season have attracted interest from many clubs.

Sport reported on Monday that Barcelona could offer Rafinha to Spurs as part of a swap deal to land Eriksen.

With that in mind, perhaps the player that Tottenham should really be going for as a replacement for the midfielder is Meyer.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”252976″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup”]

The 5 ft 8 German has been linked to the Premier League outfit before, and he certainly has the potential to thrive in Mauricio Pochettino’s team.

Is he good enough?

Eriksen was one of Tottenham’s standout players last season as he scored 14 goals and created 11 assists in all competitions.

Meyer is only 22 years old and is not the finished product yet, but he certainly has the quality in his locker, as well as versatility.

The German predominantly plays in the centre of the park, but he can also drop back to do defensive duties as well as occupy an attacking midfield role.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Pochettino has had success with young players, so if Meyer was to join, he would be developing his game in the best hands.

On top of that, the midfielder is expected to be available on a free transfer this summer, which makes the move a no-brainer from Spurs’ point of view.

The Mirror has reported that Championship new boys West Bromwich Albion are keen to sign Newcastle winger Rolando Aarons after missing out on Bobby Reid to Cardiff.

What’s the story?

The Baggies have identified 22-year-old winger Aarons as a replacement for the Irish wide-man James McClean who they expect to lose to Stoke.

Aarons is a former England U20 international but he has struggled with injuries and off the field issues since first breaking into Newcastle’s first team in 2014.

The Jamaican-born youngster struggled last season, starting just one Premier League game and one EFL Cup tie before being sent on loan to Hellas Verona in Serie A.

His struggles continued in Italy, where Aarons failed to register a goal or an assist in 11 appearances as Verona were relegated. Then, when back in the UK, the Newcastle man was handed a 10-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to do 100 hours community service for his involvement in a nightclub fight in October 2016.

The perfect replacement

With Matt Richie, Christian Atsu and Jacob Murphy all currently ahead of Aarons in the pecking order at Newcastle, the Magpies would surely be best selling to West Brom while they have the chance.

Last season, Rafa Benitez brought 22-year-old winger Kenedy to St James’s on loan in January and his introduction to the side immediately made Newcastle a more dangerous attacking outfit.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Kenedy, rated at €10m by Transfermarkt, has proven that he is a far more effective Premier League player than Aarons and Mike Ashley is more likely to sanction a move for the current Chelsea player if the Englishman is off the wage bill at Newcastle.

[brid playlist=”4766″ player=”12034″ title=”World Cup 2018″]

Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez has yet to be too active in the summer transfer window, and the Spaniard will certainly be hoping that their business ramps up in the coming days and weeks in order to ensure the improve upon their impressive 10th-place finish last term.

The 58-year-old, who should forget Nicolai Jorgensen and sign another 25-year-old World Cup ace instead, has often been at odds with owner Mike Ashley over transfer budgets, and he will surely be demanding he gets the money he needs to strengthen his squad as he wants to before the window slams shut on August 9.

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss has already signed goalkeeper Martin Dubravka on a permanent deal from Sparta Prague following a successful loan spell, and he will have more targets in mind – the majority of those are likely to be attacking reinforcements given they only scored 39 goals in their 38 Premier League fixtures last term.

While he will have some names on his list, perhaps he should also be considering bringing some familiar faces back to St James’ Park too, as there are ex-players that can still make a difference for them on the pitch now, as well as continuing the feel-good factor that currently surrounds the club following their positiove 2017/18 campaign.

Here are three former Newcastle players Benitez must look to re-sign this summer…

The winger only played 13 times for Newcastle in the 2015/16 as his four goals weren’t enough to save them from the drop down to the Championship, but rather than stay with the club that signed him on a permanent basis just a few months earlier, he stayed in the Premier League and joined Crystal Palace instead.

While he may not be popular for some of the St James’ Park faithful for making that decision, he played a big role in the Eagles’ brilliant turnaround during the 2017/18 campaign, playing as a striker as well as a winger.

Those are two positions the Magpies need strengthening in, and Benitez could be pulling off a coup by bringing the 26-year-old back to Tyneside.

If you have watched Thauvin in action for Marseille over the course of the past two seasons, you would not believe that it is the same player that struggled so much for the Magpies in the 2015/16 campaign.

The Frenchman only managed one goal in 16 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle as they suffered relegation from the Premier League, but he has been a huge hit since returning to his home country.

The 25-year-old scored 26 goals and provided a further 18 assists in 54 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 outfit last term, and while he could come at a big price, he would be the sort of addition that would send a real statement out to the rest of the Premier League and to Benitez that they mean business.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With Aleksandar Mitrovic set to leave, Joselu struggling to make an impact and Dwight Gayle not a consistent enough goalscorer at Premier League level, there is no doubt that one of Benitez;s main priorities this summer is to sign a new centre-forward.

The Spaniard is yet to get a deal over the line for anyone however, and you have to wonder whether it could be a great move for all parties if he brings Carroll back to St James’ Park seeing as he appears unlikely to be a starter under Manuel Pellegrini next term.

The 29-year-old scored 33 goals in 91 games for the Toon between 2006 and 2011, and while the striker has had his fair share of injury problems, he would bring a real presence and goal threat up top for the Magpies.

Do you agree, Newcastle fans? Let us know below.

Ben Stokes, the 18-year old allrounder, has signed a two-year professional contract with Durham, having recently been named in England’s squad for the Under-19 World Cup.

Cricinfo staff10-Dec-2009Ben Stokes, the 18-year old allrounder, has signed a two-year professional contract with Durham, having recently been named in England’s squad for the Under-19 World Cup.Stokes joined the Durham Academy in 2007 and made his Second XI debut in the same year, where he took a career-best 4-19 against Leicestershire. In 2009 he made his first appearance for the senior squad in the Friends Provident Trophy against Surrey at The Oval and went on to feature in the 40-over competition later in the season. He also played an Under-19 Test for England against Bangladesh at Derby in July, making 72 in the first innings and an unbeaten 17 in the second.Stokes said he is looking forward to learning from the senior players in a very successful club. “It’s been an exciting few weeks for me and I’m really happy to have signed my first professional contract. It’s great to be involved with such a successful club and it’s been a real benefit to have a varied group of players around me who I can go to for advice. I can’t wait for the 2010 season to start.”Geoff Cook, the Durham coach, said the Stokes had been rewarded for the hard work he put in this season. “We set Ben a number of challenging targets for the 2009 season and he worked incredibly hard to meet them. The transition from Academy to second XI and on to the first team can be a tough one but I have been impressed by the way he has performed. He’s a great young talent and I’m pleased that he’s going to be part of the squad for the foreseeable future.”

England’s captain, Andrew Strauss, believes that Friday’s third ODI at Cape Town could prove to be one of the team’s most instructive of recent times

Cricinfo staff26-Nov-2009England’s captain, Andrew Strauss, believes that Friday’s third ODI at Cape Town could prove to be one of the team’s most instructive of recent times, as they seek to build on the momentum generated by their impressive seven-wicket victory at Centurion last week, and end their frustrating habit of inconsistency.England’s returns in one-day cricket in the past 14 months have fluctuated like the stock market – a 4-0 victory at home to South Africa, a 5-0 defeat away to India, back-to-back series wins against West Indies, and a 6-1 hiding at home to Australia. In the recent Champions Trophy, England continued that trend with impressive wins against Sri Lanka and South Africa, only to collapse to a crushing defeat in the semi-final against Australia.”There is a long-term plan in improving our one-day cricket – and these sorts of games are the ones that can really take us forward,” Strauss told reporters at Newlands on the eve of the match. “We’ve said in the past we’ve always responded well to defeat, but we have not been quite so great on building on a good performance. We’re going to try to put ourselves under a bit of pressure this game to make sure we build on that.”England have never yet managed more than a single victory in any one of their three previous one-day tours of South Africa – and they were routed 4-1 on their last visit in 2004-05 – but victory at Newlands on Friday would ensure at least a share of the spoils this time around. Strauss, however, is not banking on South Africa making life easy for them – especially at a venue where they have won 24 of their 27 contests since 1992.”We’ve got ourselves in a nice position to really turn the screw in this one-day series, so now is not the time to let up,” said Strauss. “They are going to come back hard at us, there’s no doubt about that – they’re always competitive anyway but they wouldn’t have enjoyed losing that first game. We’re expecting them to come here all guns blazing.”England’s bid for victory will be aided by the expected return of Stuart Broad, who has recovered from a shoulder injury and is likely to come into the side in place of Sajid Mahmood. South Africa have been quick to focus on Broad’s perceived lack of match fitness, having not played since the opening game of the tour, but Strauss was sure he would rise above such mindgames.”I suppose it’s a little bit of a test of his character,” said Strauss. “Those sorts of comments have a good way of focusing your mind and motivating you – and he certainly looked in fine fettle yesterday when we had a middle practice. He’s confident and he’s been bowling pretty well for a long period of time.”Graeme Swann is another player who could feature on Friday, if England feel that his side strain has healed sufficiently, while Kevin Pietersen – who recently returned to action after recuperating from Achilles surgery in July – will be keen to improve on his current tour tally of 37 runs in three innings.”He’s been out for a while, so it’s always going to take a couple of games for him to be at 100%,” said Strauss. “But I never have any real worries about KP, a big score is always just around the corner. He’s fresh, motivated and really wants to contribute to the England side – and coming back to South Africa is another place he really wants to do well.”