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A major update has emerged in PAI Capital’s potential takeover of West Ham and it’s not good news for fans…

What’s the word?

Irons insiders Claret and Hugh have revealed that the East London outfit is not for sale after a £400m bid was rejected by majority shareholder David Sullivan.

It’s claimed that Sullivan and co-owner David Gold have no intention of selling their shares to the interested consortium ‘under any circumstances’ as they believe it would have a negative impact on the club.

Sources close to the Hammers’ hierarchy have suggested that no proof of funds have been provided, but even if they were, Gold and Sullivan do not want to sell up.

False hope

Given the relationship the West Ham board have had with the London Stadium faithful over the last few years, this latest development will come as devastating news to many.

There have been plenty of protests against Sullivan, Gold and Karen Brady over the past 18 months alone.

Back in February 2020, when the Irons were staring down the barrel of a likely relegation to the Championship, around 2,500 supporters marched to the stadium amid growing unrest at their situation on the pitch.

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It came after banners were unveiled against both Everton and Liverpool which read: “Run like a circus – Owned by clowns” and “GSB out – Sold a dream, delivered a nightmare.”

Things went from bad to worse off the pitch, even despite David Moyes’ heroics of saving the club.

The sale of promising academy gem Grady Diangana to West Brom for a total of £18m went down like a lead balloon, leading to further protests outside the ground – even club captain Mark Noble tweeted his anger at the decision.

News that PAI Capital had launched a bid for the Hammers would’ve gotten the hopes up of many who want to see GSB finally leave, but it seems like it’s more of a dream than a reality as Claret and Hugh believe they are here to stay.

Supporter group Hammers United have announced that another protest is due on September 19th  ahead of West Ham’s clash with Manchester United. “GSBOUT is our number one priority,” a Hammers United spokesman said. “Trust in Gold, Sullivan and Brady is lost.”

That clearly highlights the mood at present around East London.

Therefore, this fresh development will come as a gutting blow which will only leave fans even angrier.

AND in other news, Moyes could land West Ham’s next Ferdinand by signing “fearless” £22.5m-rated “beast”…

Newcastle United struggled for goals especially during the first half of the season whenever Callum Wilson was not fit, so to bring in someone of Josh King’s ability would be great for both the club and their reliable goalscorer, according to Steve Howey.

King was usually rather reliable in front of goal during his time at Bournemouth with 53 goals in 184 games, which saw him and Wilson strike up a great partnership that helped the Cherries enjoy five consecutive seasons in the Premier League.

The Norweigan international is now set to become a free agent after spending the second half of last season on loan at Everton, where he failed to start a single Premier League game, with reports linking the Magpies with a move for King.

This could potentially come about if Andy Carroll decides to turn down the one year contract his boyhood club have offered him, and Wilson would likely rather have King alongside him at the club instead of Carroll. Howey spoke about how Wilson would love to be reunited with yet another former Bournemouth teammate, exclusively to Football FanCast:

“I think it would just rejoin the two of them together again which I think Wilson would be delighted with because at times he was just up there on his own even though Saint-Maximin and Almiron do try to get up there with him.”

During King and Wilson’s partnership at Bournemouth, they managed to score an impressive 89 goals which did coincide with the Newcastle striker suffering two ACL injuries, which disrupted much of his time at the Vitality Stadium.

Speaking to West Ham World, Peterborough United Director of Football Barry Fry has made a claim on club owners David Gold and David Sullivan.

The Lowdown: Transfer window opens…

The summer transfer window is now open and West Ham United fans will be eagerly anticipating who is brought through the door in east London.

Manager David Moyes’ priorities are said to be the permanent signing of Jesse Lingard, a new forward and a top class centre-half (Claret & Hugh).

However, clubs up and down the Premier League appear to be experiencing financial turmoil amid the coronavirus pandemic – an aspect of this window which could make business tricky.

The Latest: Fry makes encouraging West Ham claim

Speaking to West Ham World, Fry has made a claim involving Gold and Sullivan, who he has personally worked with, and reassured supporters that they will want to improve the squad after European qualification.

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“I know Gold and Sullivan, when they went in they wanted in the next five years to get into Europe,” he explained.

“They’ve done that, it’s been a difficult journey along the way but they’ve done it and knowing the two David’s they’ll want to go on from that, or the three David’s, they’ll want to improve the squad and go higher than where they’ve gone this year, which is great news for West Ham fans.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed…

The Hammers face an unfamiliar challenge next campaign in the form of more matches and longer travel distance for midweek games.

To cope with the demands of playing both in the Europa League and maintaining their current level domestically, signings to bolster the squad this summer are pretty much mandatory.

Fry’s claim that West Ham’s controversial co-owners will in fact want to push on comes as encouraging, and with the window closing on August 31, they now have plenty have of time to scour the market.

In other news: West Ham fans rave over promising Lingard development…find out more here.

According to a report by Italian news outlet Calciomercato, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are ‘ready’ to pay the €30 million (£25.6m) release clause for Roma star Lorenzo Pellegrini. 

The Lowdown: Italian job?

Since managing director Fabio Paratici was officially appointed by Tottenham, the club have been linked to a host of Serie A stars – including ones that are currently shining for Italy at Euro 2020.

Domenico Berardi, who has been a real threat and mainstay under Azzurri boss Roberto Mancini, is one of the names touted with a possible Spurs move this summer.

Manuel Locatelli is another, with the very promising 23-year-old dazzling for Italy on Wednesday evening in their 3-0 win group stage win over Switzerland.

The Latest: Tottenham ‘ready’ to pay for Pellegrini…

Now, as per a claim from Calciomercato, Tottenham are ‘ready’ to pay the £25.6m release clause in Pellegrini’s contract amid the player’s contract dispute at Roma.

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Indeed, the 24-year-old is currently in talks over a new deal at the Stadio Olimpico, but the ‘agreement is missing’ and ‘struggling to be found’.

This has prompted the Lilywhites and Premier League rivals Liverpool to turn their heads, with both sides now ready to pay the fee needed.

The Verdict: Jack of all trades

An all-round central midfield player, Pellegrini is both a threat going forward and solid defensively going by the numbers.

The Italian dynamo averaged an impressive 2.1 shots per 90 in Serie A over 2020/2021 – which is even more than Son Heung-min managed in the Premier League at Tottenham (WhoScored).

Defensively, Pellegrini also made the same amount of interceptions per match domestically (1.3) as Tottenham midfield colossus Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (WhoScored).

This points to a very dynamic midfield presence in all areas, leaving little wonder why he has been called ‘phenomenal’ by Roma legend Francesco Totti (Basia.news).

Pellegrini would certainly feel like a top signing for Spurs, but given their more pressing need for a centre-half, we still believe he should be put into the maybe pile for now.

In other news: ‘I am hugely surprised’…Sky pundit baffled by alleged transfer development at Spurs, find out more here.

The Athletic have dropped an update regarding West Ham’s pursuit of Genk striker Paul Onuachu…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, the Irons are one of the Premier League clubs interested in a deal to sign the 27-year-old this summer. The report claims that Watford, Arsenal and the Hammers have all looked at the attacker as a potential target ahead of next season.

Genk are demanding a fee of £20m for their top scorer and this has put Watford off as they may not have the funds to facilitate such a transfer following their promotion back to the Premier League, handing a boost to West Ham’s hopes of signing him.

Fans will be buzzing

West Ham fans will surely be buzzing with this news. For starters, the update has seemingly ruled out Watford as serious contenders for his signature as they do not have the financial muscle to compete with the Hammers or Arsenal in a straight transfer shootout. This means that David Moyes could have a greater chance of being able to sign the attacker to bolster his squad.

The injury-prone Michail Antonio has been the club’s top scorer in each of the past two seasons with 10 goals in the Premier League. This suggests that there is room in West Ham’s squad for a prolific goalscorer to come in and be the main source of goals in the top flight, which is where Onuachu could come in useful.

Former England international John Fashanu hailed the Nigerian forward as a “goal king” earlier this year and said that he is proving to people that he is a number one option at the top end of the pitch.

He told The Punch, via Goal.com: “I remember when I said he was a great player and that he was the player that we needed and now I was right. I think everybody else has seen how football has to be understood at the right level.

“I want to tell Onuachu well done and a big congratulation because he has proved to everybody that he is still number one and indeed a goal king.

“Let’s just try to say we are not trying to prove anybody wrong but that we can have a successful team with the right players.”

This shows how highly Onuachu is regarded as a goalscorer. His record for Genk in Belgium is outstanding, with 45 goals and seven assists in 69 competitive games for the club, including 29 goals in 33 league matches during the 2020/21 campaign.

Therefore, he could be a sublime signing for the Hammers and hopefully become the potent starting striker they are currently lacking, which is why their fans would surely be buzzing to see him come through the door at the London Stadium.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Soucek: West Ham must seal swoop for £17m maestro, Moyes needs him…

Noel Whelan remains bullish about Leeds United’s chances of signing Rodrigo de Paul this summer despite interest from Atletico Madrid.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on De Paul

The Whites look to set for a busy transfer window as Marcelo Bielsa looks to bring undoubted quality into his squad.

One player who has been continually linked with a move to Elland Road is De Paul, having shone for Udinese in recent times. The £34.2m-rated Argentine registered nine goals and nine assists in Serie A this season, catching the eye with his class in the final third.

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The Latest: Whelan provides update

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds striker Whelan discussed the current situation regarding Atletico, remaining relatively confident that De Paul will pick the Whites instead:

“It depends where he wants to play his football. Does he want to play in the best league in the world or go to La Liga and finish and second or third next year?

“That’s what it is. He would be in the Champions League but there will be a reaction from Barcelona and Real Madrid next season.

“They’re the giants. They will be strengthening. It’s entirely up to him and where he feels better suited. It means someone at Leeds is doing a good job because if Atletico are interested then Leeds’ scouting network is working.

“We need to watch this space, he has two massive clubs looking at him and it looks like he has a choice.”

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The Verdict: Game-changing signing

De Paul is a player who could take Leeds up another level, possessing game-changing ability (as evidenced by his goal contribution figures) and standing out as a Bielsa-type player.

The 27-year-old’s aforementioned quality in attack would no doubt appeal to the Leeds manager, but perhaps most importantly, an average of 1.2 tackles per game in the league last season shows he is also happy to muck in defensively, a trait which is non-negotiable for Bielsa.

It isn’t going to be easy for Leeds to get their man, but if they can pull it off, it could feel like a truly significant piece of transfer business should they beat La Liga champions Atletico Madrid to the chase.

In other news, a pundit has provided a bleak outlook for one Leeds player – find out who it is here.

West Ham United must win their remaining three Premier League matches to secure a place in Europe next season, and their crucial season-ending run starts with a trip to Brighton and Hove Albion tonight.

The Irons dropped down to sixth place in midweek as Liverpool came from behind to defeat a full-strength Manchester United side at Old Trafford. David Moyes’ side are now six points adrift of the top four and have fellow European chasers hot on their tails, with Spurs just two points behind them.

The 58-year-old will need to get his team selection spot-on following three defeats in their last four matches, including a devastating loss to Everton last time out. West Ham were not on their game at the London Stadium whatsoever last weekend, so it leaves Moyes with plenty to ponder in terms of team selection heading into tonight’s clash at the Amex Stadium.

The Hammers embarrassingly failed to register a single shot on target despite a total of 11 attempts against Everton, whilst they also dominated possession (68%) against the Toffees but struggled to turn their authority into anything of note.

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Amongst the worst performers was Said Benrahma, who earned a shocking 6.1 rating by SofaScore, and further misery was piled onto the Algerian winger by the Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser, who wrote in his post-match column: “Failed to back up a strong performance at Burnley, proving Moyes right over his criticism of inconsistency. Missed an absolute sitter at the far post in the first half.”

Indeed, the £18m-rated dynamo appeared weak in his battles, losing five of his ten duels and relinquishing possession a whopping 17 times, and he failed to create much in attack by not registering a single key pass and only completing two of four dribbles, as per SofaScore.

In such a crucial game, Moyes cannot risk carrying a passenger once again, so he must be ruthless and axe the 25-year-old from his starting XI at the Amex Stadium tonight.

It’s not as if he’ll be short on options as Jarrod Bowen has been snubbed from the off in the last two matches, whilst Andriy Yarmolenko is available and Ryan Fredericks can play further forward if need be – or Moyes could even turn to wing-backs instead.

Benrahma has been described as a “magnificent” forward and more recently lauded a “really good team player” by Moyes, but he is still in his debut season in the Premier League.

While he should come on strong in the next few years, he should not feature in the Irons’ starting line-up against Brighton given his poor display last weekend.

AND in other news, Sullivan could land West Ham “another Antonio” with bargain swoop for 16-goal finisher…

Former Leeds United striker Brian Deane has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he cannot see Patrick Bamford breaking into Liverpool’s team.

This comes after The Athletic (via TEAMtalk) reported that the Reds have an interest in the 27-year-old forward.

Such a development hardly comes as a surprise after the season Bamford has had. He has won many plaudits for his goalscoring exploits this term, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp himself coming out to praise the Englishman.

Despite the exceptional campaign Bamford has had, though, Deane believes Liverpool could be a level too high.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about the Merseyside club’s reported interest in £35,000-a-week man Bamford, the ex-Leeds player said:

“I’m not really sure. I think he fits in well because he’s grown with Leeds United. Liverpool have got the likes of [Diogo] Jota, [Mohamed] Salah, [Sadio] Mane – that’s another level for me.

“I think, probably, Patrick sits below that group, those well-established international players. I think he’s done well, think he’s a good player and I don’t want to be unfair to him because I think he’s done well, but I don’t see how he comes in and dislodges those types of players.”

“I think that he’ll be staying at Leeds.”

Indeed, there is no guarantee of Bamford breaking into that Liverpool team. Considering that, and already performing in a Leeds side that have shown that they can excel in the Premier League, an Elland Road stay probably looks like the wisest option.

Crystal Palace are interested in Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, as cited by Sport Witness.

The Lowdown: Lukic profiled

Lukic can play as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder and has 18 caps to his name for Serbia.

The 24-year-old has made 113 appearances for Torino after joining from Partizan Belgrade in 2016 for £1.53m. He spent time out on loan at Levante during the 2017/18 season and is currently valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, the highest valuation of his career.

Lukic was a regular in Serie A last season, making 32 appearances mainly as a central and attacking midfielder, and it seems as if his displays have caught the eye at Selhurst Park.

The Latest: Palace ‘moved with major insistence’

According to the report, Lukic has ‘many suitors abroad’, one of which appears to be Palace. The Eagles and Spartak Moscow have ‘moved with major insistence’ for the midfielder, and both destinations reportedly appeal to the player.

Lukic, who is on £13,000 per week, is under contract with his current employers until 2024.

The Verdict: A smart target?

Palace, who are still without a manager, appear to be in line for major changes on the pitch as well as off it. The Eagles have 11 senior players on their initial release list, published by the Premier League in recent days.

One man included was James McCarthy, and should he depart, Palace would be left with just four senior central midfield options on the books. Attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze is one of those, but he’s out until next year with a long-term Achilles injury.

It appears as if central midfield reinforcements could be needed for the Eagles, and bringing in Lukic – who can play in all kinds of midfield roles – may be a smart move by the south London club.

In other news: Many CPFC fans buzz at Conor Gallagher update, find out more here. 

Celtic’s pursuit of a new manager is set to take an almighty twist at Parkhead.

That’s because a new name has emerged as a candidate to replace Neil Lennon as manager of the Bhoys.

What’s the word?

We’ve seen a number of names linked with the job including Eddie Howe, Roy Keane and Lucien Favre.

However, none are as stand out or have as much star quality as the latest name to do the rounds.

According to The Sun, Jose Mourinho has entered the race to become the new Celtic boss with the Portuguese ‘ready to go again’.

Mourinho lost his job with Tottenham this week and as a result, is now a free agent.

Whether or not the Hoops would be able to afford his wages is one thing but he’d certainly be an eye-catching appointment.

The 58-year-old is past his best but is one of the most iconic football managers on the planet.

Amazing news

Mourinho has become a modern meme but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a great capture for Celtic.

In fact, it would be one of the most landmark moments for the Bhoys in recent history.

The former Spurs boss has been sacked from his previous three roles with Chelsea, Manchester United and the Lilywhites in rather sad fashion but let us not forget just what this man has achieved.

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He has a win rate of over 63% in his career and has taken home two Champions League trophies and eight league titles across Europe; namely three Premier League triumphs.

Mourinho has been named Manager of the Season in England’s top-flight on three occasions while he was also awarded the gong for FIFA’s best Manager of the Year in 2010.

This is a coach, who despite his recent frailties, has been there and done it all. If you sample some of the best managers to lead a team, he would undoubtedly make the list.

Meanwhile, if there was any coach who can turn around a rather shambolic Celtic, it’s a man dubbed the ‘Special One.’

Forget Howe, forget Keane and Favre; Mourinho is the man the Hoops need.

AND in other news, Worse than Kenny: Celtic star who made just 15 passes should be finished at Paradise…