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West Ham have ‘in recent hours’ shown an interest in Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa, according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna.

The Lowdown: Left-back options

West Ham have been hugely reliant on Aaron Cresswell for many years to hold down the left-back position. The defender has made an astonishing 239 appearances for the Hammers in the league, placing him second in the Irons’ table for most Premier League appearances, behind Mark Noble, who totals 407 matches.

However, Cresswell is now 32 years old, and he has just 18 months left on his contract.

Arthur Masuaku is the club’s alternative option at left-back. The 28-year-old has made 11 top-flight appearances this season, seven of which have come off the bench. Despite this, fans would likely be reluctant to see him replace Cresswell in the starting XI, as the player has received some criticism for his recent performances.

Pundit Ian Wright singled Masuaku out for the ‘poor game’ he had in the Hammers’ defeat to Southampton, suggesting that he is a defensive liability.

As Cresswell doesn’t have long left on his current deal and with Masuaku failing to show why he should play a part in David Moyes’ starting XI, it is clear to see why West Ham have been searching for a left-back to bring into the club.

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The Latest: Hammers interested in Kurzawa

According to Foot Mercato journalist Aouna, West Ham have ‘shown interest in recent hours’ for PSG defender Kurzawa.

The Frenchman has not played any part in the current season for PSG; with just one appearance in all 2021/22 competitions, which was off the bench for nine minutes in the Trophée des Champions.

Therefore, this could be ‘a way out’ for the left-back, with Newcastle United also said to be interested in the player.

The Verdict: Poor choice

Kurzawa was previously linked with a deal to fellow London club Arsenal, with reports suggesting that he even agreed a deal to move to the Emirates Stadium in January 2020.

However, with the deal failing to materialise, questions have been asked as to the reason why. The 29-year-old has a lengthy injury history, which has seen him sidelined for weeks at a time; the longest of which was a herniated disc which kept him out for three months.

With suggestions that he also has a bad attitude, this does not seem like the sort of player that Moyes should be pursuing, even despite the player’s incredible trophy haul of 18 domestic competitions won in Paris.

In other news: West Ham United: Phillips bid officially rejected

Celtic return to Scottish Premiership action today at Paradise in their pursuit to pull closer to the top of the table.

The Hoops are third heading into this afternoon’s encounter after Hearts moved ahead of them in the standings on Saturday, although they have two games in hand to go back into second, starting with this clash against Aberdeen.

Ange Postecoglou’s Bhoys side come into the game off the back of a 3-2 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League, and he could be tempted to make a few changes to his starting XI.

Game-changer

One player who could be thrown into the mix is young winger Liel Abada. He could come in and replace James Forrest, who endured a difficult evening against the Bundesliga outfit.

As per SofaScore, Forrest lost 75% of his duels on the pitch and failed to make a single clearance, tackle, interception or block. He also failed with his one attempted dribble and did not create a single chance for his teammates, whilst he ended the game without a shot on goal.

This suggests that he was off the pace and was unable to make a positive impact on the right wing. Therefore, it could be the ideal time for Postecoglou to axe him from the line-up and unleash Abada from the start, as the young Israel international has the quality to be a game-changer for Celtic.

The 20-year-old has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.12 in the Premiership this season, with three goals and two assists in 11 starts. He has created a whopping nine ‘big chances’ in the league, suggesting that he deserves more than just two assists for his creative efforts.

Former Hoops player Frank McAvennie previously hailed the attacker, telling Football Insider: “He’s only 20, isn’t he? There was an element of resting him, I get that. He needs to manage that squad.

“He looks a wonderful player and when he first arrived he wanted everything. There was an early game where he took the ball off Edouard for a penalty and Edouard just went ‘no, that’s mine’.

“That was brilliant and it’s what you want to see from a young player. You can’t buy that desire and hunger. He probably didn’t expect to play as much as he has so he will be delighted.

The £2.7m-rated gem has seven goals and five assists in all competitions for the Hoops and could be a difference-maker for Postecoglou’s side against Aberdeen. He has shown with his aforementioned statistics that he is capable of creating big chances for his teammates, and his magic from the wing could be a game-changer, which is why he must start today.

AND in other news, Forget Bitton: Ange must unleash “top-class” £14k-p/w Celtic maestro vs Aberdeen…

Following on from their 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town at the weekend, Sunderland are back in League One action this evening with an away clash against Shrewsbury Town, who only have 15 points on the board from 17 games.

After the Ipswich win, Sunderland manager Lee Johnson revealed that defender Dennis Cirkin will be out of action for the next few weeks with a hernia injury, with fellow full-backs Denver Hume and Niall Huggins out injured for the Shrewsbury match as well.

Taking this into account, here’s how we feel Sunderland could line up for their game against Shrewsbury. 

In goal, with Ron-Thorben Hoffmann having played in the majority of Sunderland’s league games so far this season, we can see him taking his place once again on this occasion.

For the defence, we think Johnson will stick with the same back four that started against the Tractor Boys with Luke O’Nien, who scored their goal of the game at the weekend, staying at left-back with Carl Winchester on the right and the duo of Callum Doyle and Bailey Wright in the middle after managing to keep a clean sheet at the weekend.

In midfield, we think Johnson will keep Dan Neil and Corry Evans in the central roles but replace Nathan Broadhead, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £2.9k-per-week according to Salary Sport, and Lynden Gooch with Aiden McGeady and Leon Dajaku coming in to freshen the team up alongside Elliot Embleton.

Then for the attack, with Ross Stewart having scored ten goals in 19 League One games for Sunderland this season, it would seem likely that Johnson will keep him in the team on this occasion to see if he can continue his good run of goalscoring form and secure another win for his team in the process.

Whether Johnson goes with this exact starting XI or not, this is still a good opportunity for Sunderland to get another win on the board and keep them towards the top of the league table considering how Shrewsbury have lost more games (10) in the league this season than any other team alongside Doncaster Rovers and Crewe Alexandra.

In other news: Johnson must ruthlessly axe “versatile” £5k-p/w SAFC dud, he’s becoming a liability – opinion

Leeds United will need to pay a ‘decent fee’ to Feyenoord if they want to sign exciting midfielder Orkun Kokcu, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on Kokcu move

The Whites may be eyeing up new signings in the January transfer window, in order to tackle what has been a disappointing start to the season due largely to injuries ripping through a thin squad.

Kokcu is one player who has been linked with a switch to Elland Road this year, having caught the eye for Feyenoord and emerged as arguably one of the most exciting young midfielders in the Netherlands.

The 20-year-old has been compared to Germany World Cup winner Mesut Ozil in terms of playing style and has backed that up by registering six Eredivisie assists this season.

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The Latest: Journalist makes key claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke made it clear that Kokcu was unlikely to come in on the cheap, should Leeds make a move for him:

“The boy at Feyenoord, I think he might cost a decent fee.”

Reports in the Netherlands, via TEAMtalk, believe Victor Orta and co will face competition from Sevilla and Roma.

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The Verdict: Hugely talented prospect

Leeds are badly in need of a creative spark in midfield, with only 18 goals scored in as many league games in 2021/22 to date.

While Kokcu’s aforementioned assist-making quality stands out – he has 19 in total for Feyenoord – Patrick Bamford (two) is the only Leeds player with more than one in the league this season.

Not only would Kokcu come in as a long-term prospect with a high ceiling but he could also make an immediate difference, taking some of the creative pressure off the likes of Raphinha and Bamford and giving Marcelo Bielsa an extra attacking dimension.

In other news, one Leeds player could be out of action for a long period. Find out who it is here.

James Tavernier deserves a huge amount of credit for the role he has played in Rangers’ title win this season and considering his current contract is set to expire at the end of the next campaign, Steven Gerrard and Ross Wilson must both make it his priority to ensure that the captain signs a new deal to stay at Ibrox.

Although the 29-year-old has missed the last month of action through injury, he was enjoying an incredible season for Gerrard’s side earlier in the campaign and has been a huge factor in their title win.

In 29 Premiership appearances, the defender has contributed a remarkable 11 goals and nine assists, averaging a superb 7.76 rating for his performances.

This comfortably ranks him as Rangers’ best performer in the league so far this season, with Joe Aribo’s 7.44 average rating the closest to the captain, which again highlights just how important he has been in the title success.

It is not a surprise that Tavernier has been attracting interest from the Premier League, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Newcastle United all reportedly interested in signing him.

Whilst the Gers were able to keep hold of their captain in the winter transfer window, they may struggle if some of the top Premier League clubs come knocking in the summer, especially because they are not in a strong position with Tavernier’s contract.

As it stands, the right-back’s contract with Rangers will expire at the end of next season, meaning he could potentially leave on a free transfer, whilst foreign clubs could potentially negotiate with him in January 2022, with the view to signing him on a Bosman transfer deal.

Considering Tavernier is valued at £7.2 million by Transfermarkt, which is only second to Alfredo Morelos in the Rangers squad, the club will be desperate not to lose him on a free transfer or for a reduced fee.

With the Champions League to come next season, Gerrard will also be desperate to keep his captain around, having described him as “unstoppable” earlier in the season.

Therefore, both Wilson and Gerrard must work hard to try and convince Tavernier to sign a new deal with Rangers, otherwise, you worry that his head could be turned by the prospect of playing in the Premier League on what would presumably be a much higher salary.

And, in other news… Rangers could be set to receive a huge boost on £11k-p/w beast Gerrard dubbed “world-class”

Fans of Aston Villa have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the club shared an update regarding two of their upcoming Premier League fixtures.

According to a statement on the Villa website, Dean Smith’s side will now face relegation-threatened Fulham on 3 April at 8pm, as the fixture has been selected for television coverage by Sky Sports.

The club also confirmed that their Premier League clash with Liverpool – a game in which, in the reverse fixture earlier this season, Villa ran out surprising 7-2 winners – will also be broadcast live by Sky Sports, with the match now taking place on 10 April at 3pm.

However, after Aston Villa relayed this information on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing furious at the rescheduling of the fixtures, while others appeared confused by an initial typo in the statement on the club’s website – which claimed that both fixtures were due to take place on 3 April.

So, what exactly did these Aston Villa fans have to say in reaction to the rescheduling of two of their club’s fixtures?

“You know what this means…”

@Stanion18

“Another night ruined.”

@avfcdann

“Hopefully this is coming to the end of these stupid spread-out kick-off times.”

@MrP7478

“Do we have a lot of 8pm kick-offs or are all other teams having just as many?”

@the_borb

“Another late kick-off.”

@AVFC_Luke

“It’s a Saturday kick-off which means we’ll win but it’s a late kick-off which means we’ll lose, so hell yeah scrappy 0-0 here we come.”

@rad_nauseam

“Two games in one day?”

@standoberman

“Why is every game at 4am this year? I seriously can’t take this anymore. #avfc”

@rico_chong

In other news: Villa learn asking price for in-demand PL midfielder – find out more here! 

Celtic have seen a significant number of players join the Parkhead club over recent years, either on loan or permanent deals.

While the club have been active in the transfer market, this always increases the chances of having the occasional deal not go as well as they may have hoped.

One particular deal that looks to have been a let-down for the Hoops is their 2020 swoop for midfielder Ismaila Soro.

During the January transfer window in 2019/20, Celtic secured a four-and-a-half-year deal for the midfielder worth £2m from Israeli side Bnei Yehuda.

Despite signing in January, the Ivorian didn’t end up making his debut for the Bhoys until September 2020, in a 5-0 SPFL win over Ross County – having been out with a knee injury in the months prior.

Overall, the 23-year-old has made just 43 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions, scoring just one goal and providing one assist in the process.

Back in February last year, former Celtic manager Neil Lennon admitted that the midfielder was “struggling with a bit of fatigue” as a result of the number of games he was playing at the time.

This doesn’t seem to be the case this season under Postecoglou, as the midfielder has only started six of the 19 games he’s appeared in across all competitions.

According to Transfermarkt, Soro’s current market value stands at £810k, which is significantly lower than the £2m that the Bhoys splashed out to bring him to Celtic Park.

Given his lack of action in this campaign, it’s hard to suggest that he’s been justifying that transfer fee.

Even when he has been given the chance to play in the league, the midfielder hasn’t done much to convince Postecoglou he has what it takes to be a regular member of the team.

With eight league appearances to his name, Soro has earned himself a rather underwhelming overall WhoScore match rating of 6.25, making him the lowest-rated Celtic player to play in more than two league games.

Taking all of this into account, unless the 23-year-old can turn his fortunes around sooner rather than later and start helping the team out, then the club will start to have some regrets over bringing him to Parkhead in the first place – with his signing already appearing to have been something of a nightmare.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Celtic suffer major injury setback, it’s terrible news for Postecoglou

Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli next summer and the Italian could the long-term successor to Ilkay Gundogan.

It was suggested by the Daily Mail earlier this week that City are interested in signing the Italian international, who is likely to cost around £30 million. However, a later report suggested that the Serie A side won’t consider any bids during this month’s transfer window, so the Citizens may have to wait until the summer to bring him to the Etihad.

The 23-year-old has also been attracting interest from Juventus after impressing in recent seasons with Neroverdi, having joined on a permanent deal from AC Milan in the summer of 2019.

So far this season, the Italian midfielder has averaged a superb 7.11 rating for his performances in Serie A, having contributed two goals and one assist in 16 appearances.

WhoScored describes some of his strengths as passing, dribbling and through balls, which could mark him out as a potential long-term replacement for Gundogan in this Manchester City side.

The German international will turn 31 this year and has impressed in Pep Guardiola’s side so far this season, averaging a 7.10 rating in the Premier League, but he lacks the tackling ability of Locatelli.

The Sassuolo man looks to be something of an all-rounder, as he has averaged 1.2 shots per game and 1.3 successful aerial duels, as well as registering an impressive 88.1% success rate, per WhoScored.

Gundogan meanwhile, has averaged 1.5 shots per game and a 90.7% pass success rate but struggles to win aerial duels, averaging just 0.5 per game in the Premier League, per WhoScored.

Locatelli’s agent has suggested that the 23-year-old “dreams of playing in the Champions League” but with Sassuolo currently seventh in Serie A, it seems as if he will have to move away to realise this dream, and Manchester City could be the perfect place for him.

Certainly, there seems no reason why the midfielder couldn’t be a success in Guardiola’s side and if sporting director Txiki Begiristain can seal a move for him, he could be the heir to Gundogan’s throne with the Citizens.

And, in other news… “95% he’ll end up at Manchester City” – Exclusive: Pundit makes bold claim on £108m-rated MCFC target

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer believes Manchester City and Harry Kane could be a match made in heaven.

Kane recently expressed his desire to win trophies and reports have suggested that he will look to leave Tottenham if the north London club fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Meanwhile, Manchester City have been doing just that, winning silverware, with a Champions League trophy still to play for at the end of the month.

They may also need to sign a new striker this summer after Sergio Aguero confirmed that this is his last season at the Etihad.

Taking all of that into account, Palmer feels Kane to Manchester City ticks all the boxes. On the £108m-rated Spurs striker, the retired England international told TT:

“I was thinking the other day would Pep Guardiola go for him at Man City, you know, to replace the likes of Aguero?

“Now, they could afford him, they can afford to pay his wages and whatever. [He’ll] create loads of chances and if Harry Kane’s fit [and] he goes to Man City, you’re guaranteed 35 goals there.”

The Independent reported last month that Kane would be keen on a move to either of the Manchester clubs, so perhaps a transfer to the Champions League finalists could be viable this summer.

There is, of course, also a lot of talk about Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland. Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson, however, feels Kane is the superior forward.

Leicester City have enquired about the availability of Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita ahead of the upcoming transfer window, according to reports.

What’s the talk?

Journalist Sega Diallo has revealed on Twitter that Brendan Rodgers’ side are interested in ending Keita’s three-year nightmare spell at Anfield, with the Reds open to his sale.

The 26-year-old has endured a torrid time since arriving on English shores back in 2018, suffering multiple injuries that have restricted the Guinea international to just 32 Premier League starts for his current club.

Keita hasn’t been seen on domestic duties since March 15th and has failed to make any of Jurgen Klopp’s last three matchday squads, despite there being no news of a fresh fitness concern.

His absence from Liverpool’s first-team set-up has only fuelled talk of an imminent exit, and the Foxes are reportedly one of several sides offering the former RB Leipzig man a way out of Merseyside.

Leicester must swoop

Leicester could complete one of the most impressive seasons in the club’s history if they secure a Champions League qualification spot following their maiden FA Cup triumph over the weekend.

A place in Europe’s elite cup competition would elevate the Midlands outfit exponentially on and off the field and could attract some of the continent’s top talent to the King Power Stadium, as well as convince those that are already there that their future lies with Leicester.

If Rodgers wants to compete on two fronts next season and maintain his side’s impressive Premier League form, then further strength in depth is going to be required.

Although Keita hasn’t kicked on as he would’ve hoped at Liverpool, he’s undoubtedly a top talent on his day, and Virgil van Dijk’s glowing assessment of the hard-working midfielder showcases the potential that he possesses.

“I think he is world-class; if I’m absolutely honest. I see all the moments when he has the ball, the smart moves, the smart intelligence. It’s just incredible to see, and I’m very happy for him,” revealed the Dutch defender to Liverpoolfc.com back in 2020.

Therefore, a move for the £120,000-per-week workhorse would make perfect sense for Leicester. Keita could play alongside Tielemans, or allow the Belgium international to be rested for certain games and also ease the creative burden on James Maddison.

It’s a move that could be perfect for both parties, and the Foxes must sanction an audacious swoop for Liverpool’s unwanted man.

And, in other news…Leicester handed a huge pre-Chelsea injury blow, Rodgers will be gutted – opinion