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As per Calciomercato, it appears West Ham United and new recruitment chief Rob Newman have identified a brand new target as they join the hunt for Club Brugges forward Charles De Ketelaere.

The Lowdown: Newman era begins…

After West Ham officially announced the appointment of Newman, with the club chief now set to oversee a new era of scouting and transfers at the club, they have been linked with a plethora of attackers.

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Over this last week alone, the likes of Raul de Tomas, Andrea Belotti and exciting Man City youngster James McAtee have all been linked with a move to the London Stadium.

New targets are surfacing on a consistent basis as news emerges on yet another one.

The Latest: West Ham join De Ketelaere hunt…

As per Calciomercato, West Ham and Newman have now joined the race to sign Belgium international De Ketelaere who even grabbed a goal against Euro 2020 champions Italy recently.

The 20-year-old forward, who can operate as a second striker as well as an attacking midfielder, is attracting interest from all over Europe – with the likes of Napoli, AC Milan and Everton all eyeing a move.

Now, West Ham have joined the hunt for his services as manager David Moyes seeks to bolster his attacking options.

The Verdict: Exciting talent…

The 6 foot 4 attacker, who has been likened to Liverpool star Roberto Firmino for his style of play as a false nine (Goal), has also been praised as a real all-rounder.

Brugge legend Gert Verheyen told Het Nieuwsblad (via Goal) that De Ketelaere is a ‘complete’ player with a ‘mix of technical and physical qualities’.

Moyes has admitted on several occasions that he would like to bring in promising young players with re-sale value and this exciting forward could certainly fit West Ham’s bill.

In other news: West Ham now plotting big money bid to sign 115-goal striker who Moyes personally wants, find out more here.

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has proven to be an inspired managerial appointment at Rangers since his arrival at Ibrox in 2018.

The former England midfielder has successfully managed to wrestle back supremacy for the Gers in Scottish football, winning the Premiership title in the 2020/21 campaign and now trying to defend Rangers’ crown this term.

Along the way, he has made some shrewd decisions in the transfer market, both in selling players and in signing them. One player on whom he made an astute call was left-back Declan John.

Gerrard arrived in 2018 and the sale of John was one of the first decisions he had to make in terms of recruitment, with the defender ultimately being sold to Swansea for a reported fee of £801,000. This was after he played 31 times the previous season, scoring three goals and providing four assists from left-back.

In the subsequent three years since leaving Ibrox, John has gone on loan to Sunderland and Bolton and then left Swansea permanently for the Trotters and is currently playing in English League One, having been promoted out of the fourth tier last season.

Transfermarkt currently has him valued at just £270,000. This is a 66% decrease from the fee Rangers received from Swansea for his services in 2018, despite him now being in what should be the prime years of his playing career at the age of 26.

His value plummeting since leaving Rangers suggests that it was a masterstroke from Gerrard to sell him at the time, as his decrease in value could have happened with the Ibrox club had they opted not to cash in on him. Therefore, it may have been perfect timing from Gerrard and the Light Blues in making the most of the situation by getting rid of someone who, quite frankly, had been a bit of a flop in Glasgow.

What makes the deal even better from a Rangers perspective is that the man they brought in to replace John was Borna Barisic. The Croatian left-back has gone on to play 119 times for the club, scoring seven goals and providing 33 assists and is now valued at a cool £5.4m, 20 times greater than John’s current valuation.

Therefore, it was an all-around masterclass from Gerrard. The 41-year-old was able to sell a player in John before his career took a turn for the worst and duly replaced him with an upgrade in his position who is now worth far more than his predecessor.

AND in other news, Gerrard provides fresh injury update that’ll leave Rangers fans delighted…

Frank McAvennie has been left worried by some Glasgow Rangers injury news that has emerged on Ryan Jack.

The Lowdown: Jack update

Speaking ahead of his team’s game away at Dundee in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon, Steven Gerrard has now revealed that Jack is due back on the training pitch ‘any day now’, but may have to wait another ‘couple of weeks’ before he can be integrated back into the group.

The central midfielder has not played for the Ibrox faithful since February, and will no doubt be desperate to get back onto the pitch as soon as possible.

The Latest: McAvennie on Jack

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, who is now a pundit after playing as a striker for the likes of Celtic and West Ham United, still thinks that it is a ‘big concern’ that Jack is not available at the moment:

“It’s a big concern.

“It’s a big concern for Scotland as well. I genuinely think on his day he is the best player at Ibrox.

“Luckily, Rangers have plenty of options in midfield and they aren’t missing him too much.

“But he’s a quality player so you will always miss him at some level.

“Hopefully the return isn’t that far away because on his day he can really be a leader for that side.”

The Verdict: Patience needed

After a player comes back from a long-term injury, there is always patience needed to ensure that he comes back in the right shape and frame of mind.

There is no doubt that Jack is still a key man for the Light Blues, playing in 19 of their matches in the Scottish Premiership on their way to the title last season, scoring two goals and making one assist (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, with some Gers not happy with Joe Aribo’s performance in the Scottish League Cup on Wednesday night, it may be time for the Gers to bring in some fresh legs in midfield.

In other news, find out what RFC news has fans buzzing here!

Steve Howey reckons Steve Bruce is set to bolster his midfield options by welcoming Hamza Choudhury to Newcastle United.

Bruce has only been able to welcome one addition to St James’ Park during the transfer window, with Joe Willock returning to the club on a permanent basis after a £20million deal was struck with Arsenal.

Willock enjoyed a successful loan spell with Newcastle last season and displayed his goalscoring capabilities by becoming the first player since Alan Shearer to score in seven consecutive Premier League outings.

Bruce has now set his sights on clinching the services of Leicester City’s Choudhury on loan and the midfielder appears open to the switch.

Choudhury, 23, saw a loan move to Newcastle fall through at the end of the January transfer window and made just four Premier League starts last season. He did, however, play a part in Leicester’s successful FA Cup campaign, coming on in the final against Chelsea.

Former Magpies defender Howey thinks Choudhury could prove to be a good signing if they manage to get a deal over the line this time around.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “He is a decent player but the question is whether he will play week in, week out.

“If the manager feels as though he would come into the team and contribute really well then, of course, it’s an option.”

Everton have cruised through the summer transfer window in unspectacular fashion.

The Toffees have signed four new players but have only spent £1.7m. Rafa Benitez may have expected to be given more license to spend but it hasn’t had an adverse impact on the squad.

What’s the word?

Although Everton haven’t thrown their chequebook around this summer, they have still secured seven points from three matches in a promising start to the season.

What bodes well is that they’re also trying to improve the squad before the deadline passes in just over 24 hours’ time. Luis Diaz could arrive from Porto, while former Newcastle striker Salomon Rondon is also a target.

However, the player Everton should sign instead is Odsonne Edouard. The Sunday Mail (29/08 – via Sky Sports) suggests that the Merseyside outfit are battling Tottenham, Brighton and Crystal Palace for his signature.

Edouard has been a highly sought-after player for a while now but his wage demands had priced the Frenchman out of a move before deadline day. It’s thought that he may cost in the region of £20m.

Wonderful signing

If Benitez secures Edouard over Rondon on transfer deadline day, it would ensure that Everton end the transfer window with an almighty bang.

The striker has downed tools with Celtic over the last few months and nothing typified that more than a horrendous miss from just yards out in Sunday’s Old Firm derby against Rangers.

However, the 23-year-old is more than that. He is usually a wonderfully composed finisher from inside the area. He is a tall and powerful forward but possesses an incredible first touch which he uses to his advantage to subsequently outmuscle defenders.

However, most vital to his play is the goalscoring antics he has created in Glasgow. Edouard found the net on 22 occasions in 41 outings last season, a tally which beat Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goals for the campaign by one.

On top of that, he has beaten the goalkeeper 86 times in 179 appearances for the Hoops. Therefore, he’d surely bring a heap of goals with him to Merseyside.

With Richarlison potentially heading for the exit door, Everton will definitely need another prolific attacker in their ranks, and Edouard fits the bill perfectly.

Speaking about the Celtic star last year, Frank McGarvey waxed lyrical about his qualities, saying: “He has that bit of magic in his feet.”

Scotland defender Declan Gallagher added: “His one-touch play, his link-up, he’s two-footed – he has got absolutely everything, all the attributes. It’s hard to stop him. When Edouard is on that kind of form he is unplayable.”

With that in mind, Benitez must attempt to wrap up a deal. It could be the difference between a mere top half placing or a European finish.

AND in other news, Alan Myers delivers seven-word Everton transfer update, fans must be fuming…

Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Anguissa appears to be edging closer to an exit from Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who revealed that the 25-year-old’s absence from Marco Silva’s side in the Cottagers’ season-opening draw with Middlesbrough last weekend came as a result of his desire to leave the club.

The report continues by confirming that the Cameroon international is not injured, nor has a transfer bid been accepted by Fulham. However, there is a significant amount of interest in the midfielder’s services, with at least two Premier League clubs, as well as one each from Spain and Italy, thought to be keen on a move this summer.

Finally, it is claimed that Marco Silva is more than happy to sanction the sale of a player who is not committed to the club, and if an acceptable offer is placed by an interested party, the Portuguese manager will not stand in the way of Anguissa’s departure.

Fans will be devastated

While the Fulham manager is well within his rights to exile a player who is not interested in helping the club secure an immediate return to the top flight this season – as will undoubtedly be Silva’s ambition – fans will nevertheless be devastated to wave goodbye to a very talented player considering how well Anguissa performed for the west Londoners last term.

Indeed, over his 36 Premier League appearances last time out, the £22.5m-rated defensive midfielder  averaged 1.6 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 0.4 clearances and won 7.3 duels per game. The £70k-per-week man also impressed for his team going forwards, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, along with averaging 0.8 key passes per league fixture.

These returns saw the player who Joachim Andersen dubbed a “machine” earn an impressive average SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Scott Parker’s 10th-best player in the top flight in 2020/21.

As such, while keeping a player of Anguissa’s ability after suffering relegation to the Championship always seemed a long shot, it is undeniable that the 25-year-old’s sale will make Fulham a weaker side – something which may well be a bitter pill to swallow for the Craven Cottage faithful.

In other news: Khan facing nightmare as twist emerges on £2.7m-rated ace, Fulham fans will be gutted

An update has emerged on AS Roma phenomenon Amadou Diawara, regarding Wolves’ talks over a deal for his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur, Wolves have opened talks over a deal to sign AS Roma midfielder Amadou Diawara.

Konur claims that Bruno Lage is pushing for the signing and a one-year loan has been proposed to the Italian giants as we enter the final weeks of the transfer window.

Lage would love him

Wolves boss Bruno Lage would love Diawara at the Molineux stadium next season and the club must work hard to ensure that they can get a deal over the line for him. If Roma are willing to accept a one-year loan deal for the powerhouse then it could be a relatively risk-free addition with the potential for it to be a shrewd piece of business.

With a temporary switch, Wanderers would not be burdened by a hefty price tag or the prospect of him having multiple years left on his contract should it not work out. This means that it would not be a massive blow for Wolves if he came in and struggled to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League.

Diawara has had a tricky career to judge as he has been a role player at both Napoli and Roma for the majority of his time in Italy after leaving Bologna. He has only started more than 10 Serie A matches in one season since departing Bologna in 2016, which came in the 2019/20 campaign for Roma. In that year, he averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.71 and made 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game.

The enforcer’s coach at Napoli, Fabrizio Tazzioli, hailed him as a phenomenon, saying: “I saw the guy in training and thought that he is a phenomenon. He is not as strong physically, but better with his feet and has the same presence on the pitch.”

This highlights the impact the £84k-per-week beast could have on Wolves’ midfield if given a larger part to play than he has been given at Roma and, previously, Napoli. Lage could love working with the Guinea international to help bring out the best in him, with his defensive instincts potentially good enough to provide a screen in front of the defence alongside Moutinho or Ruben Neves.

The 24-year-old has a career average of three tackles and interceptions per game, although that is skewed downwards by the large number of substitute appearances he has made. Therefore, he could arrive in the Midlands and be a midfield tank for Lage, which is why he could enjoy having him in the squad next term.

AND in other news, Wolves make enquiry to sign “fearless” 6ft5 colossus, he’s a big upgrade on Saiss…

Crystal Palace are still looking to sign another defender, a striker and a winger this summer, according to Sky Sports.

And a number of Eagles fans have been reacting to the transfer update on social media.

The Eagles have now made Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher their fifth summer signing.

Gallagher had agreed terms with Leeds and passed an Elland Road medical, however, Palace reportedly persuaded him to stay in London at the last minute with a temporary move to Selhurst Park, which has now been announced.

Sky Sports shared Palace’s talks with the Blues over a season-long loan deal for Gallagher on Thursday afternoon on their Transfer Centre (July 29, 14:33).

Within their report, they claimed that Palace still want to add another defender, wide man and forward to their ranks before the window slams shut.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared Sky Sports’ transfer claim on Twitter on Thursday. This is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply, with many sharing their excitement.

“Let’s go”Credit: @idkabtstuff”Get in exactly what we’d need for a perfect window if it’s a RB”Credit: @GeorgeHilder1″What’s happening to our club”Credit: @SteveVanezi”I don’t recognise this palace at all!! Loving it”Credit: @carriecpfc”Crystal Palace are trying to make me feel some kind of way”Credit: @cpfc_WH”Let’s go”Credit: @SellyMenace

In other news: ‘Woke up smiling’, ‘Yay’ – Some CPFC fans buzz as news confirmed on ‘terrific’ ace.

The Athletic’s Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee has recently shared an update on the club’s interest in Jack Grealish which will surely delight their fans.

What’s the word?

When asked by a Man City supporter on Twitter if a deal for the Aston Villa captain could happen, Lee replied by saying: “I think Grealish could happen quite quickly as long as there are no hiccups.”

City have been heavily linked with the 25-year-old throughout the summer after an exceptional season for club and country, and from what Lee suggests, the playmaker could well be joining up with Pep Guardiola’s squad in time for the new season.

Would he be a good addition to Guardiola’s side?

Last season saw the England international contribute six goals and 10 assists in just 26 Premier League appearances, averaging a superb 7.56 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Despite making just one start for Gareth Southgate’s side at the European Championship this summer, he was still able to show his quality as he registered assists against the Czech Republic and Germany.

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After an excellent tournament of his own, Raheem Sterling will be looking to reclaim his regular starting spot in Guardiola’s side next season, whilst Grealish will also have to compete with the likes of Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva if he is to sign for City and play out wide.

Therefore, unless one of those leaves the Etihad this summer, it is difficult to argue that they need to sign the “outstanding” Grealish, despite his undeniable quality.

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However, his performances last season certainly suggest that he could be an upgrade on some of the options already in Guardiola’s squad, and given the nationwide clamour for him to start at the Euros this summer, City fans must surely be delighted with Lee’s update.

In other news… Guardiola should axe City’s “unsung hero” this summer, he’s not consistent enough

Sheffield United have enquired about the availability of Liverpool centre-back Ben Davies, according to Football Insider.

The lowdown

Liverpool paid £2million to sign Davies from Preston North End in January amid a centre-back injury crisis.

Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and even makeshift option Fabinho were all sidelined at the time.

But the 25-year-old didn’t play a single minute before the end of the season, with Ozan Kabak, Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams preferred.

In fact, Davies only featured in the matchday squad for four Premier League fixtures.

Liverpool fans were finally given a look at him in their recent pre-season mini-game against Austrian side FC Wacker Innsbruck.

The latest

A Sheffield United source tells Football Insider that the Blades want to sign a ‘proven centre-back’ and have made an approach for Davies.

Liverpool are said to be open to selling the Englishman just six months on from his arrival.

Intriguingly, the Blades were apparently keen on recruiting Davies from Deepdale in the January transfer window.

The verdict

Davies’ total lack of involvement suggests he was brought in simply to make up the numbers in a time of crisis, rather than take up a squad role going forward.

And from a business point of view, it made sense. Davies only had six months left on his Preston deal when Liverpool snapped him up, but now he’s under contract for another four years. That should enable the Reds to turn a healthy profit.

Their efforts to raise funds by offloading peripheral players are progressing nicely. Another player unlikely to get a look-in – Harry Wilson – is poised to join Fulham for around £10million.

In other news, fans were left fuming as an old transfer target resurfaced.