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As per a source close to Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa, speaking in an interview with Globo Esporte, there has been more news involving West Ham United and the player.

The Lowdown: West Ham enter talks…

The 25-year-old is a name we keep hearing through the press as David Moyes aims to bolster his attacking options before the January 31 deadline.

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Sky Sports first broke news of West Ham’s interest in Barbosa as they went on to lift the lid on talks and a loan-to-buy offer for him earlier this month.

Indeed, the Irons and recruitment chief Rob Newman lodged a proposal to take the striker on a temporary spell for 18 months with the option to make his stay permanent for €30m (£25m), according to Sky Sports.

Sharing an update, a source very close to Barbosa has now made a further admission.

The Latest: Agent confirms Barbosa offer…

Speaking to South American news outlet Globo Esporte, the former Inter Milan striker’s representative Junior Pedroso has claimed that West Ham have indeed tabled a formal offer to take Barbosa on loan.

First revealing an approach from Newcastle, Pedroso then went on to confirm West Ham’s involvement, saying: “The other club that actually went about with a formalization of a loan offer was West Ham. And then I didn’t even take that offer to Gabriel, I directed it to Flamengo , who gave a negative.

“Flamengo doesn’t see a loan as a possibility, even paying a fortune, and we wouldn’t consider a loan issue at the moment either.”

The Verdict: Time to move on…

The prolific forward has been nothing short of a revelation in Brazil, having scored a phenomenal 29 goals in all competitions throughout 2021, but he could be a gamble in the English top flight.

Barbosa’s only spell in Europe to date came at Inter, which was a regrettable one to say the least, so you can understand why Moyes and co want to test the waters with a loan deal before discussing any permanent move.

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, West Ham are still interested in a loan deal for the ‘big name’ striker, as Graeme Bailey worded it. However, after this interview with his agent, it could be time for the Irons to move on to other targets.

In 0ther news: ExWHUemployee claims West Ham are eyeing ‘absolutely incredible’ ace with loan-to-buy move in discussion, find out more here.

The international break is never a straightforward period for any club, and for Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp has now been dealt a pretty hefty setback as a result.

What’s the word?

The Times’ Paul Joyce confirmed a piece of news that surely no Liverpool fan wanted to hear ahead of a tough test against Arsenal this weekend.

He revealed that the international break had claimed Andy Robertson’s fitness with the full-back now a big doubt for this weekend’s clash.

Writing in his latest piece, the reporter noted:

“Andrew Robertson is a doubt for Liverpool’s game against Arsenal after sustaining a hamstring injury in Scotland’s World Cup qualifying win over Denmark.”

Huge blow

If Robertson is unable to take the field this weekend, it will surely leave supporters of the Reds absolutely gutted.

After all, the left-back is one of the club’s most important players and is undoubtedly the Premier League’s leading left-back.

He has been a vital cog in Merseyside for a considerable period of time now, with his defensive nouse, tantalising attacking play and boisterous leadership skills making him a mainstay of the team.

The defender has registered a whopping 39 assists from the backline since moving to Anfield and that kind of attacking fluency would be key against a Gunners team who are becoming more regimented in defence as the weeks go by.

Words from former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique provide evidence as to how good he is, and why he’ll be missed incredibly by Klopp on Saturday evening. The Spaniard said:

“He’s been the best left-back in the world for the last few years. I know everyone talks about [Alphonso] Davies from Bayern Munich but if you talk about consistency and level of performance all the time, this guy [Robertson] is unbelievable.”

Thus, to have a player like that absent for a clash against a team just two points behind you in the league table will be incredibly frustrating for supporters.

They do, of course, have the ever-improving Konstantinos Tsimikas to fill in but no one defines consistency and reliability quite like Robertson. His lack of fitness will surely be felt hard in the coming days.

AND in other news, Forget Edwards: LFC’s “incredible” 40 y/o brain-box could help keep Salah at Anfield…

As per Calciomercato, there has been a fresh update on the future of Cagliari star Nahitan Nandez and it involves Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Spurs make Nandez approach…

Over the summer window, the midfielder was earmarked as one of managing director Fabio Paratici’s transfer targets for Tottenham.

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Indeed, reliable sources like Sky Sports backed an approach from Spurs to sign the Uruguay international, with a summit between the club and player later confirmed.

Back in September, Cagliari’s sporting director Stefano Capozucca announced that Nandez had ‘meetings with Tottenham, Inter, Naples and Rome’, but the player couldn’t secure a move away (L’Unione Sarda via Calciomercato).

As the 25-year-old and his agent Pablo Betancur seek to finally seal an exit from the Sardegna Arena in January, there has been an update on Spurs’ pursuit.

The Latest: Spurs in the hunt…

As per Calciomercato, Tottenham are still very much in the race and pose as the most likely suitors outside of Serie A, with Napoli and Inter also remaining interested.

The Italian source also reiterates a message from Nandez’ representative in the form of a ‘discount’ for interested clubs.

As per agent Betancur, Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini has ‘promised’ to do ‘everything possible’ to facilitate Nandez’ mid-season exit, apparently ‘giving his word’ that he will ‘lower the price’ on his €36m (£30m) release clause.

The Verdict: Time to take advantage…

After Tottenham announced pre-tax losses of £80.2m for the latest financial year, with club debt now increasing to £706m (The Guardian), the club must take advantage of any bargain deals available.

Nandez certainly represents value for money if Spurs can secure him for a discounted fee, especially going by his versatility and ability to plug many gaping holes in Antonio Conte’s squad.

The South American can play as a central midfielder, right wing-back and as a traditional winger (Sky Sports), while there has been no shortage of praise for him.

Serie A journalist Mina Rzouki called Nandez ‘unstoppable’ for his performances over the back end of last campaign, whilst fellow Italian top-flight expert Conor Clancy dubbed him a ‘machine’ (This Is Futbol).

The 25-year-old could be a more than ideal signing for Spurs as Conte seeks to usher in a brand new era.

In other news: ‘Coming from Tottenham’ – Journalist makes exciting transfer claim with big offer on the table, find out more here.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has praised Kalvin Phillips’ decision to have surgery, also hinting at him staying put beyond the summer.

The Lowdown: Phillips undergoes surgery

The Whites have suffered yet another injury blow with the news that the England midfielder is going to be missing for a significant chunk of action.

The 25-year-old has suffered a hamstring injury and is likely to miss around two months of football, having undergone successful surgery.

Leeds will have to battle on without their talisman during a hectic period in the season but he should be back for the business end of the campaign.

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The Latest: Whelan finds positives

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan claims that it is a wise decision to have surgery immediately, rather than risk Phillips not being at his best for a long time. He said:

“It’s a really sensible move. We know how integral and important Kalvin is, and his value to this team will have demanded the surgery to take place in order to sort it out properly.

“No one wants to be without their talisman, but Leeds United will also realise that having him long-term is better than playing with a Kalvin Phillips that might be in and out of the team with the same problem.”

Furthermore, Whelan hinted at the Leeds hero staying at the club for a further 12 months at least, seemingly ruling out the idea of a summer exit amid rumours of other Premier League sides eyeing a swoop for him. The 46-year-old stated:

“It’s vitally important that he gets the treatment he needs. If that means we have to go without Kalvin for two months, but then we get him for the next 12 – then brilliant.”

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The Verdict: Better in the long run

Whelan is right- losing Phillips midway through the season is a big blow, but the decision to have surgery immediately is the right one, taking the hit now rather than letting it going on for several more months.

This way, the England international should return in good shape in February or March, rather than playing with an injury for the entirety of the campaign.

Regardless of where Phillips is playing his football in the future, it is important that he isn’t hampered in the long-term because of delaying surgery and making the situation worse.

In other news, one Leeds player has been linked with a summer exit. Find out who it is here.

With star defender Virgil van Dijk having been ruled out for the majority of the season, Jurgen Klopp will surely be keen to have him back as soon as possible.

That is completely understandable considering the Dutchman’s immense influence at Anfield and the dramatic way in which the Reds have collapsed without him in the side this season.

With van Dijk taking “another step closer” towards being fully recovered, there was fleeting hope that he may be able to take part in the closing months of the season, but bringing him back far too soon could destroy Liverpool’s season and future campaigns even more.

According to orthopaedic surgeon Bas Pijnenburg, it would be a “considerable risk” for Van Dijk to return in any capacity this season.

Should he suffer another recurrence of the injury or indeed another problem, this would once again rule out Liverpool’s best centre-back, possibly for an even greater period of time.

Since signing for the Reds from Southampton in 2017, van Dijk has played 130 games, winning 92. This gives him a hugely impressive 70% win percentage when appearing. However, without the Dutchman, this drops sharply to just 52%.

Whilst the club will not want that poor record to continue this season by any stretch of the imagination, Klopp will simply not want this drop off in form to spill into next season at any cost should Van Dijk be ruled out again.

With just the UEFA Champions League left for the Merseysiders to feasibly win during the current campaign, it surely makes no sense to rush Van Dijk back and risk yet more damage.

After all, should he get injured once more then Liverpool will be back to where they started, putting unnecessary strain on an already threadbare position within their squad.

Despite Van Dijk being labelled as “unbelievable” by Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson, it is best for the £180k per week defender to be kept under wraps until next season.

AND in more news, read which relegation-threatened star could be the perfect replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum at Anfield…

Tottenham Hotspur colossus Cristian Romero was the only shining light as the north London outfit were held by Brentford on Saturday evening.

Antonio Conte’s side were struck an almighty blow in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League as they couldn’t find a way past Christian Eriksen and co, failing to even register a shot on target all game.

It now puts the Lilywhites two points behind their arch-rivals, Arsenal, with only five matches left to play – including the derby on May 12th – meaning it is now out of Spurs’ hands completely.

Despite dominating possession (56%), Tottenham failed to create anything of note, whilst their former playmaking Dane effectively ran the show for the Bees.

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Harry Kane and Heung-min Son were starved of service from the Italian’s wing-backs, the former even putting in a last-ditch goal-line clearance to save the clean sheet, at the very least.

Although it was the Argentine defender, who has been lauded as an “animal” in the past by his teammate Pierluigi Gollini, who ensured that Spurs walked away with a point rather than nothing whatsoever.

The £36m-rated warrior was an absolute rock defensively, often mopping up behind the error-prone Emerson on the right side of the defence.

As per SofaScore, the 23-year-old centre-back earned a ‘Man of the Match’ 8.1 rating, having made a game-high five interceptions, on top of three blocks, two clearances and one tackle.

Not only was he solid at the back, having won 75% of his ground and aerial battles but he was also influential with the ball at his feet, registering 74 touches, which included one key chance created – as many as Kane and Dejan Kulusevski combined – from 51 successful passes (93% total accuracy).

Romero’s performance earned quite the praise indeed, justifiably so.

Alasdair Gold of football.london graded him an 8/10 in his post-match ratings column and claimed that he ‘was by far Spurs’ best player on the day.’

There weren’t many players that could come away from such a display with their head held high but on the above evidence, the Argentina international was a cut above his teammates and without him, they may well have returned to N17 with an even worse result.

Romero was certainly Conte’s one and only positive from such a drab display.

AND in other news, Forget Emerson: “Really poor” Spurs lightweight who lost possession 19x failed Conte…

Aaron Cresswell was David Moyes’ true hero as West Ham United beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Goals from Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio either side of half-time proved the difference between the two clubs in east London, after the Irons saw their lead struck out by Matheus Pereira shortly into the second period.

It was the second winning effort that Antonio has netted in just four days, after scoring his fourth goal of the season so far to beat Burnley on Saturday for his first Premier League strike since October following two hamstring injuries.

A 2-1 victory over Sam Allardyce’s Baggies, buoyed by their first win under the former Irons boss at the weekend, extended West Ham’s unbeaten start to 2021 featuring four-straight wins across all competitions for the first time this season.

Cresswell has now started each of West Ham’s 19 Premier League fixtures so far this season and impressed greatly against West Brom, despite Moyes seeing his side’s run of three successive top-flight clean sheets come to an end.

The £6m-rated full-back was involved in each of the Hammers goals on Tuesday night, with his partnership with Said Benrahma allowing the Algerian to deliver a deep cross into the visitors’ penalty area, where Vladimir Coufal redirected his pass to find Bowen to open the scoring on the stroke of half-time.

Cresswell’s eye for a cross again led to West Ham finding a route past Sam Johnstone in the 66th-minute, when the 31-year-old’s delivery finding substitute Andriy Yarmolenko at the back post, who headed back across and Antonio hooked the ball over the line.

An early pass to Declan Rice moments earlier almost saw Cresswell earn what would have been his fifth assist of the season, too, having caught the Baggies defence sleeping only for the England midfielder to marginally beat the post, as well as Johnstone, from an acute angle.

Cresswell was by far West Ham’s biggest attacking threat during the first-half, with West Brom seemingly unable to come up with any answers to prevent his forward vision and willingness to push on to join Benrahma and offer width on the wing.

He had far more defending to do in the second-half after the Baggies came out from the break with their tails up, yet accepted the challenge without much fuss to prove himself as Moyes’ true hero at both ends of the pitch.

West Ham never shied away from relying on Cresswell, either, with the £50,000-per-week ace – who Moyes claims has “really stepped up” this season – taking far more touches (116) than any other player for either side, with Tomas Soucek (82) a distant second, per WhoScored.

Cresswell further led the charts for total passes (81) and key balls (3), with numbers far above his season averages of 48.8 passes and 1.5 key balls a game. He also made one successful dribble from two attempts, rounding off a strong night from the man who the Irons rarely see progress play on the ground, with just 0.3 dribbles a game to his name this term.

The three-time England international also offered one of West Ham’s mere five successful tackles, was never dribbled past, made the joint-second most clearances (3) by Hammers players and won each of his two aerial contests.

Cresswell has not been as productive defensively for a number of weeks, with just one successful tackle recorded in his previous four Premier League games combined, while last offering more clearances in October’s 2-1 defeat at Liverpool with five.

His volume of crosses attempted (10) was further higher than his average six per game, though finding teammates with just 20% compared to his usual 30%. Cresswell also produced 14 long passes to his usual 8.4 a game, albeit with a 28% success rate to his usual 39%, per SofaScore.

AND in other news, a £22.5m-rated West Ham man will not be a part of David Moyes’ plans for the rest of this season…

At long last, Wolves supporters have a new signing to cheer about.

Their rather drab 1-0 win over Chorley last Friday was followed up by the confirmation of Willian Jose’s arrival on loan. Though, Jeff Shi might not be done in the window just yet.

What’s the word?

The priority for Wolves this January was to find a new attacker and in their loan acquisition from Real Sociedad, they have found that.

Despite his arrival, another forward could be arriving at Molineux. According to The Daily Mail, Wolves are one of a number of teams interested in signing 87-cap Nigeria international Ahmed Musa.

The 28-year-old is available on a free transfer and has a host of willing suitors. West Brom are another interested party from the Premier League while Fulham and CSKA Moscow are also pondering a move.

Wolves’ next Costa?

With Musa available on a free transfer, there is little risk to this deal, especially with Wolves in such diabolical form.

They have won just three of their last 11 outings so need all the help they can get. That being said, the decision to bring Musa to the Midlands – if that’s what they choose – would be a poor piece of business.

The fact of the matter is that the forward has already struggled to produce consistent numbers in the top-flight of English football.

The Nigerian signed for Leicester in a then-club-record fee of £16m back in 2016 but departed after playing just 33 times for the Foxes. In the process, Musa found the net on only five occasions.

Clearly, this was not a worthwhile investment and it would be unwise if Wolves brought him back to the Midlands. After all, he beat the goalkeeper on just four occasions in the Saudi top-flight last season.

With numbers like that, there’s no reason why he’d thrive in the Premier League at the second time of asking.

Though, what do statistics like those remind us of? Helder Costa, of course.

Another tricky forward, the Portuguese was sublime in the Championship, scoring 15 and registering 14 assists across two years. However, after their promotion, he beat the goalkeeper on a solitary occasion and provided two assists for the Old Gold.

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Things haven’t got easier for Costa with Leeds. He’s contributed to four goals this term and is already being touted with leaving Elland Road.

Clearly, the duo both struggle in the Premier League but there are closer similarities too, specifically in terms of playstyle.

They both have plenty of pace and are equally creative, beating opponents with similar regularity. For example, in both of their opening Premier League campaigns, they were closely matched for shots per game.

Costa managed one per match compared to Musa’s 0.8. In terms of average dribbles, there was only a minimal difference between the two. The former managed one dribble a game in the 2018/19 season compared to the latter’s 0.7 dribbles in 2016/17.

Musa has clearly matured since that campaign. He scored more goals (2) than Lionel Messi did at the last World Cup for instance. Though, it would appear that like Costa, he isn’t quite cut out for the Premier League and the lack of time you get on the ball.

This is a move that Jeff Shi needs to swerve.

AND in other news, Time to go: Wolves must wield the axe on £10k-p/w flop, he’s ransacked Shi’s pockets…

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, former West Ham striker Brian Deane has called for Said Benrahma to be given patience at the London Stadium.

The 25-year-old winger recently grabbed his first league goal for the club after what has been a difficult start to life in east London.

After tearing up the Championship last season, much was expected of Benrahma when he joined West Ham.

However, the Algeria international has been in and out of David Moyes’ starting XI and, as already mentioned, only registered his first Premier League strike this month.

Deane, however, does not believe Benrahma should be written off so quickly and has urged for him to be given time.

Speaking exclusively to TT about the former Brentford man, Deane said:

“He’s like [Emiliano] Buendia. He’s that type of player, isn’t he? But in a wide area. Listen, I mean, sometimes you don’t get somebody on fire straight away, but he’s got all the tools.”

Like Benrahma during his final season at Brentford, Buendia absolutely thrived in the Championship this term.

The Argentinian attacker scored 15 goals and provided 16 assists on Norwich City’s way to the title, so it is a fair comparison, with Benrahma doing similar numbers back in 2019/20.

Celtic have opened talks with Manchester City’s football partnerships manager Fergal Harkin ahead of potentially becoming the club’s new director of football.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who claim that a Celtic source has informed them discussions are underway with the Irishman over the newly created role.

Two more names linked with the job

Harkin, 44, isn’t the only man who has been linked with the post.

Juventus scout Matteo Tognozzi and former Bournemouth and Huddersfield recruitment chief David Webb are two other names who have been linked with a move to Glasgow.

Transfer Tavern take

Harkin has 11 years of experience at Manchester City in various scouting and recruitment roles, so it could be a big move for him to end his association at the Etihad to move to Scotland.

The report reveals that no deal has been reached as of yet, however, with discussions underway, we feel these are positive off-field steps ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

The quicker a director of football and new first-team manager are put in place, the better the club’s business over the summer could be, as it would give plenty of time to analyse various situations and make some key calls.

In other news, Source drops eight-word Celtic managerial development after Friday development, find out more here.