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Valerien Ismael has dropped an update on the fitness of West Bromwich Albion defender Kean Bryan ahead of the Baggies’ upcoming Championship clash.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Birmingham Live, the West Brom manager appeared highly confident that the centre-back will be available for the visit of Queens Park Rangers on Friday night.

Speaking about the current condition of the 24-year-old on Thursday, the Albion boss said: “He’s well, training well, back in training so he’s [more] available now than for the past two weeks.

“We’ll see, we have one more training session for the game tomorrow, but so far he’s made everything with the intensity. It was much, much better, better feeling, better understanding and better principle and now he is more ready.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering that Bryan was signed in order to help ease the strain on the Baggies’ backline following the injuries to both Matt Clarke and Dara O’Shea, the news that the former Sheffield United defender could be finally set to make his debut for the club is sure to have left Albion fans buzzing.

Indeed, while West Brom have not exactly been shipping goals in the absence of their stricken centre-back duo, having conceded just twice over their last three Championship fixtures, Ismael’s side have also picked up just three points in the same period.

While swapping in the 24-year-old may not initially appear to make a great deal of difference to the club’s attack, the addition of a left-footed centre-back to the Frenchman’s back three will then allow Conor Townsend to move up to left wing-back, which will provide West Brom with a much greater balance than has been witnessed in recent weeks.

As such, should Bryan indeed be available for selection against QPR, it should undoubtedly increase Albion’s chances of picking up three points in the fixture – something which would undoubtedly please everyone involved with the Baggies.

In other news: Ismael could land perfect Sam Johnstone heir with West Brom swoop for 21 y/o “monster”

The vast majority of the transfer window for Everton has revolved around James Rodriguez.

Will he or won’t he be a part of the Toffees’ plans for the season is a question on everyone’s lips, but we may have just received an answer.

What’s the word?

For so long it looked as though Rodriguez had played his final game for the Merseyside outfit. His agent Jorge Mendes was speaking to other clubs and he could have been on his way to Italy.

A move to Porto nearly materialised too with the attacking midfielder potentially heading back to his former club in exchange for winger Luis Diaz.

However, a major twist has occurred on deadline day, according to the Liverpool Echo.

They now report that, with James unable to agree on personal terms or find a suitable club in the final hours of the window, he is now willing to stay at Everton.

Rafa must be delighted

Rafa Benitez will know James well from his time at Real Madrid, and once he penned terms at Goodison Park, he will have been keen to utilise him.

However, the Colombian hasn’t been seen all season, so the Spaniard hasn’t actually been able to put him on the team sheet yet.

It’s difficult to work out whether he’d have wanted to initially, though. James infamously declared that he didn’t even know who Everton’s next opponents were during a Twitch stream a few weeks ago.

That being said, it’s difficult to ignore his qualities, and with Everton struggling to sign new players, he is still a key part of their squad.

You only need to assess his remarkable CV and his performances during a debut campaign in English football.

The Colombia international had a hand in ten Premier League goals, while he was their most creative player in the top-flight. Rodriguez provided 1.7 key passes per game, which was more than anybody else in the squad.

With that in mind, the manager will surely be delighted to see him wanting to stay at Goodison Park. He could be vital in their chase for European football.

AND in other news, “Talks progressing” – Insider delivers exciting Everton claim, Benitez surely elated…

The sale of Odsonne Edouard to Crystal Palace has been hailed as ‘brilliant business’ for Celtic’.

Those are the words of former Sunderland hitman Kevin Phillips, speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

A Celtic source has told the publication that add-ons could take the fee, initially £15million, as high as £20million.

That would make the sale of Edouard, who netted 86 goals in 179 appearances for the Hoops, the second most lucrative in Celtic’s history behind Kieran Tierney (£24.3million).

Celtic were in an ostensibly weak negotiating position because the Frenchman was into the final 12 months of his contract. He would have been entitled to strike a pre-contract agreement come January and leave on a free transfer.

The latest

Phillips was full of praise for Celtic, who banked a total of £34.2million from the sales of Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer, Ryan Christie and Jack Hendry.

“Brilliant business,” he said. “From the Celtic point of view, it’s given them the licence to spend a bit more when bringing those other players into the club.

“It’s a good deal all round.”

The verdict

What’s potentially most impressive most of all is the fact Celtic have signed an exciting replacement for a fraction of the fee.

Giorgos Giakoumakis won the golden boot for a relegated side in the Netherlands last season, which is a pretty mighty feat, and they were able to pick him up for a mere £2.25million.

Of course, Celtic don’t want to be a club who celebrate the sales of their best players, but it’s hard to see the cycle being broken with the money on offer south of the border.

In other news, a sell-on clause has emerged after a deadline day move.

As per journalist Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic (Twitter), Tottenham Hotspur managing director Fabio Paratici is on the verge of green lighting yet another N17 exit with Dennis Cirkin’s sale to Sunderland ‘expected to go through’.

The Lowdown: Spurs summer sales…

In a major rebuild, Paratici has been tasked with developing Tottenham’s on-field sporting operations and overseeing their sell-to-buy summer ahead of Nuno Espirito Santo’s debut season in charge of the club.

Already, Spurs have successfully offloaded the likes of Erik Lamela, Juan Foyth, Joe Hart and Toby Alderweireld for profit whilst letting Danny Rose and Paulo Gazzaniga leave on free transfers.

Football Insider recently broke news of Sunderland’s talks to sign Cirkin from Spurs in yet another player who could be departing and the development has now been backed by Eccleshare.

The Latest: Cirkin ‘expected’ to leave Spurs…

As per the reporter, writing on Twitter, Spurs’ promising talent may be next to leave north London on a permanent deal as the Black Cats swoop in.

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Despite being largely recognised as a ‘real talent’ and one who has been tipped to become a ‘real star’ for the Lilywhites one day (Twitter), the 19-year-old’s sale to Sunderland is still ‘expected to go through’.

It is not clear whether this permanent exit includes a potential buy-back option, or at the very least a sell-on clause, but Spurs supporters may be hoping that is the case.

The Verdict: Big loss…

Hailed as a young player with ‘a lot of quality’ by former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho after his appointment in 2019, news of Cirkin’s departure apparently hasn’t gone down too well with a large section of fans (Football Insider).

Sunderland are also said to be confident of finalising Cirkin’s signing in the next few days as Tottenham bid a likely farewell to the teenager with bags of potential.

If the left-back goes on to become a star defender, this may be a move Spurs will look back on with some regret. One would hope Paratici has been clever enough to include some form of buy-back clause.

In other news: Bid made – Tottenham have now lodged offer to sign player with ‘gigantic buzz’, find out more here.

Celtic have opened negotiations with VVV-Venlo over a move for striker Georgios Giakoumakis, according to The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Giakoumakis profiled

Giakoumakis, who stands at 6 feet tall, is a Greece international and has been with his current employers for 12 months.

During that time, the 26-year-old has scored 29 times in 33 appearances, 26 of which came in the Eredivisie last season.

Giakoumakis was described as a ‘phenomenon’ by Dutch journalist Jeroen Kapteijns, and it seems as if he could well be on the move to Glasgow.

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The Latest: Postecoglou phone call

According to The Daily Record, talks have begun over a potential £2.5m move to Parkhead.

Ange Postecoglou is thought to be playing a central role in any move and called Giakoumakis to discuss a possible transfer.

The forward was left impressed by Postecoglou’s approach and is interested in leading Celtic’s attack.

The Verdict: Sign

Should Odsonne Edouard get the Celtic Park exit he has been working on, a replacement will be needed and Giakoumakis could be an ideal candidate.

He’s just come off the most productive season in front of goal of his career and appears to be in his prime at 26.

A £2.5m fee could also prove to be a shrewd piece of business, especially as his Transfermarkt valuation has skyrocketed over the past six months.

In other news: Sky Sports reporter: Celtic now won’t sign right-back who pleaded for Hoops move. 

Swansea City have initiated talks with Russell Martin regarding the vacant managerial position at the Liberty Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that Jason Levien and Steven Kaplan have made an approach to Milton Keynes Dons for the 35-year-old, who has one year remaining on his contract with the League One side.

As such, it is reported that the Swans would be required to pay MK Dons a compensation fee if they were to appoint the former Scotland international as Steve Cooper’s successor this summer.

The club’s interest in Jody Morris is also mentioned in the report, however, it is suggested that Martin now appears to be Levien and Kaplan’s favourite for the position.

Martin could transform Swansea

Having taken over an MK Dons side in the League One relegation places back in November 2019, over the course of his two-year spell at Stadium MK, Martin has worked something of a minor miracle at the club.

Indeed, in his first season, the 35-year-old impressively guided his side to survival in the third tier, eventually finishing the season in 18th place.

Last season, the upward trajectory continued under the Scot, as, after making a number of astute signings on loan deals and free transfers in the summer transfer market, the club solidified their status as a League One side, finishing the season in 13th place.

However, perhaps the reason why Swansea appear so keen to appoint the exciting coach is down to the way the former Norwich City defender has his MK Dons side playing, having implemented a very distinct style of football.

Indeed, the Dons approach every game with the intention of dominating possession of the ball, as well as always looking for a progressive pass – with the club ranking by far as the League One leaders in Possession x Progressive Passes per 90 last season.

In defence, Martin’s side press intensely, allowing the attacking side an average of just 9.28 passes before attempting to win the ball back – with their PPDA (passes per defensive action) ranking as the fifth-lowest in the league.

In Layman’s terms, this makes for an attractive, fast-paced and attack-minded brand of football, something that – in general – football fans tend to appreciate more so than a boggy, slow-paced game.

And, with Cooper not exactly winning many plaudits for his win-at-any-cost style during his time at Swansea – despite being undeniably successful with this method –  should the Swans go on to land Martin this summer, fans would be witnessing a much more free-flowing and attack-minded team in action at the Liberty Stadium, with the Scot’s appointment bringing with it the possibility of a transformed Swansea City side.

In other news: Swansea in crisis as McGrath drops manager claim, but there could be a silver lining

Marcus Bent believes that Fabian Delph can still play in the Premier League – and suggested that West Ham would be a good fit should he leave Everton.

According to the Liverpool Echo, the midfielder, who has made 193 appearances in the English top flight, is a player that Everton are willing to sell this summer.

Since arriving at Goodison Park from Manchester City two years ago, Delph has spent plenty of time out injured, much to the frustration of the Toffees faithful.

In total, he’s been sidelined for an enormous 38 matches across all competitions, appearing just 30 times altogether following a deeply frustrating spell on Merseyside.

And with 12 months left on his contract, an Everton exit looks more than likely for the former Aston Villa and Leeds midfielder.

Asked whether remaining in the topflight despite his lack of minutes in recent weeks is a possibility, Bent exclusively told Football FanCast:

“He’s good enough, I think he’s good enough, I think he would fit in at West Ham.”

With West Ham in the Europa League this season, David Moyes needs a squad that can challenge on two fronts, at least for the first half of the campaign.

And with Delph boasting European experience, plus the ability to play in more than one position, this might prove to be a clever piece of business.

Swansea City have confirmed the signing of former Bristol City midfielder Liam Walsh on a three-year deal, as reported by Bristol Live.

The Lowdown: Swansea City get busy moving towards 2021/22

Looking towards the new season, fans will be intrigued to see how Steve Cooper’s men bounce back from May’s play-off final disappointment.

Making moves in the transfer market, the Swans have secured deals for former PSV Eindhoven man Joel Piroe alongside Scotland under-21 international Kyle Joseph [Transfermarkt], and a third summer signing will now be making his way to the Liberty Stadium.

The Latest: Walsh completes Swansea move on three-year contract

Free agent Walsh has completed a deal at the south Wales club following his release by the Robins, signing a three-year contract for Cooper’s side [Bristol Live].

Despite being highly-rated at Ashton Gate, manager Nigel Pearson had decided to let the 23-year-old leave due to financial concerns, therefore enabling Swansea to swoop for his services [Bristol Live].

Intriguingly, Walsh follows a very similar path to his new team-mate Korey Smith, who also swapped Bristol City for Swansea 11 months ago [swanseacity.com].

The Verdict: Walsh seems an astute piece of business by Swansea

Upon reflection, Walsh would appear to represent an astute piece of business by the Swansea hierarchy. Young, available for free and with plenty of scope to develop further, he could well prove to be an inspired acquisition come the end of the forthcoming campaign.

He suffered an injury-hit 2020/21 campaign, managing just three appearances [Transfermarkt], but he is still highly-regarded by many around him. His admirers include Premier League legend Matt Le Tissier, who once labelled the Huyton native as ‘top drawer’ during his time with Coventry City [Coventry Live].

Pressing ahead to pre-season, Swansea will no doubt look to get Walsh up to speed in order to realise his qualities on a weekly basis.

In other news, this former Swansea City man has applauded an ex-teammate’s transfer.

West Ham United fans are delighted after reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has revealed the Hammers are interested in signing Matheus Pereira from West Bromwich Albion.

The Hammers enjoy a fantastic campaign last time out as they finished sixth in the Premier League table – they will therefore be competing in the Europa League this coming season.

However, although the campaign is fast approaching and expectations will only increase on the back of their success, they are yet to complete a marquee signing this summer.

ExWHUemployee has now provided some positive news for the Irons supporters though, revealing the London-based outfit are interested in Pereira, who was relegated to the Championship with the Baggies last season.

The £13.5m-valued 25-year-old was one of few bright sparks for West Brom, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists in the top flight (Transfermarkt).

The news was also shared on Twitter by @WestHam_Central, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Pereira news below

“SIGN THE MAN”

Credit: @jmac2313

“cmonnnnn”

Credit: @morgzwhu

“Love it But need defender and DM.”

Credit: @just_wasik

“him and benhrama? i’ll honestly never complain again.”

Credit: @regannnnnnnn_

“Pereira, Fornals, Benrahma, Bowen. One can dream”

Credit: @camwestham

“Benhrama, Fornals, Matheus Pereira, Bowen and Tammy Abraham. Just give us the Europa League trophy already boys”

Credit: @joaonuno_10

In other news, West Ham fans want to sign this Barcelona man.

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Jack Hendry to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by TEAMtalk, who claimed that Club Brugge, Anderlecht and Royal Antwerp have all made a move for the KV Oostende centre-back, while Aston Villa are also thought to have joined the race for the 26-year-old’s signature.

A host of Championship clubs, including West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham, were previously reported to be keen on a move for the former Celtic defender in the summer transfer window, although the relegated trio could now be gazumped by teams offering the prospect of top-flight or even European football.

Ismael will be gutted

With Ismael typically operating with a system which utilised three centre-backs during his time at Barnsley, it would seem highly likely that the Frenchman will implement this setup at The Hawthorns next season.

With the 45-year-old not having a great deal of choice in that position at Albion, the heart of defence would very much appear to be an area where the Baggies manager will look to strengthen in the summer transfer window, with Hendry appearing to be an excellent candidate for the role.

Indeed, over his 30 Jupiler Pro League appearances for Oostende last season, the £3.15m-rated man helped his team to keep six clean sheets, along with averaging 0.6 interceptions, one tackle and 4.1 clearances and winning 4.8 duels per game.

The £8,000-per-week defender also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals and providing one assist, as well as averaging 0.2 key passes per league game.

These returns saw the man Alex McLeish dubbed a “confident” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Alexander Blessin’s third-best performer in the Belgian top flight.

As such, it would very much appear that the signing of Hendry would have been a perfect fit for Ismael. However, with a number of clubs interested in the centre-back who boast considerably greater pull than the Baggies, it would seem as if a deal for the Scotland international does not look overly likely at present, an outcome which will surely leave their manager gutted.

In other news: Get it done: Major update emerges on “fantastic” £8m West Brom target, Ismael must act