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Manchester City could be considered new ‘favourites’ to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Rice linked…

The 24-year-old has been sporadically linked with a move to Eastlands as manager Pep Guardiola reportedly identifies transfer targets for next season.

Rice, however, is also attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea with reports suggesting that the England international is open to joining Mikel Arteta’s side.

City also have both Rodri and Kalvin Phillips in their ranks, making a move for the Irons star seem impractical.

The Latest: Man City considered Rice ‘favourites’…

According to a report by TEAMtalk and reporter Graeme Bailey, the Premier League champions could be considered new favourites for Rice.

The race to sign him is apparently ‘intensifying’, and to make room for the player at City, Kalvin Phillips, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are all nominees for potential exits this summer.

The Verdict: Phenomenal player…

Called a ‘superstar’ by some members of the media, there is little denying he has become that at the London Stadium.

Rice averages more interceptions per 90 than any West Ham star in midfield whilst also completing a higher pass accuracy over all of his teammates (WhoScored).

As a player proven in the English top flight, the pull for Guardiola and co is Rice’s undoubted quality, having even cemented himself as a regular under Gareth Southgate at international level.

That being said, the gem could also command a heavy price tag, with manager David Moyes even demanding a £150 million fee for him last year.

Phillips is currently still finding his feet after injury and is growing accustomed to life at the Etihad during his first season, and despite Rice’s brilliance, we believe the former Leeds star should be afforded far more time.

The Express & Star’s Lewis Cox highlighted an ‘interesting’ comment made by West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan about goalkeeper David Button following his side’s defeat on Friday night.

The Lowdown: Button errors

The Baggies shot-stopper was at fault for both of the goals they conceded during their Championship clash against Birmingham City.

Button was caught napping as he left his goal exposed at a free-kick, with Hannibal Mejbri capitalising as he whipped the ball into the corner and scored.

Birmingham’s second came from a corner where the Albion stopper ought to have claimed the ball, only for Krystian Bielik to head home.

The Latest: Corberan comments

Speaking on the Express & Star’s YouTube channel, Cox discussed the conversation he had with Corberan about Button following the conclusion of the match, stating that he was affected by the nature of the opening goal from Mejbri’s set piece.

He said: “We’ve had a chat with Carlos Corberan just there and he actually said an interesting thing in that that first goal really knocked Button and he was just unable to sort of recover, rediscover his composure – which says a lot.

“We know he’s had a tough season before he was dropped in October, and you would imagine his confidence and mentality took a real beating tonight after a high at The Hawthorns last week, a clean sheet, he’s right back down to Earth with a bump.”

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The Verdict: Weak area

With Alex Palmer ruled out with an injury at the moment, we believe that the goalkeeper position is an area of weakness for West Brom.

Palmer aside, they only have Button and 21-year-old Josh Griffiths available for selection for their upcoming fixtures.

Furthermore, the error against the Blues is not Button’s first mistake of the season, as he also produced a howler earlier in the campaign against Swansea City.

Meanwhile, Griffiths has recently returned from a loan with Portsmouth in League One and has no experience of playing in the Championship.

Our view is that it all comes down to whether Corberan has completely lost faith in Button for the time being – in which case, it could a good chance for Griffiths to get some game time and develop until Palmer returns.

However, you could argue that it’s a big ask, and with West Brom fighting for a spot in the play-offs, it could be too risky to play such an inexperienced ‘keeper, while further depleting Button’s confidence must surely be in Corberan’s thinking.

Everton have earned a reputation for transfer disasters under the ownership of Farhad Moshiri and have often found themselves splashing cash on the wrong players, which has ultimately left them fighting for survival in the Premier League and in financial difficulty.

They don’t always get it wrong and last summer acquired the services of a number of players who have become integral members of the team, with James Tarkowski and Amadou Onana in particular flourishing since their arrivals at Goodison Park. They both rank among the Toffees’ five best performers this season according to WhoScored metrics.

However, it has not been enough to improve Everton’s fortunes in the Premier League as they again find themselves struggling to retain their top-flight status due to their weakened attacking threat caused by Richarlison’s exit and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s constant injury issues, failing to adequately replace either of their contributions in front of goal over the last two transfer windows.

It’s not just the disappointing players that the powerbrokers at Goodison Park have signed which has been galling, but also the targets that they have allowed to slip through the net over the past few years, players who could have been influential enough to avoid the relegation concerns that Everton are currently experiencing.

One player who was set for a move to the blue half of Merseyside in 2021 was Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, with the Toffees locked in talks with Porto over a potential £20m deal which included James Rodriguez going the other way in order to secure the signing.

It was the latter who caused the collapse of the proposal as he couldn’t agree personal terms with Porto, and just a few months later, the talented forward signed for bitter rivals Liverpool.

Diaz made an instant impact upon his arrival at Anfield and quickly became a trusted player in Jurgen Klopp’s highly competitive forward line over their quadruple run in the second half of last season, scoring ten goals and delivering eight assists in just 38 appearances so far for the club.

Now rated at £98m by CIES Football Observatory, the winger – who was dubbed “exceptional” by Klopp – would have been the dream replacement for Richarlison if he had secured his future with Everton. The Colombian forward offers energy, creativity and, most importantly, a regular supply of goal contributions, all of which the Toffees are lacking at present.

The 26-year-old hasn’t played in the Premier League for four months, yet his goal tally (three) is still equal or superior to every player in Sean Dyche’s current squad in the current top-flight campaign.

The collapse of the deal for Diaz, and the realisation that they could’ve signed him for just over 20% of his current mark value, will surely be a development which haunts Moshiri. Alas, the Goodison Park hierarchy must continue their search for the next trustworthy forward to improve performances and get Everton climbing up the table again.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will undoubtedly be whirring the cogs in his head at full force as he looks to devise a solution to the club’s current woes, and might delve into the transfer market for a signing to make an instant impact. 

With prolific forward Cody Gakpo already sealed several weeks ago, joining from PSV Eindhoven on an initial £35m deal, the onus appears to be firmly on the centre of the park, with a raft of potential signatures within the transfer discussion. 

One potentially shrewd acquisition comes in the form of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielderRuben Neves, with the assiduous ace out of contract at the end of next season and consequently touted for an exit this year, with the Old Gold possibly seeking to recuperate the reported £15m fee that secured his services from homeland outfit FC Porto in 2018. 

A few days ago, according toFootball Insider, the Reds have identified Neves as an alternative to West Ham United’s Declan Rice, who has been heavily touted with a move away from east London across recent weeks. 

With Liverpool technical director Julian Ward holding a purse with scant funds to bolster the squad further, a move for the Portuguese midfielder might indeed be the most prudent avenue to delve down. 

Performances on the pitch are indeed a glaring indication that the current crop at Anfield are failing to match their manager’s aspirations, with the dejecting results partnered by a stark decline in intensity and cohesion following a preceding campaign that saw the Merseyside outfit clinch the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. 

Fresh talent is paramount, and in the 25-year-old machine, Liverpool could recharge the batteries and steer the ship back on course before facing the business end of the season with resources that might prove to be inefficient in the fight for Champions League football next season. 

The “beast” that is Neves – as hailed by ex-USMNT star Jimmy Conrad – has made 236 appearances for Wolves since his arrival, and this season has recorded a commendable average Premier League rating of 7.27, as per Sofascore, completing 84% of his passes, making 2.6 tackles and 2.4 clearances from his sweeping role in the centre.

The club might be mulling over signing the industrious maestro in the summer, but his inclusion for the remainder of the current campaign could replicate the success the club had in the early stages of Klopp’s tenure in signing Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for £75m, in a deal that served as the catalyst for a prosperous era for the distinguished outfit. 

Van Dijk indeed arrived with a weight of expectation following the lucrative fee, but duly lived up to it with his mesmeric defensive performances and supreme leadership and composure, a central figure in monumentally winning the Premier League and Champions League, among a host of further trophies.

And joining in a January window himself, his profound impact on his side could be something that the £58k-per-week Neves could also harness, indeed bolstering the midfield ranks with his tenacious approach and unwavering physicality.

As such, Klopp would be wise to push for a deal before the culmination of the January window in less than two weeks; while perhaps not the same calibre of signing, the impact that Neves could make at Anfield would emulate Van Dijk’s legendary signing, instilling abundant confidence and fluidity and mapping the way to prominence once again.

Manchester United have been named in a transfer update involving Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries.

The Lowdown: Dumfries speculation

The Dutchman is primarily a right-back but can also line out as a right-sided midfielder, as per Transfermarkt. The 26-year-old has been linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent months, with rumours suggesting that the Red Devils were plotting an offer for Dumfries’ services.

He appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €28m (£24.8m) Transfermarkt valuation, with a transfer update emerging this week.

The Latest: United still keen on Dumfries

On Wednesday, Sport Witness relayed an update from Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport regarding Dumfries. They claimed that the Netherlands ace is ‘already for sale’, with Inter asking for €60m (£53.1m).

The report named both United and Chelsea as ‘the most interested Premier League big names’, adding that either of the two ‘could bring the operation forward to January’.

The Verdict: Needed?

Dumfries has been called a ‘very exciting’ and ‘effective’ player by members of the Italian media and lined out alongside fellow Old Trafford transfer target Wout Weghorst at the 2022 World Cup.

He could be a shrewd prospective addition under Erik ten Hag due to his versatility, experience at the highest level and seemingly at the peak of his powers.

United are discussing a number of right-back targets, including Celtic’s Josip Juranovic, although any possible right-back arrival will depend on Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s future, so this could be one to watch.

Tottenham have now opened ‘negotiations’ to sign Sporting CP full-back and Real Madrid target Pedro Porro, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

Spurs have been linked with the former Man City defender in recent months as manager Antonio Conte sets his sights on a right-wing-back upgrade.

The Italian is reportedly dissatisfied with his current options in the position with both Matt Doherty and Emerson Royal up for the axe heading into January.

Lilywhites sporting director Fabio Paratici, in a bid to back Conte next month, has now apparently opened talks to sign Porro, who has been shining in the Portuguese top flight.

The Latest: Spurs open ‘negotiations’ over Porro signing…

Reports out of Spain say that the Premier League side ‘wants to give’ Conte the signing of Porro.

AS claim negotiations have been ‘opened’ by the north Londoners and they want to ‘incorporate’ him next month, but the problem lies with Sporting, who think of the 23-year-old as a key player.

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The Verdict: Perfect player…

Called a ‘sensational’ full-back by members of the media, Porro has come on leaps and bounds since leaving Manchester on a permanent deal.

The Spaniard has four league assists to his name already this season and ranks as one of Sporting’s top five best-performing players by average match rating (WhoScored).

An attack-minded wing-back, he also sits in their top two for shots at goal and key passes made per 90 – with it being clear he could provide real threat in the attacking areas for Conte.

If Paratici can sway Sporting into a January deal, there is little denying from our perspective he would be an upgrade on both Emerson and Doherty.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Chris Smalling back to the Premier League next summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet CalcioMercatoWeb, who claim that, should Antonio Conte miss out on the signing of Inter Milan centre-back Stefan de Vrij, the 53-year-old could turn his attention to the AS Roma defender, who the Italian manager ‘does not stop thinking about’.

The report goes on to state Juventus and Inter are also interested in a move for the former England international at the end of the current campaign – when the 33-year-old looks likely to become available on a free transfer – although it is suggested that Smalling would prefer a move back to England ahead of one to another Serie A side.

Ideal De Vrij substitute

Considering the quite remarkable “remontada” – in the words of Amos Murphy – Smalling has enjoyed since joining Roma permanently from Manchester United in an £18m deal in the summer of 2020, it is not difficult to see why, should Conte miss out on the signing of De Vrij, the Italian would be interested in a deal to bring the centre-back to north London as an alternative.

Indeed, over his 15 Serie A appearances so far this season, the £6.9m-rated talent has been a rock in the heart of Jose Mourinho’s backline, helping the Giallorossi keep three clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 0.6 tackles, 4.5 clearances and winning 4.5 duels per game.

The £80k-per-week defender has also caught the eye going forwards, having already hit the back of the net with three headers, as well as taking an average of 0.6 shots, playing 1.9 long balls and completing 34.3 passes – at a success rate of 88% – per match.

These returns have seen the 31-cap international average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 7.08, currently ranking him as Roma’s sixth-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

This level of form has not only attracted admiring glances from the likes of Spurs, Inter and Juve, but it also saw The Athletic’s James Horncastle put together a case for the 33-year-old to earn a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Qatar World Cup this winter.

Furthermore, with Paulo Fonseca previously stating his belief in an interview with The Athletic that Smalling has the “ideal characteristics for Italian football” as “it’s not easy to find centre-backs who are as fast and aggressive” as the Englishman, it is quite clear that the centre-back would very much suit Conte’s style down to the ground.

As such, should Tottenham and the 53-year-old manager go on to miss out on the signing of De Vrij, it would indeed seem an extremely wise move for the Italian to launch a move for the former United star as a substitute, as ‘Smaldini’ would appear to be an ideal alternative to the Inter Milan centre-half.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter is ‘not particularly enamoured’ by the thought of signing Cristiano Ronaldo, according to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Blues considering approach

The Premier League veteran mutually agreed to have his contract terminated by Manchester United earlier this week following an explosive interview that saw him face the consequences of his actions.

The Mirror have claimed that the Blues are considering making an approach for the striker after initially being linked with him over the summer, and it’s believed that he wants to join a team that competes in the Champions League.

The Latest: Jacobs’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs revealed that Potter wouldn’t be keen on having someone like Ronaldo behind-the-scenes. He said:

“As a young manager already making the step up to Chelsea, my understanding is that he’s not particularly enamoured by the idea of having a character like Cristiano Ronaldo in his dressing room, and certainly not without a kind of clear out first.

“Otherwise, there’s naturally a scenario where Ronaldo could come in, Aubameyang is already there and not getting as much game time as he would like, Armando Broja has been given guarantees that he’s going to get game time, Kai Havertz expects to be in the starting line-up for big games, Raheem Sterling’s being sort of migrated to left wing-back but would obviously prefer and is more comfortable being part of a front-line.

“So, the concern from Potter’s perspective is what will Ronaldo do to the dynamic.”

The Verdict: Correct decision

Ronaldo is undoubtedly a world-class player having made an astonishing 924 goal contributions in 949 appearances throughout this career, but avoiding a deal would be for the best.

Over this past week, the World Cup forward has shown how he can react to off-field events, and if this is how he’ll respond every time things aren’t going his way, it’s no surprise to learn that Potter doesn’t want him in the dressing room.

Chelsea reportedly have an agreement in place to sign RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku, and he appears to be a much better option than the Portuguese.

Leeds United are once again interested in a move for Martin Terrier in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that – after being heavily linked with a move for the Stade Rennais centre-forward in the summer – Victor Orta is once again keeping a very close eye on the 25-year-old ahead of the winter market, with the Whites believed to have scouted the former France U21 international in the last two weeks.

The report goes on to state that Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa are also interested in a move for the attacker, for whom the Ligue 1 side are believed to be demanding a figure in the region of £30m in order to part with in January.

Orta must move

Considering just how impressive Terrier has been for Rennes since his move to the club back in the summer of 2020, the argument that Orta must amend his mistake in not making a move for the Frenchman this summer by launching a bid for the 25-year-old in January is an easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 37 Ligue 1 appearances last season, the £40.5m-rated talent was in sensational form for Bruno Genesio’s side, bagging 21 goals, providing 88 shots, making 42 key passes and completing 28 dribbles over the course of the campaign.

These metrics saw the £22k-per-week attacker average a remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.30, not only ranking him as Rennes’ second-best performer in the league but also as the joint 11th-best player in the French top flight as a whole.

This is form Terrier has continued over his 13 league fixtures in the current campaign, with the striker having already bagged eight goals, registered three assists and created three big chances, as well as taking an average of 3.0 shots – 1.6 of which have been on target – making 1.6 key passes and completing 0.6 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the player who Genesio dubbed a “high-level” forward average an even more breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.59, not only ranking him as his club’s best performer in the division but also as the sixth-best player in Ligue 1 as a whole.

As such, considering the fact that Patrick Bamford is yet to score in the league this season, coupled with Rodrigo currently being in a turbulent run of form, it is clear to see that Jesse Marsch could use a more consistent goal scorer in his attacking arsenal at Elland Road, a role that it would appear Terrier is more than capable of filling for the 48-year-old manager.

A thrilling burst of three wickets in seven balls by Jack Brooks propelled Somerset towards a 102-run victory against Surrey at Guildford that will fuel dreams in the West Country of a historic first County Championship title.Surrey were bowled out for 164 in their second innings, losing eight wickets on the final morning in just over an hour and a half. It is Somerset’s fourth win from five matches this season, and takes them to the top of the Division One table with a lead of 15 points over second-placed Hampshire.Fast bowler Brooks removed nightwatchman Gareth Batty and then claimed the prized scalps of South African Test batsman Dean Elgar and England wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Foakes in a spell of 5-1-11-3 in the first 45 minutes of a final day that began with champions Surrey, at 99 for 2, needing another 168 runs to beat the team who finished runners-up to them last season.Having slid to 120 for 5 as a result of Brooks’ triple strike, which gave him overall figures of 5 for 33, Surrey then took further heavy blows from seamer Tim Groenewald, who bowled Scott Borthwick for 45 with his first ball and followed up by pinning Will Jacks leg-before in his second over.Left-hander Borthwick, who started the day on 35 and had featured in a second wicket stand of 72 in 27 overs with his captain, Rory Burns, on the third evening to raise Surrey hopes, was undone by a superb ball which swung back into him. Jacks, who made 0, had no answer to a nip-backer.It was swing, too, which Brooks found from the Railway End to undermine Surrey’s chase in spectacular fashion. Batty, who had begun by edging Brooks safely past third slip for four and had gone to 14 by cover-driving Craig Overton for another boundary, was bowled aiming to pull a ball that was far too full for the shot.Elgar was also bowled, off the inside edge for a third ball duck, as he tried to dig out a full delivery that curved back into him and Foakes, on 2, nicked a lovely away-swinger and was brilliantly caught low down by Marcus Trescothick at second slip.Groenewald picked up a third wicket when Rikki Clarke drove at an outswinger and edged to keeper Steven Davies, who took a good tumbling catch in front of first slip, and the end was near for Surrey when Ryan Patel, having swatted Craig Overton over mid wicket for six to go to 27, wafted a catch to gully later in the same over as he tried to engineer a stroke to keep the strike.It was all over at 12.34pm when Morne Morkel lofted Craig Overton straight to mid off to go for 2, giving the bowler figures of 2 for 59. Groenewald finished with 3 for 29. Somerset took 22 points, and Surrey 4.”I just could not be prouder of the boys, and this was a massive win for us,” said Tom Abell, Somerset’s captain. “Surrey had eight Test players in their team and after yesterday I would probably have preferred to be in their position coming into today.”But we said in the dressing room before play that if we bowled better than we did yesterday evening and started to build bowling partnerships then we could put them under pressure and that’s exactly what we did. The bowling unit were outstanding today, and as captain you know that they will give you everything.Surrey captain Rory Burns said: “Obviously it’s very disappointing that we could not bat better today and get to that target, having bowled so well to get back into the match yesterday.”There are lots of little things holding us back at the moment, and dropping Bartlett on 0 in the first innings clearly did not help us. That was a crucial moment in the context of this game,”As a batting group, we are seeming to find ways of getting out and I think we did show at times that this was not an unplayable pitch. But, when you are the two batters out there, you have to seize that moment and build partnerships.”We know we have to start getting things right, as a batting unit and as a team, but we are certainly not giving up on defending the title. We have played five matches, so there are nine games to go and we will be aiming to win all of them – that’s the attitude we will take into the rest of the season, starting next week here at Guildford against Yorkshire.”