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West Ham United’s hierarchy are eyeing up Blackburn Rovers star Ben Brereton Diaz in these final few weeks of the window, says journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Moyes keeping busy…

As reliably reported, Hammers boss David Moyes is aiming to keep busy over this last stretch of the summer with talks held for multiple targets.

Hans Vanaken of Club Brugge and Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri are thought to be next on the agenda after West Ham have already seal a plethora of signings.

Despite the acquisition of striker Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo, it is believed that the Irons are still keeping their eyes on forwards for Moyes.

The Latest: West Ham board eyeing Brereton Diaz…

Now, according to reporter Taylor, there has been an interesting update in the last 48 hours on their links to Brereton Diaz.

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Writing for The Daily Express in his Tuesday column, the journalist claims West Ham’s board are definitely admirers of the Chile international, though they have yet to move for his services.

Brereton Diaz has continued his fine form from last campaign with two goals in three matches, seemingly attracting more suitors, including ones from abroad.

The Verdict: Get moving?

The 23-year-old has been ‘on fire’ this year, as worded by pundit Paddy Kenny, and that description is justified considering his 22 goals in 34 Championship starts last season.

Former Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray, hailing Brereton Diaz as a ‘beast’, is seemingly just one of many admirers but a fairly large price tag comes with such a glowing reputation.

It is believed that Rovers could demand as much as £20m for the forward, and if so, the West Ham hierarchy’s love for him will surely be tested.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has claimed that Manchester United are preparing ‘conversations’ to make a ‘breakthrough’ for Ajax forward Antony over the next seven days. 

The lowdown: Strong interest

The Red Devils have been actively pursuing a deal for Antony for weeks and a recent report from Sky Sports claimed that the Brazilian was a major target for new manager Erik ten Hag.

Despite submitting an offer believed to be in the region of £51million for the 22-year-old Brazil international, United’s pursuit has thus far been fruitless as Chelsea have also shown an interest in making a deal happen.

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With arch-rivals Liverpool believed to be past admirers of Antony too, the skilful Samba star’s future remains in sharp focus and one well-informed onlooker has shed some light on the current state of play…

The latest: ‘Conversations’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones – who writes for Eurosport – has claimed that Manchester United officials will ‘kick on’ with negotiations for the six-cap ace over the coming days.

He said: “They definitely expect to kick on with these conversations in the next week and see if they can make a breakthrough.

“They’re very aware that Chelsea might challenge them for his signature, so that could cause a problem because there is a possibility that Chelsea have more money to spend in that area of the field than Manchester United if they manage to get rid of the players that they want to in attack too.”

The verdict: Fingers crossed

Albeit the Eredivisie champions have reportedly upped their demands to an eye-watering £84million for Antony, signing the Brazilian should remain a priority for the Old Trafford hierarchy this summer.

Predominantly operating from the right-hand side of a front three in Holland, the former Sao Paolo sensation would be the perfect addition to Ten Hag’s ranks as the squad is currently short of senior options to play from that side.

Described as a ‘dribbling wizard’ by South American football writer Tom Robinson, Antony earned an outstanding 7.44 Sofascore rating whilst winning 4.8 duels, successfully completing 1.8 dribbles and taking 3.4 shots on average per game in the Dutch top flight last season, levels of form that would stand the attacker in good stead when it comes to making the transition to the Premier League.

Sharing a close stylistic likeness with such renowned names as Angel Di Maria, Serge Gnabry and Riyad Mahrez (Fbref), Antony would represent a sensational coup for United, particularly were Chelsea to fall by the wayside in the process.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on Nicolo Barella…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian outfit Il Messaggero, who claim that Spurs – and in particular manager Antonio Conte – are huge fans of the Italy international, as well as his Inter Milan teammate Milan Skriniar.

The 25-year-old midfielder played a big part under the Lilywhites boss during their time at the San Siro, where I Nerazzurri clinched their first Serie A title in over a decade back in 2021.

It remains to be seen how much Barella would cost the north Londoners, though CIES Football Observatory value him at a whopping €120m (£102m), so Tottenham may well need to shatter their club-record fee to secure his signature.

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Shades of De Bruyne

The Inter star may not be an out-and-out no.10 but he could be the solution in Spurs’ hunt for a new playmaking midfielder. FBref liken his statistical profile to Kevin De Bruyne, so Conte could land his own version of the illustrious Belgian.

When compared to his positional peers across Europe, Barella ranks inside the top 2% for expected assists (0.24 per 90) and shot-creating actions (4.07), as well as the top 4% for touches in the opposition’s box (3.17 per 90), via FBref.

Last season, he ranked as Inter’s fifth best performer in the Serie A, slightly behind new Lilywhites signing Ivan Perisic.

Barella, lauded as “warrior full of determination” by the legendary Arrigo Sacchi and “extraordinary” by his former Cagliari coach Rolando Maran, has primarily played as a no.8 but can also play deeper as a no.6 as well as further forward in the hole, making him a perfect fit for Conte.

The Spurs boss would be able to change system pretty easily with a player like this in his ranks and with the north Londoners in the Champions League this season, rotation will be key as they’ll be playing two games a week.

None of Conte’s current options are as creative as the 5 foot 8 dynamo, with the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp more defensively minded, with Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur box-to-box types.

On the above evidence, Barella could be something of a De Bruyne for Spurs, so sporting director Fabio Paratici must firm up their interest with a formal offer in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, Paratici begins talks for “simply amazing” £13m-rated Spurs target, he’s Conte’s dream…

The obsession with betting and gambling has been one of the most flourishing well-known facts for centuries. It is one of the integral parts of English society to gamble and bet. Since time immemorial, it has been flourishing and there are currently no signs that the passion for betting among ordinary people will subside soon. Even today, people who cannot go to casinos for their daily gaming habits, somehow find the bookies or online casinos to enter and try to play slots or place bets on their favourite football club occasionally.

The first legal step

Football (or soccer) is the most closely associated industry with gambling. It will be hard to determine when and under what conditions the betting in the football niche started. However, it is known that it was in the 1960s when it was first legalized and the relationship between betting and football began. If you want to know more about betting and gambling, you can read more.

How did it all start back in the 90s?

The history of football betting can be traced back to somewhere in 1960 when the English government first passed the gambling Act. After the legalization, the betting shops made their ways to bring out the hidden gambling tactics, making football fans legally bet on football. 

It was that time when a few names like William Hill, Coral, and Ladbrokes appeared in the betting industry. By the time of the 1980s, the betting shops were heavily regulated. Even though betting was legal now, many politicians tried to put the betting industry into the dark until the game was encouraged to be televised, and punters were allowed to bet on live football betting matches.

How has the culture evolved?

The first football betting is assumed to have taken place in 1923 when the bookmakers Littlewoods offered to take bets outside Old Trafford. The real boom took place back in 1960 when the Parliament passed the Gambling Act to regulate gambling in the industry.

After that, the gambling shops started booming although many high-profile politicians tried to put the industry in the dark. This was the major reason that the football industry had to be placed on the dark side in terms of betting back in the 1960s and 1970s. Then in 1986, a new law was passed, relaxing the bookies, which all started appearing by themselves or on their own. Now the matches started televising on national TV to cut down the corruption.

Then in 1992, Sky Sports brought new regulations on TV, allowing TV channels to broadcast several games simultaneously. This is how today football betting became popular among punters worldwide.

Photo by Unsplash

Celtic were a frantic ball of fun in the transfer window last summer as Ange Postecoglou’s first window in charge saw no fewer than 12 players walk through the entrance.

Some of those names have already forged themselves as fan favourites with the likes of Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers being eyed for permanent moves following their loan spells with the Hoops.

Another player linked with a switch to Parkhead is Schalke youngster Rabbi Matondo.

Postecoglou has already shown he’s keen on signing the stars of tomorrow, namely the likes of Liel Abada and Matt O’Riley, but Matondo would be one of his most exciting deals yet.

It’s thought the Bhoys are in talks over a move for the Schalke youngster who spent last season on loan in Belgium with Cercle Brugge.

The £3.6m-rated forward enjoyed his best season in senior football yet across the channel by finding the net on ten occasions and also registering two assists.

It was a phenomenal campaign for Matondo and if he arrives in Glasgow, Celtic would have an exceptional talent on their hands.

The Welshman could even be the club’s very own Jadon Sancho. For starters, they follow a very similar career path.

Sancho started out at Manchester City before making the bold move to the Bundesliga where he became a star at Borussia Dortmund. What has followed are regular England caps and a mega-money £73m switch to Manchester United.

Fortunately, a deal won’t cost Celtic that much for Matondo but considering he’s also gone from City’s youth academy to the Bundesliga, it’s easy to see where the comparison lies.

That said, there are more similarities than just their respective careers so far. Once hailed by Ryan Giggs for his “electrifying” pace, that is just one attribute that the two young prodigies have in common.

When it comes to chance creation and take-ons, they both rank pretty similarly. In the Premier League this term, Sancho amassed 1.4 key passes and 1.6 successful dribbles per game whereas Matondo registered 0.9 key passes and 1.7 dribbles a match in the Jupiler Pro League.

Of course, we’re not saying for one moment that the Welsh sensation is better than Sancho. The England international’s talents are mind-blowing and his transfer valuation sums that up nicely.

Yet, they do both possess a tricky nature in the final third, something that will no doubt scare Scottish Premiership defences if the Schalke forward makes the move this summer.

AND in other news, Shortlisted: Celtic now keen on signing 6 ft 4 “monster”, he once tormented Edouard…

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Moussa Diaby heading into the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), PIF are preparing a bid to bring the Bayer Leverkusen maestro to Tyneside ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the 22-year-old has been made a priority target for the Magpies, who are set to battle it out with Tottenham and Arsenal for his signature.

It has previously been claimed that the Bundesliga outfit could demand as much as £75m for the attacker, although it remains to be seen how much the Premier League clubs are willing to offer.

Better than Allan Saint-Maximin

Eddie Howe can land an upgrade on Saint-Maximin by bringing his compatriot to St James’ Park in the coming weeks or months.

Diaby has enjoyed a sublime season in Germany, showcasing his ability to score and create goals from a wide position. He has proven that he can make a big impact in the final third on a consistent basis, something with which the Magpies attacker has struggled during his time at the club.

For all of his exciting dribbling and direct play on the left flank, Saint-Maximin often leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to his end product. In 35 Premier League appearances this season, the attacker produced five goals and five assists from almost 11 expected goals and assists (xG and xA) combined, underperforming on his xG by 0.66.

It was a solid return from the former Nice wizard but hardly exceptional due to his underperformance and lack of consistency throughout the campaign, averaging a goal contribution every 3.5 matches.

Meanwhile, Diaby accumulated roughly 19 xG and xA combined in the Bundesliga and ended the campaign with 13 goals and 12 assists as he overperformed in both statistics. He averaged a goal contribution every 1.28 games for Leverkusen as he delivered in the final third on a consistent basis.

His current team-mate Kerem Demirbay previously hailed the 22-year-old’s qualities, saying: “He’s not only very quick but also a very clever player and you don’t see that very often in the Bundesliga.” 

The French phenomenon’s impressive statistics duly suggest that he would be an upgrade on Saint-Maximin for Newcastle. Diaby has been more clinical in front of goal and created a higher quality of chances for his team-mates, while he is also three years younger than the Magpies maverick, which suggests that he has the potential to improve even further.

Howe will now be hoping that PIF can work their magic and get a deal done for Diaby this summer…

AND in other news, PIF “are interested” in NUFC deal for “cold” £27m tank, he can be Howe’s own Varane…

Sunderland striker Ross Stewart is a wanted man after what has been a miraculous first full season in League One with Sunderland.

in 49 League One appearances, including the play-offs, the Scotland international has racked up a staggering solitary assist in 19 appearances for Ross County.

Under Alex Neil, he has turned into a ruthless, talismanic goal-machine, which has attracted the likes of Rangers who have sniffed out the 25-year-old and may offer him the opportunity of a homecoming.

Earlier this month it was said that Rangers were keeping tabs on the Sunderland talisman with Pete O’Rourke telling GIVEMESPORT:

“It looks like he’s obviously on their wanted list, Ross Stewart. It’s been talked about now for quite a few weeks that Rangers are keeping tabs on him.

“If Rangers do come calling, it’s going to be hard for somebody like Ross Stewart – a Scottish player – to turn down their advances.”

Wyke 2.0

It’s not the first time that Sunderland have had clubs sniffing about their top goalscorer.

Just last season, Charlie Wyke put up some strong metrics very similar to the aforementioned numbers from Stewart, scoring four assists in 43 appearances for a Sunderland side that failed to achieve promotion.

He was consequently surrounded with interest and moved on a free transfer to League One rivals and now Champions Wigan Athletic.

Having achieved promotion themselves, the Black Cats will need to do everything in their power to keep hold of a player who is going to be integral to their Championship survival bid next season.

Though, an offer from the likes of Rangers, who narrowly missed out on Europa League glory last week, could prove tempting for the former Ross County man.

Neil must do everything to avoid a ‘Wyke scenario’ again this summer.

In other news: Neil can save millions on “impressive” 29yo SAFC gem, imagine him in the Championship