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West Ham United are open to selling Gianluca Scamacca during the upcoming transfer window, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

What's the latest on Scamacca's future?

The Irons striker swapped the Serie A for the Premier League back in July when he put pen to paper on a long-term deal from Sassuolo, and still has another four years remaining on his contract at the London Stadium.

The Italy international, however, hasn’t made the significant impression he would have hoped, having made just 11 starts and five substitute appearances in the top flight (as per WhoScored), not to mention that he was unavailable for 30 days after sustaining a knee injury.

After falling out of favour under David Moyes, the 24-year-old has been attracting attention and has already been linked with the likes of Juventus, while it sounds as if the hierarchy are more than happy to sanction his exit.

According to Football Insider, West Ham are “open to selling” Scamacca with him having failed to show what he’s capable of during his debut season in E20. Italian clubs, who are unnamed in the report, are “expected to launch formal interest” later in the summer, and with the boss already looking at new attacking reinforcements, any fresh faces arriving could “open the door” to a departure.

It’s believed that the future of Moyes and whether the club are able to avoid relegation will also be a “factor” when it comes to deciding his future.

Should West Ham keep or sell Scamacca?

Scamacca has been lauded as a “huge talent” at West Ham by journalist Josh Bunting, and whilst he has shown glimpses of potential, he’s arguably not done enough to stay beyond the summer considering his transfer fee, so the board should cash in while there is interest.

The 6 foot 5 colossus has scored eight goals in 27 appearances since joining, but only three of those have come in the Premier League, as per Transfermarkt, so he’s short in the one competition that he arguably needs to be the most prolific in.

The £90k-per-week striker had been unable to dislodge Michail Antonio as the Hammers' undisputed first-choice up front, while Danny Ings' arrival has also disrupted his chances of regular game time.

Scamacca and the Irons will have no doubt wished that things could have turned out better, but that just hasn't been the case, so we feel it would be best for both parties to go their separate ways where the player can have a fresh start elsewhere and the Hammers can use his transfer fee to generate funds for new signings later in the summer.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Declan Rice may no longer be keen on a transfer to Chelsea for three key reasons amid talk of a summer move.

What’s the latest on Declan Rice to Chelsea?

It's no secret that the Englishman is likely going to leave this summer, and a number of top Premier League clubs look to be in the race to land his signature.

Among those are Chelsea – the club Rice played for as a youngster before leaving when he was 14 years of age. He is known to be good friends with Mason Mount, but his England teammate may be leaving this summer amid contract issues and links to Liverpool.

If the West Ham United star does leave, he will surely do so for a Champions League club, with the 23-year-old previously stating that's the level he wants to be playing at

While talking about all this on his YouTube channel, Arsenal correspondent Watts explained why a move to Chelsea may longer be quite so "appealing" to Rice as it once was.

He said: "It's looking very unlikely – unless they go on and win it – they're going to be able to offer Champions League football, which is one of the big reasons that Declan Rice wants to leave West Ham now.

"We're not sure if Mason Mount's going to stay at Chelsea. He's obviously Declan Rice's really, really good mate. If he leaves, maybe that will stop [making] Chelsea quite so attractive to him.

"Whether he'd be willing to accept an eight-year contract as well – while that's appealing to some, it's certainly not appealing to others.

"So there's lots of reasons why potentially Chelsea isn't looking anywhere near as likely when it comes to Declan Rice as it did just a year ago."

Why would Declan Rice not want a Chelsea transfer?

Watts certainly is right on one front. Chelsea currently sit 10th in the Premier League with just 11 games to play. If they want to finish in the top four, they'll need to close the 11-point gap between them and the last Champions League spot with some incredible displays.

According to reports, Rice currently earns around £60,000 per week, but that will surely increase dramatically if he is to leave the Hammers in what could be a deal worth more than £100m.

Todd Boehly may well have that sort of money, and if he was to land the Englishman, he'd quite likely want to tie him to a long-term contract judging by the Blues' recent activity in that regard. However, that's been an issue with Mount – who supposedly doesn't want to commit to the club amid talk of a deal up for as much as eight years being tabled, and so Rice may feel equally hesitant.

Consequently, with no Champions League football, Mount, or a reasonable contract offer waiting for him at Chelsea, perhaps the 23-year-old will end up elsewhere.

Sunderland are monitoring Villarreal forward Haissem Hassan ahead of a potential move to the Championship, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Hassan profiled

The Black Cats have a history of signing and developing younger players, with some of those born overseas in France, including the likes of Edouard Michut and Pierre Ekwah, and the 21-year-old seems to have been identified as another potential target at the Stadium of Light.

The Yellow Submarines winger currently plays his football for the B side in La Liga, but having now entered the final 18 months of his contract, is attracting interest from all across Europe.

The Latest: Sunderland eyeing Hassan

According to French news outlet L’Equipe (via Football League World), Sunderland are just one of several clubs who are ‘tracking’ Hassan ahead of the 2023/24 term.

Tony Mowbray’s outfit, Brentford, Udinese, Anderlecht, Eibar, Alaves, Bordeaux and RC Lens are all ‘keen’ on completing a deal for the promising young starlet in the upcoming summer window.

The Paris native has completed loan spells throughout his career, but considering the fact that he will soon be out of contract and he’s not signed an extension, the interested potential suitors are going to ‘attempt’ to secure his services on a permanent basis.

The Verdict: One for the future

Hassan has been hailed a ‘quality’ player by talent scout Jacek Kulig and he would be an excellent signing for the future of Sunderland should he put pen to paper in the northeast in the months ahead.

The Nike-sponsored attacker has clocked up 11 assists and netted five goals throughout his career so far, and is currently averaging 2.32 shots per game, highlighting how prolific he can be and the bags of potential he has in his locker despite his young age.

The left-footed ace has also whipped 43 crosses into the box this term alone which shows his desire to provide his teammates with teasing deliveries should he not always be able to get on the scoresheet himself.

Villarreal’s gem would add plenty of flexibility to Mowbray’s squad with his versatility to play in five various positions, including on both the left and right flanks, which is a useful attribute to have should any unexpected injuries ever occur.

Finally, Hassan has already made his senior first-team debut in La Liga so knows what is required to step up and perform at the highest level, making him an ideal candidate for the Black Cats to acquire.

Tottenham Hotspur have crashed out of the FA Cup at the fifth-round stage against lower league opposition for the second successive year after they were beaten by Championship outfit Sheffield United on Wednesday night.

In the absence of manager Antonio Conte, the Premier League side were beaten by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine 79th-minute solo effort as the Senegalese midfielder weaved his way through Spurs’ backline before firing home past a helpless Fraser Forster.

The Lilywhites coaching team, led by assistant Cristian Stellini, made the bold call to drop leading talisman Harry Kane from the starting XI in what now appears to be a “farcical decision” – as described by iPaper journalist Oliver Young-Myles.

Richarlison started in his place, with Heung-min Son and Lucas Moura for support, and his utter disasterclass at Bramall Lane hardly helped matters…

How did Richarlison do against Sheffield United?

Having cost a whopping club-record fee of around £60m in the summer, the Tottenham faithful are yet to see the levels that the Brazil international hit at his former side Everton, the sort that made chairman Daniel Levy and sporting director Fabio Paratici sanction such an expensive move.

Yet to score in 16 top-flight appearances, it seems as if Richarlison’s poor form rumbled into the FA Cup, where he squandered numerous chances – namely one that nearly hit the corner flag – before being hooked shortly after the hour mark, with the aforementioned Kane finally entering the pitch.

As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old flop failed to get any of his three shots on target, whilst he was only able to muster 13 accurate passes from 21 attempts (67% accuracy) and from 32 touches, often trusting himself instead of playing in the likes of Son and Ivan Perisic.

Richarlison was somewhat bullied by the second-tier side, too.

He contested as many as seven duels, both in the air and on the ground, but was only able to come out on top in two of those, registering a success rate of just 28.5%.

That’s rather disappointing for a £90k-per-week star up against players like Chris Basham and Jack Robinson, who were relegated from the Premier League a little over 18 months ago.

Both he and Son were huge flaws in Spurs’ attack, with neither managing to earn a rating of better than 6.8 by Sofascore. The South Korean, who lasted the whole 90 minutes, managed just one more accurate pass than Richarlison and lost over half of his duels as well.

Such a display from the former Toffees man saw Sheffield Star reporter Danny Hall lambast the frontman, writing on Twitter: “Kane replaces Richarlison who’s had a stinker of a night in all honesty.”

Although they were sentiments echoed by writer Andrew Gaffney, who dubbed him “toothless,” and by journalist Delme Parfitt, who slammed him as “desperately disappointing.”

Indeed, Richarlison’s struggles continued at Bramall Lane and now with Spurs out of the FA Cup, it’ll take a lot to win the fanbase back, heading into the final few months of the campaign.

AND in other news, Paratici could land Son heir in Spurs move for £60m gem who’s a “real box of tricks 

Aston Villa are in the midst of their first poor run of form in the Premier League since Spanish head coach Unai Emery arrived in the dugout earlier this season.

The Villans have lost each of their last three matches in the top flight and have conceded 11 goals in that time – losing to Leicester, Manchester City, and Arsenal.

Emery made a few changes to his starting XI in their most recent clash, against the Gunners, and one player who made a return to the side was right-back Matty Cash.

The Poland international has been an excellent performer for the club in recent seasons but has been restricted to 14 starts in the division this term, thanks to the form of Ashley Young.

In spite of his recent struggles to start on a regular basis, Cash has been a terrific signing for the club since his arrival from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2020.

How much is Matty Cash worth?

At the time of his move to Villa Park almost three years ago, Football Transfers placed his expected transfer value at roughly £14m (€15.8m) after his spell in the Championship with Forest.

As you can see in the graphic above, Cash’s xTV has now soared up to around £40m (€45.5m) because of his performances for Villa in the Premier League over the last couple of seasons.

His value has risen by around 186%, a fact that shows Johan Lange, the club’s sporting director, played a blinder with the signing of the full-back in 2020 with the gem having produced excellent displays and becoming a valuable asset from a financial perspective.

Cash, who was once dubbed a “real threat” in attack by Alex McLeish, enjoyed a superb debut campaign in the top flight with the Villans by averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.93 across 28 starts.

He made 4.6 tackles and interceptions per game and created 0.8 chances per match for his teammates, which resulted in him picking up two assists.

The English-born full-back followed that up by averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.94 in 38 Premier League starts last season, which placed him joint-fourth in the squad. In those games, the 25-year-old plundered four goals and three assists, whilst making 3.6 tackles and interceptions per outing, for the side.

These statistics show that the dynamo delivered consistently impressive performances for Villa in his first two campaigns for the club – providing quality at both ends of the pitch.

Therefore, Lange and ex-boss Dean Smith played a blinder by signing him from Forest in the summer of 2020 as the gem has enjoyed great success on the pitch, with his xTV highlighting his continual development over the years.

Everton may not have had the entirety of the Anthony Gordon funds to spend on transfers in January with money owed elsewhere.

What’s the latest?

It was a dismal January transfer window for the Toffees with their only major transaction of the month seeing their young star, Gordon, depart for Newcastle United.

It is believed the Merseyside club brought in £40m for the 21-year-old with an extra £5m potentially coming in through add-ons in the future.

However, the Toffees were still unable to provide Sean Dyche with any reinforcement to his squad with a serious relegation battle on the cards for the upcoming months.

But speaking on the FIVE YouTube channel, journalist David Ornstein has claimed he’s been made aware that Everton didn’t make the full £40m with debt owed elsewhere:

“What we don’t know is how much of the Anthony Gordon transfer fee, which is £40m in one payment, £5m in add-ons, which would suggest you’ve got resources to play with.

“How much of that was available to Kevin Thelwell as the director of football at Everton to recruit and how much of it needed to go elsewhere to running costs, to any stadium requirements?

“I don’t know the ins and outs of it, but it would appear that and I’ve been told that not all of it was available for recruitment.”

Toffees in a sticky situation

The 2022/23 campaign has not been kind to Everton so far with the Merseyside club facing the prospect of what would be their first-ever relegation from the Premier League.

Now the January window is closed, Everton will pick up their season on the weekend with a clash against the league leaders, Arsenal, with Southampton the only side below them on goal difference.

And to add further insult to injury, Dyche will be the only manager in the league who has not seen his side bring in a single new player over the January window.

What is interesting about this is the reports surrounding a believed £45m bid from the Toffees late in the window for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher.

According to Ornstein’s comments, it would suggest the funds were actually not there to put in a bid of the figures reported for Gallagher.

This could raise the question as to whether Everton were doing so with a firm expectation the player would be unwilling to make the move from Chelsea to the struggling Toffees.

Whether this is the case or not, relegation could prove a lot more expensive for Farhad Moshiri than what a few January signings could have proven.

The financial gap between the Premier League and the Championship is huge and with the Merseyside club building a state-of-the-art stadium on the docks, relegation could prove disastrous.

Newcastle United return to Premier League action at home to an in-form Fulham side this afternoon, with the Magpies seeking a first win in three top-flight games following their two recent stalemates with both Leeds United and Arsenal.

Eddie Howe’s side will, however, go into that encounter full of confidence having comfortably seen off Leicester City in the Carabao Cup in midweek, with the northeast side shaking off their shock FA Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in fine fashion.

The Tynesiders will seemingly be hoping to maintain that momentum against the west Londoners later today, albeit with Marco Silva’s men set to provide stern opposition having won five successive games in league and cup, including their recent triumph over a struggling Chelsea side.

The St James’ Park did, however, claim a thumping 4-1 victory when the two sides met at Craven Cottage earlier this season, with man of the moment Miguel Almiron notably netting a stunning brace against the ten-man hosts.

With Howe likely looking for a repeat of that emphatic win, the Englishman may well turn to a player who was crucial in the previous meeting in Jacob Murphy, with the reliable winger looking to terrorise the Cottagers once again.

The 27-year-old – who was lauded as the “biggest threat” for Newcastle in the recent defeat to the Owls by journalist Miles Staniforth – offered a real creative presence down the left flank in the reverse fixture, having notably laid on two key passes and attempted four crosses in that clash.

The £35k-per-week ace – who does have just one goal and one assist to his name this season – did also record three shots on goal in total to further illustrate his attacking intent, having been awarded a 9/10 match rating by The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder, who described the forward as ‘always a threat’.

While his performance was arguably not faultless, as the former Norwich City man did lose possession on 23 occasions from his 58 touches, the dynamic asset did also showcase his willingness to put in the hard yards defensively, after winning two tackles in total.

Should the Magpies boss be looking for a repeat performance from his side this time around, the 44-year-old could well be best served bringing his trusted lieutenant back into the starting XI, with Murphy having featured the joint-most during Howe’s tenure thus far.

That inclusion should seemingly see fellow forward Allan Saint-Maximin remain on the sidelines, with the fleet-footed Frenchman having again proven somewhat unreliable this season due to illness and injury, having started just four league games so far this term.

The 25-year-old has seemingly found it hard to force his way back into the reckoning of late, with it set to be no real surprise if he is once again utilised as a mere impact player off the bench.

As such, if the former Bournemouth boss is looking to spice up his attack this afternoon, turning to Murphy could represent his best solution on the flanks as he will look to destroy the Cottagers once again.

Everton are considering making an approach for Lorient striker Terem Moffi, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements required

Frank Lampard is currently under immense pressure following a poor run of results that sees his side in the relegation zone, with the need for attacking reinforcements clear.

With just 18 months remaining on his deal, Moffi has been identified as a desired target in a move that could possibly see him making his way to the Premier League.

The Latest: Everton plotting Moffi move

According to French outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), Everton and Southampton are both ‘thinking about moving’ for Moffi this winter window.

The Toffees aren’t expected to be able to splash big cash, with the report suggesting that an initial loan with an obligation to buy could well be the best option for the hierarchy.

The 23-year-old is being ‘looked at’ by the Merseyside outfit as someone who could make an impact in the final third.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Moffi has been described as a player who ‘ticks all the boxes’ by his former manager Christophe Pelissier, and looking at his numbers, Everton should act quickly to wrap this deal up.

The 6 foot 2 forward already has ten goals to his name from just 15 league starts this season, and is currently averaging two shots per game (WhoScored).

The Blues have to get some fresh faces through the door should they want to avoid the drop, and the prolific form of Moffi could be just what they need.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to add a forward along with a right wing-back this January with a central defender likely to be targetted in the summer.

What’s the latest?

It has been an underwhelming run of form for Antonio Conte’s side who have now slipped outside of the top four having struggled since the return from the World Cup break.

Now with the January transfer window open, attention is seemingly being turned to the areas which the Italian feels Spurs need to improve on if they want to be playing Champions League football next season.

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has been speaking about their immediate plans to reinforce Conte’s attacking options as well as provide him with a solution for their issues at right wing-back.

And looking further ahead into the summer window, Solhekol has claimed the Lilywhites will be looking into adding a centre-back with the Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie believed to be an option:

“Spurs in the market for a forward and a wing-back. Longer term, they want to bring in a left-sided central-defender as well. Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie is a player they’re looking at.”

Are Spurs backing Conte?

Tottenham’s form since mid-October simply has not been good enough for a club who are looking to work their way into the Champions League on a consistent basis.

However, these comments from Solhekol would suggest that some improvements will be made over the January window but it will have to be seen as to what calibre of player Spurs potentially bring in.

It is believed there is an interest in Pedro Porro this month but Sky Sports have also suggested Spurs’ interest has cooled having found out Sporting CP’s price tag on the wing-back.

Conte has spoken of his content with his current crop of centre-backs, but the form over recent months would suggest it is this month which Spurs need to strengthen their defence.

The Lilywhites have now conceded first in their last 10 games and have conceded more than double the amount of goals in which their top four rivals, Newcastle United, have thus far.

There has been previous interest reported in Alessandro Bastoni with a move potentially to be explored again in the summer, but he seemed adamant to remain at Inter Milan last year.

So if Spurs are unlikely to land a player of Bastoni’s calibre in the summer, we do question as to why they would wait until then if they are potentially going to have to settle for someone slightly less desirable in Hincapie.

Arsenal have roared into life this season, and the coveted dream of bringing the Premier League trophy back to north London might just become a reality in the near future. 

What’s the word? 

Diario AS reported earlier this month that tensions between Joao Felix and the Atletico Madrid board and manager has reached its zenith, with the immense talent of the ace failing to be truly showcased following his £113m move from SL Benfica in 2019.

And now prominent Spanish outlet Marca have reported that Arsenal have moved to the front of the pack of suitors with vested interest in the Portuguese sensation’s signature. 

With Atletico likely to attempt to recuperate the majority of the mammoth fee they paid for the star, Gunners technical director Edu will likely have to break the bank to clinch the deal.

A title-winning signing

Having won 12 of the first 14 Premier League games of the season, losing just once, Arsenal are flying way above the expectations that would’ve been laid out at the campaign’s inception. 

Indeed, five points clear of second-placed Manchester City, the Gunners are now hoping to continue their golden form into the new year, and bring the club glory that has not been seen for nearly two decades.

However, the recent injury to talisman Gabriel Jesus is nothing short of detrimental, and swift action must take place if the club are to steady the ship and prevent a capsize that could derail the months of hard graft.

Felix could be the answer, with his unique presence as a creative and selfless centre-forward serving Arsenal’s style of play sweetly; taking Jesus’ baton, the 23-year-old could entwine the departments of the pitch with a quilted veil of elegance and flair.

And while his impact in Spain has not been mesmeric, the offensive drive of the north London club, partnered with the gushing quality on offer, would be a match made in heaven.

That being said, Felix has swiped three goals and three assists in La Liga this term, despite only starting on five occasions, and his return of eight goals and four assists in the Spanish top-flight last season came under just 13 starts. 

And the right-footed phenom also had a glorious impact on Portugal’s 2022 World Cup travails in Qatar, with Sofascore recording an average rating of 7.03 for the player, who scored a goal and assisted two more.

Should Felix bring the 2.8 shots per match to the Premier League, alongside his abundant creativity and gliding presence on the ball, he will continue to rise towards the very front of the pack of Premier League forwards gunning for individual accolades.

The “dangerous” phenom – as hailed by Simeone – could unleash his qualities, with FBref ranking the 28-cap striker within the top 11% for progressive passes and the top 14% for dribbles completed across Europe’s big five leagues this term, when compared to positional peers across the past year. 

Jesus’ injury magnifies the need for a reliable talisman in his stead, and Felix is that man. He won’t come cheap but his ball-playing excellence and ever-increasing goalscoring prowess could help Arsenal not only cross the finish line, but cross as champions.