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West Ham United will sign another player before their Premier League opener against Manchester City in five days time, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Scamacca signs

Last week, the Hammers confirmed the signing of Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca from Serie A outfit Sassuolo in a deal worth a reported £35.5m.

Despite the 23-year-old’s arrival at the London Stadium, West Ham reportedly remain in the transfer market for another striker, with manager David Moyes keen on bolstering his squad for the busy season ahead.

Chelsea youngster Armando Broja was ‘really close’ to making the London switch in July after the Irons made a £30m bid for the 20-year-old. However, with Thomas Tuchel’s plan to integrate him into the Blues’ squad this year, West Ham focused on getting a deal done for Scamacca instead.

The Latest: New signing pending?

Jones believes that a new signing is likely in the next five days, but says don’t expect it to be an attacker.

When asked about the likelihood of a new frontman arriving, the transfer insider told GiveMeSport:

“It might be a bit too optimistic (signing a striker). I think they will sign someone before the season begins, but I don’t think it’d be a forward that they sign.”

The Verdict: Do the Hammers need another forward?

With 32-year-old Michail Antonio having led the line as West Ham’s only senior striker last season, the Jamaica international did well to amass ten goals and eight assists in 36 Premier League games, but showed signs of fatigue throughout the latter stages of the campaign.

With the arrival of 23-year-old Scamacca, Moyes now has a long-term forward option available in his squad. However, with Antonio’s minutes likely to be reduced going forward, the East London club could do with another body to rotate with the Italian.

West Ham should definitely prioritise another forward signing before the transfer window shuts in September, but it isn’t an immediate priority before the clash against City.

Arsenal have received a big boost in their pursuit of James Maddison this week…

What’s the word?

The Gunners are said to be interested in the Leicester City star and as per The Sun back in April, are willing to battle it out with arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur for his signature.

The Foxes need to sell some of their key players if they are to make any moves in the transfer market before the September 1st deadline and the 25-year-old is someone who could garner a substantial fee, with his asking price thought to be in the region of £50m.

And now, according to transfer insider Dean Jones, the one-time England international would be very keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium.

“I don’t get any signs so far that James Maddison actually wants to join Newcastle. From what I hear, James Maddison wants to join Tottenham or Arsenal,” he told ‘The Done Deal Show’ earlier this week.

Special signing for Arsenal

After bringing in no fewer than five new signings, Gunners technical director Edu Gaspar could well seal his biggest coup yet in Maddison, who would add an abundance of quality to Mikel Arteta’s midfield.

Once lauded as “a special talent” by The Times’ chief football writer Henry Winter, the 25-year-old put his name on the map with a standout campaign last term.

Maddison provided Leicester with an eye-catching 18 goals and 12 assists across 53 appearances in all competitions, which included a run in the Europa League and Europa Conference League.

It’s all the more impressive considering the fact that the Foxes’ overall season was pretty subpar as they finished eighth in the Premier League standings and were knocked out of the Conference League by eventual winners AS Roma in the semi-finals.

Edu has already sealed the arrival of Fabio Vieira, who adds another dimension to the engine room but the talents of Maddison may just be too hard to ignore, especially when thinking about the prospect of him linking up with fellow homegrown talents Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and maybe even Eddie Nketiah.

Compared favourably to Chelsea’s Mason Mount and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes by FBref, it’s evident that Maddison is an elite playmaker as he also ranks inside the top 10% of all midfielders in the Premier League for non-penalty goals (0.44 per 90), as well as the top 12% for passes into the final third (2.89 per 90).

That’s not to mention his stunning ability from dead-ball situations, having earned comparisons to that of David Beckham, due to his free-kick taking skills.

Also dubbed as a “genius” by BBC Norfolk presenter Rob Butler, it’s clear that Maddison would be a fantastic sixth signing of the summer window and one that Edu must look to complete, given Jones’ latest comments.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano: Edu can seal “phenomenal” £38m signing, he’d be Arsenal’s next Henry…

Journalist Graeme Bailey of 90min has now shared a Tottenham Hotspur transfer twist following the talks to sign Udinese starlet Destiny Udogie.

The Lowdown: Spurs enter negotiations

Following their signings of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet and Djed Spence, it is reliably believed that Spurs are in negotiations for Udogie.

The Serie A prodigy, having also attracted interest from Premier League champions Man City, could well be on his way to north London with Gianluca Di Marzio claiming Antonio Conte’s side are in pole position and The Telegraph reporting Spurs are ‘closing in’.

It’s been a busy summer for sporting director Fabio Paratici, but according to Bailey, the transfer chief may now face late competition to sign the 19-year-old.

The Latest: Bailey shares Udogie twist…

Taking to Twitter, he claims Brighton have entered the fray for Udogie’s signature.

The left-wing-back, it is believed, is also attracting interest from the Seagulls as they eye a ‘rival bid’.

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Bailey explained:

“Tottenham open talks over Udinese left-back Destiny Udogie; Brighton eye rival bid.”

The Verdict: Reason to worry?

While you could argue Spurs and Conte represent a far greater pull, Graham Potter’s side can potentially offer a faster route into first team football in England’s top flight.

For any ambitious player, the temptation to put pen to paper at the Amex may be there if regular playing time in one of the world’s most blockbuster divisions is on the table, given Potter has just lost Marc Cucurella to Chelsea.

Considering Udogie’s stunning potential, Spurs chiefs may be determined to beat Brighton to the punch and sign a player who looks like a very promising one.

Chelsea are preparing a new offer for Everton attacker Anthony Gordon after their £40million bid was turned down, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Chelsea bid for Gordon

The 21-year-old has already grown into one of the Blues’ most prized assets, having shone last season as Frank Lampard’s side avoided relegation from the Premier League.

Gordon’s performances have made him a wanted man and Chelsea saw a £40million bid for him turned down on Sunday, with Thomas Tuchel seeing him as a strong addition.

It looks as though Everton will continue battling to keep hold of the forward, following a new update.

The Latest: New bid incoming?

Taking to Twitter, Romano claimed that Chelsea are weighing up a new offer for Gordon after their initial bid was rejected in a major Sunday development.

He explained:

“Chelsea are discussing internally of new proposal for Anthony Gordon as opening bid worth £40m has been rejected by Everton today.

“Chelsea could try to include players in the deal as Frank Lampard wanted more than one CFC player this summer.”

The Verdict: Tough to ignore such money

Gordon is a top-class young player who Everton will hopefully keep hold of for many years, but equally, there comes a time where a certain amount of money is hard to say no to.

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Should Chelsea be willing to pay £50million or more for the youngster’s services, for example, Lampard will surely see the potential to use those funds on several good new signings. Equally, if it means bringing in some Chelsea players as part of a deal – Conor Gallagher would be ideal – that could also be more beneficial.

At the end of the day, Gordon isn’t indispensable to Everton, so it will be interesting to see if a huge bid from Chelsea, or even Newcastle United, turns their head.

Aston Villa have had a mixed start in the Premier League this season, losing their opening match to Bournemouth before beating Everton 2-1.

The club have recruited heavily over the summer, which naturally means bigger expectations, and Steven Gerrard will be aiming for a top-half finish this season.

The win at home to Everton will hopefully be the catalyst for the Villans to kick on, and as they face 16th-placed Crystal Palace this afternoon, they will feel there is a good chance of back-to-back wins.

Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho limped off against the Toffees after another quiet performance and he was replaced by Emiliano Buendia, who scored what turned out to be the winner, and Gerrard should consider starting the Argentine against Palace today.

Buendia’s performance will surely give the manager some food for thought ahead of the clash at Selhurst Park.

During Coutinho’s time on the pitch last week, he earned a SofaScore rating of 6.4 as he was booked, won only one duel and didn’t even attempt a dribble in a subdued performance.

The Argentine’s introduction was the spark that Villa needed in order to kill off the game and he duly delivered. His 7.8 SofaScore rating was the second best on the pitch at 7.8, despite only playing the final third of the match.

He scored once, made three key passes and had an 84% pass success rate, proving his worth to the team as they gained a vital three points.

This performance should go a long way to convincing Gerrard that the 25-year-old should be in from the start against Palace, and Gregg Evans would seem to agree, tweeting: “Emi Buendia is a little bit more exciting than Philippe Coutinho right now. He seems to want it more + he’s producing more when he’s on the pitch. Deserves a start for#AVFCat#CPFC”

Gerrard described Buendia as a player who has “amazing talent” and it makes sense for the Argentine, who joined Villa last summer in a deal reaching £38m, to be given the opportunity to weave his magic against the Eagles from the first whistle today rather than having to be a game-changer off the bench again.

Tottenham Hotspur may have a trick up their sleeve in the pursuit of Everton winger Anthony Gordon, according to reputable journalist Pete O’Rourke. 

The lowdown: Spurs still in the mix

Spurs have been heavily linked with a move for Gordon, albeit the north Londoners face serious competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

The 21-year-old England youth international is thought to have told Everton he favours a move to Stamford Bridge, but reliable journalist Alasdair Gold recently confirmed the Lilywhites still hold a ‘firm interest’.

Now, one well-informed onlooker has had his say on the speculation and has hinted that Spurs could well hold the upper hand in the transfer tug of war…

The latest: ‘Always helps…’

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, O’Rourke has claimed that the preexisting relationship between Everton and Tottenham that saw Richarlison arrive at Hotspur Way could be the ace in the hole for the Lilywhites.

“Yeah, it always helps if two clubs have done a deal already between themselves this summer.

“There’s obviously open dialogue between the two clubs so you would imagine that would help if there was a deal to be pursued for Anthony Gordon for Tottenham.”

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The verdict: Double deal?

Seemingly edging closer to a deal for Atalanta attacking midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi, it appears as though Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte are desperate to further bolster the forward-thinking options at N17, and snapping up both players could fix their attacking depth both in the short and long term.

Last season, Gordon enjoyed a breakthrough campaign at Everton, scoring four times and providing three assists in 40 appearances across all competitions and was the constant thorn in the opponents’ side in what was an underperforming side for the most part.

Capable of operating on either wing and in central areas, the £18million valued Scouser has remarkable numbers when it comes to pressing and off-the-ball work, implying he could be a perfect fit for Conte.

Hailed as a ‘massive player’ recently by Frank Lampard, landing a future star in Gordon alongside an experienced head for the here and now in Malinovskyi would be an excellent way to put the cherry on the cake of this remarkable Tottenham window.

Everton podcaster Lee McClean was left fuming over the defending for Brentford’s equalising goal in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Two points dropped

Even though the Goodison Park outfit were under the cosh for large parts of the game, as Brentford recorded more possession and more shots on goal (SofaScore), it will still feel like two points dropped for Frank Lampard and his team.

They went ahead in the first half through Anthony Gordon, but Vitaly Janelt scored from a corner kick very late on in the second half to take the points away from the Merseyside club.

The Latest: McClean fumes

Taking to Twitter after the goal was conceded, McClean (A View From the Bullens) was left fuming over the Toffees’ lack of reaction in the penalty box, claiming that they looked like they were ‘playing musical statues’, and describing the defending as ‘appalling’:

“Were we playing musical statues there? Appalling defending.”

The Verdict: Not good enough

The Blues will know that their defending from the corner situation was simply not good enough.

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They conceded the joint-most goals from set pieces (19) in the top flight last season along with Leeds United and Leicester City (WhoScored), and it is no doubt something that they need to go and work on in the training ground.

Nonetheless, EFC will need to learn from this mistake and target a first win of the new Premier League season in midweek against Leeds.

Glasgow Rangers have been handed a big relief over Ibrox gem Ianis Hagi’s recovery from injury… 

What’s the talk?

Gheorghe Hagi has claimed that his son is making good progress in his rehabilitation and that the attacking midfielder is putting the work in behind the scenes to return as quickly as possible.

The Daily Record quote the Romania legend as saying: “Ianis is working very hard to come back and he is very happy his team are doing well. Rangers are back in the Champions League, where they belong.

“We hope that when the time is right, which will hopefully be soon, Ianis will be back on the pitch when Rangers say he is ready. He is definitely on the right track though.”

Van Bronckhorst should be delighted

This news should delight the Ibrox head coach Gio van Bronckhorst, as it shows that the Romania international has not suffered any setbacks in his recovery.

The 23-year-old has been out of action since January with a knee injury, and his manager will be buzzing to have him back as soon as he can, as he could be like a new signing for the Light Blues.

As cliché as it sounds, Hagi returning to the team this season could be a huge boost to the squad, as he is a talented attacker who is capable of being a match-winner.

He scored seven goals and set up 11 in 23 Premiership starts in the 2020/21 campaign as he helped the Gers to secure the title. He then caught the eye in the Europa League last season as he scored once, registered one assist and created three ‘big chances’ in just three starts in the group stage.

This shows that he has the quality to score and create goals, and that is why he could be a match-winner for the Light Blues upon his return.

Along with his ability on the pitch, Hagi is seemingly a manager’s dream in training.  Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard previously hailed the 23-year-old’s willingness to improve, saying: “We’re really happy with Ianis Hagi, he’s a joy to work with.

“He’s a student of the game. He’s always looking at areas to improve, whether that be from a physical point of view or tactically or technically. He’s someone you have to drag off the training ground.”

This suggests that Van Bronckhorst will enjoy working with the 23-year-old, as he knows that the gem will be doing everything in his power to maximise his ability.

Therefore, the manager will be delighted with Hagi’s progress and will now be looking forward to seeing him back out on the grass, whenever that ends up being.

Arsenal have been dealt a gutting injury setback ahead of tonight’s Europa League clash with FC Zurich…

What’s the word?

Gunners star Emile Smith Rowe has not made the trip to Switzerland after he picked up an issue during the warm-down following their 3-1 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday evening.

And it has now been revealed that the 22-year-old has been carrying a knock for quite some time.

“He felt discomfort in an area that [he’s been dealing with] now for a few weeks. He wasn’t comfortable after the game and he hasn’t trained in the last few days, so he’s out of the squad,” manager Mikel Arteta claimed in his pre-game press conference.

Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny and Reiss Nelson have also been left back in north London ahead of tonight’s encounter.

Big blow for Arteta

This will come as a big blow for Arteta and the squad as he would have liked to see his side bounce back from their first defeat of the new campaign by delivering a solid display against FCZ tonight, whilst also kickstarting their Europa League quest with three points.

That task is made a little more difficult without the services of Smith Rowe, who is one of the Gunners’ most lethal prospects in attack.

With Everton, PSV Eindhoven and arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur on the horizon, the Spanish head coach will surely have to rotate his starting pack if he’s to keep everyone else fit and firing across all competitions.

The England international is yet to start a match this term, so tonight’s encounter would have been an ideal opportunity to unleash him from the off.

After all, Smith Rowe ended last season as Arsenal’s second-highest goalscorer on ten goals, six more than ex-striker Alexandre Lacazette, and did so managing fewer shots per game (1.2), too.

Once described as a “difference-maker” by another former Gunner in Mesut Ozil and likened to Robert Pires by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand, it’s clear that Arsenal would have benefitted from his availability this evening.

But without the ‘Croydon [Kevin] De Bruyne’, Arteta may not be able to rest the likes of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, which could leave them light on fitness heading into the weekend’s return to Premier League action.

The former Manchester City assistant will surely be gutted to not have his star boy available today.

AND in other news, Arteta’s “waste of money” who lost the ball every 4.6 touches let Arsenal down vs United…

Transfer insider Dean Jones has shared that even though Anthony Gordon could sign a new contract at Everton, it would include certain exit clauses.

The Lowdown: Contract talks

Frank Lampard has confirmed that the Goodison Park outfit are in talks with Gordon over a new deal, after an aggressive pursuit of the winger from Chelsea in the summer transfer window.

It is hoped that he will sign it in order to fend off any interest or at the very least bump the potential transfer fee up, but it is of course up to Gordon whether he wants to put pen to paper.

The Latest: Exit clauses

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has shared that a new contract for Gordon would include certain exit clauses, so if a bigger team were to come in for him with an acceptable offer, he ‘will still be able to leave’:

“The contract would include clauses so that if a bigger team does come in for him with an acceptable offer, he is not stuck at Everton and will still be able to leave.”

The Verdict: Interesting

It will be interesting to see if Gordon does now sign a new contract under these terms, given that he reportedly wanted to move to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

He has been a key player for the Merseyside club so far this season, ranking highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles, shots, key passes, dribbles and through balls per game in the Premier League, while he has also chipped in with two goals (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, the Toffees will have a big decision to make if they receive a huge offer for the Englishman.