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West Ham United co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold must rue their decision to pass on signing Brentford striker Ivan Toney from Peterborough United.

What’s the word?

While speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, Peterborough’s Director of Football Barry Fry has claimed that he told Gold and Sullivan to purchase Toney in 2020 before selling the striker to Brentford.

The 25-year-old joined the Bees last August in a £5m deal that could reach £10m with add-ons, and has proven to be a huge hit in the Championship.

Toney’s efforts at the Brentford Community Stadium, where he has provided 43% of his side’s 65 league goals, are thought to have piqued West Ham’s interest, with Eurosport claiming that he has emerged as an interesting option to replace Sebastien Haller.

But Fry claims the Irons had the chance to jump the queue and land Toney last year, having spoken in detail with the London Stadium hierarchy.

“I spoke to David Sullivan and David Gold last year at great length and I said he’s the best centre-forward we’ve had,” Fry told FFC.

“He’s not only a goalscorer, he scored 49 goals for us in 92 games in two seasons. But it wasn’t only his goalscoring efforts, he also made a lot of goals and he also was our best defender.

“He headed the ball out more than anybody else, from free-kicks and corners from the opposition. He was absolutely magnificent, and I recommended him highly.”

A huge blunder from GSB

Gold and Sullivan must surely now rue their decision to go against Fry’s advice and choose not to sign Toney last summer, with Moyes failing to get the best out of Haller before the striker joined AFC Ajax, with West Ham opting against hiring a replacement in January.

Toney leads the Championship Golden Boot race coming out of the international break with 28 goals to his name in 36 appearances, six more than any other player, while penning nine assists.

His efforts under Thomas Frank have seen the 25-year-old’s market value skyrocket in the seven-months since Toney’s arrival, with football.london suggesting the Northampton-born star is now valued by Brentford at around £30m.

That price is dependent on the Bees failing to secure promotion to the Premier League, with Frank’s side currently in the play-off pack, as it would take an ‘obscene’ offer to tempt the Greater London outfit to cash-in with top-flight football to come.

Toney also has suitors in Arsenal and Leeds United, per TEAMtalk, while Peterborough chief Fry added that “top” Premier League sides are watching the £21,000-per-week sensation and that every club he spoke with last year are “regretting not signing him”.

West Ham facing a £25m hike on the initial fee Brentford paid the Posh last year will come as an added blow for Gold and Sullivan, too, and they could be left kicking themselves for years if the forward were to now join a Premier League rival in the summer.

AND in other news, a £70k-p/w dud with “wonderful feet” intends to quit West Ham this summer…

Lots of Everton fans have been fuming at the performance of Andre Gomes in the club’s Premier League loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Gomes started in midfield on Monday, playing beside Allan in Everton’s 3-4-1-2 formation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison up front. The Portuguese midfielder didn’t impress, though, and pick up a lowly WhoScored match rating of 5.97.

The home side scored in the first half as the ball went into the back of the net via a Ben Godfrey deflection. Jorginho then converted a penalty in the second half to make it 2-0 for the Londoners (as per Whoscored).

As a result of the 2-0 defeat, Everton are now down to sixth in the Premier League, behind Chelsea and West Ham. They have a game in hand on Chelsea, but they are four points behind Thomas Tuchel’s men (BBC).

Gomes couldn’t play a single key pass in the game, as the former Valencia man completed only one dribble all evening. He was also dispossessed three times – the second-most in the Everton side (Whoscored).

These figures illustrate that it wasn’t a great night for the 27-year-old and it caught the attention of many Everton fans who were fuming at the midfielder for his “shocking” performance.

What did Everton fans make of Andre Gomes’ performance? “Andre Gomes has to go next season.”Credit: @kierendcook”Andre gomes shocking again.”Credit: @djdavedempsey”Hopefully it’s Andre Gomes back to Portugal or Spain in the summer too.”Credit: @BT_1878″Andre Gomes gets away with murder on here, was our worst player tonight, just like he was against West Brom, but all you’ll here about is Holgate and Iwobi because Gomes has nice hair.”Credit: @EFC1878JM”No need to over-react but how long do we have to put up with carrying Andre Gomes? He is too slow for this level of football.”Credit: @dazzler1878″Andre Gomes making me want to put me phone through the tele.”Credit: @J_Harrison1878In other news, Everton could lose a young forward – read more here.

Red Bull Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch has emerged as the latest contender for the vacant Celtic managerial position.  

The 47-year-old has been tipped to become Neil Lennon’s potential successor by some ex-players recently, with Marsch claiming it is an “honour” to be linked with the Celtic job, describing the role as “interesting”.

Celtic admirers of Marsch

The Scottish Sun have now provided an update on the American and the possibility of moving to Parkhead.

They claim that “Hoops chiefs are admirers of Marsch”, who has averaged 2.12 points-per-game during his 82 matches in charge of Salzburg.

Transfer Tavern take

The likes of John Collins, Pat Bonner and James McFadden have all touted Marsch as a potential Parkhead boss, and it seems as if their suggestions could come true.

Celtic will reportedly look to bring in a new director of football prior to appointing a new manager, so whoever the DoF is will have to be on board with a possible Marsch swoop.

The American boasts an impressive CV – he won the double in Austria last season and was also named as MLS Coach of the Year with New York Red Bulls in 2015.

It seems as if the Hoops have their eye on Marsch, so he could possibly be making the move to Scotland over the coming months, providing Celtic step up their interest.

In other news: Celtic are chasing an 18-year-old with 10-goal involvements in his last eight games; could cost just £150k, find out more here.

Newcastle-linked Olivier Ntcham is nearing a move to Olympique de Marseille.

What’s the word?

According to RMC Sport, via GFFN (1/2, 13:50), Marseille have reached a total agreement with Celtic for the temporary transfer of Ntcham.

The 24-year-old will move to the Orange Velodrome on an initial six-month deal that carries a €5m (£4.5m) option to purchase him at the end of the season.

Ntcham is due to fly into France early on Monday evening to carry out his medical and sign his contract with Andreas Villas-Boas’ Ligue 1 outfit, who sit ninth in the French top-flight standings after a run of three straight defeats.

Ntcham will have one year remaining on his current £14,000-per-week deal at Parkhead come the summer and had been linked with a potential mid-season move to Newcastle.

It was thought that United chiefs had made contact with Celtic to sound out the former France U21 international’s availability for a half-season loan, as Steve Bruce eyed midfield reinforcements before pursuing a deal for Arsenal product Joe Willock.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/newcastle-deadline-day-latest-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Deadline day is here: Read the latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Ntcham’s preference was always to secure a return to France in the current window, having been denied a move to Stade Brest on Deadline Day in October.

A blunder by Ashley

Newcastle failing to seal a deal for Ntcham will go down as a blunder as United should have moved heaven and earth to see the three-time Premiership champion arrive at St. James’ Park in the winter market.

While Ntcham has only started 12 of his 23 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions this season, for a total of 1,078 minutes on the field, he has continued to be in amongst the goals having scored once and assisted twice.

Neil Lennon stands to lose a driven individual in Ntcham’s move to Marseille, too, as the 24-year-old has the ability to surge play up the field, having achieved an average of 0.8 successful dribbles a game in the Premiership this term, helping the Hoops star to record 0.6 shots and create 0.6 goal-scoring opportunities, per SofaScore.

Those efforts follow an eight-goal, four-assist campaign across all competitions last term, including a stoppage-time winner away to Serie A side SS Lazio in the Europa League, despite Ntcham not entering the action until the closing stages.

Few of Newcastle’s central midfielders offer such an influential presence in the Premier League, with only Jonjo Shelvey (1.15) and Miguel Almiron (0.89) more comfortable running with the ball at their feet than Ntcham.

Shelvey (1.46) and Almiron (1.05) again are the only ones to create more chances for a teammate to score per game.

So, as Ntcham looks set to join Marseille, Bruce can only rue the inability to seal a deal for the Celtic midfielder to head to Tyneside before Monday night’s deadline.

AND in other news, Newcastle United have faced enquiries over a £15m deal to sell a Steve Bruce outcast…

Brentford star Ivan Toney sent David Moyes a statement during the Bees’ 3-1 win over Reading on Wednesday, as West Ham United’s plans for the striker continue to grow.

According to Eurosport, Hammers chiefs are monitoring Toney’s sensational form in the Championship ahead of a potential swoop for the centre-forward this summer.

The Irons opted against making a quick bid to replace Sebastien Haller in the mid-season market and are instead focused on finding the right long-term option to succeed where the Ivory Coast international could not.

A renewed approach for Sevilla ace Youssef En-Nesyri is seen to be extremely unlikely at this stage, while many other potential options will continue to be explored between now and the end of the season.

This is not the first that West Ham are being linked with Toney, after claims emerged on Deadline Day that the east London outfit hope their willingness to send Winston Reid to west London on loan for the rest of the season would help in any future negotiations.

Toney has been in simply sublime form under Thomas Frank since joining Brentford from Peterborough for an initial £5m last summer, to now be valued at £30m and watched by England scouts.

Few in the Championship are performing at the same level as Toney, who leads the division for goals after taking his tally to 23 for the term at Reading on Wednesday. He also became the second-tier’s leading assist provider with nine, after being involved in Joshua Dasilva’s brace at the Madejski Stadium.

Toney has now turned the ball home seven times and created four goals in his last four league games, with WhoScored match ratings of 9.91, 7.55, 9.23 and 8.23 helping to a seasonal average of 7.55 – the second-best in the second-tier to Cardiff’s Kieffer Moore (7.6).

Toney’s display at Reading sent a clear message to Moyes that he has to be tracked as West Ham weigh up who to invest in come the end of the season, as it is more than obvious that he is too good for the Championship and ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

The attacker, who former England international Darren Bent lauds as a “clinical” finisher, often cut an isolated figure in attack on Wednesday but stayed alive to see that Brentford moved top of the table by nonchalantly chesting a looping cross for Dasilva to score.

Toney soon pounced on a loose ball to fire home himself in the 88th-minute, after Rafael could only parry Sergi Canos’ low effort, and could have bagged a brace to go with his pair of assists were it not for a last-ditch Michael Morrison clearance.

Being starved off the ball in dangerous positions and Morrison intercepting Dasilva’s cross meant Toney could only register one shot at the Madejski, compared to his usual 2.5 a game in the Championship this season.

Yet Toney put Bent’s words into practice to ensure he did not miss his only chance, and sent Moyes and West Ham a clear message as they continue to grow their striker plans.

AND in other news, West Ham will have to pay in excess of £26.5m to land a prolific 18 goal striker in the summer…

Manuel Lanzini betrayed David Moyes with a horrific performance in West Ham United’s narrow FA Cup third round victory over non-league Stockport County on Monday night.

The Irons edged their way into the hat for the fourth round draw with a 1-0 win at Edgeley Park thanks to a late guided header from Watford loanee Craig Dawson, as Michail Antonio struggled to find his shooting boots as the forward continued his return from injury.

Lanzini was given the call to start in midfield for the fifth time across all competitions this term, to earn what was only his 13th appearance to take his minutes for the season so far to 565, following claims the Hammers are open to offers for the 27-year-old.

Antonio was often starved of service against Stockport with Andriy Yarmolenko and Said Benrahma both struggling on the wings, yet an invisible showing from Lanzini in the centre of Moyes’ attacking line is what truly held West Ham back.

Lanzini started promisingly with a bright opening 10 minutes, combining well with Benrahma and dropping deep to see more of the ball, but swiftly fell into the shadows the more the game wore on.

Stockport built a fierce wall in front of Ben Hinchcliffe’s goal to protect their captain that Lanzini could never find a way to break through, ultimately leaving Moyes with no choice but to make changes midway through the second half with Tomas Soucek introduced for the Argentine.

It was a distant performance from Lanzini of the words echoed by former England striker Darren Bent last month, who backed the £70,000-per-week gem to rediscover his lost form.

“Moyes is getting something out of him,” Bent told Football Insider. “He does seem like he’s playing at his best or potentially somewhere near his best. He’s got wonderful feet, he’s got great technique, he’s certainly a top player.”

Lanzini could only offer a single key pass and shot against the Hammer’s National League opposition on Monday night during his time on the field, while failing to attempt a single dribble or cross, per SofaScore.

He retained the ball well with 43 accurate passes for a 90% success rate, yet lost possession six times and committed one foul without winning a single tackle, making an interception, recording a clearance or completing either of his two long passes.

Moyes further saw the five-time Argentina international lose his only attempted duel of the FA Cup affair, with Lanzini failing to contest any battles on the ground and being beaten in his sole aerial contest.

AND in other news, West Ham risk signing another Sebastien Haller with a £25m January raid for 6ft striker target…

After a scare in the FA Cup fourth round against Cheltenham Town at the weekend, Manchester City were eventually able to progress thanks to a late flurry of goals.

However, the performance may be a cause for concern for Pep Guardiola, as those on the fringes of his squad arguably failed to perform against League Two opposition.

Therefore, it seems likely that the Spanish manager will make plenty of changes for the trip to West Brom on Tuesday night, where a win could take the Citizens to the top of the Premier League table.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up against the Baggies, with nine changes from the team that beat Cheltenham…

Ederson returns in goal with Zack Steffen having seemingly established himself as Manchester City’s cup goalkeeper with another appearance against Cheltenham Town last weekend.

Guardiola will likely rotate his entire defence, with John Stones and Ruben Dias resuming their partnership at centre-back, whilst Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko come in for Eric Garcia and Benjamin Mendy at full-back.

Phil Foden is one of just two City players to keep his place, and he drops into midfield to fill the void left by Kevin De Bruyne, who misses out through injury, with Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan providing the more defensive duties in midfield.

Raheem Sterling comes in for Ferran Torres on the left-wing, with Bernardo Silva replacing Riyad Mahrez on the right, with the Portugal international having finally found his shooting boots in recent weeks following his goal against Aston Villa.

Gabriel Jesus keeps his place up front after his winning goal at the weekend, but the Brazilian can not afford to be so wasteful against Sam Allardyce’s side on Tuesday night.

And, in other news… Txiki can sign Pep a Gabriel Jesus upgrade in “top goalscorer”

Manchester City secured their place in the Champions League knockout stages with a 0-0 draw against Porto on Tuesday night but Pep Guardiola will still surely be frustrated that his side weren’t able to secure a win in Portugal.

His side’s profligacy in front of goal was perhaps the main reason why the Citizens weren’t able to earn all three points, with Ferran Torres one of the main culprits.

The Spanish winger, who joined from Valencia during the summer, endured a terrible night at Estadio do Dragao, which may convince Guardiola that the youngster shouldn’t be played as a striker again in future matches.

As per SofaScore, Torres earned a 6.5 rating for his display, with only Raheem Sterling rated lower of the Manchester City players who started the game.

During his time on the pitch, which totalled 71 minutes, he had just 15 touches of the ball and could complete just five out of nine passes, suggesting that the game completely passed him by and he was able to have very little impact.

However, he was still able to miss one big chance and lose possession five times during the game meaning that the few times he did have the ball, he was extremely wasteful with it.

It was no surprise therefore that Guardiola substituted Torres with around 20 minutes remaining, and his replacement Gabriel Jesus was able to have a much more telling influence on the game, having just two fewer touches than the Spaniard did, despite being on the pitch for significantly less time.

The Brazilian also saw a late goal disallowed due to a VAR offside call but looked dangerous when he came on, which may be enough to suggest that he should start ahead of Torres up front in future matches.

You can understand why Guardiola opted to start the 20-year-old, after his impressive performance in the reverse fixture, which led to him praising his performance in the 3-1 win, saying:

“It was an incredible combination from Phil [Foden] and Ferran [Torres].

“Ferran has an incredible sense of goal. The most satisfying thing was the way they came in. Always the people who come from the bench are so important.”

The £40.5 million-rated Spanish international will have to put in a much-improved performance next time out if he wants to keep his place in Guardiola’s side, however, with the Citizens set to face struggling Fulham at home on Saturday.

And, in other news… Manchester City missed out on a “big talent” in 2018, he was ready to join

Glasgow Rangers will be hoping their good form continues in the festive period, and Steven Gerrard has provided an injury update on one player before their clash against Hibernian.

The latest injury news

Ryan Jack has not been able to feature for the Scottish side for a short period due to an injury he suffered. Gerrard was asked if he could return to which he replied: “Unfortunately not, no.

“It has taken a little bit longer than we thought so that is just not clear at the moment. I don’t really want to rush that so he won’t be available for the next one.”

Joe Aribo, Steven Davis and Glen Kamara take the three midfield spots instead, but looking beyond today’s fixture, the fact that it is ‘not clear’ when Jack will even return is certainly worrying.

This will be a blow

It will be frustrating for all associated with the club, as Jack has started 12 games this season in the Scottish Premiership, but has not featured due to injury since November (Transfermarkt).

He was recently praised by Gary McAllister, who said: “When you look at Ryan, he is a very key player here, without a shadow of a doubt. I think Stevie Clarke with the national team would say the same.”

While there is no questioning the Scotland international’s talent, this is an issue Gerrard might look to sort out as the player has missed 48 games since May 2018 with various issues. With the Gers progressing well in all competitions, squad depth is massively important, and it looks like they can’t rely on Jack.

In other news, Rangers fans are delighted with their latest Europa League draw.

Manchester United have been linked with AC Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, but Ed Woodward could be walking the Red Devils right into a trap.

What’s the word?

According to Bild, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are already holding talks with the Turkey international over a possible move to Old Trafford.

It’s claimed that Solskjaer is a big admirer of Calhanoglu as he could be available for a free transfer in the summer, as he is currently involved in ongoing discussions concerning his contract with AC Milan. However, Man United must avoid signing the 26-year-old at all costs.

Major mistake

The Red Devils really don’t need any more attacking midfielders at the moment, as even new summer signing Donny van de Beek is struggling to get some minutes under his belt.

As we’ve previously discussed, we think United could be on to something here with the Dutch international.

Last season, Calhanoglu scored nine goals and supplied nine assists in Serie A, whilst he averaged 2.9 shots, 2 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game, via WhoScored. Impressive enough indeed, we’ll give him that.

Sometimes it is no wonder that current Milan manager Stefano Pioli has dubbed him “generous” and “exceptional.”

However, it’s worth remembering that Van de Beek actually managed more dribbles per league game than the £27m-rated Turkish midfielder last term, as per WhoScored.

Calhanoglu also has a chequered injury history as he missed several games last season with calf problems. Throw in the fact that he has also been criticised by ex-AC Milan boss Gennaro Gattuso for his attitude in the past and you will start to question why the club were even interested in him in the first place.

And that’s without even mentioning the wage bill, as he currently earns wages worth a whopping £78,000-per-week, whilst Woodward will surely want to avoid another Alexis Sanchez situation, at any rate.

In fact, it’s fair to say that the last thing he will want to see is another disgruntled expensive signing sat on the sidelines as an unused substitute as its hard to imagine Calhanoglu will start ahead of either Bruno Fernandes or Paul Pogba.

AND in other news, Cavani & Rashford start, no van de Beek: Predicted Manchester United XI vs Arsenal…