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West Ham United’s left-back position has been a position of contention for a year or so now, with Aaron Cresswell’s decline swift and untimely.

The Liverpool-born defender boasts 311 appearances for the Hammers and has offered defensive stability partnered with a sweet left foot from set pieces throughout the years.

However, it became clear after his two red cards during their Europa League campaign that his powers were perhaps waning.

That would explain David Moyes’ reported interest in several full-backs, with Jordi Alba comfortably the most high-profile of these links.

Should they tempt the 33-year-old, they would get a man who has played in some of the greatest club sides ever to grace the game, and who has won almost every trophy available to him.

It would not be a long-term fix but could help them take the next step in their progression under Moyes.

With 441 appearances for Barcelona under his belt, his record of 25 goals and 96 assists denotes a fine attacking full-back who has bombed down the left flank for many years. His exploits led former Irons forward Jordan Hugill to label him an “animal”.

Despite his seniority, he was still selected for Spain’s World Cup squad and started in their curtain-raiser with Costa Rica.

In a game where they were expected to dominate, they completely obliterated the opposition, and Alba played a starring role.

Despite playing just 64 minutes, the 88-cap international was a creative powerhouse for his side, and more than earned his 8.0 rating.

Whilst his assist and penalty won helped them extend their one-goal lead, it seemed like everything good that happened was coming down his side.

This will have likely resulted in his whopping 125 touches, and despite this continued involvement, he would also average a 94% pass accuracy.

Should the Ticos have had an attack though, he was aware and experienced enough to neutralise it with haste.

His two interceptions, one tackle and one clearance denote the perfect all-round display which culminated in the opposition not mustering a single shot.

If Moyes needed any more proof why Alba is a transfer risk worth taking, he got it in sparkling fashion.

The stalwart is far from finished excelling on the world stage and would surely thrive in the Premier League just as he did in his side’s 7-0 win.

Arsenal’s season is going from strength to strength, with the club sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table and through to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion in the EFL Cup won’t put a downer on things at the Emirates as this means fewer matches in their pursuit of bigger prizes.

It’s an exciting time to be an Arsenal supporter and Mikel Arteta is not resting on his laurels either as he looks ahead to the January transfer window in order to further bolster his side.

The Spaniard has reportedly put in an offer for Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, however, he is also interested in another winger, Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze.

Gabriel Martinelli 2.0

According to reports in Spain, Arsenal are targeting a move for Chukwueze in January, and the £31k-per-week trickster would bolster the club’s attack.

Indeed, Chukwueze could be Arteta’s next Martinelli, with the Brazilian winger ranked first when compared to the Villarreal star via FBref’s player comparison model.

Chukwueze averages 4.34 shot-creating actions per match, with Martinelli just edging him with 4.37 per game, proving they pose a significant attacking threat from a wide position.

The Arsenal winger has made 1.8 key passes per match so far this season, compared to 1.1 for Chukwueze, while also creating four more big chances than the Villarreal winger (5 to 1). However, the 23-year-old has started just five games for the La Liga side this season, having to rely on opportunities from the bench.

Former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o even lavished praise on Chukwueze, dubbing him as an “incredible player” and there is no doubt that a move to the Premier League will allow him to get even better.

Martinelli has shone this season, registering seven goal contributions in just 13 matches and if Arteta does land the Nigerian winger, the added competition may prove to be a good thing.

Arsenal should make their move in January and sign him before it’s too late and if they do, the 40-year-old will be adding a Martinelli clone.

West Ham United saw their recent four-game winning run in all competitions come to an end on Sunday afternoon, with David Moyes’ side held to a frustrating draw away to relegation-threatened Southampton at St Mary’s.

The Hammers had fallen behind early on following Romain Perraud’s deflected strike, before skipper Declan Rice ended his lengthy Premier League goal drought to fire home superbly just after the hour mark, with the two sides left to settle for a point following what was an entertaining encounter on the south coast.

The overriding feeling may well be one of disappointment for the away side having enjoyed 61% possession on the day and recorded 25 shots to their opponents’ ten, with it something of a missed opportunity against a side who currently find themselves in the drop zone.

The Irons had not been helped heading into the game, however, as a result of a succession of absences in the defensive ranks, with the likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Kurt Zouma and Craig Dawson all missing out, forcing Moyes to deploy something of a makeshift backline in a back five formation.

That injury crisis resulted in the return of full-back Vladimir Coufal to the starting XI having sat out the last two top-flight games, although the Czech Republic international failed to take that chance after producing a below-par display on the day.

The £10.8m-rated dud was unable to provide the required attacking impetus from his wing-back berth, notably completing just two of his eight crosses against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, with football.london’s Jonty Colman noting: “his crosses were just short of what was needed and by some way too”.

The 30-year-old also proved something of a liability in possession as he squandered the ball on 21 occasions during his 90-minute outing, subsequently recording a rather dismal 73% pass accuracy rate as a result.

The former Slavia Prague man had lost his place to summer signing Thilo Kehrer in recent weeks in the league and it was easy to see why following another lukewarm performance, with the Evening Standard’s Malik Ouzia echoing that view by stating that it was “another display which showed why the Czech has lost his shirt recently.”

Such a showing will likely have done the 32-cap machine few favours when Moyes does have greater defensive options to choose from once again, having only just been criticised for his lack of ‘end product’, by the aforementioned Colman, following Thursday’s win over Anderlecht.

An undoubtedly hard-working asset – as illustrated by the fact that the full-back won 100% of his aerial duels this afternoon – it would appear that Coufal is simply lacking that much-needed quality in an attacking sense.

Newcastle United’s decision to sell James Tavernier to Wigan Athletic in 2014 has massively backfired, with the right-back now starring in Europe as Rangers’ club captain.

After making just ten appearances for Newcastle’s senior side having progressed through the academy, the Toon cashed in on Tavernier, with Wigan reportedly paying just £90k to sign him on a three-year deal.

The defender struggled for regular game time during his spell with the Lancashire side but impressed on loan with Bristol City, contributing three goals and one assist in just 13 appearances for the Ashton Gate outfit.

That was enough to convince Rangers to bring him to Ibrox in 2015 and he has established himself as something of a legend with the Teddy Bears in the seven years since, with his form regularly attracting interest from sides in the Premier League.

In 362 appearances for Rangers, Tavernier has contributed a phenomenal 86 goals and 111 assists, helping take them from the Scottish Championship to the Champions League this season.

Last season saw the Englishman finish as the Europa League’s top scorer as Rangers lost in the final against Eintracht Frankfurt, which is a remarkable achievement for a defender and he has appeared three times in the Champions League so far this season as the Scottish side returned to the elite competition.

His performances in the run to the final earned him the praise of former Rangers man Andy Halliday. He said:

“I’m going to get stick for this and I do not care but Tav’s performances have been at a world-class level.

“He has performed to the highest level. In every knockout round, he’s scored the first goal at Ibrox.

“You’re wanting someone to lead the team forward and he’s scored first in every game – he’s unbelievable.”

Still only 30, Tavernier is a vital part of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side and shows no signs of slowing down, with three goals and four assists to his name already this season.

While the Toon boast a top-quality right-back of their own in Kieran Trippier, there is no doubt that the club made a mistake in not giving Tavernier more of a chance during his time at St James’ Park, and selling him for peanuts has definitely backfired.

Everton have suffered in recent years with terrible transfer decisions, as Farhad Moshiri has overseen over £500m spent with little to show for it.

However, Sunday’s victory against West Ham United does seem to mark the shift in their strategy that is finally bearing rewarded.

A summer transfer window executed well; the match was overseen by a local hero at Goodison Park: Oumar Baye Niasse.

Signed by Roberto Martinez for £13.5m, which was at the time no small sum of money for the Toffees, the Senegalese striker was drafted in as another option up front.

Since his tenure, he has actually become something of a cult figure at the club, but his stint at Goodison Park saw arguably one of the worst technical players to ever grace the field.

Blessed with an incredible work rate but little footballing IQ, he made a name for himself with his relentless pressing but an inability to link the simplest of play.

His final Premier League season saw him average a SofaScore rating of 6.25, with just 6.3 touches per 90.

Sachin Nakrani seemed to agree with the feeling of fans of the club, that he was “a truly terrible footballer”, even questioning how he got to where he was professionally.

In 42 games for the Merseyside club, he scored just nine goals and has most recently been deemed unwanted by Burton Albion. They currently sit rock bottom of League One while he sits on the sidelines as a free agent.

To think that not too long ago he was getting regular game time for Everton is demoralising, especially considering how for a period he was actually revered.

Under Ronald Koeman, Niasse revealed that the Dutch manager sought to bully him out of the club. Left without a locker, a squad number and forced to eat with the U23s, during an injury crisis the 59-year-old had no one else to turn to.

Ever the professional, the 32-year-old scored five goals in seven games during the 2017/18 season before Koeman was eventually sacked. He finished the season on eight league goals.

The forward later came out with an interview claiming the manager saw him as a “target to destroy”, and who “worked so hard to let me [Niasse] go.”

His comeback from this story is what has left him remembered fondly by Evertonians, but at its core, this transfer represents yet another terrible decision by Moshiri.

In hindsight, this seems like it was a sign of things to come, but following the most recent summer, it seems like the tide might finally be changing.

Newcastle United are back in action tomorrow afternoon as they host Crystal Palace at St James’ Park and now there has been an update on two important players from a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

According to Chronicle journalist Ciaran Kelly, both Allan Saint-Maximin and Bruno Guimaraes are “close” to returning to action, but there is uncertainty surrounding their inclusion in the game tomorrow.

Kelly tweeted:

“Bruno Guimaraes and Allan Saint-Maximin are ‘close’ to returning for #nufc but not clear yet if they will be back for Crystal Palace tomorrow.”

Howe will be relieved

There is no doubt that Eddie Howe will be relieved to have both Guimaraes and Saint-Maximin returning to action especially after the disappointing defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday night, which broke their unbeaten run in the Premier League.

The Magpies manager will be hoping to deliver a reaction to that game at Anfield by taking all three points in front of the home supporters when Patrick Vieira’s team come to town tomorrow, and if both of the aforementioned players are fit to play it would be a massive boost for Newcastle.

Guimaraes, in particular, has made a huge impact on the side since joining in the January transfer window with the side only losing five games out of the 17 outings that the Brazilian midfielder has been involved in.

The 24-year-old has already scored five goals and delivered one assist in just 21 appearances from his role in the centre of the pitch, and has been a positive presence in the team so his return will surely be warmly welcomed by both the manager and the St James’ Park faithful if he is available tomorrow.

In terms of Guimaraes’ team mate who is usually one of the first names listed in the starting 11, it will be a huge relief to Howe that Saint-Maximin is also close to making his return to the side as his presence was visibly missing against Liverpool, especially when you consider the impact he had against Manchester City.

According to SofaScore, the Frenchman was the highest rated player on the pitch (8.5) against the Premier League champions delivering two assists, creating two big chances, making four key passes and completing 100% of his crosses, becoming the catalyst in Newcastle’s pursuit to take points from Pep Guardiola’s side.

With that being said, it remains to be seen if either of the Newcastle stars will make an appearance against Crystal Palace tomorrow afternoon, but it would definitely be a big boost for supporters to see their return on home soil if the opportunity arises.

Manchester United are ‘interested’ in a move for Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Trapp profiled

Trapp, labelled as ‘magnificent’ in this year’s Europa League final by journalist Josh Bunting, is 32 years of age and has been with Frankfurt since 2019. The Germany international, sponsored by Adidas, is under contract until 2024.

He has previously plied his trade with Paris Saint-Germain and has made 261 appearances for his current employers across two separate spells.

The Latest: United interest

Sky Sports provided an on-air update regarding United’s transfer business on Tuesday morning.

They said that the Red Devils are ‘expected’ to go back in with a new offer for Ajax winger Antony and added that the club are ‘also interested’ in Trapp but haven’t held formal talks or made an official offer so far.

The Verdict: Needed

Erik ten Hag could do with bringing in a new goalkeeper to rival David de Gea after allowing Dean Henderson to join Nottingham Forest on loan earlier in the window.

Trapp has plenty of experience in Germany and France, so providing he is willing to play second choice to De Gea initially, could be a perfect addition at Old Trafford.

De Gea hasn’t had the best of starts to the current campaign with a big error against Brentford, so Trapp could feel there’s a chance for him to get plenty of game time, especially with United in a number of different competitions.

Aston Villa’s fixtures do not get any easier, as they host an impressive Brentford side with Steven Gerrard having been relieved of his duties on Thursday.

It will leave Aaron Danks in charge, who will likely revert to the standard 4-3-3 to give his team the best possible chance to beat the buoyant Bees.

They have only lost twice in their last eight Premier League fixtures, and sit in a respectable tenth.

The Midlands outfit will have their work cut out to get anything from this well-oiled machine, but with suspensions and poor performances, there is plenty of decisions for the caretaker manager to consider. 

Danks can be expected to make just three changes from the side that were pulverised by Fulham.

Emiliano Martinez will continue just behind an unchanged defence that has leaked 16 goals in just 11 games. Matty Cash will be hoping to find his form of old once again on the right flank.

Summer signing Leander Dendoncker will also notch his first start in central midfield. He has made just four cameo appearances for his new club and has only been involved in one win.

The £90k-per-week Belgian had impressed for his old club Wolverhampton Wanderers, and will be looking to find some form that saw Nuno Espirito Santo dub him a “top player”.

He will sit alongside Villa captain John McGinn, with Jacob Ramsey retaining his place despite his abysmal performance against the Cottagers.

Leon Bailey will surely drop to the bench after a similarly terrible display. The Jamaican is running low on chances now and will have to work hard to impress whoever the new manager may be. Emiliano Buendia will be his replacement.

The opposite flank will see another underwhelming star return, in the hopes that he can summon a moment of magic to help them snatch an unlikely win. Philippe Coutinho will start in place of Ollie Watkins, who will move to the central striker position.

Danny Ings will once again drop to the bench, after failing to impress in another league appearance.

Predicted Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Young; McGinn, Dendoncker, Ramsey; Buendia, Coutinho, Watkins.

Glasgow Rangers face somewhat of a contract dilemma at Ibrox over a few players as January looms into view. The likes of Alfredo Morelos, Filip Helander, and Ryan Jack are all in the last year of their current contracts and Giovanni van Bronckhorst won’t want any of them to leave for free.

One of the club’s biggest assets, Ryan Kent, is also in the last year of his current deal and with rumours linking him to Aston Villa, he could be on the move.

Furthermore, Football Insider have claimed that the winger has rejected a big money deal at Ibrox and all the signs are looking very ominous regarding his future.

The Dutchman will be looking at potential replacements for the Englishman, and the club appears to have been scouting a young talent who could well be Kent’s ideal heir.

Rangers have scouted Mohamed Daramy

The Ibrox side were one of 39 clubs who were scouting the recent Denmark vs Croatia U21 match, alongside European heavyweights such as Manchester City and Bayern Munich.

According to the Daily Record, the scouts could well have been eyeing up Danish winger Daramy – who worked under current assistant manager Dave Vos at Ajax – with the connection certainly hinting at a potential swoop.

Daramy began his career at FC Copenhagen before joining Ajax in the summer of 2021, signing a five-year contract.

He impressed last season, scoring three goals and grabbing three assists in just 16 senior matches for the eventual champions before sealing a loan move back to his former club at the beginning of the current campaign.

One goal in seven league appearances for the Danish side is a decent enough return and his stats show that he could be a solid replacement for Kent.

In fact, the youngster already has a greater goal conversion rate than Kent this season (10% to 7%) while also having more shots on target per game (0.9 to 0.3), proving he can be an important goal threat for his team.

Daramy has also completed more successful dribbles per match (1.9) than the Rangers winger so far (1.7) and has lost possession on average 11.7 times per match, less than Kent’s 13.7 as the Denmark international displays a growing maturity.

Tom Maston described a goal he scored against Turkey U21s last year as “stunning” while he also dubbed Daramy the “flying winger” following his move to Ajax last summer.

Van Bronckhorst will be aiming to bring in a high-profile replacement for Kent, but by signing Daramy, he could get someone who is young, eager to impress, and who may earn the club a fortune a few years down the line.

Everton could reportedly still sign FC Porto attacker Goncalo Borges after making a bid for the player.

The Lowdown: Attackers wanted

It seems as if the Goodison Park outfit still want to bring in a new attacker before the deadline, having recently been linked with moves for Watford’s Joao Pedro and Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze.

They have recently confirmed the signing of Idrissa Gueye from PSG, and their business may not be done there given the need for more firepower up front.

The Latest: Borges bid

As per Portuguese news outlet O Jogo (via Sport Witness), the Merseyside club have made a €12m (£10.3m) bid for Borges, which has been rejected by Porto.

The Portuguese giants are holding out for a transfer fee closer to €15m (£12.9m), and Frank Lampard’s team face competition from Estoril for his signature.

Porto intend to try and keep hold of Borges in the last hours of the window, but a number of clubs in Portugal are thought to be keen, and the Toffees could still raise their offer.

The Verdict: Time running out

If the Blues are serious about wanting to sign Borges, then they need to put in an improved offer fast that matches Porto’s valuation of the player.

Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig claims that he is a ‘similar’ player to Bayern Munich and Germany star Serge Gnabry, reporting his strengths in pace, dribbling, technique, ball control and creativity.

The 21-year-old is clearly very talented, having scored ten goals with six assists for Porto at youth level, as well as making three appearances for the senior team (Transfermarkt).

Borges also actually shares the same agent as four EFC players, and so this could help push a last-minute deal through before the deadline.