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West Ham United fought back from having conceded an early goal to emerge as 3-1 winners over struggling Fulham at the London Stadium on Friday. 

Goals from Javier Hernandez, Issa Diop and Michail Antonio cancelled out Ryan Babel’s opening strike. Whilst the Hammers generally performed well and deserved all three points, Manuel Pellegrini will be concerned by how poorly his side defended in the opening exchanges. Plenty of poor marking led to Babel’s goal, but centre-back Angelo Ogbonna was particularly culpable for failing to track his man.

However, after this early error, the 30-year-old proceeded to produce an assured, disciplined performance. With Fabian Balbuena still out with injury, the 13-cap Italy international has been handed a run in the starting XI in east London and is generally impressing. When Balbuena returns to full fitness he may even find it a struggle to get straight back into the team.

After the match on Friday, plenty of Irons fans took to Twitter to discuss Ogbonna’s contribution…

Leeds United have plans to sign a new centre-forward in the upcoming summer transfer window according to the latest reports…

What’s the story?

Jesse Marsch’s side of course suffered a huge blow earlier this month when it was confirmed that their one senior option up front in Patrick Bamford has been ruled out yet again with an injury, this time for a minimum of six weeks.

It’s an injury that has once again raised questions about the Whites’ lack of depth in that number nine role, and TEAMtalk’s James Marshment has indicated it’s an issue that will look to be addressed come the summer.

In replying to a fan about the need for a new striker, Marshment noted: “It’s on the agenda this summer.”

Much-needed for Marsch

Speaking earlier this month, former Leeds goalkeeper Paddy Kenny delivered his verdict on the need for a new centre-forward this summer.

He said: “Why didn’t they sign a striker in January? We have been saying this since before January. Even if Bamford is fit he’s the only one who looks like scoring regularly.

“They need to put this right because another injury to Bamford is a big blow to them. They need to go out and spend £20million or something like that on a striker as soon as the window opens. This can’t happen again next season. If they stay up then they have to inevest in a new striker.”

In Bamford’s absence, Leeds’ attack has pretty much failed to click all season, bagging just 34 goals in their 30 Premier League games thus far – to put that into context, last year in their debut campaign back in the top-flight under Marcelo Bielsa, they managed a whopping 62, even above the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.

While the Whites will be hoping the worst of Bamford’s injury woes will be behind him come the start of the new season in the summer, it is absolutely imperative that they bring in some genuine cover and competition for the England international.

It would be a tragic mistake on the part of Victor Orta to once again go a transfer window without signing a new number nine, and one could that have disastrous consequences.

But, the fact it’s “on the agenda” and the club are seemingly actively on the look-out for a striker, is sure to have Marsch excited heading into the transfer window.

AND in other news – Sold at £8m, now worth triple: Leeds had a nightmare over “fearless” 5 ft 9 magician

Glasgow Rangers have now been dealt yet another injury blow before their Europa League game on Thursday night.

The Lowdown: Morelos ruled out

After an injury sustained while on international duty with Colombia, the Ibrox club have revealed that Alfredo Morelos will now be out for the rest of the season. He has had to undergo surgery to his thigh and has now started a rehabilitation programme.

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Morelos will not be able to return to training with the first team until pre-season begins, so the Teddy Bears will have to play the rest of the campaign without him.

The Latest: Lowry also unavailable

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the first leg away to Braga, Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has confirmed that Alex Lowry is ‘also unavailable’ for the clash, along with Morelos and Ianis Hagi.

The youngster has seemingly picked up a late injury which now rules him out of the match in Portugal.

The Verdict: Another blow for Rangers

After the news on Morelos, it is yet another blow for the Light Blues to have Lowry unavailable. With the young striker also out, it now leaves them relatively short in that position, as Kemar Roofe will probably now be expected to lead the line.

Lowry has impressed when he has played for Rangers B this term, and as such he has been rewarded with a number of senior appearances.

Nonetheless, the 18-year-old would have been a handy squad option for Van Bronckhorst to have in Morelos’ absence, but now the Gers will have to play without either of them.

In other news, find out which RFC star would now ‘seriously consider’ leaving here!

Manchester United were ‘offered’ the chance to sign Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara last month, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Kamara talks

Kamara, primarily a defensive midfielder who can also play as a centre-back, is a soon-to-be free agent with his deal with Marseille set to expire at the end of June.

That means United could look to secure a pre-contract agreement right now ahead of a summer move, with reports suggesting United have spoken to Kamara’s agent.

The Red Devils were thought to be leading the race for the Frenchman’s services in January, but it seems as if they declined the chance to bring him to Old Trafford for a bargain fee last month.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter on Wednesday evening to provide an update on Kamara’s situation.

He revealed that United were ‘offered’ the chance to sign Kamara with Marseille no doubt keen to make at least some money from his departure.

Denis Zakaria and Julian Alvarez are mentioned too, but also declined due to the club’s managerial situation.

“Manchester United were offered the chance to sign Boubacar Kamara, after Denis Zakaria and Julian Alvarez – turned down because of new manager plans in the summer. Buy options not included in Donny and Martial deal for the same reason.”

The Verdict: Strange

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick is set to move into a consultancy role in the summer until 2024, so you’d expect he’d have a say when it comes to possible signings over the next two years.

Therefore, it seems strange that United declined the chance to sign Kamara last month and seem happy to wait until a new boss is in place – the young midfielder completes roughly 90% of his passes and makes nearly two tackles per game, drawing praise as a ‘phenomenon’ by former teammate Rolando.

By the summer, Kamara may already have a different move tied up on a pre-contract deal, leaving United on the search for a new central midfielder going into the 2022/23 campaign instead of securing a £22.5m-rated player for a cut-price fee last month.

Celtic will pip Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title because of the latter’s Europa League exploits, according to former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Celtic in pole position

The Hoops are looking to wrestle back their league crown from their most bitter rivals this season, with the current situation undoubtedly looking positive.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are six points clear at the top of the table with five league matches remaining, with the recent 2-1 win at Ibrox feeling enormous.

Not only that, but Rangers are now in the Europa League semi-finals, giving Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men something else to focus on.

The Latest: Whelan confident of title win

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan believes that Rangers’ involvement in Europe further plays into Celtic’s hands, which will ultimately lead to title glory:

“I think the fact Rangers prolonged their stay in Europe and Celtic were knocked out might have fallen into Celtic’s hands, quite frankly. I know you want to be in Europe. You want to push on in these best competitions as far as you possibly can.

“But I think when you’re looking at the rest and recuperation Celtic are getting, there’s strength in depth. The fact that they’ve got all their important players raring to go, fresh, I think being successful in Europe, sometimes plays into the opposition’s hands.

“It’s taken its toll. They travelled the week before, they come back again, they get the win but then they’ve got to go again on a Thursday evening in Europe. It’s then not long before their next game.

“When you look at it from Celtic’s point of view, they should be a lot fresher than Rangers.”

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The Verdict: Hoops’ to lose

There is no denying that Celtic are the resounding favourites to win the league now and Whelan’s point is extremely valid.

The fact that Rangers have two huge semi-final legs to focus on, while Postecoglou’s men can simply focus on league action, should only make the latter’s job easier, both in terms of physical and mental fatigue.

That being said, Celtic must not rest on their laurels in these remaining weeks of the season, instead getting the job done in seamless fashion.

In other news, a journalist has made a live on-air Celtic claim. Read more here.

West Ham United are still in discussions to get a deadline day deal over the line for Darwin Nunez.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Sky Sports reporter Valentina Fass, who revealed live on Sky Sports News (11:55) that the Italian transfer insider Gianluca di Marzio has suggested that West Ham are rushing to get a €50m (£41.5m) deal over the line for the 22-year-old Benfica centre-forward prior to Monday evening’s transfer deadline.

Speaking about the Hammers’ move for Nunez, Fass said: “Gianluca di Marzio just told me there’s a rush to try and close the deal by this evening. It will be quite a big deal, €50m deal, they are dealing now with Benfica.”

Fans will love Fass’ update

With contrasting reports about West Ham’s deal for Nunez breaking with each passing hour, it is slightly hard to keep track of whether the Irons’ move for the striker is indeed still on or off.

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However, Fass’ latest update is undoubtedly one that the London Stadium faithful will love, as, at present, it would appear as if West Ham’s move for the Uruguay international is very much alive – although it looks as if the transfer will go right down to the wire.

Indeed, if Moyes can convince both Benfica and Nunez to put pen to paper regarding the striker’s switch to East London, the 22-year-old’s signing will be a huge coup for the Hammers – who are very much in need of attacking reinforcements in their bid to secure a top-four finish in the league this season.

So, while there is still a long way to go on deadline day, as things currently stand, it seems the Irons are still in talks with Nunez, something that will delight everyone involved with the club.

In other news: ExWHUemployee drops gutting deadline day update, it’s not “what the fans want to hear”

Aston Villa are set to face a battle against numerous other clubs to secure the permanent signing for loanee Philippe Coutinho with the Brazilian set to leave Barcelona for good this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to Birmingham Live, Villa have an option to buy Coutinho for £33m at the end of the season, although the deal is believed to be more complicated than that.

On the situation, manager Steven Gerrard said last month: “It’s more complicated than people think… the option is there. If it was my money, I think you know the answer.”

However, the Mirror claim that Barcelona have doubts over the West Midlands club’s ability to provide the necessary funds to take on the 29-year-old permanently.

It is also believed that Premier League rivals Arsenal and Newcastle United are keen, with the latter “ready” to pay the winger’s £425,000k-per-week salary, according to the Mirror.

Villa must secure permanent Coutinho deal

Already the effects of having Coutinho in Gerrard’s side are evident, with the Brazilian scoring four goals and registering three assists in 12 Premier League appearances for the Villans.

To put that into context, the 29-year-old is already the West Midlands club’s joint-fourth top goalscorer this term having joined in early January.

Premier League fans were already aware of the winger’s brilliance after his spell at Liverpool whilst also featuring regularly for Brazil.

Across club and country, Coutinho has netted a whopping 125 career strikes and has received a plethora of praise from numerous names over the years with former Liverpool and current Brazil teammate Roberto Firmino labelling the Villa loanee as “phenomenal” and insisting that “he has magical powers.”

Villa’s season has been somewhat of a disappointment, with Gerrard’s men currently 15th in the Premier League, although they do have two games in hand on some sides, there will undoubtedly be plans for an ambitious transfer window.

The West Midlands outfit have already been linked with the likes of Yves Bissouma and Kalvin Phillips and are set to spend big this summer.

Having already lured Coutinho to Villa Park on a temporary basis, there shouldn’t be any issue convincing the 29-year-old to stay permanently after an excellent start to life in claret and blue.

Moreover, contrary to reports, a £33m fee seems a bargain and one that isn’t out of the question for Villa, having spent a club-record £38m on Emi Buendia last summer.

Granted, there will be more attractive propositions for the Brazilian and therefore Gerrard and NSWE must do whatever they can to secure a permanent stay for the Villa star.

AND in other news: Cost £0, now worth £19.8m: Villa struck gold on £15k-p/w gem who “demands attention” 

Wolves were fairly active behind the scenes making deals during the recent January transfer window with Chiquinho making the move from Estoril, Hwang Hee-chan having his loan deal made permanent as well as seeing Hayao Kawabe and Sang-bin Jeong join and then loaned out.

The Midlands club also saw some of their current players head out on other loan deals, most notably with Adama Traore jetting off back to Barcelona.

While journalist Tim Spiers recently claimed that he’s expecting a busy one in terms of transfer deals, with a “dynamic midfielder” apparently being on their agenda for a while, Bruno Lage could already have his ideal midfield option for next season and beyond.

On the chalkboard

As a product of Wolves’ youth system, 19-year-old midfielder Luke Cundle has racked up a total of 84 appearances across the club’s U18 and U23 sides, scoring eight goals and providing 12 assists along the way, highlighting the attacking ability he has.

Even though he’s got four first-team appearances under his belt, the teenager, who has been praised in the past for his “outstanding” football brain by James Collins, only has 16 minutes of senior action under his belt, showing that he’s on the fringes of Lage’s team but not close to being a regular player for Wolves yet.

Looking ahead to next season, with Joao Moutinho’s contract expiring at the end of the current campaign, there’s every chance that he could be leaving Molineux, as well as Ruben Neves, who has been heavily linked with a transfer away from the club in recent weeks and months.

With that in mind, if either of those two were to leave in the summer, it could pave the way for Cundle to finally take his place in the team and potentially save the club millions in potential transfer fees to sign a replacement.

Additionally, with Leander Dendoncker only starting nine league games in the Premier League this season and his contract set to expire in the summer of 2023, his future at Molineux could also come under some speculation in the coming months.

As a result, Lage should try and give the youngster as many minutes in the Premier League as possible from now until the end of the term to get him acclimatised to the speed and physicality of the division and then look to make him a more prominent figure in the team next season.

In other news: Forget Traore: Lage could fix big Wolves issue by unleashing “magic” £900k-rated gem – opinion 

Celtic saw many players make the move to Parkhead during Peter Lawwell’s reign as the club’s chief executive.

As tends to be the case with a lot of clubs across Europe and beyond, not every deal that gets completed ends up being particularly successful.

One example of this happening at Celtic was their 2013 move for striker Teemu Pukki.

Signed during the 2013 summer transfer window on a four-year deal from Schalke worth a reported fee of £3m, the Finnish international ended up making just 38 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions.

Finding the back of the net just nine times, the centre-forward then joined Brondby on loan in 2014 before signing on a permanent deal in 2015.

With 26 league appearances in the 2013/14 season, the centre-forward could only register 13 shots on target, the same number as midfielders Scott Brown and Joe Ledley.

Having started just 14 of these league fixtures, the £15k-per-week attacker failed to really nail down a place in the team, particularly towards the end of the campaign.

Described as being “unplayable” by former Norwich City manager Daniel Farke, Pukki failed to repay the transfer fee that the Hoops shelled out for him.

Speaking about the striker’s time at Celtic Park, former Hoops boss Neil Lennon had this to say on the matter.

He said: “He is a quiet boy. He had a few injury problems as well and at a club like Celtic, when you’re brought in for money, you have to score goals.

“And he wasn’t really an out-and-out goalscorer. He played within himself a little bit, I thought. He didn’t really show his capabilities. He’s very quiet. I don’t know if it was too big for him because he had been at Sevilla and Schalke, so he had been at big clubs. 

“He was never prolific but we felt he had the qualities we wanted but he would maybe say he never got the chance to show that on a consistent basis.”

Taking all of this into account, as well as the fact that the Hoops only got a fraction – £608k, to be exact – of the transfer fee from Brondby that they originally paid to bring him to Celtic Park, it’s safe to say that Lawwell and the club had a nightmare on this particular deal.

AND in other news: Ange must now revive Celtic swoop for £2.7m-rated “rocket”, he’s a “massive talent”

Celtic trio Albian Ajeti, Vasilis Barkas and Boli Bolingoli all look set to leave the club this month, according to The Daily Record’s Gabriel McKay.

The Lowdown: Exits needed

The Hoops have been extremely busy when it comes to incomings this month, with Michael Nicholson finalising five signings for Ange Postecoglou’s squad in January. Midfielder Matt O’Riley was the latest to move to Parkhead, penning a deal until 2026 from MK Dons.

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It seems as if Celtic’s focus now is on moving players out of Glasgow in the final days of the window, with three Neil Lennon acquisitions in line to leave the club.

The Latest: McKay’s claim

McKay shared a transfer news recap on The Daily Record on Saturday evening.

Within his report, he said that Ajeti, Barkas and Bolingoli all ‘look set to go in the opposite direction and follow Leigh Griffiths out of Celtic Park’.

The Verdict: Flops

Celtic paid £4.5m for both Ajeti and Barkas and £3m for Bolingoli. That has proven to be £12m not well spent, with the trio hardly featuring under Postecoglou this season.

Hopefully the Hoops can recoup the majority of the £12m they spent on those three players, but that could be a big ask for CEO Nicholson with only a few days remaining in the transfer window.

If you use Transfermarkt’s valuations, for example, the Hoops could land just £4.95m, as Ajeti’s value has dropped from £4.05m to £2.25m as a Celtic player, Barkas’ going from £4.5m to £1.35m and Bolingoli’s falling from £2.7m to £1.35m.

In other news: ‘Absolute travesty’ – Journalist reacts as Celtic swoop for Jota now in ‘doubt’