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Many fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter in which Jesse Lingard reflected on the Hammers’ weekend Premier League draw with Arsenal.

Following the 3-3 stalemate with the Gunners, a game in which Lingard scored one goal and registered one assist, the 28-year-old took to Twitter, claiming that he and his team were “disappointed not to take the 3 points” from the fixture, but that he felt West Ham “have come a long way” and that he is “proud to be a part of it.”

Since joining David Moyes’ side on a five-month loan deal back in the January transfer window, the £13.5m-rated attacking midfielder has been in remarkable form over his seven league appearances for the Hammers, scoring five goals and providing two assists, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.48 – ranking him as the seventh-best player in the entirety of the top flight.

In reaction to his post on Twitter, numerous fans of West Ham flocked to have their say on the matter, with many heaping a considerable amount of praise on the England international, while others begged the Manchester United loanee to stay at their club beyond his current temporary deal.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to Jesse Lingard’s post on Twitter?

“Incredible performance yet again, now we need to focus on getting top six.”

@ScoutSoucek

“You do us proud, don’t leave us.”

@SamanthaWalsh1

“Makes us all very happy to read that, what a player you are, if we can sign only one player next season, it has to be you!”

@WHUFCRAIG008

“Pls don’t leave us I beg.”

@WhuEthan

“Please stay that’s all I want.”

@WHUSP3

“Love this positivity.”

@umesh_fpl

In other news: these West Ham fans flocked to a claim from ExWHUEmployee – find out more here!

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith recently provided an injury update on forward Wesley and following these comments, Kevin Phillips is worried about the Brazilian’s return.

What Phillips had to say about Wesley

Dean Smith told Birmingham Live: “Wesley is getting closer to a full return to contact training, which should happen in the next week or two.”

Phillips feels that this return will be hard due to the impacts COVID is having on the current season as he told Football Insider: “You do worry that it’s going to take him a while to get back to the same level that he was before his injury. When you’ve been out that long, you’re probably thinking three, four, five months before he can get back to near his best match fitness and sharpness.

“It’s tough because this season, as much much as the lads are training, they won’t be doing the training that you need to get back to full sharpness. All they’re doing at the moment is recovery, light training, recovery, play and then light training again. He’s probably not getting those intensity sessions that he’ll need to get back to full sharpness. So it is a slight worry but as long as Watkins stays fit, he’s certainly given a good return this season. So maybe he can take his time a little bit.”

A lot is going against Wesley

The claim that Phillips makes about Wesley not being able to get the training he needs to recover this campaign is a concern – teams will not be performing intense drills and matches in training, but rather simply preparing for their next game.

The forward does not only have to recover from an injury in a crazy season which sees fixtures heavily congested, but he also has to recover from a cruciate ligament rupture which has seen him miss over a calendar year of football.

The £18m-valued ace is only 24, (Transfermarkt) and has a lot of his career left to play, but this type of injury could see him struggle to gain the match-fitness for a while still, especially the fitness he needs to cope with the physicality of the Premier League.

In other news, Agbonlahor has dropped a big claim about Elmohamady!

Lee Johnson is doing marvellous things with this Sunderland side. He has taken them to fourth in the League One table and is extracting the very best from the Mackems’ front line.

Aiden McGeady has recorded ten assists in just 16 outings for Johnson while Charlie Wyke has become the second top scorer in the entire division, although injuries are still wreaking havoc with the team.

On the chalkboard

Every week seems to spring more bad news for Johnson in the injury department. Last weekend the casualty happened to be Grant Leadbitter. The experienced midfielder was introduced as a substitute in the draw with Crewe but hobbled off within a matter of minutes.

The stretcher was brought out for Leadbitter, who went down in enormous pain. The positive was that he eventually walked off the field of play but he had still sustained a dislocated shoulder, the second such injury of this variety after Luke O’Nien’s dislocation a few months ago.

He is now set for a number of weeks on the sidelines, which could open up other opportunities for players to step up and take on the mantle in the middle of the park.

The solution

Josh Scowen has started two successive games in the middle now, but with games coming up thick and fast, Johnson will have to use the very depths of his squad to get Sunderland over the line and promoted.

O’Nien has been playing as a makeshift centre-half with further injuries to Bailey Wright, Tom Flanagan and Jordan Willis.

As a result, he won’t be able to offer a solution in midfield. Instead, the manager should turn to Carl Winchester, someone that started against Swindon last time out.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-sunderland-news-and-gossip” title=” Latest Sunderland news and gossip!”]

The midfielder signed in January from Forest Green Rovers but has been used sparingly since. Winchester has only started three matches and is yet to really see his career take off at the Stadium of Light.

That being said, he’s a player that Johnson and indeed managers throughout the EFL rate incredibly highly. The Black Cats boss took charge of the 27-year-old during his days at Oldham, where he waxed lyrical about his qualities.

“He’s been superb,” Johnson began. “He’s had a really good pre-season and I think he’s been Championship-class at least since the start of the season,” he concluded.

That was a number of years ago but the sentiment has remained. Mark Cooper commented last year: “He’s a top, top player and should be playing at a much higher level. He’s at least a seven and a half out of ten each week.

“He’s a Championship player and if I was a Championship manager, he’d be one of the first players I would take.”

Like Leadbitter, Winchester possesses the ability to gently keep things ticking over. His passing success rate is north of 85% while he’s strong in the tackle, producing two successful challenges per game for Forest Green this season.

With Sunderland’s options consistently dwindling, Johnson could do far worse than turning to the midfielder this weekend. He simply has to be unleashed in the starting XI during the run-in.

AND in other news, Move over Wyke: Sunderland should swoop for 57-cap gem who Moyes dubbed a “predator”…

Tottenham Hotspur are thought to be keen on bringing another Real Madrid star to north London…

What’s the word?

According to El Chiringuito TV, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is eyeing up a swoop for versatile right-winger Lucas Vazquez. However, he’ll have to battle old rivals Atletico Madrid to secure his signature.

“Mourinho & Simeone are fighting over a player who has been singled out for his performance in the Super Cup. Tottenham & Atletico love Lucas Vazquez,” said transfer expert Eduardo Inda to the Spanish football show.

Another Moura

It would be a surprise to see Spurs bolster their squad with a winger this window, though the summer opens up far greater possibilities as the futures of Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and on-loan Gareth Bale are by no means certain.

Eurosport’s Dean Jones reported earlier in the month that the north Londoners would be willing to listen to offers for either of the former two, whilst The Times claim a second season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium seems unlikely for the Welsh superstar.

The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and after rejecting a recent extension to his current £115k-per-week terms he seems destined to leave the La Liga giants, meaning Daniel Levy may not even need to pay a transfer fee for his services.

But is he worth pursuing? Probably not.

Vazquez could merely be another Moura – a player that can spark glimpses of sheer quality at times but ultimately lacks that proper end product.

That much has been seen this term as Zinedine Zidane has surprisingly deployed him in a right-back role in 52% of his appearances this term.

Indeed, over the course of 227 appearances for Los Galacticos, the nine-time Spanish international has only contributed 26 goals and 49 assists, meaning the £13.5m-rated wide man provides or scores one goal every three outings, per Transfermarkt.

Similarly, this is an issue for the Brazilian attacker over in N17.

He’s scored just once in the Premier League since December 2019, and over the duration of his 134 games for Spurs, he’s contributed only 43 goals, meaning he delivers one goal every 3.1 appearances.

That’s practically mirroring the Madrid star to a tee.

Zidane claims Vazquez is a “reliable” player who “gives everything” while in the past Spanish papers such as Marca have dubbed him “fearless,” though, in terms of attacking output, that just does not appear to be the case.

Whether he’s a player who Mourinho wants truly remains to be seen, but on the above evidence, it would seem a pretty pointless move. They’d be better off keeping Moura.

AND in other news, Shades of Klinsmann: Spurs must seal “ruthless” £31.5m-rated gem for one big reason…

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma this month by Duncan Castles on The Transfer Window Podcast, and the Mali international’s stats suggest that he would be a great addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

Since joining the Seagulls from LOSC Lille in 2018, the 24-year-old has gone on to make 76 appearances, in which he has contributed four goals and one assist.

This season has seen the midfielder average a solid 6.83 rating for his performances in the Premier League, whilst he has demonstrated his long-range shooting quality with superb goals against Everton and Blackpool so far this campaign.

With Fabinho having played centre-back for much of the season, Liverpool have arguably lacked some bite in midfield at times this campaign, which Bissouma could add if he were to make the move to Anfield.

The Brazilian has averaged 2.1 tackles per game, which is the most of any Reds player. Bissouma, meanwhile, has averaged 2.9 tackles per game in the top-flight, which suggests he would fit well into Klopp’s midfield.

The 24-year-old also scores highly with his pass accuracy rate (86.2%) and dribbles per game (1.6), which again suggests that he could adapt to Liverpool’s style of play, as we have often seen the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum and Thiago use their dribbling qualities in order to make space for the front three.

Bissouma may well be likely to depart Brighton in the near future given he is attracting interest from sides across the Premier League, with manager Graham Potter also full of praise for him earlier this season, saying:

“He’s got that quality (to play in the Champions League), he’s got those attributes that you need at that level.”

With Wijnaldum looking likely to join Barcelona at the end of the season, Bissouma could prove to be the ideal replacement if Michael Edwards is able to bring the £11.7 million-rated midfielder to Anfield during the summer.

And, in other news… “I think they’ll try and get it done this window” – Exclusive: Pundit tips LFC to target “perfect” 28 y/o

Manchester City travel to Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon hoping to pick up all three points against an out-of-sorts Manchester United side in the derby.

Pep Guardiola’s side rounded off their Champions League group stage campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win against Marseille in midweek but will have to be at their best if they are going to pick up a win against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

The Norweigan manager has seen his United side win the past three Premier League meetings against City, so will be confident, despite a disappointing start to the season.

The Red Devils were also dumped out of the Champions League in midweek after suffering a 3-2 defeat against RB Leipzig, so may be low on confidence for Saturday’s game.

Considering a number of first-team players were rested for City’s game against the French side on Wednesday, it seems likely that Guardiola will ring the changes for the trip to Old Trafford.

Here’s how we expect the Spanish manager to line his side up on Saturday, with eight changes from the side that started against Marseille…

Ederson reclaims his place in between the sticks, with Zack Steffen having made his Champions League debut for the Citizens in midweek.

There’s three changes in the defence, as just Kyle Walker keeps his place, whilst John Stones and Ruben Dias will be hoping to continue their strong run of recent form, which has helped Guardiola’s side to eight clean sheets in their last 10 games in all competitions.

Earlier this season, Guardiola claimed that Aymeric Laporte was “the best left central defender in the world” but considering the recent partnership of Stones and Dias, there is no place for the Frenchman in the derby.

Meanwhile, Joao Cancelo returns at left-back, as whilst Benjamin Mendy has impressed in recent games, the Portuguese defender is slightly more reliable defensively, in what will undoubtedly be a tough game against United’s frontline.

Ilkay Gundogan looks as if he might miss out after going off injured against Marseille, so Guardiola will continue with Fernandinho in midfield, alongside Rodri, who should hopefully have recovered from the knock that kept him out in midweek.

Unsurprisingly, Kevin De Bruyne returns to the starting side, whilst Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus replace Bernardo Silva and Ferran Torres in the City attack.

It will be interesting to see how Guardiola lines his side up at Old Trafford, but three points is arguably a must if City want to keep pace with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the top of the table.

And, in other news… Sold for £1.5m, now a PL winner: City made a huge error with “world class” leader

Glasgow Rangers will be well aware they will need to find a suitable replacement for Steven Davis in the not too distant future.

What’s the word?

Ross Wilson brought in Bongani Zungu from French Ligue 2 side Amiens on an initial loan deal with the option-to-buy but the Bafana-Bafana midfielder has arguably done very little to justify an extension to his stay at Ibrox thus far.

It seems Steven Gerrard is in agreement, as Rangers have reportedly turned their attentions elsewhere instead.

According to Football Insider, Sheffield United midfielder John Lundstram is still of interest to the Light Blues, and Chris Wilder has recently admitted defeat.

The Blades boss said: “Him [Lundstram] and his agent have made a decision that he doesn’t want to sign.”

It’s claimed clubs south of the border, including Premier League duo Burnley and Crystal Palace, are also keen to secure his signature in January.

Lundstram has impressed for the south Yorkshire outfit especially over the past couple of years, providing eight goals and assists in 100 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Ideal Steven Davis alternative

Although his form has somewhat tailed off this season, having been sent off against Brighton following a challenge on Joel Veltman, there’s no denying the fact that Lundstram could be a significant coup for the Gers.

It’s an open secret the Ibrox boss has wanted a genuine box-to-box midfielder for some time now, which is why he tried to sign Preston North End playmaker Daniel Johnson in the summer, but to no avail.

Given his age, it’s safe to say that Davis isn’t getting any younger, and coupled with the fact his current deal is set to expire at the end of this season, it’s surely only a matter of time before he decides to hang up his boots for good.

Former Aston Villa and England striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has insisted Lundstram, who reportedly earns around £4,000-per-week at Bramall Lane, would seize the chance to move to Ibrox in a heartbeat.

He told Football Insider: “I think so. He’s a quality player.

“I’ve heard he’s not agreed a contract, maybe that’s wages they can’t agree. If Rangers can pay the money that he wants then maybe it suits him.

“I’m sure if anybody’s got a chance to leave Sheffield United at the moment, the way they’re playing, I’m sure they would.

“Rangers are a massive club that I’m sure he would love to go and play for.”

Rather than signing Zungu on a permanent basis, Rangers chief Ross Wilson may be better served sanctioning a move for Lundstram, as not only would he be able to provide suitable backup for the Northern Irish veteran stalwart, but he’d also be a significant upgrade on the South Africa international as well.

His high levels of concentration and ability to spray passes over the top would make him the perfect fit for the Govan-based Glaswegian giants, whilst signing a midfielder capable of covering and competing for a place in the starting line-up with Davis would be an extremely smart bit of business.

Should Davis depart Ibrox, Gerrard would have a ready-made replacement waiting in the wings if Wilson can get a deal over the line.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers dealt cruel blow before Celtic clash after Ryan Jack ruled out due to injury…

Stuart Dallas played through the pain barrier on Thursday night as he featured in his country’s latest European Championship qualifier. Despite his and the team’s efforts, it wasn’t enough to carry them into the competition as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Slovakia.

The Leeds left-back picked up what looked like a serious arm injury during the fixture, but played the full 90 minutes, plus the extra time to determine the winner. No confirmation of a long-lasting injury has been given by the club, but it looked like it could’ve been a huge blow for the Whites fans. Should Dallas be sidelined, it could force Marcelo Bielsa to give young Leif Davis the nod.

Davis could be forced to step up to the plate

The 20-year-old has been limited to just 13 minutes of action this season, coming on as a substitute against Manchester City as Leeds held them to a draw. Davis managed to bag himself an assist last season despite playing only 192 minutes of football in total (via Transfermarkt).

However, despite his elusive status for Leeds, it’s clear Bielsa sees a lot of promise in the £90,000-rated defender. His versatility is something that could be of vital use to the manager this season, particularly if key members of the team pick up injuries or develop positive cases of coronavirus.

“I want to give an example,” Bielsa told Leeds Live when asked about promising members of the Leeds set up. “[Leif] Davis is a great player, full of future, resources and skills.

“In my opinion, Davis was far from the first team in our first year and after he worked a lot in the team, with brilliant willing, a lot of effort, dedication, he gives everything.”

The hard-working youngster could see the fruits of his labour pay off in the absence of Dallas. It’s clear that Bielsa is already a huge fan of his, he is just waiting for the right time to deploy the left-back. That time could be now.

In other news, Ouasim Bouy is surely headed for the door after rinsing Leeds’ money pot…

David Sullivan can finally deliver on his London Stadium promise by luring Inter Milan midfielder Christian Eriksen to West Ham United in January.

What’s the word?

According to Eurosport, the Hammers are lining up a shock mid-season move to bring Eriksen back to the Premier League just a year after he quit Tottenham Hotspur for £16.9million.

Inter Milan are expected to allow Eriksen to secure a move away from the San Siro this winter having failed to establish himself at the club and, should he fancy a reunion with the English top-flight, the Irons will put themselves forward with an official bid.

Eriksen has started just four fixtures across all competitions this season with former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte often happy to overlook the 28-year-old, who is without a goal or assist thus far this term.

The Denmark international struggled to find his feet in Italy during his maiden campaign, either, with Eriksen striking home only four times and contributing three assists after leaving north London with a hand in 158 career Tottenham goals (69 scored, 89 assisted).

Mauricio Pochettino once lauded Eriksen as a “special” talent during his time in charge at White Hart Lane, where the 103-cap wonder was nicknamed the “screamer” for being capable of scoring “unbelievable goals”.

Finally delivering on a 10-year promise

Sullivan can finally deliver on the promise he made to West Ham supporters 10-years ago if the Irons co-owner and Chairman is able to lure Eriksen to the club this winter, as he has forever described the move to the London Stadium as a decision which could lead to signings like this.

Sullivan told supporters back in January 2010 that he believed moving away from Upton Park and to the site of the London 2012 Olympics would allow West Ham to turbo-charge revenues and reach another level like Manchester City after their change of ground following the Commonwealth Games.

But Irons fans are yet to see the proof as rather than compete with Man City for European places, the east London side have often been fighting off the threat of relegation with a seventh-place finish in 2015/16 their highest result since 2001/02.

Big-name players like Dimitri Payet did not stick around for long either, as the star of the 2015/16 campaign departed just a year later after seeing the Hammers crash out of the Europa League in the qualifying stages after defeat to Romanian side Astra Giurgiu.

With West Ham currently on course to challenge for their best finish to a Premier League season since moving to the London Stadium, Eriksen – and his Champions League experience – could be the one to get them over the line and back into Europe.

AND in other news, David Sullivan can redefine David Moyes’ West Ham with a winter swoop for a £4.95m-rated maestro.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, a big transfer could still be on the horizon for Tottenham, with Norwich City defender Max Aarons still attracting interest. 

Aarons, who was targeted by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy earlier this year, is apparently still on Tottenham’s radar despite the club’s recent acquisition of Matt Doherty in a £15m deal. 

Aarons transfer twist

The signing of Doherty, as well as Spurs’ decision to keep Serge Aurier in a battle for the right-back slot, appeared to diminish all hope of landing Aarons this window, but the Mail claimed that Levy is still interested in a move for the Norwich defender.

Jose Mourinho wanted to reinforce his full-back positions over the summer, landing both Doherty and Spanish international Sergio Reguilon to feature on either flank.

Touted as a move which could ‘raise a few eyebrows’ earlier this year, it appears that notion could still be relevant six months later as the club weigh up a potential swoop for Aarons. Speaking on Spurs’ links with Aarons, former Tottenham striker Darren Bent claimed he would be a ‘great signing for Spurs’ – and Levy could still land him given his Championship status.

However, if Tottenham want to make a surprise deal happen, they will have to act quickly given the EFL bonus window shuts at 5pm on Friday.

Transfer Tavern take

Starting 36 Premier League matches for the Canaries over 2019/20, despite failing to help them steer clear of relegation, Aarons was a standout performer, leaving little wonder as to why Spurs are keeping a watchful eye on him.

The 20-year-old would undoubtedly seem a great signing, but whether or not Tottenham go through with a late move remains to be seen.

Spurs fans, do you still want Aarons at the club? Have your say in the comments section below…