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Many West Ham United fans have been left to bemoan an update on Alan Irvine as the club’s website confirmed that he has left his role as assistant manager.

The 62-year-old will now take on a new technical advisory position to assist David Moyes and his coaching staff for the 2021/22 term.

The website describes him as a ‘hugely respected figure’ and ‘one of the finest coaches in the English game, admired and respected by players and his peers in the coaching world’.

It is not just Moyes who had contributed to the great work on the pitch last season, with which the East London club managed a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League and therefore qualified for the UEFA Europa League, but Irvine as well played a big part, and so it will be a huge loss not to have him right on the touchline.

Although he is still working with the Hammers, several Irons supporters have been left to bemoan the Scotsman not being able to work alongside Moyes from the touchline during games.

West Ham fans on Irvine update

These WHU fans flocked to the update as it was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that they were ‘gutted’:

“I don’t consider this good news at all”

Credit: @LeefromAHN

“That’s not good. He is well liked. Respected coach. Carlton Cole was talking about how good he is”

Credit: @jeffers4045

“Gutting I liked him”

Credit: @RyanWestHam1999

“That’s not good news, need to keep that group together”

Credit: @rickwhufc

“Ah gutted, top coach he is!”

Credit: @westhampep

“NOOOOO”

Credit: @conwhufc03

In other news, find out what Moyes’ transfer priority is here!

According to a report by Eurosport, West Ham United and GSB are now likely to sound out Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud with an offer as his contract nears expiry.

The Lowdown: Moyes on the striker hunt

After West Ham manager David Moyes failed to get his hands on a striker in January, much has been made of the Irons finally strengthening that position in the summer window.

Indeed, club insider Claret & Hugh believes that both a new forward and permanent deal for Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard are at the very top of Moyes’ priority list.

The Latest: Giroud enters the fray…

The striker saga now appears well underway as Eurosport bring news of West Ham’s interest in Chelsea forward Giroud.

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Giroud is out of contract at Stamford Bridge this summer, meaning the Hammers could feasibly sign him on a free deal amid difficult financial circumstances caused by coronavirus.

As such, journalist Dean Jones, writing for the outlet, believes West Ham are now ‘likely’ to sound out the 107-cap international with an offer to swap Stamford Bridge for the London Stadium.

However, the club face stiff competition for Giroud in the form of Italian giants AC Milan – who are believed to already be looking into a possible agreement.

The Verdict: Ideal signing?

The 34-year-old’s haul both domestically and at international level is something to be praised.

Indeed, Giroud has netted 44 goals over his plethora of caps for France and holds a fairly solid goalscoring record in the Premier League with 90 goals in 255 appearances overall.

The towering 6 foot 3 forward has also attracted pretty lofty praise from Gary Lineker, with the pundit lavishing Giroud as ‘the most underrated striker in the game.’ (via Twitter).

However, if Moyes wants a long term solution, Giroud may not be the most credible option given his age – with reported striking targets such as Ivan Toney and Tammy Abraham arguably worth an investment which could pay off long into the future.

In other news: West Ham fans rave over this official club announcement, find out more here.

Manchester United have suffered a major blow in their pursuit of Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish.

What’s the story?

The 25-year-old would reportedly prefer to join Premier League champions Manchester City this summer over United after being linked with a move away from his boyhood club, according to The Athletic.

Grealish was the subject of intense interest from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side 12 months ago, but recent claims have suggested that the Norwegian is targeting Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho in the upcoming transfer window.

Fans will be gutted

Although the potential arrival of Sancho would significantly soften the blow of Grealish’s apparent preferences, his desire to move to the Etihad Stadium over Old Trafford will undoubtedly leave many Red Devils supporters gutted.

Grealish has continually impressed for the Villans in recent seasons and just produced the best campaign of his career, bagging six goals and providing 12 assists in just 26 Premier League appearances for Dean Smith’s side.

His impressive performances earned the 25-year-old his first senior England call-up last autumn, where he caught the eye of the Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate.

“Today was a great game for us to see him in. I couldn’t speak highly enough of his performance,” Southgate said after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Belgium in November.

“I thought Jack Grealish had an absolutely outstanding game. Losing Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford, we lose a lot of speed. But I can’t fault the attacking play until the last chance.

“I saw what I knew I would see from Jack, someone with the bravery to play. He took the ball in tight areas, his technique was good, we knew he would buy a lot of free-kicks. I thought he was outstanding – he should be delighted.”

Grealish signed a five-year contract with Villa after his final day strike against West Ham secured the Midlands’ outfit’s safety last season, meaning that any move for the £58.5m-rated attacker would be an expensive one.

Nevertheless, this latest revelation will come as a blow to United as they aim to build a side capable of challenging for football’s major honours.

In other news…Huge Manchester United transfer update emerges, fans will surely be buzzing 

As Everton move into a second week without Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, the heat is really being turned up in their bid to find a replacement.

A number of suitors have been considered but a few frontrunners are now beginning to emerge.

What’s the word?

Everton have been taking a look at Brighton boss Graham Potter but it’s understood that an interview has actually taken place with another manager familiar with the Premier League.

Football Insider reported this week that the Toffees have formally interviewed ex-Wolves boss Nuno Santo for the vacant role.

A source close to the club confirmed to FI that he was the leading contender ahead of David Moyes, someone Bill Kenwright is intent on seeing back at Goodison Park.

Crystal Palace were also interested in hiring Nuno but after a deal looked close to completion, the Eagles pulled out of the race, which is obviously a huge boost to Everton’s chances of signing the Portuguese ace.

A mistake from Farhad Moshiri

Trying to lure Nuno to Merseyside has to feel like a clanger from the top brass at Goodison Park.

The 47-year-old took Wolves from mid-table obscurity in the Championship to Premier League stability but his tactics over the last 12 months have lacked flexibility. Thus, it would be a questionable decision if he was to replace Carlo Ancelotti.

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Wolves reporter Tim Spiers described Nuno as “special” for the way he lifted the club into the Europa League a few years ago but when it came to bridging the gap to the top six, he was incapable.

Everton have lofty desires of reaching the Champions League again and under Nuno, it’s unlikely to happen.

The Old Gold developed a three-man backline during his stay in the Midlands but once they were found out, he struggled to adjust.

Nuno wanted to make Wolves more attacking but after switching to a 4-2-3-1, they were victorious in just four of their 14 league matches using that system.

Everton have used that formation on a regular basis and need a manager who is competent when it comes to keeping possessing and using an attacking shape.

The former goalkeeper may well be able to adjust with a different set of players but he proved at Wolves that he’s not particularly flexible when it comes to using different tactics.

Judging by the desires Everton has, interviewing Nuno was somewhat of a mistake. They should consider other options from their hefty shortlist, even if he is now available after the collapse of his move to Palace.

AND in other news, Move over Nuno: Moshiri can revive Everton by hiring “magnificent” 41 y/o manager…

Paulo Fonseca made some “strange decisions” during his time as AS Roma boss, says Forza Italian Football editor-in-chief Conor Clancy.

Fonseca is in line to become Tottenham’s next manager following the collapse in talks with Antonio Conte, with BBC Sport reporting that the two parties are currently holding discussions.

The 48-year-old is a free agent after leaving Roma at the conclusion of the 2020/21 season and has since been replaced by Jose Mourinho, the man he could now succeed at Spurs.

Fonseca guided the Giallorossi to seventh in Serie A, securing a place in the Europa Conference League, but not without making some strange decisions along the way, according to Clancy.

“He got a lot out of players, but he did make some strange decisions like playing Bryan Cristante, who’s like an attacking midfielder, at centre-back in a back three,” the Forza Italian Football editor-in-chief said. “It was a bit bizarre and people poke fun at him for that.”

It will be interesting to see if he does anything as crazy as that at Tottenham. Whatever the case, Spurs fans will surely just be happy to have a new manager.

The club sacked Mourinho back in April and since then, it feels like there has been a lot of sagas involving the likes of Brendan Rodgers, Erik ten Hag and Conte.

Barry Fry insists that David Moyes is the perfect manager for West Ham United after signing his new contract at the club.

The Scot was linked with a potential return to Everton throughout the summer as the Toffees searched for a replacement for Carlo Ancelotti after his exit to Everton.

He has now committed his future to the club, though, for at least another three years after a sensational season in which they sealed qualification to the Europa League with a sixth-placed finish.

Fry says he was actually with Moyes when he was approached to take the job for a second time and says he was excited to have the opportunity to again manage the Irons.

He previously kept them in the Premier League despite genuine fears of relegation and has now developed the club into European contenders.

The Irons even knocked on the door for Champions League football and Fry believes that Moyes is building something in east London, to the delight of the Irons hierarchy.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “You can look back and say ‘well they got rid of David before when he’d done a good job so he could be a little bit upset with that’, but I was there the night they approached him and he couldn’t wait to come from the north to the south to take up the job again because he loved his first time at West Ham.

“He’s even loved this time a lot better because he’s been more successful but I think David Moyes is building for the future of West Ham. I think West Ham want him as leader of the pack, they like his ideas, they like his philosophy.”

Daniel Farke may be looking to add some top-flight experience into the Norwich City ranks following their return to the Premier League.

Despite just one regular season at this level, Brandon Williams flourished for Manchester United during the 2019/20 season, but now he must now go out on loan in search of regular first-team football according to Canaries legend Jon Newsome.

Last season, the Canaries did not have a regular left-back with both Dimitrios Giannoulis and Xavi Quintilla sharing the position having made 16 and 12 appearances respectively for the Championship winners.

Williams has already been there and done it in the Premier League for one of the biggest clubs in the country, so if Farke could tempt him down to Carrow Road and keep Max Aarons, they would have a totally new dynamic on each side when attacking.

Norwich would certainly be able to offer Williams a good environment to learn and develop with regular starts considering their relatively thin squad, something that the Man United full-back must get next season That’s according to Newsome, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“I like him and I’ve seen a little bit of him and he’s a young player with a sweet left foot, but he now needs to play regular football and he’s got to go out and get it.

“Is he going to play regularly at Man United with Luke Shaw there? I don’t think he is.”

Norwich will want to get their business done early in the transfer window as Farke will need a settled and ready side to start their Premier League campaign with their first four fixtures being against Liverpool, Manchester City, Leicester and then Arsenal.

Norwich may want to look bigger than a loan deal for Williams considering they have just banked at least £33 million from the sale of Emiliano Buendia to Aston Villa.

Lee Ryder has dropped the latest insight from the Reuben brothers on the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Reubens part of takeover consortium

The Reuben brothers are part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium looking to take over at St. James’ Park from Mike Ashley, along with KSA crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and businesswoman and head of PCP Capital Partners Amanda Staveley.

Ashley has launched two separate claims against the Premier League over the failed deal between him and the group, an arbitration case that is set to take place over the course of the coming months, as well as an anti-competition lawsuit.

The Latest: Reubens insight

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder has shared that the Reuben brothers are patiently waiting on developments in Ashley’s legal battle with the English top flight, just like PIF and Staveley.

A positive result in the forthcoming arbitration hearing could persuade them to come back to the table along with the rest of the consortium, while a negative one may well end all interest.

The Verdict: Arbitration key to Newcastle’s future

The results of the arbitration proceedings are certainly key in terms of the direction that the takeover bid is heading, and thus the entire future of the Toon Army.

While the timing of the case is certainty not ideal for the Magpies, given that the summer transfer window has already begun and the new season is set to start in August, a positive result could accelerate the whole takeover process.

If this is the case, then the North East club could be quietly optimistic that a deal could be pushed through soon after the hearing, which would come as a delight to the Toon Army.

Nonetheless, the Reuben Brothers, along with the rest of the KSA group, will be keeping a close eye on the proceedings.

In other news, find out what Michael Beloff insight has been dropped ahead of arbitration here!

Ashley Preece has dropped a major transfer update on Aston Villa’s plans to potentially recruit a new centre-back in the summer window.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side saw the surprise departure of Bjorn Engels in recent days, with the Belgian defender making the permanent move to Royal Antwerp.

Preece has indicated that Smith will now look to dip into the transfer market to bring in some cover for Engels, with a replacement for the 26-year-old possibly made clearer “next week”.

He said: “Engels was a bit of a flash sale; happened so quickly last Friday. Engels knew he wouldn’t feature and jumped at chance to return to Belgium. Smith wasn’t keen on that happening but he’ll look to replenish that gap now. Villa would be an injury or two away from a disaster at the back. They’ll need one more, I think.

“It’s quiet on the CB front because the Engels transfer happened so quickly. I’ve said this; Smith didn’t envisage Engels leaving. It’s happened and targets are being checked out now. We should have a good idea of an Engels replacement next week. Villa didn’t want to spend money in that position but it’s looking likely. U23 Dom Revan just had knee op unfortunately.”

Fans will be buzzing

As everybody would have seen with Liverpool last season, all it takes is for a couple of injuries to key members of a defence for things to really expose the lack of strength in depth in a first team squad.

Jurgen Klopp’s side saw both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez go down with lengthy injuries, and the Reds were ultimately forced to go into the January transfer market to bring in some cover while holding midfielder Fabinho dropped into the defence as well.

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It would be an absolute nightmare for Villa if Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa suffered something similar and robbed Smith of his stalwart centre-back partnership – Kortney Hause is now the only other senior player in that role at Villa Park.

It’s exactly why Preece’s update that the club will now look to bring in some much-needed defensive cover after the departure of Engels will surely have Villa fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, Villa could finally replace Idrissa Gueye with this man…

Many Wolves fans have been left to fume as a transfer update emerged involving Vitinha.

As per A Bola, the Midlands club have ‘definitely moved away’ from signing the attacking midfield player on a permanent deal after his loan spell at Molineux in the 2020/21 season, meaning that he will be returning to FC Porto.

This has come as a big blow to several WWFC supporters, who have previously called for him to be signed permanently after impressing them with some of his displays.

Vitinha had the highest pass success percentage (90.3%) out of any of his teammates to have played 10 or more games in the Premier League last term (Whoscored), showing how instrumental he was for his team in starting attacks.

However, it looks as if he will not be playing in an Old Gold shirt come next campaign.

Wolves fans on Vitinha transfer update

These Wanderers fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘insane’:

“Frauds”

Credit: @wwfcglover

“This club fails me every day”
Credit: @bigafizzy

“We’re such a spineless club”Credit: @adenwwfc_“We’ve learnt nothing from Goncalves. We’ll regret this”Credit: @robbowwfc“I’ve missed relegation battles anyway tbf”Credit: @LearyMitchell“Insane”Credit: @JonWill47124708In other news, find out who has joined Wolves in the race to sign this ‘special’ Euro 2020 star here!