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West Ham United have no plans to part with David Moyes any time soon.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Jim White, who revealed live on talkSPORT on Thursday morning that he had been informed by the club that, despite the Hammers’ poor start to the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, the 59-year-old has plenty of credit in the bank, with David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady not planning on firing the manager any time soon.

Regarding the future of Moyes, White said: “I was told this morning, just before we came on air, we support our manager. We are not ones for chopping and changing. David Moyes has plenty of credit in the bank. So much so, there’s a board meeting over Zoom this afternoon and Moyes’ name isn’t even on the agenda.”

Great news for West Ham

While it is undeniable that West Ham have endured a torrid start to their domestic campaign – with the Irons currently sitting in a lowly 18th place after seven games played – considering the transformation Moyes has overseen during his second spell at the London Stadium, Whites’ latest update on the Scot’s future is undoubtedly great news for all involved with the club.

Indeed, after taking over from Manuel Pellegrini in December of 2019 – when the Hammers were sitting just one point above the relegation zone in 17th – Moyes guided the east London side to 16th place and safety come the end of the 2019/20 campaign, before the club’s remarkable rebirth under the 59-year-old truly began.

In the 2020/21 campaign, the former Everton and Manchester United boss led the Irons to their highest top-flight finish since Harry Redknapp’s side secured fifth all the way back in 1998/99, winning 19, drawing eight and losing 11 of their 38 league fixtures – finishing sixth on a whopping 65 points, securing Europa League football in the process.

Arguably, the following year was even more impressive, with West Ham once again securing a lofty seventh-place finish in the Premier League – again securing European football – as well as enjoying a spectacular run to the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Furthermore, the 59-year-old also spent a considerable amount of money this summer, with the likes of Lucas Paqueta, Gianluca Scamacca, Nayef Aguerd, Maxwel Cornet, Emerson, Thilo Kehrer, Flynn Downes and Alphonse Areola all arriving for a £163.8m outlay – with it undoubtedly taking a little while for these new additions to settle into life in east London.

As such, while it is clear to see that the Hammers’ current league position is not ideal, Moyes has more than proven over the last two and a half years that he is very much the right man to continue taking West Ham forwards – leading us to believe that Whites’ latest update on the Scot is fantastic news for the club.

Everton defender Mason Holgate likely has a knee ligament strain, according to medical expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Holgate’s injury

During the Toffees’ 1-1 draw against Brentford last week, the 25-year-old was forced off the pitch just before the 70th minute after sustaining a knee injury, with Michael Keane taking his place.

After the match, Blues manager Frank Lampard shared his immediate thoughts on the issue: “He’s opened up his knee and felt some pain so we are going to scan it in the next day or so.”

Holgate, who has previously been deemed ‘excellent’ by Liverpool Echo reporter Sam Carroll, was subsequently not included in Everton’s squad for their 1-1 draw at Elland Road against Leeds United.

The Latest: Dinnery’s claims

Going off Lampard’s comments, Sky Sports and Premier Injuries contributor Dinnery believes Holgate has suffered a relatively minor MCL injury, which could see him out of action until after the international break.

Speaking with Football Insider, the injury expert said:

“Usually, when we talk about ‘opening up the knee’ that is the internal ligament, the medial collateral ligament.

“It’s fairly common in football because of the dynamic nature of the sport. It can happen when you land awkwardly or from running.

“If you’re looking at an external force, a tackle from the outside of the knee, it’s the job of the MCL to resist that force.

“So, he will probably have a slight strain.

“We understand that it is not on the serious side, and Lampard is hoping for it to be weeks rather than months. However, it may be after the international break given its close proximity.”

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The Verdict: Everton’s injuries racking up

As per the Toffees’ official website, Holgate has now been added to the club’s extensive list of injuries.

To Lampard’s dismay, the former West Brom loanee joins fellow centre-backs Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina on the sidelines.

Having damaged his ankle ligament, Mina is scheduled to return to fitness in October, whilst Godfrey’s injury is more serious, with a fractured fibula keeping him in the medical room until November.

As a result, alongside Keane, this only leaves new signings James Tarkowski and Conor Coady available for selection.

This could be a worrying sight for Lampard, given the extent of Holgate’s injury is yet to be fully determined, with a lack of depth already an issue for the squad and the transfer window now closed.

Everton have reportedly made an approach to sign highly-rated Manchester United midfielder James Garner, with the Englishman valued at £14million.

The Lowdown: Garner superb at Forest

The 21-year-old spent last season out on loan at Nottingham Forest and he ended up playing a key role as they secured promotion to the Premier League.

Garner scored four goals and registered eight assists in the Championship for Steve Cooper’s side, showcasing his creativity and tenacity as he averaged two key passes and 1.9 tackles per game.

Despite this, the youngster has failed to break into a struggling United team in the early weeks of this season, meaning he could either be loaned out or sold permanently during this transfer window.

The Latest: Everton make their move

According to Football Insider, Everton have ‘made an approach’ for Garner, with Frank Lampard looking to bolster his midfield options in 2022/23.

It is stated that United have ‘decided to sell’ him and value him at £14-15million.

The Verdict: Great option for Lampard

Given their midfield woes currently, it seems strange that Erik ten Hag hasn’t taken a punt on Garner, but it could be a decision that ends up benefiting Everton.

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Granted, the United man has only ever appeared twice in the Premier League, but he has been hailed as ‘incredible’ by current teammate Fred and could flourish at a club like Everton, where the Goodison faithful love to see young homegrown players breaking through.

Jose Mourinho has also said that he is ‘a player’, clearly rating him highly during his short stint in Manchester.

Garner possesses the fearlessness of youth and is willing to take risks on the ball – not a single Blues player matched his chance creation numbers last term (2.0 p/g) – so this feels like a gamble worth taking.

Tottenham Hotspur have been backed to sign an attacking midfielder before the summer transfer deadline on September 1st…

What’s the word?

Speaking in a Twitter Space earlier this week, reliable Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge said (via This is Futbol):

“I think it’s been a very decent window so far, but if the window shut tomorrow and Tottenham didn’t do any business, they still haven’t really done enough, in my opinion.

“I think they need a little bit more creativity. I think they need someone in that attacking midfield area, but I think that they will address that, ultimately.

“I think there’s two stages to this window. There’s getting big business done early then maybe seeing what’s about, and then maybe let’s see who sells and who buys with a couple of weeks of the window remaining.”

Spurs to make a late move?

Indeed, the north London outfit have had an impressive start to the summer transfer window, signing no fewer than six new players, in which £60m has been splashed on Richarlison and £25m on Yves Bissouma.

Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte has also received some key cogs to his system, notably his former Inter Milan star Ivan Perisic at left wing-back and Clement Lenglet, who is now his only natural left-footed centre-back.

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Elsewhere, the Italian head coach could probably do with a creative influence in the engine room as he’s lacking that from Bissouma, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Even more so with Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso thought to be on the chopping block, not that they had stepped up to fill the void left behind by Christian Eriksen.

The Dane was linked with a sensational return to the club throughout the off-season but he opted for a new opportunity at Manchester United instead. Meanwhile, both Leicester City playmaker James Maddison and AS Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo have been heavily mooted with a switch to N17.

Either would be quite a stunning coup this late in the window but the fact that Bridge, who is one of the most trustworthy when it comes to anything Spurs, believes they will fill that attacking midfield void before the end of the window is certainly encouraging.

With more business on the horizon and a Champions League campaign to boot, supporters around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium must be absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold reveals Conte transfer claim…

Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has said that the club have ‘spoken’ about bringing in an experience second-choice goalkeeper.

The Lowdown: Adams, Sinisterra and CDK

The Whites have already made five signings this summer and have their eyes on making it seven with moves for Luis Sinisterra and Charles De Ketelaere.

RB Leipzig midfielder Tyler Adams became the fifth confirmed arrival on Wednesday, whereas Feyenoord winger Sinisterra also appears to be closing in on a €25m (£21.4m) Elland Road move.

A deal for Club Brugge forward De Ketelaere appears to be more complicated, however, Leeds have reportedly made a bid for the 21-year-old who they see as an inside forward or a secondary forward to support Patrick Bamford.

The Latest: Hay’s claim

Hay shared a story for The Athletic on Wednesday morning regarding Leeds’ transfer business, citing Adams, Sinisterra and De Ketelaere.

He said that those inside Elland Road have also ‘spoken about sourcing a more experienced second-choice goalkeeper’, however, the reliable reporter didn’t mention any possible targets.

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The Verdict: Who could it be?

The Whites have been linked with free-agent Ben Foster in recent weeks and also had a look at West Ham’s Darren Randolph back in January.

They could be two options for Leeds over the coming weeks, but there are plenty of other senior ‘keepers available who may well be happy to move to Yorkshire.

As well as Foster, the likes of David Ospina, Sergio Romero, Joel Robles and John Ruddy are also free agents who have Premier League experience, so it could be wise to potentially make a shot-stopper with top-flight knowledge their eighth and final summer signing to help Illan Meslier.

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell believes Liverpool defender Joe Gomez should leave the club this summer if the right opportunity comes in.

The Lowdown: Fallen out of favour

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a hugely successful seven-year spell in the Premier League, having first joined the Reds from Charlton back in 2015.

However, the centre-back has recently fallen out of favour under Jurgen Klopp, with the likes of Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate leapfrogging his place in the German’s pecking order.

Even though the 6 foot 1 powerhouse still has two years remaining on his contract at Anfield, The Mirror‘s Simon Mullock revealed just last week that he has become frustrated at a lack of game time, leaving his future on Merseyside up in the air.

The Latest: Campbell reacts

Reacting to the news from Mullock in a chat with Football Insider, Campbell said: “I think he will look to leave if a good offer comes in.

“The fact of the matter is, he is not playing enough football.

“It is one thing being first reserve but it is another when you are third or fourth choice. He is probably the fourth choice centre-half.

“Liverpool have also signed another right-back as well. The writing is on the wall as far as I’m concerned.

“If he has any ambition of getting to the World Cup, he needs to leave. He needs to be playing.

“The key is to go to a club where he will play regularly. Hopefully a deal can be done and he can play football. There is nothing better than playing.”

The Verdict: Regular minutes needed

When Gomez hasn’t been used in his natural position in the Liverpool starting XI, Klopp has typically placed him as cover at right-back, but with the new arrival of Calvin Ramsay as a backup option to Trent Alexander-Arnold, he’s now got even less of a chance of nailing down regular minutes.

Last season, the 11-cap international only made four top-flight starts for the Reds, so it’s no wonder that he might want to look elsewhere in a bid to find some much-needed game time.

As Campbell said, if Gomez has any hopes of regaining a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad ahead of the World Cup later this year, then making the move away from Liverpool would be the best option for his career at this moment in time.

The Scotsman journalist Barry Anderson has provided an update on the future of Glasgow Rangers youngster Rory Wilson. 

The lowdown: Star in the making

Born in Girvan, the 16-year-old has been making a name for himself in the youth ranks at Ibrox over the last 12 months.

The centre-forward made four appearances for the Gers’ under-19 side in the 2021/22 UEFA Youth League and is already a shining light on the youth international scene.

Having announced his imminent departure from the Glasgow giants, Wilson has been heavily linked with a move to join up with former Teddy Bears manager Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa, and it appears that the proposed move could be edging closer…

The latest: Wilson transfer latest

Taking to Twitter, Anderson reported that the Ibrox teenage sensation is nearing a switch to the Premier League outfit.

He said: “Rory Wilson from Rangers to Aston Villa is progressing. Wilson (16) scored 49 goals at youth level this season for Rangers & Scotland. RFC due a £300,000 development fee. Villa also close to signing Ewan Simpson (15) from Hearts in a £250,000 transfer. #AVFC #Football #Scotland”

The verdict: Blow for Rangers

While it seems almost inevitabile that such a prodigious talent would move on from Ibrox at some stage, losing a talent of Wilson’s quality at such a young age is a blow to the project at Rangers.

With eight goals in just 11 Scotland under-17 outings on top of an astonishing campaign which has seem him score 49 goals between club and country at youth level, the prolific young striker was labelled ‘clinical’ by his coach Brian McLaughlin earlier this year.

Nonetheless, receiving a fee of £300,000 – as suggested by Anderson – would be a boost to the Gers’ coffers for a player who was unlikely to make a direct impact on Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side next season, so long as the money is redistributed to the Dutchman’s own transfer budget.

In other news: Alex McLeish has had this to say on Nikola Katic’s Ibrox return

Liverpool have placed Watford forward Joao Pedro on a list of potential Sadio Mane replacements, according to a report from the Daily Mail. 

The lowdown: Mane’s future

Having initially remained coy over whether the UEFA Champions League final would be one last hoorah in a red shirt, Mane is now expected to seek pastures new in the summer.

As a result, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are battling to secure the 29-year-old’s signature, as Liverpool begin to prepare for life after the talismanic attacker.

Now, a fresh update has suggested that the backroom staff at Anfield have already drawn up a list of potential successors to the Senegalese star…

The latest: Pedro named

As per The Daily Mail, new sporting director Ward is hard at work resolving the Mane situation, and Brazilian forward Pedro – who is worth just £9million (Transfermarkt) and was labelled as ‘exciting’ by former boss Xisco Munoz – has ‘caught the eye’ on Merseyside.

It’s claimed that perennially linked Watford teammate Ismaila Sarr, Chelsea ace Christian Pulisic, Villarreal sensation Arnaut Danjuma and Bayern’s own Serge Gnabry are also of interest to the Reds.

The report also states that Jurgen Klopp will look to add ‘at least one more forward’ with Divock Origi heading for the exit door and Takumi Minamino’s future in doubt.

The verdict: One for the future

Still only 20 years old, Pedro is far from the finished article for the Premier League, as proven by a lowly four goals in 2021/22 as Watford were relegated back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Despite the struggles to have a direct influence on proceedings, the young Brazilian earned a strong 6.84 Sofascore rating comprising of 1.7 shots, 0.7 key passes and 6.0 duels won on average per game.

Sharing stylistic similarities with Wolves powerhouse Raul Jimenez and Brentford target man Ivan Toney (Fbref), Pedro is a more archetypal centre-forward who would be best served acting as a direct replacement for Origi as opposed to Mane.

Holding that perceived market value of £9million, Ward would be wise to test the waters with a low offer as FSG attempt to remain shrewd spenders in the market, particularly in light of the Hertfordshire club’s relegation. Perhaps, then, there will be cash left lying over for a more marquee addition alongside the young Hornet.

In other news, James Pearce has dropped a key Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Steve McClaren will return to Manchester United as part of Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag contact

Ten Hag was announced as United’s new manager last month, penning a deal through to 2025 at Old Trafford. Since then, he appears to have been working quietly on his backroom staff in England, with McClaren’s name coming up in conversation.

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The Dutchman reportedly had a ‘direct conversation’ with McClaren over a ‘possible role’, and it looks as if the 61-year-old, most recently with Derby County, will now join United once again.

The Latest: Romano’s updates

Romano has taken to Twitter in recent days to provide an update on Ten Hag’s coaching staff. He revealed on Thursday evening that Ajax assistant Mitchell van der Gaag has reached a full agreement to join Ten Hag in England.

Romano added that there was ‘also’ a chance McClaren would return to Old Trafford and then revealed on Friday morning that the club are indeed now preparing a contract for Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant.

The Verdict: Smart move?

McClaren had plenty of success during his first stint with the Red Devils and was part of the famous treble winners in 1998/99.

He’ll also know all about Ten Hag after they worked together at FC Twente for 50 games, so should be able to help the Dutchman settle in at Old Trafford, making it a shrewd move.

It looks as if both Van der Gaag and McClaren will sign their deals over the coming days and weeks, and who knows, there may well be a few more backroom staff additions to come ahead of a busy summer in the transfer market.

In other news: Man Utd now working to sign ‘underrated’ defender in £38.5m move; offer ‘imminent’

The Australia paceman has 19 wickets so far, and the New Zealand captain 414 runs – they are the most important cogs in their teams’ wheels

Jarrod Kimber at Lord's28-Jun-2019The last time Australia played New Zealand, Mitchell Starc didn’t take a wicket.This was back in the 2017 Champions Trophy, a game that had New Zealand as arguably the favourites going in – not something that happens for them often, let alone in an ICC event. And they were bossing it when the game was washed out.In that game, Josh Hazlewood took six wickets. Australian fans might remember him as someone who used to play ODIs for his country.The two times they met before in ICC events were both at the 2015 World Cup, and they are very memorable for different reasons. Australia beat Brendon McCullum’s brand wow New Zealand in the final, and New Zealand snuck home in one of the most crazy coco bananas games in World Cup history a month earlier.In those three games, Kane Williamson had a hundred and a 45 that included a six to win the game with one wicket in hand. Starc had a six-wicket haul and the dismissal of McCullum that almost exploded the MCG.These two teams have won a lot at this World Cup: it’s in no small part because of Starc’s 19 wickets and Williamson’s 414 runs. This tournament, Starc is a stop-gap for the Australian bowling attack; if the game is not going well, he finds himself with ball in hand. Williamson has scored more than double what the next highest scorer has for New Zealand, his strike rate of 77 is low, but he has played on some tough wickets and been the only person capable of staying out there.Against New Zealand, Starc has played eight ODIs, averaging 19 with an economy of 4.7. Williamson averages 42 against Australia. The chances of a straight shootout are unlikely, but Williamson will have to overcome a slightly flawed New Zealand batting line-up, and if he gets set, you’d expect him to be facing one (or more) Starc killer mid-innings spells.Kane Williamson won’t blast away, he will try to build a little fort out in the middle•Getty ImagesThere is simply no other way to beat Australia, as India proved. If you give Starc wickets, either at the top like England, or later on like West Indies, he creates havoc, and the game is over. Williamson has to hold him up.If McCullum was New Zealand’s superhero who would run into a burning building to find your cat’s favourite toy, Williamson is the guy who puts in all the smoke alarms, makes sure the house is fire retardant and that everyone knows where to meet in case of emergency. There is no better player to negate Starc than Williamson; he’s one of the few batsmen in this tournament who saw the Ben Stokes yorker and thought, that’s a good ball, before continuing to clean his gear with a toothbrush. Williamson has only been dismissed once off pace in the entire tournament, that’s in 356 balls. In his career, he averages over 50 from seam in ODIs. Starc has only bowled 58 balls to Williamson in ODIs, and he’s never taken his wicket.But Starc has Williamson three times in Tests, where he averages 22 against him. In this tournament, while the world has gone short, Starc has gone full and has 16 of his 19 wickets from length or fuller. Most of his wickets have been out of the Powerplay, where he’s taken set batsmen, often quality players. That description fits Williamson pretty well; he doesn’t blast away; he uses his superior batsmanship to build a little fort out in the middle, and he stays there as support for the other batsmen, or spine for the entire innings.Unless something mad happens, there will be a time when Australia needs Starc – or Pat Cummins – to get a set Williamson.New Zealand are not the favourites this time, they may have a lot of points, but many of their wins have been close ugly games, and their losses similar. Australia just crushed the No. 1 ODI team in the world, dethroning them in the process. They will expect to win, and for Starc to take wickets.