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David Moyes must axe Issa Diop from the West Ham United starting line-up after the French centre-half struggled on his return to action against Crystal Palace.

Diop had not opened a Premier League fixture since testing positive for coronavirus in September, with the form of Fabian Balbuena, Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell locking the £22million Mario Husillos signing out of the side.

But Balbuena was unable to face Roy Hodgson’s Eagles after sustaining a small groin injury and it being deemed not worth the risk of fielding the Paraguayan, who now faces an undetermined spell on the sidelines.

Moyes had only awarded Diop 27 minutes of top-flight action since September’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal, coming on as a late substitute for Ogbonna against Fulham when the Italian sustained a groin issue after contact with Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Ogbonna was able to make an immediate return thanks to the November international break, seeing Diop – who has earned £8.7m since joining West Ham on a £67,000-per-week contract – miss out once more.

But even if Balbuena is not passed fit to face Chelsea on Monday, Diop should not be so lucky as to start after his dismal display at the London Stadium.

Diop showed worrying signs of rustiness from the off in his efforts to contain Christian Benteke on Wednesday night, who broke away easily and was given acres of space to head home Crystal Palace’s only goal of the game.

Benteke continued to offer an offensive threat for the visitors before being shown what Hodgson believed to be a “ludicrous” red card, after picking up a second yellow for an elbow on Tomas Soucek after a similar incident with Ogbonna.

The Belgian striker glanced two headers just wide of Lukasz Fabianski’s goal and could have done better with a sliced effort when found in the box by Andros Townsend, having been a relentless issue for Diop to contain.

Diop, who Alan Hutton feels has “got a lot of improving left to go”, will likely struggle to shake off the cobwebs against Chelsea if kept in the line-up for Monday’s trip to Stamford Bridge, where Frank Lampard’s side are unbeaten since the opening day of the season and have scored 14 times in the five Premier League fixtures held since.

AND in other news, a rarely-seen West Ham titan who “has a long way to go” is emerging as an emergency solution for a Premier League big hitter.

New West Brom boss Sam Allardyce has it all to do in January if he’s to turn around the sinking Baggies ship this season, though he may be about to resolve one of their biggest problems in one fell swoop…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Star, out-of-favour Manchester United defender Phil Jones is a target for the struggling Midlands outfit next month.

It’s claimed that the Red Devils are even willing to pay a ‘considerable portion’ of his whopping £120k-per-week wages in order to get him off the books at Old Trafford.

Albion manager Big Sam is targeting a new centre-back as his number one priority, as per the report, and knows Jones well from a stint at Blackburn Rovers in 2009/10.

Righting Bilic’s wrongs…

The Baggies’ summer activity was nothing short of a shambles as Slaven Bilic failed to secure experienced heads in the backline, and a move for the 28-year-old would certainly resolve that.

After Ahmed Hegazi was sold in October, the Croatian was left with players who have either never cut it or have never played in the top-flight. Indeed, the only centre-back they signed was Cedric Kipre from then-Championship strugglers Wigan Athletic.

Yes, they signed a 36-year-old Branislav Ivanovic, but it’s clear to see he’s done and dusted unlike Thiago Silva as his former club, Chelsea.

The Athletic claim he even rejected the chance to sign Shane Duffy, who has since gone to Celtic and already clinched a trophy. A decision that has proven to be a disaster already – the Midlands outfit rank second-worst for goals conceded so far this season.

Allardyce desperately needs a fresh figure in a defence that leaks two goals per game on average.

The United outcast has won a Premier League, Europa League and an FA Cup, and has also racked up 200 appearances in the English top-flight.

Big Sam once touted Jones to become England captain one day back in 2011, he said:

“I was never in doubt that he was going to make it. He is already growing into what I consider to be a leader. When he gets more experience he will be able to control his team-mates and eventually he will wear the armband for England. It’s a lot to ask of such a young man but he has the all-round outstanding ability to be a very top player.”

Whilst ex-United boss Louis van Gaal emphasised his versatile nature, after offering him a new contract, he claimed: “Phil is a talented footballer with great versatility.”

Even Jose Mourinho was a fan, dubbing the Englishman the ‘ideal’ defender, suggesting he’s “everything I like in a central defender.”

Yet he finds himself hugely out-of-favour under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer despite their defensive frailties, so a new start at the Hawthorns could be exactly what both Jones and Albion need.

AND in other news, Dowling heading for a familiar mistake as HUGE club eye Baggies sensation…

Southampton centre-back Mohammed Salisu has recently been linked with a loan move back to Real Valladolid but Ralph Hasenhuttl has suggested that he will be staying with the South Coast club, something that the Austrian should reconsider.

What’s the word?

According to a report by GhanaWeb, via Hampshire Live, the 21-year-old has been linked with a loan move back to Real Valladolid, having joined Southampton from the Spanish side during the summer.

However, Hasenhuttl has seemingly rubbished these rumours, reiterating that the Ghanaian is the ‘future’ of Southampton, saying:

“He has so much potential and I think it was important for me, as I said, to not bring him in because the team is not really settled and it would be too difficult I think.

“But at the moment we are calm, I am happy he’s here and he shows with every session that he can help us.

“Sali is the future at this club and this will take time.”

Hasenhuttl U-turn?

Whilst the young centre-back might be seen as the future of the club, he is yet to make a single appearance for the club since joining, as he struggles with fitness and injury issues.

Salisu was ruled out of the game against Liverpool recently after picking up a muscle injury, so it doesn’t appear that he will be making his first appearance in a Saints shirt any time soon.

It had seemed as if he might get his chance when Jannik Vestergaard was injured in December but since Jack Stephens has come in, Hasenhuttl’s side haven’t conceded a goal.

Saturday’s planned game with Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup had seemed the ideal time for Salisu to start before his injury, so perhaps when that game is rearranged after being called off due to the current viral outbreak, we will see the Ghanaian finally get his chance.

However, it seems clear that on current form, Salisu is not going to be starting Premier League games for Hasenhuttl’s side this season and with Vestergaard potentially set to return in late January, he will surely fall further down the pecking order.

Therefore, even though Hasenhuttl has suggested that he won’t be leaving, the South Coast club should definitely consider loaning him out this month, as it can’t be helping his potential or his confidence being sat on the bench at the very best every week for Southampton.

And, in other news, Southampton academy sensation can take advantage of “horrible” Djenepo blow…

West Brom have reportedly opened discussions over a potential loan swoop for Okay Yokuslu…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Baggies boss Sam Allardyce is looking to bring the Celta Vigo utility man to the Hawthorns this transfer window as he eyes extra protection for his leaky backline.

It’s claimed that the La Liga outfit are open to offers for the 26-year-old despite him playing 13 times this season.

Two birds, one stone

With Filip Krovinovic looking more and more likely to be leaving Albion this month and with the rising need for a holding midfielder, sporting director Luke Dowling and Big Sam can resolve multiple problems at West Brom by making a move for Yokuslu.

As per the Express & Star, Krovinovic is deemed surplus to requirements and is set to have his season-long loan from Benfica cut short before joining Hajduk Split for the rest of the campaign.

The £9m-rated Yokuslu, meanwhile, can also play in central defence, meaning he could be an additional option to a backline that has leaked more goals than any other Premier League outfit this season.

Capped 28 times by Turkey, the Celta Vigo ace would be an interesting acquisition given their links to both William Carvalho and Hamza Choudhury since the transfer market opened over two weeks ago.

Over the course of his career so far, Yokuslu has proven to be an absolute animal defensively having averaged 2.2 tackles, 1.9 interceptions, 1.9 clearances and a whopping three aerial duels won per game, via WhoScored.

Standing at 6 foot 3 inches, he’s an imposing figure, so it’s perhaps no surprise to see these sorts of numbers as he is evidently difficult to get past – for comparison, only Conor Gallagher has averaged more tackles of any regular WBA player, whilst Yokuslu has won more aerials than either of Dara O’Shea or Semi Ajayi, so he’d be a crucial presence at set-pieces.

He’d also top Albion’s charts currently for interceptions too.

By adding Yokuslu this month, Big Sam can not only replace Krovinovic in one fell swoop but he could also find that defensive midfielder he’s longing for – one who is capable of playing in defence too.

It would certainly be a shrewd signing to make.

AND in other news, Allardyce can find his next Nzonzi in £18m-rated “giant” compared to Patrick Vieira…

Tottenham Hotspur look to have been handed a potential boost in their hopes of keeping left-back Sergio Reguilon for the long-term after it was revealed that Bayern Munich defender David Alaba is set to join Real Madrid in the summer.

Spurs signed the Spanish international from Madrid during the summer transfer window, but it was suggested at the time that Los Blancos hold the option to sign him back for just £27.5 million.

Zinedine Zidane might not favour the 24-year-old, having preferred Marcelo and Ferland Mendy during Reguilon’s time with the club, which led to him joining Sevilla on loan, but there was perhaps concern that he could be signed back the La Liga side if he impresses with Spurs, especially with Marcelo turning 33 this year.

However, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Real Madrid will sign Alaba on a free transfer in the summer, which only adds to Zidane’s options at left-back, with the Austrian having featured there regularly for the Bundesliga side before his switch to centre-back.

This can only be good news for Jose Mourinho’s side, given how quickly Reguilon has adapted to life with the North London club.

In 13 top-flight appearances for the Lilywhites, the Spanish defender has averaged a strong 6.87 rating, with three assists to his name in the top-flight, which sees him rated as Spurs’ eighth-best performer in the Premier League so far this season.

The £48,000-a-week former Sevilla loanee has emphasised his excellent crossing ability in that time too, with his cross for Harry Kane’s header against Fulham recently another sumptuous delivery which will surely have delighted Mourinho.

After helping Sevilla to Europa League success last season, manager Julen Lopetegui had this to say:

“Reguilon’s development has been monstrous. He is a far more complete player than when he arrived.”

Therefore, if the Spanish international can continue to develop in his time with Spurs, it only seems a matter of time before he establishes himself as a top left-back, so Mourinho will no doubt be delighted that Zidane is adding more cover at left-back in his Madrid side, as it could definitely increase the chances of Reguilon staying in North London for the long-term.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Vinicius: Levy can find Kane’s partner at Spurs with swoop for “outstanding” £18m gem

Carlo Ancelotti must urge Everton to complete a January swoop for Joshua Zirkzee as Parma reportedly near a deal for the Bayern Munich striker.

What’s the word?

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Parma have identified Zirkzee as the Serie A side’s top target for the final days of the winter market as Roberto D’Aversa strives to sign at least one forward.

Negotiations are said to be heading toward a deal being agreed for the 19-year-old Dutchman to spend the remainder of the season at the Ennio Tardini Stadium.

The only serious hurdle left for Parma to overcome is in Bayern giving the final green light to a loan move with a €15m (£13.5m) option to buy the forward, who Bayern coach Hansi Flick lauds for his “remarkable” development.

Zirkzee had been linked with a move to Goodison Park this month, with reports by the Daily Mail suggesting Everton wanted to sign the youngster on loan with a £9m option to buy at the end of the season.

But the Toffees first had to wait to offload Cenk Tosun to formalise their position, in a sentiment shared by The Times who note that Zirkzee would prefer to secure a move to Merseyside than join Parma in the January transfer window.

The Liverpool Echo even suggested Zirkzee had been offered to Everton, though the Blues distanced themselves from suggestions that they are working to sign the former Feyenoord prospect they have been tracking since hiring director of football Marcel Brands back in 2018.

Should Everton sign Zirkzee?

Time is clearly running out for Everton to complete a deal to make Zirkzee a Toffees player in the winter market, but Ancelotti’s need for a striker to arrive at Goodison Park is as clear as ever following Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Leicester City.

Top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin did not get much service during the midweek Premier League clash with the Foxes, but he still struggled to produce any real quality when with the ball at his feet in what was his sixth-straight top-flight outing without a goal.

The 23-year-old has now not scored since striking his side’s late first-half equaliser against Burnley at the start of last month, 573 minutes of action ago, after initially firing home 11 goals in 11 games with a fire rate of one every 84 minutes.

Ancelotti had no alternative option to make up for Calvert-Lewin’s shortcomings against Leicester with Cenk Tosun ruled out with a small injury, having sustained a minor knock in training ahead of last week’s FA Cup win over Sheffield Wednesday.

There’s no guarantee the rumoured CSKA Moscow target would have been able to make a difference from the bench, either, with Tosun yet to score a league goal this season.

Yet Zirkzee could be just the impact man Ancelotti is lacking, as Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich once praised the Dutchman for his injury-time goal against SC Freiburg that helped to secure the Allianz Arena natives a 3-1 win last season.

“This is a very special story. Joshua is very important to us,” Kimmich said, via quotes by Teller Report.

The strike against Freiburg was Zirkzee’s first of two from the bench in Bundesliga fixtures during the 2019/20 season, while also netting 10 further goals across all competitions.

He is yet to score this term due to a severe lack of game time, playing just 392 minutes to date, but Zirkzee has the potential to be everything that Tosun is not and give Ancelotti a viable alternative option for when Calvert-Lewin is failing to fire on all cylinders.

AND in other news, Everton are in talks over the future of a £6.5m-rated flop courted by several sides.

Southampton’s form has suffered in recent weeks, which has seen them drop down the Premier League table, and with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl hinting at a reset, he should consider switching to a five at the back formation.

Following the 3-2 defeat against Newcastle United last weekend, the Austrian manager suggested that his side “must find the reset button” as they made it five consecutive losses in the top-flight.

In those games, the South Coast club have conceded 18 goals and scored just three times, suggesting that a tactical change is required by Hasenhuttl if he wants to stop the current rot.

Whilst his side were struggling a lot with injuries last month, they have now welcomed back the likes of Jannik Vestergaard, Oriol Romeu and Nathan Redmond after their respective injuries, whilst Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino has joined the squad, so it is perhaps a surprise that their dreadful form has continued.

Therefore, you could definitely suggest that a change in tactics is required, as opposition sides seem to have figured out a way to easily penetrate the Saints’ 4-4-2 formation in recent fixtures.

If the Austrian wants to start winning games, he will have to rediscover some of the defensive solidity his side showed earlier in the season, with the Saints having kept eight clean sheets in the top-flight so far this campaign.

One way he could do this would be to start playing a five at the back tactic, featuring Jan Bednarek, Vestergaard and Jack Stephens as the centre-backs, with the Englishman deserving to keep his place after filling in so well for the Danish international during his injury lay-off.

This would also allow full-backs Kyle Walker-Peters (once he returns from injury) and Ryan Bertrand to play further forward as wing-backs, which could be the key to unlocking their attacking potential, as they have just two assists between them this season.

It could also take some of the expectation off the likes of Redmond, Stuart Armstrong and Moussa Djenepo to track back as much and defend, and they could push further forward to support Danny Ings in the attack.

Southampton have conceded far too many goals in recent games, even if you exclude the 9-0 defeat to Manchester United, so making this tactical change could be the catalyst to stopping the rot and getting their season back on track, as their strong early season form already looks to have been undone by their disappointing form in 2021.

And, in other news… Saints missed out on signing international beast who could have challenged KWP

Liam Kennedy has dropped a reassuring claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United after a fan questioned him on Twitter.

The Shields Gazette journalist has claimed that the £300m deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group is ‘still live, and possible’ in what may come as a much welcome relief to some members of the St. James’ Park faithful.

What next for the potential Newcastle takeover?

The KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) still need to come back onto the table if the original bid from the consortium is to be revived.

There is also the issue of a pending arbitration hearing between the North East club and the Premier League in order to settle their legal disputes, which if the Tyneside club were to get the better of could spark a kickstart back into the proposed takeover.

However, there are some fears that relegation from the English top flight could end up scuppering the deal, as the Magpies would surely not be seen as much of an attractive club if they were down in the EFL Championship.

Steve Bruce’s team are currently a mere six points ahead of the dreaded drop zone in 17th spot in the table (BBC Sport), and relegation may dent the Toon Army’s takeover hopes.

In other news, find out what inside claim on Mike Ashley has been dropped by one former NUFC man here!

Tottenham could land the perfect midfielder for Jose Mourinho in Inter’s Nicolo Barella.

What’s the story?

With Spurs stumbling somewhat in the Premier League – they now find themselves nine points behind fourth-placed West Ham – it’s no surprise that the club are already being linked with a number of players ahead of the summer transfer window.

According to Italian publication CalcioMercato, Inter’s Barella is attracting more and more attention from the likes of Spurs, but that the Nerazzurri are intent on tying him down to a new contract.

Perfect for Mourinho

Wherever Mourinho has been, having players who are mentally strong and tough is something the Portuguese man appears to really lean towards – you only have to look at how Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has become a firm favourite of his since his move from Southampton last summer.

And, in the £49.5m-rated Barella, Spurs could give Mourinho another player in that mould.

Italian icon Arrigo Sacchi has spoken glowingly about the kind of characteristics that Barella possesses that would surely make him an instant favourite of the Spurs boss.

He said: “He is a warrior full of determination. He is humble, he remembers his mistakes and has a desire to correct them. Nicolo had humility and passion, the two things I was looking for in my players, long before he had good feet.”

And, his former coach at Cagliari, Rolando Maran, raved about his passing abilities, saying: “He is extraordinary. I put him as a playmaker in front of the defence towards the end and he didn’t put a foot wrong. He just gets better and better.”

Having Barella alongside Ndombele could give Spurs two exciting midfield talents who are capable of getting their foot on the ball and dominating proceedings in the middle of the park.

While Ndombele has got the guile and power to skip past challenges and beat the press, Barella can help set the tempo and feed the likes of the Frenchman and those further forward with his incisive passing – his tally of five assists in Serie A is comfortably more than any Spurs midfielder (Hojbjerg with three).

Given his personality and his actual ability on the pitch, Barella seems like he’s the perfect midfield man for Mourinho.

According to recent reports, Tottenham Hotspur-linked central midfielder, Sasa Lukic, will cost a double-digit fee this summer.

The reports by Italian outlet Torino Granata (via Sport Witness) claim that the alleged Tottenham and Crystal Palace summer transfer target will likely begin contract negotiations with Torino this summer, unless “double-digit offers” arrive from any interested parties.

In their report, Sport Witness clarify that “double-digit” means €10 million (£8.6 million) and upwards, which, if taken from the base value, would represent a transfer fee that is almost double the 24-year-old’s current Transfermarkt valuation of £4.5 million.

However, Torino Granata also reference the fact that the Serie A side’s valuation of the Serbia international could be influenced by whether or not Torino remain in the Italian top-flight come the summer, with Davide Nicola’s side currently languishing down in 18th place in the league standings.

Transfer Tavern Take

So far this season, Lukic has scored three goals over his 22 Serie A appearances for Torino, as well as averaging a rather disappointing WhoScored match rating of 6.52 – ranking him as the club’s 13th-best performer in the league.

This is not exactly form that is indicative of a player ready to make a move to the Premier League, particularly to a club with Champions League aspirations such as Tottenham.

And, when factoring in Torino’s apparent asking price for the midfielder, it is arguable whether a move from Spurs for Lukic would make sense at all, either financially or in terms of the player’s ability.

In other news: Tottenham are also monitoring this attacker, find out more here.