English Championship
Hammers chief now wishes he’d signed 24-goal striker last summer
According to the chairman of League One outfit Peterborough United Darragh MacAnthony, West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan wishes he had signed Ivan Toney during the last summer transfer window. Sportslens View The 24-year-old joined Championship club Brentford on a five-year deal in the summer after ending his two seasons with Peterborough with 49 goals. Toney has hit the ground running in the Championship, scoring 24 goals and assisting nine others this season. While West Ham are not doing badly themselves and are currently fourth in the table after 25 Premier League games, having a finisher in the mould of the Brentford star in their squad would have definitely come in handy. “Tell a quick story – David Sullivan rang Barry Fry today, he said ‘I wished I’d listen to you in the summer...
‘Not going to pay £20m-plus’: Corresondent dismisses Newcastle link with prolific forward
A respected Newcastle United correspondent has dismissed claims that the club are interested in signing Ivan Toney. The Brentford striker previously had an unsuccessful three-year spell with the Magpies, spending most of his time out on loan before being sold to Peterborough United in 2018. After enjoying two prolific seasons in League One, Toney was snapped up by the Bees and has since made a massive impact in the Championship. He has racked up 24 goals in 30 appearances for Brentford, sparking talk that he could secure a move to the Premier League at the end of the season. Leicester City, West Ham United and Arsenal have already been linked with Toney, while Newcastle’s name has also been thrown into the mix. However, Chris Waugh has poured cold water on Newcastle’s supposed interest, sa...
Rodgers ‘in the hunt’ to sign West Ham and Arsenal target
Leicester City have been tipped to make a summer move for Brentford forward Ivan Toney. The 24-year-old has been sensational in the Championship this season, scoring 24 goals in 30 appearances for the Bees. The former Peterborough United star has already been linked with Arsenal and West Ham United, but they could face competition from the Foxes this summer. Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers is searching for a long-term replacement for Jamie Vardy, and the Mirror has claimed that he is ‘in the hunt’ to sign Toney this summer. SL View It is no surprise that Toney has been attracting interest from Premier League clubs given his performances for Brentford this season. However, his potential suitors will have to dig deep if they want to prise him away from the Championship outfit. In addition to ...
Report claims Celtic have agreement in place to sign Championship player this summer
Celtic have agreed a deal to sign the Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Liam Shaw at the end of the season. The 19-year-old will be a free agent this summer and the Scottish giants have agreed on a pre-contract with the player now. According to Sky Sports, Wednesday are set to receive a figure of around £300,000 in compensation for the player. Shaw has been with Wednesday since the age of eight and he will be hoping to further his career in Scotland. SL View: Low risk, long term investment? The versatile Championship player can operate in defence and midfield and could be a useful squad option for Neil Lennon next season. The Hoops certainly need to add more quality and depth to their options and the talented 19-year-old could prove to be a major bargain. As for the player, Celtic would be th...
West Ham United linked with unrealistic bid for prolific forward – opinion
“David Moyes wants West Ham scouts to track Blackburn hotshot Adam Armstrong ahead of a summer bid.” Alan Nixon. The Sun. That’s probably all you need to know about this nonsense. Apparently, ‘(David) Moyes likes the 18-goal striker and considered an £8 million offer in the January window’. Maybe he was also considering ditching his wife and trading her in for a younger model. Who knows? Nixon goes on to say that the West Ham boss held off in favour of continuing his checks to see if Armstrong is worth the £10m-plus that Rovers want. SL View Where to begin with this one? Nixon – also known as the Twitter blocking machine – likes to portray himself as something of a transfer expert on Lancashire clubs. He isn’t. Let’s break this down. Moyes considered an £8 million offer for Armstrong? Good...
Harry Redknapp urges English club to appoint Villa man as their next manager
Harry Redknapp urges English club to appoint Villa man as their next manager – originally posted on Sportslens.com Championship outfit Bournemouth have parted ways with manager Jason Tindall following their defeat against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday. Four league losses on the bounce have seen the Cherries drop to sixth in the table, with just two points between them and seventh-placed Middlesbrough. Bournemouth are eight points off the automatic promotion places, and with recent results dealing a blow on their chances of securing an immediate return to the Premier League, they have decided to let Tindall go. Aston Villa assistant head coach John Terry has emerged as one of the names to potentially take over at the Vitality Stadium, and Harry Redknapp has urged the club to go after...
Davies to Liverpool: Reds take odd approach to solving defensive issues – opinion
Liverpool’s acquisition of Ben Davies from Preston North has undoubtedly raised a few eyebrows across the football world. Opinion on the signing is divided, with some fans suggesting it could be an inspired bit of business while others are questioning Liverpool’s sanity. We take a closer look at whether a player with 129 appearances in the Championship under his belt can make the step up to the Premier League. Links with other teams Davies was close to signing for Celtic before Liverpool made their move. He had also been linked with Sheffield United, Burnley and Bournemouth – heady stuff. It is perhaps the proposed move to Celtic that should be most worrying for Liverpool fans. This is a club that thought Shane Duffy was a sensible defensive signing. Be afraid, be very afraid. The Robertso...
Derby County to sign Manchester United teenager Teden Mengi on loan
According to the BBC, Derby County are on the brink of signing defender Teden Mengi on loan from Manchester United. The Rams are expected to complete the deal before the end of the transfer deadline on Monday. Mengi has risen up the ranks in Man United’s academy to move onto the fringes of the first-team squad this season. He has featured in 10 matches for United’s reserve team and was an unused substitute for the senior team in five fixtures – three in the Champions League and two in the Carabao Cup. Sportslens View Derby are currently 18th in the Championship with 28 points from 26 games. Their defensive record has been fairly decent, having conceded 25 goals this term. Derby’s performances have improved under new manager Wayne Rooney. In the last couple of weeks, the Rams have gone from...
Scout Report: 4 Premier League loanees shining in the Championship this season
In recent years the Championship has become a hotspot for developing young talent from the Premier League. The demands of the Championship helps the development of youngsters with a handful of top-flight clubs regularly sending their players to gain experience in the second tier. Here are four Premier League loanees who are currently shining in the Championship. Harvey Elliott The first player on the list is wonderkid Harvey Elliott. The Blackburn Rovers winger, on loan from Premier League champions Liverpool, has been exceptional and has taken no time to adjust to the demands of the Championship. Liverpool had a difficult choice to make last summer regarding the 17-year-old’s future, but their decision to send him on loan to garner first-team experience is paying off. Elliott is flourishi...
Report: Club want to offer Newcastle Denmark international in exchange for 31y/o
According to The Sun, Championship side Bournemouth have a long-term desire to bring Newcastle United winger Matt Ritchie back to the Vitality Stadium, and they are ready to let Philip Billing go the other way in a swap deal. Sportslens View The 31-year-old left the Cherries in 2016 after four seasons that produced 31 goals in 142 appearances across three different divisions, and has since established himself as a key player for the Magpies. Ritchie left the top-flight to link up with Newcastle in the Championship, helping them seal an immediate return to the EPL with 12 goals and seven assists in 42 league games. He has played just eight times in the Premier League for Newcastle this term, and while he does not have a goal or assist yet, Bournemouth are keen on his expertise when it comes...
‘Never said that’ – Wilshere sets the record straight over alleged West Ham comments
Jack Wilshere signed a short-term deal with Championship outfit Bournemouth earlier this month having briefly trained with them. The English midfielder was keen to keep fit while searching for a new club after parting ways with West Ham United by mutual consent on summer transfer deadline day, and he eventually linked up with the Cherries once again. The 29-year-old had a loan spell at the Vitality Stadium in 2016-17 towards the end of his Arsenal career, and they decided to hand him a deal till the end of 2020-21 after he impressed during training sessions. West Ham fans came for Wilshere’s head afterwards, mocking him for joining Bournemouth after he allegedly called the Hammers a small club. The former Gunners midfielder has now cleared the air and set the record straight, insisting he ...
Wilshere’s one-word reply when asked if Gerrard contacted him about Rangers’ move
Several reports last October claimed that English midfielder Jack Wilshere was in advanced talks with Scottish Premiership giants Rangers over a move to Ibrox. Former Arsenal and West Ham midfielder Jack #Wilshere is in advanced talks with #Rangers. They can sign him as a free-agent. #transfers — Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) October 7, 2020 The 29-year-old was released by West Ham United on summer transfer deadline day after the final months of the three-year £100,000-a-week contract he signed in the summer of 2018 was cancelled, and a move to Ibrox was rumoured. However, he joined Championship side Bournemouth earlier this month on a deal till the end of the season having been a free agent since October, and he has addressed those Rangers rumours on Twitter during a Q & A session. When...
