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West Ham United return to Premier League action this afternoon and they could break into the top-six with a result against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

David Moyes’ men continued their fine form this season with another victory in the Europa League, defeating Genk 3-0 to maintain a 100% record in midweek, whilst they defeated Everton last weekend.

The Scotsman is left with some interesting decisions to make in terms of team selection, so what sort of XI could we see in east London today?

Here’s what we are predicting…

There could be as many as six changes from Thursday night.

Moyes has two absentees in the injured Vladimir Coufal, who is not expected to be available today, and loan midfielder Alex Kral, who is still isolating after a positive test.

It means he has a big call to make at right-back and it could see him stick with impressive 21-year-old Ben Johnson, instead of Ryan Fredericks.

He’ll be joined in defence by Aaron Cresswell, who also keeps his place from the Genk victory, along with Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna. They replace Craig Dawson and Issa Diop.

They’ll sit in front of no.1 Lukasz Fabianski, with PSG loanee Alphonse Areola seemingly the designated cup ‘keeper, for now.

In midfield, it’s likely that we see the same pairing of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek, whilst the 58-year-old has seemingly settled on a balanced front four in recent matches.

Thursday’s goalscorer Jarrod Bowen remains but instead of playing up front, he’ll be back on the wing on the opposite flank to Said Benrahma, with Pablo Fornals sitting in the middle.

That’s because talismanic forward Michail Antonio, who has recently been dubbed a “complete monster” and an “absolute revelation” by journalist Paul Brown, is set to return having not been involved in midweek whatsoever.

The 31-year-old’s game time does need to be managed and that could pay dividends here today as he looks to add to his six goals and four assists, certainly well worth his reported £70k-per-week wages.

AND in other news, Moyes could unearth West Ham’s next Joe Cole in 19 y/o gem “similar to Jack Grealish”…

A fresh twist has emerged on the deadline day departure of Celtic defender Osaze Urhoghide.

What’s the talk?

According to a report by Football Scotland, the 21-year-old’s temporary contract with Belgian side KV Oostende contains an option to buy clause, something which the Jupiler Pro League club’s president, Gauthier Ganaye, confirmed in comments made regarding the centre-back’s January switch.

Ganaye said: “We absolutely wanted to negotiate a purchase option because we firmly believe in his talent. We try to avoid renting without a purchase option in our philosophy and I am therefore happy with the deal we have obtained. Of course, comparisons will now be made with Jack Hendry, but Osaze is a lot younger than Jack and still has a lot of progress margin.

However, Football Scotland finish their report by suggesting that Ange Postecoglou is believed to be keen to keep Urhoghide at Parkhead for the long-term, something that would now appear to be problematic following the latest update on the defender’s move to Belgium.

Grave mistake

While it is true that, since his £207k move to Glasgow from Sheffield Wednesday last summer, Urhoghide has failed to stake a claim as a regular within Postecoglou’s matchday squads, the 21-year-old nevertheless proved during his single appearance for the Bhoys that he is more than capable of doing a job in the Greek-Australian manager’s side.

Indeed, the £270k-rated centre-back – who is also comfortable operating on the right or left of a back four – could not have done much more on his Celtic debut to impress Postecoglou, making five tackles, three clearances, one interception and winning nine duels in the Hoops’ impressive 3-2 Europa League win against Real Betis.

These returns saw the £3.8k-per-week Englishman earn a very respectable SofaScore match rating of 6.9 against an opponent who currently sit third in the LaLiga standings – while Football Scotland awarded the youngster an eight in their own player ratings for the match, as well as dubbing his display a “fantastic” performance.

As such, considering Urhoghide’s undoubted potential, exactly why Celtic agreed to include an option to buy in the 21-year-old’s loan contract with Oostende is something only the club will know the answer to – but it certainly appears as if the Bhoys have not learnt their lesson from the previous loan and subsequent sale of Jack Hendry to the same club.

In other news: Forget Bitton: £8.2k-p/w Celtic flop who made 3 passes will be giving Ange nightmares

Crystal Palace remain in talks with Watford for midfielder Will Hughes, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

And a number of Eagles fans have been giving their thoughts to the news on social media.

Hughes is into the final 12 months of his Vicarage Road contract and has actually turned down a new deal.

He’s been demoted to train with the club’s Under-23’s, and it seems as if a move to Selhurst Park could be on the cards.

Reports on the weekend from The Sun suggested that the Eagles tabled a £7m offer plus add-ons for the 26-year-old and were poised to agree a deal.

Sheth shared an update on Wednesday evening, claiming the gap in valuation between the two clubs is thought to be in the region of £10m.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared Sheth’s post on Twitter. This is what these Palace fans had to say in reply to the update, with some supporters responding to Sheth directly.

“The gap is 10 mil?!? Like ten mil difference!?! Surely not? If so forget”

Credit: @NickPRochford

“sky 2 weeks behind? imagine my shock”

Credit: @CPFC_Ollie_

“With respect, genuinely, £10mil. No thanks. Rather use that money on a winger and forward.”

Credit: @SuperSySez

“Yeah we need players but we don’t need Hughes for £10m”

Credit: @erictwigs

“I could have told you all that”

Credit: @SWPalace

“After this I am now more convinced than ever that Palace hold absolutely no interest in Hughes.”

Credit: @CroydonExile1

In other news: ‘On my knees’, ‘Get this done’ – Lots of CPFC fans erupt as ‘class’ transfer news emerges.

David Moyes’ second stint at West Ham United has so far been a very fruitful one.

The 58-year-old boss steered the struggling Irons to safety towards the back end of 2019/20 before guiding them into the Europa League last season – and until the weekend, they were unbeaten across all competitions in 2021/22.

A lot of that work has come down to his recruitment and coaching.

One of his first signings back at the London Stadium was Championship hotshot Jarrod Bowen, who joined in a £22m deal from Hull City on deadline day in January 2020.

He has been one of the standout performers for the Hammers ever since.

Bowen’s development over the past 18 months has been a testament to the Scotsman and his transformation in east London.

After flirting with relegation two seasons ago, Bowen’s value had dropped to a low of £18m but now it stands at a whopping £27m, which only goes to show his recent rise, as per Transfermarkt.

That increase of 50% is very much in correlation with his performances on the pitch.

The versatile 24-year-old attacker was West Ham’s third-highest goalscorer in the Premier League last season, scoring eight times in 30 starts, whilst he also provided five assists, via WhoScored.

He’s yet to get off the mark this campaign but he has still provided one assist and currently rates out as Moyes’ second-best player on the season, meaning he’s clearly doing so much more than putting up goals and assists.

Right now, Bowen is the most creative player in the Irons’ ranks, having averaged 2.4 key passes per game thus far, which is more than the likes of Pablo Fornals (2), Declan Rice (1.4) and Said Benrahma (1.4).

He’s even done so by plugging the gaps whenever Michail Antonio is unavailable too, so his ability to play in a multitude of attacking positions makes him an even more integral part of this squad.

Once described as “unplayable” by his former Tigers boss Grant McCann and as a “world-beater” by talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan, Bowen has been the epitome of West Ham’s incredible turnaround in fortunes over recent seasons.

It all comes down to Moyes and his phenomenal work at their Rush Green training base.

AND in other news, “Moyes wanted…”: Journo drops worrying West Ham transfer claim, fans will be furious…

West Ham are hoping that the international break has done Vladimir Coufal the world of good as they return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon…

What’s the latest?

According to Claret and Hugh, the 29-year-old right-back has been suffering from a minor injury, one that saw him withdrawn from Czech Republic duty last week.

It’s thought that his body was in need of a break after featuring week win, week out for club and country since the start of last season.

An Irons source told the website: “Coufal’s body just needed a break. He’s played non stop for 18 months.

“He’s been feeling pain for weeks and hopefully this short break will help him recover as we need him back to his best.”

Positive news

Coufal recently put pen to paper on a new three-year contract with an option of a further year, having shone since a £5.4m move from Slavia Prague in the summer of 2020.

He missed their last Europa League outing with injury but returned to feature in their final game before the international break, a late 2-1 defeat to newly-promoted Brentford.

You could tell that the industrious £18m-rated dynamo was still nursing a problem as he was some way off his usual standards, as explained by Football FanCast after the game.

The Czech star has quickly emerged as a real fan favourite around the London Stadium and he must’ve narrowly missed out on the club’s ‘Player of the Year’ award after providing seven assists in the Premier League last term, a feat only bettered by Aaron Cresswell (eight).

Coufal has rarely missed games for the Hammers since arriving in east London. He played 34 times in the top-flight last season and ranked as David Moyes’ fifth-best performer, as per WhoScored ratings.

No player managed more tackles every 90 minutes (2.2) than the right-back and he wasn’t far behind for interceptions (1.2) and key passes (1.3) either.

“Coufal is a machine, he loves football,” is how club captain Mark Noble described him to ‘That Peter Crouch Podcast’ earlier this year, whilst Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher once lauded him as “a manager’s dream” to Monday Night Football [4th May, 22:24pm].

On that evidence, having him back available – and fully fit – would be a big boost for Moyes as he looks to steer his side back on track with a win at Goodison Park this weekend.

AND in other news, 108 touches, 82 passes: West Ham titan may be back to his best after int’l masterclass…

Former Manchester City star Michael Ball insists that Tottenham Hotspur fans are ready to see Harry Kane join Pep Guardiola’s side.

The England striker has been heavily linked with a potential move to the Etihad Stadium in this transfer window.

Numerous reports have claimed that City are ready to make a bid worth just over £127m, but other reporting has claimed that Kane could be set to stay at Spurs for the remainder of the season ahead of a potential move next summer.

Kane has returned to training with Spurs ahead of Thursday’s Europa Conference League game against Portuguese side Pacos de Ferreira.

Ball, though, thinks that the supporters are ready to see their talisman depart in this window should an acceptable bid be tabled.

Indeed, Spurs fans actually sang “are you watching Harry Kane”, as Spurs beat City 1-0 in their opening game of the season.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Harry Kane’s defended himself, about the Tottenham deal, but I just feel, where Harry Kane’s sat, where Daniel Levy’s sat, where the fans are, I think the majority of the fans are ready to see Harry Kane go, and leave Tottenham.

“They think that’s going to actually happen. Obviously, as we all know, it’s all about the finances.”

West Ham United have made an offer in a bid to bring James Tarkowski to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, with the club insider revealing on a recent episode of The West Ham Way podcast that David Moyes and his West Ham transfer team are very much interested in a deal for the England international this month.

They are even thought to have launched an offer of around £7m-£8m in a bid to test the waters with Burnley regarding the sale of the centre-back.

Speaking about the Hammers’ interest in the 29-year-old, Ex said: “We definitely want him. Moyes is definitely interested in him. We bid £30m for him in the summer, we definitely are interested now. I think we might have even put in a £7m or £8m bid already, just to test the water.

“However, there’s no rush to sign him as such. I mean, I know there is in the sense that we’ve got games and the Europa League and the FA Cup to compete for, but in terms of the bigger picture, he’s a free transfer in the summer.”

Moyes desperately needs him

While Kurt Zouma looks as if he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a hamstring injury sustained towards the beginning of December, the fact remains that West Ham will be without the services of Angelo Ogbonna for the remainder of the season.

That means that, should Moyes wish to give his side the best possible chance of securing Champions League football at the London Stadium next season, the 58-year-old simply must sign a new centre-back this January.

It would appear as if this is an opinion the manager himself agrees with, with the Scot recently stating: “We could probably do with some more cover after Angelo Ogbonna’s season-long injury. If I can get Kurt back quickly that eases the pressure in central defensive areas. But we are always looking to strengthen here, we are always looking to find players who can help us or improve us.”

And, considering just how impressive Tarkowski has been for Burnley so far this season, the 29-year-old would appear to make a fantastic addition to Moyes’ current options in the heart of his West Ham defence.

Indeed, over his 16 Premier League outings in the current campaign, the £19.8m-rated defender has helped his side keep two clean sheets, scored one goal and registered two assists, as well as making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 5.1 clearances and winning 7.3 of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the £70k-per-week man average a SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as Sean Dyche’s second-best performer in the league this season.

As such, while the early return of Zouma will undoubtedly come as a huge boost to West Ham’s top-four hopes, it is undeniable that Moyes desperately needs a fresh face at centre-back if he is to break into the Champions League places this season, with the player who Dyche dubbed an “outstanding” talent appearing to be an excellent option for the Hammers.

In other news: Moyes identifies £43k-p/w “monster” as new Newman target, he could be WHU’s next Payet

Pundit Paddy Kenny has been reacting to an update regarding Newcastle United forward Allan Saint-Maximin, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Summer exit?

Saint-Maximin has been a regular for the Magpies this season, making 30 appearances in all competitions.

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The 25-year-old has been deployed as a left-winger under Eddie Howe and has contributed to eight Premier League goals.

However, according to The Daily Mail, his days at St. James’ Park could be numbered. They believe that Newcastle are ready to sell the French forward over the coming months and would accept a bid in the region of £50m.

The Latest: Kenny reacts

Talking to FI following the update on Saint-Maximin, Kenny labelled £50m as ‘crazy money’ and admitted he’d be ‘surprised’ if the Magpies didn’t accept an offer in that region, should one arrive.

“£50million, that’s crazy money.

“For a man who has scored five goals this season? For an attacking player, it’s not good numbers.

“I know Newcastle don’t need to £50million but if that offer was on the table, they would take it.

“You can invest that in a player who will provide more goals and assists.

“I would be surprised if Newcastle didn’t accept an offer like that.

“There are quality players out there who you could get for £50million who will get you more goals than that.

“I know he’s good to watch but you need results in this business and that is a lot of money to turn down.”

The Verdict: Keep?

A £50m move away would make him Newcastle’s most expensive departure of all time, surpassing the £36.9m fee Liverpool paid for Andy Carroll.

However, Saint-Maximin appears to be a key player for the Magpies, with Howe admitting in the week that he has a ‘great relationship’ with the attacker, adding that he ‘has a long-term future at the club’.

The 25-year-old appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation of £28.8m, so the best of Saint-Maximin could yet be to come, possibly making him a key player to build a team around in an attacking sense.

In other news: ‘At the moment’ – Transfer insider says NUFC ace will only be a ‘rotation’ player next season. 

A number of Manchester United fans hit out at Marcus Rashford’s display in the 3-2 win over Arsenal on Thursday night.

The 24-year-old, who missed the beginning of the season due to a shoulder injury, was making his first Premier League start of the campaign as a right midfielder after previously turning out in a central role or on the left.

Fellow Englishman Jadon Sancho was on the left, with Cristiano Ronaldo selected up top. Rashford did set up the 36-year-old in the second half to put United in front, but apart from that, he struggled to impress.

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old failed with both of his crosses, was unsuccessful in all three dribbles attempted and lost six of his eight duels (75%). As a result, he was brought off with 11 minutes remaining for Jesse Lingard as United held on for the win.

United fans react

Here is what these United fans had to say about Rashford’s Old Trafford display, with one labelling him as ‘awful’ and many wanting him to be sold given the general decline in his performances over the past couple of seasons.

“Please sell Rashford in January, all jokes aside he is awful”

Credit: @utdnathan77

“#mufc Evra… first job is to get rid of @MarcusRashford”

Credit: @djb0607

“I’m dead serious, sell Rashford”

Credit: @Greenwood_26

“We should sell Rashford.”

Credit: @JCutdszn

“That was arguably Rashford’s worst game in at least the last 2 years.”

Credit: @ManUtdMaverick

“Rashford is garbage despite the assist, has to be hauled off!!”

Credit: @BarnesOrlando

In other news: Report outlines two key reasons which could shape Man Utd decision on Paul Pogba’s future

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards. 

The lowdown: Rapid rise to prominence

Capped on four occasions by England at the Under-19 level, the Harlow-born starlet has quickly become a strugglers Peterborough having come through the youth ranks at Barnet.

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Still just 19, the centre-back has already amassed 41 appearances in senior football following a professional debut in 2019.

Now, it appears that the teenager could be destined for a move to the Premier League.

The latest: Spurs face transfer tussle

As per the Daily Mail report, Tottenham are set to ‘battle it out’ with London rivals Crystal Palace in the summer to land the exciting youngster.

It’s claimed that both clubs may have to fork out as much as £15m for the ace once described as a ‘Rolls Royce’ by Peterborough director of football Barry Fry.

Despite the lofty price tag, Edwards is said to have ‘caught the eye’ at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici weigh up options to bolster the ranks in the summer transfer window.

The verdict: Planning for the future

Whilst the fee may seem extortionate for a player without any top-flight experience, signing the best young talents comes at a cost, and Spurs may just have to go all out in order to win this particular race.

Albeit the current first-team squad is arguably in need of strengthening now, given their most recent 1-0 loss at home to Brighton and Hove Albion, planning for the future with shrewd signings such as this will only leave the club in safe hands for the foreseeable future.

Akin to the capture of Dele Alli in 2015, when Premier League rivals were also in the mix, signing the teenager who has produced some standout displays this season – notably when making three interceptions, completing two clearances and blocking two shots against Manchester City in the FA Cup (SofaScore) – would be a worthwhile venture.

In other news: Tottenham eyeing summer move for La Liga defender! Find out more here.