West Ham United have boosted their defence with the signings of Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop, but there was one other player that they were regularly linked to.

Last week, Sky Sports reported that the Hammers were in talks with Alfie Mawson regarding a possible move.

The centre-back, who is rated at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, was tipped to leave Swansea City following the Welsh club’s relegation to the Championship.

Burnley were also thought to be in the running for Mawson’s signature, but Fulham won the race.

On Thursday, the Cottagers announced via their official website that they had signed the 24-year-old on a deal until the summer of 2022.

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It is a blow of sorts to West Ham as it indicates that Mawson turned them down them in favour of their newly-promoted rivals.

However, the rejection would sting more if Pellegrini had failed to recruit new defenders.

The reaction has been mixed from the fans on Twitter.

With just a few hours remaining to complete permanent deals, the pressure is on Marcelo Bielsa and the rest of Leeds United’s hierarchy as they attempt to finalise at least one deal before 5pm, but a recent report suggests they should be attempting to complete an audacious loan swoop rather than a permanent deal. 

According to a recent report from Sky Sports, Huddersfield are interested in signing Manchester City playmaker Patrick Roberts on loan before the window slams shut.

The 21-year-old right-winger who is also capable of playing in a creative number ten role has spent the majority of his senior career at Celtic, but with Daniel Arzani reportedly on his way to Celtic Park it seems unlikely that he will return once again this summer.

Naturally, Leeds have until the end of August to complete a loan deal, but with the Terriers showing an interest in Roberts they will need to move quickly in order to secure his services.

The fact Huddersfield can offer Premier League football will certainly give them an advantage over Leeds, but the promise of regular first-team opportunities under Bielsa would certainly give Roberts a tricky decision to make.

When cutting in from the right-wing Roberts possesses both the incisive range of passing and dazzling dribbling ability to carve open the opposition in the final-third, and his flair would certainly offer a fresh dynamic to Leeds in their bid to achieve promotion this season.

Time is running out for Leeds to secure the signature of a player who seems to have no future at Manchester City despite his impressive performances during his spell north of the border with Celtic, so Bielsa should take note of the situation and rival Huddersfield’s interest before David Wagner convinces him to move to the John Smith’s Stadium.

And if Huddersfield are unable to conclude a deal before the 5pm deadline, Bielsa should ensure that he uses his links with Pep Guardiola to secure his signature before the loan deadline passes at the end of August.

Leeds fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, West Ham are eyeing up a late summer move for midfielder Carlos Sanchez. The 32-year-old currently plays his football in Italy with Fiorentina and has done so since 2016, although he is probably best known to English football fans for his testing two-year stint at Aston Villa between 2014 and 2016.

Yet Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini is reportedly keen on luring the Colombia international back to the Premier League before Thursday’s deadline, a questionable deal which could go some way to ruining the great work carried out by the Chilean at the London Stadium this summer.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the former Manchester City was appointed as David Moyes’ successor to much optimism and excitement among Hammers supporters, and that positivity has continued given the many shrewd additions made by Pellegrini so far this summer.

The likes of Felipe Anderson, Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko, and Lukasz Fabianski have all made the move to East London this summer as the Hammers finally seek to move to the next level in their new stadium – yet there has to be question marks over whether Sanchez can aid in that quest.

Yes, the 32-year-old deserves credit for earning 88 caps for his country, three of which coming at this summer’s World Cup, but his previous spell in English football is unlikely to fill West Ham fans with the same level of confidence plenty of the other signings have this summer.

Sanchez spent two years at Villa Park between 2014 and 2016 and in that time managed 56 appearances for the Villans, 20 of which coming in their woeful relegation campaign of 2015/16 – it doesn’t inspire confidence.

And at the age of 32, the arrival of the midfielder wouldn’t exactly be a nod towards the long term at the London Stadium – in fact, it would be closer to the transfer policy seen in recent years in which the club have signed several players over the age of 30.

Clearly, there is much anticipation among West Ham fans given the excellent business they have conducted so far this summer – Sanchez’s arrival is unlikely to fuel that optimism even further.

In fact, Pellegrini risks going into the season on something of a negative were he to lure the 32-year-old to East London in the final few days of the campaign.

West Ham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Newcastle United confirmed on Wednesday that DeAndre Yedlin had not picked up a serious knee injury in the clash with Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park last weekend.

Yedlin was forced off against Spurs with a knee problem, and it had initially been feared that the United States international would have to spend months on the sidelines.

However, Newcastle announced earlier this week that the right-back had escaped any long-term damage, and could even face Cardiff City in the Premier League this weekend.

The Newcastle fans have been reacting to the news on social media, and it would be fair to say that they were pleased with the update.

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That said, some of the club’s supporters were looking forward to academy product Jamie Sterry potentially being given a chance in Yedlin’s absence.

It remains to be seen whether the 5ft 8in ace will be in the team this weekend, but the news surrounding the 25-year-old has gone down very well indeed.

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A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Newcastle fans can be seen below:

Southampton are hopeful that with a full season under Mark Hughes, their relegation battle of last season can be quickly forgotten with a successful 2018/19 Premier League campaign. 

Having narrowly avoided relegation last season, Southampton have tried to ensure that same conundrum wouldn’t be possible this season by adding a wealth of talent to the squad. The Saints, on paper, look as if they’re a lot stronger now and have a great chance of becoming the Premier League force they once were.

They could have been smarter with their departures however though as they should have sold Sam Gallagher after recruiting Danny Ings.

The striker who is valued at £2.7 million on Transfermarkt was out on-loan with Championship side Birmingham last season and scored six goals during his 33 appearances for Garry Monk’s side. The 22-year-old has shown previous potential of being a good forward but with Austin, Gabbiadini, Long and now Ings all to contend with for a space in the first team, Gallagher should have really looked for a move away from St Mary’s Stadium this summer.

He is a big, physical forward that is perfect for a Championship side, hence why Southampton should sell and also why Gallagher himself should realise that his time on the South Coast is coming to an end.

Mark Hughes has made progress in the transfer market so why should he hold his team back by continuing to employ the Englishman? All of his rivals have established themselves in the Premier League and with Gallagher hardly a regular goal-scorer in the Championship, there is nothing to suggest he could get into the first-team again.

Do you agree… Let us know!

According to The Telegraph, Danny Rose’s exit from Tottenham seems to no longer be happening, after impressing manager Mauricio Pochettino. 

It has been widely speculated over the summer that Rose would be leaving The Lilywhites, with French outfits PSG and Marseille being the likely destinations for the left-back.  However, the Argentinian manager has been impressed with how his player has responded to criticism.

The England international is willing to stay in north London and fight for a place in the first team. This is brilliant news for Tottenham fans, particularly after a summer where no new players joined the club.

Both Rose (valued at £27m on Transfermarkt.co.uk) and Toby Alderweireld looked certain to leave at some point during the transfer window, so to keep hold of those key players is perhaps as important as any transfer that they could have made. Tottenham would have looked very stretched in the left-back position had the 28-year-old left.

Kyle Walker-Peters would have been used as the back-up option to Ben Davies had Rose left, but that would not have filled fans with a lot of confidence. Walker-Peters is still yet to prove himself at the highest level, and would be regarded as a gamble without Rose. Now there is a good level of competition in the left-back position, which will only boost performances.

Rose even earned his first start of the season on Monday against Man United at Old Trafford. However, his performance was rather shakey, epitomised by a wayward pass that should have been punished by Lukaku. But with this new confidence that Pochettino seems to have in his player, his performances will only improve.

Wolves have got going in the Premier League and have had a solid week, with a 1-1 draw with Manchester City followed up by an excellent away win at West Ham this weekend.

Manager Nuno Santo has got his team adjusted to the Premier League it would seen, and some of their summer signings appear to be settling in nicely.

However, there is always room for improvement, and as Santo will know, the club do not always need to go massive in the market, with the Championship hosting some top talent in itself.

One player who we at the Tavern think Wolves should take a punt on is Sheffield United midfielder John Fleck, who has been simply superb for Chris Wilder over the last two seasons, and continues to impress this term with his form.

Despite a Scotland call-up continuing to elude him, Fleck is a class act, and there is little doubt he has the ability and talent to play in the top flight.

While many Wolves fans might see Fleck as a bit of a suprise suggestion, the Blades midfielder does have quality. The likes of Neves and Moutinho are going to need help through the season, and the signing of someone like Fleck would add competition and provide a quality midfield option should either be injured.

United will not want to sell, but money can talk, and Wolves are certainly not short of that.

Wolves fans, what do you think? Would Fleck be a decent punt? Let us know in the comments!

Nottingham Forest supporters have been pretty despondent in the Transfer Tavern in recent times after seeing their side suffer their first defeat of the Championship season on Saturday.

Aitor Karanka’s men went into their clash with Brentford at Griffin Park having won one and drawn the other four of their opening five league matches, thus generating some optimism among supporters after a summer of encouraging business. Yet the East Midlands giants suffered disappointment at Brentford on Saturday in going down 2-1 to the Bees, with goals from Lewis MacLeod and Ollie Watkins either side of a Matty Cash equaliser sealing all three points for Dean Smith’s team.

Thus, there have been many downbeat Forest fans up and down the country in recent times, some of whom have taken to Twitter to criticise the arrival of midfielder Panagiotis Tachtsidis on a free transfer.

And while there are likely to be a few doubts regarding the £1.35 million-rated midfielder (as per Transfermarkt), those Forest fans may well be wrong as the 27-year-old could well prove to be a very shrewd addition indeed.

Ultimately, Forest were extremely busy during the summer transfer window in overhauling the playing squad at the City Ground, with the central midfield department one area that was heavily bolstered by manager Karanka.

As such, it does seem somewhat strange for the former Middlesbrough boss to bring Greece international Tachtsidis to the club, but given what the 27-year-old can offer both on and indeed off the field, he could prove to be a fine signing.

The midfielder has over 200 club career appearances to his name of which 128 have come in Serie A, thus underlining the fact that he has produced the goods at the highest level during his professional career.

Add in the odd appearance in European competition, as well as 25 caps for Greece, and Tachtsidis can offer a great deal off the pitch for the Reds, while his ability with the ball at his feet, specifically in picking out a pass, will surely help on the field as well.

And luring him to the City Ground on a free means that the East Midlands heavyweights have nothing to lose from such acquisition, but they could well reap the rewards if the 27-year-old can produce his best form at the Championship side.

As such, while some Forest fans are underwhelmed at the addition of the Greek star, he could well turn out to be a very shrewd addition indeed given what he can offer the Reds both on and off the pitch.

Forest fans… what do you think? Let us know!

When Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool meet at Wembley Stadium on Saturday it is likely to be an encounter that is won and lost in the middle of the park.

Both sides can draw from a wealth of top class, experienced, international midfielders who will be tasked with taking control of the game. 

Mauricio Pochettino is likely to call upon Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen to provide his side’s creativity and attacking threat from deep. Behind them, one of Eric Dier, Mousa Dembele or Victor Wanyama will be selected to shield the defence.

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The visitors, meanwhile, will likely set their midfield up in a similar configuration. Jurgen Klopp may ask club captain Jordan Henderson to sit deep in the holding role or, alternatively, summer signing Fabinho could be brought in to make his Premier League debut.

Meanwhile, the in-form Georginio Wijnaldum, the experienced James Milner and the energetic Naby Keita will all also be battling for inclusion.

If Football FanCast were to create a side combining both teams, we would select a midfield three of Eriksen, Milner and Keita. but let us know below who would form your midfield contingent for this select XI by giving each player a thumbs up or thumbs down…

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Loads of Celtic fans have been giving their verdict on the defeat at Kilmarnock, and they’re pleasantly surprised by the performance of Youssouf Mulumbu.

Celtic fell to their second Premiership defeat of the season on Sunday, as once again the players looked sluggish and uninspired.

Jack Hendry is taking the brunt of fans’ criticism, but the entire team was relatively poor.

Chris Burke equalised for the hosts with a wonderful strike after Leigh Griffiths had given the Hoops a first half lead, and Stuart Findlay’s stoppage time winner compounded Celtic’s misery.

Mulumbu was impressive though, covering loads of ground and showing he isn’t afraid to stick a few feisty tackles in.

The 31-year-old of course spent last season at Rugby Park, where he scored once in 18 Premiership games, and he was certainly one of the Hoops’ best players on his return.

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Fans liked what they saw from the veteran summer signing, so is it time for him to nail down a place in the midfield?

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…