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According to a recent report from Sky Sports, Che Adams was subject of much Premier League interest during the January transfer window. The 22-year-old currently plays his football at Championship side Birmingham City and has done so since leaving Sheffield United back in 2016, with his excellent goal-scoring exploits for the Midlanders this season seemingly attracting interest from some clubs in the top-flight.

And that’s because a recent report from Sky Sports suggests that Burnley tried their hand with many bids for the striker on Deadline Day, while Southampton were also linked with the 22-year-old (as per Sky Sports), only for Garry Monk’s Blues to retain the services of the striking sensation.

And that key January success in keeping hold of one of their prized assets may well give the out-of-form second tier side the lift they so desperately need.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, it has been a strange Championship season for Monk’s men given they took time to get going in failing to win any of their opening eight league matches, only for an unbeaten run of 11 games between August and October to move them up the table.

And while the Blues did well during the festive period to win two and draw three matches between December 15 and the New Year, they are now without a win in five games to somewhat dent their hopes of sustaining a promotion push in the second half of the season.

Ultimately, they are only six points adrift of sixth place Derby County to suggest that they are still well in the race for a play-off place, but they need to get back to winning ways quickly if they are to start moving up the division and build momentum ahead of the run-in.

And in top-scorer Adams, they have the man who can move them out of their current rut and towards the upper echelons of the Championship table.

The 22-year-old has been in scintillating goal-scoring form for the Blues this season with 15 goals from 29 Championship appearances for Monk’s side, a tally that leaves only Tammy Abraham, Billy Sharp, Teemu Pukki, and Neal Maupay ahead of him in the division’s goal-scoring charts.

And even during their recent run of five league games without a win, it’s not through Adams that they are struggling to get those victories given he has netted in each of their last four matches – imagine where they would be without him.

And that is why retaining him beyond the 11pm January deadline on Thursday was so crucial and will surely give St Andrew’s a big boost, as it’s difficult to see how the Blues would have been able to sustain a promotion challenge without him – after all, Lukas Jutkiewicz is the only other Birmingham player to have exceeded five goals so far this season.

However, they did indeed manage to keep hold of the 22-year-old which is sure to delight Birmingham fans, with that retention of the striker possibly giving the Blues the lift they need to get out of their current rut, and thus start making their way up the Championship table.

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

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in bringing Christian Eriksen back to the club this summer, according to recent reports…

What’s the story?

The Denmark international made his return to the Premier League with Brentford in the January transfer window, having not played competitive football for a number of months following his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 last summer.

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According to i News, while the Bees are keen to extend his stay at the club, they are well aware of interest emerging from elsewhere, particularly from Eriksen’s former side Tottenham.

It is added that the north London club are the suitors paying the closest attention to his situation thus far.

Emotional return to Spurs?

While Eriksen may have engineered a mid-season switch to Serie A giants Inter a couple of years ago, there’s no questioning that he remains a beloved presence at his former club, perhaps more so given what happened last summer.

That level of emotional connection to the mercurial Dane would make a return to Spurs a real feel-good story in football, and perhaps even more importantly, it would add a genuine spark of creativity to Antonio Conte’s team.

Indeed, his first spell with the north Londoners showcased his playmaking talents, with Eriksen registering an impressive total of 89 assists in 305 games for the club.

It was no surprise that his former manager Mauricio Pochettino was quick to declare: “He is so special and we always call him Golazo, because he is capable of scoring unbelievable goals. The recognition from us is massive.”

When reports emerged earlier this calendar year that Spurs could be interested in bringing Eriksen back, Conte did not completely shut the door, instead offering some hope that a deal could be done.

The current Spurs boss said: “No. Honestly no (we didn’t discuss signing him). Honestly I was surprised about the situation because in my mind, honestly, I thought Christian needed more time before coming back to play in England.

“For sure, Eriksen is part of Tottenham’s story. To come back here would be a good opportunity for him, for me, for the club, but now he’s signed for Brentford, only six months, and we’ll see what happens.

“We won the league, we spent two important seasons together. I wish him all the best for the future and you don’t know what will happen. It would be good for me to have him again, to work together.”

Given that he would be available on a free transfer, and having proven that he can still cut it at the highest level in the Premier League, signing the 110-goal Eriksen would be a masterclass move from Fabio Paratici.

AND in other news: Conte can form “dangerous” duo as Spurs plot bids for £156m pair who “really get along”

West Bromwich Albion travel the short distance across the midlands to St Andrew’s today to face Birmingham City in an exciting local derby.

The Baggies still have an outside chance of sneaking into the play-offs but know anything other than victory will likely put them out of the running.

But with five of their eight games left being at home, they have a huge advantage.

They went into the international break on the back of a four-game unbeaten run and will hope to continue that against the Blues who have only won one in their last six.

On the chalkboard

There’s good news heading into the game with Andy Carroll returning from injury having suffered a slight knock before the international break.

Bringing Carroll back into the side will provide a different test for Birmingham City with him being described as “unplayable” by former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips.

The 33-year-old striker will be hungry to impress and deserves the chance having only started three times since moving to the Hawthorns in January.

Carroll would fit perfectly in a front three alongside Karlan Grant and Callum Robinson who have forged an expert partnership this season, scoring 20 times between them.

The former England international has proved time and time again that when he is fit he can be relied on and when it comes to aerial battles and holding the ball up. He has won a mighty 6.7 aerial duels per game in 2021/22 for the Baggies and 5.8 per match throughout his career so you’d struggle to find anyone better.

Those statistics make for eye-catching reading and demonstrate why he could terrify the Blues’ defence on Sunday afternoon.

He can also lean on the bags of Premier League experience he has, including two stints at his boyhood club Newcastle, most recently when now Baggies boss Steve Bruce was in charge.

During the £720k-rated striker’s first spell at the Toon, he scored 20 goals and provided 13 assists in just 53 matches in his first two seasons.

Carroll’s chances of playing will also be boosted by an injury to fellow striker Daryl Dike with Bruce confirming that he is unlikely to feature for West Brom for the rest of the season.

The American striker joined the Baggies for £7m in January but suffered an injury in his first game and hasn’t been able to make a start since.

With a win crucial for West Brom today, and with their opponents failing to score in 347 minuites, it could be the perfect chance for Carroll to prove himself.

AND in other news: “Exciting” 21 y/o out as Bruce faces stick-or-twist dilemma; Predicted West Brom XI…

Rangers’ January signing Amad Diallo may not be ‘up to it’ at Ibrox, Frank McAvennie has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

With three days of the January transfer window remaining, Rangers signed Diallo on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst inherited the squad of his predecessor Steven Gerrard in the autumn, but this was one of four incoming deals he sanctioned in January as he looked to put his own stamp on the squad.

Diallo made a flying start for the Gers, scoring just five minutes into his debut against Ross County on 29 January.

But Van Bronckhorst then substituted him at half time against Celtic, with Rangers 3-0 down, after he lost five of the six duels he contested and conceded possession 12 times.

He’s only played 22 Scottish Premiership minutes since, and has watched all the Europa League knockout action from the sidelines.

The latest

McAvennie stressed that Diallo has the ability but says he may have encountered something of a culture shock.

And he feels it’s fair to question the wisdom of the signing in light of what we’ve seen so far.

“It’s a different game up here,” he said. “In England, players will take the ball. In Scotland, you take the ball and the man.

“It’s frantic, you get no time on the ball. Diallo doesn’t have the time to run with the ball, it can be a shock to a player.

“He’s only a young boy and he has bags of talent but maybe Van Bronckhorst doesn’t trust him.

“There are loads of options for Rangers in that position so if you aren’t up to the job, you won’t play.

“It just makes me wonder why they signed him if he’s not up to it.”

The verdict

This was a signing that felt like it could go either way.

Diallo had showcased his immense potential at youth level, notching 28 direct goal contributions in 46 appearances for Atalanta’s Primavera side.

But, on the other hand, he’d only made 14 senior appearances for La Dea and Manchester United combined.

Rangers haven’t committed to an expensive mandatory purchase option, so from that point of view it was still perhaps a risk worth taking, but it hasn’t paid off so far.

As McAvennie says, Van Bronckhorst simply seems to have very little trust in him.

After all, BBC Sportsound pundit Derek Ferguson has accused him of looking ‘half-hearted’, while journalist Andrew Dickson described his attitude as ‘really poor’ after he allegedly backed out of a challenge against Dundee United.

If the commitment isn’t there, then he can’t expect to play in important games.

In other news, this BBC man drops a transfer claim on Cedric Itten.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United will be looking to seal their fourth straight win in the Premier League as they face Norwich at Carrow Road today.

The Magpies come into the match off the back of three wins in succession, against Crystal Palace, Leicester and Wolves, and are currently 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

They come up against a Norwich team sitting bottom of the table and 19 points behind the Toon army as it stands and Howe’s men have a terrific chance to move further clear of 18th-placed Burnley.

The head coach may decide to make a few changes to his side to keep things fresh after the match against Palace in midweek and one player who must be brutally axed from the XI is central midfielder Joelinton.

His revival under Howe has been spectacular and he deserves immense credit for the way he has turned his career at St. James’ Park around. He has gone from being a goal-shy striker who was not justifying his £40m price tag to being a combative, energetic, ball-winning, midfield player.

However, he has not been himself in recent weeks after returning from illness. He was out with an ailment in the early parts of March and has averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.42 in the five games he has played since coming back into the side against Everton.

This comes after he averaged SofaScore ratings of 7.3 and 7.1 in January and February respectively and shows that his form has fallen off a cliff since his fitness issues. He was previously accused of “looking lost” on the pitch by Dion Dublin and his statistics suggest that he is in that position again as he has been struggling badly.

Danny Murphy once dubbed his lapse play in possession as “unacceptable” and those concerns have cropped up again in recent matches. In his last five games, he has lost the ball 48 times and lost 44 of his 68 duels as he failed to demonstrate his quality in the middle of the park.

Therefore, the £80k-per-week passenger must finally be axed from the team after five below-par outings. His performances suggest that he is not 100% after his illness last month and Howe must now give him the time he needs to get back to his best so that he can then return to the team and put in the lung-busting, combative, displays that the fans love to see from him.

AND in other news: Imagine him & Bruno: Howe can seal terrifying NUFC duo with gem who’s a “joy to watch”

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Fabio Carvalho to the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who confirmed on a recent episode of The West Ham Way Podcast that, following earlier reports suggesting that West Ham are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Fulham attacking midfielder ahead of a potential move, the 19-year-old is indeed a player that David Moyes is interested in.

The Hammers insider went on to state that, with the England youth international’s current contract at Craven Cottage set to expire at the end of the season, the 58-year-old manager could make an early move to sign the teenager in the coming months.

Speaking about West Ham’s interest in Carvalho, Ex said: “We are looking at Championship players. Carvalho at Fulham – he is someone we like. He’s out of contract in the summer, a move for him might be on the cards in the summer. He’s not a priority position [but] we could move early for him.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering the sheer amount of impressive attacking midfield options Moyes currently possesses at the London Stadium, with the likes of Said Benrahma, Manuel Lanzini, Pablo Fornals and Nikola Vlasic all capable of operating in the number 10 role, the further addition of a player as exciting as Carvalho is sure to be a prospect that will have West Ham fans buzzing.

Indeed, the £3.15m-rated youngster has highly impressed over his 15 Championship appearances this season, having already scored five goals, provided one assist and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 1.6 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £650-per-week forward average a SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Marco Silva’s 14th-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, it is clear to see that the attacking midfielder is a player who possesses an extremely bright future in the game, leading us to believe that, should Moyes be able to beat the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea – all of whom have been linked with a move for the 19-year-old – to Carvalho’s signature this summer, it would be a major coup for the Champions League hopefuls.

In other news: Sheth reveals West Ham are “looking at” £17m beast, he’d be an “exemplary” signing

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a fresh injury lift ahead of their clash with Brentford in the Premier League.

What’s the latest?

Spurs boss Antonio Conte has revealed that the club have not suffered any blows to their squad after the 1-0 defeat to Brighton next weekend.

They will now come up against London rivals Brentford with the same players available as they look to bounce back from their disappointing result against Graham Potter’s side.

Journalist Jonathan Veal tweeted: “Tottenham have no fresh injuries for the visit to Brentford. Skipp, Doherty and Tanganga remain out #THFC.”

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Supporters will be buzzing

The Spurs faithful will surely be buzzing by this big boost as it means that there are no other players that they have to worry about missing out on this match.

Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son and Dejan Kulusevski all remain available at the top end of the pitch and that means Tottenham still have a huge chance to win this game. The trio have been in fine form this season, in spite of their struggles against Brighton last week, and keeping them fit will be vital to their top-four hopes.

Since joining in January, Kulusevski has three goals and six assists in 10 starts for Antonio Conte – almost averaging a goal contribution per start in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Kane has 20 goals and assists combined in 30 starts and Son has been directly involved in 23 goals in 29 outings.

These impressive statistics illustrate how impressive they have been in the top-flight and highlight why an injury to any of them would be a major blow to Conte. Therefore, having them fit and firing is a big boost for Spurs and that is why this latest squad update will delight supporters.

The fans will surely want to see Champions League football next season and all three of them have shown that they will be pivotal to the club’s chances of securing qualification for the competition.

Although, it is also worth noting that avoiding defensive injuries will also be key given the backline’s recent form in the Premier League. Spurs have only conceded more than once in the division once in their last nine matches, once in their last 10 in all competitions, and this shows that the likes of Christian Romero and Eric Dier are also important players who need to be protected.

AND in other news: Conte can now axe “truly hilarious” £42k-p/w flop as Spurs eye £33m “difference maker”

Southampton’s Mohammed Salisu is one of the players Newcastle United have considered during the January transfer window, The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has revealed. 

The lowdown

Newcastle are reportedly looking at domestic alternatives to their top centre-back target, Sevilla’s Diego Carlos, as the La Liga outfit hold firm in their demands (via The Athletic).

Salisu moved to England relatively recently, joining Saints from Real Valladolid in August 2020 for a fee of £10.8million. The 22-year-old, now valued at £9million by Transfermarkt, signed a contract that runs until the summer of 2024.

Salisu has been a regular under Ralph Hasenhuttl this season, starting 20 of their 23 Premier League matches.

The latest

Edwards tweeted on Monday afternoon that ‘NUFC have looked at’ the Ghanaian defender.

However, he ‘was told last week’ that the move didn’t look ‘possible’ in January.

The verdict

It’s tempting to wonder if Salisu’s sensational performance in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with league leaders Manchester City has only inflated his price tag.

Salisu made more clearances (14), tackles (seven), interceptions (four) and blocks (three) than anybody else, earning a place in Alan Shearer’s Team of the Week.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig called it a ‘monstrous performance’, while The Express’ Charlie Gordon wrote that he deserved a ‘boxing licence’ after taking a ball to the chin and soldiering on.

He’s still young, and on the evidence of that display, it’s hard to dispute BBC journalist Tom Murray’s claim that ‘he has a frightening amount of potential’, so perhaps the Magpies should stump up a big offer and see how the south coast outfit respond.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano dropped a big NUFC transfer update on Monday morning.

Liverpool and FSG could be set for unprecedented levels of incoming prize money according to finance expert Dr Dan Plumley.

The lowdown: History in the making…

Jurgen Klopp’s side stand just ten games away from a potential history redefining season as the Reds go in search of a never-seen-before quadruple.

Having already lifted the Carabao Cup in February, the Anfield club stand on the brink of something remarkable as a UEFA Champions League semi-final tie with Villarreal awaits before an FA Cup final with Chelsea at Wembley.

Between all of that, Klopp’s men continue their quest for a second Premier League title in three seasons after returning to the summit with a resounding 4-0 victory over Manchester United.

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The latest: Expert predicts windfall

Speaking to Football Insider, Dr Plumley claimed that a ”huge” financial boost could be added to the potential trophy haul.

“If they win the FA Cup, they’ll have got £3.4m in prize money. If they finish runners up, it’ll be £2.4m. Those are the numbers in terms of direct prize money. There’s a bit more for TV money, but it’s not massive.

“What they are looking to is the added value with sponsors, clients and new commercial partners. If they can point to being treble winners or even quadruple winners, that would give them huge leverage.

“We still refer back to the Man United treble-winning team in 1999, so you can use that status to your advantage. But imagine a quadruple. It’s unheard of in the modern game.”

The verdict: Better and Better

Things couldn’t get much better at Anfield right now as the club thrives both commercially and in its main objective as a football team.

To add to the potential glorious season, it has been reported this week that ownership group FSG are in the process of sounding out a new shirt sponsor to replace Standard Chartered.

Operating extensively under the tag of a sell to buy club, any additional incoming funds will act as a welcome boost to the coffers as Jurgen Klopp and incoming sporting director Julian Ward look to bolster the squad in the summer transfer market.

Were Liverpool to even participate in every possible match this season it would be a remarkable achievement, one that in itself would bring about untold riches in TV revenue.

In other news, one Liverpool player has been backed to leave this summer. Find out who it is here.

A transfer update has emerged on Rangers and their plans to bring a new goalkeeper to Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Gers have prepared a pre-contract offer for Dundee United shot-stopper Benjamin Siegrist.

He is out of contract at the end of the season and Rangers are hoping to swoop in to land him on a free transfer to bolster their squad.

Masterstroke

Gio van Bronckhorst could pull off a masterstroke this month by securing a deal for Siegrist to join upon the expiry of his deal at the end of June.

The club are in a difficult position heading into the summer as their two first-team goalkeepers, Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin, are both out of contract. This means that they could lose both of their shot-stoppers for nothing and be left without a first-choice or a back-up ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Therefore, bringing in a new number one without spending a penny on transfer fees would be a masterstroke from van Bronckhorst. They could then promote Robby McCrorie into a secondary role to replace McLaughlin and have Siegrist as the go-to option for the Dutch head coach, meaning that both outgoing veterans are not sorely missed and the Gers do not have to spend much in the market.

Micky Melon, who once dubbed Siegrist a “monster”, previously hailed his goalkeeper, saying:

“He’s a top drawer goalkeeper. At the end of the day, you have to be good enough to beat him and he’s made some terrific saves.

“To come to a place like Hibs and get a result, you need a good goalkeeper and he’s done that today.”

The 29-year-old has saved 73.1% of the shots against him this season after saving 78.2% in the Premiership last term. McGregor, meanwhile, has saved 74.2% of shots domestically and 66.3% in the Europa League, suggesting that Siegrist would come in and provide a similar level of quality to the experienced Scot.

Therefore, binging him in would be a masterstroke as it could be a seamless transition in the goalkeeping department heading into next season. He has the requisite Premiership experience to hit the ground running and his statistics suggest that he will be up to the task in terms of his individual quality, which is why this could be a fantastic deal for the club.

AND in other news, Deal considered: Rangers must seal swoop for 105 G/A predator who won’t cost a penny…