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Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville lavished praise on West Ham United centre-back Craig Dawson during the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. 

The lowdown: Last man standing

With central defensive options Issa Diop, Kurt Zouma and long-term absentee Angelo Ogbonna all sidelined, Dawson was the only recognised choice in David Moyes’ much-changed side to face their London rivals.

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Making up a new-look back three alongside Aaron Cresswell and Ben Johnson, following a drab first half without action in what has previously been a pulsating London derby, the second 45 kicked into gear early on and the Hammers were called into defensive action.

However, the 31-year-old had proved to be more than a match for the attack on more than one occasion prior to being dismissed for hauling down Romelu Lukaku inside the area with just minutes remaining on the clock.

The Evening Standard rated his performance as ‘superb’ being undermined by the red card, with big name Sky pundit Neville joining in on the praise during West Ham’s encounter.

The latest: Neville impressed

Speaking as a co-commentator during Sky Sports’ live coverage, Neville was left in awe of the experienced Englishman’s actions at the 50-minute mark.

“Brilliant from Dawson. All the talk before the game was about Dawson being the only centre-back. He’s the only one they needed in the last minute or two. Two really good blocks.”

Ultimately it wasn’t Dawson’s error that cost the visitors a valuable point as Jorginho missed the resulting spot-kick before moments later Christian Pulisic netted beyond Lukasz Fabianski with West Ham without a recognised centre-back.

Overall the ex-Watford man completed seven clearances, seven blocked shots and won 1/1 (100%) of his aerial duels in a 7.30 rated display despite the red card (Sofascore).

The verdict: Outstanding before dismissal

Dawson has been nothing short of a revelation since arriving at the London Stadium and this was another flawless display from the experienced former England Under 21 international before being given his marching orders late on.

So far this season the Rochdale-born ace has made 44 appearances for Moyes’ side, scoring four times for the Irons as he proves to be equally adept in either penalty area and will be a huge miss whilst suspended.

Albeit the Hammers would’ve welcomed back any of Diop, Zouma and Ogbonna with open arms prior to this clash, Dawson has once again proven that he can be relied upon to marshall a backline successfully – even taking into account the dismissal.

In other news: Agreement reached: ExWHUemployee also has some promising player news for West Ham supporters! Find out more here.

Rangers have been linked with Vitesse centre-back Danilho Doekhi recently and he could prove to be Steven Gerrard’s own version of Virgil van Dijk at Ibrox should he join this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Rangers, Newcastle United and Fulham are all in the race to sign the 22-year-old defender, who has been a big part of Vitesse’s impressive campaign in the Eredivisie so far this season.

It has been previously reported that the defender would be available for just £1.5m this summer, as his contract with the Dutch side is set to expire at the end of next season, so he could prove to be a bargain signing for the Light Blues this summer if they can convince him to make the move to Ibrox.

Rangers’ own VVD?

When Rangers’ Old Firm rivals Celtic signed Van Dijk from FC Groningen in 2013, he was just 21-years-old and like Doekhi, was a prominent part of the Netherlands’ U21 squad.

The towering centre-back cost the Hoops just £2.6m, and has, of course, gone on to establish himself as one of the best defenders in world football after impressive spells with Southampton and Liverpool, finishing second in the 2019 Ballon d’Or voting after helping Liverpool win the Champions League.

Doekhi, who is a former Ajax youngster, has already made 90 appearances for Vitesse and has been impressive so far this season, averaging a solid 6.92 rating for his performances in the Dutch top-flight.

In 30 league games this season, Thomas Letsch’s side have conceded just 28 goals, which certainly suggests that Doekhi could help Gerrard’s side improve on their incredible defensive record this season.

The 22-year-old centre-back certainly looks set for a big future in the game and there is no reason why his career can’t follow a similar trajectory to Van Dijk’s should he make the switch to Ibrox this summer.

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Therefore, considering his talent and his reported asking price, sporting director Ross Wilson must do everything he can to sign him for Gerrard’s side this summer, as he could prove to be a superb addition.

And, in other news… Gerrard masterclass: “Outstanding” beast’s value has risen 533% since Ibrox switch

According to a report by TEAMtalk, via West Ham Central, GSB fancy signing Orlando City striker Daryl Dike this summer, who is currently on loan at Barnsley – prompting these Irons supporters to erupt on social media.

Dike, who has scored nine goals in 12 Championship starts since joining the club on a temporary basis in January, has also managed an impressive 5.8 aerial duels won per game (WhoScored).

The 20-year-old, as a result, is attracting interest from West Ham and GSB – with these supporters raving over the claims of their club’s interest.

As well as some supporters calling him ‘massive’, with the forward standing at an imposing 6 foot 2, a section of these Irons fans have likened him to star striker Michail Antonio.

One supporter even claimed Dike could take Antonio’s place in the side as Hammers plead for GSB to potentially sign the striker this summer from Orlando.

Find all of their best verdicts on the forward down below.

West Ham fans erupt over Dike claim

“Would be the best day of my life.”

Credit: @AndrewKane221

“Under Antonio’s tutelage this lad could be different gravy”

Credit: @Dylan_Rudisill_

“Oh my dayssssss”

Credit: @FromTheAnvilWHU

“We totally should. Think he could be a good option off the bench. Antonio style work rate. He’s massive as well”

Credit: @jordan_smith510

“MAKE THIS HAPPEN”

Credit: @joelitt78828048

“His link up play is improving & his flick ons & link up play since joining Barnsley are always improving!

I think he could bench Antonio”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

In other news: West Ham fans react as club confirm ‘great news’, find out more here.

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over some news that has emerged involving Yerry Mina.

The central defender has now been called up by the Colombia national team for their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifying games against Peru and Argentina, which are due to take place on January 28th and February 1st.

They would want Mina to join up with the squad early as well for training, and so there is a chance that he could now miss the Goodison Park faithful’s match at home against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime, as well as their FA Cup tie at home to Brentford on February 5th, due to potential fatigue.

The Merseyside club have only lost two games in the top flight so far this season when he has played, and so he is clearly a key part of the team.

Thus, losing him potentially for their next two fixtures will be a big blow.

Everton fans on Mina news

These Toffees supporters fumed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one Blue even going as far as to claim that it was ‘ridiculous’:

“Please tell me he said no.”

Credit: @jet_pinnacle

“Jesus Christ..! Here we go again..”

Credit: @Kieranbuckley5

“Nooooooooooooo….don’t do it!”

Credit: @JohnDiazTheOne

“What a joke”

Credit: @JayKennedyEFC

“Shouldn’t be allowed to go. End of”

Credit: @chriswatson187

“Ridiculous”

Credit: @GedEFC1878

In other news, find out what manager update has Evertonians buzzing here!

Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that Josh Windass could score 20 goals in League One next season and fire the Owls back to the Championship.

Wednesday were relegated from English football’s second division with Windass finishing their disappointing campaign as the club’s top scorer in all competitions.

The 27-year-old attacker, whose contract expires next year, has been linked with a move to Hull City. However, father Dean recently quashed those rumours while stating that his son is happy at Hillsborough.

Other clubs are also said to be interested in Windass, but Palmer is hoping Darren Moore will be able to keep hold of him, believing the former Rangers man could score 20 goals in the third tier next term.

“Obviously you want to get promotion,” the ex-Wednesday player said. “People who score you goals, right, I think Josh is 20 goals a season in that league next season.

“You’ve got to try and hold onto him as much as you can, try and convince him that you’re going to go straight back up.”

With some of the teams reported to be interested in Windass including the likes of West Brom and Fulham, who will surely be fighting for Premier League promotion, Wednesday keeping hold of their top scorer looks like a difficult task.

Given the comments of Windass Snr, though, it does not seem impossible.

Noel Whelan is enthused by the prospect of Leeds United acquiring young Celtic defender Leo Hjelde [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Leeds United get ready for the 2021/22 campaign

Bringing in ready-made first-team talent will be key for Leeds to kick on and look even further up the Premier League table this term, but unearthing starlets with considerable potential may also be high up on Marcelo Bielsa’s priority list.

One prodigy who has been reported as a Whites target has been Norwegian Under-18 international Hjelde, who is in talks about a move to Bielsa’s side – he was previously labelled as ‘the next (Virgil) van Dijk’ by former coach John Hughes [Football Insider].

At 17-years-old, he has already been predisposed to first-team football on loan at Scottish Premiership side Ross County in 2020/21 [Transfermarkt].

The Latest: Whelan waxes lyrical over Hjelde’s potential capture

Inspiring Whelan to have his input, the BBC Radio Leeds pundit waxed lyrical over Hjelde’s potential arrival in Yorkshire in an interview with Football Insider, stating:

“When someone is coming out and saying he’s the next Van Dijk, wow, people will take notice.

“The fact that he’s already played first team football at such a young age is a testament to his ability.

“The scouts aren’t just looking abroad at £30million players. In this day and age, you can find some real rough diamonds.”

The Verdict: Hjelde would be an excellent Leeds signing

Pointing to the modern methodologies of recruiting talented youngsters, Whelan makes some credible arguments regarding talent spotting at elite clubs.

In terms of long-term progress, Hjelde could develop into an established Premier League player should an alleged move to Elland Road materialise, even if it takes a while before we see him make a real impact.

Within his temporary stint in the Highlands, the former Rosenborg man made 12 appearances [Transfermarkt], netting a crucial solitary goal for the Staggies in a crunch relegation fixture against Kilmarnock [BBC].

His Celtic future hangs in the balance, owing to the fact he only has 12 months left on his deal at Parkhead [Sportslens].

A rising star, Leeds United will be doing all they can to get the deal over the line, whilst they are said to be confident of landing his signature to boot [Sportslens].

In other news, Leeds United have been linked with a surprise swoop for a 17-goal striker.

Lots of Everton fans have been left delighted as the Goodison Park club are reportedly in talks to sign Sergio Romero.

That is according to The Athletic, who added that both Juventus and Celta Vigo are also interested in his signature as he is set to leave on a free transfer in the summer window after his current deal at Manchester United ends.

With Robin Olsen seemingly going back to AS Roma after his loan spell at Goodison Park ends, the Toffees will need to bring in another goalkeeper to challenge Jordan Pickford between the posts.

Given Romero’s experience in English football, and the fact that he would be available for free, it presents a good opportunity for the Blues to snap him up.

Everton fans on Romero transfer update

These Everton supporters raved as the transfer update on Romero was shared on Twitter, with one going as far as to claim that they would be ‘made up’ if the Argentine becomes a Toffees player:

“I’m all over this”

Credit: @Roundhouse1878

“Yes!!”

Credit: @AlexOBr82171506

“He wants to come and his wife wants to come. No brainer.”

Credit: @ModernShip

“Boss, be made up with that”

Credit: @leftbacklenny

“Do it”

Credit: @PREZY29

“Great signing tbf, he’s a very good keeper”

Credit: @GedEFC1878

In other news, find out what manager update has left these Toffees raging

Liverpool currently have a solid selection of midfield options in their squad such as Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

However, it seems as though the Merseyside club have their eyes on a new addition for that role.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Spanish media outlet El Nacional (via Liverpool Echo) that Liverpool are apparently interested in signing Barcelona’s 17-year-old midfielder Gavi at some point in the future.

Gavi, who is a product of Barcelona’s youth academy, made his senior debut for the club back in August in a 2-1 La Liga win over Getafe.

Since then, the midfielder has made seven appearances for Ronald Koeman’s side across all competitions this season in which he has played in a number of positions across the pitch such as central-midfield, left-wing, right-wing, left-midfield and attacking midfield, showing just how versatile he is at such a young age.

In addition to making his debut at club level, Gavi recently made his debut for the Spanish national team in their recent 2-1 win over Italy in the semi-final of the UEFA Nations League.

After his performance in the win against Italy, Spain head coach Luis Enrique said Gavi’s performance was “fantastic” and the he is “something exceptional.”

Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why Liverpool have been mentioned with a potential move with the young star.

Future Red?

If Liverpool were to sign Gavi at some point in the near future, we feel he could well go onto be a long-term option for the Reds, given his age and perhaps take over from Henderson if he ends up leaving the club when the new four-year contract he signed over the summer runs out in 2025, which could therefore allow Gavi to take a more prominent role in the team should he make the move to Anfield at any point before then.

However, it would be understandable for Barcelona to be reluctant to potentially sell their youth star after only just making his breakthrough in their team.

On the other hand, given the widely reported financial issues at the Spanish club at the moment, there could be a situation where cashing in on a player like Gavi could be the best option for Barcelona if a club such as Liverpool were willing to come in and pay a significant transfer fee for him.

In our view, if Liverpool are interested in signing Gavi, they should probably wait until the next summer transfer window at the earliest before approaching Barcelona so they can have a better idea of the player he can develop into based on what he does throughout the remainder of this season.

In other news: £180k-p/w Liverpool “problem” sees his value crash £45m in nearly 2 years under Klopp – opinion 

Crystal Palace confirmed Patrick van Aanholt’s Selhurst Park exit on Wednesday afternoon.

And, as to be expected, a number of Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to the club’s official post.

The Eagles had 11 senior players out of contract at the beginning of the month, with van Aanholt becoming the latest to have his exit announced by the club.

The 30-year-old, who joined the club in 2017 from Sunderland, made 134 appearances during his Selhurst Park stay and has now signed for Turkish side Galatasaray on a three-year deal.

Patrick Vieira now has just Tyrick Mitchell at left-back, with Palace’s major transfer business set to be completed with the arrival of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

Palace fans react

Palace’s post regarding van Aanholt on Wednesday simply read ‘thank you for everything, Patrick’.

This is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with many happy at his exit, whereas one fan called him ‘terrific’.

“Woke up smiling, have no fear, Pat man’s gone, jump and cheer”Credit: @Palace_Boston”yay he’s gone”Credit: @Danlivermore4″Underrated ~ was terrific for us”Credit: @garyspencerr”He’s goneeeeeeeeeeeeeee”Credit: @longlivewilliam”LOOOOOL SEE YA”Credit: @CiaranCPFC”won’t be missed”Credit: @cpfcbxn

In other news: ‘Better than Gallagher’, ‘Oh my god’ – Many CPFC fans buzz as transfer news emerges.

Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha would be a “typical Wolves signing”, says Express & Star reporter Luke Hatfield.

According to Portuguese journalist Filipe Dias, Wolves are interested in signing Palhinha before the transfer window closes, though they face competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham.

Spurs’ interest in the 26-year-old complicates things. But if the Midlands club manage to get a deal over the line, then he would be joining compatriots Ruben Neves, Pedro Neto and Joao Moutinho at Molineux, adding to that Portuguese core.

On Palhinha’s potential arrival, Hatfield told FFC:

“We all know what Wolves’ transfer business has been like over the past few years. It’s normally from that Portuguese market.

“Palhinha is one who’s been linked on numerous occasions with Wolves. It would be a typical Wolves signing.”

Given that Wolves have been tapping into the Portuguese market in recent years, it really would not be a surprise if Palhinha did end up at Molineux.

With a midfield spot at Tottenham potentially opening up due to the uncertainty surrounding Tanguy Ndombele’s future, though, perhaps they could make a real push for the Sporting man before the end of the month. This could be an interesting one.