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West Ham have a potential replacement for Gianluca Scamacca lined up it seems, with Firenze Viola via Sport Witness reporting that the club are mulling over a move for Joel Pohjanpalo.

Are West Ham signing Joel Pohjanpalo?

The Finland international, who currently plays for Venezia, had an electric season for the Italian side despite the fact they finished in eighth. The Serie B side turned to the 28-year-old on 37 occasions in the league and he rewarded them for their trust by bagging 19 goals and seven assists along the way. His overall goal contribution rate stood at 26 – which is the highest total he has managed over the course of his career to date.

It was a career year for the player then, having finally found a new permanent home in Venezia. Despite being with former club Bayer Leverkusen for six years, he managed only 23 games for the side with seven goals. Only one of those outings in the Bundesliga was a start too, meaning that the forward really struggled to break into their first-team reckoning. Instead, he had to rely on loans with the likes of Rizespor in Turkey and Union Berlin in Germany.

Now, having been a first-team regular in Serie B, he truly thrived and he is now being lined up for a potential move to West Ham. According to a report from Firenze Viola, via Sport Witness, the Hammers are considering a potential bid to take the player to the Premier League, with the club seeing him as a replacement for Scamacca. No official bid has yet been made but it seems as though he is now firmly on their radar.

No fee has been mentioned either, but CIES Football Observatory suggest that his value could be around 5 million Euros (or £4.2m). It's a miniscule fee for a player who could potentially bag plenty of goals with the club.

When does Joel Pohjanpalo's contract expire?

The forward, having only just agreed to join Venezia, has a relatively short contract that runs until 2025. However, if West Ham make a move, then it could be a very short-lived stay in Italy for the player.

He's certainly a talented player according to numerous sources too, with football journalist Josh Bunting for example stating that the attacker is "perfect" for his national side, Finland, in terms of being clinical in the box and his ability to hold the ball up too.

Considering what the potential fee may be and his goals record when given regular minutes, it could be a real bargain for the Hammers if they do opt to make a bid for Pohjanpalo.

An 11th-place finish marked a better-than-expected conclusion to the 2022/23 Premier League season for Crystal Palace, but seeing fierce rivals Brighton and Hove Albion finish in a European spot would have been particularly tough to take.

With a rebuilding job of sorts ahead at Selhurst Park, whoever the manager may be, supporters could do with a signing or two to distract themselves from their foes' impending adventures across the continent.

In rumoured target Lewis Hall, who has made the breakthrough at Chelsea, Palace could land themselves a player not just for the future but very much for the present day.

Who is Lewis Hall?

After impressing for Chelsea at U18 and U21 level, Hall made his senior debut in January last year when becoming the youngest player to start an FA Cup tie for the Blues.

Hall marked that milestone against Chesterfield in the third round with an assist and earned praise from team-mate Callum Hudson-Odoi for his "amazing" ability and confidence on the ball.

The England U19 international – on a mere £7k-per-week at Stamford Bridge, as per Capology – made his Premier League bow in November in a 1-0 loss to Newcastle United and went on to make a further eight top-flight appearances.

Hall truly broke into the team under Graham Potter and stayed there under Frank Lampard, but Mauricio Pochettino's appointment – and possibly yet more new defensive arrivals – could see the youngster moved on, albeit likely on an initial loan basis.

The Daily Mail reports that Palace are keeping an eye on Hall's situation with a view to making a loan move for the 18-year-old, who was last month named Chelsea's Academy Player of the Season.

What can Lewis Hall provide Crystal Palace?

The comparison may not go down well with the Palace faithful, but there are plenty of similarities between Hall and Brighton favourite Pervis Estupinan.

Ecuador international Estupinan more than played his part in Brighton's sixth-place finish, chipping in with five assists from the back – only Kieran Trippier (seven), Andy Robertson (eight) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (nine) set up more among those used predominantly in defence.

Hall may not have played as often as Seagulls defender last season, but there were still similarities between the two in terms of their playing style. Both completed around the same number of passes per game (47 compared to 53 respectively, with a success rate of 80% and 82%), while they averaged 73 and 74 touches of the ball per 90 minutes.

Those similarities translate to the defensive aspect of the game, with Hall averaging 1.51 clearances per game to Estupinan's 1.25, while there was very little between them in terms of aerial duels won (58% and 56%).

It is surely their attacking nature, however, that draws the most parallels with the Chelsea youngster registering five assists at youth level last term, a marker of his dangerous offensive qualities.

It may well be that Hall has shown enough promise to at the very least earn a squad place under Pochettino next season, but should he indeed be made available for loan, Palace should ensure they are waiting at the front of the queue.

West Ham United have made contact with Bayer Leverkusen over signing their mainstay defender Jonathan Tah, according to Sky Sports.

Who could West Ham sign this summer?

The Hammers managed to avoid Premier League relegation fairly comfortably at the end of last campaign, despite undergoing a real scare midway through the season, with reports even suggesting David Moyes was hanging on by a thread.

However, West Ham's 2022/2023 finish was a solid one, and now the Irons board is tasked with backing Moyes in the transfer market as major clubs circle for star player Declan Rice.

The England international's future will be a major talking point after their Europa Conference League final this evening, and if West Ham opt to sell, Rice's price tag could gift them with a financial windfall to source his replacement.

Moyes is set to stay at West Ham, according to reports, and he apparently has his eyes on a number of potential successors for Rice – including Southampton's James Ward-Prowse, Chelsea's Conor Gallagher and Manchester United's Scott McTominay.

West Ham could also strengthen in defence with Leverkusen defender Tah, who has caps for the German national team, being repeatedly linked with a move to east London.

Sky Sports, sharing news on their live blog (June 5, 17:40), claimed they've made an approach to sign him in the form of an inquiry.

"According to Sky information, several inquiries about Tah have already come in from the island , including from West Ham United," claim the broadcast giant. "Bayer Leverkusen and coach Xabi Alonso definitely want to keep the 27-year-old, but since Tah has a release clause of 18 million euros (£15m), which is relatively low for the level of performance, the competition is very interested."

Who is Jonathan Tah?

The centre-back has been a pivotal figure under Xavi Alonso and was recently voted into the Europa League's Team of the Season.

Tah has also been a mainstay at Bundesliga level – making 33 league appearances last campaign whilst featuring over Leverkusen's fifth-highest number of league minutes (WhoScored).

The 6 foot 4 powerhouse boasts solid defensive stats from 22/23, averaging more clearances per 90 than any other Leverkusen player.

Tah also ranks third in Alonso's squad for interceptions per match, and according to WhoScored, he stands out as a very good ball-playing central defender.

Indeed, he has managed a higher pass accuracy (89.1%) than any of his Leverkusen teammates, perhaps emphasizing why West Ham are keen on his signing this summer.

Kevin de Bruyne’s stunning four-goal performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers a few weeks ago got us thinking. Who else is part of the exclusive club in which the Belgian has just cemented himself into? Can the club even be classed as exclusive? We wanted to find out.

In total, 27 players have done it in a Premier League game, with seven of those names even doing it twice and some even scoring more than four. The first time can be classed as a good day at the office. The second, however, should leave people in awe of what is a never-ending goal scoring machine.

Some names may surprise a few, whilst others should ignite memories of the past. I mean, who could forget Andrey Arshavin’s famous four at Anfield in a stunning 4-4 draw against Liverpool in April of 2009?

So, here’s the full list of all the players to have scored four or more goals in a Premier League game….

Every player to score 4 or more goals in a Premier League match…

Efan Ekoku – Everton 1-5 Norwich City 1993/94

Robbie Fowler (x2) – Liverpool 5-2 Bolton Wanderers; 1995/96, Liverpool 5-1 Middlesbrough, 1996/97

Gianluca Vialli – Chelsea 6-0 Barnsley, 1997/98

Jurgen Klinsmann – Tottenham Hotspur 6-2 Wimbledon, 1997/98

Michael Owen (x2) – Liverpool 5-1 Nottingham Forest, 1998/99; Liverpool 6-0 West Bromwich Albion, 2002/03

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (2x) – Manchester United 8-1 Nottingham Forest, 1998/99; Manchester United 5-1 Everton, 1999/00

Andy Cole (x2) – Manchester United 9-0 Ipswich (5 goals), 1994/95; Manchester United 5-1 Newcastle United, 1999/00

Alan Shearer (5 goals) – Newcastle United 8-0 Sheffield Wednesday, 1990/00

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – Chelsea 6-1 Coventry, 2000/01

Mark Viduka – Leeds United 4-3 Liverpool, 2000/01

Thierry Henry – Arsenal 5-0 Leeds United, 2003/04

Yakubu (x2) – Portsmouth 5-1 Middlesbrough, 2003/04; Blackburn Rovers 4-2 Swansea City, 2011/12

Dimitar Berbatov (5 goals) – Manchester United 7-1 Blackburn Rovers 2010/11; Tottenham 6-4 Reading, 2007/08

Frank Lampard (2x) – Chelsea 6-1 Derby County, 2007/08; Chelsea 7-1 Aston Villa, 2010/11

Andrey Arshavin – Arsenal 4-4 Liverpool, 2008/09

Robbie Keane – Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 Burnley, 2009/10

Jermain Defoe (5 goals) – Tottenham Hotspur 9-1 Wigan Athletic, 2009/10

Edin Džeko – Manchester City 5-1 Tottenham Hotspur, 2011/12

Wayne Rooney – Manchester United 4-0 Hull City, 2009/10

Louis Saha – Everton 5-3 Blackburn Rovers, 2010/11

Luis Suarez – Liverpool 5-1 Norwich City, 2013/14

Sergio Aguero (3x) – Manchester City 4-1 Tottenham Hotspur, 2014/15; Manchester City 6-1 Newcastle United (5 goals), 2015/16; Manchester City 5-1 Leicester City, 2017/18

Georginio Wijnaldum – Newcastle United 6-2 Norwich City, 2015/16

Romelu Lukaku – Everton 6-3 Bournemouth, 2016/17

Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur 6-1 Leicester City, 2016/17

Mohamed Salah – Liverpool 5-1 Watford, 2017/18

Michail Antonio – West Ham 4-0 Norwich City, 2019/20

Heung-min Son – Tottenham Hotspur 5-2 Southampton, 2020/21

Gabriel Jesus – Manchester City 5-1 Watford, 2021/22

Kevin de Bruyne – Wolves 1-5 Manchester City, 2021/22

Interestingly enough, there has only been six seasons, in which a player hasn’t managed to score four or more goals at least once in a Premier League game, with this achievement ticked off the top flight bingo list in eight of the last nine seasons.

Who do you think will be next to join the plus four-goal club in the Premier League? Our money is on Erling Haaland…

Liverpool are expected to pip Leeds United to the signing of Aberdeen youngster Calvin Ramsay, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Ramsay heading to England

The 18-year-old has emerged as one of the Scottish Premiership’s brightest young players in the last 12 months or so, shining with his performances for the Dons.

Ramsay made a total of 33 appearances for the first team this season and has not looked out of place at right-back, with chairman Dave Cormack describing him as an ‘elite’ level talent.

The teenager has been linked with a move to Liverpool a number of times and a fresh update has now acted as a further boost.

The Latest: Liverpool favourites for move

Writing for The Athletic, Leeds journalist Hay claimed that the ‘high likelihood’ is that the Reds will pip the Whites to Ramsay’s signature this summer.

He has made 39 appearances for Aberdeen in total, scoring once and registering an impressive nine assists.

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The Verdict: Great long-term prospect

Bringing in emerging talent is vital for Liverpool in the coming years, allowing Jurgen Klopp to build another great squad and ensure that the team doesn’t all go past their primes at once.

Ramsay fits the bill to perfection and he could come in as an ideal understudy to Trent Alexander-Arnold, learning from arguably the world’s best right-back.

It would also mean Liverpool would be able to offload Neco Williams permanently, bringing in more funds for new signings in the summer window.

In other news, a fresh Liverpool transfer rumour has emerged. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Moussa Dembele to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici has now added the Olympique Lyonnais centre-forward to his list of transfer targets, with the Ligue 1 side expected to demand a figure of around €25m (£21m) in order to sanction the 25-year-old’s sale this summer.

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The report goes on to state that Manchester United and Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the former France U21 international ahead of a potential move of their own, while the striker himself is believed to be open to a move away from the Groupama Stadium.

“Perfect” for Conte

Considering just how impressive Dembele was in France this season, in addition to the fact that a backup for Harry Kane is reported to be one of Antonio Conte’s priority targets in the summer transfer window, it is not difficult to see why Paratici would be interested in a deal to bring the Frenchman to north London in the coming months.

Indeed, over his 30 Ligue 1 appearances this term, the £15.3m-rated centre-forward was in blistering form for Lyon, scoring 21 goals, registering four assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.9 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £51k-per-week talent who Rich Fay dubbed both “perfect” and “deadly” average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Peter Bosz’s seventh-best performer in the French top flight.

Furthermore, Dembele’s performances saw him earn a considerable amount of praise, none more so than from Jean-Pierre Papin, who stated of the former Paris Saint-Germain starlet:

“I really like this style of centre-forward. When you have a beast like Dembele in front, you have to play for him, which was not done enough during the first part of the season. He is good in the head, powerful, he has all the panoply of a modern striker and his chance to goal ratio is better than in previous seasons, he is more influential for his team.”

As such, considering his undoubted ability in front of goal and extremely reasonable asking price, it would indeed appear as if the striker would be the perfect addition to Conte’s current attacking options at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leading us to believe that Paratici must do all he can to beat Arsenal and United to the signing of Dembele this summer.

AND in other news: Paratici could unearth the next £100m talent as Spurs now eye “unbelievable” signing

Sunderland winger Lynden Gooch has been discussing his future at the club following the Black Cat’s play-off final success over Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday. 

The lowdown: Mr Versatile

Having started out as predominantly a right-winger with capabilities of playing on the opposite flank, Gooch has been transformed over time into the ultimate utility man.

This season, the 26-year-old USA international has featured on both wings in each of a wing forward, wide midfield and full-back capacity.

After playing 90 minutes as a right-sided full-back in the 2-0 play-off final victory at Wembley, Gooch has addressed his next move as his contract at the Stadium of Light nears its conclusion…

The latest: Gooch unsure of Sunderland future

Speaking after the match, as quoted by The Northern Echo, the four-cap American admitted to being unsure as to where his future may lie.

Gooch said: “I don’t know where I’m going to be next season so we’re going to have to wait and see. If this is my last game for Sunderland then there is not a better way to go out.

“I’ve got a meeting with him (Alex Neil) on Tuesday and we’ll see what happens. It is what it is. I’ve give everything for the club in my ten years as a pro. We’ll see what happens. If it’s my last game then happy days, I can go out on a high. If not, then I’ll continue to represent the club as best I can.

“This is my fourth time here with Sunderland playing here and it is a difficult occasion. I was trying to help the young lads as best I can. It’s not easy, it’s Wembley. It’s amazing being on the winning side. I know what it’s like being on the losing side. It’s an amazing feeling for sure.”

The verdict: Sunderland should keep him

Signed in 2012 from Santa Cruz Breakers, Gooch broke into the first team at Sunderland in 2016/17 and has since represented the club in the Premier League, Championship and League One.

A superb servant at the Stadium of Light, the American was recently praised by ex-Sunderland striker Stephen Elliott for a ‘terrific’ display against Cambridge United, during which the 26-year-old provided one assist and made seven key passes in an 8.1-rated performance from Sofascore.

Overall this season, Gooch provided six assists in 45 appearances, and he is likely to remain an integral part of Alex Neil’s plans should the club and player come to an agreement regarding a new deal. Given how much he has contributed on Wearside, hopefully the Black Cats can persuade him to stay for another while yet.

In other news, James Copley was left stunned by this development ahead of the play-off final

Liverpool will announce the signing of exciting Fulham youngster Fabio Carvalho very soon, according to a Reds source at Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Carvalho off to Anfield

The 19-year-old has enjoyed a fantastic season for the Cottagers, helping them return to the Premier League after scoring ten goals in the Championship.

Carvalho’s performances alerted Liverpool and a deal to bring him to Anfield has been reportedly very close for weeks now, as he is set to trade London for Merseyside after the Craven Cottage outfit’s owner, Tony Khan, seemed to confirm the move.

It now appears to be a matter of time before the young attacking midfielder is officially announced as a Reds player, perhaps even before the FA Cup final on Saturday.

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The Latest: Announcement imminent

According to Football Insider, in a report published early on Friday morning, a Liverpool source confirmed that Carvalho’s move will be announced ‘imminently’ and ‘within days’.

This implies it could even be before Saturday’s clash with Chelsea, given it kicks off nearly 48 hours after that news.

A ‘total agreement’ with the teenager has been reached, including a ‘compensation fee’ with Fulham.

The initial fee will be £5million, on top of add-ons eventually totalling £2.7million.

The Verdict: Fantastic long-term signing

Carvalho looks like a special prospect in the mould of former Fulham colleague Harvey Elliot – he has been described as ‘fantastic’ by manager Marco Silva – acting as a hugely exciting long-term signing for Liverpool.

It is imperative that the Reds add younger legs in midfield this summer, with several players in that area of the pitch now in their 30s, so this is a signing that makes complete sense.

The hope is that Liverpool-linked Monaco star Aurelien Tchouameni also makes the move to Anfield, as Jurgen Klopp slowly builds a formidable midfield for the future.

In other news, there has reportedly been a ‘major development’ at Liverpool. Read more here.

West Ham could finally unearth another talent like Dimitri Payet if a move for a former Premier League player materialises.

The news of recent reports linking West Ham to former Real Madrid man James Rodriguez will surely excite many Hammers fans as they aim to finally get a player who can dazzle like Payet once did.

Although the mercurial Frenchman was only at West Ham for 18 months, he was a fan favourite and gathered plenty of praise for his abilities, with former teammate Winston Reid describing him as a “special player” and you would be hard-pressed to find someone who would argue against that.

The truth is, the team hasn’t had a player like him since Payet departed in rather acrimonious circumstances and left a sour taste in the West Ham faithful.

GSB’s apparent pursuit of Rodriguez in that regard makes a lot of sense, especially when you consider the fact that he is still only 30 years of age and clearly still has too much talent to be fading away into anonymity.

The Colombian earns £200k-per-week at Al-Rayyan SC and even though journalist Pete O’Rourke labelled him a “luxury”, he also believes that Rodriguez wouldn’t be the right fit to “buy into Moyes ethos” and that’s a fair comment.

However, when you consider his stats when he was playing at Everton under Carlo Ancelotti, he scored six goals and notched nine assists in just 26 matches across all competitions.

On his day, the player can be one of the finest in Europe and with West Ham relying too much on goals from their wingers, with Said Benrahma (11) and Jarrod Bowen (16) making heavy contributions, then it’s fair to say Moyes needs someone to come in and take the burden off them.

With Rodriguez’s market value currently sitting at £13.5m, whoever gets the chance to secure his services will surely be getting a bargain.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Said: West Ham set to move for 22 y/o “hurricane”, he won’t cost a penny…

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly now looking to secure a bumper new deal for Alex Lowry as early as next week.

The Lowdown: Offer rejected

Lowry actually rejected an initial contract offer from the Ibrox faithful back in February, as his current deal expires in 2023.

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It has been reported that Premier League clubs Newcastle United and Manchester City are interested in signing Lowry in the summer, should contract talks continue to stall, but recent news has been more positive, with Alan Hutton delighted to hear Lowry could now stay put.

The Latest: Breakthrough

As per The Scottish Sun, there seems to have been a breakthrough in talks, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team are now hoping to tie Lowry down to a new deal next week.

More discussions have been pencilled in with his representatives, as the club are desperate to keep him and fend off interest from the English top flight.

However, Lowry and his camp would prefer to wait until later in the month before making their final decision.

The Verdict: More good news

After reaching the UEFA Europa League final with a 3-1 win at home to RB Leipzig on Thursday night, it seems as if more good news has emerged with regards to Lowry’s contract.

A player who has made four senior appearances for the Teddy Bears this season at just 18 years of age, Lowry is highly thought of at the club, as former boss Graeme Murty even went as far as to call him ‘remarkable‘.

Nonetheless, it is important that the Light Blues keep their young talents as they look to build for the future, hopefully adding a Europa League trophy to their legacy.

In other news, find out which ‘absolute legend’ Andrew Dickson hailed against Leipzig here!