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West Ham United have fallen well below expectations this season after such good work across the previous two years under David Moyes, and they failed to utilise the January transfer window as well as they possibly could have.

Languishing near the bottom of the Premier League table – West Ham have just 18 points from 20 matches this term and are one point above the relegation zone – they are in real danger of scraping for survival as the season enters its latter stages, despite back-to-back European qualifications and signing the likes of Lucas Paqueta (£51m) and Gianluca Scamacca (£35.5m) last summer.

Despite clinching Danny Ings for £15m from Aston Villa, and Brazilian youngster Luizao for an undisclosed fee, last month, there is a sense that the Hammers did not revitalise the squad to the best of their ability. That is especially the case given recent injuries to the aforementioned Ings and Scamacca, with winger Maxwel Cornet also sidelined.

With this in mind, signing former Irons ace Andre Ayew at the end of the January transfer market might have been a prudent move for the club, with 90min stating that the veteran forward arrived in England after the conclusion of deadline day. As a free agent, Ayew was not bound to the constraints of the transfer window and was duly able to discuss a move with several Premier League clubs.

In the end, West Ham were rejected and the 33-year-old chose to join the expansive ranks at Nottingham Forest, with the Reds now bolstered further across their attack after recently hitting a timely purple patch.

During his previous spell with West Ham, after he signed from Swansea City in 2016 for a then-club record £20.5m, the Ghanaian dynamo only managed 12 goals and five assists from 50 appearances. His two years in claret and blue were largely hampered by injuries and he was unable to make the emphatic effect for which he would have been hoping.

However, his versatility and experience could indeed have been invaluable as West Ham attempt to rekindle their cohesion and fluidity, and he could have been the “game changer” – as once heralded by former Irons boss Slaven Bilic – to turn the tide in east London.

Also, given West Ham’s inclusion in the Europa Conference League – in which they return to action in the round of 16 next month after winning their group – adding him as an extra option up front would have been the perfect remedy to continue battling across multiple fronts, perhaps salvaging a slice of prosperity from a hitherto frustrating season at the London Stadium.

While landing a 33-year-old Ayew would not have been the glitziest signing for a team competing in Europe, he is an accomplished and experienced professional with Premier League experience (89 games), and as a former Irons player he might well have taken to life back in east London like a duck to water.

As it is, the 113-cap Ghanaian will instead aid Forest in their own pursuit of maintaining top-flight status, and having dropped the ball on this possible free signing, Moyes will have to make do with the options who were already at his disposal.

Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher will have ‘concerns’ over his Premier League playing time at Stamford Bridge.

The Lowdown: Gallagher shines on loan…

The Englishman dazzled on loan at Crystal Palace over the course of last season under Patrick Vieira, leading to summer interest from various top flight clubs.

Gallagher ranked as Palace’s best-performing player by average match rating at Selhurst Park, according to WhoScored, but he has since struggled to replicate that form under Graham Potter this season.

Over his 18 league appearances for Chelsea, the youngster has one goal and one assist to his name, and the influx of January signings could limit his game time.

The Latest: O’Rourke makes Gallagher claim…

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke claims Gallagher will have ‘concerns’ over his minutes at Chelsea after a very active transfer window.

He explained:

“I’m sure Conor Gallagher will have concerns.

“Any player at a club seeing your team sign players in your position, it’s definitely going to be a concern for you.”

The Verdict: Great player…

His stellar season at Palace last year shows there is certainly a great attacking player there, even if he hasn’t turned it on quite to that level at Chelsea over 2022/2023.

The 22-year-old still has many years ahead in what we’re sure will be a promising career, but depending on developments, perhaps the club could consider letting him go out on loan again this summer.

The likes of Aston Villa,  West Ham and Newcastle displayed an interest at various points over the last six months and a move to teams of that ilk could hugely benefit Gallagher’s progression.

Perhaps even a return to Palace would bare fruit given Vieira’s wonderful relationship with Gallagher.

The Frenchman even called Gallagher a ‘really special’ player last season and such praise from a Premier League legend indicates that he is destined to remain at a top level.

Phil Hay has insisted that new assistant coach Chris Armas’ future is very unclear at Leeds United following Jesse Marsch’s sacking.

The Lowdown: Leeds are in a mess

It has been nothing short of a disastrous season thus far for Leeds, who handed Marsch a huge transfer budget over two windows only for him to win four league games all season and end up 17th in the league upon his dismissal.

Therefore, they now find themselves without a manager in a week where they have two Premier League games in quick succession against bitter rivals Manchester United.

Marsch’s sacking isn’t the only thing that has been spoken about at Leeds recently, but also the future of his assistant Armas, who was brought to Elland Road less than two weeks ago to help the manager get a tune out of his team.

The Latest: Armas’ future unclear

While all the focus has been on who Marsch’s successor will be, Hay afforded some time on The Phil Hay Show to speak about the unfortunate situation Armas now finds himself in.

He said: “Funnily enough, this morning [Monday], I was writing a piece about Armas which will run at some point – he’s still there at the moment.

“A lot of the staff have left Leeds; Rene Maric among them – the other assistant who Marsch brought in last summer. Armas is still there for now, but I think it remains to be seen whether or not he sticks around too much longer.

“He’s been in the building for all of about 10 days, and I was putting together a piece on this bizarre scenario where it looks as if there’s a likelihood that he will be out the door before he’s really had much chance to say anything other than hello.”

The Verdict: Orta must clear out the coaching staff

If Victor Orta is serious about bringing in a new era to Elland Road and wants to have new ideas implemented on the squad, given that the current backroom team aren’t achieving any sort of success, surely anyone Marsch brought in has to be let go.

While handing someone their P45 less than two weeks into a job would seem harsh, it would not make sense to force Armas upon any new manager as they will likely wish to bring in their own staff.

Leeds just need a manager to come in that will start on a fresh slate with all the players and not have any preconceptions of what they are like – something that Armas may well have from his limited time at the club working under Marsch.

Leeds United have looked at managers with Premier League experience but still haven’t managed to identify Jesse Marsch’s long-term successor, according to Beren Cross.

The Lowdown: Skubala to continue

Michael Skubala, Chris Armas and Paco Gallardo have been in caretaker charge at Elland Road, with the trio taking both fixtures against Manchester United last week.

The club have confirmed that Skubala and co will continue to lead the first team for the club’s upcoming fixtures, starting this weekend with a trip to Everton. Leeds’ search for a new manager is into its 10th day and there still hasn’t been a breakthrough.

The Latest: Cross’ comments

Cross ran a Q&A for LeedsLive on Wednesday, where he was asked why are no Premier League experienced managers being considered for the job. The Leeds reporter replied, saying some actually have been identified, but he named a number of reasons why such a move hasn’t materialised.

“I am led to believe managers with experience of the league have been under consideration, they just evidently either aren’t available, don’t play with the right tactics, are asking for too much money or the wrong kind of contract, or simply don’t want to come.”

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The Verdict: Bad to worse

Reports have suggested that Raul, Carlos Corberan, Andoni Iraola, Arne Slot and Marcelo Gallardo have all turned Leeds down, so knowing that Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises have also looked at Premier League experienced managers without any luck isn’t ideal.

The likes of Steven Gerrard and Nuno Espirito Santo have both been linked, and it seems as if the club’s search for a manager is going from bad to worse, which could explain the reason for their confirmation on Skubala.

Should results not go to plan against Everton or Southampton under Skubala, though, Leeds may have to force through a move for an experienced interim coach, as the club’s Premier League status could be hanging by a thread.

Crystal Palace will once again be without Wilfried Zaha for this afternoon’s trip to Brentford, Matt Woosnam reports.

The Lowdown: Hope earlier in the week

Zaha has missed Palace’s last two Premier League games with a hamstring injury but was pictured back out on the grass earlier in the week.

The Evening Standard’s Dom Smith described it as a key boost and said the forward could be in contention to return this weekend. However, it looks as if that won’t be the case, which is a blow for the Eagles.

The Latest: Woosnam’s post

Woosnam took to Twitter to share news from Patrick Vieira’s pre-Brentford press conference on Friday.

He relayed the update on Zaha, claiming he will be unavailable against Thomas Frank’s side, with Ben Dinnery adding that Vieira has suggested he could still be a couple of weeks away.

The Verdict: Bad news

The Eagles are still without a Premier League win in 2023, so knowing that Zaha is out of action for a little longer isn’t ideal. Described as ‘absolutely outstanding’ by Ally McCoist, Zaha has scored more goals than any Palace player and has been key in the final third by also topping the dribbling charts at Selhurst Park, as per WhoScored.

Jeffrey Schlupp has filled in for Zaha on the left-hand side, scoring his first goal of the season against Manchester United, so Vieira could once again turn to the versatile Ghanaian with his star forward still out.

Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is likely to leave the club during the summer, according to former top flight striker Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Mini-resurgence for Wan-Bissaka

At one point earlier in the season, the 25-year-old had completely lost his place in the team to Diogo Dalot, but an injury to the latter has afforded him more playing time.

Wan-Bissaka has made 17 appearances for United since the 2022 World Cup, nine of which have been a full 90 minutes, and he produced an impressive second-half performance in Sunday’s EFL Cup final win over Newcastle United.

Despite this, the defender has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford in recent times, with his current contract expiring at the end of next season.

The Latest: Ten Hag not a fan?

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie backed Wan-Bissaka to depart United during the summer transfer window, claiming Erik ten Hag’s preference for Dalot may be a contributing factor:

“I think so. I think the fans are not happy with him. He has not set the heather alight, he comes in and has been lethargic.

“I think he can do better than what he has been doing. Whether that is something to do with the manager not believing in him I do not know.

“There is going to be movement. There are a few of them that are going to move on and it is time for a change. Ten Hag has got them all interested in Man United again.”

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The Verdict: Time to move on?

Wan-Bissaka deserves undoubted praise for his improved form and show of character this season, averaging 1.9 tackles and 1.7 clearances per game in the Premier League.

That being said, United have to be ruthless with him and move him on this summer, with the three-time capped former England Under-21 international still not effective enough in an attacking sense moving forward.

Wan-Bissaka is a good player – he has been called ‘massively important’ by Marcus Rashford – but he is also limited in too many aspects of his game and Ten Hag needs to bring in a superior rival to Dalot, having only registered 11 assists in 144 appearances for the Red Devils.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford won’t be signing a new deal for anything under £200,000 per week, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Rashford on fire

The 25-year-old has surely been the Red Devils’ standout player this season, scoring 24 goals in all competitions and also chipping in with six assists.

Rashford has overcome a real slump to find the best form of his career to date and the hope is that he remains a United player for many more years to come.

His current deal expires next year but the hope is that an extension is agreed in the near future.

The Latest: Contract update emerges

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that Rashford now won’t accept anything under £200,000 a week, given his form:

“I’ve been told all along that Rashford isn’t going to be signing for United for under £200,000-a-week; that’s not realistic right now.

“So, he’s going to be above and beyond that criteria, and I think that if your Man United right now, you’re just trying to move forward with it and get him to sign his future up to you.”

The Verdict: Understandable demand

Considering what a vital player Rashford has become for United, this is a fairly understandable demand, especially since he is already on £200,00o per week and would expect a pay rise.

The 51-time capped England international is someone who could mature into one of the best attacking players in the world, having been lauded as ‘unstoppable’ by Paul Scholes.

The hope is that this is just the start of Rashford’s peak years and that he can maintain this level – if he can, he could be the individual who spearheads the Erik ten Hag revolution and inspires United to trophy-winning success.

It would now be a huge shock if he didn’t sign a new contract at Old Trafford, with the forward looking so settled and clearly being adored by supporters.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that touted Manchester United transfer target Kim Min-jae could leave this summer due to his release clause but will likely decide his future in March or April.

What’s the latest on Kim Min-jae and the Man Utd links?

While the Red Devils are enjoying a spell of great form at the moment, lifting the Carabao Cup last weekend to end a six-year trophy drought, the club will no doubt be planning for the future.

And so, even though the summer transfer window is months away from opening, they will likely already be planning their moves to help bolster Erik ten Hag’s squad.

One player they may want is Napoli defender Kim. After all, he reportedly could be available this summer at a cut-price amid links to the Red Devils.

Speaking on The United Stand, Romano explained the current situation (15:15): “At the moment, Napoli are still pushing, offering him a new deal, but at the moment it’s not agreed yet.

“So it’s not an easy situation. Napoli are really trying and trying to convince the player. Let’s see how the conversation will continue.

“But I’m also sure that many top clubs are already approaching his agent, because they know that this is a very big, big possibility.

“I think this is a fantastic centre-back. probably worth 70-75 million euros and available for bit less than €50m. So imagine what kind of opportunity is on the market.

“But let’s see what the player will decide. I think March and April will be crucial months to understand if he’s going to extend the contract and remove the release clause, or if he’s going to be available on the market for two weeks for 50 million euros. And this is a very big opportunity.”

What does the Kim Min-jae release clause mean for Man Utd?

According to Corriere dello Sport in Italy (via Goal), The Napoli star’s £42m release clause will become active for a 15-day period this summer.

However, as Romano explains, Kim’s current team are understandably desperate to get him to sign a new deal to stop him from leaving at such a low price.

Seeing as he has started 23 of a possible 24 Serie A games this term, losing just once in that period, it’s not hard to see why the centre-back is wanted by Man Utd.

After all, if he does end up in England next season, he will almost certainly arrive having just won a league title in Italy. And so, seeing as there is a “big possibility” he could go on the cheap this summer, United will no doubt be monitoring his contractual moves very carefully over the coming months.

Presenter and YouTuber Steve Wraith has mooted a possible transfer for James Ward-Prowse as Newcastle United may have missed out on James Maddison.

What’s the word on James Ward-Prowse to Newcastle?

Maddison has long been a target for the Magpies and a bid reported to be in the region of £50m even went in for him last summer.

However, it wasn’t accepted then and the winter window has been and passed and still Maddison remains where he is. Judging from their past interest, though, Newcastle may well still be keen on landing that sort of player.

Perhaps then, if they can’t land that target, they may look to move for Southampton captain Ward-Prowse instead. While speaking on NUFC Matters, the host certainly seemed to think it would be a good idea.

Indeed, Wraith said: “James Ward-Prowse, he’s a talented, talented guy. It’s another one which could cost big bucks, but another one I’d like to see.

“James Maddison, maybe that ship has sailed. Two windows have gone and we’ve been linked with him but no movement whatsoever.”

Should Newcastle sign Maddison or Ward-Prowse?

There was actually talk that Eddie Howe and co would try and plot a move for Ward-Prowse this January, and while a move never occurred, that may suggest the midfielder is on the club’s radar.

Seeing as both the Saints’ man and Maddison are both England international midfielders in their 20s, who are exceptional at set-pieces, it’s not hard to see why they are comparable targets.

With 17 Premier League free-kick goals to his name, Ward-Prowse is just one shy of David Beckham’s record. Maddison, however, has eight in the top flight, and with 15 across the span of his career, he’s pretty handy from dead-ball situations, too.

Still, the Southampton captain previously had a £75m price tag on his head so he won’t come cheap if Newcastle really do want a transfer this summer.

Journalist Steve Bates believes striker Wout Weghorst is simply ‘not a Manchester United player’, following the 0-0 draw at home to Southampton.

The Lowdown: United held at home

The Red Devils hosted Saints in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, as they looked to bounce back from last weekend’s 7-0 thrashing by Liverpool.

It proved to be a frustrating day for United, however, as they were held by their relegation-threatened opponents, not helped by Casemiro’s first-half red card.

Weghorst again led the line for Erik ten Hag’s side but he was unable to have a major say on proceedings, as his influence continues to flatter to deceive.

The Latest: Criticism for Weghorst

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Bates brutally admitted that the Dutchman simply isn’t up to the level required for United currently, following the Liverpool and Southampton games:

“I think Weghorst looked exactly what he is at times at Manchester United – and that’s not a Manchester United player, if I’m being honest.

“Collectively, it was just a horror show and I’m sure ten Hag ruminated on what he saw. But maybe he will give those players another chance.”

The Verdict: Needs to go this summer

Weghorst’s attitude at United cannot be questioned and he appears to be a popular figure – his teammates were delighted for him when he scored against Real Betis last week – but he is not good enough to be starting regular games for them.

The 19-cap Netherlands international has failed to score in his eight Premier League appearances for the Reds and he is too one-dimensional because of his lack of legs, blunting the attack at times.

Weghorst was only signed until the end of the season, and while the option is there for Ten Hag to extend his stay, it makes complete sense not to retain his services, despite being hailed for his ‘great personality and character’ by his manager recently.