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Paulo Fonseca has been listed as a possible successor to David Moyes at West Ham United should the Scotsman depart this summer.

What’s the latest on Paulo Fonseca to West Ham?

According to The Sun, the Portuguese, who is currently at Ligue 1 club Lille, is “interested” in the position and the Hammers' hierarchy has “identified” him as a potential replacement for Moyes.

This outlet has also revealed that the 50-year-old is open to leaving France this summer should he not receive assurances over available transfer funds, and considering the Irons’ lavish spending last summer, they could represent an attractive prospect.

The report also names the recently sacked duo of Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers, as well as Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, as other alternatives.

Fonseca previously came close to joining the east London outfit in 2018, but the club eventually opted for Manuel Pellegrini.

Moyes’ job hangs perilously in the balance as the club were only four points above the relegation zone heading into the weekend, though they find themselves in a European semi-final, so it could either be a hugely successful campaign or a complete travesty.

What would Paulo Fonseca bring to West Ham?

Lille are currently fifth in French domestic standings, while Fonseca has been widely praised for his attractive, free-flowing style of play.

Indeed, sections of the media have waxed lyrical over the style of his “delightful football”, which has alerted West Ham to his obvious managerial talent.

In stark contrast, Moyes has been questioned for his defensive tendencies, and after a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the season, club captain Declan Rice questioned his tactical acumen.

He said: “Sometimes when you play with a five at the back and a three like we set up today, maybe our strikers felt a bit isolated when we got the ball up them. They didn’t really have much around them, not enough support.”

Meanwhile, Fonseca rose to prominence after securing three consecutive league and cup doubles with Shakhtar Donetsk, deploying a 4-2-3-1 formation that dominated possession. He also made it to the Champions League knockout stages during this period.

He then took a job at Roma and displayed his tactical adaptability and ingenuity by switching to a 3-4-3 setup, reaching the Europa League semi-finals in his second season. He feels a change of shape doesn’t detract from his inherently attacking philosophy as his Lille side has netted 60 goals in 33 outings.

The Hammers are in a peculiar position of potentially winning a trophy while facing an outside chance of relegation. They are only four points above the drop zone, but if Moyes can win the Europa Conference League, he can secure the Irons their first trophy since 1980 and European football for a third year running.

However, despite the tremendous job he has done, there has been a severe decline in the consistency of his team, and it appears a change is needed to reinvigorate this underperforming squad.

Aston Villa’s resurgence under Unai Emery has been nothing short of remarkable. Since the Spaniard took over before the World Cup last year, the club have vaulted into the top half of the Premier League table and have serious ambitions of European football ahead of next season.

Under Steven Gerrard, the Midlands side looked as though they would be fighting a relegation battle this term, but the appointment of Emery has been a stroke of genius and he has managed to get a few players back to their best.

Tyrone Mings has been someone who has improved since the World Cup, managing to grab a couple of assists while looking a lot more composed at the heart of the defence and this has been a big factor in Villa’s recent run.

Another player who has been transformed is Oliie Watkins.

The striker, who cost £28m in 2020 under Dean Smith, has been spectacular under the 51-year-old, scoring 11 goals since December alone, turning into one of the most inform strikers in the division, and he is also reportedly close to signing a new contract which would surely see his value soar.

How much is Ollie Watkins worth now?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke recently spoke to Football FanCast regarding the striker and how Villa have now valued him at £70m, saying:

“He’s doing it on a consistent regular basis for Aston Villa right now and probably his price tag is looking at around the £70m mark, at least, for Ollie Watkins.

"They are in talks over a new contract with him and I’m pretty sure they’re hopeful that they can get that sorted out because he is becoming a key man under Unai Emery.”

Watkins has chipped in with five assists too and the 5 foot 10 machine has also created two big chances, made 0.8 key passes per game and has taken 2.3 shots each match, suggesting his game is more than just scoring.

Pundit Trevor Sinclair previously lauded the player as being “lethal” and he is certainly justifying that praise this term with his scoring habits pushing Villa towards an unlikely European spot.

Smith certainly hit the jackpot over the player back in 2020, even though £28m at the time raised a few eyebrows.

With the news surrounding a potentially improved contract and the fact O’Rourke is claiming the hitman could be valued at around £70m, it has definitely been a wonderful piece of business by the club.

Newcastle United have come a long way from the days when Sports Direct tycoon Mike Ashley owned the club and in just over one year the club has been transformed from relegation battlers to top-four contenders.

The Magpies reached their first domestic cup final since 1999 and are currently just two points off a Champions League qualifying spot inside the top four with 12 games remaining this season – a far cry from the bitter memories Ashley left behind.

Indeed, the St James' Park faithful will have only a handful of positive moments to reflect on over the unpopular owner's 14-year reign, but just like a broken clock always right twice a day – he did have some rare success when it came to transfer business during his tenure.

Ashley made some controversial decisions during his time in the northeast, particularly with certain players' futures under the reign of Kevin Keegan and Rafa Benitez, but from an individual standpoint, he made a pretty profit on some to done the famous jersey.

One of the exits he had no choice but to sanction was the sale of Ayoze Perez in 2019 when the Spaniard who had been signed for £1.5m was sold for £30m to Leicester City after the Foxes triggered a release clause in the player's contract – a technicality that Ashley claimed to regret.

Where is Ayoze Perez now?

There is no doubt that the sale of Perez was met with fury from supporters after tallying up 195 appearances, 48 goals and 17 assists, becoming one of Newcastle's shining lights in a difficult time for the Magpies.

However, since making his £30m move to the Midlands, Perez has been unable to deliver the same output for Leicester with only 15 goals and 12 assists registered over 115 appearances – although did collect himself silverware in the form of an FA Cup back in 2021.

In more recent times, the 29-year-old – once dubbed "impressive" by Alan Shearer – found his game-time dwindling under Brendan Rodgers having often been played out of his position of a number 10 or second striker which he was so successful in at Newcastle.

Having never reached the heights once seen in the North East and running out of opportunities to convince the Leicester boss that he is worthy of a spot in his attacking threat – Perez made the move to Real Betis in January this year to get some first-team football away from the Premier League.

Over nine appearances, the Spanish forward has scored one goal and delivered one assist, hitting the back of the net against Manchester United in the Europa League but inevitably being knocked out of the European competition by the Red Devils.

With that being said, hindsight is a wonderful thing and had he stayed at St James' Park things may have been very different for Perez, however, there is no doubt that a £28.5m profit on the player who has not been in better form since is a great sale.

Chelsea slipped to a 2-2 draw against Everton on Saturday evening to end their run of successive victories under Graham Potter.

The Blues played well against Sean Dyche's side but were undone by two moments of poor defending, with Ellis Simms' late equaliser generating some more pressure on Potter.

However, it wasn't all doom and gloom for Chelsea as they scored twice and looked dangerous throughout against an organised Everton side, with Ben Chilwell impressing once again at left wing-back.

How did Ben Chilwell play against Everton?

As per Sofascore, the former Leicester City man would earn a superb 7.9/10 rating for his performance, which ranked him as the best Chelsea player to feature in the game.

During the 90 minutes, the 26-year-old defender was a constant threat down the left-hand side, which Everton were "really struggling to contain" – as per the Express' Joe Krishnan. Indeed, the full-back contributed five successful crosses, four key passes and two successful dribbles.

On average in the Premier League this season, Chilwell has managed just 0.9 crosses, 0.8 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per game, emphasising just how good he was against Everton on Saturday.

Funnily enough, it was actually one of his inaccurate crosses that led to a goal, with his ball in from the left being cut out before falling to Joao Felix who found the back of the net from the edge of the area.

He would also impress from a defensive perspective, winning 70% of his duels, contributing two interceptions and one clearance in the 90 minutes, which again is an improvement on his average of 0.8 interceptions and 0.9 clearances per game in the top flight so far this campaign.

This level of performance is nothing new with the defender having impressed a great deal under former boss, Thomas Tuchel, who was full of praise for the England international last season after a strong run of form as a left wing-back, the position he's now being deployed in by Potter.

Tuchel said: "[He is] very important, very important position in the system we play.

"Very important part of the position is to arrive in the box and to create a goal threat from that position. Not to just be the ball-possession guy on the side and to be responsible for ball control. This is what we want and what we demand.

"I'm happy that Chilly is growing into his full potential and pushing the limits constantly because it fits, in my opinion, pretty perfectly in his player profile."

The 26-year-old defender has earned above a 7/10 rating from WhoScored in each of the last four games so it seems clear that he is also becoming an important member of Potter's squad.

Once again, the key for the talented left-back is staying injury-free, as Chelsea look like a far better outfit with him and Reece James at their creative best in the wing-back roles.

Manchester United can book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with victory over West Ham United at Old Trafford this evening, with the Red Devils hoping to maintain their rampant recent momentum, following the wins over both Barcelona and Newcastle United in the Europa League and Carabao Cup, respectively, last week.

The latter triumph saw manager Erik ten Hag claim his first piece of silverware as United boss, with the Dutchman seeing his side run out 2-0 winners in what was a rather comfortable Wembley outing on Sunday.

Despite the euphoria of ending the club’s almost six-year trophy drought, the celebrations for both players and staff have been cut short amid the quick turnaround ahead of the visit of the Hammers, with Ten Hag unlikely to condone any complacency from his side.

That being said, the 53-year-old may be inclined to shuffle his pack amid what has been a hectic run of fixtures of late, with doubts also emerging regarding the fitness of both Fred and Luke Shaw following the weekend win, while Anthony Martial is also not yet ready to return.

How will Man United line up against West Ham?

With that team news in mind, Football FanCast predicts that there will be seven changes from the side that were victorious against the Magpies, with tonight’s meeting handing the chance for a handful of fringe assets to impress…

4-3-3 – (GK) Heaton; (RB) Wan-Bissaka, (CB) Maguire, (CB) Martinez, (LB) Malacia; (CDM) Casemiro, (CM) Sabitzer, (CM) Iqbal; (RW) Antony, (ST) Weghorst, (LW) Sancho

The most notable changes could lie in the backline with backup ‘keeper Tom Heaton likely to come into the side, while Lisandro Martinez could be the only survivor from the weekend win, partnering club captain Harry Maguire – whose deteriorating performances have been branded “woeful” in the past by journalist Tom McDermott – at centre-back.

As for the midfield ranks, the influential Casemiro could be joined by January arrival Marcel Sabitzer and teenager, Zidane Iqbal, with the 19-year-old’s inclusion allowing Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes the chance to earn a well-earned rest.

The 28-year-old may not be the only key figure to drop to the bench with leading scorer Marcus Rashford another who could benefit from a break from the action, with the Englishman having been a doubt prior to facing Eddie Howe’s men.

The forward’s place in the side could then be taken by compatriot Jadon Sancho, with the former Borussia Dortmund gem set to line up alongside both Wout Weghorst and Antony in the forward line.

Liverpool are considering a move to bring Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski to the Premier League this summer, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

The Lowdown: Zielinski’s PL dream

The Reds have four central players out of contract at the end of the season so have already been linked with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Matheus Nunes as replacements, but the 28-year-old Zielinski has also emerged as a candidate.

The Poland international has entered the final 18 months of his deal in Serie A so could be available for a cut-price having not committed to extending his stay in Italy.

The Napoli star reportedly dreams of playing in the top flight, which will be music to the ears of Jurgen Klopp, who appears to be watching him like a hawk.

The Latest: Galetti’s comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Galetti name-checked Zielinski as a player Liverpool are monitoring, alongside Sofyan Amrabat and Mikel Merino.

“As well as Amrabat, who was courted by Barcelona in this winter transfer season, [Liverpool are also looking at] Merino of Real Sociedad and Zielinski, whose contract will expire in June 2024 and will most likely leave Napoli at the end of the season.”

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The Verdict: Splash the cash

Zielinski has been dubbed a ‘baller’ by journalist Patrick Boyland and Liverpool should absolutely splash the cash to secure his services this summer.

The Nike-sponsored ace has eight assists and six goals to his name across all competitions so far this season and is currently averaging two key passes per league game.

Napoli’s maestro also offers excellent versatility having operated in seven different positions throughout his career, not to mention that he’s capable of playing with both feet.

Zielinski has all the qualities that Klopp looks for in his new recruits and it would be a massive coup should FSG be able to get a deal over the line ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

West Bromwich Albion are back in action tonight as they face the replay of their FA Cup third-round clash against Chesterfield.

The Baggies are looking to translate their blistering Championship form into a prolonged cup run, with relegation no longer a serious threat. Carlos Corberan has made sure of that, leading his side to nine wins in their last ten league games as they now sit in a play-off spot, which is miraculous given their trajectory under Steve Bruce.

However, their winning run was surprisingly halted in the original third-round clash, as the plucky National League side put up quite the fight earlier this month.

Despite taking an early lead, West Brom were pegged back within five minutes before they surged in front again during a frenetic opening 17 minutes. Then, in a crazy turn of events, Chesterfield hit back to take a 3-2 lead themselves, which they held until a last-gasp equaliser from Brandon Thomas-Asante forced tonight’s replay.

However, in the run-up to that goal, the 24-year-old has since been retrospectively suspended for three matches due to ‘violent conduct’. Corberan admitted that he “cannot argue” with the decision, and as such the ex-Salford man will certainly not start against the team that he terrorised with two goals.

There was another key player in the Baggies’ comeback against Chesterfield, with Karlan Grant scoring one goal, setting up another and earning an 8.1 Sofascore rating for his display. This was narrowly shy of the Baggies’ best performer, the aforementioned and now suspended Thomas-Asante.

Despite Daryl Dike also impressing since his return from injury, with two goals in his last two league games, it is likely still too early to be subjecting the American to the full effect of the taxing fixture schedule.

Although this has been a poor season for the former Huddersfield Town man, with just three Championship goals to his name, he retains the quality which has made him a consistent threat in that division.

It was only last season that he netted 18 times in the second tier, while he scored 19 in his final campaign for the Terriers in 2019/20. This led former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips to suggest that Grant could soon be regarded as a “hero” at The Hawthorns, should he maintain such goalscoring form.

The 25-year-old is a consistent striker for this level, albeit one who is desperately scrambling for confidence. These cup matches against lower-league opposition could be instrumental in reigniting that spark and getting him firing again.

Grant has already terrorised Chesterfield with his goal against them ten days ago, and having not featured against Luton at the weekend, Corberan must recall him once again tonight.

Manchester United have reached a ‘full, verbal agreement to sign Wout Weghorst’ on loan from Burnley, Fabrizio Romano reports.

The Lowdown: Butland in

The Red Devils have already made a January signing by securing the services of goalkeeper Jack Butland from Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the season.

United acted swiftly after Newcastle United recalled Martin Dubravka, with Butland set to provide cover for David de Gea alongside Tom Heaton.

Old Trafford chiefs are now working on signing Weghorst after they parted ways with Cristiano Ronaldo towards the end of 2022.

The Latest: Weghorst next?

Romano took to Twitter on Tuesday to share an update on Weghorst. He revealed that a ‘full, verbal agreement’ has been reached which will see United pay Burnley a €3m (£2.7m) loan fee.

The transfer expert added that Besiktas, where the forward is currently on loan, still need to approve a transfer and will only do so if they find a replacement.

The Verdict: Good move for United

Described as a ‘World Cup hero’ by journalist Alex Brotherton following his two goals against Argentina in the quarter-finals, Weghorst has plenty of experience at the highest level for club and country.

The Adidas-sponsored forward contributed to five goals in 20 games in the Premier League for Burnley last season and has impressed in Turkey, scoring eight times in 16 league appearances for Besiktas.

The 30-year-old, who stands at 6 foot 6, will give Erik ten Hag a different option at centre-forward to Anthony Martial, should a move go through. That in turn should allow Marcus Rashford to remain out wide, looking to continue his fine goalscoring form.

Everton saw 2022 out with a bang when they shared points with Manchester City at the Etihad on New Years’ Eve and Frank Lampard will be hoping that the well-fought draw will be a confidence booster for his team heading into 2023.

Despite the crucial point collected, the Toffees are still not in a comfortable position in the Premier League and remain just two points clear of the bottom three in 16th with the third-worst goal tally in the entire top flight.

As a result, it would be a no-brainer for the Everton boss to seek out opportunities to strengthen his squad – especially in the attacking threat – whilst the transfer window is open this month.

However, Lampard already may have his striker solution as it was confirmed yesterday that Sunderland loanee and Everton academy graduate Ellis Simms has been recalled to Goodison Park just a few months into his season-long loan at the Stadium of Light.

It comes as no surprise that Everton have called back their young goal machine ahead of the second half of the season as Simms has become a stand-out performer in the Championship who in the words of journalist Josh Bunting, could now take the “Premier League by storm”.

Over 17 appearances, the 21-year-old ace has scored seven goals, registered two assists and created five big chances, as well as averaging 1.9 shots on goal and winning 3.9 duels per game.

Not only that, of Championship players who are aged 21 or under only Joao Pedro (8) has scored more goals than Simms this season, according to WhoScored.

The Everton youngster is no stranger to scoring as he has already tallied up 82 over this career so far and registered nine assists in 149 appearances with a goal contribution every 114 minutes so far – proving that he could be exactly what Lampard needs.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has suffered multiple injury issues over the last 18 months and Richarlison’s exit in the summer has weakened Everton in front of goal so the return of Simms is a chance not to be squandered for Lampard.

The young forward has never been seen under the former Chelsea boss yet but now has a golden opportunity to stake his claim. He must take it as Everton look to put themselves back on track.

Real Madrid have spent €72m on a player who will join the club in 2024 and who has only played seven senior football matches.

In most cases, this would be ridiculous. But when that player is a Brazilian prodigy, it starts to make sense.

Endrick, who turned 16 in July, has been likened to Brazilian legends Ronaldo Nazário and Romário due to his prolific goalscoring, difficulty to tackle and enormous potential.

After Neymar’s hugely successful transfer from Santos to Barcelona, Real Madrid have been alert to not miss out on the best young talents in Brazil. They spent at least €120m between the 2018 and 2019 summer transfer windows on Brazilian wonderkids Vinicius Junior, Reinier and Rodrygo, signing them as soon as they were eligible to join after turning 18.

Vinicius Junior has been a massive success, cementing his position on the left wing for club and country, whilst Rodrygo has steadily improved and already has four goals and four assists in 12 La Liga appearances this season. Reinier is the odd one out as he has struggled to make any impression yet, however, he is still only 20-years-old, so time is still on his side.

Whilst Endrick’s senior career is still in its infancy, his value comes from his performances in Palmeiras’ youth squads, which have garnered him global attention. He scored 167 goals in 170 games since joining Palmeiras at 11 years old and won player of the tournament at the prestigious under-20s Copinha 2022 for Palmeiras last January – he was 15-years-old.

Most Brazilian wonderkids have great technical ability but it’s their physical attributes that hold them back after a few years when they make moves to European giants. For example, Vinicius Junior only became a superstar last season due to having to adjust to the increased physicality of the European game.

Despite being quite short for a striker at 5’8, in the Copinha 2022 he was able to hold off defenders with his strength whilst dribbling, drawing comparisons to Ronaldo Nazário. And Endrick’s two-footedness and dominance at youth level has drawn comparisons with Neymar.

Endrick appears to have a hunger for goals and a desire for success that is similar to his idol Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Scoring a goal is a sensational feeling, it is unique in football,” he recently said.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol, and he is decisive in front of goal. I have to follow his lead. Before the games I envision Ronaldo (Nazário) and Cristiano. I try to follow their lead. When the game is very difficult, like a tough 1-1, I ask the guys to pass the ball to me, because I have this spirit of wanting to score goals. I will always want more.”

The coordinator of Palmeiras’ academy supports the idea that Endrick is unstoppable, saying: “He is like a force of nature.

“He always brings something. As water goes downhill, or fire goes uphill, there’s no way to hold him back.”

When Vinicius Junior joined Real Madrid, he was significantly less hyped, and he has become one of the best wingers in the world.

If Endrick fulfils his potential, he could be one of the best of all time. He is following in the footsteps of his idols and could become Real Madrid’s next Galactico.