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Former Premier League manager Alex McLeish has delivered his verdict on the  attacking options now available to David Moyes at West Ham United. 

The lowdown: Scamacca signs

Following the sale of Sebastien Haller to Ajax in January 2021, the Hammers failed to sign a replacement centre-forward in three transfer windows.

That attacking transfer hiatus left talismanic forward Michail Antonio as the only natural senior striker at Moyes’ disposal, backed up by Andriy Yarmolenko and Jarrod Bowen both playing out of position at times in a central role.

However, following the recent £35.5m capture of giant Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo (Sky Sports), the 59-year-old can rely on an alternative source who has impressed at least one pundit during pre-season

The latest: ‘Great bit of recruitment’

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa boss McLeish claimed that the seven-cap Italy marksman could be the perfect foil for Antonio at West Ham.

The Sky Sports contributor said: “I watched West Ham v Rangers in person a few weeks ago and Antonio still has tremendous ability to beat defenders, he is so quick.

“Scamacca is a player that I have seen a wee bit of in the Italian football during the season, it looks like a great bit of recruitment.

“Italian strikers are always pretty knowledgable about the game, they are intelligent footballers. It’s a long time since West Ham have bought a striker now they have two brilliant options and I am looking forward to seeing him in a Hammers shirt.”

The verdict: More to follow?

Seemingly not content with the two impressive candidates to lead the line in east London, the Irons have been extensively linked with a move for Arnaud Kalimuendo and Amine Gouiri since landing the towering Italian.

Predominantly utilising a 4-2-3-1 system during his second stint at the helm at West Ham, a formation also preferred at Sassuolo and therefore likely to make any adaptation period a smooth one for Scamacca, Moyes may look to opt for more attack-minded setups as and when the time arises.

With European football back on the agenda at the London Stadium in 2022/23 in the shape of the Europa Conference League, the squad needs to be assembled to cope with the rigours of another gruelling campaign, which will also encompass the World Cup later this year.

Although it remains to be seen whether Antonio or Scamacca will start the season as first-choice, or indeed operate together, adding another attacking option who is capable of playing in central areas would be a welcome move from Rob Newman and GSB if possible.

Liverpool have been named among the admirers of Red Bull Salzburg striker Benjamin Sesko, according to reports from Spain. 

The lowdown: Rise to stardom

Signed by Salzburg in 2019 for £2.25million, Sesko has gone from strength to strength in Austria and enjoyed a stellar spell at FC Liefering, scoring 22 goals and providing six assists in 44 appearances across two loan stints.

Despite his tender years, the 19-year-old Slovenia international has already now established himself as a mainstay in the senior XI for both club and country, attracting interest from Newcastle, Manchester United, Wolves, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig in the process.

Now, a fresh report from Spain has thrown some additional names into the mix as potential suitors for Sesko, including Liverpool…

The latest: ‘Klopp is in love’

As per a Spanish source, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Man United and Chelsea are all keen on the 13-cap star.

It’s claimed that the Reds are among those who ‘want’ and have ‘shown interest’ in Sesko, forcing Salzburg to place a €65million (£54million) price tag on the head of their frontman.

The report also states that Jurgen Klopp ‘is in love’ with the hitman having watched the teenager described as ‘one of the fastest players on the planet’ score the only goal of the game in last week’s pre-season defeat in Austria.

The verdict: One for the future

Although there can be no bad time to sign the hottest properties such as Sesko, after landing Darwin Nunez this summer it seems highly unlikely that FSG would sanction another major expenditure on a striker so soon.

Instead, the Reds will likely retain a watching brief on the 6 foot 3 marksmen and perhaps hope no major transfer is forthcoming with a view to making a move in the future, potentially after enjoying further development and scoring many more goals.

Last season, Sesko – who once clocked a staggering in-game speed of 36.11 km/h in 2021 – netted ten times and registered another seven assists in 36 appearances across all competitions for Salzburg.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Slovenian speedster has made a lightning start to the 2022/23 campaign, scoring twice and setting up a teammate on one occasion in the opening three games, further proof of a supreme ability to impact matches in the final third.

Under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt), Liverpool, Klopp and Julian Ward alike will be hoping that Sesko remains on the market for upcoming transfer windows, perhaps as a long-term Robert Firmino successor.

West Ham United have joined the race to sign former Borussia Dortmund defender Dan-Axel Zagadou as David Moyes hunts for new centre-back options.

The Lowdown: West Ham eyeing defenders…

The Hammers are going through a centre-back shortage right now as Nayef Aguerd and Angelo Ogbonna both remain sidelined, whilst Craig Dawson has just one year remaining on his contract.

West Ham are also said to be concerned about the fitness history of Kurt Zouma, with doubts surrounding the future of Issa Diop as well.

Reliable reports have therefore claimed that Moyes could well sign a new centre-half before the closure of the summer transfer window, with young right-back Ben Johnson even having to play a makeshift central role in the 2-0 loss to Manchester City at the weekend.

The Latest: West Ham ‘looking’ to sign Zagadou…

According to reliable journalist Alan Nixon, it is believed that the east Londoners have set their sights on Zagadou after he was released by Borussia Dortmund.

Writing for The Sun, Nixon claims that West Ham are ‘looking’ to sign the the free agent, who is also being eyed Serie A giants Roma and Inter Milan.

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It’s added that Moyes is ‘desperate’ for defensive additions and sees Zagadou as the ‘perfect’ squad player, not to mention an ideal potential replacement for Diop.

The Verdict: Make the move?

The 23-year-old, who stands at a towering 6 foot 5, certainly has the physicality to play in the Premier League and has even been called ‘excellent’ in recent months by his former Dortmund manager Marco Rose.

Rose also highlighted Zagadou as a ‘physically strong’ defender with ‘a lot of speed’ but, if the pacey colossus is consistently sidelined – as pointed out by his concerning injury history – Zagadou would hardly be of much use to Moyes.

Indeed, it appears that this move could come with just as many cons as pros.

Christian Benteke left Crystal Palace earlier this week but Patrick Vieira may already have a natural replacement for the Belgian in Luke Plange.

After six years at Selhurst Park, the former Liverpool man departed for D.C United, leaving Vieira with Odsonne Edouard, Jordan Ayew and Jean-Philippe Mateta as his main striking options at Selhurst Park.

However, the Frenchman could call upon 19-year-old Plange, who featured in pre-season and remains in the squad, taking his place on the bench for the opening day defeat against Arsenal.

The youngster is yet to make his first team debut for the Eagles, and only has one appearance for the academy side thus far, so it is no surprise that Vieira gave him a chance in pre-season to get a proper look at him, and he certainly impressed, scoring a hattrick in a 4-2 win against Ipswich Town

Last season saw the teenage forward join Derby County on loan, where he made 26 appearances in the Championship, contributing four goals and two assists.

Wayne Rooney was a big fan of the former Arsenal forward and sang his praises after he scored on his full debut against Blackpool.

He said:

“Luke Plange has a bit of everything in his game.

“He can run in behind teams, he’s quick and he is also strong enough to hold the ball up. As well as that, he’s a clever player and also a finisher.

“With players like that, you know that if they get a chance that they are more than likely going to score.”

Rooney certainly knows what he is talking about when it comes to strikers, considering he was one of the best of his generation in the Premier League, so to hear him talking so highly about Plange will no doubt delight Palace fans.

Rather than Vieira spending millions on a new striker to replace Vieira, the French manager might consider promoting Plange to his first team and giving him some chances this season.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for Matheus Nunes, and now a new update has emerged on the potential of a deal being done for the player before the transfer window closes.

What’s the latest?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Liverpool “might” still make a move for Sporting CP midfielder Nunes this summer.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“There’s definitely been some feeling around Portugal that Liverpool might make an offer.

“Liverpool have had scouting reports on this guy and Manchester United have actually been linked too, but neither of those have pushed forward at the moment.”

FSG must act now

It is no secret that the Liverpool squad are already experiencing somewhat of an injury crisis in their midfield at the moment, so a new midfielder signing certainly would not be a wasted pursuit for FSG who will need to act now if they want to make a move with just two weeks left in the transfer window.

Curtis Jones, Thiago Alcantara and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remain unavailable for selection in the foreseeable future, with Naby Keita returning from illness in recent days meaning he will be available for the game against Crystal Palace tonight, but they are just one more injury away from a concerning situation at Anfield.

Keita is renowned for his fitness issues with 16 separate incidents of injury over the last four years, missing 62 fixtures in total so it could be a huge risk not to sign another midfielder to help the side compete comfortably and challenge for trophies once again this season.

Liverpool have already shown intent in signing a new midfielder this summer with Aurelien Tchouameni reportedly agreeing personal terms with the club, however, the young talent preferred a move to the club’s Champions League final opponents Real Madrid in the end.

Now the Reds find themselves in a much more desperate position in terms of finding a midfielder that can not only come into the team to add instant reinforcements for those missing players, but also an individual that can add quality to the team too.

Nunes has been impressing this season already in the Primeira Liga after the £51m sensation scored a wonder goal from midfield last weekend against Rio Ave at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, which was certainly the perfect message to send to the powers at Anfield in the remaining days and weeks of the transfer window.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Liverpool ramp up their interest, as their pursuit of the player could intensify if Jurgen Klopp’s side struggle to dominate in their upcoming performances against Crystal Palace and Manchester United.

Crystal Palace have been linked with signing Benfica forward Goncalo Ramos recently, and the Portuguese star could prove to be a repeat of Patrick Vieira’s first signing at Selhurst Park, namely Michael Olise.

Brought in for just £8m, the former EFL Young Player of the Season arrived as a highly-rated youngster and quickly established himself as a silky talent with plenty of ability and skill.

In another promising talent in Ramos, Vieira could potentially repeat this masterstroke by bringing in another youngster to help shape the future of the club.

Reports last week linked the Eagles with the Benfica gem, who is also of interest to several other Premier League clubs. Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest had both held talks over the player, whilst Palace are joined by the likes of Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United and West Ham United among those monitoring his situation.

The 21-year-old has earned huge praise for his blistering start to the season. Having scored a hat-trick in their opening Champions League qualifier, he has now accrued eight goal contributions in Benfica’s opening five fixtures of the campaign.

These figures show that he has certainly lived up to the label of “incredibly prolific” which was bestowed upon him by Football Talent Scout.

All signs suggest that this season could be the one where he truly explodes, and Palace could invest early in the £30m-valued star to avoid wondering what might have been in a few years’ time.

Olise had enjoyed a remarkable season at Reading before moving to Selhurst Park, having scored seven goals and set up another 12 on his way to his Young Player of the Season award. He joined the Eagles as a player with huge promise, much like Ramos.

However, it is the Portugal under-21 forward who also boasts the creativity which likens him to the 20-year-old, and the two would likely strike up a fine partnership should they be paired in the same team.

Ramos averaged 0.8 key passes per game and created three big chances last season despite registering just one assist. Hopefully with an increase in quality surrounding him, his numbers would increase exponentially.

Despite operating predominantly as a striker, the 21-year-old is just shy of Olise’s 0.9 key passes per game.

If Vieira could tempt this hot young property to join him at Palace, one couldn’t help but draw comparisons between the two deals as the Eagles once again look to snap up a huge coup for the club which could benefit them massively in the future.

Having Olise and Ramos in the same team could be a frightening prospect for opposition defenders and would be indicative of the fine recruitment in place at Selhurst Park.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided an injury update regarding Jack Grealish ahead of the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace. 

The lowdown: Pegged back

Having made a perfect start to the new season, City looked on course to make it three wins from three when Ilkay Gundogan fired the champions into the lead against Newcastle last weekend.

However, the resilient hosts rallied and stormed into a 3-1 lead before Guardiola’s charges enjoyed a resurgence of their own to earn a 3-3 draw at St James’ Park.

The Blues were without Aymeric Laporte for the clash, whilst Nathan Ake went off injured in the first half to be replaced by a returning Ruben Dias.

One man also missing for the enthralling encounter was Grealish, and Guardiola has shed some light on when the England international could be returning to the fold…

The latest: ‘Won’t be ready’

Speaking during a pre-match press conference ahead of the visit of Palace to the Etihad Stadium, the boss hinted that the 26-year-old is unlikely to feature whilst also discussing the defensive options.

He said: “We thought about that (bringing in cover). But at the same time, Nathan is coming back soon and then in late September/October, Aymeric will be back, too.

“I am happy with that. But then maybe we wake up in the morning and think, ‘oh maybe we should have bought a central defender!’ Nathan will be out for not much time. Yesterday he started running.

“As for Jack, he trained alone. He feels better, but until we train, I can’t tell you – but my feeling is he won’t be ready for tomorrow.”

The verdict: Big blow

Although the likes of Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez and Bernando Silva can all cover for Grealish’s absence, given the rules now allow for five substitutes, it’s undoubtedly a blow not to have a player of the £100million ace’s ability at Guardiola’s disposal.

So far this term, the ex-Aston Villa man, labelled ‘incredible’ by Pep, has featured in three matches without directly contributing to a goal but scored six and provided four assists in 36 outings last season.

Meanwhile, the visitors will also be without a key talisman as Wilfried Zaha looks set to miss the meeting in Manchester with a leg injury sustained in their victory last weekend.

West Ham United remain interested in a deal to bring Conor Gallagher to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Michael Bridge, with the journalist revealing live on Sky Sports News on Tuesday morning (via Hammers News) that, following a number of reports linking David Moyes with a move for the Chelsea midfielder in recent weeks, both West Ham and Crystal Palace are still working hard to convince the 22-year-old of a switch prior to Thursday’s transfer deadline.

Regarding the interest in the England international, Bridge said: “Conor Gallagher, now, it’s been an interesting last couple of games for him. He started against Leeds United, probably wasn’t his best game, he’s really trying here and doesn’t want another loan spell, he told me this in July. Then he was sent off against Leicester, but that won’t stop Crystal Palace and it won’t stop West Ham from trying to sign him if he is available on loan.”

“Unreal” trio

With West Ham confirming the €60m (£51.3m) club-record signing of Lucas Paqueta on Monday, it would appear as if Moyes is still not content with his current midfield options at the London Stadium, with Gallagher very much appearing to be an exceptional target for the 59-year-old to pursue over the remainder of the summer transfer window.

While it is true that the 22-year-old has endured something of a rocky start to the 2022/23 campaign – averaging a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.27 over his four Premier League appearances this term – considering just how impressive the midfielder was while on loan at Palace last term, the prospect of the four-cap international lining up alongside the likes of Paqueta and Declan Rice in the Hammers’ midfield is sure to be an incredibly tantalising one for supporters of the club.

Indeed, over his 34 league fixtures for the Eagles last time out, the £43m-rated talent was in remarkable form, scoring eight goals, registering three assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.5 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles per game.

The £32k-per-week midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 2.0 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 25.1 passes – at a success rate of 81% – and winning 5.9 duels per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Mark Duffy dubbed both “unreal” and a “pressing machine” average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 7.08, ranking him as Patrick Vieira’s best performer in the Premier League in 2021/22.

As such, with West Ham currently possessing one of the best number sixes in world football in the shape of Rice and having recently landed one of the leading number 10s in European football in the form of Paqueta, the signing of an incredibly exciting number eight in Gallagher would very much look to have formed an unreal midfield trio at the London Stadium.

However, with Palace reportedly submitting a £27m bid for the 22-year-old this week, it would appear that, should Moyes truly wish to bring the Chelsea starlet to east London this summer, he must make an official move for the midfielder sharpish.

West Ham United recently sent officials to Portugal to watch a Primeira Liga match between Gil Vicente and FC Porto.

The Lowdown: West Ham’s window

The Hammers enjoyed a busy window in the transfer market this summer with GSB securing eight new additions for David Moyes’ squad.

With only one outgoing player commanding a fee, which entailed Fulham paying £15m for Issa Diop, the Irons splashed out more than £170m on several big-name stars.

This includes the club-record signing of Lucas Paqueta from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon, who arrived at Rush Green after a £51m deal was agreed. The likes of Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo and Nayef Aguerd from Rennes also arrived for £35.5m and £30m respectively.

The Latest: Scouts sent to Portugal

According to a report by Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via SportWitness), Premier League sides West Ham and Crystal Palace sent staff members to Portugal to watch the recent league match between Gil Vicente and FC Porto.

Whilst it isn’t clear which individuals the two clubs were eyeing specifically, a number of Porto players impressed in their 2-0 victory.

It is said that goal-scorer Mehdi Taremi caught the eye up front for the Champions League giants, alongside midfielder Stephen Eustaquio and goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

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The Verdict: Upcoming window?

Having just made eight signings worth over £170m in the transfer window this summer, it seems unlikely that the Hammers will spend big again in January.

However, highlighted at points last season, the Irons tend to struggle with injuries.

This still appears to be the case this summer, with five players currently side-lined due to various issues and another taxing European campaign to embark on.

With injuries to centre-backs Craig Dawson and Aguerd, alongside right-back Ben Johnson, it was reported that Moyes was keen on adding another defender to add cover to his squad.

Therefore, this could be a likely eventuality in January with West Ham clearly hard at work on identifying their new transfer targets.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Arthur Melo’s situation at Liverpool, revealing that the loanee is expected to stay at Anfield in January.

The Lowdown: Melo’s transfer

Heading into deadline day with Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all injured, it was imperative for the Reds to secure an additional midfielder before the transfer window closed.

It was duly announced the Merseyside club had reach a season-long loan agreement with Juventus over the transfer of the 26-year-old midfielder.

The Bianconeri revealed that Jurgen Klopp’s side had paid €4.5m (£3.9m) as an initial loan fee, with the option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the season for €37.5m (£32.3m).

The Latest: Romano’s claim

Despite his much-needed arrival at Anfield, the Brazil international is yet to make an appearance for Liverpool in the Premier League, featuring for just 13 minutes of a possible 270 in all competitions since his deadline day move.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Reds are considering cutting Melo’s loan short, with the view to bring in a replacement during the winter. However, Romano has now shared an update on these rumours, stating that the midfielder is expected to remain with the Merseyside club.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist claimed: “Arthur Melo had the chance to play for 90 minutes with Liverpool U21 team — it’s his first start in 129 days, working hard to be 100% ready. #LFC

“Arthur will keep working at the AXA Training Centre. No plans to leave in January on player or Liverpool side, as mentioned.”

The Verdict: Big opportunity

Despite joining Juventus from Barcelona in 2020 in a swap deal with Miralem Pjanic worth £66m, Melo struggled to establish himself as an essential part of Massimiliano Allegri’s XI in Turin.

In Serie A last season, the Brazilian featured in the starting line-up on just 11 occasions, coming off the bench in nine other matches.

Amid Liverpool’s abundance of midfield injuries, Melo’s arrival at Anfield could provide him with a very good opportunity to get his career at the top level back on track, especially with the World Cup around the corner.

As a result, the player will be hoping to get fully integrated into Klopp’s team as soon as possible. A full-game runout in the under-21s’ Premier League 2 win over Leicester on Saturday could be the first stepping stone on the journey.