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ExWHUemployee has praised Kevin Nolan, claiming that his set piece coaching is another reason as to why the Hammers coach deserves admiration (Twitter), and plenty of Irons supporters flocked in full agreement with the West Ham United insider – sharing their views on the Englishman.

Nolan, who has of course taken a lot of praise for many things since being affiliated with the Hammers, has now drawn even more love from supporters in reply to ExWHUemployee.

Indeed, outlining his set piece coaching as another reason Nolan deserves admiration, the club insider had plenty of supporters flocking to his take on the 38-year-old and giving due applause – David Moyes’ side have scored 14 times from set plays this term, two more than any other team (Whoscored).

A former West Ham player and captain, having scored 31 goals in 157 games for the east Londoners during his four-year spell (The Athletic), one fan below singled out his work as ‘absolutely magic’ with the Irons smashing teams to bits at corners and free-kicks.

West Ham fans flock to laud Nolan

“So right absolutely magic”

Credit: @Wattie732

“His teaching of blocking the keeper is superb.”

Credit: @AntWadebridge

“Add Mark Noble to the coaching staff at some point as well. Proper West Ham .”

Credit: @davids301w

“Never gets the credit he deserves for being an outstanding captain when we desperately needed one.”

Credit: @websterhills

“This coaching team is spot on! Getting everything right all across the pitch more often than not, superb! COYI”

Credit: @TheIronJoe

“Used to love how Kev made any Keepers life hell by standing in front of them at every set piece. He was always heavily involved and I love how he has brought this to his coaching”

Credit: @thatboied

“In my opinion the most underrated West Ham player ever. He did not receive enough praise for what he has done for the club.”

Credit: @anastassiu

“Legend”

Credit: @Zayd_Beitar

In other news: West Ham fans buzzed over these transfer links, find out more here.

Manchester City return to Premier League action on Saturday night as they take on relegation-threatened Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Pep Guardiola’s side bounced back from defeat in the Manchester derby with an emphatic 5-2 win against Southampton in midweek, with Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne both scoring twice, whilst Ilkay Gundogan returned to the scoresheet.

Fulham have shown a lot of fight in recent weeks and picked up another impressive three points last weekend, with Mario Lemina’s goal earning them a 1-0 win at Anfield.

After making changes against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, it seems likely that there will be plenty more rotation from Guardiola for the game against Scott Parker’s men, especially with the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Borussia Monchengladbach to come on Tuesday.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects the Spanish manager to line his side up in west London, with Guardiola making four changes from the team which started in midweek…

Ederson has failed to keep a clean sheet in his last four games now so he’ll be hoping to rectify that at Craven Cottage, as he starts in between the sticks.

There are two changes in defence, as Joao Cancelo returns to the side after being rested in midweek, with the “special” Portuguese international having been one of City’s best performers this season.

John Stones also returns in place of Aymeric Laporte, as he and Ruben Dias still look like City’s most solid centre-back partnership.

After featuring in midweek, Fernandinho is perhaps unlikely to start again against Fulham, so Rodri comes in as his replacement.

Raheem Sterling also returns to the side in place of Phil Foden on the left-hand side after he was rested against Southampton, and hopefully his pace can cause Fulham problems on Saturday. The 20-year-old may get the evening off after playing the full 90 minutes against the Saints.

After impressive performances in midweek, Mahrez and De Bruyne keep their place in attack, supported by Bernardo Silva in a false nine role, where he can easily interchange with his Belgian, English and Algerian teammates.

In other news… Forget Haaland: Txiki can sign City their next Haaland in “outstanding” £90m-rated gem

Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow is spearheading a permanent move for on-loan midfielder Ross Barkley, despite Dean Smith not being keen on a deal.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who claim that Purslow “likes the profile” of the Chelsea man, with Villa forking out £11m to bring the 27-year-old to the Midlands for the 2020/21 campaign.

Smith not so sure on Barkley?

Barkley has fallen out of favour under manager Smith in recent weeks, despite the absence of star man Jack Grealish.

He hasn’t started any of Villa’s last four Premier League games, with Football Insider claiming Smith is yet to be convinced that Barkley is worth the £35m fee that will be required to land him permanently this summer.

Bizarre

This seems rather bizarre – with Smith seemingly not so keen on keeping hold of Barkley at this moment in time, we feel that Purslow should be holding off for now regarding a possible club-record deal.

Purslow feels it would send out a big message to the English game if Villa were to sign Barkley permanently at the end of the season.

However, with Smith not even playing Barkley, especially with his star creative outlet injured, surely a whopping £35m deal doesn’t make sense.

In other news: Several Villa supporters have been reacting to target’s boyhood Villa fan comments, find out more here. 

According to Spanish outlet La Razon, Sevilla are interested in signing on-loan Southampton forward Takumi Minamino.

Sevilla eye Minamino

Minamino joined the Saints on loan from Liverpool in January and has so far scored two goals in the Premier League for his new club (Transfermarkt).

However, it seems he could be joining another club at the end of this campaign. La Razon claimed that Sevilla would be willing to part with €10m (£8.6m) to sign the Japan international.

Ball in Hasenhuttl’s court

Minamino’s time at Liverpool has been far from a huge success, but it is clear that he has plenty of talent. In 199 matches in all competitions for RB Salzburg, he netted 64 times, and he showed enough ability to convince Jurgen Klopp to take him to Anfield.

At St Mary’s, he has shown flashes of ability and could well be an influential player for the Saints in the future. If Sevilla are willing to part with £8.6m and Southampton also want to sign him, you would expect the latter to easily be able to propose a higher fee, and Liverpool shouldn’t have too many problems in letting him move to the south coast permanently given that the Saints are not a direct rival.

Right now, the ball appears to be in Minamino’s and Hasenhuttl’s court.

In other news, Southampton are eyeing this Europa League ace.

Throughout the summer of 2020, Leicester were heavily linked with a move for Barcelona’s Francisco Trincao.

At the time, it was reported in The Guardian that the Foxes had tabled a two-year loan offer for the Portuguese wideman with an added obligation to buy after that period.

A move never came to fruition, with Director of Football Jon Rudkin instead signing off a deal for AS Roma winger Cengiz Under.

However, reports in El Confidencial now indicate that a ‘system change’ under Ronald Koeman at the Nou Camp could see Trincao pushed out of contention, with the East Midlands talked up as a potential destination, so Leicester have to ensure that they secure their man this time around.

At just the age of 21, the Portuguese international has already displayed immense promise. With boyhood club Braga, he scored nine goals and notched 13 assists in all competitions from the right flank before his big move to Barca.

He has continued that form throughout the current campaign despite having started only nine matches, just two of those coming in La Liga. Trincao has three goals and two assists in all competitions, which are respectable numbers considering his lack of game-time.

For context, that is a higher tally than Marc Albrighton and Cengiz Under, and the same amount as Ayoze Perez.

He would seem a great addition considering Leicester’s wide options. Under is set to leave following the expiry of his loan deal, leaving a space in the Foxes’ squad.

Valued at just £22.5m by Transfermarkt at the time of writing, he would only be slightly more costly than the reported £20.4m fee that it would take to bring the Turk to the King Power Stadium on a permanent basis.

With Trincao now available and the Foxes needing a right winger, the club should look to renew their interest in him and secure his signature at the second time of asking.

AND in more news, read about a sale in 2017 that Leicester City played perfectly…

If rumours are to be believed, Leicester City are looking to strengthen their forward line this summer.

The Foxes have been linked with a number of attacking recruits but the most prominent names appear to be that of Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard and Raul de Tomas of Espanyol.

Brendan Rodgers has been rumoured to be considering a move for the Frenchman currently at his former club for some time, meanwhile Fichajes indicate that the East-Midlanders are eyeing a move for the Spaniard instead.

Edouard though should be right at the top of the club’s shopping list.

On paper, the two forwards are enjoying extremely prolific campaigns in their respective leagues.

Edouard, who Rodgers brought to Celtic Park, has found the net 20 times in all competitions for the Bhoys. As a matter of fact, former manager Neil Lennon praised the former Paris Saint Germain man for his “magnificent” performances before he departed the club.

Meanwhile, former Real Madrid man De Tomas has hit 16 of his own in the Segunda Division.

Judging by those records, either of them would be fantastic rivals to the likes of Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho at the King Power Stadium.

Their statistics are also markedly similar, but Edouard just continues to edge ahead.

According to SofaScore, the two strikers average 0.6 goals per game this season but Edouard has netted them more frequently, scoring every 125 minutes in the Scottish Premiership whilst de Tomas finds the net every 148 minutes.

Meanwhile, Edouard tends to get more involved in general play, averaging 40.3 touches per game and 1.2 key passes. The 26-year-old Spaniard sits marginally lower once again at 32.1 and 1.1.

Away from their skillsets though, the much younger Edouard would also ironically bring much more experience. He has made 36 appearances in UEFA competitions, an aspect that would be key to Leicester as they potentially embark on a second-consecutive European campaign.

de Tomas has only been afforded four appearances in the UEFA Champions League with Benfica.

So, should Leicester be looking for a forward to bolster their frontline, the £13.5m-rated Edouard makes a lot more sense than de Tomas. And, given the fact that he worked with him before, the Leicester boss will know how to get the best out of him.

It’s exactly why Jon Rudkin should be all over a potential deal for the Frenchman.

AND in more news, the Foxes must not sign a midfielder who has been likened to Yaya Toure…

Leeds United appear to be leading the race for long-term target Rodrigo de Paul.

The Whites were linked with the Argentine last summer and reportedly came agonisingly close to landing the central midfielder ahead of their first season back in the Premier League.

However, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side all but guaranteeing their top-flight status for the 2021/22 campaign, links to De Paul are starting to resurface.

‘Leeds above all’ for De Paul

A recent report from TuttoAtalanta, cited by TEAMtalk, shared Atalanta’s interest in the €35m-rated star.

The story claimed Udinese are open to selling the player in the upcoming window, but De Paul’s choice this summer is ‘Leeds above all’.

The likes of Liverpool and Inter Milan are also thought to be keen on the 26-year-old, but it seems as if a move to Yorkshire is one that is appealing to De Paul the most at this moment in time.

Transfer Tavern take

Should a €35m (£29.8m) deal go through this summer, De Paul would become the club’s most expensive signing of all time – eclipsing Rodrigo Moreno’s move last year.

De Paul’s potential arrival could prove to be a huge moment for the Whites. It seems as if Bielsa could do with a marquee addition in the middle of the park to help Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich.

Utility man Stuart Dallas has been solid in recent weeks, however, if Leeds want to progress, bringing in a player of De Paul’s quality could be massive in the long run.

In other news: Leeds keen on 16-goal forward this summer, find out more here. 

Everton transfer target Patson Daka has been priced at £17m but the Blues will have to ‘move quickly’ to bring him in for that price, according to the Daily Star.

The media outlet’s report named the Toffees among the Premier League’s interested parties in the in-form RB Salzburg striker.

Daka’s dizzying record

Daka has scored 30 goals and provided eight assists in 32 appearances this season across all competitions. In the Austrian Bundesliga, he is scoring a goal every 59 minutes (19 in 1,351 minutes).

On Sunday, he netted a remarkable eight-minute hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Sturm Graz – the fastest in the Austrian top flight’s history.

Daka could provide competition for, and potentially play alongside, Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Goodison Park if he moves to the blue half of Merseyside.

Everton recruited Josh King in January to bolster their depth in the position but, prior to Monday’s clash against Crystal Palace, he has yet to start a game or score a goal for the Toffees.

Unsurprisingly, there seems to be plenty of competition for Daka. Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal are also said to be in the race for his signature, as he has apparently emerged as a cheaper alternative to former Salzburg hitman Erling Haaland.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Daka’s numbers are sensational, and a back-up role at a top club would probably suit him. He’s only 22 and he still has plenty of room to improve, as evidenced by the fact he’s failed to score in European competition this season.

Everton are an increasingly attractive proposition under Carlo Ancelotti and could tempt Daka to move to Merseyside. A £17m deal would be a surefire contender for bargain of the window if the Toffees can pull it off.

In other news, these Everton fans have been celebrating one squad update.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Keith Gillespie believes that selling Adam Armstrong and Ivan Toney are part of the reason why Newcastle are struggling in the Premier League at present.

The pair, who both came through the ranks at St James’ Park, made just 25 appearances between them for the Magpies, and were eventually sold following a number of loan spells in the EFL.

Since their respective departures, Armstrong has become one of the most feared strikers in the Championship, and is approaching 60 goals in a Blackburn shirt following his move from Newcastle back in 2018.

Meanwhile, Toney has worked his way through the leagues, and after two outstanding seasons in League One with Peterborough is now the top scorer in the Championship with Brentford.

They both left St James’ Park in the same window, when Newcastle had the likes of Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez at their disposal.

But whilst summer signing Callum Wilson has impressed since his arrival from Bournemouth, the likes of Dwight Gayle, Joelinton and Andy Carroll have continued to struggle on Tyneside.

And Gillespie believes that perhaps the duo weren’t given a fair crack at Newcastle. He told Football FanCast:

“He [Adam Armstrong] has scored a lot of goals. I was reading about him being linked with Newcastle again, which is ironic when you’re a club that get rid of him and then want to bring him back.

“When a player scores a lot of goals in the Championship, Premier League clubs are going to take notice. You only have to see last season with Ollie Watkins, he’s gone into that Aston Villa team and has been a regular all season and been fantastic.

“I’m sure there’s probably people looking at Toney at Brentford, another ex-Newcastle player. The top-two goalscorers in the league, and Newcastle have got rid of both of them. That shows why Newcastle are in the position they are.

“Armstrong is one that when he did have a few chances at Newcastle you could see the potential there, but he never got that consistent run and was farmed out on loan.”

Whether Newcastle end up staying in the Premier League or not this season, either one of Armstrong or Toney would be solid additions for the St James’ Park outfit this summer.

And whilst hindsight is a wonderful thing in football, perhaps they should have given the two academy graduates more of a chance to prove themselves before cashing in.

Luke Edwards has dropped a big update on the future of Steve Bruce at Newcastle United.

As per a tweet from the Daily Telegraph journalist, the uncertainty with the proposed takeover at St James’ Park by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group, the pending arbitration case between the club and the Premier League, and the talk of investment from the Saudis ‘will almost certainly’ keep the 60-year-old in the job as long as the Magpies avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Newcastle close to Premier League safety

The Magpies are now very close to securing their top-flight status having recorded back-to-back wins against Burnley and West Ham United, which could result in Bruce keeping his job unless there is significant progression in the takeover saga.

The prospective new owners may want a new face at the helm to take Newcastle into a new era if the bid were to eventually go through, and so Bruce could fall victim in that case.

However, until that actually comes into fruition, it is likely that the former Manchester United defender will stay on as manager at the Toon, especially if he manages to secure their safety in the Premier League for another season.

With Edwards adding that Bruce is unlikely to resign after turning the tide recently in the face of enormous pressure, and doing ‘all Ashley wants him to do’ in terms of keeping them in the top flight, the 60-year-old can probably feel safe in his role for now.

In other news, read more about an insight into Boris Johnson’s involvement in the potential takeover!