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Arsenal could make a late move to sign Southampton star Romeo Lavia if Folarin Balogun is sold, but Mikel Arteta actually prefers another player.

Who will Arsenal sign?

The north Londoners will be absolutely thrilled by their transfer business so far this summer, with winger Kai Havertz, defender Jurrien Timber and, of course, star midfielder Declam Rice all joining.

Havertz signed for £65 million from Chelsea, while the versatile Timber completed a £38 million switch from Ajax. However, Rice stands out as the real headline-grabber, with Arsenal smashing their transfer record to sign him.

The Gunners will pay £105 million in total, including £5m in add-ons, for the 24-year-old and Arteta believes he will be a key player for the season to come.

“We’re really happy that Declan is joining us," said Arteta.

“Declan has great experience in the Premier League at only 24 years old. He has captained a very good West Ham team and as we all saw, he recently lifted a European trophy. The responsibility and role he has taken on has been very impressive and we are really excited that he is joining us.”

Reliable media sources claim that Arsenal are also chasing a deal for Brentford's David Raya as Edu Gaspar and co look to hand competition for current number one Aaron Ramsdale.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Lavia, who is subject to intense interest from Liverpool, is another player who has been repeatedly linked with a move to Arsenal – though rumours have died down lately.

However, The Independent and journalist Miguel Delaney now have an interesting update, as it is believed Arsenal could make a late move for the Belgian if Balogun is sold before deadline day.

Perhaps most intriguingly, this could go against the wishes of Arteta, who is actually said to prefer Ajax star Mohammed Kudus. The Gunners boss apparently has a "particular idea" for his midfield.

How good is Romeo Lavia?

Despite his young age, Lavia stood out as one of Southampton's best-performing players by average match rating last season according to WhoScored.

The 19-year-old boasted an impressive 86.4% passing accuracy, a higher number than any other Saints regular in the top flight (WhoScored).

Members of Southamptojn media, like reporter Sam Tighe, have heaped praise on Lavia for his performances throughout 2022/2023.

The former Man City prodigy, according to Tighe, was a "shining star" at St. Mary's Stadium last term.

I watched every game Roméo Lavia played last season and he was absolutely incredible," wrote Tighe on Twitter in late June.

"A shining star despite playing in terrible circumstances most of the time. Arsenal reportedly advancing on a deal…one to be very excited about."

If Arsenal can pip other competition for Lavia's signature, he'd come as an exciting addition, though it will be interesting to see if the club do end up going for Kudus on the wishes of Arteta.

Sunderland’s striker position is still a topic of much deliberation.

The Black Cats seemingly possessed the perfect marksman to score the lion's share of the goals when they signed Ross Stewart in 2021.

During his first full season, the Scot was instrumental in the club’s promotion from League 1 to the Championship, scoring 26 times, netting in the play-off final, and being named the PFA Fans Player of the Year.

The 27-year-old began his Championship career in scintillating fashion notching 13 goal contributions in as many games. However, this eye-catching form has been intercepted by two, damaging long-term injuries, which means he’s missed 38 games in the last year.

After losing the season opener 2-1 against newly-promoted Ipswich Town, Tony Mowbray is aware that the club requires more attacking reinforcements if they are to compete in the top six yet again.

He said:

“Hopefully there will be some more attacking options in the building in the next week or two, they'll have to settle into the environment and get used to everybody.

"I think we'll get stronger, in six or seven weeks we might have Ross through the middle and Bradley in behind and that with Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts out wide looks a formidable attacking line up.”

But, playing reliance upon a forward who has suffered serious hamstring and Achilles issues to instantly come back firing is a questionable strategy.

One name that has been tipped to support Stewart is Matthis Abline.

What’s the latest on Matthis Abline to Sunderland?

According to reports in France (via the Sunderland Echo), the Wearside giants are linked with Abline but are facing competition from Middlesbrough to land the striker.

Would Matthis Abline be a good signing for Sunderland?

Whilst remaining in the infancy of his career and possessing limited first-team experience, the 20-year-old has still amassed a respectable reputation and could be a decent option.

In 27 appearances as a centre-forward, Abline has registered 15 goal contributions.

Despite only starting eight Ligue 1 games last term, the Frenchman still ranks within the top 26% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

The youngster has been described as a “top talent” by football reporter Tom Maston, and he became Rennes’ youngster scorer in European competition when he netted in a group-stage draw with Larnaca in 2021.

Stewart’s potential legacy at the Stadium of Light has been derailed by a series of unfortunate injuries, and it seems that the club is back in the hunt for a player to ruthlessly emulate the potent goal-scoring record of Jermain Defoe.

In consecutive Premier League seasons between 2015 and 2017, the Englishman bagged 30 times. David Moyes once lauded the veteran as “priceless” and across his illustrious career, he hit 163 Premier League goals.

During his time up north, he was the club’s most important and influential player and Stewart’s patchy fitness record has paved the way for a new player to possibly take Defoe’s mantle.

Sunderland are a massive club, that undoubtedly should host top-flight football on a weekly basis. Therefore, with options such as Bradley Dack, the returning Stewart, and possibly Abline, they could head the club’s long-awaited return back to where it belongs.

Whilst the young forward has never played outside of his home country, he is clearly a lethal threat in the final third – given his eye-catching contributions in such little game time – and that makes him a real candidate to fill the void left behind by Defoe this season.

Should Mowbray and co win the race for his signature, then the Black Cats could well have a generational frontline talent on their hands, just like the former fan-favourite in his heyday.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have officially parted ways with manager Julen Lopetegui, amid the club’s financial issues over the summer.

The Spaniard has reached a mutual agreement with the Old Gold to end his nine-month stay as head coach, after securing the side safety in the Premier League at a point when the squad was bottom of the league on his arrival.

Fosun are far from solving their problems relating to Financial Fair Play (FFP), with one of the final blows to the former Real Madrid manager’s stay in Wolverhampton being him admitting he was “worried” about his squad.

The Midlands outfit open their league campaign with a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in only five days, leaving Fosun little time to turn things around.

Who could replace Julen Lopetegui at Wolves?

It was speculated on Monday by talkSPORT that former AFC Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil could be an option for the Old Gold should Lopetegui call it quits.

Following his official departure last night, Wolves released a statement expressing their gratitude to the 56-year-old and reinforcing their plans to quickly locate his heir.

“Talks have been ongoing in recent weeks, held with the utmost respect and cordiality, affording the club time and space to begin work on finding a successor.”

News surrounding O’Neil’s appointment now looks imminent, with The Athletic adding following his departure that the Englishman is ‘widely expected’ to arrive at Molineux ‘imminently’.

Would Gary O’Neil be a good fit for Wolves?

If any manager understands the demands and pressure of keeping a wavered club fighting in the Premier League, it’s O’Neil.

The 40-year-old took charge of the Cherries initially in an interim role following their dismissal of Scott Parker in August last season, a job that became permanent in November.

Speaking on Sky Sports (as relayed by the Bournemouth Echo), former defender-turned-pundit Stephen Warnock praised the work of the coach as being “unbelievable”, as he turned things around boldly at the Vitality.

For Wolves, there is an extensive list of issues that must be resolved this coming campaign if the Old Gold are to extend their current five-year stay in the top-flight beyond this term.

Ending last season as the league’s lowest scorers on just 31 goals from 38 games, the profligate Midlands side must start scoring and reignite their prolific nature in the final third, an area that O’Neil could significantly bolster.

Having arrived from Atletico Madrid in January, £44m striker Matheus Cunha could find his form at Molineux under the guidance of the Englishman, who could benefit the Brazilian in ways similar to his work with Dominic Solanke.

The former Chelsea and Liverpool forward had his confidence knocked after a failed spell at Anfield, following into his form in the top-tier at Bournemouth.

Prior to O’Neil’s arrival, the 25-year-old had scored four goals and assisted three in 63 Premier League appearances for both the Cherries and the Reds, in a dull streak that was banished by the former midfielder.

The 40-year-old instilled confidence into Solanke, making him one of his most important players, which was repaid by him scoring six goals and registering seven assists in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

Giving the Englishman a role of such importance while tweaking Bournemouth’s style of play with bold in-game decisions paid off for O’Neil, who could have a similar effect at Molineux by encouraging Cunha to fire.

The 24-year-old has found the net only twice for the Midlands side, in form that could be turned around by the expected new manager, who has shown his influence on strikers yearning for goals in the top-flight already this year.

Tottenham Hotspur are now "keeping an eye on" Leeds United attacker Wilfried Gnonto, and journalist Rahman Osman has now suggested they have made progress towards hijacking a rival Premier League club's deal.

Is Wilfried Gnonto leaving Leeds?

Gnonto is contracted as a Leeds player until the summer of 2027, but his time at Elland Road could now be coming to an end, having refused to play for the Whites in their last two games, as he eyes a return to the Premier League.

Leeds have told the Italian they have no intention of selling him this summer, despite Everton making bids in excess of £15m earlier in the window, which has caused issues, as he feels he needs to play in the top flight to retain his place in the Italy squad.

The Toffees remain keen on the winger, despite having already signed fellow Leeds player Jack Harrison, although journalist Paul Brown believes their previous offers have been "way below" his club's valuation.

Read The Latest Tottenham Transfer News HERE

There is reportedly a belief that a bid of £25m would be enough to secure the 19-year-old's services this summer, and Everton are now set to face competition for his signature, with Tottenham poised to join the race. That is according to London World reporter Rahman Osman, who recently took to X to say:

"Been informed Tottenham are keeping an eye on Wilfried Gnonto situation at Leeds. Everton still seen as the frontrunner but Spurs not too far behind. The Italian wants to leave ASAP."

In the subsequent article for London World, it is detailed that Spurs could make a bid for the youngster in the coming days, with personal terms believed to be a mere formality, as he is currently on low wages, and would jump at the opportunity to move to London.

Is Wilfried Gnonto left or right footed?

Despite most commonly being utilised as a left-winger, the Italy international is right-footed, and he enjoyed a solid, if not spectacular, first season in the Premier League last season, recording two goals and four assists in 24 outings.

Gary Neville was very impressed with the former FC Zurich man back in January, saying:

"(On) that far side Gnonto looks absolutely fantastic. Watching him here live for the first time, knowing what a good left winger looks like, he knows the position, the movement to get on the ball, the body shape to receive the ball, it’s absolutely fantastic, and he’s tenacious as well."

Of course, the Leeds star is still very young and he will be expected to improve those numbers if he were to move to Spurs, but it was a decent breakthrough season at club level, and he is also thought of in very high regard by his national side.

The starlet already has 12 caps to his name for Italy, registering one goal and two assists for his country, so it is perhaps understandable that he is pushing for a move, as he will be desperate to continue his current trajectory at international level.

After the departure of Harry Kane, Ange Postecoglou's main priority should be to bring in an out-and-out striker, but Gnonto could also be a savvy addition to his squad.

After a long summer without our beloved Premier League fix, the wait is now over as the 2023/24 campaign got underway earlier this month.

For some, the Ashes may have given you that sports fix, or alternatively Wimbledon, but there's nothing quite like a matchday supporting your club.

Manchester United return to action on Saturday in their third league fixture of the season as they play host to Nottingham Forest in the 110th meeting between the pair.

United opened up their account with a controversial 1-0 victory over Wolves at Old Trafford. New signing André Onana clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic in the penalty area but the referee and VAR deemed no penalty, to the surprise of many.

Their luck ran out on the weekend, however, as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to Ange Postecouglou's new-look Tottenham Hotspur.

Forest, on the other hand, lost their opener to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium before they clinched a dramatic late winner against newly-promoted Sheffield United on Friday night.

After narrowly serving relegation last term, the aim will again be to retain their top-flight status.

So heading into this clash, how have the two sides fared against each other over the years? We at Football FanCast have taken a look at the stats…

Man United v Nottingham Forest: In matches gone by, who has the better head-to-head record?

Unsurprisingly, it is Manchester United who top this statistic. The Red Devils have won the top-flight 20 times, more than any other club, so you'd expect them to fare well against the majority of sides in the football pyramid.

But, in fairness to the East Midlanders, they've more than held their own in this fixture. Forest have won 33 times against England's powerhouse which is a commendable tally.

They had success of their own most notably during the Brian Clough era, when they won the first division in 1978 whilst claiming the European Cup in successive seasons (1978-79, 1979-80).

• Man United wins: 52
• Draws: 24
• Forest wins: 33

Man United v Nottingham Forest: Who has more wins at Old Trafford?

Again, the Northwest club top this statistic but this time in more certain terms. Forest have struggled when they've face United at Old Trafford over the years and have conceded defeat on 32 occasions from their 55 outings.

Erik ten Hag will be hoping to add a 33rd defeat to that record on Saturday as his side look to claim their second win of the season.

Forest haven't won at United since December 1994, so Steve Cooper's side will have to break a 29-year trend if they are to bring home three points.

• Man United wins: 32
• Draws: 11
• Forest wins: 12

Man United v Nottingham Forest: Who has the more wins at the City Ground?

The Tricky Trees edge this head-to-head statistic. Despite United's dominance at Old Trafford, they've struggled to replicate those victories on the road at the City Ground.

Forest have claimed victory over the Red Devils 21 times on home turf, which evinces the difference fans can make. Admittedly, it is a very close-fought stat, as United have also had their fair share of victories.

• Forest wins: 21
• Draws: 13
• United wins: 19

Man United v Nottingham Forest: Who has the better domestic cup record?

The 12-time FA Cup winners and six-time League Cup winners have fared slightly better against Forest in cup competitions.

But interestingly, the East Midlands side have picked up all four of their victories against the Red Devils in the FA Cup whilst only losing once.

Meanwhile, United have won all five of their meetings against Forest in the League Cup.

• Man United wins: 6
• Draws: 1
• Forest wins: 4

Man United v Nottingham Forest: What were the match results in the last 5 meetings?

16th April 2023 – Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester United: The last fixture between the pair came in the Premier League, as United cruised home to a comfortable 2-0 victory at the City Ground.

£86m summer signing Antony scored one and assisted one as his side move up to third in the table, six points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

Meanwhile, Forest remained rooted in the bottom three on 27 points.

1st February 2023 – Manchester United 2-0 Nottingham Forest: Erik ten Hag's side booked their place at Wembley in the League Cup final as they eased past Forest in the semi-finals of the competition, winning 5-0 on aggregate. Anthony Martial and Fred scored the goals.

25 January 2023 – Nottingham Forest 0-3 Manchester United: In the first leg, United took home a sizable lead as Marcus Rashford, Wout Weghorst and Bruno Fernandes all scored to seal a three-goal victory.

27 December 2022 – Manchester United 3-0 Nottingham Forest: United were plagued by an illness running through the squad but managed to come away with all three points in what turned out to be a pretty routine evening. They moved to within a point of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who had played a game more.

6th February 1999 – Nottingham Forest 1-8 Manchester United: Forest were thumped on home turf by Sir Alex Ferguson's men and unsurprisingly suffered relegation a few months later.

Its rather remarkable that a fixture from 1999 is still within the last five meetings between the pair, but the East Midlanders had to wait 23 years for their return to the top-flight.

Who has played for both Man United and Nottingham Forest?

Roy Keane (Forest 1990-93; United 1993-2006): Keane, who is arguably one of the greatest Premier League players of all time, first made his breakthrough in English football when Brian Clough signed him from Cobh Ramblers. He spent three years in the East Midlands before moving to Manchester United.

His career in the Northwest of England was littered with success under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson. The Republic of Ireland international won seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one Champions League, to list a few, and is widely considered as a legend among the Old Trafford faithful.

Andy Cole (United 1995-2002; Forest 2008): Cole ranks as the fourth highest goalscorer in Premier League history after netting 187 times in the top-flight. His seven-year career at United saw him win virtually every trophy on offer and he was a prolific marksman for them during this time, scoring 121 goals in 275 outings.

Meanwhile, his tenure at Forest wasn't so fruitful, making just 11 appearances in total before retiring from football.

Nevertheless, Cole has cemented himself as one of the best strikers this nation has ever seen.

Teddy Sheringham (Forest 1991-92; United 1997-2001): Sheringham spent just one season at Forest during Clough's reign before he was snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur after netting 13 league goals in the first division.

United signed the veteran forward for £3.5m in 1997 from the Lilywhites and his four-year stay in Manchester was highly successful. He was a pivitoal part of the Red Devils' trebble-winning 1998-99 campaign as he netted the stoppage time equaliser against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

Viv Anderson (Forest 1974-84; United 1987-91): Anderson graduated through the Nottingham Forest academy and went onto make 418 appearances for the club, winning the European Cup twice and the top-flight title.

The defender joined United in 1987 after rejecting a new three-year contract offer from the Gunners, who expected him to stay. He made 65 appearances for the Red Devils.

Federico Macheda (United 2009-14; Forest 2016): The teenage Italian forward experienced a dramatic rise after netting a wonderful debut winning goal against Aston Villa in April 2009.

Off the back of that memorable turn and finish at Old Trafford, expectations soared for the 17-year-old, but he failed to fulfil his early promise. After several loan spells away, Macheda eventually departed Manchester and joined Cardiff City on a free transfer in 2014.

His short lived career at Forest was underwhelming as he appeared just three times without a goal.

What is Man United's biggest victory over Nottingham Forest?

6th February 1999 – Nottingham Forest 1-8 Manchester United: The aforementioned 8-1 drubbing over Forest back in 1999, the same year they won the treble, was the largest away victory ever recorded in the Premier League up until Leicester City's 9-0 win against Southampton just under four years ago.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored four goals as a substitute whilst Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole both scored braces.

What is Nottingham Forest's biggest win over Man United?

2nd May 1990 – Nottingham Forest 4-0 Manchester United: Forest have had a few victories over United by four-goal margins throughout their 158-year history, but their most recent one was during Clough's tenure in charge in 1990.

Garry Parker opened the scoring in third minute before Stuart Pearce, Nigel Clough and Steve Chettle all found themselves on the scoresheet to secure a sizable home win.

Clough's men ended the campaign in ninth whilst Manchester United languished in the bottom-half of the table in 13th.

Key match stats

• This will be the 110th meeting between these two sides
• Manchester United have won their last 10 games against Nottingham Forest
• Forest haven't won against United since December 1994

Glasgow Rangers are willing to sanction a temporary exit for Leon King this summer, and a reliable journalist has revealed that he's already got a whole host of clubs queuing up to secure his services.

When did Leon King join Rangers?

Rangers have had King on their books for the whole of his career having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to the first team last summer, but during the previous campaign, he only made nine starts in the Scottish Premiership.

The Scotland youth international’s contract isn’t set to expire for another three years, but it looks like he’ll have to complete a move elsewhere should he want to receive more regular game time moving forward, and if he departs, he won’t be short of potential suitors.

According to Football Insider back in March, Premier League sides Manchester United, Newcastle and Leeds all sent scouts to watch the 19-year-old live in action ahead of a possible move this window, and they have now been given a boost after learning that their target has been put in the shop window.

Is Leon King leaving Rangers?

Taking to X, Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph revealed that Rangers and Michael Beale are happy to listen to loan offers for King so that he can get some more minutes under his belt, but equally wouldn't mind him remaining at Ibrox beyond September 1st. He wrote:

"Rangers are exploring loan opportunities for centre-back Leon King. Clubs in England & Europe are keen. It's not a foregone conclusion that he will leave, but to gain more experience, Rangers are open to loaning him to a club that will suit his style of play & development."

What height is Leon King?

Standing at 6 foot exactly, King isn’t the tallest of centre-backs, but he still possesses a great physical presence at the heart of the backline when handed the rare opportunity to play, as shown by the level of his performances last season for Rangers.

The CAA Base Ltd client, who earns £4k-per-week, averaged 1.9 clearances and 1.3 aerial wins and tackles per league game during the previous term, via WhoScored, so is a no-nonsense defender and is strong at clearing the danger both on and off the ground.

Read The Latest Rangers Transfer News HERE…

The Barrhead native also has the ability to operate at left-back and right-back alongside his usual position, so he would provide any manager with wonderful versatility, another reason as to why he would be an attractive option for plenty of clubs considering a swoop.

King has bags of potential to offer and will no doubt go on to become a “big player” for the long-term future of the Teddy Bears, according to journalist Josh Bunting, but for now, it could make sense to send him out on loan so that he can gain the necessary experience and exposure that he needs before returning to fight for his place north of the border ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, making this one to watch in the final days of the window.

With the Premier League's increasingly global reach and its ever-growing popularity in America, it can be interesting to see which clubs have attracted the widest array of famous faces, something especially true with West Ham United. You may be surprised by some of the names on this list and wonder how on earth they even chose the East Londoners as their English team, but often, their reasons aren't too dissimilar from ours.

While you'd usually expect the rich and famous to support teams with a long and illustrious history of winning, like Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal, this group has instead pledged their loyalty to the Claret and Blue.

With that said, from professional boxers to actors and even a head of state, we at Football FanCast have taken a look at which celebrities support West Ham.

10

Ray Winstone

Now, there might be a few names on this list that shouldn't really come as a surprise to you at all, and one of those names is none other than British acting legend Ray Winstone.

When he isn't starring opposite some of Hollywood's biggest names, the 66-year-old can be found watching his beloved Hammers. On an episode of the Any Old Irons podcast Winstone explained that his love of the club extends beyond more than just the players on the pitch, saying:

"It’s not just the football but the area where I came from. I’ve got a thing on the wall here that says ‘in our family blood. If I’m on the other side of the world, and I might be in Australia, I remember being in the outback in Australia, and we got English newspapers flown in…you pick up the paper and there it was, the West Ham result.

"Don’t forget that because that’s where you’re made from and that’s everything to me, you know."

9

Lennox Lewis

While Winstone certainly has the credentials to play a hardman on the big screen, legendary boxer Lennox Claudius Lewis is the real deal.

Born 2nd September 1965 in West Ham, London, Lewis would represent Canada as an amateur and at the 1988 Olympics where he would win gold in the super-heavyweight category. Shortly after, he would make his way to professional boxing, where he would go on to have a genuinely unbelievable career, ending it as one of the greatest British fighters of all time.

In total, he had 44 fights, winning 41 – 32 by knockout – losing just twice and fighting out a draw once. He became the WBC heavyweight champion in 1992 and defended the title three times before losing it to Oliver McCall, only to win it back three years later.

Maybe most impressively, he fought with Mike Tyson in 2002 and won, cementing his legacy as one of the true great heavyweights in the modern era.

Outside the ring, Lewis is a massive fan of West Ham, so much so that in 2014, he was welcomed into the dressing room by then-boss Sam Allardyce to give a rousing pre-match speech to the players before they took on Norwich City. Unsurprisingly, the talk worked, and the Hammers emerged as victors.

I mean, you really wouldn't want to let down Lewis, would you?

8

Keira Knightley

Yep, Keira Knightley of Pirates of the Caribbean, Love Actually and Atonement fame is a massive lifelong fan of the Hammers.

In fact, she was one of the celebrities to partake in the Farewell Boleyn campaign that the club ran towards the end of their final year at the famous old ground. She sent in a video proclaiming her love for the stadium and the team, which was shared all over West Ham's official social media channels.

She also did her best to promote the Irons when she went on the American talk show Late Night with Seth Meyers, where she explained the meaning behind the club's anthem 'I'm forever blowing bubbles':

"The problem with the song is that the song is really sad. The song is about not winning and is, in fact, about your dreams fading and dying the whole time, so it's not really a surprise that we lose all the time, when we have this song!"

Well, West Ham's recent European triumph might just have changed her outlook ever so slightly.

7

James Corden

James Corden has become a household name in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and through it all, he has remained a massive West Ham fan.

He shot to fame in the UK for writing and starring in the BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey, in which he plays the character 'Smithy', who he wrote to also be a die-hard Hammer.

In 2015, Corden succeeded Craig Ferguson as the host of the American talk show 'The Late Late Show' and shot to stardom in the States. Despite being thousands of miles away and in a country not really known for its love of football, he made sure to mention his beloved Irons as frequently as he could on air.

For example, towards the end of last season, he congratulated West Ham's under-18s for their FA Youth Cup win over Arsenal live on air. In June, he was also spotted in Prague for the club's Conference League triumph.

6

Russell Brand

Brand has had a career and personal life full of crazy ups and downs, but through it, his undying love for West Ham has remained. Born in Essex, the comedian come actor has been a fan of the Hammers his entire life and still often goes to watch matches when he's in the country.

He can sometimes be heard phoning into Talksport to discuss the club, most recently to discuss Declan Rice's record-breaking fee. While Rice's exit probably hurt, we're sure the European trophy softened the blow somewhat.

5

Danny Dyer

Okay, this one might be painfully obvious, but can you really make a list of famous West Ham fans and not include the one and only Danny Dyer? Of course you can't.

The quintessential Eastender, and now a regular on Eastenders, Dyer is a lifelong, diehard fan of the Irons who is now a part of the Hammers family courtesy of his daughter having twins with fan favourite winger Jarrod Bowen.

While he might not appreciate some of the new chants, witnessing the father of your grandkids score the winner in a European final for your club probably makes up for it.

4

Dave Grohl

He might be the only musician on the list, but we think being the drummer for Nirvana and the frontman for Foo Fighters probably makes up for that. But why on earth does Dave Grohl support West Ham?

Well, it goes back to the early 2000s when Dave was on an extensive UK tour with his new band Foo Fighters. The legendary drummer explained in an interview with VH1 that he was, and still is, a massive fan of the Premier League, and as he was spending so much time in and around London, he decided to pick the Hammers as his team.

3

Alfred Hitchcock

Arguably one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and one of the most influential people in cinema history, when Hitchcock wasn't working on another cinematic masterpiece, he was thinking about his beloved West Ham.

The Psycho director was a lifelong supporter of the club, born in Leytonstone, only about an hour's walk from Upton Park in East London. It's said that when he lived and worked in Los Angeles, he would get English newspapers delivered to his home every week to keep tabs on his Irons.

During his lifetime, he would've seen the club win multiple FA Cups, a UEFA Cup Winners Cup, and the Second Division title. Unfortunately he would pass away just before the club won a second Second Division title in the 1980/81 season.

2

Matt Damon

When you think of big Hollywood A-listers, it probably isn't long before you cast your mind to the Academy Award-winning Matt Damon. The Massachusetts-born 52-year-old has been nominated for 94 awards in his career, won 27 and, most importantly, is a self-confessed West Ham fan.

Damon's love of the Hammers grew from his time filming Saving Private Ryan in the UK. He explained that he was put off from supporting the then-dominant Manchester United as it was akin to supporting the New York Yankees in baseball – a cardinal sin for a devout Boston Red Sox fan such as himself.

After watching some Leeds United games with a colleague and coming to the conclusion that they were "terrible" – his words, not ours – he landed on West Ham as his new team, a happy medium at the time.

Given the last 12 months, we think he probably made the right choice there.

1

Barack Obama

Yes, you read that right, the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama is in fact a West Ham fan, and therefore he surely has to be the most famous one of the lot, surely.

While it may seem highly improbable that a man who was once the most powerful individual on the planet is an Iron, it's true, at the East Londoners have made sure to make the most of this fact as well, wishing him a happy birthday on their official Twitter account in 2016.

Apparently his love of the club comes from a visit he paid to his Kent-based half-sister Auma in 2002. This earth-shattering revelation came from one of his campaign advisors during his 2008 election campaign:

“Obama is a big sports nut and loves his soccer.

“He never really followed it, though, until he was told all about the passion of West Ham fans by some of his English relatives. He’s always keen to find out how his adopted club are getting on.”

Some clubs might be able to boast a famous actor, musician, or filmmaker amongst their fans, but only one can claim Barack Obama as their own.

And there you have it, ten of the most famous West Ham fans around.

It's a pretty impressive list to read, and it's mightily refreshing to see some of the globe's most famous faces opting to support one of the sides outside the traditional 'big six'.

What they say must be true then; West Ham really are massive everywhere they go.

Former Spurs striker turned pundit Darren Bent has made a "bonkers" James Maddison claim at Tottenham Hotspur.

Who have Tottenham signed this summer?

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy moved to bring in goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, striker Alejo Veliz and forward Brennan Johnson over the summer.

The north Londoners sealed seven major signings in total; bolstering Postecoglou's squad to great. Meanwhile, star striker Harry Kane, Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott, Dane Scarlett, Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele all moved in the opposite direction.

It was quite the busy transfer window for Tottenham before it shut on September 1, with Postecoglou orchestrating a major overhaul to reshape the Spurs squad in his own image.

So far, the Australian has been totally justified in his decisions off the field. Spurs currently sit second in the Premier League table, just behind last season's imperious treble-winning Man City.

The Lilywhites, during that time, have won three out of their opening four league matches; scoring nine goals in the process with brilliant victories over Man United, Bournemouth and Burnley.

Maddison, after joining from Leicester City in late June, has been one of the shining lights in this exciting, new-look Postecoglou side at Tottenham.

The England international has dazzled with two goals and two assists already in a Spurs shirt; putting in Man of the Match performances whilst truly justifying his £45 million price tag.

Maddison, speaking in a recent sit-down with The Telegraph, explained his love for the beautiful game and how he is overjoyed at being a Tottenham player.

"When you start playing football as a kid, you don’t play for anything,” said Maddison.

“There’s no politics, nothing like that. You play because you love playing football and you do the things you love and you become the player you become because of what you do and what you’re good at.

"And that will never change for me. That’s non-negotiable. That’s how I play. I’m never going to change and that’s why my journey has gone like this and I’m happy to have ended up at Tottenham.”

What's been said about James Maddison?

The former Norwich City star and Spurs are seemingly a match made in heaven; as the club have long missed a serial creative playmaker in the mould of Christian Eriksen.

Pundit Bent, speaking live on talkSPORT this week, has heaped praise on Maddison for his start to life under Postecoglou.

The former Aston Villa striker has also made a "bonkers" claim involving the 26-year-old, amid his imperious run f form in the top flight.

As transcribed by TBR, when asked if Maddison is now worth £90 million, Bent said: “Easy, because he’s been that good, that impressive."

He also called the £45m fee paid for his services an absolute "bargain".

“For James Maddison, I think it’s a bargain, even at £45 million. It sounds bonkers, it’s a bargain."

If the Englishman can maintain these superb run of performances through the 2023/2024 season, it's safe to say chairman Daniel Levy has pulled off a masterstroke.

The 2022/23 season was one to forget for Liverpool as they officially missed out on a place in the Champions League for the first time in seven years, resulting in a major summer overhaul for Jurgen Klopp and his team.

Who left Liverpool in the transfer window?

A disappointing campaign ended with some of Liverpool’s star players of the Jurgen Klopp era departing, with Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino and Fabinho all leaving for the Saudi Pro League.

Veteran James Milner made the switch to fellow Europa League side Brighton & Hove Albion, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita moved abroad to Besiktas and Werder Bremen respectively.

While the majority that left the club did so with a respectable legacy, that can’t really be said for the Guinean midfielder, Naby Keita.

When did Naby Keita join Liverpool?

In August 2017, Liverpool announced they had agreed a club-record £48m fee with RB Leipzig to sign Keita.

The move was arranged so that then-22-year-old would join the club the next summer, in July 2018.

The midfielder was one of Jurgen Klopp’s primary targets to bring to Anfield, and although Leipzig were initially reluctant to sell their man, Liverpool eventually paid the release clause in his contract.

According to The Times, Keita was earning a weekly wage along the lines of £120k-per-week, making him one of Liverpool’s highest-paid players at the time.

Despite it being a heavy investment, many argued it was justified as Keita was quickly establishing himself as one of the next stars in European football.

What was the reaction when Naby Keita joined Liverpool?

The reaction among the fanbase was certainly positive following the signing, especially on social media.

One Twitter user wrote: “Naby Keita could be an even more significant signing [than] Mo Salah. That’s why we should be unbelievably excited by his arrival.”

He even earned comparisons to club legend Steven Gerrard from none other than former Reds boss, Gerard Houllier.

Houllier watched Keita during his spell at Istres in the lower leagues of France, saying: “Like when I watched Gerrard; he was everywhere.”

However positive the fanbase may have been, they would quickly be hit by the reality of the signing, which certainly wasn’t as hoped.

What happened to Naby Keita at Liverpool?

Keita might have shown signs of the player he could be at Anfield, but his reputation at the club was unfortunately tarnished by his consistent injury issues and poor availability.

In his first season alone, he spent a total of 89 days out injured and missed a total of 15 games in all competitions. This was, unfortunately, a sign of what the future held for Keita and Liverpool.

Over the next four seasons, Keita would miss an astonishing 107 games due to injury troubles alone, much to the frustration of Klopp and his side.

Although his frequent fitness problems didn’t help his case much, Keita never really managed to stand out even when he was available and would often find himself being utilised as more of a rotation player, rather than the standout player he was signed to be.

Of his 84 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, Keita only managed a full 90 minutes on just 12 occasions, being substituted on or off the majority of the time, via Transfermarkt.

In a total of 129 appearances in all competitions for the club, the midfielder only managed 11 goals and 7 assists, which averages at one goal contribution every 7 games over his five-year spell – very underwhelming, especially when compared to his record in Germany where he scored 20 goals with 11 assists in only 81 games for Leipzig, which averaged at a goal contribution every two games.

A more in-depth look at his statistics doesn’t do the Guinean international any favours either.

His time in the English top-flight saw him average barely over 0.1 big chances created per game – or one every nine games, while his completed tackle success rate sat at just 47.2%, per the Premier League's official website.

From being an instant fan-favourite before even kicking a ball for the club, as the years went by fans also grew irritated with Keita’s inconsistencies and while there were some memorable moments, such as netting the fastest goal in Liverpool history after only 15 seconds in April 2019, the negatives seemingly outweighed the positives of his transfer.

In October 2021, journalist Josh Williams described Keita as a “terrible liability,” which more or less sums up his spell as a Liverpool player.

Then by January 2023, Football Insider reported that Keita would not be signing a new contract at the club and would leave as a free agent in June.

He concluded his time in Merseyside by making 13 appearances in his final season but did not score or assist any goals.

Where is Naby Keita now?

Despite his disappointing season, Keita didn’t have to wait long to find a new club.

On June 9th, it was announced he would be returning to the German league, this time with Werder Bremen.

The 28-year-old has reportedly taken a major cut in his salary to make the move happen, with respected Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg reporting his new contract is worth €2.5m-per-year, which works out at around £41k-per-week.

Werder Bremen find themselves currently 11th in the Bundesliga after three games played, winning one and losing two going into the international break this September.

Keita, however, is still yet to make his debut for the German side, having suffered yet another injury during a pre-season warm-up in July, which the club stated will leave him out of action for “several weeks,” though an exact return date is currently unknown.

The upcoming months could be a huge chance for Keita to get fit and potentially regain the form he enjoyed in his previous spell in the Bundesliga.

With the Africa Cup of Nations taking place in the early months of 2024, the midfielder will hope to feature in his fourth consecutive tournament, with his native Guinea already having secured qualification for this winter’s competition in the Ivory Coast.

Overall, while there were no doubts Keita was certainly a talented individual who at times showed glimpses of class, his move to Liverpool will be looked back on with disappointment for both parties and just goes to show that even managers like Jurgen Klopp get it wrong sometimes, albeit rarely.

Sunderland could be set to lose another of their academy players alongside Tom Watson, who has been linked with an exit recently, as a fresh report has revealed a possible approach from outside the Championship.

How are Sunderland doing this season?

The Black Cats and Tony Mowbray have had a mixed start to the campaign having secured three wins, one draw and suffered two defeats from their opening six games, and after taking ten points from a possible 18, they find themselves seventh in the table just outside the play-off places, via Sky Sports.

The Academy of Light have already seen Watson recently linked with an exit, with the forward once again attracting significant interest from Nottingham Forest in the Premier League having failed to land him over the summer, but he’s not the only up-and-coming prospect that could be heading for the exit door in the northeast.

Black Cats centre-back Zak Johnson has only ever made two senior appearances at the club throughout his career, but he recently put pen to paper on a new three-year deal which will see him remain at the club until at least 2026.

Speaking about his achievement, the 19-year-old said: “I am delighted to extend my stay here at Sunderland. This is my home, and it has been for over 10 years now. I would like to thank all my team-mates and all the coaches that have helped me develop into the player I am today. There is still a long way to go, but I know this is the right place for me to continue my development.”

Is Zak Johnson leaving Sunderland?

According to The Hartlepool Mail, Hartlepool are “considering an approach” for Johnson in the near future. John Askey’s side are contemplating a loan swoop for the defender as a result of several injuries meaning that they have a lack of options.

Sunderland’s teenage talent was included in Tony Mowbray’s pre-season tour squad of the USA but they “may look to consider” a temporary exit to further his development.

Clubs in the National League North are also interested in the youngster, but it’s believed that the former would be the favourites to secure his services should they make a move.

How good is Zak Johnson?

As per journalist Josh Bunting, Johnson is an “exciting” player and one that will no doubt go on to become an integral member of Sunderland’s senior squad in the future, but sending him out on loan would be completely the right decision to make considering the potential he has to offer.

The England youth international, who pockets £400-per-week, managed three aerial wins and the same number of clearances during his only first-team appearance in the Carabao Cup this season, highlighting the rock he can be at the heart of the backline.

Johnson, who has also scored one goal since the start of his career, also has the versatility to operate out wide at right-back alongside his usual role in the centre, so his flexibility and ability to adapt is another attribute that makes him a great option for a club to have at their disposal.