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Crystal Palace reporter Matt Woosnam has revealed the Eagles are not interested in signing Michy Batshuayi on a permanent basis.

The Chelsea striker has enjoyed two loan spells at Selhurst Park and scored eight goals in 33 appearances.

Although the Belgium international has returned to Stamford Bridge ahead of the new season, he is among those boss Thomas Tuchel is keen to sell in order to boost his transfer kitty.

Chelsea are looking to offload a string of high-earning fringe players as they set their sights on signing big-name targets like Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.

Batshuayi has failed to nail down a regular starting berth at Chelsea following a reported £33million transfer from Marseille in 2016.

The 27-year-old has also spent time at Borussia Dortmund and Valencia since his move to west London but new Palace manager Patrick Vieira, who was appointed earlier this month, will not be dipping into his transfer budget to secure Batshuayi’s services permanently.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, The Athletic journalist Woosnam said: “I think that’s almost certainly not going to happen. It’s out of the question.

“Palace are looking at revitalising their squad and it’s very clear they’re looking at younger players.

“That does not mean completely avoiding slightly older players but Batshuayi is slightly old in that respect.”

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips is reportedly being watched closely by Real Madrid, following a superb start to his Euro 2020 campaign with England.

The Lowdown: Phillips excels for England

The 25-year-old started for the Three Lions in their opener against Croatia on Sunday afternoon, producing a Man of the Match performance and providing the assist for Raheem Sterling’s winning goal.

It was the type of display that Leeds fans have become accustomed to, but it was pleasing to see him shine on the big stage, in front of a huge worldwide audience.

The Latest: Real Madrid linked with shock move

Phillips’ brilliance for England seemingly hasn’t gone unnoticed, with Defensa Central claiming that European giants Madrid are reportedly keeping an eye on him as they look for summer recruits.

Carlo Ancelotti has recently taken charge at the Santiago Bernabeu and it may be that he was an admirer of the midfielder during his time at Everton in the Premier League.

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The Verdict: Unlikely to happen

It sums up Phillips’ quality that a team of Madrid’s stature are reportedly eyeing him up, having been such an influential player for Leeds during a glorious period in their history.

In truth, it is hard to see the La Liga side actually signing him – they are more known for signing world-renowned ‘Galacticos’ – so Marcelo Bielsa is unlikely to be losing any sleep.

That being said, should Phillips continue to improve as a player, it could be increasingly difficult for the Whites to keep hold of him for the long-term future.

In other news, a former Leeds man has failed to rule out one current Whites player leaving this summer. Find out who it is here.

Glasgow Rangers transfer target Lewis Ferguson is set to be the subject of a third bid from Watford, according to The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Ferguson wants Aberdeen exit

Ferguson recently handed in a transfer request at Aberdeen (BBC), and the Gers are duly said to be interested in capturing the 21-year-old’s services.

According to a report from Football Insider, the £2.7m-valued Scotland under-21 international is desperate to make the move to Ibrox.

The Latest: Watford prepare third bid

It is now being reported that the Hornets are preparing a third bid for Ferguson after having their first two offers rejected.

Aberdeen have already confirmed that they have received an “insulting” bid from an unnamed English club for the young midfielder (STV).

The Verdict: Gers under pressure

This latest report puts the Gers under a little bit of pressure to get a deal done. While one report claimed that Ferguson is eager to join the 55-time Scottish champions, his agent has revealed that the midfielder’s dream is to play in the Premier League, a division to which Watford recently sealed promotion.

Aberdeen have stood firm so far, but there is only so long they can hold on to a player who has expressed his desire to leave. If Ross Wilson and co really want to sign Ferguson this summer, they must move quickly or else risk losing him to a persistent Watford.

In other news, Danny Mills has slammed Rangers’ treatment of this 22-year-old.

West Ham United could soon launch their bid to sign Jesse Lingard permanently…

What’s the word?

The 28-year-old loan sensation was snubbed from Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming European Championships, which means the Irons can now strike early with their attempts to keep him at the London Stadium.

That’s according to fansite Claret & Hugh, who relayed fresh information from an inside source, who subsequently revealed a teasing update on the matter.

They said:

“It’s very much in Jesse’s hands with only a year left on his deal. He loved his time at the club and it’s been made clear to him the club want him at the London Stadium – now the talking will have to start!”

Get it done, Sullivan

Lingard has been a major hit in East London as his nine goals and five assists have helped steer the club from relegation candidates to becoming a Europa League outfit in the space of just one season.

He has provided David Moyes with a key source of creativity behind Michail Antonio, whilst also playing up top when the injury-prone striker has been faced with a spell on the sidelines.

Despite only joining the Hammers in January, the Manchester United star rated out as their second-best player (7.22) for the whole campaign, as per WhoScored, with Tomas Soucek (7.36) being the only man to beat him.

In terms of attacking output, Lingard was clear of several teammates, registering a squad-high 2.6 shots, whilst his 1.1 key passes per game were the highest of any central or forward option.

His form at West Ham has caught the eye of many pundits and former professionals, too.

During one game against Leeds, ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright told Premier League Productions (via HITC) that Lingard was “devastating” and “a problem”  whilst Rio Ferdinand dubbed him “intelligent” and “amazing” to the FIVE podcast.

The £20m-rated dynamo has quickly become a fan-favourite at the London Stadium, with many supporters absolutely desperate to see him remain at the club after such a fruitful loan spell.

However, some reports have since raised doubt that he could stay, with the Daily Mail claiming that West Ham may struggle to commit to his wage demands.

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Fans haven’t been alone in their desire to keep Lingard at the Irons, either, as Moyes made his intentions very clear following the final game of the 2020/21 season.

“I hope Jesse’s here, we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there’s no guarantees, he’s not our player,” claimed Moyes (via the Evening Standard). “But I hope Jesse realises we’ve been good for him as well, and that he joined a club on the up.”

If his snub from the England squad is actually a boost to the chances of sealing him sooner rather than later, then many in East London will be absolutely buzzing with this news.

David Sullivan and co absolutely must now push ahead with these plans. The door has opened for them to pull off a remarkable piece of business before next season, they must get it done.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops update on David Moyes after SHOCK links to Everton…

Liverpool will make a ‘concrete offer’ for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus this summer, according to journalist Florian Plettenburg.

The Lowdown: Neuhaus links continue

The Reds could be expected to make more signings in the coming months after their difficult campaign, with centre-back Ibrahima Konate already arriving from RB Leipzig.

One player who has been continually linked with a move to Liverpool is Neuhaus, who is currently on Euro 2020 with Germany.

The 24-year-old featured in 33 of Monchengladbach’s 38 Bundesliga matches last season, proving to be a key man in the middle of the park.

The Latest: Journalist provides update

Plettenburg, journalist and podcaster for SPORT1, has now given a fresh update on Liverpool’s pursuit of Neuhaus, taking to Twitter to say:

“Update #Neuhaus (due to many inquiries): #LFC is definitely a highly interesting option for the player. A concrete offer for him is expected. It’s also up to Klopp. However, a decision on his future will be made after the Euros.”

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The Verdict: Wijnaldum’s replacement?

With Gini Wijnaldum leaving Liverpool for Paris Saint-Germain, a huge void is going to left in the Reds’ midfield, given the Dutchman’s influence there.

It could be that the £31.5million-rated Neuhaus is the man to solve that issue, thriving in a similar manner to Wijnaldum, even if they aren’t too similar, in terms of playing style.

The German averaged three tackles per game in the Champions League in 2020/21, showing how effective he can be off the ball, but also chipped in with six goals and five assists in the league – end product was something Wijnaldum largely lacked, managing just two league goals and zero assists last term.

Neuhaus would, therefore, bring both attacking guile and defensive work-rate to Liverpool’s team, making up for the loss of Wijnaldum in the process.

The transfer window is still a couple of weeks away but Everton are already being linked with a plethora of names in the transfer market.

With a right winger being at the height of Carlo Ancelotti’s priorities, we’ve seen an extraordinary link to Gareth Bale.

That said, another position where they’ve been trying to bolster their numbers is in midfield.

On the chalkboard

One of Ancelotti’s best accomplishments while at Goodison Park on the transfer front has been the improvement in the middle of the park.

Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure have added some extra bite, but what they could do with now is bit more manoeuvrability. For instance, they have targeted Fulham star Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, a player who has completed 95 dribbles this term, the third-highest in the league.

A similar sort of dynamic midfielder can be found in Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who has spent the second half of the season on loan at relegated West Brom but is due to head back to Arsenal in the summer.

The Gunners are thought to be seeking £20m in order to let him leave permanently, with Everton one of the clubs reportedly interested in him.

A full England international, Maitland-Niles has found it hard to truly establish where his best position lies. Ancelotti might be able to help him in that regard, but his ability to play in a multitude of areas can only be a good thing.

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The 23-year-old would add greater depth at full-back, where Seamus Coleman is entering the final year of his contract on Merseyside, whilst he could add something different to Everton’s midfield.

Described as a “diamond” by Chris Sutton, the Arsenal youngster has the ability to track back but then attack in equal measure.

What sets him apart is his speed, especially in the middle. Speaking about a performance for the north Londoners last December, Martin Keown said: “It looks so easy for him at times and you can tell he’s got gears. You rarely get a player with his pace in that role. I would have loved that as a player. He’s a Rolls-Royce of a player at times.”

Everton have pace out wide with the likes of Lucas Digne and Richarlison running rampant down the left flank, but they don’t exactly have much of that quality in central areas. Allan, Doucoure, Tom Davies and Andre Gomes are not the quickest of players, but Maitland-Niles could help to counteract that.

He has now matured in a midfield position, starring for the Baggies despite their relegation. The Arsenal loanee won 1.6 tackles and completed 1.1 dribbles per game under Sam Allardyce.

That tackle rate is only bettered by Allan and Doucoure from a midfield perspective at Goodison, while only the former has achieved more dribbles per game in 2020/21 from those to feature centrally.

This would evidently be a shrewd addition from Marcel Brands and co if they can pull it off.

AND in other news, Everton consider summer swoop for £25m “machine”, he’d be a huge upgrade on Gomes…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Dean Windass has accused Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette of playing for a new contract, but doesn’t expect the Frenchman to be at the club next season following reports by Football London last month that he will be offloaded this summer.

Lacazette, who’s got just one year remaining on his Emirates deal, endured a difficult start to the campaign when scoring just three times in Arsenal’s opening 14 Premier League matches – all of which came in their first three fixtures.

But the former Lyon striker is enjoying a purple patch at present, netting 10 times in his last 17 league outings, plus a crucial brace against Slavia Prague in the Europa League, to establish himself as Arsenal’s first-choice striker ahead of captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in their push for European glory.

Lacazette is out injured following a hamstring problem sustained against Fulham, and therefore could have played his last game for Arsenal, providing he doesn’t return before the end of the season and the Gunners opt to cash-in to avoid him leaving for free next summer.

And with Lacazette’s Arsenal future in doubt, Windass told Football FanCast that his end of season form isn’t enough to save his Emirates career:

“Too little, too late for me. I always found that when someone’s contract is up, they play for a new deal.

“There’s no coincidence. Why? Why start playing now with eight games to go?

“Psychologically, is he just doing it for the money? I will be very surprised if they do keep him, but it’s painful to watch Arsenal, I don’t look forward to watching them.”

A Michail Antonio brace fired West Ham United back into top-four contention and one step closer to qualifying for a place in Europe next season.

The Irons defeated Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor to move to within three points of Premier League rivals Chelsea, largely thanks to the goalscoring exploits of the returning 31-year-old forward.

But for Antonio, he will be bitterly disappointed that he didn’t walk away with the match ball after fluffing numerous chances whilst on a hat-trick, though he was awards Sky Sports’ ‘Man of the Match’ award.

And he, of course, deserves plenty of plaudits but there were others who made an underrated impact on the night and they merit just as much praise.

David Moyes had to tinker his starting XI as there was a surprise absence to Mark Noble. The 58-year-old opted for Manuel Lanzini in a deeper role, alongside Tomas Soucek, and what a decision that proved to be.

The Argentine, who has been linked with an exit from the London Stadium in recent weeks, delivered a midfield masterclass and was arguably Moyes’ unsung hero; he has every right to push Antonio for such high acclaim.

As per SofaScore, the £9m-rated dynamo was one of the Hammers’ most influential players on the pitch, recording more touches (90) than any other player.

It’s clear that most of the visitors’ play ran through him and he rewarded that faith with a very accomplished showing, both in attack and defensively, too.

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Lanzini provided one key pass from his 74 passing attempts, in which he completed 95% of his attempts. Again, the best of any player on the Turf Moor pitch on Monday night.

He very rarely lost possession, proving to be a hard man to get the ball off as he only lost the ball six times, which was the lowest of any Irons starter.

Furthermore, and perhaps surprisingly considering he’s an attack-minded option, the 28-year-old did his bit at the back by registering two clearances, winning two duels and making one tackle, via SofaScore.

This sort of industrious box-to-box display certainly proved to be a big reason why West Ham could dominate large spells of this game and subsequently why they were able to provide Antonio with plenty of golden opportunities.

Lanzini, who earns a reported £70k-per-week in East London, was even graded better than Soucek, Jesse Lingard and assist-maker Vladimir Coufal by football.london, and all three are arguably in the running for ‘Player of the Year’ so that speaks volumes towards just how good he was.

In what was his 156th appearance in the claret and blue, Lanzini was the Irons’ unsung hero and he quite rightly deserves such high acclaim.

AND in other news, West Ham handed significant blow over top striker target…

West Ham could sign one of their mooted transfer targets for nothing this summer, if emerging claims are to be believed…

What’s the word?

Last summer, 90min reported that the Irons were one of several teams eyeing a move for Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham, whilst over a year ago, it was thought that the two were in advanced talks over a transfer, as per Foot Mercato.

The 25-year-old joined Ligue 1 outfit Marseille during the January transfer window after they failed to secure Hammers star Manuel Lanzini, according to The Sun’s Alan Nixon.

It appears that his future at Parkhead is in serious doubt, if not already over. Celtic are set to terminate his contract a year early, meaning he would be available on a free transfer this summer.

And now it has been revealed by the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee that the Frenchman is represented by a familiar figure, Will Salthouse, who also has the likes of Michail Antonio, Aaron Cresswell, Craig Dawson and Ryan Fredericks on his books.

Squad depth option

Now that the season is done and dusted, and the unthinkable has been achieved, it’s time for David Moyes and the club’s hierarchy to move on with plans ahead of the summer transfer window.

The 58-year-old has transformed the East Londoners from firm relegation candidates to sealing a place in Europe in the space of just one year.

However, if the Irons go into battle next season as they are, they could well struggle due to the lack of rotation options at Moyes’ disposal.

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For instance, the Scotsman is just one injury to Michail Antonio away from not having a senior striker and this is a similar case right across the squad, with the Hammers lacking depth in midfield and in defence.

If Ntcham is available for nothing, then it could be a very shrewd decision to swoop for him, especially given his ties to a reliable figure in Salthouse.

Things have not gone to plan for the Bhoys midfielder at Marseille, where he has averaged an abysmal rating of 6.13, whilst L’Equipe rated one of his performances a brutal 3/10 back in March (via The Sun).

But, truth be told, his stint at the Stade Velodrome was hampered from the minute he walked through the door as then-manager Andre Villas-Boas resigned because he did not want the player.

It wasn’t too long ago that Ntcham was being touted as a £7m target for Premier League teams, whilst current Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has always been a fan of his, having described him as a “terrific talent” in 2018.

Even Neil Lennon lauded him as “one hell of a player” during his time in charge of the Glasgow giants, so to get him for nothing would be a steal.

Another body in midfield is certainly needed this summer as next season will be Mark Noble’s final campaign in the claret and blue, with Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice the only other two out-and-out central options available to Moyes.

Ntcham won’t be expected to pull up many trees but is surely a worthwhile candidate to consider. He’s set to be available for nothing and Salthouse could well do GSB a major favour.

AND in other news, Moyes could secure his own Vardy with a West Ham swoop for “crazy” £27m-rated talisman…

Former Everton striker Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that he’s unsure whether the Toffees should offer Josh King a new contract.

The Canadian international made the switch to Merseyside on a short-term deal until the end of the season, but has struggled for the Blues, featuring for just 117 minutes and failing to score in eight Premier League appearances, and is yet to start a single league match.

Coupling in King’s goal-shy spell at Bournemouth earlier this season, the former Manchester United frontman has failed to score in the league, with his only three competitive goals coming in the FA Cup.

King has previously shown his ability to score goals in the topflight, but Bent, who netted seven across two campaigns at Goodison Park, said it’s down to Ancelotti.

He told Football FanCast:

“The team’s not been consistent, so it’s hard for him to be consistent, but when he is shining he’s played really well.

“To give him a new contract on the basis of what he’s been doing this season, the board and Carlo have got to go away and think about who they’re going to bring in, and if they can replace him with someone. That’s a hard one to answer because he’s a big part of the squad.”

King will be hoping to get more minutes when the Toffees face Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday night.