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Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United have now placed multiple bids for transfer targets in France, Spain and Italy.

What’s the word?

With the winter market now open, it looks as though David Moyes is looking to add some new depth to this ranks as his team looks to lift themselves out of the relegation zone.

Oddly, enough before Chelsea splashed out on the stunning £88.5m transfer fee to land Mykhailo Mudryk, the Blues tried to pick up West Ham forward Michail Antonio on a cheap loan.

That deal was rejected but it still sounds as though his future could be in doubt as the Premier League side potentially look to find an upgrade elsewhere in Europe this January.

Indeed, in a post shared on The West Ham Way’s Patreon page, Ex wrote: “The source confirmed that there are bids in for other players and some of these are also said to be players in foreign leagues in France, Spain and Italy. We will be looking to get concrete evidence of who these bids are for in time for the show tomorrow (Another should be Danjuma which we exclusively revealed last week, the Dutch attacker/winger).

“It is hoped that these new signings can bring a turn in fortunes and it will be interesting to see if they are brought in what the future holds for Antonio.”

New players arriving?

One of these players bid for looks certain to be Lorient and Nigeria striker Terem Moffi. Indeed, it was widely been reported that West Ham have made a £25m bid for the forward – as confirmed by Ex in the same post.

With that in mind, Moyes may well have lost faith in Antonio and when you look at his goalscoring stats it’s not that hard to see why the club may feel as though there is room for improvement.

Indeed, the Iron has netted just five times despite featuring in 25 matches so far this season. In comparison, Moffi has scored 12 goals in 18 games. Danjuma could also be an exciting target too, as he scored 16 goals last term as Villarreal made the Champions League semifinals.

And so, while that Chelsea loan bid was rejected, the Hammers may well be waiting until they can bring someone in first before then looking to offload Antonio. With Wolves also said to be interested, it looks as though the forward could be on this move this winter.

Southampton could target a Ligue 1 striker in January, as they look to add some attacking options to the squad, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Southampton’s season so far

Southampton are currently bottom of the Premier League table, two points from safety, having lost their last five league games in a row, most recently coming up short in a 2-1 defeat away at Fulham.

Che Adams has scored four in the league this term, however he is the only Saints striker to have more than one to his name, with Adam Armstrong recording just one league goal up to this point.

As such, it is evident that Nathan Jones needs some more attacking firepower, and Dean Jones has now provided an update about who the manager may target.

The Latest: Jones eyeing striker

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, the reporter claimed that Ligue 1 is the market Martin Semmens and co are shopping in this month:

“I think Southampton have got a really busy month ahead, and we know that they’re trying to build out on the squad, particularly upfront.

“One thing to look out for in the next week is their search for a striker. Ligue 1 has become a market that they are pretty hot on because they see some value there, and there’s also some big potential.”

The Verdict: Reinforcements needed

No matter where Jones decides to sign his players from, what is most important is that he brings in a proven goal-scorer, and he has some different options available.

The Saints are said to be monitoring Middlesbrough’s Chuba Akpom, who has 13 goals in 19 Championship games this season, while 90min, have named Terem Moffi as someone that is being pursued, after showing promising signs in Ligue 1 for FC Lorient.

Given current top scorer Adams would allegedly also ‘consider’ a move to Leeds United if an offer came in for him, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Southampton need all the help that they can get in attack, or they really will be risking their Premier League status.

Leeds United are reportedly preparing a big transfer battle with Premier League rivals…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to David Ornstein, who claims that the Whites could swoop in should Wolverhampton Wanderers not meet the financial demands of Atletico Madrid over Matheus Cunha.

It is noted that there was an attempt to sign him before he left Hertha Berlin in 2021, and having managed him in the past, Jesse Marsch could play a big factor in this deal.

With the Brazilian’s game time having dwindled in the Spanish capital, he is expected to leave. Victor Orta will know the importance of pouncing on players before they surpass his budget, but will likely already have to battle with Everton and Aston Villa.

Their own Gabriel Jesus

Having enjoyed a blistering start to life at Arsenal, Gabriel Jesus’ recent form before the World Cup had somewhat diminished.

With nine goal contributions in his first nine Premier League games for the Gunners, he would not score in his last six before the break.

That’s not to say he hasn’t contributed massively to their imperious form, which sees them sat atop the Premier League table at Christmas.

It is clear that the 25-year-old offers far more than just goals, with his work rate and intelligent pressing making him the perfect spearhead for Mikel Arteta’s team.

His defensive statistics make for impressive reading, where he ranks in the top 7% for tackles and 3% for interceptions among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues.

The same could be said of Cunha, who made his €26m (£22m) move to Madrid in the summer of 2021.

This season has been disappointing, with him yet to score, but the 23-year-old still also remains in the top 5% for tackles and interceptions, and the top 1% for blocks.

Should he regain his form, there is a sensational all-around player to be had with the talents of a true “magician” – as his old club RB Leipzig dubbed him.

Last season saw him record seven goals and seven assists, and before his move, he had recorded a similar eight goals and seven assists in Germany too.

His former coach Bruno Labbadia was full of praise for the forward, claiming: “Matheus has something special. He can always produce something with a moment of individual brilliance.”

Clearly keeping him in the side breeds consistency in his creativity, which explains how he still remains in the top 2% for assists and 15% for shot-creating actions.

In fact, FBRef actually likens him to Jesus in their ‘similar players’ metric.

Should he have the same transformative effect that the former Manchester City man has had on his new team, at Elland Road, this could mark a brilliant signing to hopefully steer them to safety.

Serie A giants Juventus have been forced into action as Tottenham Hotspur enter the mix for in-form Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

The Lowdown: Lloris’ days numbered?

Current Spurs number one Hugo Lloris’ days between the sticks may be numbered, as reports suggest that manager Antonio Conte and sporting director Fabio Paratici are making plans to replace him.

The 35-year-old has been a mainstay of the Premier League side since his move from Lyon 10 years ago, totalling an impressive 437 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions.

However, as Lloris enters the twilight phase of his career, it may be time to start contemplating his potential successor as number one, with journalist Graeme Bailey claiming that the Frenchman is almost certain to be dropped for the 2023/24 season.

The Latest: Tottenham enter Vicario transfer mix…

As per a new report from Italy, it appears that another name has emerged as a possible Lloris successor alongside other reported targets in Jordan Pickford, Robert Sanchez and Illan Meslier.

Indeed, Empoli shot-stopper Vicario, who has recently earned a call-up to the Italy national team without making his debut, has apparently entered the sights of Spurs and Paratici.

Aware of a potential ‘auction’ with Tottenham and Roma, this has prompted Juventus to take action and ‘dive’ on Vicario as the Old Lady make ‘some contact’ ahead of January.

This is according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, who said that Spurs’ presence has panicked Juve to move for the 26-year-old, as the Bianconeri plan to buy the goalkeeper and loan him back to Empoli for the remainder of 2022/23.

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The Verdict: Compete for him?

Vicario stands out as a possible number one with real potential.

Indeed, Tottenham might want to think about competing with Juventus for the player as they draw up plans to replace Lloris.

BBC news editor Moseph Ekine is one admirer of Vicario, branding him ‘superb’ and one of the ‘very good’ Italian goalkeepers at this moment in time.

At a reported €20m (£17m) cost, he would also be affordable from Paratici’s perspective, so Spurs should definitely at least test the water for the shot-stopper.

Glasgow Rangers sold two of their finest players from last season during the summer transfer window for massive profit, with Joe Aribo (£10m) and Calvin Bassey (£23m) departing Ibrox for pastures new.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, however, as Alex McLeish faced a similar conundrum way back in the summer of 2003.

He had led the Light Blues to the treble in 2002/2003 and hopes were high for the following campaign. The Ibrox side were facing a precarious financial situation though and this led to McLeish selling a few of his standout performers from that extraordinary season.

The one that hurt the supporters the most was the sale of club captain Barry Ferguson, who joined Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £7.5m and considering he came into the side through the club’s academy, it represented a massive profit for the Gers.

The midfielder had scored 16 league goals as he skippered his boyhood team to their 50th championship and many couldn’t fathom a Rangers side without him in the engine room.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be until 2012 that the true nature of the Glasgow side’s financial situation came to light, with administration the final outcome.

Ferguson – who also went on to win 46 caps for Scotland – was a natural winner and was a mainstay in the midfield for six years, winning nine major honours before his move to the Premier League.

Former Rangers defender Marvin Andrews dubbed Ferguson as a “leader” and the 44-year-old will certainly go down as one of the finest-ever captains in the club’s illustrious history.

Although it didn’t go to plan for the player at Blackburn, a serious injury sustained in his first season reduced his game time, McLeish saw an opportunity to reunite with the Scot, resigning him in January 2005.

It proved to be an inspired move, with Rangers winning a further six major honours during his second spell in Glasgow, and although he was missed during his 18-month period down south, McLeish made a solid profit on the former academy graduate.

Leeds United have been handed a huge boost ahead of Thursday’s Premier League meeting with Leicester City.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Conor McGilligan, with the Manchester Evening News journalist initially relaying the news on Twitter that, after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the Foxes’ draw with Crystal Palace last weekend, James Maddison will now be suspended for the visit of the Whites in midweek, before stating that this will come as a big boost to Jesse Marsch and his side.

In his post, McGilligan said: “James Maddison will miss the Leeds game on Thursday. MASSIVE boost for us.”

“Massive boost”

Considering just how impressive Maddison has been in a struggling 19th-placed Leicester side so far this season, it is easy to see why McGilligan believes that the 25-year-old’s absence on Thursday night will come as a massive boost to Leeds’ chances of returning to Elland Road with all three points in tow.

Indeed, over his nine Premier League fixtures in 2022/23, the £43m-rated talent has been in sensational form, having already scored five goals, registered two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 3.2 shots – 1.2 of which have hit the target – and making 2.3 key passes per game.

The attacking midfielder has also chipped in for his side in a defensive capacity, making an average of 2.2 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and winning 5.6 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per outing.

These returns have seen the £110k-per-week playmaker average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.44, not only ranking him by far and away as Brendan Rodgers’ best performer in the league but also as the joint seventh-best player in the English top flight as a whole so far this term.

As such, it is clear to see that the absence of a player who carries the goal-threat, creativity and hard-working nature of Maddison will indeed come as a huge boost to Leeds’ chances of picking up all three points at the King Power on Thursday night – a result Marsch will be desperate for in order to end his side’s current six-game run without a win.

Leeds United made plenty of new additions over the summer, with Jesse Marsch working to add eight new permanent faces to his squad.

One man who he brought in early on was Rasmus Kristensen, who was seen as the long-term successor to 31-year-old Luke Ayling.

The Denmark international has featured six times this season and has been part of a Whites defence which has shipped ten goals in seven league games.

While his average SofaScore rating of 6.83 is the seventh-highest in the Leeds squad, there have been claims that he has struggled to adapt to the Premier League, which perhaps unsurprising in his first season at Elland Road.

However, he has perhaps disappointed offensively, and it may be that a youngster like Cody Drameh could stake his claim as a potential upgrade in the coming years.

With the 25-year-old yet to contribute to a goal at senior level, having not created a big chance for a team-mate, it makes the two assists in as many Premier League 2 games by his younger colleague look even more impressive.

The 20-year-old also scored in the EFL Trophy, outlining how he appears to have the offensive know-how to make the grade at Leeds. He was also handed a Premier League appearance, although this was part of the side which was thrashed 5-2 by Brentford.

As a youngster, Drameh is still always learning, and Marsch could duly mould him into exactly the kind of right-back that he wants the youngster to be.

Kristensen seems to be slightly more old-school, but the modern full-back must be able to bomb forward. At times, their creativity is looked upon with more importance than their defending, as outlined by Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Some have questioned the Englishman’s defensive credentials, but last season he provided a whopping 19 assists for Liverpool.

With Drameh having earned vital senior experience on loan at Cardiff City, where he earned praise for his relentlessness from his then-manager Steve Morison, he now can be ready for the step up to Premier League level.

Morison said about the Leeds full-back: “He has been excellent… he is like a Duracell Bunny, isn’t he? He just keeps going and going.”

With his non-stop running and his offensive attributes, Drameh seems like the perfect Marsch defender, and he will surely threaten to displace Kristensen if he can continue such remarkable development.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have agreed a deal to sign Universidad de Chile winger Dario Osorio, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Long-standing interest

Over the summer, it was claimed that the Molineux outfit had reached an agreement for the forward to join, but his club were reluctant to sanction the sale.

The Old Gold later made a second attempt at signing the 18-year-old, with reports suggesting that the two parties were in negotiations to bring him to the Premier League, though a move failed to come to fruition before deadline day.

The Latest: Wolves set to unveil Osorio

According to ESPN journalist Maks Cardenas (via Sport Witness), Wolves have now completed a deal for Osorio, meaning an announcement should be expected imminently. He said:

“Osorio is ready, he’s sold and look what I’m going to tell you, one of the top three teams in Serie A came to me for Osorio, I cannot say which one, who went to see him against England in Murcia.

“But here between corridors I heard out there that he’s already sold to Wolves for €6m.” (£5m).

The Verdict: Star in the making

Osorio is one for the future given his age, but Bruno Lage should be excited about having him in the building with the knowledge that he has the ability to work his way up to the first team.

The teenager scored six goals last season and already has two international caps for Chile to his name, which is a great achievement for someone still so young.

Fosun and Jeff Shi may decide that a loan move would initially be best to aid his development, but there’s no reason as to why he couldn’t challenge for a senior spot upon his return.

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly closing in on the signing of Hull City forward Mallik Wilks, according to a new transfer update which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Wilks linked with Sheffield Wednesday

The Owls are still looking to conduct more business in the summer transfer window, with a wide attacker needed in order to bolster their options in the final third as they currently have just two wingers.

Wilks has emerged as a primary target in that position, having scored 30 goals in 91 appearances for Hull, including a haul of 19 goals and eight assists in League One in 2020/21 as the Tigers clinched promotion to the Championship.

A fresh update suggests that the 23-year-old could be heading to Hillsborough in the coming days.

The Latest: Owls closing in on Wilks signing

According to The Hull Daily Mail, Wilks is ‘set to leave’ the MKM Stadium imminently, with Wednesday ‘hopeful’ of sealing a move for him this week.

The winger has handed in a transfer request at Hull, further boosting the Owls’ chances of finalising a transfer, and his signing could even be completed in the ‘next few days’ as deal is ‘believed to be close’.

The Verdict: Could be a great addition

Wilks has the potential to be an excellent signing for Darren Moore’s side, bringing an injection of pace, trickery and power to Wednesday’s wide attacking options.

His aforementioned end product in 2020/21 speaks volumes about what he can offer in League One, and while a return of only three goals in the Championship last season may be a concern, he could excel in the third tier and blast the Owls to promotion, just as he did for Hull the season before last.

With nine players already through the door at Hillsborough this summer, there is the risk of Wednesday perhaps signing too many players and having a bloated squad which is difficult to keep happy.

However, Wilks is someone who could provide something different in the final third and boost the team’s promotion chances.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) are reportedly ready to make a fresh push to sign Benjamin Sesko for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Interest in Sesko

Sky Sports journalist and northeast reporter Keith Downie has confirmed that the St James’ Park outfit hold an ‘interest’ in signing Sesko.

The striker already has two goals and one assist in four games for Red Bull Salzburg so far this season (Transfermarkt), so he is certainly one to watch as the transfer window progresses.

The Latest: Fresh push

Taking to Twitter, Magpies journalist Scott Wilson has revealed that Newcastle are ready to make a fresh push for Sesko, despite Salzburg not wanting to sell.

He tweeted: “#NUFC ready to make fresh push for Benjamin Sesko – teenage forward remains key target despite RB Salzburg’s previous insistence they don’t want to sell. Newcastle still hoping there’s a deal there to be done.”

Expanding in his article for The Northern Echo, Wilson cited that the Tynesiders have already made an enquiry over the Slovenian’s availability, with Salzburg looking for a fee in the region of €50m (£42.1m) for his signature.

The new owners at St James’ Park are considering making an offer of €30m (£25.3m) up front, with a number of clauses which could take the fee closer to what Salzburg want. However, both Manchester United and Chelsea are also thought to be interested in Sesko as well.

The Verdict: Get it done

Given how well Sesko has started the season, and the fact that United and Chelsea – who can both offer him European football – are in for the Slovenia international, this is a deal that Eddie Howe’s team need to get done as soon as possible.

Likened to Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland (formerly of Salzburg) by Football Talent Scout’s  Jacek Kulig for his combination of speed and power, the 19-year-old certainly has a big future ahead of him, and his pace in particular could really frighten defenders in the Premier League.

Indeed, he clocked an electrifying speed of 36.11 km/h at the end of the 2020/21 season, making him ‘one of the fastest players on the planet‘, so Sesko is a player who would certainly get the Toon Army out of their seats.