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Arsenal are now in pole position to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, according to a report from Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Arsenal targeting Rice

By now, Arsenal’s interest in Rice is well-known, with a report from The Guardian at the end of January indicating that the player himself was favouring a move to the Emirates Stadium, rather than returning to boyhood club Chelsea.

Another boost for the Gunners is that the midfielder would prefer to stay in the capital, which could persuade him to seek a move to north London, rather than joining the likes of Liverpool or Manchester United, who are also interested.

The Latest: Pole position

As per a report from Football Insider, Mikel Arteta is in the pole position to land the 24-year-old this summer, after receiving further encouragement behind the scenes.

In order to win the race for the Englishman, Arsenal have tried to negotiate an agreement with the player before the end of the season, and they remain in sustained contact with the representatives of the £70m – £80m midfielder.

The Verdict: Get it done

Hailed as ‘sensational’ by the media, the 39-time England international is yet again in fantastic form this season, ranked as West Ham’s best-performing Premier League player, with an average match rating of 7.21.

The Gunners missed out on signing Moises Caicedo in January, despite making a bid of £70m, however that could end up being a blessing in disguise, as Rice is expected to cost a similar amount, but he is a better player on almost all important metrics.

In the past year, the West Ham ace has averaged more interceptions, progressive carries, and a better pass-completion rate than Caicedo, although one aspect of the game that the Ecuadorian is better at is tackling.

That said, Rice should still be Arteta’s priority in the summer transfer window, and so it is fantastic news that Arsenal now appear to be leading the race.

TalkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has torn into Everton striker Neal Maupay after a below-par display in his side’s defeat to Aston Villa.

How did Maupay play against Aston Villa?

The Frenchman delivered a poor performance as Everton disappointed at Goodison Park, and was physically bullied, winning just one of his seven attempted aerial duels as per SofaScore.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s absence was notable as Maupay struggled to make an impact, and this led to criticism of the £15m signing from Brentford.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Agbonlahor questioned what Maupay offers physically or tactically, claiming that his only notable contribution was winding opposition players up.

“I think the big standout for me for Everton was the lack of a striker. Neal Maupay, he can’t hold the ball up. hasn’t got to pace in behind, and doesn’t show it, he can’t finish,” he stated.

“He’s just a striker who tries to wind up the opposition and today that didn’t work for him, and having Demarai Gray on the bench didn’t make sense to me.”

Should Everton have signed a striker?

Everton’s lack of transfer incomings in January could prove critical as they attempt to avoid relegation, and they should have added more goals to the side.

Calvert-Lewin’s fitness record has been poor in recent years, and he and Maupay have just one goal each to their name this season.

In yesterday’s game he lost seven duels, lost the ball nine times and only had a pass completion percentage of 73%. He also had less touches than Jordan Pickford with 28 and 32 respectively (Sofascore).

The club did recall young forward Ellis Simms from his loan at Sunderland, but it may be too soon for the 22-year-old to make an immediate impact in the team.

After also losing Anthony Gordon to Newcastle, the lack of goals upfront could harm Everton’s chances of survival, and with Maupay continuing to disappoint, there remains little solution within the current squad.

Arsenal are reportedly ‘continuing to monitor’ Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba ahead of a potential move this summer.

The Lowdown: Previous interest in Tapsoba

The Premier League leaders previously held interest in signing the 24-year-old last summer, but a move never materialised, and they instead ended up signing Jakub Kiwior as centre-back cover in the January transfer window.

It remains to be seen whether the Gunners will try to sign another centre-half this summer, but it looks as if Tapsoba could still be on their radar.

The Latest: Arsenal ‘continuing to monitor’ Tapsoba

Taking to Twitter, Rudy Galetti says that Arsenal are ‘continuing to monitor’ Tapsoba ahead of this summer, adding that the player ‘appreciates’ the Gunners’ interest in him.

The transfer expert tweeted: “#Arsenal are continuing to monitor Edmond #Tapsoba, #BayerLeverkusen centre-back.

“The player appreciates a lot the interest of #AFC, which have been following him for a long time: evolving situation.”

The Verdict: Replacement for Holding?

With four senior centre-backs already in Mikel Arteta’s squad, Arsenal would likely have to sell one in order to bring Tapsoba in.

Kiwior is a new signing, while William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have played far more games than Rob Holding, so the latter would likely be the one who is sold in order to make room for the Leverkusen gem.

Described as having ‘scary’ composure and physicality by The Athletic’s Alex Barker, Tapsoba’s 6 foot 3 frame is certainly imposing. He also shows calmness on the ball, ranking in the 90th percentile of all centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted per game, as well as in the 84th percentile for progressive passes and 78th percentile for progressive carries (FBref).

The Burkina Faso international also possesses a rare skill for defenders in being able to take good penalties, with football presenter Jack Collins hailing him as ‘ridiculously good’ at them after scoring in a penalty shoot-out win in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.

Tapsoba has scored an impressive 11 of his 13 penalties in normal time throughout his career so far at the age of just 24, an extra weapon that Arsenal could potentially use to their advantage next season.

YouTuber Mark Goldbridge has slammed Manchester United loan striker Wout Weghorst for not being good enough following the club’s 7-0 defeat.

What’s the latest on Wout Weghorst and the Man United defeat?

Erik ten Hag and co were made to pay in the most severe manner on the weekend as they were humbled in the Premier League against old foes Liverpool.

That defeat at Anfield will no doubt have the club’s manager, players, staff and fans alike all trying to work out just how things ended up so catastrophically bad.

While speaking about the game on The United Stand, Goldbridge seemed to come to the conclusion that Weghorst just simply isn’t good enough for the club at that level.

He explained (11:30): “We all know about Weghorst. We all like Weghorst and he really does try his best but he ain’t very good, is he?

“Let’s be honest, at that level in a game like that when it’s that intense, he isn’t good enough and you’re almost down to ten men.”

How badly did Weghorst play for MUFC?

Since arriving on loan at Man Utd this winter, Weghorst has managed to become a regular part of Ten Hag’s starting XI and has earned praise for his work rate and attitude, even if the goals haven’t come.

Even so, he has failed to score a single Premier League goal despite starting the club’s last seven games in that competition – while he has just one strike to his name in 14 games across all competitions.

With 6.3 SofaScore rating, Weghorst wasn’t the worst player on the pitch for the Red Devils but he didn’t exactly have a good game either.

Indeed, in his 58-minute spell, he completed just 64 per cent of his attempted passes, lost the ball seven times, made one foul, attempted zero shots and won two out of four attempted ground duels.

Taking everything into account, it’s not hard to see why Goldbridge believes the club could be better off with someone else leading the line in the long term. It’ll certainly be interesting to see who United target this summer.

Leeds United had little to celebrate during their 16-year hiatus from the Premier League, with their misery only exacerbated as they even dropped into League One for a period.

It was the lowest the club had slumped to in their history and marked the most miserable period to support the Whites.

A return to the top flight seemed the most unlikely of targets but little did they know they were about to unleash a man who would take the team on his back to return them to within just one promotion of their dream.

The goalscoring exploits of Jermaine Beckford will go down in history at the Yorkshire outfit, as he appeared when they needed him most to inject some hope back into the club.

Whilst there were only a handful of heroes made before their eventual 2020 return, the 6 foot 2 striker certainly will remain one of those few to step up at their darkest hour.

How did Jermaine Beckford play for Leeds?

Having signed from Wealdstone after his incredible scoring record drew widespread attention, the young forward thrived on loan at Scunthorpe United where he foreshadowed his impressive League One form that would prove so important.

Upon his return to his parent club, who had themselves just been relegated from the Championship, he established himself as a mainstay in the side, scoring 20 times in 40 league matches.

The 39-year-old would not relent in his burning desire to propel the club to promotion, as the season following he would notch a further 27 goals as they again missed out on promotion.

It would be third time lucky though as once again Beckford showcased his imperious quality, scoring 25 times as they triumphantly returned to the second division. This was far from where they wanted to be but remained a huge step towards ensuring the further promotion that would come just a decade later.

Beckford’s exploits under Simon Grayson’s leadership even led journalist Oliver Todd to dub him a “Warneford Road legend” just months before his eventual departure.

Although it was a period the club would likely rather forget, to add a prime version of this hulking finisher up top for the current side would be a masterstroke, especially when Javi Gracia’s current outfit have scored just once in their last five games in all competitions, and Patrick Bamford has only mustered one league goal all season.

Not only this but similarities could even be drawn between the now-retired forward and Troy Deeney, who thrived in the Spaniard’s system as a target man who scored plenty.

Both boast incredible physiques and a ruggedness to challenge centre-backs, but arguably the former has far more speed which would make him even deadlier in the Spaniard’s preferred 4-4-2 alongside another frontman.

If anyone from the last decade or so could fix Leeds’ current goalscoring issues, then it’s certainly Beckford – just imagine if Gracia had him now.

Liverpool are believed to be interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch this summer, according to a new transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Gravenberch out of favour

The 20-year-old has emerged as arguably one of the most exiting midfielders of his generation, having initially burst onto the scene at Ajax, making 103 appearances for them.

Gravenberch’s performances earned him a high-profile move to Bayern last summer but he has struggled to reach the hype early on in Germany.

He has only managed just one start in the Bundesliga all season long, as well as making 14 substitute appearances, falling behind others in the midfield pecking order, such as Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka.

While it is still clearly early days for Gravenberch at Bayern, there may be a part of him that is already considering moving on, should Julian Nagelsmann not see a long-term future for him.

That’s where Liverpool come into play, as Jurgen Klopp continues to look at potential midfield signings during the summer transfer window.

The Latest: Liverpool keen on signing

According to a report from Spain [via Caught Offside], the Reds are interested in signing Graveberch at the end of the season, seeing him as a strong option to bring in.

It is even stated that talks are at an advanced stage currently, with new faces required ahead of the likely exits of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Gravenberch’s current Bayern deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2027, so it may not be easy to get him on the cheap.

The Verdict: Potentially great addition

Granted, the 11-cap Netherlands international hasn’t pulled up any trees at Bayern so far this season, but he is such a young player that going overboard about his struggles is nothing more than hyperbole.

Gravenberch remains a huge talent with a massive future ahead of him – former Ajax player Wim Kieft once called him a ‘complete’ player – and for that reason the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt is hugely exciting.

The youngster possesses both physicality and technical quality, both of which have been sorely lacking at Liverpool this season, given his 6ft 2in frame and 89.1% pass completion rate in the Bundesliga this season.

At 20, Gravenberch and Jude Bellingham could both come in and represent the future at Anfield, although both are so incredibly mature for their age that they would surely be considered regular starters from the off by Klopp.

Whether or not Bayern are willing to sell so soon remains to be seen, but Liverpool should see it as a shrewd signing in what is a pivotal summer at the club.

Newcastle United are reportedly closely following exciting Goztepe talent Emir Ortakaya ahead of a potential move this summer.

The Lowdown: Ortakaya profiled

Ortakaya is an 18-year-old central defender who plays for Goztepe in Turkey, and is currently on loan from Fenerbahce.

He has established himself as a mainstay in the side despite his age, making a total of Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Newcastle closely following…

As per Turkish news outlet Aksam, Ortakaya is being ‘closely followed’ by Newcastle, along with fellow Premier League rivals Southampton, as well as Ligue 1 heavyweights Marseille and Lyon ahead of a potential move this summer.

The St. James’ Park outfit would be expected to pay €10m (£8.8m) to sign Ortakaya, as his current deal at Fenerbahce does not run out until 2027.

His old team, Genclerbirligi, are also thought to have a 20% sell-on clause, hence the Magpies may have to pay over the odds.

The Verdict: Another potentially exciting addition

Since the takeover, the new owners have also focused on bringing in bright young talents for the future as well as strengthening the senior squad.

The likes of Australian teenage prodigy Garang Kuol and English prospect Harrison Ashby have come through the doors, while more could come in order to develop under the long-term project.

Ortakaya certainly looks like another who could join the talented crop, and so this is a deal that the North East club should be looking to get over the line as soon as they can, given the level of competition for his signature.

Injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar has stated that Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams could be out of action for nine weeks, should his hamstring issue prove to be a grade 3 full tear.

The Lowdown: Hamstring issue

Adams was forced to sit out of Leeds’ 4-2 win against Wolves in the Premier League on the weekend with a hamstring problem. The 24-year-old sustained the issue during training last week and will also be unable to feature for the USA during the current international break.

Phil Hay reported that the player has been sent to see a specialist to examine the extent of his problem, and one injury expert has made a worrying claim.

The Latest: Adams claim

MOT Leeds News spoke with Brar in the last 48 hours regarding Adams and how long he could miss. The expert said that a grade 1 mild tear would result in a two-week absence, a grade 2 moderate tear three to six weeks and a grade 3 full tear would be over nine weeks depending on if surgery is needed.

“The timeline depends on the severity and specific location of the tear along with other factors like previous injury history, playing style, etc.

“Generally, the timeline for a grade 1 mild tear is two weeks, grade 2 moderate tear is three to six weeks and grade 3 full tear (rupture) is over nine weeks depending on if surgery is required or not.

“If the injury occurs near a tendon, the timeline tends to take longer.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Leeds may already know the extent of Adams’ problem after the news of visiting a specialist emerged last week, and hopefully, they have received a positive verdict. However, it looks as if the worst-case scenario would be Adams being out for over two months, which may rule him out of most of the remaining 11 Premier League games.

That would be a huge blow for everyone associated with the club, especially as Adams has made a positive impact in his first season at Elland Road after arriving from RB Leipzig.

As per WhoScored, Adams has comfortably outperformed fellow midfielders Marc Roca, Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson and Adam Forshaw, recording an average match rating of 6.73/10. He has made more tackles and passes than any of his current teammates, while also ranking highly when it comes to interceptions and key passes per 90.

That shows that he could be key in Leeds’ battle to avoid the drop, providing he is fit enough to feature over the coming weeks.

West Ham United are monitoring Barcelona defender Sergino Dest ahead of a potential move to the London Stadium, according to reports.

What's the latest on Dest's future?

The Irons currently have Ben Johnson and Vladimir Coufal as their options at right-back, but with the latter out of contract at the end of the campaign, David Moyes will have to enter the market to find a replacement should he not put pen to paper on fresh terms, and it sounds like the 22-year-old has been identified as the ideal candidate to come in and be just that.

The Catalans star still has another two years remaining on his deal at Camp Nou but at present he's out on a season-long loan at AC Milan, who do have the option to buy him later in the summer, and the fact that they aren't fussed about him returning to force his way into the first-team shows exactly how far down the pecking order he is under manager Xavi.

The United States international hasn't been helped by the fair share of spells he's had to spend on the sidelines through injury having sustained five separate problems this season alone, but this inconsistent availability doesn't seem to have stopped Moyes from wanting to try and entice him to the Premier League.

According to 90min, West Ham, Wolves and Crystal Palace are all "keeping tabs" on Dest's situation, with Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, Valencia, Sevilla, Lyon and Union Berlin also "keen" to complete a deal for Barcelona's full-back.

The Blaugrana are "looking to sell" their talented prospect and have "high expectations" regarding the fee that they are looking to receive in order to sanction his sale. They hope to "recoup" as much of the €21m (£18m) they initially paid for him as possible, though it's worth noting that he does have a staggering €400m (£351m) buyout clause.

Would Dest be a good signing for West Ham?

Dest has been previously been lauded for "world-class potential" by talent scout Jacek Kulig who also claimed West Ham's target is "extremely fast" and had "superb dribbling skills", and he would certainly be an exciting acquisition for Moyes.

The Netherlands-born talent is extremely attack-minded and loves to use his pace to get down the flank, which has resulted in him registering 20 assists and even scoring 11 goals himself throughout his career, as per Transfermarkt, with this athleticism being exactly what is missing from the current options in the capital.

Dest is also very strong in his link-up play with his fellow teammates, where he ranks in the 93rd percentile for pass completion, and would add plenty of versatility to the side with his ability to operate as a full-back, midfielder and even winger on both flanks, making this a no-brainer of a deal for the hierarchy to complete.

Referee Chris Kavanagh and his VAR team may have made a remarkable error in the most recent Nottingham Forest game as they failed to punish Daniel Podence after he seemed to spit at Brennan Johnson.

What's the latest on Nottingham Forest and VAR?

It was a big game for Steve Cooper and men at the bottom of the Premier League table on Saturday afternoon as his team played host to relegation rivals Wolves.

Forest took the lead Johnson after 38 minutes of action, but Podence then managed to pull his team level in the second half and that was enough to see the game end all squad at 1-1.

However, that wasn't it for drama. Indeed, the two goalscorers were caught up in a heated incident in the closing stages which saw VAR called upon for a possible red card.

As shown in this footage, Wolves attacker Podence appears to spit at Johnson, which causes a number of Forest players to quickly remonstrate with referee Kavanagh.

Did Daniel Podence spit at Brennan Johnson?

It certainly looks as though Podence spits or makes the action at 21-year-old Johnson as he turns his face towards the Forest man. In the end, with the referee missing it live, it was up to VAR to intervene.

Presumably, the officials must have felt as though there wasn't enough clear evidence to actually send the Wolves attacker off but he can count himself very fortunate to avoid punishment.

After the game, Midlands based EFL journalist Ethan Lamb reacted to the footage with shocking, writing on Twitter: "Daniel Podence spitting on Brennan Johnson but VAR decided against a red card. What is the point of VAR? Baffling."

Johnson also offered his opinion on the matter, telling Sky Sports (via NottinghamLive): "I'm not going to allegate him, but I felt like some sort of spit came towards my face. The referees have had a look at it, so it's done now. I'm completely fine with it."

When asked if he was surprised that no red card was given, he added: "A little bit. At the end of the day it's the VAR team having a look at that, not me.

"I've seen it close up and they're having a lot of different looks at it. Maybe they didn't see something that I did see, so at the end of the day they didn't give a red card and I just had to get on with the rest of the game."

The Football Association are now looking into the incident to decide if retrospective action ought to be taken.