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It would be fair to say that the West Ham United supporters were not pleased with what they saw from Pablo Zabaleta in Friday night’s 3-1 win over Fulham.

Zabaleta was handed the right-back berth against the Cottagers, but found it difficult to deal with Ryan Babel, who opened the scoring early on.

The 34-year-old has been a fine signing for the Hammers since his arrival in 2017, but his contract will expire this summer and he could well move on or even retire.

It seems that the West Ham fans will be happy to see the back of the Argentine based on their reaction to his display against Fulham.

Indeed, many took to social media to criticise the South American, claiming that he no longer has what is required to operate in the Premier League.

Check out the video below to see Pl>ymaker FC’s American Soccer Fan give his take on all six ‘field goals’ in West Ham v Burnley…

Their criticism was perhaps a touch harsh, but Zabaleta did struggle on Friday night.

A selection of the Twitter reaction to his performance can be seen below:

The Athletic’s Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has confirmed a fresh injury concern for Jesse Marsch regarding Pascal Struijk.

The lowdown: Regular feature for Leeds

The 22-year-old was named on the bench against Southampton over the weekend despite completing 90 minutes in four consecutive Premier League outings prior to the international break.

So far this season, Struijk has made 28 appearances across all competitions, but the Dutch starlet only came on for the dying moments of the 1-1 draw at Elland Road on Saturday and was asked to operate as a makeshift left-back.

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The reasons behind Marsch’s selection have now been made clear…

The latest: Struijk injury worry

Writing for The Athletic on Monday morning, Hay has confirmed that the versatile Dutchman has been hampered by a hamstring problem and illness during the international break.

He reported: “Struijk returned a positive COVID-19 test during the international break and experienced a hamstring niggle too. So, the rationale behind the pre-match selection was less simple than a basic pecking order but Marsch was essentially picking between two defenders who were not entirely match fit.”

Fellow defender Robin Koch was also among the substitutes for Leeds on Saturday, but the German remained unused.

The verdict: Needs must

Ideally, Marsch would have given the three-cap Netherlands  youth international a full afternoon off. However, as talismanic ace Luke Ayling was forced off in the latter stages on Saturday, Struijk was called upon to fill the void.

Having watched the Dutch youngster come through a brief outing, along with welcoming Kalvin Phillips back into the fray, the Leeds manager will soon hope to have a plethora of options available across all positions, a luxury which has been all too rare this season in Yorkshire.

As Leeds prepare for a pivotal trip to face fellow relegation battlers Watford, Marsch may well call upon the £13.5m-valued Struijk – who was recently hailed as ‘amazing’ by Kevin Phillips – from the start once again at Vicarage Road next weekend in a case of needs must.

In other news, Leeds star unsettled following manager departure. Find out who it is here.

According to The Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur and manager Antonio Conte have set their sights on another target as news emerges on Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.

The Lowdown: Tottenham working…

As the final hurdle of this year’s January transfer window approaches, Lilywhites transfer chief Fabio Paratici is intensifying talks for key targets after missing out on both Adama Traore and Luiz Diaz to Barcelona and Liverpool respectively.

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Little time remains to significantly bolster Conte’s squad and give Tottenham a better chance of finishing the 2021/2022 season on a high.

There are even some fears that the 52-year-old could walk if Spurs don’t strengthen sufficiently as both Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy seek to back the Italian mid-season.

The Latest: Tottenham preparing Luiz bid…

New targets appear to be emerging on a regular basis as The Mail now share news on yet another in Brazilian midfield ace Luiz.

The Villans regular is now allegedly the subject of intense interest from Spurs with both Conte and Paratici now ‘preparing a £32m bid’ for the player.

Luiz has just 18 months left on his current deal, prompting Tottenham’s interest as the club could be forced to contemplate a significant offer.

The Verdict: Ideal target?

Strengthening in midfield is one of Conte’s four main goals for this transfer window and we believe signing the 23-year-old could come as a real statement of intent.

He’s attracted praise from Man City boss Pep Guardiola, who branded his former youngster as a ‘strong’ and ‘clever’ player, meanwhile journalist Gregg Evans has even more rave reviews.

Speaking on The Athletic’s 1874 podcast, via This is Futbol, the Villa reporter lauded Luiz as ‘an absolute joy to watch’, ‘fantastic player’ and ‘absolute star’ – summing up the South American’s form at Villa Park over these last few seasons.

At £32m, taking into account his fairly young age also, Luiz could be an absolute steal in the long-term.

In other news: Spurs now preparing another marquee bid for ‘special’ forward, find out more here.

‘There is now an open dialogue’ between Manchester United and RB Leipzig regarding Amadou Haidara, according to journalist Jonathan Shrager.

He tweeted: “Whilst talks are in preliminary stages, I am told that there is now an open dialogue between #MUFC and RB Leipzig regarding Amadou Haidara”.

Predominantly a central midfielder but also able to play a more defensive role, Haidara has started 10 Bundesliga games for Leipzig so far this season (via WhoScored).

According to FBRef, he is similar stylistically to Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham.

United have transfer advantage, but could AFCON cause a problem?

Significantly, while Newcastle are also said to be interested, SPORT 1’s chief reporter Patrick Berger points out that Haidara’s ‘favourite club as a kid’ was Manchester United.

The 23-year-old is currently away with Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations, and it’s unclear if that would prove to be an obstacle towards signing him in this month’s transfer window. He has three-and-a-half years left to run on his contract at Leipzig and is valued at £21.6m by Transfermarkt.

Fan feed Utd Report relayed Shrager’s update, and here’s what some supporters made of it, with one fan believing that Haidara would be a significant upgrade on the much-maligned midfield duo of Scott McTominay and Fred.

These United fans want Haidara signed

“Not a DM, but he’s 10x better then McFred probably”

Credit: @Mike99371

“This guy dreams to play for us, get him in”

Credit: @drolemufc

“Nice, let’s gooo, pls buy him”

Credit: @Brandon28176374

“Omg sign him please”

Credit: @abdoul_mufc

“I hope they don’t bottle this one”

Credit: @KingRox01

“Our title charge starts from now”

Credit: @RangnickGOAT

In other news, lots of United fans react to this possible permanent departure

Newcastle United may resume their pursuit of Reims striker Hugo Ekitike when the summer transfer window opens, according to a joint report in The Athletic from Chris Waugh and George Caulkin. 

The lowdown

On the evening before Deadline Day, the Magpies returned with an improved offer in excess of £20m for Ekitike, which Reims accepted. However, the player opted against making a move in January, preferring to wait until the end of the season to make a decision on his future.

Newcastle had already signed a striker earlier in the transfer window, activating the £25m release clause in Chris Wood’s Burnley contract.

The latest

According to Waugh and Caulkin for The Athletic, Newcastle were apparently left disappointed that they couldn’t land an additional centre-forward.

Eddie Howe ‘had always wanted’ to recruit a ‘younger forward’ who could provide cover and competition for Callum Wilson. Ekitike fits that particular bill, and the report claimed that the Magpies ‘may return’ to the table for the Reims starlet ahead of the 2022/23 season.

The verdict

It’s easy to understand why Newcastle may not abandon the idea of signing Ekitike. The teenager has netted eight Ligue 1 goals this season despite only starting 11 top-flight games, and French football expert Julien Laurens believes that the 19-year-old possesses ‘amazing talent’.

He would also fill something a gap in the squad, for Howe must have recognised that all of Newcastle’s current centre-forwards are 29 or older, so they can’t really be described as long-term options.

Ekitike may find the move more appealing in the summer, when Newcastle will hope to have secured their Premier League status, something which currently hangs precariously in the balance. At least this report suggests that all hope is not lost when it comes to PIF potentially bringing the teenager to Tyneside.

In other news, Newcastle were offered the chance to sign this player on Monday

Even though the 2022 January transfer window has now opened, allowing clubs to bring new players in where they see fit, it seems as though Wolves have brought a familiar face back to Molineux.

According to a recent Twitter post from Wolves journalist Tim Spiers, it appears that the Midlands club have recalled left-midfielder Ryan Giles from his loan deal with Championship club Cardiff City.

In his tweet, Spiers said that Giles has “made great progress in the past couple of years” and that he now has a “big chance to impress” back at Wolves.

As a product of Wolves’ youth academy, Giles has had previous loan spells at clubs such as Shrewsbury Town, Coventry City and Rotherham United before joining Cardiff during the previous summer transfer window.

During his time at Cardiff, the 21-year-old managed to provide nine assists in 21 appearances, the current joint-highest in the Championship alongside John Swift, which goes to show why former Cardiff boss Mick McCarthy labelled Giles as an “exciting” player with his crosses, corners and free-kicks being a “real weapon” for the team.

In addition to his impressive assists, Giles has shown his versatility by making appearances in the left-wing, left-midfield and left-back positions as well as one appearance each in the central-midfield and right-midfield positions.

Taking all of this into account, Wolves chairman Jeff Shi could save manager Bruno Lage millions in potential transfer fees this month by using Giles as a regular figure in his team from now on.

Given his versatility and creativity on the pitch, Giles, who is currently valued at £1.8m according to Transfermarkt, could easily be a useful player for Lage should any current Wolves player get struck with injuries or a positive virus test.

Even though he has only made one senior appearance for Wolves which came during their 2-2 draw against Shrewsbury in the fourth round of the FA Cup back in 2019, this could be a great time for Giles to finally make his mark in the first team at Molineux and show to Lage why he should be in the squad.

It would be great to see the youngster given some minutes in the first team throughout the remainder of the season as a reward for doing so well at Cardiff.

In other news: Luke Hatfield drops teasing transfer update that will leave Wolves fans thrilled – opinion

As per London World, Tottenham managerAntonio Conte has been trying to emulate one thing that Gareth Southgate did at Euro 2020 with England at Hotspur Way.

The Lowdown: Conte makes his mark…

From banning ketchup and mayonnaise at N17 to introducing extra training sessions (London World), the Italian serial winner had always been tipped to establish his order right from the off.

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Serie A experts claimed at the very start of his reign that Conte would be set for ruthless decisions, a distinct change in Tottenham’s philosophy and the introduction of high-intensity football (football.london).

However, in a more holistic approach, London World has now explained what he is emulating at Tottenham in a similar mould to Southgate’s England side at Euro 2020.

The Latest: Conte attempts Southgate trick…

As per London World, Conte has been ‘trying to create an open-door environment at Hotspur Way’ in a ‘similar’ approach employed by Southgate in the summer.

The 52-year-old, as a result, is candid with who deserves to play and who doesn’t – with there even being talk of Steven Bergwijn potentially being used as a makeshift centre-forward.

Conte has also issued one demand to his squad – that every player fights for their minutes in the starting XI.

The Verdict: Interesting approach…

If Conte can replicate an England side which won the hearts of a nation with their impressive run to the Euro 2020 final earlier this year at Tottenham, we believe this could come as an exciting claim.

Much has been made of the former Chelsea boss’ no-nonsense man-management tactics and ruthless demands behind the scenes, but an open approach could be what some Spurs players need to get them firing.

The likes of Dele Alli haven’t lived up to their skillset but Conte’s tactic of creating an ‘open door’ environment could motivate them to push and reignite their careers.

It remains unknown what impact this will have on the squad but it will certainly be interesting to see.

In other news: Tottenham in contact over signing ‘phenomenal’ star as club chiefs spotted in London, find out more here.

Liverpool are plotting a move for highly rated Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, and he could be the perfect replacement for Mohamed Salah if he leaves.

What’s the story?

According to reports in Italy,  Liverpool are plotting a move for Moussa Diaby as a potential replacement for Salah should the Egyptian fail to sign a new contract.

Diaby currently players in the Bundesliga for Leverkusen and has a great record for a 22-year old, and is rated at £49.5m.

The Reds are one of several Premier League clubs interested in the player with reports saying that West Ham United also want to sign the youngster.

He could be the perfect replacement for Salah

Liverpool have still failed to reach an agreement on a new contract with their star man Mohamed Salah. Negotiations broke down last month but have since restarted, however there are no guarantees that he will decide to stay which has led to Liverpool planning for life without him.

Diaby could be the ideal replacement and with the Frenchman so young it would be a worthy investment. He may not be at the levels of Salah just yet, but Klopp is known for developing good players into world class players so there’s no reason he couldn’t do the same here.

He has made 28 appearances in the league this season and been directly involved in 21 goals. He’s also shone in Europe with his performances in the Europa League earlier this campaign described as “special”.

It’s not a surprise he’s attracting a lot of interest as he is one of the best players in the Bundesliga, ranking in the top 3% for expected non-penalty goals.

When it comes to goals and assists combined for his club this season nobody beats him, he’s been key to the clubs battle for a Champions League place.

It’s hard to directly compare him with Salah given the age and experience difference, it’s more his potential that raises eyebrows. If you compare their stats when they were both 22, they’re remarkably similar.

Their goals per shots on target were the same at 0.46, with Diaby’s number of assists per 90 minutes being more than Salah’s at the time.

If he continues on the same trajectory then he could turn into one of the world’s best. Even if Salah decides to stay put an Anfield, this is a transfer race Liverpool need to be winning.

IN other news: Liverpool in talks over Karim Adeyemi…

In his first January transfer window as Aston Villa manager, Steven Gerrard has seen three new faces come through the door at Villa Park as the Midlands club look to strengthen their squad and push up the Premier League table as high as they can go under their new boss.

One of the new players that made the move to Villa this month was Gerrard’s former Liverpool teammate Philippe Coutinho, who played in 81 games with the Villa boss before making the move to Barcelona, who the Brazilian is now on loan from.

Despite only making two appearances for Villa, Coutinho has had a fairly mixed start to his second spell in the Premier League, firstly with a goal on his debut from the substitutes bench in their 2-2 draw against Manchester United, which then followed with a lacklustre performance in their recent 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.

While it’s still early days in his spell with the Midlands club, Gerrard still has enough time left in the January transfer window to bring in a player that would certainly raise the roof of Villa Park.

Having been mentioned with an audacious transfer swoop for Real Madrid and former Chelsea winger Eden Hazard in recent weeks with Villa “looking” at the player, bringing the Belgian back to England for another spell in the Premier League, in a similar way they did with Coutinho, would surely be a massive boost to Gerrard’s squad, ensuring they end their January transfer window with a flourish.

Madrid reportedly accepted a €40m (£33m) proposal from Newcastle for the winger’s services, only for the player to reject them. That has now left the door open for Gerrard to swoop in.

With a total of 245 appearances in the Premier League under his belt including 85 goals, 61 assists, two Premier League titles and one FA Cup, the 31-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £381k-per-week according to Salary Sport, could bring a serious amount of experience and winning mentality with him to Villa Park.

Labelled as an “exceptional” player during his time with Chelsea by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Hazard could be tempted with a move to Villa considering he’s only started seven La Liga games so far this season.

Either way, if Villa do think that adding the former Chelsea star to their already strengthened squad this month would be worthwhile, they should definitely make an approach to him and his club to see if the winger would relish another spell in the Premier League under Gerrard’s guidance.

In other news: Lange can replicate Digne masterclass as AVFC plot move for “phenomenal” £10m dynamo – opinion

Newcastle United look set to pip Manchester United in the race to sign Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier, as per Football Insights.

The Lowdown: Trippier in demand…

Trippier, who has been with the Spanish giants since 2019, is thought to be open to a Premier League return.

He was first linked with a move to Newcastle shortly before Eddie Howe’s arrival. Reports then claimed that Howe wanted to make the right-back his first January signing, with Manchester United also interested.

Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Everton are also willing to make a move, but it seems as if a move to Tyneside has been finalised.

The Latest: PIF’s first signing

The Mag relayed a claim from Football Insights, who suggested that Trippier is set to become PIF’s first signing after taking over at St James’ Park.

Football Insights’ Twitter post on Monday evening believes that a move is ‘all done’, with more information set to come out ‘in the next day or two’.

The Verdict: Shrewd move

Howe will know exactly what Trippier would bring to his side, with the 31-year-old making 61 appearances in total under him at Burnley, scoring four goals and registering 11 assists in all competitions over two seasons in Lancashire (Transfermarkt).

The Magpies also have just two right-backs on the books compared to three left-backs, so adding Trippier to his squad would balance thatt out nicely, and it seems as if Howe is going to get his wish.

The England defender has plenty of international experience and helped Atletico Madrid to the La Liga title last season, so securing his signature seems to be a good starting point as Howe looks to lift Newcastle out of the Premier League relegation zone over the coming months.

In other news: ‘Seriously interested’ – Fabrizio Romano has revealed PIF’s ‘top’ Newcastle target