West Ham United will make midfielder Manuel Lanzini’s season-long loan from Al Jazira Club a permanent deal two months earlier than planned, co-chairman David Sullivan has said.
Lanzini, who is currently sidelined with a thigh injury, has scored four times in his 12 appearances this season.
“The contract we have is 100 per cent watertight. We have until April to make it permanent but we’ll probably do it before the due date,” said Sullivan.
“He is a fantastic player and a fantastic man. By February or March, he will be a permanent West Ham player.”
West Ham, Palace hunting for Zaza
Premier League clubs West Ham and Crystal Palace are engaged in a race to sign Juventus striker Simone Zaza.
Juventus were on the verge of letting Zaza go in summer but then decided to keep the former Sassuolo player.
At the moment, Zaza isn’t getting much playing time at Juventus as Tuttosport is claiming West Ham are willing to pay €25m for the 24-year-old Zaza.
Crystal Palace could match that offer to get the Italian striker in the January transfer window.
However, it seems that Juve are only ready to negotiate a loan deal until the end of the season.
Pochettino: no price on Kane’s head
Mauricio Pochettino insists no money in the world can take Harry Kane away from Spurs.
Kane scored twice in the victory over Norwich on Saturday to take his tally to 11 league goals this season and 27 in 2015, which broke Teddy Sheringham’s club record for a calendar year.
The 22-year-old has reportedly attracted interest from big-spenders Man. United in the past, but Pochettino is adamant Kane will not be leaving.
“There is no price. No-one can buy him,” Pochettino said.
“He is not for sale. There is not a value because it is impossible to put a price.”
Wilshere’s recovery is going ‘slowly’
Arsene Wenger does not know when Jack Wilshere will be back for Arsenal.
This season, like so many before, has proved frustrating for the 23-year-old, with injury once again stunting his progress.
A fractured fibula sustained towards the end of pre-season became the latest setback and a slow healing response led to surgery in September.
“Before, I said he’ll be back in February but honestly I don’t know,” the Arsenal boss said.
“I let him do his recovery.
“It’s going slowly. Once he goes again, goes outside to train, once he is back again into sharp, hard work physically, you count five or six weeks, so at the moment he is not there yet.”
Thomas Schaaf takes over at Hanover
Relegation-troubled Hanover have appointed Thomas Schaaf as their new coach on a contract until 2017.
The former Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt coach, who has been out of work since the end of last season, takes the place of Michael Frontzeck, who resigned prior to Christmas.
The 54-year-old returns to a Bundesliga bench six months after stepping down as Frankfurt coach, despite leading them to a respectable ninth place.
Hanover ended the first half of the season inside the relegation zone, a point from safety but also only a point from the foot of the division.
Their first game after the winter break comes at home to promoted Darmstadt on January 23.
Foxes will bounce back – Simpson
Leicester City have the character and spirit to put Saturday’s loss to Liverpool behind them in their next game against Manchester City, defender Danny Simpson has said.
The Foxes were beaten 1-0 at Anfield to record only their second loss of this season that snapped their unbeaten 10-game run in the league.
“It was tough, but it has been a tough few weeks,” Simpson said.
“We know we will pick ourselves up. We are an honest bunch, we will look at it and we will react in the right way against Manchester City.
“It is a setback but we will bounce back. We have got a great team with great characters.”
Sunderland will seek new recruits
Sunderland will look for overseas recruits during the January transfer window, primarily to tighten their leaky backline, manager Sam Allardyce said yesterday.
The Black Cats have already shipped 37 goals in 18 games this campaign, the most in the league, and four successive league losses has left them second from bottom in the table.
“Probably, it’ll have to be from abroad, by the looks of what’s available here,” Allardyce said.
“I think it would be very difficult to secure a player from any club in the Premier League because I don’t think they’d want to let anybody go.
“So, for me, it looks like it might be from abroad, and then see where we go from there.”