West Ham United have their sights set on snapping up an “exceptional” Premier League talent this summer, with a potential transfer fee of about £15m, as per a recent report.

Bringing in a new striker might be Graham Potter’s top priority when the transfer window opens, with Lille’s Jonathan David pegged as his prime target. That said, the manager’s also got his eye on bolstering the backline.

One name on the radar is Millwall’s Japhet Tanganga, who’s become a standout performer for the Lions in the Championship this season. Whether West Ham can tempt him away from a rival outfit, though, is still up in the air.

Tanganga’s no stranger to the Premier League, having cut his teeth at Tottenham Hotspur, and now there’s talk the Hammers might also be eyeing another top-flight star currently making waves.

A report from The Sun suggests West Ham are eager to land Southampton’s center-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who might be open to a switch this summer. With Southampton staring down relegation to the Championship, the timing could be ripe.

Harwood-Bellis recently switched agents—a hint he might be gearing up for a move—and Southampton would likely ask for around £15m.

That kind of price tag puts him within reach for West Ham, who are clearly hungry to freshen up their defensive ranks.

Harwood-Bellis impressing for club and country

It’s been a rough ride for Southampton this season, with relegation from the Premier League looming large, but their 23-year-old standout has been a rare bright spot in an otherwise struggling squad, consistently ranking among their top performers.

The Englishman’s impressive form earlier this year caught the eye of the Three Lions, earning him a call-up to the national team. He didn’t waste the chance either, capping it off with the fifth goal in a 5-0 thrashing of the Republic of Ireland.

This ex-Manchester City player has been a steady danger in front of goal over the past 12 months, sitting in the 85th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 minutes. On top of that, his defensive chops have shone through, landing him in the 99th percentile for blocks compared to others in his position.

The Southampton star has earned high praise in the past, with media figures calling him “exceptional,” and his showings this season make a strong case for him getting another shot in the Premier League.

With that in mind, West Ham would be smart to chase a deal for Harwood-Bellis this summer—especially since a £15m price tag feels like a steal, and Southampton’s bargaining power will likely take a hit if they slip back into the Championship.

Journalist David Ornstein has shared an update on Manchester City’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) case, with a verdict expected in the coming months.

In early 2023, City faced allegations of breaching over 100 Premier League FFP regulations following a four-year investigation into their financial activities between 2009 and 2018. The charges were referred to an independent commission, while the club has consistently maintained its innocence.

If found guilty, City could face significant consequences, including a hefty fine, a transfer ban, a points deduction, or even relegation to a lower division.

Although Pep Guardiola’s side recently won their legal challenge against the Premier League’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, it remains uncertain whether they will achieve a similar outcome in their FFP case.

The proceedings concluded at the end of 2024, and according to Ornstein, a final ruling is expected within the next couple of months. However, the decision will be subject to potential appeals from either party.

“It’s just over two years ago since those charges and the feeling I get from speaking to people at and around the club is that we could be looking at a springtime verdict,” Ornstein told NBC Sports.

“So, maybe a month or two away and that feels pretty soon. Of course this is still subject to potential appeals in that process too, but the verdict would feel like a seismic moment whatever the outcome.”

Manchester City emerged as the highest spenders in the January transfer window, climbing into the top six of the Premier League net spend rankings. However, journalist David Ornstein insists their spending spree was not an attempt to “pre-empt a potential punishment” from their ongoing Financial Fair Play (FFP) case.

Ornstein also shed light on the club’s stance regarding the most severe penalty they could face, though the details of their expectations remain undisclosed.

“The important point to say from City’s perspective is that they are totally confident that they will be exonerated and prove their innocence, so they’re operating as usual,” Ornstein added.

“We saw them do a lot of business in the January transfer window. None of that business, to my knowledge, was to pre-empt potential punishment because they don’t think they are going to be punished for these alleged breaches.

“In the contract negotiations they’ve been holding in recent years, the transfer talks that have taken place, no clauses have been inserted into those deals to say ‘if City are punished, this is going to happen’. Players want to join Manchester City and they are continuing with everything that they are doing.

“It had no impact on Pep Guardiola signing a new contract in autumn, on Erling Haaland in the story I broke in January, on [sporting director] Txiki Begiristain’s decision to leave the club as sporting director – that was long-planned, or Hugo Viana’s decision to replace him.

“Think that they are going to be fined, let’s see how it materialises.”

Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez has hinted at interest in a potential move to Liverpool but maintains that his main focus remains on finishing an outstanding season with the Cherries.

Alongside Dean Huijsen and several others, Kerkez has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the campaign, with Bournemouth still in contention for an unlikely Champions League spot.

At just 21, he has already attracted interest from several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United.

Liverpool have also been linked, as they begin to plan for life beyond Andrew Robertson, who is entering the latter stages of his decorated career.

A move to Anfield would see Kerkez reunite with his international teammate and close friend Dominik Szoboszlai—an exciting prospect not just for him, but for Hungarian football, with two of its brightest talents playing for one of the world’s biggest clubs.

“I’m just focused on playing and winning as many games as possible with my team. A lot can happen in football, but it’s pointless to predict,” Kerkez told Hungarian outlet Nemzeti Sport when the subject of Liverpool was brought up, not wanting to get ahead of himself.

There was, however, a tease of openness to the possibility in his response.

“It wouldn’t look bad, that’s for sure,” Kerkez added. “But it’s too early to talk about something like that. I have big goals with Bournemouth, we still have a lot of games to win, that’s the most important thing right now.”

Lifting the lid on his relationship with Szoboszlai, the youngster said: “We get along really well off the field, I try to pay attention to him because he needs attention, poor thing. I told him that you can slip up on anyone, but not me, because we both need the national team.”