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West Ham United finally addressed their desperate need for the addition of a new centre-forward in the summer transfer window, with David Moyes sealing a £35.5m deal to bring Gianluca Scamacca to the London Stadium.

Indeed, prior to the Italy international’s arrival in east London back in July, Michail Antonio had been the 59-year-old’s only out-and-out number nine for the best part of 18 months, following Sebastien Haller’s January 2021 move to Ajax.

As a result, the Hammers had been linked with an array of strikers over the course of the 2021/22 campaign, with one such reported target of the Premier League side being LOSC Lille frontman, Jonathan David.

So interested in the Canada international were West Ham believed to be that, shortly before the summer transfer window opened, French publication BUT! suggested the Irons were preparing to launch a €50m (£43m) bid for the 22-year-old.

And, while it is undeniable that Scamacca is an extremely talented forward – having scored 16 goals over 36 Serie A appearances for Sassuolo last season – the argument that David would have also been an excellent signing is an easy one to make.

Indeed, following his €31.5m (£27m) move to France back in the summer of 2020, the 22-year-old has been on fire for Lille, scoring 36 goals and providing seven assists over his 103 fixtures in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side.

The £61m-rated striker has been in particularly fine form over his seven league outings so far this season, having already scored four goals, registered two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.0 shots – 1.3 of which have hit the target – making 1.6 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

These metrics have seen the £28k-per-week striker average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.37, not only ranking him as Lille’s second-best performer in the league but also as the 19th-best player in the division as a whole.

For reference, should the player who Lukas Weese dubbed “unreal” have achieved these returns at West Ham this season, he would rank first for goals, joint-first for assists, first for big chances created, first for shots taken, first for shots on target, joint-first for key passes and first for dribbles completed, while his average match rating would also rank him first in Moyes’ squad.

As such, while Scamacca – who is yet to score over his four Premier League appearances this term – will more than likely come good in east London with time, it is nevertheless undeniable that missing out on a £43m deal for David is already proving to be something of a transfer nightmare for Moyes.

Indeed, should the 22-year-old continue his remarkable form over the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign, it would appear extremely unlikely the Canadian will have an asking price anywhere near €50m by the time next summer rolls around.

Sunderland have enjoyed themselves in front of goal this season with 16 goals in ten outings in the Championship since their promotion from League One.

Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms have plundered eight goals between them as they have terrified opposition defences from minute one of the campaign.

Last season, the Black Cats beat Wycombe in the play-off final at Wembley to secure their place in the second tier and their goal threat at the top end of the pitch played a major role in their success.

Ross Stewart led the way with a whopping 26 league goals in 49 appearances as he made himself a reliable and lethal striker in front of goal. He was supported by on-loan Everton forward Nathan Broadhead as the Welshman produced ten strikes in 15 starts in the third division of English football.

Things could have been different, though, as the Black Cats were linked with other attackers before they managed to bring Broadhead in from Goodison Park.

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman dodged a bullet by not signing Joe Pigott from AFC Wimbledon in the summer of 2021. It was reported that Sunderland were willing to drop big wages on the striker in order to beat off Championship and League One competition for his signature.

The Wearside chief ultimately failed to bring the centre-forward to the Stadium of Light as their third tier rivals Ipswich Town swooped to sign him on a three-year deal.

Pigott was coming off the back of scoring an eye-catching 20 goals and providing five assists in 45 appearances for Wimbledon in the 2020/21 campaign. This led to him earning a move to Portman Road and journalist Josh Bunting described him as a “real goalscorer” at the time.

However, he failed to live up to the hype as he endured a rough 2021/22 season with Ipswich in League One. He racked up 20 appearances in the division and managed only two goals, whilst also failing to register a single assist.

The 28-year-old’s form for Wimbledon suggested that he had the quality to be a goal machine in Suffolk but he was unable to replicate his efforts from 2020/21.

His poor form convinced the Tractor Boys to sanction a loan move to Portsmouth this term and he has produced one goal and one assist in eight league outings to date.

Therefore, Sunderland certainly dodged a howler by missing out on the Ipswich flop, who has scored 99 career club goals, as he has struggled in the third tier since the start of last season and Broadhead turned out to be an excellent signing for the Black Cats.

West Bromwich Albion have certainly been financially hamstrung in recent years, which is what has led to an expenditure of just £1.21m this summer.

Only two of the players brought in were for a fee, with the rest being free transfers.

That’s not to say that there wasn’t some good business conducted however, with John Swift, in particular, opting to make the switch from Reading to the Hawthorns.

The busy central midfielder has impressed early on in his West Brom career, with Steve Bruce heavily reliant on his creativity for his toothless side.

Last season for the Royals he recorded a sensational 11 goals and 13 assists, so to bring this kind of proven Championship talent to his side for free marks incredible business.

The level of this business is further exacerbated by his current Transfermarkt valuation, which sits at £6.3m.

He has started this season in solid fashion too, scoring twice and assisting another two in an underwhelming Baggies outfit.

Having only scored 15 goals in ten league matches, five of which came in one game, West Brom are in desperate need of a goal scorer.

If they were to have one, which the injured Daryl Dike would likely have provided, then we could see Swift surpass the levels he reached for Reading.

Journalist Josh Bunting was full of praise for this piece of business, labelling him a “brilliant signing” who is “capable of playing in the Premier League.”

He also went on to call him a “lovely technical player”, which he would have to be to play at the level he sees him at.

Even back in 2016, Tom Barclay thought he was a “talent”, and he now seems to be proving it on a big stage.

With aspirations of a return to the top flight, Swift will surely be instrumental if Bruce is to steer his side towards promotion.

However, he will need some assistance, which their early-season form has suggested he will not receive. One win in their opening ten matches draws cause for concern.

Regardless, he will remain a smart piece of business for the club. It would just make it even sweeter if he could be given some added tools to help take the club where they want to go.

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes was ‘having a go’ at Jadon Sancho at one stage in Sunday’s derby defeat to Manchester City, according to Samuel Luckhurst. 

The Lowdown: Derby drubbing

Erik ten Hag once again named an unchanged Red Devils side, with Marcus Rashford being passed fit to lead the line at the Etihad Stadium.

However, United failed to get going against their neighbours and were on the receiving end of another dominant display from Pep Guardiola’s side, with braces from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland giving the hosts a four-goal advantage at the break.

Antony pulled one back for the visitors before the two Man City scorers completed their hat-tricks in the second half and Anthony Martial registered a late consolation.

The Latest: Luckhurst’s post

Taking to Twitter, Luckhurst said that Fernandes was ‘having a go at Sancho’ following Foden’s opener.

The journalist, who was at the Etihad, added that it was Sancho who lost the ball ‘carelessly’ which led to City’s first goal.

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The Verdict: Painful

Plenty of United supporters would have been going into this afternoon’s meeting with some hope after four successive league victories, but it has proven to be another derby day to forget.

It didn’t take long for frustration to be noticed on the pitch, with Fernandes once again captaining United and failing to hide his emotions when City scored after just eight minutes.

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Sancho, like many others, failed to put in a positive performance. He lost all five of his duels playing on the left and gave away the ball 13 times (as per SofaScore), so he and many of his team-mates could be fighting to retain their place in the side for Thursday’s Europa League match against Omonia Nicosia.

Manchester United correspondent Samuel Luckhurst has provided an update on the ankle injury Raphael Varane picked up against Manchester City on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Derby day to forget

Erik ten Hag’s first experience of the Manchester derby was certainly one to forget, with the Red Devils’ four-match winning run in the Premier League coming to an end.

United were blown away by Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, with the pair both scoring a hat-trick each in a 6-3 win. Things went from bad to worse at the Etihad just before the break, with Varane going off injured with an ankle issue.

The Latest: Luckhurst update

Luckhurst shared an update regarding Varane for The Manchester Evening News on Monday morning.

He said that ‘sources’ have described Varane’s injury as ‘not bad’, however, United will be ‘cautious’ due to the Frenchman’s injury problems last season.

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The Verdict: Good news

It looks as if Varane has avoided any serious ligament damage with his injury thought to be ‘not bad’, so that is a positive update. The defender also reportedly drove himself to Carrington on Monday, which again, is a good sign.

However, United have a quick turnaround with a trip to Cyprus to take on Omonia Nicosia on Thursday in the Europa League.

Therefore, it could be wise to leave the Frenchman at home, giving him extra time to recover to possibly return against Everton in the Premier League on Sunday.

West Bromwich Albion have it all to do this afternoon as they travel to face high-flying Reading without a manager.

The Baggies dismissed Steve Bruce on Monday and are yet to find a replacement, having not won in their last eight league games as they sit in the relegation zone. 

Meanwhile, the Royals sit fifth and will certainly fancy their chances of picking up a home win today.

With Albion under-21s boss Gary Beale taking the first team on a temporary basis, it throws up the issue as to whether he sticks with Bruce’s principles or makes wholesale changes.

With that in mind, here’s the West Brom XI we’re predicting for today’s game…

We expect just two changes from the 0-0 draw with Luton Town last week, with West Brom maintaining their same 3-4-3 tactical shape.

Alex Palmer will continue in goal, with David Button having been given his chance and lost it under the previous regime.

The back three will likely remain unchanged too, as Semi Ajayi and Kyle Bartley remain sidelined with long-term injuries. Erik Pieters will continue to deputise as the outside centre-back.

The midfield of Jake Livermore and Tom Rogic could also continue, despite neither of them pulling up any trees at The Hawthorns this season with WhoScored ratings of 6.38 and 5.99 respectively.

Conor Townsend and Matt Phillips are set to continue providing the width. Both have proved over the years that they can be dependable options for the Midlands outfit and will need to be on form to negate a free-flowing Reading side.

It is the front three where West Brom will likely make changes, as they continued to be toothless up front last week. They have scored just two goals over their last three games.

Grady Diangana has once again disappointed and could relinquish his place in the starting XI. He has scored just twice in 13 Championship games this season. He will likely make way for the “super talented’ John Swift, who has been the shining light in an otherwise miserable season. The 27-year-old has maintained a 7.15 average SofaScore rating so far.

Jed Wallace will keep his spot for now, and Karlan Grant could replace Brandon Thomas-Asante in the recent merry-go-round up top.

West Brom are still in the process of appointing a new manager following the sacking of Steve Bruce and Sean Dyche is one man to be linked with the vacant post at the Hawthorns.

The 51-year-old is yet to take a new job in management following his sacking by Burnley last season, having spent nearly ten years with the Clarets.

Reports suggest that Dyche could be one of the favourites to take over at the Baggies as they look to push themselves up the Championship table, with only two wins to their name thus far.

If West Brom still harbour any hopes of promotion this season, then they need to fix an ailing defence which has leaked 18 goals so far this term, with just three clean sheets in that time.

If anyone knows how to organise a defence it is Dyche, as he played as a no-nonsense centre-back during his playing career and set Burnley up with similarly efficient defenders during his spell at Turf Moor.

When Dyche led Burnley to the Europa League in 2018, his side conceded just 39 times across the Premier League season, with clean sheets a speciality for the Clarets, especially at home.

While the 51-year-old became best known for keeping Burnley in the Premier League against the odds, he was also the man to lead them there, as the Lancashire side won the Championship title in 2016.

That title-winning campaign saw Burnley concede just 35 goals across the entire season, which again emphasises that Dyche knows how to set a team up and win games, something the Baggies have failed to do on far too many occasions in 2022/23, with eight draws so far.

When Dyche was sacked by Burnley, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was full of praise for the job he did at Turf Moor, saying:

“I only have words of praise because what he’s done at the club over the last 10 years is phenomenal. He gave the club a really clear identity, he’s managed to keep the team, with one of the smallest budgets, consistently in the league.”

Dyche certainly knows how to get the best out of his squad and has proven himself in both the Premier League and the Championship, so there is little to suggest that he wouldn’t be a success at West Brom, especially if he can solve the Baggies’ defensive issues.

Journalist Gregg Evans has responded angrily to the news that Douglas Luiz’s red card in Aston Villa’s defeat to Fulham has now been rescinded.

The Lowdown: Luiz’s red card rescinded

The Villans suffered a dire night at Craven Cottage on Thursday, losing 3-0 in their Premier League clash, leading to Steven Gerrard’s dismissal after the match.

Villa’s misery was compounded when Luiz – hailed as a “transformed” player by Gabby Agbonlahor earlier this year – was sent off for an apparent headbutt on Aleksandar Mitrovic following a VAR review, making life even harder for them on the night.

Since then, the Brazilian’s red card has been overturned, meaning that he will no longer face a suspension and is available to face Brentford on Sunday.

The Latest: Evans not impressed

Taking to Twitter, Evans was left perplexed by the news, in terms of the red card being shown at the time and ultimately costing Villa on the night.

In response to a clip from Sky Sports Premier League announcing the reversal of the decision, The Athletic journalist tweeted:

“Unbelievable. Get it right in the first place.”

The Verdict: Simply not good enough

This sums up the ineptitude and inconsistency of VAR, with the much-discussed technology surely in place to ensure that red cards never have to be rescinded.

Essentially, the decision to send Luiz off may have been the difference between Villa getting a result, and duly Gerrard losing or keeping his job, such are the fine margins of football.

Granted, he would still likely have been sacked given the vocal supporter unrest on the night, but rescinding a red card further down the line is only beneficial after a match, when it could – and should – happen during the game instead.

Wolves will keep Steve Davis on as interim manager until the Premier League ends for the World Cup break after Michael Beale rejected the role.

The Lowdown: Beale turns down job

Wanderers have been on the lookout for a new boss since Bruno Lage was sacked earlier in the month, but finding a successor has been a difficult task.

Julen Lopetegui had to turn down the job for family reasons and then in the last 48 hours QPR manager Beale has also rejected the gig, opting to focus on his promotion charge in London.

Davis has been in temporary charge since Lage’s dismissal and it looks as though he is here to stay, for the time being at least.

The Latest: Davis to stay on

Writing on Twitter, Cook said that the 57-year-old will now be in charge at Molineux until the World Cup begins in the middle of November:

“As suspected Wolves will stick with Steve Davis until the World Cup break. Rob Edwards could possibly form part of his backroom team.”

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The Verdict: Right decision?

Considering Wolves have missed out on two of their main managerial targets, it now makes sense to stick with Davis for the next three or four weeks.

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There isn’t much time for a new boss to come in and get his ideas across before the squad breaks up for a month or so, especially if the new arrival were to be third choice after Lopetegui and Beale, so waiting until after the World Cup is a shrewd decision.

Davis is doing a solid job as interim manager, too, winning 1-0 at home to Nottingham Forest last weekend, so he should be trusted to tackle these next five games before the break.

Wolverhampton Wanderers made a ‘brave decision’ by revealing they are not appointing a new manager until 2023, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Davis to remain in charge

The Premier League side were on the hunt to find Bruno Lage’s successor following his sacking earlier this month but were rejected by their top two candidates – Julen Lopetegui and Michael Beale.

Chairman Jeff Shi has since revealed that the board have decided to keep Steve Davis in charge at Molineux for the rest of this year in the hope that more applicants will become available by the time Fosun re-enter the market.

The Latest: Jones reacts

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones was surprised that the Old Gold are putting an appointment on hold, and believes that they may find it hard to beat other competitors to the same candidates should they also be looking for a new boss.

“It’s a brave decision to say you’re going to leave it until after the World Cup because suddenly your rivals are changing managers and quickly looking to fix the situation, and that means you’re going to be going after pretty much the same people in the same market.”

The Verdict: Wrong decision?

Wolves wanting to wait for a more suitable candidate to become available is understandable, but with the position they are currently in, it was the wrong decision to make when desperately in need of a change.

The Midlands outfit remain second from bottom in the table, with Davis winning just one game from his opening four, conceding nine goals and averaging just 0.75 points per match (Transfermarkt).

If this poor run of form is to continue whilst he’s at the helm, Wanderers could find themselves in an unsalvageable position come the end of the year, which is exactly why they should have continued their search.