Category Uncategorized

Everton are having a week to forget at Goodison Park with the sacking of Frank Lampard being followed by Tottenham Hotspur’s hijacking of the Arnaut Danjuma deal. Sadly, another disaster could be about to unfold.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Jacque Talbot, Everton are “ready” to agree a deal with Newcastle United to allow winger Anthony Gordon to make a move to St James’ Park.

Talbot tweeted: “Understand Everton look ready to accept Newcastle’s opening bid for 21-year-old Anthony Gordon and that personal terms are not expected to be a problem ahead of a move to the northeast.

“The two clubs have been locked in negotiations over a possible switch, and as we exclusively revealed yesterday, Newcastle made an offer of £35m rising to £50m with add-ons for the winger.”

Moshiri heading for disaster

There is no doubt that Farhad Moshiri is heading for yet another Goodison disaster by letting go of boyhood Evertonian Gordon this month, as the vulnerable position the squad has found themselves in this season could only further worsen with his departure.

The Toffees are two points deep into the Premier League relegation zone after 20 outings with the second-worst goal tally in the entire league – registering just 15 goals so far which has heavily contributed to their downfall.

Following Richarlison’s move to Spurs in the summer alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury issues, the attacking threat has been unable to recover even with the signings of Dwight McNeil and Neal Maupay, however, Gordon has been one of the most consistent performers in the forward line.

The 21-year-old winger rose through the ranks of the Everton youth academy from U18s to U21s, polishing his skills until he was finally called up to the senior team by Carlo Ancelotti when he earned his top flight debut in January 2020.

Over 78 appearances so far, Gordon has scored seven goals and delivered eight assists for the Toffees, however, the youngster offers much more than goal contributions to his game.

The winger is renowned for his aggressive presence on the right flank, ranking in the top 16% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for tackles, interceptions and clearances – proving that he is prolific in winning possession of the ball and is capable of working hard defensively.

This season the situation at Everton has become increasingly worse and Gordon has fallen out of favour on many occasions due to the lack of goal contributions across the front line, with former manager Lampard desperately trying to find a way to unlock an attacking formula that results in goals scored.

Nevertheless, losing Gordon this week will only further reduce the attacking depth for the new manager who is set to be appointed imminently, so Everton will need to have transfer targets lined up to either replace or upgrade on the winger in the next few days, depending on the budget that will be generated from his potential move away.

Arsenal could well be considering making a move for Crystal Palace starlet Michael Olise this summer, with the high-flying Gunners having been named as a potential suitor for the promising youngster.

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Daily Mail, with journalist Sami Mokbel reporting that the north Londoners are one of the clubs currently ‘monitoring’ the 21-year-old, ahead of a potential swoop at the end of the season.

The report suggests, however, that the Eagles will ‘not entertain’ the notion of losing both the French youth international and teammate Wilfried Zaha this summer, with the latter man yet to commit his future to the club with just six months remaining on his existing deal.

The piece also adds that Palace removed a £35m buy-out clause from Olise’s contract last year, ensuring that prising the playmaker from Selhurst Park could prove far tougher for Gunners sporting director, Edu.

Fabio Vieira upgrade

The former Reading ace has made a rather smooth transition to life in the Premier League since his £8m switch back in the summer of 2021, having already chipped in with 18 goals and assists in 52 games across all fronts for his current side to date.

That includes a haul of two goals and four assists in the top flight in the 2022/23 campaign thus far, with the highly-rated “baller” – as described by journalist Muhammad Butt – having notably produced a moment of magic in the draw at home to Manchester United earlier this week.

The £45k-per-week maestro stepped up in stoppage time to equalise for Patrick Vieira’s men, doing so in stunning fashion with a sensational, dipping free-kick that evaded the sprawling David De Gea.

Not only did that masterful set piece catch the eye, but so too did Olise’s nonchalant celebration in the aftermath, having arguably showcased just why he could well be destined to “play at the very highest levels of the game”, according to Butt.

Should Edu and co opt to bring the London-born dynamo to the Emirates any time soon, he could well prove a notable upgrade on summer arrival, Fabio Vieira, with the Portuguese midfielder currently struggling to make his mark in English football.

The 23-year-old has thus far failed to warrant his rather hefty £34m price tag after scoring just once and laying on only one assist in the league this term, having notably endured an “absolute howler” of a performance in the Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, in the words of GOAL’s Charles Watts.

The former Porto man’s woes are also laid bare by his struggles in possession of late as he ranks in just the bottom 27% in Europe among those in his position for dribbles completed, while that man Olise ranks in the top 19% in that regard.

Equally, the Palace sensation also appears to offer far more defensively as he ranks in the top 3% for blocks made and the top 14% for tackles made, while Vieira only ranks in the bottom 1% and the bottom 11% for the same two metrics respectively.

That should indicate that even though the new addition has only been in the door for a matter of months, Mikel Arteta’s side could secure a playmaking upgrade by winning the race for Olise this summer.

Manchester United are desperately in need of a new talisman; following the club’s mutual termination of Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract in November, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are the only established players capable of adopting the role.

And with the January transfer window now open, the Red Devils are inevitably going to leave a trail of rumours with every slight movement, but there is one prominent forward that could alight the club’s silverware-chasing aspirations.

Reports from the closing months of 2022 stated that United manager Erik ten Hag has held an interest in Juventus’ prolific striker Dusan Vlahovic since before the departure of Ronaldo, despite the Serbian sensation only arriving in Turin last January, agreeing a £66.6m transfer from Fiorentina.

His value has risen a great deal since then with it likely to take a fee of around €100m (£88m) to see him don the famous red shirt in the Premier League.

And with United recently failing to complete the signing of Cody Gakpo, who had been of interest to the Old Trafford outfit since the summer but ended up joining Liverpool in a £35m deal, there are doubts around the likelihood of a concrete move this winter.

Van Persie 2.0

Vlahovic, still only 22 years old, burst onto the scene in the Italian Serie A and captivated La Viola faithful with his devastating strikes of the ball and innate goal-scoring movement in-and-around the penalty area.

For Fiorentina, he scored 49 goals and provided eight assists from only 108 outings, remarkable figures for an ace plying his trade throughout the maiden period of his professional career.

And last year, in the campaign that saw him swap Florence for the Old Lady at the midpoint, the 19-cap gem completed a stunning return of 29 goals and six assists from 45 total outings – etching his name into the book of the globe’s very elite forwards.

If United were able to forge a transfer, they would finally have an out-and-out striker to lead the line for years to come, a destructive offensive presence with a proven track record for club and country of bypassing the opposing goal with regularity.

The “monster” – as hailed by Carlo Garganese – could emulate the success of one Robin van Persie, who signed for the Red Devils in 2012 for £24m from divisional rivals Arsenal in a move that sparked an incensed wave of anger from the Gunners ranks.

Van Persie won the league during his debut season at the Theatre of Dreams, plundering 58 goals and 21 assists from only 105 appearances – including a tally of 30 goals and 15 assists during his first term at the club.

With both phenoms wielding a ferocious left foot, predators instincts within the box and a physicality that allows them to bully defenders with ease, it’s no wonder that Ten Hag wants to bring Vlahovic to Manchester, with hopes that he can indeed replicate the feats of one of English football’s greatest ever strikers.

And with immense praise from Nenad Bjekovic, the president of the Serbian FA, who said he’s “more complete than [Erling] Haaland” he might just be the diamond the Red Devils are seeking to return the club to former glory.

Leeds United remain linked to an exciting young contract rebel, although face impending danger due to the emergence of a powerhouse rival…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, which claims that Barcelona have entered the picture for Nicolas Raskin.

With the young Belgian having reached an impasse in his contract talks, he now seems set to depart given he is entering into the final six months of his current deal.

The Whites are mentioned in the report as a viable option alongside other European clubs, but it is actually claimed that Club Brugge KV are the best-placed team to take him.

Imagine him & Adams

With the recent success of their summer signings, Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch just be moving for Raskin to partner with the likes of Tyler Adams rather than replace him.

Both defensive monsters and under the age of 24, they could hold down the engine room at Elland Road for the next decade.

The American has earned more widespread praise of late for his displays at the World Cup, as his midfield exploits helped the United States get out of the group before their loss to the Netherlands.

Earning a 7.10 average rating, he would record 80 touches per game alongside a 90% pass accuracy.

He would underpin this consistent influence with 1.0 interceptions, 2.8 tackles and 1.3 clearances per game too, via Sofascore.

To pair this with the success of the 21-year-old in the Belgian league, where he too has been handed an impressive 7.01 average rating despite his youth, could be instrumental in their survival bid.

Having shipped 26 goals in just 14 games this season, it is clear that defensive frailties could be their undoing as the Yorkshire outfit hope to avoid another relegation scrap.

As such, adding the 3.3 tackles per game to their midfield alongside 1.1 key passes could revolutionise them at both ends of the field. He boasts characteristics akin to a “pitbull”, as dubbed by Belgian journalist Bob Faesen, as he continued with his praise:

“He is still only 19, but he has really shone.

“He is a box-to-box midfielder. He can play in every position in the middle of the park… He can run a lot, is powerful and has a good shot. He has been one of the big surprises in Belgium football this season and will be a key player for Liege…”

What will please Marsch too is that he boasts insane character, with his head coach Ronny Delia having labelled him a “leader” earlier in the year.

Perhaps this addition could be instrumental in turning around their form once and for all, before being a catalyst for long-term success at the club.

The latest suggestion is Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is believed to be eyeing a new centre-forward addition in the January window, with the 57-year-old keen to strengthen his attacking options heading into the second half of the campaign.

One man who could well potentially prove a solution for the title-winning coach is Scotland international Ross Stewart, with the 26-year-old – who is also attracting interest from Old Firm foes Rangers – facing an uncertain future with current side Sunderland.

The suggestion is that the Black Cats could well be open to selling the 6-foot-2 marksman in the winter, with the former Ross County man having yet to commit his future to the club with just six months remaining on his existing deal.

The Parkhead giants are said to be ‘waiting in the wings’ should the striker be up for grabs in the New Year, with the Irvine-born ace no doubt set to be an attractive option for Postecoglou and co due to his goalscoring heroics of late.

The one-time St Mirren hitman has scored 34 goals and registered eight assists in just 72 games for the Championship side to date, having notably netted 26 goals in England’s third tier last season to help drag his side to promotion.

Despite injury woes having hampered his campaign this time around, the £3m-rated talent still boasts a haul of five goals and three assists in just seven league outings, having been something “revelation” in the words of teammate, Alex Pritchard.

A player who has “got everything”, in the words of Pritchard, due to his hold-up play and impressive work ethic – showcased by the fact he ranks in the top 9% for tackles made among those in his position, as per FBref – Stewart would no doubt offer a quality striking alternative for the Glasgow side.

The hope will be that the Scotsman can emulate the impact of another man to have arrived at Celtic Park from south of the border in the form of Kris Commons, with the now-retired ace having gone on to blossom in a green and white jersey.

Like Stewart, the playmaker was also in the final months of his contract at EFL outfit Derby County when he was snapped up by Neil Lennon for a bargain fee of just £300k in January 2011.

The Mansfield-born ace – who made 12 appearances for Scotland at international level – was an instant hit at Paradise after netting a delightful lob on debut against Aberdeen, before finishing that 2010/11 season with 11 goals and four assists in just 14 Scottish Premiership outings.

The left-footed wizard would go on to be a mainstay of the side over the next few years in his creative berth, racking up 89 goals and 72 assists in 227 games for the club in all competitions, notably winning the SPFA Player of the Year award at the end of a stellar 2013/14 season in which he recorded 45 goal involvements in just 48 games across all fronts.

That huge success story will no doubt be one that Stewart could well potentially emulate, with Commons showcasing the benefits of securing a mid-season deal after exploiting a player’s contract uncertainty.

It could well prove to be yet another masterstroke for Celtic if they can get the Stadium of Light star through the door.

Celtic are ready to move for a new full-back and a striker in the New Year, according to The Daily Record’s Mark Pirie.

The Lowdown: Celtic’s summer business

The club were busy over the summer when it comes to incomings, with three previous loan moves made permanent. Parkhead officials also brought in six new faces for Ange Postecoglou and spent just over £20m in total.

It seems as if their attention is already on the upcoming January transfer window, with the Hoops having time to prepare due to the World Cup break.

The Latest: January transfer plans

Pirie shared a story for The Daily Record on Wednesday night regarding Celtic’s transfer plans.

He revealed that the Hoops ‘are set to ramp up their transfer business’ as they eye a replacement for Josip Juranovic and ‘another striker to lead the line’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-9/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Wise moves?

It seems as if Juranovic may move on in the New Year, so securing a new versatile full-back could be crucial for Peter Lawwell and Postecoglou.

Celtic also have just two out-and-out centre-forwards in Kyogo Furuhashi and Georgios Giakoumakis, so bringing in a third option may also prove to be a wise call as the season progresses.

Both Furuhashi and Giakoumakis have had their injury issues while in Scotland, so hopefully the club can put deals in place ahead of January, just as they did last year with Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi.

Aston Villa have already made contact with Mauricio Pochettino, who is keen on returning to the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Pochettino speculation

Pochettino was first linked with a move to the Midlands at the end of August and again towards the end of September with Steven Gerrard struggling in his first full season at Villa Park.

The Telegraph revealed on Monday that Villa will make an ‘ambitious attempt to convince Pochettino to step back into management’, with Gerrard facing a pivotal week in charge.

They even claimed that a positive result against Fulham or Brentford may not be enough for Gerrard, and it looks as if NSWE are now officially working on a move for Pochettino.

The Latest: Contact made

Journalist Owen O’Brien took to Twitter shortly after The Telegraph’s update on Monday to share what he knows about the situation.

He said that Pochettino is Villa’s ‘number one choice’ to replace Gerrard, adding:

“Understand contact has already been made between Pochettino’s representatives and Aston Villa, and suggestions are that the 50 y/o is keen on returning to the PL.”

The Verdict: A coup

Should Villa decide to part ways with Gerrard, bringing in Pochettino could be viewed as a major coup by NSWE and Christian Purslow.

The Argentine likes to play an attacking 4-3-3 system and has plenty of experience at the highest level with both Tottenham and PSG. Pochettino also knows exactly what it takes to succeed in England, winning more than half of his 256 games in the Premier League.

Therefore, he could be the ideal man to come in at Villa Park, although with the club’s current struggles, it could be a tough sell for the board.

Sunderland suffered their third defeat in four Championship matches as they were hammered 4-2 by Burnley at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

The Black Cats had raced into a 2-0 lead but capitulated in the second half as Vincent Kompany’s men ran riot to end up with a comfortable win on Wearside in the end.

Patrick Roberts was absent from the matchday squad to face the Clarets and manager Tony Mowbray explained his situation after the match.

He told The Northern Echo: “We don’t think it’s a serious problem. We’ll see how the week goes, he’s had a huge workload of late.

“He probably hasn’t played many three-game weeks, he’s picked up a knock in training and was uncomfortable.

“The decision was that we didn’t think it was worth losing him potentially for eight to ten weeks. We decided to give him a breather this week and give someone else an opportunity.”

Roberts has scored two goals and provided one assist in his last seven Championship matches for the Black Cats and has been a bright spark at the top end of the pitch in recent weeks.

However, he could now be out for a short period of time after picking up this knock and that leaves other players, as Mowbray stated, with an opportunity to show they should be starting regularly ahead of him.

One gem who did exactly that against Burnley was on-loan attacker Amad Diallo. The Manchester United loanee peeled away at the back post and wrong-footed the goalkeeper with a reverse, left-footed, finish into the near post to open the scoring in the game, demonstrating the ability he has in front of goal.

His goal was not the only eye-catching part of his performance, though, as he also created three chances for his teammates and won six of his 11 individual duels. This shows that he held his own from a physical perspective and had the quality on the ball to open up the Burnley defence to tee up his teammates, although he was not rewarded with an assist for his efforts.

Former Manchester United winger Daniel James once hailed Amad as being “unbelievable” in training and journalist Josh Bunting recently praised the 5-foot-8 magician, stating in a post on Twitter: “You can see the talent he has is exceptional, the quality is there, was so bright yesterday and for me, he made a huge difference.”

The 20-year-old’s performance against Burnley suggests that he has the potential to step up in Roberts’ absence, and beyond, and be the new hero for Mowbray at the top end of the pitch.

His statistics at youth level also indicate that he has the scope to go on and produce quality in the final third on a consistent basis, as he was directly involved in ten goals in five games for Manchester United’s U21s and 28 goals in 46 matches for Atalanta’s Primavera side.

It is now down to the £20k-per-week talent to provide that he can be consistent on the pitch in the Championship and his display against the Clarets was a terrific start.

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah will be dropped in the coming weeks if his form doesn’t improve, according to former Leeds United striker and BBC Radio pundit Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Salah struggling for form

The Reds are going through an extremely tough spell at the moment, producing performances and results which are a shadow of the team that nearly won a quadruple last season.

Endless individuals are struggling for form at present and Salah is undoubtedly one of them, with the Egyptian not managing to have his usual impact in the final third.

He has only scored twice in seven Premier League outings to date this season, with his last goal in the competition coming at Manchester United in August.

The Latest: Whelan says Mo will be axed

Speaking to Football Insider, former BBC Radio Leeds man Whelan claimed that Salah could be axed from Liverpool’s team by Jurgen Klopp:

“I expect Salah will be dropped soon, and I don’t mean rotated, either. He’s been poor by his high standards this season and he knows that himself deep down.

“Jurgen Klopp has stuck with him up until now, but I think that could be about to change this week.

“Roberto Firmino is scoring goals and playing well, Luis Diaz is pretty much the first name on the team sheet and Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez will be pushing hard to start, as well as Fabio Carvalho.

“Salah will probably benefit from a spell on the bench, to reignite the fire and motivation of last season. Sometimes you need a horrible bit of medicine. He hasn’t been the same brilliant player since the African Cup of Nations.”

The Verdict: Feels highly unlikely

While Salah is undoubtedly not at his best currently, it would still be a huge surprise if he found himself out of the starting lineup for an extended period.

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

The 30-year-old still looks one of the Reds’ biggest attacking threats in most games and his work rate is excellent – he just looks short on confidence, like so many of his teammates.

Salah is simply too special a player not to overcome this current slump, however, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he returned to goalscoring ways against Rangers in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has shared some ‘hopeful’ news he’s been told at Tottenham Hotspur surrounding a possible new contract for Harry Kane.

The Lowdown: Kane weighing next move…

Multiple reports over the last week have issued contradictory claims when it comes to the future of Spurs’ superstar striker.

Indeed, Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg recently stated that the 29-year-old could become a ‘very hot’ topic at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, and what’s more, Kane can ‘really imagine’ joining them.

However, an equally reliable source in The Evening Standard also claimed this week that the England international is open to discussing a new deal with the Premier League side.

The Latest: O’Rourke shares ‘hopeful’ Kane update…

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, reporter O’Rourke claims that Spurs chiefs are ‘hopeful’ Kane will put pen to paper and are optimistic they can convince him to do so.

He explained:

“Tottenham, still pretty hopeful that they can convince Harry Kane to pledge his long term future by signing a new contract.”

The Verdict: Good news…

Losing the forward would be a real step back so chairman Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici’s big task will be convincing Kane that he can clinch silverware by remaining at Hotspur Way.

Antonio Conte’s job at N17 is, therefore, perhaps under greater pressure with the knowledge his success could well determine the future of Tottenham’s prized asset.

Winner of the Golden Boot and Playmaker Award in 2020/2021, Kane also finished last year as Spurs’ second-best player behind Son in terms of average match rating (WhoScored).

The Englishman will be crucial to Tottenham’s success and tying him down would seriously send out a warning to the rest of the league.