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Everton are reportedly still keen to secure a deal for wantaway Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek.

What’s the story?

The Toffees were strongly linked with a move for the 24-year-old over the summer, with the player himself confirming that contact had been made between the two parties, but a transfer never materialised.

Since then, Van de Beek’s struggles at Old Trafford have continued, and his playing time under current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has remained extremely limited.

And now, well-known journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the Dutch international wants to leave the Red Devils in January after becoming increasingly frustrated at his lack of action.

“In the summer, they had a chance to sell him with Everton keen on deadline day,” Romano told The United Stand (as relayed by the Liverpool ECHO).

“Things can change, but as of now, he is planning to leave Manchester United in January. Van de Beek is a fantastic player and a top professional.

“It is true that Italian and Spanish clubs are interested, and it depends whether Man United can agree on the conditions with them. He could also move to the Premier League, with Everton one of the clubs interested.

“Donny wants to play, so if he is not playing in two-three months, he will leave, I am sure,” he concluded.

Everton fans will be buzzing

After securing a domestic double with boyhood club Ajax and playing a pivotal part in their run to the Champions League semi-finals, Van de Beek’s arrived on English soil with an enviable reputation.

However, things have not worked out for him at United. The technically gifted maestro has started just four Premier League games since arriving for £40m in September 2020 and has received just six minutes of league action this term.

His peripheral role in Solskjaer’s first-team squad has led to speculation regarding a potential imminent exit, while Everton’s director of football Marcel Brands has now come out and confirmed the Toffees previous interest in the player.

When asked about Van de Beek in a recent interview with NOS (as relayed by the Manchester Evening News) he said: “We had him on our list.

“At the beginning of the transfer window, we inquired at United, then it was impossible. At the end of the window, I received a call from Guido Albers, his agent, that he might be rented out after all. But at the last minute, it was cancelled. Stopped again.”

But reliable reporter Romano claims the Goodison Park outfit remain keen to secure Van de Beek’s signature, and that will surely leave a large section of the club’s supporters buzzing.

He scored 41 goals and provided a further 34 assists in 175 appearances for Ajax before his current woes at United, illustrating that if he can get back to his best form, Van de Beek would be a valuable asset to Rafael Benitez’s setup on Merseyside.

After losing James Rodriguez too, it only adds to the appeal of signing the Dutchman. Everton fans would surely love to see a player of his calibre at Goodison Park.

And, in other news…Report reveals exciting Everton transfer update, fans should be buzzing 

The transfer window has only been closed for a matter of 12 days but Everton are already planning their moves for January.

Rafa Benitez has enjoyed a vibrant life back in Merseyside and there are plenty of positives for the Toffees.

What’s the word?

One player who Everton targeted in the final days of the summer market was Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

They lodged a bid to sign him on loan with an optional future fee but it was rejected by the Gunners who wanted an improved offer.

Yet, after the player took to Instagram in dismay, pleading that he was given a chance to play, it led to crunch talks between all parties.

Maitland-Niles eventually stayed in north London but according to fresh reports from ESPN, Everton are set to revive their chase in January.

The outlet states that a permanent move could be on the cards this time too.

Iwobi 2.0

The summer transfer window of 2021 was a downplayed affair for Everton, one that was out of character with their usual spending routine.

Since 2016/17, they have spent a combined £450m on new players who have failed to take them to the next level.

Yet, as the window slammed shut a fortnight ago, just £1.7m was spilt from Everton’s coffers in the latest market.

Demarai Gray was the only player who cost them any sort of outlay but he’s already hit the ground running with two goals in three matches.

That’s more than can be said for a certain Alex Iwobi. He was the last man that Everton prised away from Arsenal and after a £34m switch, it has not panned out well at all.

The Nigerian has found the net on only five occasions in 69 outings, a dismal tally for someone who showed so much promise and potential in the red and white of Arsenal.

Maitland-Niles is a different player but he’s hardly pulling up many trees in the capital.

Although he’s capable of playing at right-back, a position Everton desperately need bodies in, he has disappointed in a central midfield role, a position where he’d prefer to play.

Dubbed a “Rolls-Royce” by Martin Keown a few years ago, his performances have dwindled and nothing summed that up more than his display against newly-promoted Norwich on Saturday.

Afforded a rare chance in midfield, the 23-year-old lost possession 18 times and only won a meagre 33.3% of his defensive duels.

Furthermore, his pass success rate of 80% left a lot to be desired for someone who was supposed to be playing in a possession-based system.

Although the £14.4m-rated gem still has plenty of time to grow and improve, Everton’s purchase of Iwobi back in 2019 suggests that recent history isn’t kind to the Toffees when they buy from north London.

This might be a move they want to swerve.

AND in other news, Rafa must ruthlessly axe “sloppy” £69k-p/w Everton liability, he’s “regressed awfully”…

Liverpool have suffered a big injury blow ahead of their midweek clash with Norwich City in the Carabao Cup after key midfielder Thiago was ruled out of action.

What’s the word?

The influential Spain international had to be substituted in Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend after picking up a calf injury.

And now, assistant manager Pepi Lijnders has provided an update on Thiago’s situation, revealing he’s set to miss the Reds’ next two fixtures at least.

“Thiago, how the gaffer said after the game, it was a calf injury. I can’t say now how long it will take but definitely not tomorrow and not at the weekend,” Lijnders confirmed in his press conference.

“Let’s get the scan results back, and we have a proper diagnosis. A shame as well because he was taking the game by the hand, he was a proper playmaker, in my opinion. A shame that we miss him.

“In one week we lose two really influential midfielders; that’s the bad thing.”

Jurgen Klopp will be gutted

Thiago’s fitness concerns come just days after fellow midfielder Harvey Elliott was sidelined for up to six months with a dislocated ankle suffered against Leeds United.

Thiago’s injury, added to Elliott’s long-term absence, will leave manager Jurgen Klopp short of options in the middle of the park over the next week or so, at least, no doubt leaving the German tactician feeling gutted as he looks to keep the momentum going as Liverpool have started the season in excellent form.

However, he’ll be hopeful that Thiago’s latest injury setback won’t see him remain on the treatment table for too long, especially with Manchester City’s visit to Anfield on the horizon.

And, in other news…Signed for free, sold for £19m: Edwards sealed big Liverpool masterclass in 24y/o flop 

West Ham United are said to be in pole position to sign CSKA Moscow attacking midfielder Nicola Vlasic, as reported by Calciomercato journalist Daniele Longo on Twitter.

Putting up impressive numbers in 2020/21, the 23-year-old ace registered 18 goal contributions in 34 appearances; 12 goals and six assists [Transfermarkt].

Now, he could be on his way to England following recent developments.

Communicating to his following on Twitter on his personal account, the Italian journalist stated that the ‘Hammers are approaching’ to meeting his current employers’ financial demands for the talented attacker, who has plied his trade in the Premier League once before, struggling at Everton.

Longo is tracking the Vlasic saga due to Milan’s interest – he is a Milan podcaster as well as reporter.

In light of this news, no wonder loads of West Ham United diehards took to Twitter to voice their opinions on the latest target, given their desperation for more transfer business from GSB this summer.

West Ham United fans react:

Replying to popular sports outlet Football for All on Twitter, here is what some Hammers supporters had to say about the news:

“Deffo not true”

Credit: @kfgwhufc

“Scattergun approach in full swing”

Credit: @Dylan_Rudisill_

“No way we can afford that”

Credit: @WHUTerry”Zero truth in this.”Credit: @chelwig54″30m ? … yeah good one !!”Credit: @costahammer”Isn’t this the bloke who played for Everton?”Credit: @JazzaJazammerIn other news, West Ham United fans are loving a transfer update. Find out more here.

Leicester City suffered a devastating blow during Tuesday night’s game against Villarreal.

What’s the story?

Highly-rated centre-back Wesley Fofana suffered a broken leg following a horrific challenge from Fernando Nino, with the 20-year-old confirming his injury from a hospital bed on Twitter.

The youngster’s fractured fibula is likely to keep him sidelined for the majority of the upcoming campaign, meaning Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers must sign a replacement over the coming weeks.

With former club captain Wes Morgan retiring after 2020/21, the Foxes had already been heavily linked with Schalke defender Ozan Kabak in the current window and the Turkey international’s arrival at the King Power Stadium would certainly soften the blow of Fofana’s recent setback.

Ozan Kabak can soften the injury blow

Kabak already has experience of playing in the Premier League following a fairly successful loan spell at Liverpool in the second half of last season, where he made 13 appearances in all competitions.

The Reds turned to the youngster to solve their injury crisis in the January window, and his impressive performances saw Jurgen Klopp label the £22.5m-rated gem a “big prospect”.

However, his solid displays weren’t enough to persuade the Anfield outfit to make his move to Merseyside permanent, opting to sign Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig instead.

While Kabak was enjoying himself on English shores, though, his parent club Schalke suffered relegation from the Bundesliga in dramatic fashion.

The German outfit’s perils mean they’re desperate to offload one of their highest earners in order to balance the books before the transfer window shuts, with a recent report even claiming they could even release their prized asset if a suitable buyer doesn’t come forward.

Therefore, with Fofana’s injury setback leaving Leicester with just two recognised central defenders in their first-team squad in the shape of Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu, Rodgers surely has to swoop for Kabak.

He’s young, full of potential, has Premier League experience, and will be available for a bargain price. It’s a transfer that makes sense for multiple reasons, but it remains to be seen whether the FA Cup holders make their move.

And, in other news…Leicester handed potential transfer boost over 11-goal “genius”, fans surely buzzing 

Stoke City are reportedly set to sign Brighton and Hove Albion defender Leo Ostigard on a season-long loan deal, according to Football League World.

The lowdown

The 21-year-old caught the eye with some strong performances for Coventry City last season in a loan spell with Mark Robins’ side as they finished 16th in the Championship table.

The centre-back is down the pecking order in Graham Potter’s plans with Brighton and Hove Albion though, with the likes of Adam Webster and Lewis Dunk ahead of him at this moment in time. He has just one year remaining on his current contract with the Seagulls, but it doesn’t seem as though he has much of a future with the Premier League outfit.

Coventry manager Mark Robins was full of praise for Ostigard for his contributions towards the club in his loan spell last term, saying: “When he came in yesterday, he was upset at leaving, he drove all the way from Brighton just to say goodbye which was a mark of him, and he’s been brilliant, just outstanding.”

The latest

A host of Championship clubs were rumoured to be interested in a deal to sign Ostigard this summer, with TEAMtalk revealing that Stoke were rivalling Middlesbrough, Barnsley, Bournemouth, Fulham and Sheffield United for the Norwegian.

Football League World have exclusively revealed that Stoke are close to securing a deal to sign the Brighton defender. It’s also claimed that a medical is underway over a move, as the Potters look to add depth to their defensive options this summer.

The verdict

This is a smart bit of business by the Sky Blues, as Ostigard has already shown that he can perform to a high standard in the Championship with Coventry last season.

The defender had an average WhoScored rating of 6.73 last term, which put him fifth in the list of Coventry City’s best performers in the 2020/21 season. He particularly excelled in the air, winning five headers per game – of Stoke’s regulars, only Harry Souttar could exceed that average.

The Potters have already added Ben Wilmot to their squad to replace Nathan Collins, but additional strength in depth and competition for places is the ideal dilemma to have for Michael O’Neill. Given the level of interest in Ostigard, it represents quite a coup for Stoke to fend off the competition for him.

A number of Liverpool supporters have been mocking Gary Neville after he claimed Manchester United have a superior squad to the Reds.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have won their first two Premier League games this season, winning 3-0 at Norwich City and beating Burnley 2-0 at Anfield.

After a tough campaign last time around, Liverpool look back to their best and should challenge the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea for the title in 2021/22 – Saturday’s clash with the latter could tell us more.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

United could also be potential contenders, but Sunday’s 1-1 draw away to Southampton suggests they perhaps still have some catch-up to do.

Despite this, Neville believes his former club will finish above Liverpool in the table this season because their squad is better, admitting as much on Sky Sports‘ Monday Night Football [via Anfield Watch on Twitter].

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Liverpool fans mock Neville

These Reds fans took to Twitter to laugh at Neville’s remarks, claiming Klopp’s men remain the stronger outfit.

“Hahah lose Maguire to an injury and you’re in a top 4 race”

Credit: @ayxshxlfc

“Maguire got hurt last season and Man UTD went into relegation form”

Credit: @ThisisPllumey

“The state of this”

Credit: @IndyBoxOffice

“Man Utd have no real centre mids, no backup full-backs and if Fernandes is out they are screwed – Neville is just a touch biased”

Credit: @beaks1973

“Except if Bruno goes they are about the same level as Leicester”

Credit: @JPrizzle

“Liverpool’s bench was better than Utd’s bench the weekend even with Fabinho out”

Credit: @stegrogan

In other news, some Liverpool fans are keen for the Reds to sign a central midfielder. Find out who it is here.

Leicester City are reportedly close to completing the signing of Schalke 04 defender Ozan Kabak.

What’s the story?

According to journalist and Bundesliga expert Chris Williams, the 21-year-old is set to join the Foxes following a relatively successful loan spell at Liverpool last season.

Williams tweeted [via Leicester Mercury]: “Schalke have given Ozan Kabak extra time off to sort out his future, they expect a deal to be finalised in the next week. Leicester City seems the final destination. Schalke have allowed the player to find a club, agree a deal in principle, then for that club to make an approach.

“Leicester have contacted the player’s management agency, if a deal can be agreed between them, #LCFC will make a formal approach, #S04 want €15m (£12.8m).”

Fans will be buzzing

Williams’ claims were backed up by The Daily Star newspaper in Turkey (via Leicester Mercury) after it revealed that Kabak is heading for the King Power Stadium.

They reported: “National football player Ozan Kabak is on his way to Leicester City. It was stated that Ozan Kabak, who was put on the sales list due to the German team’s relegation to a lower league, received offers from many teams, especially English clubs.”

News that Brendan Rodgers is set to add another young, highly-rated centre-back to his ranks for a very reasonable fee will surely have the club’s supporters buzzing.

Kabak played nine Premier League games for Jurgen Klopp’s side in 2020/21, helping the Anfield outfit to a third-place finish following an injury crisis in the heart of defence, and he earned plenty of plaudits for his efforts on Merseyside.

Liverpool passed up the opportunity to make the youngster’s stay permanent for £18m, opting to sign Ibrahima Konate instead, although Schalke’s relegation to the second tier of German football has seen their asking price plummet.

Bringing in Kabak will significantly strengthen Leicester’s defensive options ahead of the upcoming campaign, allowing Rodgers the freedom to flip between a back four and a back five on a regular basis given the wealth of central defensive options at his disposal.

The departures of experienced duo Christian Fuchs and Wes Morgan left the Foxes looking threadbare at the back, but the arrival of Ryan Bertrand and the potential acquisition of Kabak will have quickly transformed their situation. It’s a situation which will surely leave Leicester fans buzzing at the defensive talent within their squad as the Foxes again try to break into the Premier League’s top four in 2021/22.

In other news… Leicester dealt possible blow in hunt for “wonderful” £30m gem, Rodgers will be gutted 

Wolves reportedly could sign Trincao on a permanent deal once his loan spell ends after the 2021/22 season, as he is likely to leave Barcelona.

The Lowdown: Trincao confirmed

As per Wolves’ official website, the Portugal international has signed on a season-long loan from the Catalan club, with an option to buy at the end of that arrangement.

He becomes Bruno Lage’s second signing of the summer transfer window so far and will now join up with the rest of his new teammates ahead of pre-season.

The Latest: Permanent deal?

According to Sport, Trincao is ‘more than likely’ to leave Barca once his loan spell at Molineux ends, and Wolves can sign him on a permanent deal for €29m (£24.9m) if they choose to take up the option.

The winger was ‘always open’ to a move away from the La Liga giants in order to get more minutes on the pitch, and if his loan spell is successful, he could well move to the Black Country permanently.

The Verdict: Sign

Unless he has an unsuccessful first season in English football, Wolves should really be looking to sign Trincao on a permanent basis.

The club’s technical director Scott Sellars clearly sees a lot of potential him, branding him an ‘exciting’ player who ‘drives with the ball well’ and has ‘good creativity’, and claims that Lage ‘speaks very highly of him’ (wolves.co.uk).

Trincao should have no problems fitting in with his new teammates either, given that a lot of them are also from Portugal and have played with him in the senior international team.

At just 21 years of age, he is a player with the world at his feet, and Wolves could benefit a lot by signing him permanently.

In other news, find out what these Wolves fans are saying about Trincao’s signing!

Manchester City’s hopes of signing Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma this summer have been handed a boost, with the Mali international reportedly excited about a move to Pep Guardiola’s side.

What’s the word?

According to the often reliable outlet Blue Moon, Manchester City and Arsenal are keen on a move for the 24-year-old ahead of next season, and he is excited about the possibility of a move to the Etihad.

It is also suggested that a potential transfer could happen very quickly, with Graham Potter’s side having already signed a replacement for Bissouma in the form of RB Leipzig midfielder Enock Mwepu.

Should Man City sign Bissouma?

Bissouma has been a mainstay for Brighton since signing from LOSC Lille in 2018, going on to make 96 appearances for the Seagulls, in which he has contributed four goals and one assist.

Last season was arguably his best in a Brighton shirt, as he averaged an impressive 6.98 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which is comfortably the best he has managed in the Premier League in his career thus far.

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He also averaged 2.9 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game in the top-flight, which is more than the 1.8 tackles and 1.1 interceptions averaged by Fernandinho last season, which suggests that he could be an excellent long-term replacement for the Brazilian once he retires.

The £22.5m-rated midfielder, who was dubbed “exceptional” by Gary Lineker last season, has clearly established himself as one of the top defensive midfielders outside the top six, and therefore it seems only a matter of time before he leaves Brighton, especially now they have brought in a replacement.

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If the reports are true and he does favour a move to the Etihad this summer, then this is undoubtedly a huge boost to City’s hopes of signing him, and sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely look to sign him for Guardiola’s side, as the Spaniard will need a solid midfielder to step up when Fernandinho eventually leaves the Etihad.

And, in other news… Sam Lee shares huge Man City update on “outstanding” PL star, fans will be buzzing