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Many Everton fans have been left reacting to some transfer news on Aaron Ramsey.

As per Calciomercato, it now seems ‘increasingly likely’ that the central midfield player will sign for the Goodison Park faithful in the January window.

Of course, Ramsey is very experienced in the Premier League, having scored no fewer than 40 goals and made a further 51 assists in 262 games in total (Transfermarkt), but he is 30 years of age now, and so past his peak.

The Juventus ace has also had injury problems throughout his career, and so signing him would be a bit of a risk, but one that could well turn out to be worth it at least in the short term.

Everton fans on Ramsey transfer news

These supporters of the Merseyside club gave some fairly mixed reactions as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one Toffee going on to claim that Ramsey is a ‘quality’ player:

“What a signing this would be! Him, Doucoure and Allan would be a fantastic midfield”

Credit: @CursedToffees

“As a Welshman I may be biased but when fit Ramsey is quality. He would be an asset, works hard just has had bad luck with injuries. I can understand people’s dislike of the signing though because of age, wages and injury history – but If Rafa wants him then I would trust!”

Credit: @Zatherton3

“Pay as you play contract I’m hoping!!”

Credit: @ToffeeTipp74

“It would be really stupid if we went down this road again”

Credit: @efc_ke

“Don’t the club ever learn?”

Credit: @Twoblue68

“No thanks. Too old, too injury prone and would want a huge salary. Let him leach off NUFC”

Credit: @TomFox87

In other news, find out what ‘unbelievable deal’ EFC could pull off here!

Everton haven’t played a game of football in over a fortnight, going back to their last game in December, against Chelsea where they snatched a draw with an extremely weakened team that saw seven key players missing.

Despite fixture postponements killing the opportunity for the Toffees to add points on the board, it has been a blessing in disguise for Rafa Benitez who has had a squad plagued with injuries and virus outbreaks over the last month, with fixture cancellations offering a break for Everton to rest and regain fitness in key areas of their team.

With that being said, here is the predicted starting XI Football FanCast expects to see at Goodison Park against Brighton this afternoon.

We expect to see five changes to Benitez’s side with one particular player back in the side that will come as a surprise to fans as Lucas Digne is predicted to be included in the starting line-up against the Seagulls.

The £110k-per-week left-back has been out of favour in the side since his last appearance against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby over a month ago, with a rumoured feud with the Everton manager over tactics being blamed for his absence.

However, after being spotted back in first-team training this week, it’s an opportunity for the manager and player to put their differences aside, as Benitez will be desperate to get his first win in three.

One addition that fans will be thrilled to see is the inclusion of Dominic Calvert-Lewin for the first time since September. The star striker has been teasing a long-awaited return from a quadriceps injury that has taken a long time to repair, with the 28-year-old suffering a setback in October.

Calvert-Lewin can certainly add more creativity and a better attacking threat that will intimidate the Brighton defence today, scoring three goals in his only three outings this term, which will be especially welcome due to the absence of Richarlison through injury.

The three other additions to the team are Everton’s joint top goal scorer Demarai Gray, Toffees captain, Seamus Coleman and Brazilian midfielder, Allan.

Benitez will need to do everything he can to seize the home advantage opportunity at Goodison Park today against Brighton, with a three-point win crucial to the side’s Premier League campaign.

A victory could put the side ahead of Southampton in 13th and should put the Toffees well clear of the relegation zone if results go their way.

In other news: Benitez could be set for error over plans to sell Lucas Digne

Rangers got back to winning ways after two straight defeats in all competitions as they won away from Ibrox at the weekend.

The Gers smashed St. Mirren 4-0 in the Premiership as Kemar Roofe scored a hat-trick and Joe Aribo got in on the act with a stunning finish from distance.

It was a fantastic result for Gio van Bronckhorst’s side and one player who may have enjoyed it more than most was centre-back Leon King.

The academy defender came on to replace Filip Helander in the 45th minute for what was only his second Premiership appearance for Rangers and his first of the 2021/22 campaign.

As per SofaScore, he completed 87% of his attempted passes, including six of his ten long passes, and made three clearances as he helped the side to a clean sheet. It was a solid showing from the 18-year-old and one that may give van Bronckhorst plenty of food for thought heading into the summer.

Just imagine him & Souttar

With Connor Goldson’s contract expiring at the end of the season, King could be the natural heir to his centre-back throne.

John Souttar is set to join on a free transfer from Hearts later this year and the 25-year-old can be the perfect partner for the young Scot at Ibrox. In the Scottish top-flight this season, he has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.33 across 26 appearances.

He has consistently delivered on the pitch as he has won a whopping 71% of his duels whilst making four clearances per game. These statistics prove that he is a defensively dominant tank who can get the better of his opponent more often than not in matches, which makes him the perfect player to pair with a youngster making his way through.

Souttar’s dominance can carry King through matches to aid his development, allowing the teenager to settle into a first-team role before shouldering more responsibility.

After the St. Mirren clash, van Bronckhorst hailed the defender’s potential as he said: “He has so much quality but also a lot of room to improve.

“But that’s because he’s a young player and I’m happy he’s making the progress now.”

This highlights the scope for development King has and why he should be partnered with Souttar to learn from him, as the Hearts man has proven that he can excel in the Premiership.

The 18-year-old can save Ross Wilson millions by replacing Goldson and stepping up to the mark next season, just as he did in his 45 minutes on Sunday.

AND in other news, Big blow: Rangers dealt worrying injury setback that’ll leave Van Bronckhorst gutted…

Norwegian football is going through a golden spell with a number of players now performing at the highest level in Europe. They look like a national team that are on the up and should start making their mark in major tournaments in the near future.

Here is a look at four of their players who could be set for big moves in 2022.

Erling Haaland

Striker Erling Haaland is the real star of Norwegian football. The Dortmund striker is considered to be one of the best strikers in the world at the moment. His goal scoring record at the German club over the last three years backs that up.

Last season’s Best Forward of the Season in the Champions League is being monitored by all the major European clubs, including Manchester United; their boss Ralf Rangnick is thought to be an admirer of the player. They will be fully aware that Haaland’s release clause of £64 million will be activated in the summer. This is much lower than what they will value the player at, as he would be expected to go for at least £100 million in today’s market.

As reported by ESPN, Barcelona are thought to be preparing a move for the striker this summer. They are doing their best to reduce their wage bill before then by offloading players like Philippe Coutinho and Samuel Umtiti. This will allow them to be able to finance a deal later this year.

Haaland will be hoping he can help Dortmund to some silverware this season if it does end up being his last campaign for their club. They are the 11/2 favourites to win the Europa League with Unibet, one of the leading sport betting sites in Norway who offer odds on the European competition.

Jørgen Strand Larsen

Another Norwegian striker who has a big future is Jørgen Strand Larsen. He currently plays his club football for Groningen in the Eredivisie in the Netherlands. In his debut campaign for the Dutch club last season, he scored nine goals. He looks on course to beat that record this year.

Stand Larsen has played for Norway and may end up being Haaland’s strike partner going forward. He has recently been linked with a move to the Premier League to join Leicester.

Celtic are another club who are thought to be interested in Larsen. They bought Virgil van Dijk from Groningen in 2013. If they do sign the 21-year-old, they will be hoping the striker goes on to have a similar career to the former PFA Player of the Year.

Ola Brynhildsen

Only one player had more assists in Norway’s Eliteserien last season than Ola Brynhildsen. He helped Molde finish second in the final standings behind FK Bodø/Glimt.

The 22-year-old joined Molde from Stabaek in July 2020. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Norwegian club. Despite his age, he has already appeared 100 times in the Eliteserien, so he has lots of experience.

Brynhildsen has featured for Norway under-21s, however, he remains uncapped with the senior team. That is likely to change in 2022, especially if he continues with the form he showed last year.

Unlike Haaland and Strand Larsen, it may not take a huge transfer fee to scoop the talented attacking midfielder away from Molde. There are likely to be clubs across Europe who are happy to take a chance on him to see if he can step up to a higher level. It would be relatively low risk for them.

Marius Lode

Defender Marius Lode has been an integral part of FK Bodø/Glimt’s title success in 2020 and 2021. The towering centre-back has played in the heart of their defence and his form has been very consistent.

Lode received his first two caps for Norway in 2021. Unlike many players in his position, Lode is very comfortable with the ball at his feet. He is also versatile in that he can play at full back and as a defensive midfielder, if required.

The Bodø/Glimt man has featured in Europe across all three leading competitions. British clubs will get a chance to see him close hand when the Norwegian club take on Celtic in the Europa Conference League knockout round play-offs, which takes place over two legs.

In the Europa League Conference League group stage, Lode finished fourth in the most completed passes. As documented by UEFA, he ended the group with 392 passes. Those sorts of stats showcase how much of an all-round player he is.

Stoke City are one of the clubs in England that has been linked with the Norway international. They are unlikely to be the only Championship side to do be doing so. Many English clubs have scouts regularly watching football in the Eliteserien.

If all four of the above players get their moves to bigger clubs in 2022, it can only benefit the Norway national team, as they look to improve their results on the international stage.

Photo by Emilio Garcia on Unsplash

Manchester United have now turned down an enquiry from Tottenham for midfielder Jesse Lingard, ESPN report.

And, as to be expected, a number of United fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

Lingard is out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of the season, with his immediate future seemingly up in the air after starting just two games in all competitions this season.

The midfielder, who Rio Ferdinand labelled as ‘amazing’, is in Dubai with some of his United teammates, with Newcastle reportedly offering £10m to take Lingard on loan until the end of the season.

According to ESPN’s Rob Dawson, both Spurs and West Ham have also made enquiries to sign Lingard this month, but they were turned down as United don’t want to ‘strengthen clubs also competing for a place in the top four.’

United fans react

@utdreport relayed Dawson’s claim regarding Lingard on Twitter. This is what these United supporters had to say in reply, with many not exactly thrilled at United’s reasoning.

“Nonsense surely?! The mighty Spurs and West Ham”

Credit: @Niall_UTD

“This club @ManUtd might actually be finished because what is this??”

Credit: @Doye_A_Doyen

“This is embarrassing beyond belief, how low we’ve fallen.”

Credit: @AdamManred

“Total madness”

Credit: @JohnK4nM

“Are we that finished? Wow”

Credit: @UtdJuice

“This tweet sums up the downfall of Manchester United”

Credit: @UTDFrankie

In other news: ‘Wow’ – Lots of Man United fans erupt as ‘ridiculous’ transfer news emerges

Newcastle United will be desperate to climb even further away from the relegation zone, with consistency being the main focus from here on in until the end of the season.

Indeed, one thing that has been playing on fans’ minds in recent times is the lack of support that Salomon Rondon has received at the pinnacle of the attack, as he has had to fend for himself.

However, it appears as if the the Magpies have their sights set on a possible summer swoop as they’ve reportedly (as per Teamtalk) scouted Che Adams in recent times, and Birmingham City want £20 million for his services, while Newcastle will have to put together a package worth £16 million if they want to sign Rondon permanently.

So, Mike Ashley should set his sights on securing a double summer swoop that involves bringing Rondon to the club on a permanent deal and Che Adams as well for a potential combined £36 million.

Che Adams has established himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the Championship this season, having scored an impressive 21 goals already. And, he has plenty of potential and bags of pace, which has been missing at the pinnacle of the attack for the Magpies in the current campaign.

Meanwhile, Rondon has been the standout performer at St James’ Park this season, with seven goals and three assists to his name up until this point, so he’s done more than enough to warrant a permanent switch.

Of course, Mike Ashley hasn’t really been known to splash too much cash over the years at St James’ Park, but it’s safe to say that this potential double raid is definitely needed as they’d be lost without Rondon and Che Adams’ pace and constant goal threat would work wonders.

What do you think Newcastle United fans?

Celtic reporter Kieran Devlin has been reacting to the likelihood of the Hoops signing Henrik Larsson’s son, Jordan, in January.

The Lowdown: Jordan Larsson profiled; Celtic links

Larsson is just 24 years of age but has already scored 64 senior goals and currently plies his trade with Spartak Moscow, where he is under contract until 2023.

The centre-forward, who can also play as an attacking midfielder or as a right-winger, is valued at £12.6m by Transfermarkt and was linked with a move to Parkhead in the summer.

As we know, a move never materialised, with Celtic bringing in Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota, Liel Abada and Giorgos Giakoumakis to bolster their attacking ranks.

However, Devlin has now responded to the possibility of the Hoops making a winter window switch for Larsson.

The Latest: Devlin’s response

Devlin shared a story on The Athletic on Wednesday, looking at which areas Celtic could look to add to in January.

He stated his claim for Celtic to bring in two midfielders and a left-back in the New Year and asked fans for their thoughts.

One supporter name-checked summer target, midfielder Patrick Berg, along with Larsson.

This is what Devlin had to say in reply, claiming a number of Premier League sides are monitoring the forward and so the Bhoys could well miss out.

“Like Berg but think the boat might have been missed on him after his performance against Roma. Larsson almost certainly outside of Celtic’s budget I imagine, a number of EPL sides monitoring him I understand.”

The Verdict: Other areas need bolstering first…

Larsson, described as a ‘great player’, could be a brilliant signing for Celtic with his family connections and impressive form for Moscow last season, however, the Hoops have other areas they need to add to first before they can think about spending big on another forward.

As Devlin mentions, at least one midfielder appears to be needed, with Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull playing a lot of football under Ange Postecoglou.

They could also do with sorting out their left-back ranks with a number of players featuring in that position due to Greg Taylor’s absence, so a big-money attacking addition may not be the best idea at this moment in time.

In other news: ‘Brilliant’ 25 y/o ‘leader’ drops Celtic transfer hint; he was recently in the Parkhead stands. 

A Newcastle transfer update has emerged, regarding Lille’s Sven Botman and Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard as PIF aim to seal the first signings of their era with the club.

What’s the talk?

According to Fabrizio Romano in The Guardian, the Magpies are hoping to land both players in January to bolster their squad in a bid to avoid relegation.

The report claims that Botman could cost them a fee in the region of £30m-£40m, whilst they are open to signing Lingard on loan or permanently.

Delight

Newcastle fans will surely be elated by this update from Romano as it shows that the club are making serious plans to strengthen Eddie Howe’s squad in the market.

They have identified two players with recent experience of thriving at the top level and both of them could come in and make a positive impact on the team. Transfermarkt value Lingard at £19.8m and Botman at £25.2m, which means that the club could bring in a £45m-rated duo to improve their side midway through the campaign.

The Magpies have conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season and the signing of a defender could be crucial in their efforts to remain in the division. Botman helped Lille to keep an outstanding 20 clean sheets in Ligue 1 last term as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.08, showing that he has the talent required to keep shutouts as part of an organised defensive set-up.

Fans would surely be buzzing to see a defender with an impressive, recent, record of performing consistently as a centre-back in Ligue 1. He has helped Lille to multiple clean sheets in France and he could now head to England to do the same for Newcastle, which the supporters – and Howe – would love to see if it helps them to pick up more points.

Last season, Lingard produced nine goals and six assists in 16 Premier League appearances. He averaged 1.1 key passes per game as he showed that he has the quality to produce consistent end product in the final third during his loan spell with the Hammers.

Therefore, he could potentially come in and be a match-winner for Newcastle as he has proven that he can score and create goals at this level. His finishing and playmaking could be the difference for Howe’s side in tight games and that is why fans would be delighted with his arrival too.

Overall, these two players would appear to be high-class potential additions and Newcastle simply must swoop.

AND in other news, Possession lost 110x: Howe must brutally axe “fantastic” NUFC dud with 66% pass rate…

Leeds have recently been linked with Nottingham Forest loanee James Garner, and his performance against Coventry City on Wednesday evening will certainly have caught Victor Orta’s eye.

This forms part of our Transfer Watch series, where we react to a performance from a current transfer target.

The Lowdown: Leeds links

Garner, who is on loan at the City Ground from Manchester United, has been linked with a move to Elland Road in recent weeks.

Leeds, and therefore Victor Orta, are thought to be monitoring the 21-year-old closely ahead of a possible summer swoop.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-41/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-04-02T155252Z_391313781_UP1EI421841M9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-SOU-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Manchester United may consider a permanent sale over the coming months, with Jesse Marsch looking to bolster his midfield options ahead of his first full season in charge.

The Latest: Stunning display

Forest recorded a fourth successive Championship win on Wednesday to consolidate their place in the playoffs, defeating Coventry City 2-0. Garner was man of the match, as per SofaScore, recording a rating of 8.4/10.

The central midfielder scored Forest’s second on the hour mark and also registered five key passes (the most in the match), made four interceptions (second-most) and three tackles (third-most).

The Verdict: Sign

You’d expect that Garner’s display will have caught the eye of Orta given the recent transfer links, and should Forest fail in their push for promotion, a move for the Manchester United man over the summer could be a shrewd call.

Of course, the Red Devils will need to be willing to part ways with Garner on a permanent basis, and if they are, a move to Elland Road looks to make sense for all parties, banking the parent club a profit on a player far down the pecking order and granting the player first-team football in the top flight.

Marsch meanwhile has just four senior midfield options at this moment in time, with Garner able to turn out as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder.

He could be the perfect partner for Kalvin Phillips in a double pivot next season, with also Garner showing an impressive eye for goal with his goal contributions now up to nine in a Forest shirt.

In other news: ‘Leeds fans won’t be happy…’ – Sky Sports man reacts to major update emerging from Elland Road

Rangers have not been shy in cashing in on some players during previous transfer windows over the past few years.

The most recent example was full-back Nathan Patterson, who was sold by the Ibrox club to the Premier League during the previous January transfer window in a deal worth a reported £16m.

One other player on whom the Gers cashed in over the last few years, in a move they could now be regretting, is Josh Windass.

In the summer of 2016, Rangers secured the midfielder on a free transfer from Accrington Stanley. During his time in Scotland, the Englishman scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in 79 appearances across all competitions before he was sold to Wigan Athletic in 2018 for £2.5m.

While this may have seemed like a good move from the Gers from a financial point of view given the profit they made on him, they may now be wishing they had kept hold of him for a little longer.

In two seasons in the Championship with the Lancashire club, Windass racked up nine goals and four assists in 56 appearances before joining Sheffield Wednesday on loan in January 2020. He eventually signed for the Owls on a permanent deal later that year.

With nine appearances under his belt for the Owls in the second half of the 2019/20 campaign, the former Ibrox midfielder – who is currently valued at £1.8m by Transfermarkt – found the net on three occasions.

Despite ultimately getting relegated to League One at the end of last season, the Englishman was a shining light for the Yorkshire club by racking up more goal contributions than any other player, with nine goals and five assists to his name.

This season has seen the dynamo, who has been hailed as a “constant threat” on the pitch in an attacking sense by Sky Sports pundit Sue Smith, score four goals and deliver one assist in just seven appearances in League One. That has earned him an overall performance rating of 7.17/10, making him their third-highest rated player according to WhoScored.

Taking into account his consistent goal contributions from midfield since leaving Ibrox, it can be said that Mark Allen may have made a mistake by choosing to cash in on Windass rather than keeping him at Rangers as a useful attacking squad option.

In other news: Van Bronckhorst’s £3.6m-rated “leader” can be Rangers’ “real handful” in Old Firm