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Everton still have a chance to land Christophe Galtier as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor at Goodison Park.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French publication L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), who claimed that the 54-year-old – who recently left Lille after guiding them to the Ligue 1 title – could still be an option for Everton as they seek to appoint Ancelotti’s replacement this summer.

It is reported that, despite Galtier appearing close to taking over at Nice, as well as Farhad Moshiri seemingly close to appointing Rafael Benitez at Goodison Park, there is still a window of opportunity for the Toffees to move for the Frenchman, with whom it is claimed Everton have been in talks about their vacant managerial position.

Fans would love Galtier

Considering just how firmly opposed to the potential appointment of Benitez large sections of the Everton fan base appear to be, with many celebrating a recent report linking the 61-year-old to the Fiorentina job, as well as how strongly many fans have backed the club’s links with Galtier – with a #GaltierToGoodison campaign having been started on Twitter – the news that there seemingly remains a chance of the club moving for the Frenchman this summer is sure to leave fans buzzing.

Also, considering the job the 54-year-old did during his three-and-a-half-year stint in northern France, it is unsurprising as to why many Evertonians would love to see the Frenchman, who Jose Fonte dubbed an “excellent” coach, in their club’s dugout next season.

Indeed, having taken over a Lille side which was fighting to stay in the top flight of French football back in late December 2017, Galtier picked up 19 points over the club’s 19 league games that season, seeing them survive relegation by a single point come the end of the campaign.

With the help of director of football Luis Campos, who made a number of highly impressive signings such as Jonathan Ikone, Zeki Celik, Rafael Leao, Renato Sanches, Victor Osimhen, Sven Botman and Jonathan David over the next three seasons, Galtier then led Lille on something of a meteoritic rise. They secured a second-place finish in 2018/19, a fourth-place finish in 2019/20 and finally achieved the almost impossible feat of knocking Paris Saint-Germain off their perch last season by winning the Ligue 1 title.

As such, with Everton looking to break into the top four in the Premier League in a bid to bring Champions League football to Goodison Park, Galtier would appear to be a perfect candidate for this task. We believe that Moshiri must do all he can to convince the 54-year-old of a move to the Toffees this summer, while simultaneously putting a move for Benitez on the backburner.

In other news: Imagine him & Dumfries: Brands must seal Everton swoop for £34.5m “absolute beast”

Some Wolves supporters have been showing their happiness at a new photo of Jonny continuing to make positive progress in his injury recovery.

Bruno Lage’s side haven’t enjoyed the most entertaining of weeks, recording back-to-back 0-0 draws away to Norwich City and at home to Burnley in the Premier League.

That being said, Wanderers are still sixth in the table and are proving difficult to beat ahead of the tough-looking visit of Liverpool on Saturday afternoon. Jurgen Klopp’s men are absolutely flying at the minute, scoring 12 league goals in their last three games alone.

One player who will certainly be absent for Wolves is Jonny, as he continues to work his way back from a cruciate ligament injury suffered back in April.

On Thursday, however, the club’s official Twitter channel shared an image of Jonny running outdoors, suggesting that his return is edging closer.

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Wolves fans love Jonny photo

These Wolves fans took to Twitter to show their love for the left-back, with one calling for him to be restored to the team in place of Adama Traore when fit, given the Spain winger’s ineffectiveness in the final third this season.

“Grealish dreams about these calves”

Credit: @TomTonks

“JONNYYYYY”

Credit: @wwfcbilly

“The best LWB in the league”

Credit: @wolvesjoshh

“Man we need him back ASAP”

Credit: @cpj93070

“Don’t rush him, he’s a gem”

Credit: @Jandersonn94

“Play him over Adama at ST”

Credit: @TheWaddd

In other news, some Wolves fans have flocked to a transfer update. Read more here.

When West Bromwich Albion signed Conor Townsend for £750k back in 2018, it would have been safe to assume that the left-back was brought to The Hawthorns as back up to the England international, Kieran Gibbs.

At the time of his arrival, the 28-year-old had just enjoyed a fantastic season with Scunthorpe United, scoring four goals and registering five assists over his 32 appearances in League One, while Gibbs – who had joined Albion from Arsenal in a £6.75m deal a year earlier – was the club’s undisputed number one in the position, having featured 33 times for the Baggies in the Premier League in 2017/18.

This remained the case throughout Townsend’s debut season in West Bromwich, with Gibbs highly impressing over his 38 Championship appearances, scoring four goals and registering four assists, while the newcomer had to make do with just 12 second-tier fixtures.

However, the tide began to turn in the following campaign, with the £14k-per-week Townsend featuring in 27 Championship fixtures, over which he provided one assist and averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.89. In comparison, the £30k-per-week Gibbs was awarded just 14 league appearances, over which he averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.76.

Townsend’s usurping of the 32-year-old was complete last season, when, despite the Baggies’ ultimate relegation from the top flight, the 28-year-old highly impressed over his 25 Premier League appearances – helping his side keep five clean sheets, registering two assists and earning a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.86. Meanwhile, Gibbs averaged an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.53 over his ten top-flight fixtures – before being released on a free transfer at the end of the season.

This term, the former Scunthorpe man has ensured that his reputation as a first-class left-back has continued to grow, having already helped his side keep five clean sheets, registered two assists and created three big chances over his 12 Championship appearances – with these returns seeing the defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.01.

Furthermore, the player who Thierry Henry once dubbed “amazing” has also seen his Transfermarkt value rocket from £180k at the time of his signing to £1.8m today – a 10x increase – which, coupled with his ever-improving level of performance, proves that West Brom struck gold when signing the 28-year-old.

In other news: “Confident” West Brom dynamo who lost possession 32x stole the show vs Birmingham

Wolves’ transfer business over the last two seasons has been astute, to say the least.

The club are setting themselves up to challenge for European football season on season and their strategy in the transfer market is a big factor in the stability of their squad.

The Old Gold currently sit in eighth place in the Premier League standings, as well as boasting the fourth-best defence in the league with just 28 goals conceded.

A large part of this defensive discipline shown by Bruno Lage’s side is through their stability in midfield, with Ruben Neves one of the main components for Wolves when out of possession.

However, with the Portugal international looking as if he could be moving on to pastures new this summer, Wolves may well need a viable replacement for the 25-year-old.

What’s the word?

With Neves’ future at Wolves uncertain, the Old Gold need to find a well-rounded replacement who is as defensively capable as the aforementioned Portuguese maestro.

And, according to a recent report by Brazilian media outlet Globo Esporte, Wolves believe they could have found their answer in the form of the 17-year-old midfielder, Andrey Santos.

Santos has caught the eye of several big clubs across Europe, with the likes of Barcelona having already made a proposal.

There is a small caveat though. The young Brazilian has only made four appearances this season for Vasco, with all of his minutes coming as a substitute.

This has not put off the likes of AC Milan, Monaco, Benfica and Wolves, however, who are all reportedly keeping tabs on the €30m (£25m) talent ahead of a potential summer swoop.

Repeating Success

If reports are to be believed, it looks as though Wolves will continue down the same path that they trod when signing a young, relatively unknown defensive midfielder by the name of Ruben Neves.

It was an approach that paid dividends for the Old Gold last time, so do not be surprised if they use the same strategy again.

Especially due to the fact that there could be an option of a cut-price deal for Santos, with reports suggesting that Vasco Da Gama would be willing to sell their starlet for between €6m-€7m (£5m-£6m), despite his £25m buyout clause.

For a fee as low as £5-£6m, Wolves would be wise to take a risk on a youngster who could turn out to be Ruben Neves 2.0.

In other news: Fosun must finally sanction Wolves move for “quality” 179 G/A gem who “has everything”

According to reports out of Spain, as shared by Sport Witness, there has been an update on Southampton’s pursuit of Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi.

The Lowdown: Semmens eyeing summer moves…

Ahead of what could be an interesting 2022 summer window, the Saints, and by extension their transfer chief Martin Semmens, have been tipped to bolster Ralph Hasenhuttl’s options.

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It is believed the south coast side are still in contention to sign England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone with links also emerging to some lesser known names like South Korea international Son Jun-ho.

The striker position is another area Southampton could strengthen as news comes to light involving Bundesliga forward Awoniyi.

The Latest: Report makes Awoniyi claim…

As per Spanish sources (via Sport Witness), Semmens and the club have ‘set their sights’ on the striker who could cost around £21 million.

The report also claims Southampton, alongside West Ham and Newcastle, will ‘bid for Awoniyi’ with a summer attempt to sign him on the cards.

The Verdict: Great option…

Members of the media, like journalist Stefan Bienkowski, have praised the Nigeria international for his ‘remarkable’ season in the Bundesliga with the in-form attacker coming as a good option for Hasenhuttl.

Union Berlin have previously heaped praise on their ‘hero’ who has played a major role for them this season, having scored 12 goals in 25 appearances in the German top flight this season.

He comes as a solid alternative to loanee Chelsea striker Armando Broja this summer as Semmens reportedly casts one eye on the 2022/2023 season now his club are clear of relegation for another year.

In other news: ‘It is true’ – Southampton backed by close source as they also eye ‘star’ international, find out more here.

Rangers travel to Dundee in the Premiership this afternoon as they attempt to return to winning ways in the league.

The Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by Motherwell in their last Premiership outing, but they did beat Livingston 2-0 in the League Cup on Wednesday. Steven Gerrard will now be hoping that his side can use that positive momentum to beat Dundee and get their pursuit of another league title back on track.

However, one change that he could make to the team which came out on top against Livingston is bringing Steven Davis back into the starting XI.

The 36-year-old is a key figure in Rangers’ side and Gerrard must unleash him for this match after leaving him on the bench against Livingston. Davis has started all six of the club’s Premiership games this season and deserves a return to the team after being handed a much-needed rest in midweek.

He has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.03, making one key pass and 1.7 tackles per game from midfield whilst also completing 88% of his passes. This shows that he has been a consistent performer in the middle of the park this term and is a reliable option for the manager to call upon.

Earlier this year, Gerrard lauded the midfielder’s influence and explained why he is a role model to his teammates. The 41-year-old said: “Steven embodies professionalism and continues to set the standards required to be a Rangers player. He has been instrumental this year, playing a key role in our league success.

“Ross (Wilson) and I have enjoyed open dialogue with him, and acknowledge how he has handled this contract extension. Steven is low-maintenance and has much more to give our team, not only for the rest of this season but beyond.

“He is a role model to his team mates and continues to strive to be a better version of himself. I am very pleased to have a player with Premier League and international experience on board as we look towards next season.”

The £18k-per-week beast can change a game with the way he links the play and uses the ball in pockets of space. His high passing accuracy shows that he is effective in possession and does not gift the ball back to the opposition on a regular basis, which allows him to dictate games and control the tempo.

Therefore, Gerrard must bring him back into the XI for today’s clash at Dundee as his quality and experience could be valuable on the pitch. The ability to change games by dictating the flow of the match could be vital for Rangers, as he can slow the play down when holding on for a win or speed it up if they are searching for a crucial goal.

AND in other news,  Wilson must avoid Rangers nightmare over “unique” gem, Gerrard would be fuming…

Former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer can still see Dan James leaving Manchester United this summer despite Marcus Rashford undergoing surgery on his shoulder.

The England forward is now set for a spell on the sidelines, meaning Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may need James to play a bigger role at the start of the season.

James is the subject of long-term interest from Leeds, with The Athletic’s Phil Hay claiming that Marcelo Bielsa tried to bring him to Elland Road before the capture of Raphinha.

The Argentine is said to still have an interest in the player, and Palmer is refusing to rule out a transfer to Leeds this summer.

Asked by FFC if Rashford’s shoulder surgery had scuppered the Whites’ chances of landing James in this transfer window, the retired England international said:

“I don’t think so. I don’t think it’s a problem for him to let him go. He’s made a lot of signings this summer, so he’s been pushed down the pecking order.

“I did my shoulder on the last day of the season, dislocated. I had it pinned and I was back for the first game of the season, so I don’t think Rashford is going to be out for months and months on end.”

It remains to be seen whether Leeds’ interest materialises into anything in this transfer window. But if they got James, they would obviously be signing a winger who would bring so much pace to the side.

“I’d put myself top,” the Wales international said earlier this year when discussing who the fastest player at Old Trafford is.

After winning three of their four previous Premier League games prior to their international break, Southampton have a great chance to get back to where they left off with a match against Norwich City, who have only won one game in the league this season, next up for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side at the weekend.

Looking ahead to the match at Carrow Road, it seems as though the Saints have been handed a major squad boost just in time for the clash against the Canaries that will surely have a lot of Southampton fans buzzing given the various player’s importance to the squad.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Hampshire Live that Valentino Livramento, Armando Broja, and Nathan Redmond have all returned to training after previously being doubts to feature in the match.

Presuming that all three will be fit enough for selection by Saturday, this will be a big boost for Hasenhuttl when it comes to choosing his starting XI to take on Dean Smith’s side.

With Livramento, who dropped out of the England U21 squad last week through injury, the fact that he has played 90 minutes in all but one of Southampton’s league games so far this season with one goal and one assist under his belt shows just how important he has been for the team and suggests that he will be in the starting XI at the weekend if he’s fit.

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Even though Broja, who has struggled with an ankle injury in recent weeks, managed to score his first two goals for the Saints in their games against Leeds United and Burnley back in October, the fact that Che Adams and Adam Armstrong have both found the back of the net since then could give Hasenhuttl a tough decision over who he plays up front against Norwich. That would hand the manager a rare selection dilemma, but one he’ll be delighted to have.

Then with Redmond, who missed Southampton’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa after testing positive for the pandemic, even though he’s yet to score in the league this season, the fact that he has provided two assists and started seven of their 11 league games shows that he is an important figure for Hasenhuttl.

Taking all of this into account, only time will tell if the trio will all start against Norwich or not, but Hasenhuttl will definitely be glad to have them back in training rather than out on the sidelines to give him more options across the pitch.

In other news: Ralph must ruthlessly axe £60k-p/w “nice guy” at Southampton, he’s their weak link – opinion

Leeds United are among a number of clubs to have shown an interest in Vitoria de Guimaraes youngster Marcus Edwards, according to a fresh report.

The Lowdown: Edwards shines abroad

The 22-year-old Englishman has flourished in Portugal since leaving Tottenham in 2019, scoring 16 goals and registering 14 assists for his current club.

Edwards is another example of a young English player thriving abroad after being given more first-team opportunities, as was the case with Jadon Sancho and now Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund.

The former Spurs winger has made eight appearances for England’s under-20s, scoring twice in that time.

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The Latest: Leeds linked with move

According to Jornal de Noticias [via Sport Witness], Leeds were keen on signing Edwards in the summer, along with Olympiakos, Sporting CP and Porto.

Offers were turned down for the winger, though, and he now has a €50m (£42.7m) release clause in his Vitoria contract.

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The Verdict: Exciting long-term signing

Edwards is an intriguing player to keep an eye on, considering that his former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino claimed that he played like ‘the beginning of Messi’ back in 2016.

At 22, he could come in as a long-term acquisition for Leeds, potentially blossoming into a player who might go on to fulfil Pochettino’s substantial comparison to the multiple Ballon D’Or-winning Argentine.

Edwards’ current deal doesn’t expire until 2024, however, so that release clause would need to be triggered in what would be a club-record transfer for Leeds if it went through.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly keen on signing a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

The Athletic’s Rangers correspondent Jordan Campbell has made a claim on Connor Goldson’s future at Ibrox which will surely delight Rangers fans.

What’s the word?

After a superb campaign in which Goldson was a key part of a Rangers defence which conceded just 13 goals in 38 league fixtures, there was always likely to be Premier League interest in the centre-back this summer.

West Ham United were one club said to be keen on the 28-year-old, but Campbell has dismissed any rumours that the defender could depart this summer in a recent article for The Athletic, writing:

“Rangers remain in a healthy position with most of their top talents but Connor Goldson’s contract remains the one with question marks over his future. The 28-year-old is one of Gerrard’s most trusted players and, as an ever-present at the heart of a record-breaking defence last season, is a big presence in the dressing room.

“He is entering the final year of his deal but no extension has been agreed yet, unlike captain James Tavernier who has signed a deal until 2024.

“From the outside, this lack of certainty may look like it has the potential to be unsettling but the club are said to be relaxed about the situation.

“Although they are keen to tie Goldson down, it is understood their position is that he signs a new deal or sees out the remainder of his contract and moves for free next summer after four years at the club. His contribution is felt to be worth more than any value they would gain from cashing in on him for a reduced fee in this window.”

Will Goldson remain at Ibrox?

From what Campbell suggests, Goldson will remain at Ibrox for the 2021/22 campaign, even if it means losing him for nothing next summer when his current contract expires.

Considering that the defender was ranked as the fourth-best performer in Steven Gerrard’s squad last season, averaging a superb 7.38 rating from WhoScored, it is easy to see why those at Rangers want to keep him around as they aim to retain their Premiership title next year.

Gerrard is clearly a huge fan of Goldson, dubbing him an “absolute mountain” last season, and if he can maintain that level of performance again next term, then it will surely prove worthwhile keeping him at Ibrox for another while rather than cashing in this summer.

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With Rangers fans set to return to Ibrox in the near future, they will be surely be delighted with this news and can look forward to having Goldson at the heart of their defence once again next season.

In other news… Wilson should seal Rangers swoop for “exceptionally good” ace, he won’t cost a penny