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Everton will head to St James’ Park tomorrow night in a Premier League clash with Newcastle United, and Frank Lampard’s side will be desperate to pick up points after suffering consecutive defeats in their last two games.

The Toffees have been looking like they had taken huge strides in their form following the previous campaign that saw the side struggling to retain their top-flight status until the penultimate game of the season, but some of the problems of the past are starting to creep up yet again.

Despite sorting out their defensive issues by showing promising improvements in their performances and adding quality signings in the back line, Everton are still struggling to improve their goal-scoring opportunities.

Following Richarlison’s exit and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s unavailability due to ongoing injury problems, Everton needed to identify players during the transfer window that could not only replace the club’s best goal scorers but also add even more quality to the final third.

The Merseysiders signed former Brighton and Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay to add more goal contributions to the team, but after five league appearances the French forward isn’t exactly lighting up Goodison Park with his presence.

The 26-year-old who was dubbed “wasteful” by writer Tom Childs has scored just one goal with no assists or chances created so far, failing to make a single dribble attempt and only converting 10% of his shots. It shows that the player is offering very little to the Toffees and is lacking a creative spark in order to deliver for his fellow forwards.

As a result, Lampard must unleash Calvert-Lewin against Newcastle now that he is fit and available for selection to give Everton their best chance of taking all three points from their clash away from home.

The Toffees striker has scored five goals and delivered one assist in his ten meetings with the Magpies, which is his best offensive record against any other Premier League side so it is a no-brainer for the centre-forward to reprise his role in the starting line up to replace Maupay.

The 25-year-old who was hailed “exceptional” by Sky Sports journalist Pete Graves has featured only twice this season from the bench but now Lampard must seize the opportunity to capitalise on Calvert-Lewin’s hunger for goals against Eddie Howe’s side.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Calvert-Lewin should start in the team over Maupay and is likely the missing piece to improve Everton’s struggle for goals this season.

Sunderland have had one of the most well-documented falls from grace in recent years, with their slump from the Premier League to League One made much more prominent due to their huge status, the pace at which they were falling and a rather popular Netflix documentary detailing it.

Before their initial relegation from the top-flight however, plenty of heroes were made for helping in the fight to avoid the drop. Jermaine Defoe is the main character who emerged, but Yann M’Vila is another who quickly became a fan favourite.

Supporters of the club would certainly not mind the return of the combative French midfielder, who spent just one season on loan at the Stadium of Light.

He came in during the 2016/17 season, the year before they would finally succumb to the drop, and play 37 times for the Black Cats in the league.

Although he chipped in with a goal and five assists, this was far from his prerogative. He truly excelled, and earned his plaudits from fans, for his remarkable defensive displays in the engine room.

He averaged a 7.18 SofaScore rating during a campaign where they survived by just two points; a fine feat given their apparent lack of quality.

Across the season, he made 2.3 interceptions per game, as well as 2.7 tackles and 3.0 clearances. Combined with a solid 80% pass accuracy, his all-around ability to hold down a midfield would serve Tony Mowbray’s current side well. 

Especially considering the amount of work the two in midfield have to get through to ensure protection for the back three, M’Vila could surely execute this to perfection.

Indeed, his numbers from that campaign better anyone in the current Black Cats side, something made even more impressive by the fact he achieved them in the top-flight. Only Luke O’Nien can match him for interceptions while he is streets ahead in terms of tackles. Meanwhile, Danny Batth is the only one who can usurp him for clearances with 3.1 per match.

What makes him so beloved on Wearside was how quickly he seemed to fall in love with the club, as the season following his 2015 loan move for Dick Advocaat, he was incredibly keen on a reunion.

Sunderland instead opted for Didier Ndong, which ended terribly as one would imagine when snubbing a cult hero for his services.

Ola Toivonen, who played for the club around this relegation period, backed the 32-year-old to make the difference for his club at the time. He said: “He’s a quality player. 

“If you see all the clubs he’s been to you see he’s a quality player who can bring a lot to the team. Yann was playing really well there in the middle. We won the ball and the three up front was just running.”

He certainly did make the difference, and things could have been so different had he got his romantic return. A return now of him in his prime would certainly aid their promotion dreams.

West Ham United are now ‘open’ to deadline day offers for Manuel Lanzini after a major transfer coup for the club, according to reports.

The Lowdown: West Ham keep busy…

The Hammers have kept busy all summer for manager David Moyes, making a plethora of new additions as they seek to build upon another European finish last campaign.

The Premier League side have already signed Alphonse Areola, Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet, Thilo Kehrer, Emerson and completed a club-record deal for Brazil international Lucas Paqueta.

While there have been plenty of incomings, with reports refusing to rule out more, it appears one man in Lanzini could be going the opposite way depending on developments.

The Latest: West Ham ‘open’ to Lanzini offers…

Indeed, according to reports, the Argentine is a player who could now leave as a result of West Ham’s stunning capture of Paqueta.

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Football Insider claim that the Hammers are ‘ready’ and ‘open’ to letting Lanzini go following the signing’s arrival at Rush Green with the 29-year-old apparently told that he can find a new club.

The Verdict: Right call?

While Paqueta’s arrival could enable West Ham to free up some squad space, we believe that Lanzini could still have his place in the squad as a rotational alternative.

Commentator Martin Tyler summed up the South American’s quality by calling him ‘class’, with form ‘temporary’, and Lanzini is certainly capable of the spectacular and changing games at his best.

Phenomenal strikes against the likes of Tottenham in recent years spring to mind, and he could be of far more use to Moyes as a squad member than not.

Crystal Palace have been dealt another injury blow ahead of their Premier League opener with Arsenal this evening, with James Tomkins ruled out in the last 24 hours.

The Lowdown: Pre-season…

Patrick Vieira’s side haven’t had the best of preparations for the new campaign, with the Palace squad split in half in recent weeks. The Eagles took just ten senior players on their pre-season tour, with plenty of well-known names staying behind due to either injuries or travel issues.

Tomkins, who journalist Josh Bunting called ‘superb’ in his defending, was in the matchday squad for the final friendly with Montpellier and featured against QPR, but the experienced defender now won’t be seen this evening.

The Latest: Vieira’s update

Vieira faced the media on Thursday afternoon for his first pre-match press conference of the season.

He confirmed that Tomkins will join James McArthur and Michael Olise on the sidelines due to a calf problem.

The Verdict: Not ideal

Tomkins only made eight Premier League appearances last season, however, you’d expect he would have been in and around the squad this evening if he was available.

His experience could come in handy throughout the season, with three of Vieira’s five centre-back options 22 years of age or younger.

The five-substitute rule may also result in the 33-year-old receiving more game time, but we won’t be seeing him tonight in what is another blow for Vieira.

Crystal Palace have reportedly been interested in PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare for most of this summer transfer window, although Patrick Vieira has been busy despite not yet securing this mooted deal.

The 24-year-old has been the subject of interest from a wide array of clubs across Europe, with some of the Premier League’s elite taking a particular interest. Chelsea and Manchester United have both been noted as suitors, with the player reportedly available for around £34m.

That said, claims last week state that PSV want him to sign a new deal, so the Eagles will now need to act incredibly quickly if they want to sign him.

Sangare joined the Eredivisie side from Toulouse in 2020 and has quickly become one of the best-performing midfielders in the division, ranking in the top 10 for that position last term (as per Sofascore).

Branded an “unbelievable baller” by Nottingham-based football writer Callum Castel, the Ivory Coast international would be a huge statement signing for Vieira’s side and could form a powerful midfield partnership with summer arrival Cheick Doucoure.

Since loanee Conor Gallagher returned to his parent club Chelsea, there has been something of a void to fill for Palace, who will certainly miss the man who ran an astounding 12.3km – a club record for the season – during their draw against Manchester City in March.

Goals could also be harder to come by from midfield, as the England international scored eight in the league in 2021/22, although Sangare did chip in with five Eredivisie goal contributions for PSV last term despite operating in a more defensive role.

His performances earned him an average SofaScore rating of 7.38, the fourth-best out of his team-mates. If he could bring this consistency to the base of the Palace midfield, it would provide greater security to allow the team’s more creative players to shine.

The Eagles are inundated with remarkable young attackers like Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, but just need some engine room security to allow the more attack-minded players to flourish without worrying about what’s going on behind them.

A team-wide pass accuracy of 80%, combined with a tackle success rate of 59%, could also be vastly improved if Sangare joins, as last season he averaged an 86% pass accuracy and won 63% of his duels.

Combined with Doucoure’s two interceptions and 2.2 tackles per game, it would make for a combative midfield which could make life rather difficult for the Eagles’ opponents.

Sangare’s battling nature combined with the ability to thread a pass makes him a standout player across European football, and it would appear to be a huge coup for Palace to secure his signature.

It could well create one of the most promising midfield partnerships in the Premier League.

Many in the wider world of football will feel that Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has managed to pull of quite the coup as the club announced the capture of former Middlesbrough defender Djed Spence earlier today.

The 21-year-old right back becomes Conte’s sixth signing of the summer following the arrivals of goalkeeper Fraser Forster, fellow defender Clement Lenglet, midfielder Yves Bissouma and forwards Ivan Perisic and Richarlison and you would probably get good odds on a Bet365 bonus code of Conte not being finished yet.

Most will recognise Spence’s name from his hugely successful loan spell last season out with Nottingham Forest, as the England Under 21 international caught himself plenty of headlines with his performances across his 46 games for them as they won promotion back to the English top flight via the Wembley Play Off route – with him picking up Championship Player of the Month and Goal of the Month awards for March, as well as being named in the EFL and PFA Championship Team’s of the Year.

Spence makes his move to White Hart Lane signing a five year deal for a reported initial fee of £12.5 million with a believed £7.5 million in add on bonuses, and given his performance levels last season many will feel that is a snip of a fee owing to his ultimate potential.

The player himself is clearly delighted with the move as he told the assembled media.

“It’s a dream come true to play in the Premier League at a big club like Tottenham Hotspur. It’s amazing, I’m thankful that I’m here and that I’m going to get the opportunity to play for this club. It’s been a long journey in my career so far, it’s been hard at times but it’s been good as well, and I’ve been working hard to get to where I am now. Of course, everyone wants to play in the Premier League. As a kid, you watch it from when you’re young so it was a target of mine and I’ve finally reached it, so I’m happy.”

Spence went on to add.

“Obviously this is a big club with Champions League football as well, and you’ve got some of the best players who play here, so it’s a privilege to be here and I can’t wait to get going. From what I’ve seen here, it’s very good. I think it will do me good and help me develop as a player a lot (to be in this environment) and I can obviously learn from other people and the experience that they have. From a young age, to go from watching some of the players on TV to now playing with them… it’s going to be great and I’m excited to learn from them and take in anything they can offer me. In the Premier League you have high-intensity, good technical players – it will be hard but I think it will be good and I’m ready for the challenge. I’m excited to hit the ground running, hopefully play and try to impress. We have a great manager too – from what I’ve seen of him, he’s a top manager and I can’t wait to work under him.”

His introduction to life at the club will be helped by the fact that when he was coming through Fulham’s youth set up, he was in the same year group as Ryan Sessegnon, so there’s already a familiar face to help him settle in.

Nottingham Forest’s loss as they look for survival and consolidation in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign will be very much Tottenham’s gain, and Forest will miss him in the year ahead.

Photo by Unsplash

Everton are looking for ways to improve their squad this summer following a difficult relegation battle in the Premier League last season, and now a new potential transfer target has emerged.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Everton are one of the clubs interested in signing Georginio Wijnaldum.

In a report based on players who need to make a move this summer, the publication named the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder as one of the players who could be in contention for a new challenge.

Tottenham and Arsenal are also named as interested clubs alongside the Toffees.

Lampard’s very own Bernardo Silva

Frank Lampard will be hopeful that the powers at Goodison Park can bring in some talent to add quality to the Everton squad ahead of next season, and taking the opportunity to sign Wijnaldum could be a great start.

The Dutchman made the move to PSG last summer after contract negotiations failed with Liverpool, leaving on a free transfer at the end of the 2020/21 season, but it hasn’t gone according to plan in France.

Despite scoring three goals and bagging three assists, the midfielder has struggled to find consistency and a solid position in the starting XI thus far, so a move back to the Premier League could be the perfect chance for Wijnaldum to prove that he is capable of the quality he displayed whilst at Anfield.

The £180k-per-week gem who was hailed “sensational” by Jurgen Klopp has averaged 52 minutes per game over his 38 appearances in all competitions for PSG, but has proven that, despite the media criticism, he has the potential to still be a really effective player.

Wijnaldum created five big chances, with an impressive pass completion rate of 92% and won the majority of his ground and aerial duels combined during his 31 Ligue 1 appearances last season.

According to FBref, Bernardo Silva was one of the most comparable players to the PSG midfielder last term, so Lampard could have his very own Silva on his hands if he can bring out the best in Wijnaldum next season.

Despite Silva scoring more than his fellow midfielder, the 31-year-old has a far better pass completion rate (90.5%) and a better pressure success rate (31.0%) than the Man City star, proving that he is a solid midfielder that can be relied upon to look after the ball in the centre of the pitch.

With that being said, if Moshiri could land a deal to bring Wijnaldum back to Merseyside it would be a major coup in Everton’s pursuit to repair the mistakes of the past and move forward positively into next season.

AND in other news: EFC submit offer for “exceptional” £24k-p/w maestro, he can be Frank’s own de Bruyne

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte is now personally weighing up a move for Blackburn star Ben Brereton Diaz as an update emerges on Spurs’ hunt for a new striker.

The Lowdown: Spurs keep moving…

After completing a deal to sign midfielder Yves Bissouma from fellow Premier League club Brighton, the Lilywhites are not stopping there, as it is reliably believed that they are aiming to upgrade their striker options among other key positions.

The likes of Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus have been repeatedly linked with a move to north London as transfer chief Fabio Paratici earmarks numerous targets to potentially support/rotate with superstar Harry Kane.

As per Claret & Hugh, there has now been an update on their mission to sign a new forward, and it involves Ewood Park hotshot Brereton Diaz.

The Latest: Conte personally ‘considering’ Brereton Diaz ‘swoop’…

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As per their information, Tottenham head coach Conte is now personally ‘considering a swoop’ for the Championship sensation, who bagged 22 goals in the league alone last season.

North London officials have repeatedly been sent to run the rule over the Chile international as Paratici dispatches his staff on scouting missions.

Claret & Hugh added that Spurs’ interest in Brereton Diaz is ‘very real’.

The Verdict: Good option?

The 23-year-old, who was called a ‘beast’ by his former manager Tony Mowbray, certainly backed up that billing with his superb goal haul over 2021/22.

It is isn’t unreasonable to believe that he could cut it in the English top flight as Tottenham weigh up the shrewdest options to gift Conte more strength in the forward areas.

Blackburn allegedly value Brereton Diaz at around £20m, and taking into account the player’s age coupled with other factors, it’s a price which could be worth paying.

Indeed, this could be an interesting development to keep an eye upon throughout the summer.

Steven Gerrard is planning a revolution at Aston Villa, especially when you consider his recent signings. The likes of Philippe Coutinho, Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara could all instantly improve the first-team squad and will hopefully be able to help the club in their European ambitions next year.

A disappointing 14th-placed finish in the Premier League will drive Gerrard on to reaching bigger and better things with Villa. There is no doubting his managerial ability, having taken Rangers from the doldrums to arguably the most important top-flight title in their history, so the onus is on him to achieve things with the Midlands club as well.

In order to achieve this, certain players may need to be sold or replaced, and one such instance is Douglas Luiz.

The defensive midfielder was signed from Manchester City for £15m in 2019, and despite impressing under Dean Smith, it looks like Gerrard may want to bring in his own players and rejig the squad to his liking.

Ashley Preece dubbed Luiz as Villa’s biggest “issue” in February following a match against Newcastle where he lost possession 10 times, as it appeared that the manager had made a big mistake in the transfer window.

That mistake was not bringing in Yves Bissouma to replace the £52k-p/w Brazilian, and Gerrard really needs to make amends in the summer transfer window.

Axe Luiz, sign Bissouma

Bissouma ranked second in the Brighton squad this season with an average rating of 6.99 on WhoScored and was described as “unreal” by BBC writer Raj Chohan as he contributed heavily to helping the club achieve their highest-ever finish in the Premier League.

Despite signing one midfielder in Kamara on a free transfer, journalist Fabrice Hawkins claims that Villa are “still there” regarding a potential move for Bissouma, who could seriously strengthen the midfield area in Gerrard’s line-up.

The Mali international features in the top 9% of positional peers in the big five European leagues for pass completion (89.7%) and the top 10% for dribbles completed per 90 minutes (1.32).

These figures prove that he can regularly dominate the midfield with his superb passing ability, while also contributing towards attacks with his dribbling skills, which are two key components for Gerrard’s style to work effectively.

AND in other news, Gerrard must brutally axe “fortunate” AVFC dud in deal for “astonishing” £25m monster

An ‘industry source’ has now shared a major Southampton transfer update involving Fenerbahce forward Bright Osayi-Samuel.

The Lowdown: Semmens eyeing moves…

The Saints and their transfer chief Martin Semmens have allegedly been planning some Premier League moves behind the scenes with the 2022 summer window now edging very close.

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It has been reported that bolstering the attacking areas could become a real priority at St Mary’s, as links emerge to the likes of Manchester City striker Liam Delap.

This comes as Ralph Hasenhuttl seems unlikely to seal Chelsea loanee Armando Broja on a permanent basis but, according to reports, a forward isn’t the only position that Southampton could strengthen.

The Latest: Saints eye Osayi-Samuel swoop…

As per Football Insider’s ‘industry source’, Southampton – and by extension Semmens – are now ‘plotting’ a move to sign Osayi-Samuel this summer, weighing up a summer bid for the former QPR ace.

This comes as the club ‘highly regard’ and admire the versatile 24-year-old, having been blown away by his form in Turkey.

However, they face real competition for his signature, with both West Ham and Brentford also in contention.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Adept at playing both as a winger and right wing-back, Osayi-Samuel has really impressed in the Turkish Super League.

Hailed as ‘quality’ by Kevin Phillips, the former Championship star has averaged more successful take-ons per 90 in Fenerbache’s squad than anyone else (2.3), which shows why his former manager Mark Warburton said he is a ‘real handful’ who ‘terrifies defenders’.

He also ranks in their top six league performers by average match rating and has played the second-most minutes domestically, proving what a brilliant asset he is (WhoScored).

Depending on the price tag, Semmens must surely consider advancing with the move.

In other news: Reliable reporter claims Hasenhuttl has personally set his sights on signing ‘absolute beast’ for Southampton! Find out more here