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With Everton having racked up a mixed bag of results in the Premier League so far this season with five wins, three draws and seven defeats, they have the opportunity to do some business in the upcoming January transfer window to help revitalise the squad and get them on track for the second half of the campaign.

One bit of business which could be done at Goodison Park in January could see one of their current players wave goodbye to the club before any potential new signings walk through the door.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Everton journalist Phil Kirkbride in the Liverpool Echo, Toffees manager Rafael Benitez is seemingly keen to offload players in January, including Cenk Tosun.

Everton secured the signing of the Turkey centre-forward back in the 2018 January transfer window from Turkish club Besiktas in a deal worth a reported fee of £27m. Since then, he has had a loan spell at fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace, as well as a temporary return to Istanbul last season.

Overall, the 30-year-old has made 59 appearances for the Toffees across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists along the way.

Even though he has been injured for a significant period this season, Tosun has only played six minutes (in one game) in the six matches in which he has featured in Everton’s senior squad in the Premier League in 2021/22.

This suggests to us that he is not regarded fondly by Benitez, even though the Toffees have had Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured for quite a while.

With this in mind and the manager seemingly preferring Salomon Rondon, who has played in 10 league games without scoring for Everton so far this season, it’s not surprising to hear that the Spaniard would be willing to move Tosun on from the club in January.

Moving forward, if Everton receive an offer to take him off their hands on a permanent basis for a suitable transfer fee, this could be the best option for all parties if he’s able to get regular playing time elsewhere and the Toffees are able to get his £69k-per-week wages off their books.

Getting Tosun out the door could be a significant step in Benitez revitalising Everton’s stagnant season, especially if it helps to finance a new signing next month.

In other news: Moshiri risks further Everton fury as links emerge on “complete” £110k-p/w machine

Alex McLeish has dropped an Everton transfer claim on reported target Denzel Dumfries.

The Lowdown: Dumfries latest

According to Bild (via Sport Witness), the Goodison Park faithful are among the ‘hottest contenders’ to sign Dumfries in the summer window, along with Inter Milan.

However, the news outlet also claims that the Merseyside club are looking to raise funds first of all by selling players before making their move for the PSV ace.

The Latest: McLeish backs Dumfries to Everton

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish, who is now a pundit after building a career as a manager in the Premier League, has claimed that Marcel Brands will want to sign Dumfries, and was particularly in awe of his displays at Euro 2020 so far with The Netherlands:

“Big, athletic player.

“Every time I watched that first game he was always in the box, coming in at the back post.

“Eventually he got a goal. I thought (he’s an) absolute massive talent in terms of athletic (ability). Good in the air as well.

“Another Dutch talent unearthed. Marcel will be heavily into that one.

“Coleman was an exciting player for Everton for many, many years.”

The Verdict: Sign him up

McLeish is not wrong when he claims that Brands will want to bring Dumfries to the Toffees, given his Dutch connections and the fact that there are already reports he is a big fan of the flying full-back.

Scoring two goals in the group stages from the right-back position (Sofascore), he has taken the Euros by storm so far, and will be looking to continue his fine form going into the knockouts.

Dumfries also scored four goals and supplied a further nine assists in 41 games across all competitions in the 2020/21 term at club level (Transfermarkt), further showing his attacking qualities and proving that this is not just a flash in the international tournament pan.

Nonetheless, being the captain of PSV at just 25 years of age, Dumfries would be the perfect long-term successor to Seamus Coleman with both his quality and leadership.

In other news, find out which transfer update has Blues raving here!

Celtic’s new manager will have to revamp the team’s defensive structure, according to Mark Wilson.

Wilson, a right-back, made over 100 appearances for the Hoops between 2006 and 2012.

Celtic have endured a dismal season -they trail champions Rangers by 23 points in the table and crashed out of the Europa League in the group stages while their arch-rivals progressed to the Round of 16, and a large part of their struggles has been down to their torrid defending.

How much have Celtic struggled defensively?

Celtic conceded 19 goals over their six continental fixtures, a joint-competition-high (alongside Dundalk and Ludogorets).

They’ve shipped 29 in the Scottish Premiership, and though that equates to fewer than one per game, their defensive record pales in comparison to Rangers, who have let in just 13.

For Wilson, it’s clear where the outstanding problems lie for Neil Lennon’s long-term successor.

‘Celtic must address weakness Gerrard exploited’

“Any manager who is looking at this Celtic side and has done their homework throughout the season, not just against Rangers, can clearly see the weaknesses,” he told Sky Sports, via Daily Record.

“Steven Gerrard played on that and said after the match he played on that weakness of the backline and goalkeeper.

“That is the priority for any manager coming in – a goalkeeper and two full-backs and a centre-half.

“If they can keep Kris Ajer it’s a good start, but it’s a tall order.”

Who would be getting replaced in Celtic revamp?

It was reported at the start of the season that £3.6million-rated Ajer wanted to leave Celtic, and he’s now about to enter the last year of his contract.

Scott Bain (£540,000) is currently the no. 1 ‘keeper at Parkhead, having started the last 11 matches.

Everton loanee Jonjoe Kenny (£6.3million) occupies the right-back position, with AC Milan’s Diego Laxalt (£3.6million) predominantly the man stationed on the opposite flank.

That makes about £14m worth of talent that could need replacing and upgrading.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Celtic need an overhaul this summer, but they can’t focus all their attention on the defence – let’s not forget that while Sunday’s Old Firm turned into a goal-fest, the Hoops had mustered just one goal in the previous four clashes against the Gers this term.

Odsonne Edouard could leave, forcing the club to try and repeat the trick of identifying a diamond in the rough up front, just like they did with Moussa Dembele before him.

Indeed, his mooted £15million sale could be crucial for fundraising and one would hope it can stretch to more than just a couple of defenders – if the club were to upgrade at the back but lose Edouard without an adequate replacement, we can’t see them properly challenging Rangers for the throne next term regardless of how many clean sheets they keep.

In other news, Celtic have been warned about offloading this midfielder.

Liverpool will be among the clubs interested in signing West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice when the summer transfer window opens, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown: Contract rebel

A recent report from The Guardian has claimed that the 23-year-old has rejected a third offer a new deal at the London Stadium and is ‘open’ to a move away at the end of the season.

With Rice under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), Hammers boss David Moyes has previously placed a £150m price tag on the England international, who previously came through the Chelsea academy.

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Amidst growing interest from Manchester City and Manchester United, the Reds have now been tipped to show their own admiration for Rice…

The latest: Jones makes Rice transfer claim…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Liverpool will be weighing up a possible swoop for the 29-cap England ace.

The journalist stated: “Of course, they’re going to be interested in Declan Rice because if Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have had that player on their radar, then you kind of at least have got to consider whether you’re going to need him.”

The verdict: An unnecessary expenditure

Currently, Jurgen Klopp has Fabinho as the only recognised senior defensive midfielder within the Anfield squad, although Jordan Henderson, James Milner and youngster Tyler Morton have all deputised in the role at times this season.

Nonetheless, the powerful Brazilian midfield general has enjoyed a stellar campaign, with five goals and four assists in 44 appearances across all competitions; and despite the lack of natural options in that position, spending anything like the mooted £150m on Rice simply isn’t a realistic prospect for the Reds.

Instead, as the two Manchester clubs potentially do battle for the 23-year-old’s signature, Klopp and incoming Anfield sporting director Julian Ward are more likely to set about pursuing an affordable alternative.

Using the FBRef comparison tool, statistically this term, 21-year-old Nice starlet Khephren Thuram-Ulien is the closest match to Rice, whilst Liverpool’s own Fabinho also appears in the top 10.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a shock move for one player. Find out who it is here.

Jamie Carragher reckons that Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey are the ‘future’ for Everton in the centre-back position.

Carragher was speaking to one of the club’s fan channels, Toffee TV.

How have Keane and Godfrey performed this season?

Keane has played 90 minutes in all but three of Everton’s Premier League games this season. He has averaged 2.9 successful aerial duels, 1.4 interceptions and 4.6 clearances per 90 minutes (via WhoScored), but the 28-year-old was still overlooked for the latest England squad by Gareth Southgate.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti urged him to channel that disappointment into motivation, hailing his ‘really good’ performance levels.

£25m summer signing Godfrey, who was called-up by the England under-21s this month, has been almost an ever-present at Goodison Park as well.

Ancelotti has only left him on the bench twice since his arrival from Norwich City, and the defender been averaging 2.3 successful aerial duels, 4.3 clearances and 1.7 blocks per game (via WhoScored). The Everton manager has made use of the 23-year-old’s versatility by deploying him as a full-back on nine occasions.

Godfrey has earned plenty of plaudits this season, with Rio Ferdinand among his admirers. The ex- Manchester United defender labelled his performances ‘absolutely outstanding’.

Carragher says Everton don’t need to dip into market for centre-back

Carragher has followed Ferdinand’s lead in championing Godfrey’s credentials, as well as those of fellow Toffees defender Keane.

“I do look at Keane and Godfrey as the future for Everton at centre-back,” the Liverpool legend said. “I’m a big fan of both players.

“I really like Michael Keane. He’s a seven out of 10 man every game. His passing’s very good from the back.

“And in Godfrey, I think you’ve got a super player. It’s a great signing. I think he’s going to be a top centre-back.”

Transfer Tavern verdict

Both players have clearly done well this season, but is Keane and Godfrey a partnership which could sustain a top four challenge? Probably not, and that’s where Everton are aiming under this manager.

A serious offer for Kalidou Koulibaly has been mooted and would be an immense show of ambition from the Toffees.

In other news, Everton will listen to offers for another of their defenders.

It seems as if Tottenham Hotspur’s disastrous managerial search is finally drawing to a close…

What’s the word?

According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the club’s newly-appointed sporting director Fabio Paratici has now arrived in North London and is set to push ahead with his plans to appoint Nuno Santo this week.

He wrote on Twitter:

“Tottenham director of football Fabio Paratici arrived in London in the last hours. Talks on with Nuno Espirito Santo and his representatives.”

It comes just days after his initial claim that the Italian supremo was a huge admirer of the 47-year-old, dating back to his time at Juventus, where he considered him on the list of candidates to replace Maurizio Sarri.

Nuno was not under serious consideration by Spurs until the arrival of Paratici and he recently held talks over the vacancies at both Crystal Palace and Everton.

Finally over?

Whilst he’s far from the most popular choice of candidates amongst the Lilywhites fanbase, many have to be delighted that this horrible process is finally coming to a halt.

It’s been a long nine-to-ten weeks of speculation, setbacks and disappointment but it now certainly seems like the Portuguese coach is going to be the man to replace Jose Mourinho.

Some big and exciting names have been linked with the role over the course of the last two months, including Premier League champion Antonio Conte and even popular ex-manager Mauricio Pochettino.

No one will match up to either of these candidates but truth be told, they were quite unrealistic options to begin with. Conte wasn’t going to commit to the club unless he was well-backed in the transfer market, whilst Paris Saint-Germain were adamant in keeping hold of the Argentine.

Nuno is certainly a little more inspiring than either Paulo Fonseca or Gennaro Gattuso as, at the very least, he has a proven track record in the Premier League.

He steered Wolves into the Premier League and then the Europa League in their very first season back in the big time and despite going onto make the quarter-finals that year, he managed to guide them to another seventh-place finish.

Last season was a disappointing cross against his record, ending the season in 13th but he saw his star man Diogo Jota sold to Liverpool, whilst leading talisman Raul Jimenez suffered a cruel head injury that ruled him out all campaign.

Many would’ve taken Nuno this time last year, so perhaps it’s time to back him.

There may be several doubts over his credentials but everyone concerned with Spurs should be very happy that this is nearly finally over, with pre-season training starting on Monday.

AND in other news, Paratici could seal Spurs’ best signing since Son in £36m-rated Euro 2020 “dominator”…

According to a report by The Times, Tottenham Hotspur have renewed their interest in signing Norwich City defender Max Aarons.

The Lowdown: Tottenham and Aarons

Links to the Canaries full-back are nothing new, with Spurs even eyeing him as far back as last summer. 

Indeed, Tottenham were touted with a move for the promising English ace in 2020 with reports detailing that they could now make a move this window.

Aarons played a big role in helping Norwich secure promotion back to the top flight and he has no shortage of suitors, with Sky Sports reporting they rate him at around £30 million amid interest.

The Latest: The Times say Spurs are eyeing Aarons…

Now, The Times have backed Tottenham’s fondness of Aarons and have namedropped him as one of a list of players who Spurs are well and truly keeping tabs on.

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As well as the 21-year-old, Spurs are eyeing a few other defenders in Serie A stars Takehiro Tomiyasu and Milan Skriniar.

After Tottenham appointed Nuno Espirito Santo as their new head coach, attention can now seemingly turn to the transfer market with an interesting summer up ahead.

The Verdict: Great option…

Serge Aurier has been strongly tipped with a move away from north London this summer with the player even admitting himself that he has reached the ‘end of a cycle’.

Tottenham will need a replacement and Aarons is someone who could fit the bill nicely, especially given his threat going forward.

Only Son Heung-min in the Lilywhites squad averaged more crosses into the box per 90 (1) than Aarons (0.8) over 2020/2021, with the youngster even equalling Gareth Bale’s total of 1.4 completed dribbles (WhoScored).

Lauded as a ‘special player’ with an ‘unbelievable future’ by Norwich boss Daniel Farke (pinkun.com), he has also been dubbed the ‘perfect right-back’ by pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor (Football Insider).

We believe he should, at the very least, be at the top of Tottenham’s summer transfer wish list.

In other news: Spurs in seven-horse race to sign this star who shone at Euro 2020, Levy will have to pay over £25.8m…find out more here.

Aston Villa must make a ruthless call on Ross Barkley amid claims West Ham are interested in signing him this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks claimed that Christian Purslow was the driving force behind doing a permanent deal for Barkley come the end of the season, despite Dean Smith himself being “unconvinced” over whether the 27-year-old is worth the money needed to sign him.

Now, TEAMtalk have suggested that Hammers boss David Moyes has added Barkley to his list of targets this summer, while Villa themselves have now indicated they will not be looking to sign him.

NSWE will be fuming

Given how Barkley’s campaign has really fizzled out after some promising early appearances for the club, it would be a major blunder from Villa to be looking to sign the £18m-rated ace permanently.

After scoring twice in his opening two Premier League games for the club, Barkley has scored just once since in the top-flight, while he still only has one assist to his name in the competition too.

Speaking after he was taken off yet again in the second half against Leicester last month, Sky Sports pundit Alex Scott slammed him for his display, saying: “For me it’s another missed opportunity for Ross Barkley to show up and demand, he’s been subbed off again and you can see in his face he’s not happy. But how many chances does a player need?

“You need to take it upon yourself. There’s only so many chances that he can be deserving. He’s missed another opportunity today.”

With reports initially claiming that Purslow was spearheading Villa’s permanent move for Barkley, the chief executive must now make a ruthless U-turn. NSWE certainly won’t be happy at forking out a shed-load of money for a player who’s barely performed for them this season.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a move for this 6 foot 6 giant…

Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos has tested positive for coronavirus as he prepares for two World Cup qualifiers with Colombia.

The Lowdown: Morelos away on international duty

With the club season now over, Rangers players have departed to all corners of the globe as they aim to help their relative international teams over the summer.

Morelos had been selected to represent his country against Peru and Argentina in World Cup qualifiers ahead of the Copa America.

The Latest: Positive virus test

However, the 24-year-old has been dealt a significant blow after testing positive for the virus (via Glasgow Times).

He is now self-isolating as a result and will therefore miss both of his national team’s upcoming clashes, having already joined up with the squad as they seek to atone for a poor start in the CONMEBOL qualifying section.

The Verdict: A rest

On the face of it, this will be terrible news for Morelos. Having travelled to South America, he will have been eager to represent his country whenever he can. He will now miss the two games, and his participation in the Copa America could therefore be under threat.

However, this has been another gruelling season for the £10.8m-valued star (Transfermarkt). He made 41 appearances in all competitions, scoring 17 goals (Transfermarkt) as he helped his side win the Premiership and playing a regular role as the season progressed. While he may not think it himself now, a small rest could be the best thing for him in terms of his club involvement over the coming months.

In other news, some Rangers fans don’t want the club to sign this striker.

Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a big blow as Ianis Hagi is now likely to miss their next two games.

The Lowdown: International break

Hagi was called up to the Romania squad for their FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Liechtenstein and North Macedonia.

He certainly caught the eye against the former, grabbing himself an assist, as well as winning five of his duels and recording three successful dribbles and three key passes (Sofascore).

The Latest: Hagi illness

As quoted by The Daily Record, the Romanian FA have now revealed that Hagi has returned a positive Covid test, and as a result missed their clash with North Macedonia:

“Today (Tuesday) around noon, Ianis Hagi complained of slight headaches in the Skopje national team’s camp.

“He performed a quick test under the coordination of the medical staff of the national team and the result is positive.

“The player immediately went into isolation. Until today, on the occasion of this action of the national team, Ianis had performed 5 Covid tests, all with a negative result.”

It also means that he is now likely to miss the Light Blues’ next two games against St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership and Lyon in the UEFA Europa League respectively.

The Verdict: Blow

It is certainly a huge blow for Steven Gerrard to now lose one of their key players in Hagi for their next two fixtures, especially against Lyon.

The Liverpool and England legend would have wanted to get off to a good start in the Europa League, but it looks like they will have to try and do it without the 22-year-old.

Dubbed ‘brilliant’ by Gerrard after his impressive performance in their 1-0 home win over Alashkert earlier on in the season, Hagi has certainly been playing well so far this season, scoring two goals and making one assist in six appearances in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the Ibrox faithful will have to find another source of creativity for the next week or so.

In other news, find out which Premier League club tried to sign this ‘magnificent’ Gers star here!