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Everton are hopeful of intervening in Nabil Fekir’s contract negotiations with Real Betis, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net. 

The lowdown

Fekir has contributed two goals and two assists so far in 2021/22 for a Betis side that sits 10th in La Liga.

The name will ring a few bells on Merseyside given that Fekir came very close indeed to signing for Liverpool in 2018.

The 28-year-old is valued at £22.5million by Transfermarkt and his current contract runs until June 2023.

The latest

Negotiations over a new deal are said to be ‘advanced’, with the Frenchman ‘very happy’ in his current surroundings and confident in the project.

However, his ‘excellent’ start to the season has ‘sparked the interest’ of ‘several’ Premier League clubs, and the landscape could change if a ‘powerful financial offer arrives’.

Marcel Brands and co have ‘great aspirations’ in the transfer market and have added Fekir to their list of targets – they of course spent very little in this summer’s window.

They face competition from two London outfits in the form of West Ham United and Arsenal.

The verdict

Where would Fekir slot into this Everton team if Brands gets a deal over the line? Well, you’d naturally assume that he’d play just behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Demarai Gray may have thrived in that role recently but he can be shifted out wide if needed.

You don’t look at the rival suitors here and worry that Everton may get blown out of the water. In fact, Rafael Benitez probably holds more pulling power than David Moyes or Mikel Arteta.

In other news, Michael Ball has lavished praise on this Everton star who has ‘everything’.

West Ham United boss David Moyes could now be set for real backing this summer as a club insider shares some ‘£150 million’ news out of Rush Green.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing fresh faces…

Reliable reports indicate that Moyes and the Hammers are eyeing a real summer overhaul amid their chase for Champions League qualification and chase for unprecedented Europa League silverware.

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The Times claim that West Ham’s boss could want as many as four major signings in the next window, including a possible goalkeeper, left-sided centre-half, central midfield player and, of course, a striker.

His transfer kitty to acquire this many fresh faces will be a crucial determining factor as Moyes aims to build upon another impressive campaign over-all.

Club insider Claret & Hugh, sharing an update on star man Declan Rice’s future, have also dropped news in their piece on just how much Moyes will be allocated to spend.

The Latest: C&H make big-money claim…

The Irons source, making a claim in the last line of their article, say that West Ham and Moyes will be backed with a ‘£150m’ kitty.

They also state that the club are ‘set to spend in the summer’ as this potentially exciting update emerges ahead of what could be a very interesting summer window.

The Verdict: Promising…

The lack of finalised moves in January could be made up for in the summer going by this news.

West Ham are certainly short in a number of positions, namely centre-back amid their current injury crisis, while striker Michail Antonio is still their only recognised option up front.

If the Irons are to maintain their place among the Premier League’s best, they will need sufficient backing, and it will certainly be intriguing to see if GSB do indeed grant Moyes the signings he requires with this big £150m kitty.

In other news: ‘Deal is there to be done’ – West Ham insider makes exciting striker claim as price drops by £20m, find out more here.

In an interview this week, Rafa Benitez was asking a poignant question. Would Everton supporters afford him less time because of his connections to the red corner of Merseyside?

After labelling the Toffees a ‘small club’ during his stint in charge of Liverpool the emphatic should have been an emphatic, ‘yes.’

Instead, the Spaniard disagreed with the statement, suggesting that they’d actually afford him more time at Goodison Park because they appreciate what he’s already done in the city.

However, after a catastrophic 4-1 defeat to their local rivals on Wednesday, it marked the nadir of Benitez’s short tenure at Everton so far.

The pressure is ramping up on his job and according to some outlets, he will be facing the axe in the not too distant future. However, owner Farhad Moshiri has rejected any speculation, claiming that he will be given time to sort out this mess.

As some may remember, though, that isn’t necessarily a bad sign. As Sky Sports reporter Alan Myers reminded us on Thursday afternoon, Moshiri said similar things about Ronald Koeman before sacking him just 21 days later.

If the same eventuality befalls Benitez then there will surely be no shortage of candidates for the role. Frank Lampard and Kasper Hjulmand have already been touted as potential replacements, while Nuno Santo, a man linked with the job in the summer, is also thought to be on their radar still.

The man who should be front and centre of the boardroom’s thoughts if they do get rid of the current head coach, however, is Graham Potter.

The 46-year-old was naturally touted with the Goodison outfit a few months ago after Carlo Ancelotti exited and should he still be on Everton’s radar, he’d be the perfect replacement.

After all, there is a reason he and his style of play have been described as “exceptional” by Jurgen Klopp.

He took Ostersunds in Sweden from a club languishing in the lower tiers, built them up and subsequently steered them to European football, eventuality beating Arsenal on a famous night at the Emirates in the Europa League.

Since then, he has gained experience in England with Swansea and Brighton, earning a reputation for possession-based football.

The Athletic understands that some figures at Everton are currently growing tired of the “ugly football” on display from their team but Potter would undoubtedly be able to correct that mantra.

His Brighton side have seen 56.7% of the ball on average this term, the fifth-highest tally in the whole division. The trouble is, they don’t have a genuine goal-scorer in the team. The Seagulls have only found the net on 13 occasions in 14 matches this season.

They have no issue creating chances and thus, if Potter arrives at Goodison in the coming weeks or months, he could finally have the answer to his woes in 2021/22.

Everton have plenty of players capable of fashioning chances, namely in Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray. Fortunately, they also have a player capable of scoring goals on a regular basis; Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

He has been out injured since the fourth match of the campaign but would surely relish playing under a possession-orientated coach in Potter.

If Benitez goes then the Brighton manager simply has to be the man they turn to. He has revolutionised the south coast side as they sat 7th in the Premier League prior to Thursday’s fixtures, a position that Everton should be aiming for themselves.

AND in other news, Forget Coleman: Everton lightweight who lost 91% duels may have just cost Rafa his job…

Leeds United are reportedly lining up a bid for John Swift this January…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football Insider, who claim the Yorkshire giants are keen on landing the Reading midfielder during the winter transfer window as he enters the final six months of his current contract.

The Championship outfit previously put a £7m price tag on his head amid interest from Marcelo Bielsa and co in the summer but that valuation may well have dropped given his contractual situation – January will be the last time the Royals can secure a fee for him.

It’s thought that director of football Victor Orta is scouring the market for an attacking no.8 and it seems as if Swift fits the bill nicely.

Hernandez heir, finally?

Indeed, the 26-year-old maestro – once on the books at Chelsea – has been one of the second flight’s best players this season.

After missing the bulk of last season with a pair of serious hamstring problems, Swift has bounced back in an exciting fashion by providing the Championship strugglers with eight goals and nine assists from 21 appearances.

It somewhat echoes his form from the 2019/20 campaign, where he directly contributed towards 16 goals across 41 games.

He is by far and away Reading’s best talent, topping the WhoScored charts with a 7.40 average rating. Swift is also managing a whopping three key passes per game, making him the Championship’s most creative talent, on top of 1.9 dribbles per match, too.

That makes him a prime candidate to solve Marcelo Bielsa’s attacking midfield woes. It could be argued that United failed to replace the reliable influence of Pablo Hernandez, who left in the summer.

Only five teams have scored fewer goals than Leeds this season. No player has registered more than two assists, with Raphinha leading the way for key passes per game (1.8) – still some way off Swift’s impressive form.

Bielsa is said to be a huge fan of the Reading dynamo, according to the reliable Phil Hay of The Athletic, so he should be trusted if he wants him at Elland Road in January.

“[It] was interesting to see John Swift linked over the weekend because Swift is someone Bielsa quietly admires,” he revealed last month.

Therefore, the attacking midfielder who has been lauded as a “grafter” and as being “super-talented”, should be one of Orta’s biggest priorities heading into 2022.

Leeds could well finally replace Hernandez with a bargain swoop for Swift this winter.

AND in other news, Bielsa can finally axe Leeds’ “absolute disaster” by signing “spectacular” 5 ft 9 gem this winter…

Tanguy Ndombele’s days are surely numbered at Tottenham Hotspur after another disastrous outing resulted in a torrent of boos from the crowd on Sunday afternoon.

Spurs edged into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 victory over League One minnows Morecambe but that was after the Frenchman was withdrawn by manager Antonio Conte.

The introduction of Harry Kane and Lucas Moura changed the game and spared the Lilywhites their blushes.

Ndombele, who was graded as SofaScore’s lowest-rated outfield player for either side, was withdrawn in the 69th minute to a raucous reaction from the home supporters. He trudged off slowly as the volume of the boos increased and went straight down the tunnel – that will surely anger the Italian head coach.

Considering the £34m-rated midfielder cost a club-record £55m over two-and-a-half years ago, the 24-year-old should be picking apart a side of the Shrimpers’ quality – with all due respect.

Indeed, the expensive flop, who ex-goalkeeper Joe Hart once dubbed “unplayable” cut an uninterested figure throughout the game and that drew criticism from the press box.

‘Booed off by his own fans after trudging towards the touchline when he was replaced by Kane. It felt terminal and you wonder if that’s the last we’ll see of him in a Spurs shirt. Followed an ineffective display,’ wrote the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick in his post-match column.

Ndombele won just one of his six duels (16%), a rather weak effort up against a team two divisions below. Elsewhere, he failed to register a single shot on target, key pass, tackle or interception, via SofaScore.

According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Spurs are “looking for a solution to sell or loan out” the former Lyon dynamo, so after these latest antics, it could well be the beginning of the end for Ndombele at the club.

That, at the very least, should be the last time that he gets to put on a Tottenham shirt.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt major injury blow ahead of  Chelsea clash…

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, Southampton have made a January move for striker Che Adams. The 22-year-old currently plays his football at Championship outfit Birmingham City and has done so since leaving Sheffield United back in 2016, with his excellent efforts for the Blues this term seemingly attracting the interest of new Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

And that’s because a recent report from The Daily Mirror suggests that the South Coast club have launched a bid for the striking sensation, who might well prove to be a replacement for current Saints forward Charlie Austin, who has been linked with a move away from St Mary’s this month (as per The Daily Telegraph).

But given just how prolific Adams has proven to be this term, Southampton needn’t worry about Austin’s possible exit were Hasenhuttl to lure the 22-year-old striker to St Mary’s.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, 29-year-old Austin is one man who has suffered from Hasenhuttl’s arrival at Southampton last month, what with the Englishman having started just twice in the Premier League under the Austrian, none of which coming in their last three league matches.

And with Danny Ings very much the main man at St Mary’s with eight goals in all competitions this season, and Shane Long very much possessing the energy needed to complement Hasenhuttl’s high-intensity style of play, regular minutes look few and far between for Austin between now and the end of the season – a move away looks to be in his best interests.

But with the 29-year-old possessing those predatory instincts to get into the right place at the right time in the penalty area, Southampton could well miss Austin’s prolific nature in front of goal as the season wears on – but no such worries would be had were Adams to join the club.

The 22-year-old may never have played Premier League football in his short career to date, but the striker has proven to be quite the Championship forward in the last few months to emphasise his bright future in the game.

The Englishman has bagged 14 goals in just 28 league games for Garry Monk’s Blues this term to represent his best season in front of goal since moving to St Andrew’s – in fact, only four players have netted more in the second tier than Adams so far this season.

And with nine goals last term for the Midlanders and seven the campaign before, the 22-year-old has threatened to go on and really produce the goods for Birmingham in his short time at the club, doing so this time round to highlight just what a talent he is, and how far he could go in the game.

And in a Southampton side that have somewhat struggled for goals in the last 18 months or so, and potentially losing arguably their most natural goal-scorer in Austin, Adams could well flourish in the Premier League – he is clearly a striker on the upward trajectory.

And while potentially losing Austin may come as a disappointment to some Southampton fans, they needn’t worry about his possible exit were Hasenhuttl to get a deal done for Birmingham’s Adams.

Southampton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Fabrizio Romano believes Tottenham Hotspur are very much still interested in Dusan Vlahovic, despite sporting director Fabio Paratici claiming otherwise…

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, the Italian supremo poured cold water on Spurs’ mooted interest in the Fiorentina talisman, claiming to Festival dello Sport (via Romano): “Dusan Vlahovic is appreciated by many clubs, it’s normal – he’s not in our plans, for now.”

However, the transfer guru has dropped a fresh claim during a recent episode of the ‘Here We Go’ podcast that seems to refute such comments.

“Vlahovic is a bit different. The feeling I have because what he [Paratici] said is that ‘he is not in our plans for now’ and in Paratici language that means he is pursuing the player,” revealed the Italian journalist.

“We know about it because last summer, Tottenham were really interested in Vlahovic. They were looking at him as [a] potential Harry Kane backup, not [a] replacement.

“Tottenham are still following this boy, as are Atletico Madrid and other English clubs, and Italian clubs, so there will be a big fight for Vlahovic. Let’s see if it’ll be January or next summer but he is leaving Fiorentina.”

Sneaky Paratici

This latest development should leave much of the Lilywhites faithful on the edge of their seats and whilst it may come as a surprise, it is well-known Paratici operates in this manner.

Harry Kane has struggled for goals in the Premier League so far this campaign, failing to find the net in five starts, but he still does not have a viable senior backup behind him, with Nuno Santo sometimes turning to 17-year-old gem Dane Scarlett in other competitions.

Vlahovic is a firm contender to fill such a void and it would certainly give the Portuguese coach another valuable option to either start alongside the England talisman or to replace him from the bench.

The 21-year-old scored a whopping 21 goals in 37 appearances in the Serie A side last season and has continued such form into the new campaign, where he has found the net a further six times in just eight matches, as per Transfermarkt.

La Viola’s goal machine has been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, which is hardly a surprise given his 6 foot 3 slender frame, whilst former Italy international Christian Vieri believes he’s the strongest young forward in Europe, behind Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Dubbed a “complete number nine” by Italian football expert Conor Clancy to This is Futbol, Vlahovic could well be in Spurs’ sights despite Paratici trying to throw off the scent and that ultimately should leave many supporters thrilled.

AND in other news, Nuno may have his own Varane in “talented” 18 y/o gem who can help Spurs save millions…

Both Aston Villa left-back Lucas Digne and striker Danny Ings are expected to be fine after the former was withdrawn early in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat away at Wolves whilst the latter missed the game.

What’s the story?

Villa boss Steven Gerrard confirmed to the press after his side’s defeat that Digne was withdrawn because the Frenchman was dealing with a stomach issue but is expected to be in contention for next week’s game against Tottenham Hotspur.

The 28-year-old managed just 13 minutes at Molineux and had only recently returned from a hamstring injury that saw the Frenchman play just ten minutes against West Ham and miss the home defeat to Arsenal prior to the international break.

As for Ings, the 29-year-old became a father for the first time and had had little sleep, with Gerrard preventing the Englishman from playing.

Supporters will be buzzing

Having paid Premier League rivals Everton a reported fee of £25m for Digne’s services in January, there’s no doubt that the Frenchman is Gerrard’s first-choice left-back by some margin and thus, news that his issue is not long-term will leave the fanbase elated.

Initial first-choice Matt Targett subsequently joined Newcastle United on loan for the remainder of the season, making 36-year-old Ashley Young the only other option on the left-hand side of the defence.

Moreover, the veteran scored an own goal against Wolves on Saturday after replacing the Frenchman and is yet to sign a contract extension with his current deal set to expire this summer. Digne’s position is incredibly settled.

Therefore, any more absences from the winter signing could prove detrimental to Villa’s plans for the remainder of the season as the West Midland’s outfit targets their first top-half finish in the top-flight since the 2010/11 season.

According to SofaScore, the 28-year-old has averaged a rating of 6.91 in the Premier League this season whilst also making 1.7 tackles per game as well as 1.1 interceptions and 1.9 clearances.

Moreover, Digne wins over half of his duels with a 54% success rate as well as completing over a third of dribbles at 38%. However, his passing could be improved with the left-back’s current accuracy at 76%.

The France international has also kept three clean sheets in nine appearances for the Villans as well as registering an assist against his former employers Everton.

As for Ings, the striker was also subject to a £25m fee when bought from Southampton last summer, however, his start to life in the West Midlands hasn’t gone exactly to plan.

Having scored 13 goals last term and 25 the season before, the Villa forward has just five goals this term in claret and blue.

Since taking over from Dean Smith at Villa Park, one of the biggest puzzles Gerrard has tried to solve has been trying to find a system that compliments the strengths of both Ollie Watkins and Ings, with the former scoring his eighth club goal of the season against Wolves as well as netting for England on Tuesday.

Naturally, the English manager will want as many of his players available for the run-in and knowing that both Digne and Ings will be okay will be a relief to all those associated with Aston Villa.

In other news: Forget Young: “Stupid” Aston Villa dud who lost 71% duels was a liability v Wolves

With a loan deal for Philippe Coutinho now agreed, Aston Villa now have the opportunity to focus on signing other players who Steven Gerrard feels would improve his squad.

One player to whom the club could turn their attention and realistically get through the door before the end of the month is Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips.

In a recent article from The Athletic by James Pearce, it was claimed that the 24-year-old “is attracting plenty of interest from both Premier League and Serie A clubs”.

The report also claimed that the Merseysiders have already rejected a bid of £7m from an unnamed top-flight club for him, with Liverpool having set their asking price set at £15m.

Additionally, the report named Villa as one of the Premier League sides who are in the market for a centre-back this month, so there’s every possibility that the Midlands club could launch a move for Phillips in the coming weeks if they feel he could improve their squad.

Taking into account how Villa have said goodbye to Axel Tuanzebe after his loan spell at Villa Park was cut short this week, there certainly is room for a new centre-back such as Phillips, who is currently valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, to come in and try and secure a place in Gerrard’s team.

Also, with a recent poll ran by Football FanCast revealing that 67% of Villa fans think Tyrone Mings is a liability for the team after his performance in their recent 3-1 defeat against Chelsea – when he was at fault for Romelu Lukaku’s goal – this could pave the way for Gerrard to sign Phillips this month and create a solid centre-back partnership alongside Ezri Konsa, potentially fixing the issue of their leaky defence, with 30 goals conceded in 19 league games.

With just four appearances under his belt for Liverpool across all competitions so far this season, a potential move to Villa could be very appealing for Phillips, who has been labelled as a “monster” on the pitch by Jurgen Klopp. If he would be guaranteed regular game-time under Gerrard’s guidance, it would benefit Liverpool at the same time by reaping what they see as a suitable transfer fee for him.

With Villa also being linked with a move for fellow Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez, Phillips could be a much easier deal to secure given the Merseyside club’s reported willingness to sell him this month.

In other news – “What they’re looking at..”: Journalist drops Villa transfer claim, fans will be buzzing

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro.

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet El Nacional, the Magpies are eyeing up a potential swoop for the Brazil international in either January or next summer.

The report claims that a move could happen as the 29-year-old is currently uncomfortable with Carlo Ancelotti being the manager at the Bernabeu.

Lerma 2.0

Eddie Howe is reportedly on the verge of becoming the new manager of Newcastle and a move for Casemiro could be an excellent first foray into the market. The £63m-rated beast could be the 43-year-old’s next Jefferson Lerma, who excelled in the top flight as a midfield enforcer for Bournemouth.

The 27-year-old played 65 games under Howe before the coach’s exit from the Vitality Stadium in 2020, having signed for £25.2m from Levante in 2018. The Colombia international enjoyed an impressive debut campaign in English football with the Cherries as he averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.97 across 30 Premier League appearances, with 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game.

Casemiro is a similar type of player in style. The Brazilian is a strong defensive-minded midfielder who breaks up the play. He has averaged five tackles and interceptions per game over the course of his career, playing the best part of 300 matches for Real Madrid, Porto and Brazil.

This season, he has made 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game whilst averaging an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.01 in La Liga. These statistics are similar to the numbers Lerma was posting in his first season under Howe, which suggests that Casemiro could thrive under the former Bournemouth boss’ management, as he has shown that he can help a player of such style to thrive.

Former Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui once hailed him as a “joy to coach” and the enforcer’s comments on his work behind the scenes show why.

Casemiro once explained: “I love to learn. I watch back, see the errors, evaluate. I love that. People say I think like a coach. I always try to read the game, the other team’s mind, their coach, what they’re trying to do. Often the smallest details – a metre either way – change everything. I have [football analytics platform] Wyscout and watch everything, from China or anywhere.”

This suggests that Howe could love to work with Casemiro and help him improve. At the age of 29, he still has plenty of time ahead of him in the holding midfield role. Fernandinho, for instance, is still playing for Manchester City at 36, and the Real Madrid man could hopefully be Newcastle’s midfield anchor for years to come.

AND in other news, “Some members of consortium…”: Pete Graves drops NUFC update that’ll excite fans…