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It feels a bit wrong to say anything negative about Everton at the moment.

The Toffees are flying high after winning each of their three opening games in the Premier League, but with the transfer window still open, there is still room for activity.

The Merseyside club have been linked with numerous incomings with the likes of Arkadiusz Milik and Jean-Clair Todibo reportedly on their radar, but there is also a potential exit on the horizon.

Indeed, Alan Nixon is reporting that the club are willing to sell Jonjoe Kenny for a fee of around £10m, and that could end up being seen as a huge mistake for years to come.

Kenny was impressive in the Bundesliga last season during his loan spell with Schalke, and with Sheamus Coleman turning 32 next month, the Toffees do need a long-term solution at right-back and Kenny really could have been that man.

The fact that Arsenal have previously shown an interest in him in the past is enough to show just how highly he is rated, but with Coleman clearly being Everton’s first-choice in the right-back spot, it’s hard to see his immediate route into the starting XI at Goodison Park.

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Kenny is a local lad with years ahead of him, and it’d be a bitter pill to swallow for all supporters if he’s allowed to leave without making any real impact in the squad.

The defender impressed last season, and selling him as soon as he returns sends out the wrong message for any young player who is sent out on loan to develop their skills.

Another loan spell could be just what the doctor ordered, but a sale could be something Carlo Ancelotti lives to regret in the long run.

Tottenham Hotspur could land one of their mooted transfer targets on the cheap this summer if fresh reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Foot Mercato, Ligue 2 side Toulouse have dropped the asking price for box-to-box midfielder Ibrahim Sangare this summer to just €10m (£9m) with only one year remaining on his current contract.

Spurs have been linked to the impressive powerhouse for quite some time but as per GFFN, the recently-relegated French side were asking for double that at €20m (£18m), so no bid was made.

Mourinho’s new Essien?

Jose Mourinho may have already bolstered his midfield with the addition of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg but he simply can’t pass up an opportunity to clinch the Ivorian international.

The 22-year-old has become a regular at Toulouse, managing 78 appearances in the French top-flight already. Last season, Sangare was one of the few shining lights having averaged a whopping 3.4 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.2 dribbles and 1.1 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder that he’s been compared to fellow countryman Yaya Toure throughout his career and his role in north London could echo that of Mourinho’s first spell at local rivals Chelsea where he was blessed with the likes of Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele.

But there was also a certain Michael Essien in those ranks too. A player the ex-Blues boss signed from Lyon at the very same age.

Former Toulouse coach Alain Casanova believes Sangare is the best prospect he’s seen at the club – even above Spurs’ current midfielder Moussa Sissoko – whilst he’s been described as “physical” and “passionate,” which only resonates with Essien even more.

Sangare is calm in small spaces and comes out of pressure in “incredible ways” thus making him a perfect fit for Mourinho’s system.

Having averaged more tackles per game than Hojbjerg, you might as well forget about someone like Harry Winks and sign the 22-year-old instead.

For just £9m, it would be a monumental steal and well within Daniel Levy’s tight budget.

AND in other news, Spurs tipped to sign PL brute, he’d be a dream for Mourinho…

Just as it the case for many of the European giants this summer, Juventus are undergoing a huge change, both in terms of personnel and overall style of play. The former Chelsea gaffer Maurizio Sarri has been sacked and in his place came Andrea Pirlo, who will now be looking to give the team his own outlook.

According to the transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio who reported the news for Sky Sports Italy, the Bianconeri are looking for potential partners for Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala in the forward line. One of the new players who popped up on their radar is actually Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette.

Of course, this is not exactly the first time we hear the Frenchman’s name in this context as he was already linked with a potential move away from the Emirates and the Premier League earlier in the window.

Pirlo will need someone new and fresh in attack, especially if he ends up losing one of the two aforementioned stars. The financial situation in Turin is not great, partly because of the recent outbreak of the pandemic and partly because of their astronomical wage bill. For that reason, they are bracing for big changes in the immediate future and Lacazette might have a role to play.

But with not a lot of money to spend and Mikel Arteta still being fond of his forward, it will be interesting to see how the Italians go about completing this transfer.

Verdict

Needless to say, losing Lacazette would indeed be a big blow for the London outfit. Arteta is slowly but surely moulding this Arsenal team into proper contenders and fierce rivals and the Frenchman is surely a big part of that process.

But seeing how Juventus don’t have that much money to spend and the Gunners are not necessarily in a hurry to sell, maybe they end up keeping their striker after all.

After signing on a season-long loan from Liverpool last summer, Sheyi Ojo has played a prominent role in Steven Gerrard’s first-team squad this season, making 36 appearances across all competitions.

But the 22-year-old struggled to force himself into the starting eleven on a regular basis, playing the full 90 minutes for the Gers just four times in the Scottish Premiership.

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Ojo still managed five goals and seven assists however, with Steven Gerrard declaring himself delighted after a particularly impressive cameo against St Mirren earlier this year.

However, the attacker has now taken to social media to announce his farewell to the club’s fans, and after seeing his Twitter post, Rangers supporters voiced their reaction to the news.

One Rangers fan felt that the club never got to see the best of him because of Gerrard’s tactics not suiting his style of play.

As loan signings go, Ojo certainly showed the kinds of flashes of brilliance that convinced Gerrard to bring him to Ibrox in the first place.

At 22, time is certainly running out for him to make his mark on the first-team back at Liverpool, so a return to Rangers in the future may not be too far-fetched.

As the Premier League rides the current conveyor belt into uncertain waters, many clubs are wondering how the current global crisis will affect their next transfer window.

For some, their financial worries will be of a much greater magnitude and could involve offloading players in order to make back some summer funds. Everton are amongst those likely to be concerned over their budget and whether the current climate will allow Carlo Ancelotti any breathing space to bring in new talent.

Another option to help minimise costs would be to turn to the out-of-contract players who are set to depart their teams at the end of the campaign. The Premier League has 57 free agents who have not been offered new contracts and Football FanCast has looked at two players who could fit the bill for the Blues if buying big is not an option.

Olivier Giroud

The Merseyside outfit once upon a time came close to penning Olivier Giroud’s future after he was made a top target to replace Romelu Lukaku. In 2017, Everton looked firmly in the running to poach the Frenchman after talks of Dortmund bringing him in were snubbed due to not wanting to offload Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

In an update from Transfermarketweb, Giroud was reportedly set to leave London with Merseyside his likely destination. Of course, the striker instead signed for Chelsea but Everton were reportedly inches away from winning the race for the £25million star (via BBC Sport). But now, with the French international looking to be leaving Chelsea as a free agent this summer, Everton should reignite their interest and add him to the Goodison ranks.

Giroud’s last two full seasons with Arsenal saw him tally a combined 40 goals and 13 assists – proof that when played consistently, he is a threat in front of goal.

The Blues have Dominic Calvert-Lewin who is currently in fine form, but to be able to learn from a veteran of the game who has a total of 203 career goals would be priceless experience. Not to mention the crucial rotation Giroud could provide for Everton’s attack.

Shane Long

The 33-year-old centre-forward could be available for free this summer unless Southampton act fast in renewing his contract. According to a report from the Daily Echo in February, the Saints were set to extend Shane Long’s deal but no further action has been taken as of yet.

However, amid the current financial difficulties, the club could want the striker off their books in order to free up some cash. Southampton also have younger forward options in the form of Che Adams and Michael Obafemi, as well as Danny Ings who has had an explosive season. His 15-goal tally compared to Long’s two could be enough to favour the Englishman and let the latter leave this summer.

Everton were reportedly linked to a move for Long back in 2016, but talks never came to fruition. However, with the Toffees looking to offload a hefty amount of deadweight this summer, they may not be able to spend big on targets they had in mind prior to this global crisis.

Furthermore, as Long approaches the end of his career, he could prove an important pivotal asset to this Everton side. His Premier League expertise and decades in the game would make for a strong substitute during more calculated games.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Another week, another narrow win for Liverpool.

Despite winning 12 of their first 13 matches in the Premier League so far this campaign, seven of those victories have been by a single goal. However, it shows that although the Reds are yet to hit top gear during this season, they are still picking up the points they need to give them a commanding eight-point advantage at the top.

On Saturday against Crystal Palace, they were without Mohamed Salah, the division’s Golden Boot winner in each of the last two seasons. Without him, Senegal international Sadio Mane moved over to the right wing to take the 27-year-old’s place, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain lined up on the opposite flank. In this match, it was the former’s performance that showed Klopp can deal without the presence of the Egyptian King.

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The former Southampton man set the ball rolling for the Merseyside outfit, netting in the 49th minute after an assist from Andrew Robertson. It was a vital moment, and it was just one facet of a great display from Mane.

That was one of three shots he managed during the match, whilst he also completed the only dribble that he attempted. He also turned creator as well, managing two key passes for his teammates. Only Trent Alexander-Arnold managed more than the 27-year-old. He won 50% of his duels, including two in the air, and he also managed to win two fouls, with Fabinho being the only Liverpool player to beat him in that department.

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Since moving to Anfield, Mane has played more than twice as many games on the left of the front three than on the right according to those where his position has been recorded by Transfermarkt. However, he actually has a better record on that side.

In 40 matches, he has 20 goals, as well as nine assists – as per Transfermarkt – whilst in 91 games on the left, he has 44 goals and 17 assists. The numbers are similar, yet there is a slight advantage on the right. He has scored 0.48 goals per match on the left compared to 0.5 on the right, and he has 0.23 assists per game on the right compared to 0.19 on the other side.

The reason he has been used on the left for the most part is down to Salah’s proficiency. According to Transfermarkt, the £135m-valued ex-Chelsea player has never played on the left wing for Liverpool, but has 61 goals in 96 games on the other side. Clearly, he is less manoeuvrable than Mane, hence why he been used there predominantly. Whilst the Senegalese man may be performing fantastically, the stats show that the former AS Roma man is perhaps preventing him from reaching his full potential. It is something for Klopp to think about.

In other news, Liverpool fans cannot believe they could make a profit on this dud.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Amidst all of Aston Villa’s summer transfer business in which the club shelled out over £130m on new arrivals, the signing of Marvelous Nakamba is currently proving to be one of Dean Smith’s shrewdest additions and the Zimbabwean international has been speaking out regarding his time so far in the West Midlands.

What did he say?

Speaking to The Herald, Nakamba said: “The (Villa) fans are very friendly, they are amazing, even if we walk in the streets, they are very supportive. I am feeling at home and enjoying the experience.

“I am giving everything, it is a new league and I am trying to adjust to the new environment, now I am more mature, I have played somewhere and it is a bit easy to adapt.”

“I am 25 now and I think I can handle the pressure. For me it is an honour playing against the best players in the world week-in-week-out.”

Nakamba’s growing importance

Nakamba, 25, arrived from Club Brugges in an £11m deal in July, and the defensive midfielder has featured regularly for Smith’s side in the current campaign – starting all of Villa’s last eight league matches.

The summer signing has nailed down a regular starting berth at the expense of Douglas Luiz who had initially impressed for the newly-promoted side, but Nakamba’s relentless work ethic and tenacity in central midfield is proving to be exactly what Smith is looking for in the centre of the park.

Although the club are currently on a tricky run of form, having lost their last three league matches to Manchester City, Liverpool and Wolves, Nakamba will be looking to get his club back on track when they host Newcastle following the conclusion of the international break.

There can be no doubting the former Club Brugges man is enjoying his time so far in the English top-flight and is impressing accordingly, too. 

Strong in the tackle, Villa’s number 11 has won 3.8 of them per game in 2019/20, as well as producing 1.8 interceptions. He’s certainly been a big presence.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Pep Guardiola is far from a stranger to gargantuan fixtures but the trip to Anfield this weekend has thrown up a set of difficult circumstances.

The legendary manager has won consecutive league titles in Germany, England and Spain and has even dethroned some of the greats like Sir Alex Ferguson.

Just a few years after his playing career had finished, the Spaniard battled with Ferguson in two Champions League finals and tika-taka’d his way past a legendary Manchester United side on both occasions. These famous wins allowed Guardiola to secure a treble in 2009 and received the label as “the best team ever” in 2011 from his nemesis.

All of this came before he even had a chance to dwell on the fact he had just turned 40. Now, eight years on and after an unthinkably spectacular 198 points from two seasons, Guardiola now faces arguably his biggest individual test since arriving in Manchester.

This Liverpool side may indeed be the best team the 48-year-old has faced down the years, especially as the clash is at the formidable dome that is Anfield. Most seasons at Barcelona, Real Madrid struggled to get near Guardiola’s dominant side, conceding just one league title to them in four years. Then, in Germany, he comfortably bagged seven major trophies for Bayern Munich without breaking a sweat.

Now, against Jurgen Klopp, Guardiola finally faces a test he does not often see, as he chases a team and must win to perhaps avoid failure. Liverpool are arguably in the best shape they have been in during the Premier League era, having bagged 97 points and a Champions League title last season.

Defensively, Liverpool beat City right now by conceding one less goal, whilst the Reds’ front three is arguably the best in Europe.

But even with Liverpool’s imperious and relentless form in mind City would normally be fancied to come away with three points. The fact Ederson has been ruled out of the clash, however, seems to have swung the pendulum towards Merseyside.

Down the years, despite his unrivalled success across three countries, Guardiola has taken charge of teams already set to dominate. Now, this Liverpool side certainly has the capabilities to surpass what the former Barcelona man has done at City.

Guardiola is not familiar with witnessing a side get so close to him and perhaps be even better than his squad.

Should he beat Liverpool at Anfield, it will have to go down as one of his best ever victories.

Well, that lasted long then.

On Thursday, a number of Everton fans took to social media to lavish praise on Theo Walcott, who put in a much-improved performance against West Ham United in the Premier League last weekend.

The 5 ft 9 ace was handed another chance to impress against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon but struggled to make his mark.

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According to WhoScored, the 30-year-old only had a pass success rate of 70% whilst he was dispossessed on three occasions before leaving the field in the 72nd minute.

Everton took a 2-1 lead in the 74th minute of the match through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but Neal Maupay made it 2-2 in the 80th minute before an own goal from Lucas Digne saw the home side triumph at the death.

Walcott could well feature against Watford in the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, although it would be a bit of a surprise if he was in the XI against Tottenham Hotspur next weekend when considering his disappointing showing against Brighton.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by The Evening Standard, Eddie Howe has given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a glowing endorsement for the work he has done at Manchester United.

What did he say?

Following a difficult start to the campaign, the Red Devils have bounced back in style in recent games, and look to be finding their feet once more.

Solskjaer’s men halted Liverpool’s flawless run in the Premier League with a battling draw at Old Trafford, before racking up three consecutive away victories in quick succession.

And now, Bournemouth boss Howe has given his seal of approval to what the Norwegian has achieved at United, and insisted he has done an “excellent job” so far.

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He said: “There’s positive signs for them. They’ve got quality players, a very good manager who has given them real stability. He’s working to the future to build a new Manchester United. I imagine it is (hard under that level of pressure). I think he’s handled himself really well and done an excellent job to this point.

“Certainly looking at their last few games, which I have in great detail, I think they have played very well. The game against Chelsea was a very strong performance. They’ll be pleased with their attacking play and defensive structures.”

Platform

For someone like Howe to deliver an encouraging verdict on Solskjaer’s time at Old Trafford, should act as a ringing endorsement for what the Norwegian has done. The pressure and the spotlight at United is second-to-none in the Premier League, and with his only previous managerial experience including Cardiff and Molde, the step-up to taking the reins at one of English football’s most dominant sides would have been intimidating.

And with speculation surrounding his long-term future at the club appearing to intensity earlier this season, the writing may have been on the wall. But, Solskjaer has kept cool, calm and composed in the face of adversity, and looks to have guided his stumbling United side around the corner. A win against Howe’s Bournemouth on Saturday lunch-time would firmly give them the platform to keep improving.