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Everton U23 manager David Unsworth waxed lyrical about 22-year-old goalkeeper Mateusz Hewelt following his display and clean sheet in the 2-0 win against Blackburn Rovers in Southport on Monday night, as per evertonfc.com.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 22-year-old has been the first-choice for the U23s for a while now and he stepped up to the plate with a huge performance against the Lancashire outfit on Monday, with Unsworth seriously impressed with what he witnessed.

The one-time Toffees caretaker boss told evertonfc.com post-match: “That’s the best I’ve seen him.

“I’ve told him that. He made saves to keep us in the game and it was a fantastic performance. He gave us a platform to go and win the game. His was one of a number of outstanding performances.”

The goalkeeper made two brilliant saves to thwart Joseph Nuttall and John Buckley after Rovers started strongly, before goals from Bassala Sambou and Fraser Hornby eventually wrapped up the points for the Merseyside outfit.

What does future hold for Hewelt?

Despite being with the club since 2015 and the fact that he turns 23 years of age in September, he has only made one appearance in the first-team squad – away against Apollon Limassol in the Europa League in December 2017.

The stopper will surely be keen to prove that he can make the step up on a more regular basis sooner rather than later, and he may well have done exactly that with his latest display.

Marco Silva will be well aware of him and should be in direct contact with Unsworth to see who could be good enough to make the step up, and the 45-year-old’s latest comments prove he has the quality to make a difference.

With Jordan Pickford’s back-up Maarten Stekelenburg 36 years of age and only having just over a year remaining on his contract at Goodison Park, Hewelt could now be ready to seriously challenge the senior Toffees man.

Leeds United struck gold in their £5m deal for Illan Meslier as his stock continues to rise at Elland Road…

An unknown youngster

The 21-year-old shot-stopper joined the Yorkshire giants from Ligue 1 outfit Lorient back in August 2019, initially on loan, in a bid to provide backup to veteran Kiko Casilla.

He quickly made a name for himself amongst the U23s setup as by December, he had saved three penalties. By January 2020, he was involved in their FA Cup clash with Arsenal, where he made his senior debut for the club.

Meslier impressed despite a 1-0 defeat, earning rave reviews from The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

‘Meslier pulled off several difficult saves at the Emirates but it was the precision of his passing – floated deliveries into tight spaces, countering Arsenal’s press and allowing Leeds to rage through the lines – that suggested he would cope as interim first-choice if Kiko Casilla’s FA racism charge leads to a suspension.’

Indeed, his opportunity soon came with the Spaniard suspended for eight games.

A real star between the sticks

The rest has been history.

He took over the reins as the no.1 ever since and he has not looked back.

But as expected, his fine form has started to attract interest from elsewhere as it has done with similar stars like Kalvin Phillips – on the back of a phenomenal Euro 2020 campaign – and Raphinha, who has had to bear the brunt of their attacking output in the absence of the injured Patrick Bamford.

The Athletic claim that the Whites are bracing themselves for bids for all three players and whilst they are not irreplaceable, the departure of Meslier could be most damaging.

In almost a reverse situation, it is now the young Frenchman that does not have a sufficient – or vastly experienced – back up behind him.

If is ever sold, Leeds will know that they are in line for a hefty profit.

The 21-year-old’s transfer valuation has soared due to his form at Elland Road – as per CIES Football Observatory, Meslier is now worth around €50m (£42m).

That’s an increase of 740% since his permanent arrival in July 2020.

Back in March 2021, Hay waxed lyrical about the goalkeeper following a particularly stunning display against Fulham.

“It was ridiculous [save from Maja] and he’s pulled off quite a few like that, which I think is the sort of thing that marks him out as massive goalkeeping talent.

“He’s so young that there are parts of his game which are going to have to improve, aerially particularly, I think that’s quite apparent to everybody, but he is only 21.

“That is a young age for a footballer, generally, but a very, very young age for a goalkeeper – the potential in him is vast.”

Also dubbed a “rare talent” and a “big talent”, it’s easy to see how Leeds have struck gold with Meslier. Victor Orta signing him for just £5m now looks like a mockery with his value now breaking past the £40m mark.

United will certainly be in line to receive a pretty penny should he be sold in the future.

AND in other news, Leeds United dealt “hammer blow” before Aston Villa clash…

Darwin Nunez is ‘one to watch’ as Newcastle look to further strengthen their squad, according to The i’s Northern Football Correspondent Mark Douglas. 

The lowdown: Goalscorers wanted

Newcastle, Douglas says, ‘made enquiries’ about Nunez last month, before the transfer window opened.

They’ve already strengthened their striker ranks this month with the £25million signing of Chris Wood from relegation rivals Burnley.

They should also have top scorer Callum Wilson back from injury in around five weeks time.

The Magpies have, however, only managed to net 21 goals in their first 21 Premier League matches, so it makes sense that they would want even more firepower.

Transfermarkt value Nunez, who still has three and half years left on his SL Benfica contract, at £28.8million.

The latest: Surprise!

Sources at St James’ Park have apparently spoken about a ‘potential surprise’ in the final knockings of the window, reports Douglas, aside from the more heavily reported targets like Jesse Lingard and Diego Carlos.

Clubs are expected to lower price tags to more ‘realistic’ territory as it becomes clear that ‘Newcastle’s is the only offer that is likely to materialise’.

Douglas has urged Newcastle fans to keep an eye on Nunez in the final week of trading, suggesting he may be the ‘surprise’ arrival.

The verdict: Perfect signing

Wilson will be 30 next month and Wood is there already, while Nunez is still only 22, so perhaps Newcastle envisage building their attack around the Uruguayan long-term.

And it’s no wonder they like him – his record is magnificent. This season, he’s scored 20 goals in just 25 appearances in all competitions, averaging one every 79 minutes.

Yes, the Primeira Liga may not be the standard as the Premier League (it ranks sixth in UEFA’s coefficient, while the PL is top), but Nunez has also carried his form into the UEFA Champions League.

He bagged a brace in a 3-0 win over FC Barcelona in September and was also on target in a defeat against Group E winners Bayern Munich in November.

Perhaps this is a deal to revisit in the summer, though, because Benfica know that selling a prize asset at this late stage could spark a late scramble for a replacement.

In other news, Newcastle are considering another player who produced a UCL masterclass.

A journalist has claimed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) could now sign Hans Hateboer for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Two in, third on the way?

The Magpies have already signed Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood from Atletico Madrid and Burnley respectively, and there will likely be more to come through the door at St James’ Park.

After a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Watford in the Premier League on Saturday, the Toon Army will now be desperate for more bodies to come in, as Eddie Howe’s men look to try and haul themselves out of the dreaded relegation zone.

The Latest: Hateboer an option

Speaking to Tutto Atalanta, journalist Lorenzo Casalino has claimed that PIF could ‘immediately’ sign Hateboer for the Magpies

He revealed: “The team that could detect him immediately in this market session is the Newcastle of the Arabs in the Premier League, we will see…”

The Verdict: A useful option to have

Howe could certainly do with more bodies in his injury-plagued Newcastle squad, and Hateboer would give him a very handy option.

The Netherlands international is capable of playing in a variety of different positions across the pitch, including at centre-back, given his 6 foot 2 frame.

Also, he has a wealth of experience playing at the highest level, including in the Champions League as well as Serie A, and at 28 years of age, he is at the peak of his powers to help Newcastle get out of trouble.

In other news, find out who Newcastle are now in talks to sign

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes that a Celtic swoop for Ahmed Kendouci would be the ‘icing on the cake’ for their January transfer window, as per GiveMeSport.

The Lowdown: Transfer request submitted

Kendouci has been linked with a move to Parkhead this month, despite Ange Postecoglou already adding to his midfield ranks with the signings of Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Matt O’Riley.

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The 22-year-old, who has scored 18 goals for Algerian club ES Setif, has even handed in a transfer request following links of a move to Celtic Park.

The Hoops’ crosstown rivals Rangers have also been name-checked with an interest in Kendouci, who can play as a central, attacking or left midfielder.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Transfer insider Jones was talking to GiveMeSport regarding a possible late January move to Celtic for Kendouci.

He believes that a late move for Kendouci could continue the ‘positive’ steps taken under Postecoglou and labelled as potential late deal as the ‘icing on the cake’, saying:

“They don’t want to lose everything they’ve built, in terms of momentum, up to this point.

“Since Ange came in, almost everything has been a positive. I think this would be the icing on the cake if they could get someone of his quality through the door.”

The Verdict: Not vital

Even though another new face would be exciting for Hoops supporters heading into a crunch period of fixtures, not signing Kendouci this month wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Celtic are now well-stocked in the middle of the park following their January business and still have David Turnbull to come back into the frame from injury.

However, it seems as if the Hoops are keen on the versatile midfielder, and getting one up on their Glasgow rivals could be nice ahead of the Old Firm derby next week, so it may be one to keep an eye on ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.

In other news: Kieran Devlin has claimed that another Premier League club are now ‘in for’ this Celtic gem

A major update has emerged on Rangers defender Calvin Bassey’s availability for the Ibrox giants over the next two months…

What’s the latest?

The Gers beast could have missed a number of games after the winter break due to the African Cup of Nations, but the Glasgow Times reports that he has been left out of the Nigeria squad for the competition.

Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun are both set to jet off to play for their country and will miss, among other games, an Old Firm clash with Celtic at the start of February. Bassey, meanwhile, will now be able to feature in that derby matchup.

Fans will love it

Fans will surely love this news as it could be a major boost to the Gers heading into the Premiership schedule after the break ends. Depending on how far Nigeria go in the competition, Aribo and Balogun look set to miss a few games, but Bassey will now be available for selection barring suspension or injury.

This will delight the supporters as he has been in fine form in recent weeks since moving to centre-back from his more natural left-back role. He has played nine games times Gio van Bronckhorst took over at the club and the Gers have kept seven clean sheets in those matches.

Bassey has recorded one SofaScore rating lower than 6.9 in the last nine outings, which came against Lyon in a 1-1 draw in the Europa League. This shows that he has been consistently delivering excellent performances, as eight of his nine appearances have ended with him putting in an impressive showing.

The Dutch head coach praised the defender towards the start of his reign, saying:

“I’ve been really impressed. Calvin’s a really talented defender. Normally he plays in the left-back position but doesn’t have much experience in the centre back area. So I’m really happy with his performances so far. I think he has the physical ability to play there.

“We will help him a lot in that position, when he has to pass, when he has to dribble, the positioning he has to take when the other defender has got the ball.

“He’s a player who is very open to learning, and he gives a lot of energy to the team.”

These quotes from the retired left-back and Bassey’s statistics in recent weeks show why his availability will be a big boost for the club.

Fans will love to see him in action again after the break as he has been showing that he can be a top player for the side at centre-back and, hopefully, he can continue his form throughout the rest of the season and in the future.

AND in other news, “I’m sure”: Reporter drops exciting Rangers transfer claim that’ll leave fans buzzing…

West Ham youngster Ben Johnson was one silver lining for David Moyes as his side were defeated at a wintery and snow-hit Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Pep Guardiola now has ten wins in 11 top-flight matches over the Irons after Manchester City ran away 2-1 victors thanks to goals from midfield duo Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho. Hammers midfielder Manuel Lanzini came off the bench to seal an injury-time consolation goal but it wasn’t enough to salvage anything for the visitors in the most difficult of conditions.

It was another Premier League game in which Declan Rice excelled in the heart of the pitch, registering the most touches and accurate passes of West Ham’s visiting cast, but this level of performance is now expected for the England regular.

Instead, the spotlight deserves to be on 20-year-old right-back Ben Johnson, who for large spells of the game marshalled Rice’s international colleague Raheem Sterling to great effect.

The Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser was equally impressed, mentioning a similar observation in his post-match ratings column, where Johnson was amongst his best performers.

‘Very good up against Raheem Sterling on the right of the back four and made a superb block on the line to deny Jesus,’ he wrote.

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Indeed, only Rice (57) had more touches off the ball for West Ham than the impressive academy graduate (53), which suggests that he wasn’t afraid to assert some sort of authority against such a high-quality side as City.

That was also backed up by the fact that he lost possession 18 times, the most of any Hammers player – at the very least he was trying to influence the game, unlike some of his teammates.

Furthermore, the 5 foot 9 wing-back did his defensive dues, recording two clearances, including one desperate one off the line, as well as two blocks and he even recorded one key pass, per SofaScore.

It’s no wonder Moyes has lauded the emerging prospect a “really important player” for the club – clearly that’s the case, as he has usurped usual reliable stalwart Vladimir Coufal in the role.

Johnson was certainly one of the few positives for the Irons from Sunday’s disappointing defeat to the Premier League champions.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee: West Ham are interested in this Bundesliga goal-machine…

According to a report from 90min, Wolves are interested in signing Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin in the summer transfer window. 

The lowdown: Eye-catching impact

Since arriving in England from Ligue 1 side Nice for £16.5m in 2019 (Sky Sports), the 25-year-old has been a revelation in the northeast. The Frenchman has scored 12 times and provided 14 assists for the St James’ Park outfit, becoming a fan favourite in the process.

However, the Toon Army could be set to lose their flamboyant talent as Premier League clubs look on with intent…

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The latest: Wolves keen on Saint-Maximin

As per the report from 90min journalist Graeme Bailey, Wolves are believed to be among the clubs interested in signing the 25-year-old monster.

It’s claimed that Newcastle would be ‘open’ to the possibility of a sale as Everton and indeed the Old Gold look on at the £28.8m-valued Saint-Maximin (Transfermarkt).

The report added that Bruno Lage is looking to ‘replace’ Adama Traore, who has ‘no future’ at Molineux regardless of what happens regarding an ongoing loan switch at Barcelona.

The verdict: An improvement on Traore?

Under contract until 2026, prising the mercurial former France under-21 star away from Newcastle may prove an expensive venture for the Midlands club.

However, should adequate funds come in from the sale of Traore, who had attracted January interest from Tottenham Hotspur, a move for the man once hailed as ‘breathtaking’ by Gary Neville could become a reality as Lage attempts to further improve the Wolves squad.

So far this season, Saint-Maximin has registered eight direct goal contributions in 27 league outings, all whilst producing a Premier League high of 4.3 successful dribbles per game (Sofascore) – ahead of Traore in second with 4.2, with the Spain international contributing just one goal and zero assists in the English top flight prior to his mid-season loan move.

Therefore, it seems that the Newcastle maestro would be an upgrade on the 26-year-old, if that’s the transition which comes about at Molineux.

In other news, Journalist claims key Wolves player could be staying put. Read more here.

Aston Villa are open to moving Trezeguet on during the January transfer window.

That’s according to The Daily Mail’s Tom Collomosse, which has had some Villa fans talking on social media.

Villa have already been extremely busy when it comes to transfer activity this month, with Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne arriving.

Axel Tuanzebe cut short his season-long loan to move to Napoli and Anwar El Ghazi is joining Everton on a temporary basis, while Trezeguet is another player who could depart over the coming weeks.

According to Collomosse, Trezeguet is thought to be available for transfer this month. The 27-year-old is currently away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations and has missed the majority of the campaign through injury.

His first appearance of the season came in the 2-1 defeat to Brentford, and it seems as that could turn out to be his final outing in a Villa shirt.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared Collomosse’s claim regarding the winger on Twitter. This is what these fans had to say in reply, with a mixed response.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”

Credit: @alexiawhite

“Whilst it feels harsh on El Ghazi and Trez it would seem to me that Gerrard is getting rid of those who aren’t quite good enough for the level he wants. Removing sentiment from it I agree, but I’d be sad to see them both go for various/obvious reasons.”

Credit: @Benjmeister85

“I’m sad”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“Really?”

Credit: @ZM_AVFC

“The clear out has begun”

Credit: @DOUGLASLUlZ

“Good don’t wanna see that diver in a villa shirt again”

Credit: @ryanavfc7

In other news: ‘Called it a week after Gerrard arrived’ – Lots of AVFC fans flock to Ornstein’s transfer update.   

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over a transfer revelation involving Tino Livramento and Denzel Dumfries.

As per The Athletic, both Rafa Benitez and Marcel Brands found it difficult to agree over transfer targets, with the recruitment team suggesting that they should sign Denzel Dumfries and Tino Livramento.

However, Benitez wanted to bring in a more experienced option at right-back, so ended up not signing one at all.

Dumfries is pretty experienced at 25 years of age though, and the fact that Seamus Coleman is 33 suggests that they should have signed someone much younger.

Nonetheless, both Dumfries and Livramento would have offered the Goodison Park faithful much more of an attacking threat than the Republic of Ireland international, given that they have more recorded goals and assists, and have averaged more shots and key passes and a higher pass success rate so far this season (WhoScored).

Everton fans on transfer revelation

These supporters of the Merseyside club fumed as the transfer revelation was shared on Twitter, with one Toffee even going as far as to claim that it was ’embarrassing’:

“Absolute embarrassment of a manager.”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“We’re in trouble”

Credit: @efc_alex18

“Rafa Benitez wanted to bring in a more experienced option, so decided not to bring in a right-back at all. Benitez out.”

Credit: @Owens_EFC

“Livramento…well that’s my day ruined”

Credit: @greenallefc

“We are a laughing stock”

Credit: @jamie_finegan

“Embarrassing, the FA Youth Cup game vs Chelsea was enough to show Livramento could make it at the top”

Credit: @jwilliam31

In other news, find out what transfer news has Blues gushing here!