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Everton have been linked with a move for Daichi Kamada and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source about the club’s potential pursuit of their target in the summer.

What’s the latest on Everton’s interest in Daichi Kamada?

According to journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones, the Eintracht Frankfurt playmaker is on the Toffees’ radar.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“Yeah, I mean, they might have to look at him; we will have to see quite how bad or whether they’re improved on their financial aspects of the club.

“At this stage, you wouldn’t expect them to be having a big outlay. I think Sean Dyche is probably already understanding of that, but certainly, you know, he’s a player already on their radar they’ll be looking at.”

Is Kamada an upgrade on Alex Iwobi?

There is no doubt that Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements in their attacking threat as they find themselves struggling to retain their Premier League status once again this season.

The Toffees are currently 18th in the league table – one point deep in the relegation zone – with the worst goal tally in the entire Premier League at present, something Dyche must look to improve if Everton are to have any chance of securing survival at the end of the season.

Indeed, it hasn’t been easy with the departure of Richarlison and Anthony Gordon weakening the threat in front of goal whilst new signings Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil have failed to hit the ground running to replace the goal contributions lost this season.

As a result, if the former Burnley boss can use his experience of success in relegation battles at Turf Moor to save Everton this season, the signing of Kamada could be a great addition to strengthen the creativity and goal-scoring opportunities in the final third.

Over 18 Bundesliga appearances, the 26-year-old – hailed an “incredible talent” by journalist Josh Bunting – has scored seven goals, registered four assists and created three big chances, as well as averaging 1.1 key passes, 1.2 shots on goal, 1.6 tackles and 3.5 duels won per game, proving he is a huge attacking presence on the pitch.

In fact, Dyche could land a huge upgrade on Alex Iwobi by securing the services of Kamada as the Japan international has outperformed the Everton playmaker in a number of attributes this season.

As per FBref, Kamada has offered more goal contributions (11 v 6), shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (3.35 v 2.48), aerial duels won (8 v 4), goal-creating actions (13 v 5) and a better pass completion rate (81% v 78.5%).

Introducing a fresh perspective into the attacking threat at Goodison Park could be the addition Everton desperately need to comfortably compete next season if they do remain in the top flight next season.

With that being said, if the Everton hierarchy could secure the signing of Kamada on a free transfer in the summer it would be an incredible piece of business for the Toffees and could put them in a great position to stabilise and improve in their performances.

Conor McGilligan believes Leeds United must stop trying to play out from the back.

The Lowdown: Change of tactics is necessary

It’s pretty obvious that many changes are needed desperately at Leeds with Michael Skubala very inexperienced and still in the hot seat and tweaks must be made on the pitch as well after a damning loss to Everton.

Leeds would have viewed the game against the Toffees as a game they couldn’t afford to lose given it would have seen Everton leapfrog them, however, they didn’t just lose they almost surrendered the three points.

Skubala’s side failed to test Jordan Pickford once all game and the goal they conceded came from an individual error by Illan Meslier who left this near post completely unattended just inviting Seamus Coleman to have a strike.

The Latest: Playing out from the back has to be cut out

McGilligan has urged Skubala – or however takes over from him – to stop Leeds from passing it out from the back claiming in his YouTube channel that the players aren’t good enough to do so.

He said: (23:50) “Can someone tell me why we play out from the back, what advantage do we get from playing out from the back when every single time we play out from the back we lose the ball and give the ball away?

“We’re simply not good enough to play the ball out from the back, so why do we play the ball out from the back, what’s the point and what advantage are we getting from it?

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“What advantage are we getting from the ball going to Luke Ayling, trying to play it forward and then it getting intercepted? What’s the plan when it gets to Wober who passes it into midfield and the opposition intercepts it.”

The Verdict: Leeds need to focus on substance not style

Given Leeds have now slipped into the bottom three, are managerless and seemingly don’t have the beaten of teams around them, they must forget about the way they’re trying to play football and just focus on winning games.

Therefore, the best chance of them winning games is keeping the ball away from their own defensive third as much as possible and therefore, going long and not playing out from the back would seem to be a sensible idea.

While not caring how the football is being played won’t be music to the ears of Leeds fans, needs must at the moment because points aren’t won for style, it’s just about bottle and which teams have enough of it to stay in the division.

Tottenham journalist Alasdair Gold has shared some ‘good news’ on midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur after his serious injury.

The Lowdown: Bentancur sidelined…

The Uruguay international was ruled out for the remainder of this 2022/2023 Premier League season after suffering a knee injury against Leicester City.

The damage sustained in Spurs’ 4-1 defeat is too much for Bentancur to feature again this campaign with the midfielder rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.

Bentancur had given his side the lead but a collision with midfielder Nampalys Mendy resulted in him being stretchered off – even needing an oxygen tank before being carried away.

The Latest: Gold shares ‘good news’ on Bentancur…

Following the nasty injury, Gold has shared ‘good news’ on the player with Bentancur now undergoing successful surgery in Spain on his ruptured ACL.

While the South American won’t play again this term, this is a crucial step in his recovery as he now begins the long road to rehabilitation before featuring again.

Gold explained:

“Some good news for Rodrigo Bentancur after he had successful surgery in Spain earlier this week on his ruptured ACL.”

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The Verdict: Big player…

Having the 25-year-old back as soon as possible next season will be crucial for either Antonio Conte or whoever is brought in to succeed Spurs’ head coach.

Bentancur had formed a formidable partnership with fellow star midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the middle of the park, keeping the likes of Oliver Skipp and Yves Bissouma out of Conte’s starting eleven.

As per WhoScored, the former Juventus star is Tottenham’s second-best performing player by average match rating -sitting just behind Harry Kane in their top flight rankings.

Bentancur has also registered their joint-highest rate of tackles per 90 whilst even contributing in the forward areas with five goals and two assists.

Southampton will welcome Leicester City to the south coast in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, and manager Ruben Selles will be desperate for a positive result to narrow the four-point gulf from safety.

Indeed, Saints are currently bottom of the league table after 24 matches with just 18 points, and a win could place the outfit just one point behind Leeds United in 17th, who face Chelsea away from home this weekend.

Despite winning at Stamford Bridge themselves two weeks ago – in Selles’ first outing in the dugout since Nathan Jones’ dismissal – the Hampshire-based club have lost ten of their past 12 league encounters, and further woes against the Foxes could prove to be the hammer blow that eradicates any ounce of confidence in rectifying the sombre situation.

And given that League Two outfit Grimsby Town defeated Saints on their own ground in the FA Cup fifth round a matter of days prior, the importance of a positive response has not been so profound for some time for the club.

With this in mind, this is how Football FanCast expects Southampton to field their eleven against Leicester, seeking to attain an invaluable victory…

How might Southampton line up against Leicester?

Predicted XI: (GK) Bazunu; (RB) Maitland-Niles, (CB) Bednarek, (CB) Bella-Kotchap, (LB) Perraud; (RM) Aribo, (CM) Lavia, (CM) Ward-Prowse, (LM) Elyounoussi; (ST) Sulemana, (ST) Onuachu.

Southampton’s Spanish boss could make as many as six changes to the side that were dismally felled by the Mariners in midweek.

Gavin Bazunu will deputise between the sticks once again, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles could replace Kyle Walker-Peters at right-back; Jan Bednarek and Armel Bella-Kotchap will unite in central defence once again, having kept a clean sheet at Chelsea before shipping just once against the Whites.

In midfield, the impressive Romeo Lavia will retain his robust role, while the “elite” – as dubbed by Ian Wright – captain James Ward-Prowse will return to the fold after making an impact off the bench in the FA Cup, providing two key passes and one assist in that second-half cameo.

On the wide flanks, Joe Aribo and Norwegian star Mohamed Elyounoussi will hope to bring a dynamic dimension to the fold, with the former, a £10m signing from Rangers in the summer, making his first league start of 2023.

Imposing forward and wily young winger Kamaldeen Sulemana will form an offensive partnership once more, hoping to finally break the oppositions resistance and bear fruit for their new outfit, with the “disappointing” – as branded by Jacob Tanswell – Adam Armstrong pushed back to the bench after failing to impress against Grimsby.

Manchester United have had some special young talent emerge from their academy over the previous 30 years, with some being remembered more fondly than others.

The likes of David Beckham and Paul Scholes defined United’s era under Sir Alex Ferguson, while Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay could go a long way to defining a new dynasty under Erik ten Hag.

Certain youngsters, however, only produce one or two moments of magic before disappearing in a cloud of mystery and without much fuss, with Federico Macheda one of those whom United were wise to release when they did.

Where is Federico Macheda now?

With their Premier League title ambitions hanging in the balance, United found themselves drawing 2-2 with Aston Villa heading into the third minute of stoppage time, with three points all that mattered.

With one excellent turn, Macheda fired the ball into the Villa net and into United folklore at the same time. The 17-year-old’s goal gave the Red Devils momentum to claim their third title in a row and he even scored the week after against Sunderland.

Fergie even declared the youngster had “something special” about him and the future looked bright, especially with what had just happened, yet the next few years at the Old Trafford outfit featured just another three goals, totalling only five goals for the club.

A variety of loan spells to clubs such as Sampdoria and Birmingham City failed to generate quite the same excitement as he showed during April 2009 and Man United released him from his contract at the end of the 2013/2014 campaign.

He signed for Cardiff City that summer, scoring eight goals in 33 appearances before spells at Novara and Panathinaikos proved that he wasn’t quite the same player who had emerged on the scene at United bursting with talent.

40 goals for the Greek side was a solid enough return, but the 31-year-old now finds himself playing for Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia, scoring just once so far.

It marks a vast downfall from playing an integral part in United’s title triumph in 2008/09 to struggling in Cyprus and it proves the club released him at the right time.

What might have been for the Italian who impressed Fergie, even if it was just for a short space of time.

Leeds United are thought to be keeping tabs on Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney ahead of a potential move.

The Lowdown: Lack of minutes

Tierney hasn’t featured heavily this season at the Emirates, playing just 468 minutes of Premier League action, starting only four top-flight games.

That has been due to Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival in the summer, with Mikel Arteta’s side currently on course to pip Manchester City to the title.

Tierney shares the same agent as Patrick Bamford and is under contract in north London until 2026, however, he is being linked with a summer exit, with Elland Road named as a potential destination.

The Latest: Transfer update

90min shared a story on Wednesday regarding Tierney, who is attracting interest from a number of top-flight sides including Leeds.

Those at Elland Road are monitoring the Scot’s situation, with Arteta aware that his lack of minutes may become an issue for Tierney.

The Verdict: Needed

Junior Firpo has found some form of late, scoring the winner against Southampton and starting every game under Javi Gracia. However, the Spaniard is the only recognised left-back on the books in Yorkshire, so a move for Tierney, hailed as a ‘warrior’ by Ashley Cole, could be required.

The Whites will need to remain in the top flight for a transfer to gather any real pace, though, but it looks as if Tierney may be a name to keep an eye on heading into the summer when Leeds are likely to be under new ownership in the 49ers Enterprises.

Leeds United face a tough challenge against one of their relegation rivals in Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend and will be without Tyler Adams.

What has happened to Tyler Adams?

The American midfielder is now set to miss the game on the weekend at Molineux as a result of a hamstring injury which has been sustained during a training session at Thorp Arch.

The injury is also set to see the American miss the upcoming international break which would've seen him jet off to Grenada.

However, the young prospect Archie Gray could potentially return to the fold this weekend having only been included in the first-team squad twice in the league this season (via Transfermarkt).

And speaking on his latest podcast, journalist Phil Hay has suggested the 17-year-old could be a player that Javi Gracia could look towards to fill the void left by Adams:

"He certainly seems to be fit enough to be included. And going back to pre-season now and also the U21s games that he's featured in, he's looked massively talented when we've seen him. But it's a big ask, isn't it?"

Could Archie Gray start against Wolves?

Firstly, it is worth mentioning that Gray is still yet to earn his debut for the Leeds senior side having only played across the U18 and U21 levels.

However, he is a player who has been hailed as a prospect to keep an eye on over recent years with Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp tipping him for a bright future:

“Archie Gray, 15 years of age, has travelled with the Leeds squad today. He is going to be a tremendous young player, from the famous Gray family,” he said back in 2021.

And he is a player who has been a part of the senior squad before having made numerous matchday squads under the likes of Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch.

Gray's season has, however, been interrupted through injury which has meant he has only played five games in the Premier League 2 for the U21s (via Transfermarkt).

He did return in recent weeks and play 45 minutes against Derby County's U21s but he is still yet to break into the senior side despite training with them regularly.

And in his recent press conference, the Spanish manager admitted the 17-year-old is a player who will come into consideration ahead of Saturday's clash.

Although it feels unlikely that Gray will be dropped straight into a first-ever start, it will be interesting to see if he is at least provided his senior debut with Adams missing from the side.

Liverpool have previously been linked with a move for Khephren Thuram and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Khephren Thuram?

According to journalist Jacque Talbot, Liverpool have made contact with the OGC Nice midfielder.

Speaking on the LFC Transfer Room podcast, Talbot revealed:

"I spoke to someone recently who covers Nice and says he is the best-performing central midfielder in Ligue 1 right now.

"So, the sound was like a month ago that it would be £30m, but it’s possible it’s inflamed if there is much more interest in that.

"There had been some initial discussion and Liverpool had touched base with him. That’s not to say that is going to be 100%, he’s a top target, and they are going to go for him. It’s just to say that a conversation took place, very preliminary and there is a bit of interest there, and he will be going."

Should Liverpool sign Thuram?

It is no secret that there is mounting pressure on Liverpool to reinvest in the centre of the pitch this summer, especially after the tumultuous campaign they have experienced this season.

With several midfielders out of contract and many of those remaining coming to the latter stages of their careers, there is certainly a huge opportunity for a huge overhaul of the midfield personnel at Anfield.

It was reported by The Athletic's David Ornstein yesterday that it was becoming “increasingly unlikely” that Liverpool would be able to complete a deal for Jude Bellingham this summer, sending supporters into a frenzy on social media.

However, the signing of Thuram could be a worthwhile alternative and certainly a less expensive one that could ultimately give the club more room in their budget to bring in multiple new additions.

Over 28 Ligue One appearances, the 21-year-old ace has proven to be a “fast & athletic” asset – as dubbed by Jacek Kulig – making an impact at both ends of the pitch in true Bellingham fashion.

The youngster has scored twice and registered four assists while creating seven big chances and averaging 1.1 shots on goal per match.

From a defensive point of view, one interception and 1.5 tackles have been made a game, while his ability to manipulate the ball is perhaps best outlined in the 1.2 successful dribbles each outing.

Not only that, the talented Frenchman ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for progressive carries and successful take-ons.

Just like Bellingham, Thuram clearly displays his ability to be influential in progressive play and provides great attacking opportunities, as well as standing his ground defensively in the central role – just without the mammoth £130m price tag that the Borussia Dortmund wonderkid has attached to him.

Recently, Thuram followed in the footsteps of his brother Marcus and father Lillian by earning a spot in the France national team ahead of the Euro 2024 qualifiers with Didier Deschamps recognising his outstanding form for Nice.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Thuram is a hot young prospect and if the powerbrokers at Anfield could strike up a good deal with the French club he could be a huge asset to Jurgen Klopp next season.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been shifting the deadwood at the club to resounding success over the past few years, now boasting a cohesive and formidable outfit challenging for the Premier League title.

The Gunners are flying high, atop the Premier League table and looking set for a prolonged period challenging for silverware across multiple fronts after years of instability, mired in mediocrity.

The work was not done overnight, and Arteta deserves all the adulation for his work in crafting a successful outfit from a withered crop, struggling despite the individual talents on display.

No player typifies the changes made at the club more so than Nicolas Pepe, who completed a club-record £72m transfer from French Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille in 2019.

The Ivory Coast international was supposed to be a sensation, having scored 23 goals and supplied 12 assists from 41 appearances in the term preceding his Premier League arrival.

For such a lucrative outlay, Pepe failed miserably to repay the faith and live up to the tag, scoring just five league goals in his debut term.

With a total 27 strikes and 21 assists from 112 displays for the outfit, the 27-year-old certainly didn't forge the prolific brilliance that was expected, now on loan at OGC Nice since the summer, after flattering to deceive.

How much has Pepe cost Arsenal?

The 35-cap ace has been boasting a £110k-per-week wage since his arrival at the Emirates Stadium, and factoring in that the fleet-footed dud may be paid for this term by his loan outfit, Arsenal have been rinsed roughly £16m in salary alone – at the very least – over the 159 weeks he spent plying his trade in north London.

Running such figures in tandem with the exorbitant transfer fee, and, well, the Gunners have spent roughly £88m on a player that was shipped out in the summer preceding the most fruitful season in a long time.

Branded a "disaster" by journalist Matt Spiro, the one-time FA Cup winner has only scored eight goals and served one assist from 25 appearances back in France this season, compounding the fight for him to reclaim his place in Arteta's plans.

And that's only what is known; since signing for Nice on loan last August, details of the wage structure have not been reported with conviction, meaning that there is every possibility that owner Stan Kroenke and KSE have been plugged away drip by drip, Pepe still leeching funds from the owners each week.

With Arsenal firing at full-throttle this season, forging success scarcely seen in north London for the best part of two decades, it is increasingly unlikely that Pepe will find a place back in Arteta's plans, especially when considering the fluid feats of the established front-three.

The transfer has indeed been an unequivocal 'disaster', and with Pepe costing the outfit £88m, at the bare minimum, it must be chalked off as a failure.

Relegation strugglers Everton went into the international break in a buoyant mood after a run of three Premier League games unbeaten, with Sean Dyche notably seeing his side claim a draw away to Chelsea at the death last time out.

The arrival of the former Burnley boss looks to have revived hopes regarding the Toffees' bid to stay in the division, with the Merseysiders looking set to pull off yet another survival escape, having previously stayed up by the skin of their teeth last term.

Whether or not the Goodison outfit do eventually secure their place in the top flight, it does appear that a fresh start will be needed if the club are to avoid a repeat scenario occurring next season, with a squad overhaul likely to be required.

One man who should seemingly be moved on ahead of next season is long-serving defender, Mason Holgate, with the versatile centre-back – who can feature at right-back or in midfield – having become something of a spare part in recent times.

The former Barnsley man was notably linked with a move away from the club in January – The Athletic reporting that Everton were 'open' to the Englishman departing on loan – with it set to be no surprise if a departure is also mooted this summer.

With the £70k-per-week dud still having just over two years left to run on his existing deal, it may be an ideal time to sanction an exit this summer, with the Premier League side likely to be hoping to secure a profit on their initial £2m investment.

What is Mason Holgate worth?

As per Football Transfers, the Doncaster-born defender is now said to be worth around £18m, ensuring that the Toffees could be set to make around nine times more than what they originally paid to bring the then-youngster to the club from Oakwell in 2015.

That would provide some much-needed funds for a player who has frankly become something of a forgotten figure of late, with Holgate having made just five league appearances so far this term, with only one of those coming since facing Tottenham Hotspur back in mid-October.

The 6-foot man's solitary outing in recent times came in the thumping, 4-0 defeat away to Arsenal, in which he failed to win a single duel and recorded a pass accuracy rate of just 57%, after entering the fray at the break.

While the one-time West Bromwich Albion loanee has endured injury woes this season, the fact that he has started just three top-flight games this term is a marker of his slide down the pecking order, after previously starting 23 league games last term.

With Dyche currently well stocked for central defenders, having utilised the likes of James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey and Conor Coady, it is hard to see Holgate forcing his way back into the picture, particularly having been criticised as a player "who makes too many mistakes and doesn’t read the game well enough", as per talkSPORT pundit Andy Townsend.

With it looking unlikely that former England U21 international will see a change in fortunes between now and the end of the season, a parting of the ways should seemingly be on the cards.