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Everton are reportedly eyeing up a move for Almeria left-back Sergio Akieme in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Left-back wanted

The Goodison Park outfit have recently been linked with a move for Empoli’s Fabiano Parisi, suggesting that they would like to bring in a new left-back.

Ruben Vinagre is on loan at the Merseysiders, and has only made four senior appearances so far this season, so there is a question mark over whether the club will look to seek a permanent deal.

Meanwhile, Vitaliy Mykolenko has played in every single Premier League game this term, and will be in need of rotation with busy fixture schedules ahead.

The Latest: Akieme interest

As per Spanish news outlet Estadio Deportivo, Frank Lampard’s team are interested in signing Akieme in January, along with Premier League rivals Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion.

Almeria could look to make a swift profit on the player that they paid €3.5m (£3.1m) to sign from FC Barcelona’s academy, with his market value now rising to €8m (£7.1m).

The Verdict: Get it done?

With doubts over Vinagre’s long-term future, Akieme could be the perfect signing to provide competition for Mykolenko.

His playing style is actually likened to that of club captain and right-back Seamus Coleman, a sure-to-be Toffees legend when he retires with nearly 400 games played for them.

Ranking in the 86th percentile for both shots and dribbles completed per game out of his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Akieme possesses the qualities of a modern-day full-back, and at 25 years of age, he is a player about to enter his prime.

Nonetheless, the Blues could do far worse than to sign him in January, especially if they can get him for a cheap price.

Leeds United signing goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic is a ‘no-brainer’ of a decision, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: World Cup success

The Croatian recently represented his nation at the World Cup and played a significant role in Zlatko Dalic’s side claiming third place at the tournament, which has seen him attracting attention from the Premier League.

The Whites have been credited with an interest in the 27-year-old and it’s believed that Dinamo Zagreb have set his price tag at £9m following an impressive display in the Middle East.

The Latest: Hutton reacts

Asked by Football Insider whether Leeds would view £9m as too much to pay for Livakovic, former Premier League defender Hutton said:

“I do not think so.

“I think with the money that has been splashed about in the English Premier League, £9m is a bit of a steal.

“They have got Meslier who I think is an excellent goalkeeper, we do not really know what his future holds.

“Like every other team, they have to have a plan of who can come in. He was excellent for Croatia, some big saves in some big moments. He can obviously deal with the high pressure side of the game.

“So it would be a no-brainer if they could get somebody in for that price.“

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The Verdict: Meslier replacement?

Illan Meslier still has four years left on his contract but there has been recent speculation surrounding his future, so Livakovic would be the perfect replacement should the number one depart Elland Road.

The 6 foot 1 star has a remarkable record between the sticks having kept 122 clean sheets in 262 games for Dinamo Zagreb, not to mention that he’s already earned 41 international caps as first-choice shot-stopper for Croatia (Transfermarkt).

Livakovic has been dubbed a ‘hero’ by Sacha Pisani and demand will be high after his World Cup campaign, so Leeds will need to act fast should they want to get this deal over the line.

Newcastle United are reportedly set to return for summer transfer target Kouadio Kone, who could flourish within the growing pool of talent at St James’s Park.

What’s the word?

French outlet Media Foot stated last summer that Borussia Monchengladbach’s Kone was subject to a failed €35m (£31m) transfer bid from Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, who was enamoured with the ubiquity of his multi-faceted toolkit from the heart of the midfield.

And following a recent report from The Athletic, it is clear that the Magpies still maintain a vested interest in the player, who has been shortlisted as Howe continues to mull over the best strategy to continue the club’s meteoric rise since a Saudi-led consortium completed the £300m takeover in October 2021.

With Bruno Guimaraes currently occupying the holding midfield position for the Magpies – considered more of a pivot – and Jonjo Shelvey’s incessant injury troubles restricting him to just three substitute showings in the league all season, technical director Dan Ashworth would be prudent to sign a fresh anchor to protect the defence and initiate forward advances from deep is paramount for Newcastle’s efforts across the second stage of the season.

Kante 2.0

Kone, just 21 years old, has earned his name on the team sheet for Gladbach, starting 14 of the 15 league outings this term and impressing with the tenacity of his all-encompassing performances.

As per Sofascore, the French starlet – hailed as the “complete package” by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has recorded a rating of 6.85, completing 87% of his total passes and chipping in with 2.1 tackles per match, also winning 54% of his total duels.

He does have a tendency to lunge in and attach himself to a booking, with his five yellow cards across the first 11 German Bundesliga outings this term resulting in a one-match ban, but with experience comes maturity, and he will continue to nurture every aspect of his game over the coming years.

And as per FBref, he remarkably ranks within the top 1% of midfielders for dribbles completed, averaging 2.17 per 90 – indicating the kind of forward-thinking presence from the heart of the midfield that will serve Howe’s offensive philosophy well as he looks to pump further vitality into his team.

Should he sign for Newcastle, then based on the evidence above he could be the Premier League’s next N’Golo Kante.

He has won league titles with both Leicester City and Chelsea, earning the Player of the Season award with the Blues due to his tough-tackling nature and dynamic skills in control of the ball.

Having made 222 appearances in the English top flight, Kante has made an incredible 676 tackles at a 62% success rate, and 504 interceptions, illustrating the supreme recycling aura he brings to the pitch.

Kone, who equally possesses an innate defensive aptitude and a tendency to seek promising forward plays, would be a fine addition to St. James’ Park, which would welcome the robust tenacity of his game, bringing “an extra man” to the fold.

Everton are monitoring Premier League striker Danny Ings this month as Frank Lampard looks to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch.

What’s the latest?

The Toffees took another sucker punch on Tuesday night with a damning 4-1 defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, which piled further pressure on their Premier League status.

Another defeat under Lampard saw the Merseysiders sink into the relegation zone on Wednesday night after West Ham United took a point away from their midweek game.

Lampard’s side have been linked with a number of strikers ahead of this month’s transfer window in the form of Championship duo Ben Brereton Diaz and Viktor Gyokeres.

However, journalist Luke Edwards has now suggested on the BBC’s Transfer Gossip Daily podcast that Aston Villa striker Ings is a name to watch out for this month.

He said: “I think Danny Ings would be a really good signing for them, but I can totally understand why Aston Villa are not even considering a loan move – why would they?

“The only way they’re gonna sell Danny Ings is if somebody pays silly money for him. It’s January – that’s what clubs do in January; they pay silly money for strikers.

“If there is a little sniff that Danny Ings is available to leave Aston Villa, I can see why so many clubs are interested in him and I think this is definitely one to watch as the window unfolds.”

Big January decision

Everton are certainly struggling again this season and they have a number of problems across the pitch which were highlighted by their brutal defeat on Tuesday night at Goodison Park.

However, the main issue this season has been their goal shortage, with just 14 goals to their name across their opening 18 games in the Premier League.

Part of the blame can be put on the injuries sustained by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, which have meant the Englishman has only featured in eight Premier League games.

And with just one goal in 493 minutes of football, it shows the issues he is having in front of goal, considering just two seasons ago he provided Everton with 16 Premier League strikes.

In potentially signing one of the Championship strikers linked, there would be an awful lot of pressure put on either Brereton Diaz or Gyokeres to hit the ground running, with neither player having any previous Premier League experience.

In comparison with Ings, this could not be any further from the case, with the 30-year-old having already scored 68 Premier League goals in 187 appearances for a number of teams (via Transfermarkt).

Ings scored on Wednesday night to provide Villa with an equaliser in their derby game against Wolverhampton Wanderers which saw the 30-year-old take his goal tally to Ollie Watkins’ for the season.

It has already been claimed Villa would be open to selling Ings this month if the right offer was to arrive, but it seems as though Edwards feels it would take a fair-sized bid.

And with Everton’s financial issues ongoing, whether they have that sort of money available is another issue.

Broadcaster Kevin Hatchard has been left buzzing on Sky Sports over Southampton’s January transfer links to Terem Moffi.

The Lowdown: Attacking reinforcements on the agenda

The Saints have moved very quickly this month to give Nathan Jones the best chance of saving their season having already handed him Mislav Orsic, who boasted a decent record out in Croatia.

Sport Republic don’t appear to be stopping there, either, with Carlos Alcaraz reportedly all but signed, while they have already tried to make a move for Ligue 1 ace Moffi, who has 10 goals this season for Lorient.

Moffi is a wanted man, however, with the Saints wanting him as well as fellow relegation strugglers West Ham looking to make a move for the attacker, so Southampton must move quickly.

The Latest: Moffi a wanted man

Hatchard believes that Southampton target Moffi is someone that is a ‘nightmare for defenders’ which will have Saints fans excited.

He said: “He’s done really well in a Lorient side that is not particularly heralded – although they’ve done better than people expected this season. [He’s in] double figures already, scored against Paris Saint-Germain fairly recently, and he’s somebody that is a nightmare for defenders, he runs in behind, he can get on the end of crosses, he’s got quite a few caps for Nigeria.

“He’s somebody who’s had quite an interesting career – he went to Lithuania for a bit, he was in Belgium for a bit, so he’s kind of been around the houses just getting those moves and going up the ranks. He’s a smart player, he can bring others into play, and I think he’s somebody that would certainly be exciting and deserves that move.”

The Verdict: Saints must move quickly

Something that could certainly play into Southampton’s hands is that Moffi only has 18 months left on his current deal, which could force Lorient into a sale this month to ensure they maximise how much they get for their star attacker.

It has been reported that Moffi will set any club back around £25m, which would allow Lorient to make a tidy profit on the attacker they signed for just £7m back in the summer of 2020.

However, given that West Ham could likely throw more money at Lorient and Moffi based on how much they’ve spent over the last few years, Southampton may have to move smart and offer him a clear way into the starting lineup to ensure they land someone who knows where the back of the net is this season.

Eyebrows were raised the other day when it was reported that Manchester United had convinced Burnley to cancel Wout Weghorst’s loan with Besiktas to enable the Dutch striker to make the move to Old Trafford, but late on Friday evening, the Red Devil’s confirmed that the deal had now been properly concluded.

The 30 year old had a great scoring record for Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga, returning 59 goals in 113 starts, but his first experience of the English Premier League was not fantastic, although he did show he could have the physicality to have an impact, but given Burnley’s own struggles in the 2021/22 campaign, having joined them in January of that year, he scored only two goals in 20 appearances but sports betting would give you better odds on him improving now.

With their relegation from the Premier League, you would assume for financial reasons, he was sent on a season long loan to the Turkish league and he rediscovered his penalty box touch, scoring eight times in 16 games and with United manager Erik ten Hag knowing his compatriot well, added to the unseemly departure of Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo, Weghorst does make some sense as an alternative option in their front line – even if only as a stop gap for the remainder of the 2022/23 season.

With confirmation of the deal now through, Weghorst sounds like he is out to make a serious impression this time around and maybe really give himself a second stab at impressing at the Premier League level.

“I feel privileged to be joining Manchester United. I’ve played against the club in the past and it’s a fantastic feeling to now have the chance to pull on the famous red shirt. I’ve seen United’s progress under Erik ten Hag this season and can’t wait to start playing my part in pushing the team towards its aims.”

It is being reported that United have agreed to pay a £2.6 million loan fee to Burnley, but with them apparently paying Besiktas £2.5 million to cancel the deal, United are covering his wages in full for the second half of the season, but it is not believed their is a buy obligation or even a buy option in place come the end of the campaign.

Weghorst went on to add in his announcement interview.

“Whatever happens in the next few months, I can promise to give everything to the club for as long as I am here. I thank everyone who has played a part in getting me to this stage, and now I am looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and getting involved straight away.”

Fans will be familiar with Weghorst as he was on international duty for the Netherlands in the first ever winter World Cup out in Qatar the other month, and he scored two late goals in their clash with eventual world champion winners Argentina, where they then ultimately lost on penalties.

It is not a transfer that will overly excite United fans you would think, but with better experience, and confidence from his recent goalscoring exploits, Weghorst could prove to be a surprising hit at Old Trafford in the months to come.

Photo by Unsplash

Wolves are reportedly in talks with Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott this month and the young Englishman could be the ideal alternative to Maximo Perrone, who looks set to join Manchester City ahead of the Old Gold.

According to the Telegraph’s John Percy, Wolves are keen on signing the teenager this month and have been in contact with the Robins over a potential transfer.

However, the Championship side currently value Scott at £25m and unless they lower their asking price, it seems as if Julen Lopetegui’s side will walk away from signing the England U20 international.

Wolves have also been linked with Velez Sarsfield midfielder Maximo Perrone recently but it seems as if Pep Guardiola’s side may have won the race to sign the “spectacular” ace – as dubbed by Gabriel Heinze –  with his arrival at the Etihad likely to be announced this week.

Fortunately for the Old Gold, they could seal a very similar signing should they pursue a deal for Scott, as FBref, suggests that the Bristol City youngster is actually the most similar player to Perrone when compared to other midfielders.

This season has seen the two midfield talents register extremely similar numbers with regard to goals and assists per 90 (0.18 vs 0.22), shots on target per 90 (0.28 vs 0.26) and interceptions (21 vs 26).

Scott has been a mainstay at Ashton Gate since first breaking into the side when he was just 17, boasting four goals and seven assists in 71 appearances for the Championship side.

Bristol City’s player pathway manager Brian Tinnion was full of praise for Scott’s potential when he first established himself as a first-team player with the Robins, labelling him one of the top young talents in the country.

He said: “His work rate and his desire to learn has been unbelievable.

“He has every single attribute you would want in a professional footballer. He can tackle, he’s great with both feet, he can head the ball, his delivery is good and his overall quality is great.[freshpress-quiz id=“785175”] “He lets his football do the talking and he’s getting better all the time. We are really excited about his future.”Lopetegui is clearly planning for the long term with his reported interest in talents such as Scott and Perrone and while he may come to regret missing out on the young Argentine, Wolves must do all they can to convince the Bristol City wonderkid to make the move to Molineux in this month’s window.

Everton suffered their 11th defeat of the season in their Premier League clash with West Ham United yesterday and now Frank Lampard could be set to lose his job at Goodison Park.

What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, Everton are preparing to sack the former Chelsea boss following the 2-0 defeat at the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

As per the report, Lampard’s position was already under major threat ahead of the clash with David Moyes’ struggling side and the club’s hierarchy had already met on Friday to discuss the manager’s future at the club and possible scenarios to follow.

Moshiri could save their season

Despite Farhad Moshiri’s fractured relationship with the Goodison Park faithful, the majority stakeholder now has another opportunity to make things right by appointing a manager who can retain Everton’s Premier League status, with the club one of the only sides to never be relegated from the top flight since it was established in 1992.

The Toffees are currently 19th in the table after collecting just 15 points out of a possible 60 and tallying up just three wins, something that must drastically improve instantly to comfortably survive this season.

Lampard currently has a dreadful 17.39% win record, collecting just 0.78 points per game over 23 fixtures so far this term and has been prematurely knocked out of both the League Cup and FA Cup in the last few months.

One manager who has been continuously linked with the challenging role on Merseyside is former Burnley boss Sean Dyche who has been out of action since being sacked by the recently relegated side in April last year after a decade of service at Turf Moor.

The 51-year-old manager took Burnley from the Championship to a Premier League-established side during his tenure – finishing seventh in their second season in the top tier, which is an impressive achievement.

Over 258 Premier League games managed, Dyche – who was hailed “incredible” by none other than Pep Guardiola – picked up points in 140 games recording 72 wins and 68 draws.

Indeed, the out-of-work manager did find himself battling relegation with Burnley on a number of occasions during their six-season stint in the Premier League, however, quickly became renowned for his expertise in grinding out results and ultimately saving the club time and time again from the drop, despite having limitations on reinvestment and quality in his team.

With that being said, it remains to be seen whether the powerbrokers at Goodison Park will sack Lampard ahead of their next clash with Arsenal in just under two weeks’ time, however, if they are intending to move on it would be advantageous to get a manager like Dyche in now to give them as much time as possible to turn things around.

Journalist Florian Plettenberg has been speaking about Leeds United’s interest in Weston McKennie live on Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Midfield looking to be improved

After the departure of Mateusz Klich for D.C. United, it appeared that Leeds were in need of a new midfield body to ensure Jesse Marsch had sufficient depth heading into the second half of the season.

Now it looks as though things are starting to kick into gear with less than a week left of the transfer window, as reports have started to emerge around a potential deal for Juventus’ McKennie.

The Italian giants are facing mounting off-field issues which could see McKennie search for a mid-season exit, and given the strong American contingent already at Elland Road, it would likely be an appealing move for the midfielder.

The Latest: McKennie open to joining Leeds

Speaking live on The Transfer Show, German football expert Plettenberg claimed that McKennie is ready for the next step in his career amid Leeds’ interest.

He said: “He is a transfer target of Leeds and he is open to joining Leeds, he is open to making the next step – and maybe you know – he has the same agency as Aaronson has and Aaronson is a player of Leeds United.

“We hear a price tag of around €30-40m [that] Juventus is demanding for Weston McKennie.”

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The Verdict: Marsch to receive further backing

It would certainly be a major coup for Leeds if they could attract someone who’s been playing in the Champions League this season and played every single game for his nation at the World Cup earlier in the winter.

Especially given that Leeds are in the thick of a relegation battle, it would be a statement of intent from the board to lure someone such as McKennie to Elland Road and may well hint at the 49ers edging closer to their takeover of the club by bringing in yet another American.

McKennie has been hailed as ‘dangerous’ by American legend Clint Dempsey after he netted in the Champions League for Juventus earlier this season, showing he can perform on the big stage, and with Fabrizio Romano claiming personal terms wouldn’t be an issue, it’s a potentially exciting deal for Leeds.

Sunderland have enjoyed a fine return season in the Championship, despite the early-season managerial upheaval that saw Tony Mowbray employed as the new boss.

The 59-year-old was sent in with just a month of the summer window remaining, and as such was unable to truly have a huge impact on any dealings that went on.

Fortunately, however, the exploits of Kristjaan Speakman had already bolstered a squad that could only earn promotion through the League One play-offs last year.

One of the most outstanding pieces of business from the sporting director was to acquire Ellis Simms on loan from Everton, with the 22-year-old going on to excel at the Stadium of Light.

He would score seven times in just 17 games, in a campaign that was also blighted by injury.

However, given the financial constraints of his parent club, he was forced to be recalled as they sought out added depth.

This was a hammer blow to supporters on Wearside, but could be quickly forgotten should Speakman secure a similar deal by looking towards a different Premier League club for some temporary reinforcements.

With Alan Nixon noting their interest in Ateef Konate of Nottingham Forest yesterday, the clinical attacking midfielder could more than make up for this goalscoring vacancy enforced upon them by the Toffees.

Despite struggling for senior minutes this season, the 21-year-old has been on a mission to prove himself as far above his current station.

He has done this by scoring eight times and assisting once across just eight Premier League 2 matches. Such is his pedigree at such a young age, he was even handed his senior debut last season by Steve Cooper in the Championship.

Despite clearly being a cut above his current league, it seems that the Forest manager is unwilling to unleash the Frenchman given the precarious nature of the first team’s campaign. He is instead opting to make even more transfers, which sees Konate’s opportunities diminish further.

A loan stint at Sunderland could finally help him get that senior experience that his form has merited, whilst hopefully filling the void left by Simms’ exit.

Clearly an exciting talent, he was lauded by Dave Rogers, one of his U21 coaches, after swooping the player of the month award for his division. He claimed: “He’s scored some fantastic goals for us, but he brings so much more to the team than just finding the back of the net.

“He’s a threat for the opposition whenever he plays, and he has also added a real desire and work ethic off the ball too which is an area of improvement we asked of him. We now hope he can continue to progress from here because he’s a very talented individual.”

Konate could now convert this threat into tangible senior experience, perhaps pushing the Black Cats towards an unlikely but wholly possible playoff push.