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As Southampton look to secure promotion at the first time of asking in the Championship, their focus has reportedly shifted towards a player who knows all about the play-offs ahead of the summer transfer window.

Southampton transfer news

Much of Southampton's summer transfer business could rely on whether they earn promotion or suffer the heartbreak of the play-offs this season, but that hasn't stopped the rumour mill from already starting up. The Saints have already been linked with moves to sign Karamoko Dembele and Vizela captain Samu in two deals which would boost Russell Martin's squad.

Southampton were bled dry by costly star who earned 2x more than Adams

This Southampton flop drained the South Coast club dry with his excessive wage.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 10, 2024

The focus hasn't just been on incomings, however, with Armel Bella-Kotchap recently linked with a permanent move away to Galatasaray after a frustrating loan spell at PSV Eindhoven. The central defender's St Mary's future likely relies on Premier League football.

In truth, with promotion still hanging in the balance, Southampton would also be wise to think about what their squad might look like if they were forced into a second consecutive season in the Championship. They would be smart to centre their focus around players who would not only star in England's second tier but also the top-flight, which is where Kemar Roofe could come in.

According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Southampton now want to sign Roofe in what would be a free deal due to his free agent status at the end of his current Rangers contract this summer. Those at St Mary's reportedly consider him one of the best free agents available and will attempt to fend off interest from Fulham, Sheffield United and Queens Park Rangers in pursuit of his signature.

The veteran forward knows exactly where the back of the net is in the Championship, having previously starred for Leeds United, where he reached the play-offs in the 2018/19 campaign. Now, at 31-years-old, he could be on his way back to English football.

"Important" Roofe would add key experience for Southampton

As impressive as Southampton have been at times this season, they've lacked the experience needed to gain the consistency in pursuit of the automatic promotion places and have been forced to settle for a likely place in the play-offs instead. A player of Roofe's calibre could solve that problem this summer, however, in a true bargain deal.

Former Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst didn't hold back when praising the forward during his time at the club, saying via FourFourTwo: "Kemar is very important. In the last months, he has struggled a little bit with some injuries but he is still working hard on the training ground to be ready.

“I gave him a compliment in the locker room because it is not easy, especially for the players who haven’t played a lot in recent weeks, to keep training hard and wait for your chance."

With 29 goals and 11 assists in 110 appearances for Leeds in the Championship, Roofe's goalscoring ability in the second tier has already been on show in the past and it is now Southampton who could benefit next season.

Thursday’s ICC meeting starts contingency planning process

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Apr-2020Cricket has never faced a crisis quite like this. With much of the world still deep in Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns, administrators are facing an unprecedented situation. At some point in the near future, sport will resume but in what form, when and where exactly, no-one knows.On Thursday, the chief executives of the 12 full-member countries along with the ICC management will convene via a conference call to start plotting what a new landscape might look like. Thursday’s meeting is merely the starting point of a process that will remain a work in progress for the foreseeable future.The ICC has said the aim of this virtual meeting – and there really only is one item on the agenda – is to check in on the health of members and how they are coping with the effects of no cricket, as well as collectively work on contingency planning and sort out priorities between the resumption of international bilateral cricket, domestic cricket and global events.Based on conversations with various boards, ESPNcricinfo lists some of the key issues that will rank high on the list of priorities to be addressed on Thursday.Men’s T20 World CupAaron Finch’s Australia will be among the favourites for the T20 World Cup if it goes ahead•Getty ImagesScheduled for October-November this year, this is the biggest marquee event left in 2020 outside of the IPL. Currently the ICC remains optimistic about the event going ahead in case Australia opens its doors to host the tournament.However, the tournament comprises 16 teams, which means each will need their respective government’s approval. What happens in case one of the participants is denied permission? What would be the quarantine process in individual countries? Will air travel resume completely to allow players to travel to Australia? These will be some of the questions that the chief executives’ committee (CEC) will make note of and it is clearly a complex issue as one of the officials who will be sitting on the call, said.According to one official, the fate of the T20 World Cup is the most important issue for a number of boards outside the biggest few. Those boards rely heavily on revenue distributions from the ICC and a disruption to any event – as PCB chairman Ehsan Mani warned – could have serious financial repercussions for some members. What members might be looking to discuss is a rough idea of a timeline by when a definitive decision on the tournament needs to take place.ODI Super LeagueAlready this tournament, due to begin in 10 days’ time, has been impacted. Three of the series scheduled as part of the ODI League, which the ICC put in place to provide more context to 50-overs cricket, have been postponed indefinitely, with Pakistan’s series in the Netherlands the latest to be axed. The ODI League serves as a pathway for the 10-team 2023 World Cup, scheduled to be hosted in India. Alongside India, the seven highest-ranked sides in the ODI League as of March 31, 2022 would have qualified directly for the 2023 World Cup, while the bottom five will get a second chance to make the grade through a qualifier.The questions the CEC will need to consider include whether the league should be scrapped, or whether the number of series each team has to play is reworked so the original framework is not completely revamped. “The reason for the ODI League was to bring context and add an element of jeopardy to the qualification for 2023 World Cup,” said one official who will be participating in Thursday’s call. “So ‘is there a way to maintain the integrity of that league?’ is the question that will be asked.”One alternative is that in the absence of a league, all those series go ahead when they can and the shortlist for the 2023 World Cup takes place based on the rankings. However, the official pointed out, countries like England would be at a disadvantage in such a scenario because they are likely to lose out on playing ODI series this summer to accommodate various other events in the calendar.”That is the part of the challenge: you’ve got to decisions that taken into account all of these things but there will so many competing agendas or viewpoints,” the official said.World Test ChampionshipIndia and Australia are the top two sides on the World Test Championship table•Getty ImagesThe WTC is nearly nine months old with the final is scheduled for July 2021. However, not all teams have played the same number of series. Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq had suggested recently that the WTC should be put on hold instead of attempting to tinker with the original format where each team is meant to play a total of six series. Not everyone agrees.One chief executive felt that with “nearly 40%” of the WTC already played, suspending was not the best option. “If we have cricket back in July even if it in bio-safe stadiums, behind close doors, I don’t see a need for it [suspending]. But it is a big if.”The ICC, it is believed, will not make a hasty decision on the WTC. One key determining factor will be what percentage of WTC series are lost when bilateral cricket resumes. If it is not a significant chunk, then the ICC will want the nine countries in the Championship to collectively work out windows in the FTP.”Like in the UK, the government is quite keen to restart sport behind closed doors because they believe it is quite good for the morale of the nation,” the official said. “It will start at different places at different times and we’ll ease back into it. That’s when the genuine rescheduling and decision making around the competitions like WTC will start.”So what might be the outcome?Don’t expect too much by way of binding decisions from this meeting. In any case, it is the ICC Board rather than the chief executives’ committee that makes decisions final.”There’s going to be discussion around what the restart of cricket looks like, what competitions will have been missed and how we go about trying to see what the next stage is about rescheduling,” Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “But of course rescheduling is only going to be a relatively relevant discussion when we know more about the point from which we can definitively reschedule.”So I think it’s going to be more around discussing principles: what priorities should there be between bilateral cricket, ICC events, domestic T20 franchise leagues?”

Ilkay Gundogan is reportedly in talks with Manchester City over a potential return to the Etihad just a year after leaving for Barcelona.

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Gundogan set to leave BarcelonaIn talks with Man City over returnBarca need to offload playersGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Gundogan joined Barcelona in the summer of 2023 as a free agent after his contract with Manchester City expired following their Premier League and Champions League double. The Germany international went on to become an ever-present under Xavi in Catalunya but could now be on the move. New Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has already admitted he's spoken with the midfielder about his future at the club.

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The Athletic has now reported that Manchester City are willing to bring back their former captain to the Etihad Stadium this summer, and the claim has also been backed up by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. The report by Romano states that City boss Pep Guardiola is open to a reunion with Gundogan over the summer as the eight-time Premier League champions have not made any signings in midfield.

ImagoDID YOU KNOW?

Barcelona's financial situation appears to be a key reason for Gudogan's potential exit. The Catalans are yet to register £51 million ($66.2 million) new signing Dani Olmo, and the German's sale may allow them to register the Spaniard.

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WHAT NEXT FOR GUNDOGAN?

With just under two weeks left until the end of the summer transfer window, both Barcelona and Manchester City will have to act quickly if they want to finalize the deal this summer. Gundogan is said to be eager to head back to the Etihad Stadium after a year away.

A £27,000 per week Southampton talent who former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl brought to the club is set to leave St Mary's in the summer transfer window, according to a new update.

Big summer ahead at Southampton

It has been a largely positive season for Saints, even though they have ended up missing out on automatic promotion from the Championship to the Premier League. There is still the chance to go up via the playoffs, but whatever happens, Russell Martin will be eyeing new signings this summer.

Flynn Downes has been an impressive performer on loan from West Ham, and it looks as though the south coast club are looking to sign him on a permanent basis at the end of the season. The midfielder has scored and assisted twice apiece in the league across 32 appearances in 2023/24, as well as enjoying an incredible 93.4% completion rate.

Rangers attacker Kemar Roofe has also been linked with a move to St Mary's Stadium in the summer, with the Englishman set to leave Ibrox on a free transfer when his contract expires soon. The 31-year-could be an experienced head, adding depth to the squad, and he has lots of experience in English football, making 110 appearances in the Championship.

There could also be some Southampton players who move on, especially if promotion to the top flight isn't sealed in the coming weeks, with defender Armel Bella-Kotchap one such figure. He has spent this season on loan at PSV Eindoven, but is now set depart Saints permanently in the near future.

Southampton star to leave in permanent deal

Taking to X on Tuesday, journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that Bella-Kotchap is increasingly "likely" to leave Southampton for good at the end of the current campaign, with a host of clubs interested across Europe.

In truth, there does seem to be a certain inevitability about Bella-Kotchap departing Southampton, unless there is a sudden change in the situation. Reaching the Premier League feels like the only chance of that happening, but it still feels more likely that he will move on.

The £27,000-a-week ace is contracted to Southampton until 2026, so there is no great need to sell him at all, but his head could be turned by a move elsewhere. He is a player who former Saints manager Hasenhuttl has raved about in the past, saying after signing him: "He’s a one-on-one monster.

"Very strong in one-on-one situations and he’s very fast. You can defend well with him. He plays good passes into the final third, even over longer distances. [But] his heading game can be improved [when attacking corners]."

Southampton were rinsed by a player who earned 2x Walker-Peters’ wage

This still goes down as a major transfer blunder on Southampton’s part.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 30, 2024

Should Bella-Kotchap move on, the one plus point is that Southampton look likely to receive around €20m (£17m) for his services, with those funds needing to be spent on not only signing a strong replacement, but also adding reinforcements to other areas of the pitch, hopefully ahead of their Premier League return.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on the future of Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea linked with Mauricio Pochettino replacements

It has not been the easiest 2023/24 campaign for Pochettino at Stamford Bridge. With around £400m spent on players across the summer and winter windows, the Blues should have, at least on paper, been in the Premier League top-four and arguably maybe even challenging for the league title.

However, despite an improved run of form over the last few months, the west Londoners can no longer secure a Champions League berth, with their place in the top seven still not guaranteed with two games to play. This has led to much speculation over Pochettino's future in west London, with the Argentine himself raising eyebrows with recent comments, stating "it will not be the end of the world" if he leaves Chelsea.

"If we are happy then it's perfect, but it's not only if the owners are happy… because you need to ask us also, because maybe we are not happy and we need to split," said Pochettino at his press conference on Friday. "It would not be the first time a coaching staff decided to not keep going. Tomorrow I could say I am going to leave. It's two parts if they make a decision and it's not only if Chelsea are not happy, the owner is not happy, the sporting director is not happy.

"Maybe we are not happy because we arrived here with a job to do, but in the end it's not what we expect. I am not saying I am not happy. If we split it's not a problem, it will not be the end of the world."

Amid Chelsea's struggles this season, the club have seen a number of names linked with Pochettino's role. Last month, it was claimed that Chelsea were "monitoring" the status of Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim "should things not progress further with Pochettino in (the) summer". Elsewhere, Chelsea are said to have identified Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi as a candidate to take over at Stamford Bridge.

The potential appointment of Hansi Flick has also been “discussed internally” by those within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Fabrizio Romano shares Maurico Pochettino update

Now, journalist Romano has shared an update on the future of Pochettino at Stamford Bridge when speaking to Caught Offside.

And for all the speculation about the South American leaving the club, Romano states that Chelsea are happy with the team's recent displays, adding that Pochettino is aware any decision on his future would be made at the back end of the 2023/24 campaign:

“Mauricio Pochettino may have raised some eyebrows with his recent comments about his future, but the reality is this: Chelsea are happy with the team’s recent performances, but also Pochettino knows any decision was always going to be made close to the end of the season. This is something the club has always confirmed even in difficult, really difficult moments months ago. So that remains the case.”

The U.S. defender started and played 90 minutes in win, Auston Trusty made squad but did not play

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Celtic win 3-0 over Rangers in Old FirmCarter-Vickers played 90 minutesDaizen Maeda scored openerWHAT HAPPENED?

U.S. international Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic cruised past Rangers in a one-sided 3-0 victory in the Old Firm at Celtic Park Sunday.

Carter-Vickers played the full 90 minutes and helped Brendan Rodgers' side get a clean sheet while Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi and Callum McGregor got on the scoresheet for

Carter-Vickers' U.S. teammate Auston Trusty, who just signed for Celtic from Sheffield United on the transfer deadline, was dressed for action on the bench but did not play.

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Carter-Vickers and Celtic are eyeing their fourth successive Scottish Premiership trophy and are off to an assured start in the 2024-25 season. The Glasgow-based team has 12 points out of its opening four contests and have yet to concede, scoring 12 goals.

Rangers, typically a lead contenders for the Premiership, have a mixed start to the campaign with seven points in their opening four matches.

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WHAT NEXT FOR CCV, CELTIC?

Celtic will now be on international break, awaiting their next Premiership match on Sept. 14 against Hearts.

Carter-Vickers and Trusty could factor into the U.S. national team squad, but the official announcement hasn't been made yet.

Up to half of the state’s staff have been made redundant

Daniel Brettig01-May-2020Up to half of Cricket Victoria’s staff have been sacrificed, with community cricket particularly hard hit, in a restructuring of the state association that has been explained away as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic but has origins stretching back nearly a decade.Two weeks after Cricket Australia staff were informed that the vast majority would be stood down, CV has gone alarmingly further, making a huge chunk of the organisation redundant while asking others to reapply for their jobs – the former AFL coach and now CV talent specialist Guy McKenna among them.Cuts to community cricket, believed to number up to 45 staff, are set to leave as few as 12 employees remaining to be the links to grassroots programs and competitions in Australia’s second most populous state, and leave a gaping hole in CA’s wider strategic plans to grow the game’s participation in every part of the country. Of those 45 positions, three are female participation officers.CA, which made a portion of its recent funding to the states conditional on its use to specifically service community cricket, is understood to be furious at the cuts and the way they have been administered, with multi-million dollar distributions to Victoria’s powerful premier clubs untouched by the changes while a host of staff have been asked to pack up their desks.Other states are also believed to be aghast at the cut backs, even as the associations and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) haggle with CA over adjustments to their annual grants under a financial model signed up to in 2012 alongside the move to an independent board for the central governing body. There are suspicions that CA’s alarms over the game’s finances helped smooth the ground for CV’s own, more drastic culling.Following discussions between CA, the states and the ACA on Thursday, when the CA chairman Earl Eddings and fellow director Paul Green presented their interpretations of the organisation’s finances and forecasts, there is an increasing likelihood of in-principle agreement on reduced annual grants with in-built flexibility for revenue fluctuations depending on how next summer unfolds. However, it is likely that some states at least will wait until the winter football codes get back under way before formally committing themselves.These latest cuts to CV have arrived less than a year after its board chose to disband the boards of the two Big Bash League clubs, the Stars and the Renegades, and also make their chief executives Clint Cooper and Stuart Coventry redundant. That decision also saw the removal of a selection of highly influential business and media figures, Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall and Sport Australia chairman John Wylie among them, from their positions on the boards.In the wake of these changes the BBL clubs and CV as a whole faced a raft of sponsorship exits, from the likes of Mars and Optus among others, contributing to an overall weakening of the association’s financial position and the recording of an operating loss of around A$2 million for 2018-19.While that trend is believed to have continued over the 2019-20 summer, there is widespread shock at the way that CV has responded to events, outstripping the actions of the South Australian Cricket Association, which cut some 23 staff and contractors earlier this month, and then CA itself, though further cuts to the central governing body are expected in the new financial year.”We are not immune to the impacts of Coronavirus,” chief executive Andrew Ingleton said. “It has already disrupted the conclusion of the 2019-20 cricket season and is likely to continue to impact our ability to deliver cricket at community level. In addition, there are a range of potential future commercial and financial risks to Victorian cricket that we need to have contingencies for.”Faced with a projected funding cut from Cricket Australia and the need to source principal sponsors for our BBL teams in what is a challenging economic environment, it is clear we need to take appropriate action to mitigate these risks.”Problems around the strategic direction of CV have deep roots, stretching back to moves post-2012 to make its board independent of a system of premier, sub-district and regional club delegates that has historically held sway over the game in Victoria.The former chief executive Tony Dodemaide and chairman Russell Thomas fell out with numerous clubland figures, including the Footscray chairman Geoff Collinson and Essendon chairman Simon Tobin, over governance moves and their funding implications, ultimately being replaced by Paul Barker as chairman and Ingleton as chief executive. Peter Williams, Jane Nathan and Phil Hyde, all part of a ticket that had attempted to unseat Thomas and five other directors en masse in 2017, have subsequently worked their way onto the board.Barker, a consensus choice as chairman, is facing a likely further erosion of his support on the CV board itself later this year, with longtime directors Paul Jackson and Claudia Fatone facing re-election in the face of mounting opposition from delegates. The CV board is composed of six delegate-elected directors and three independently appointed directors. At the same time the construction of the A$40 million Junction Oval training and administration hub offered Victoria some of the best facilities in the country but also added significantly to the association’s cost base.

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal insists comparisons to Lionel Messi do not “bother” him, with the teenager determined to leave his own “legacy”.

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Youngsters has rewritten history booksOn the shortlist for 2024 Ballon d'OrLikened to Argentine all-time greatWHAT HAPPENED?

Having made a senior breakthrough at just 15 years of age, Yamal is a now a record-shattering European Championship winner at 17. He has the world at his feet, with many tipping him to be a Ballon d’Or winner of the not too distant future.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT YAMAL SAID

Links to Barca icon Messi are never far away – as both stepped out of the famed La Masia academy system – and Yamal will not shy away from that discussion while bidding to write a memorable story of his own. He has told after being named on the 30-man shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or: “For me the most important thing is to leave a legacy, to have your career. In the end, being compared to Leo is more important than not looking at it. It is true that if you are compared to the best player in history it is because you are doing things well. It doesn't bother me, obviously, but I try to always be myself.”

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While Yamal, who met Messi when he was just a baby, has always looked up to an Argentine icon of the game, he added on his other role models: “I remember that Neymar was at Santos, Messi obviously… Messi, [David] Villa, Pedro… all from Barça. Those are the first images that made me see football. Since I was little, with my father and my mother at home, that's the first thing I remember. We would meet after school at a friend's house because he had a computer and we would put on videos of Neymar. We would spend the whole afternoon watching there.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Yamal is now a superstar in his own right, as he follows in the illustrious footsteps of Messi, Neymar and Co. He has already weighed in with a number of goals and assists for Barca this season, while his next outing could come for Spain in their UEFA Nations League openers against Serbia and Switzerland.

Menon becomes the third Indian after S Venkataraghavan and S Ravi to make it to the Elite panel

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2020India’s Nitin Menon has been included in the ICC Elite panel of umpires for the 2020-21 season after the annual review conducted by the game’s governing body. At 36, Menon is one of the youngest to be included in the Elite panel. He was earlier part of the International panel and will replace England’s Nigel Llong in the Elite roster.A panel consisting of ICC general manager of cricket Geoff Allardice (chairman), former player Sanjay Manjrekar, and match referees Ranjan Madugalle and David Boon made the selection.The ICC monitors umpires’ standing through various parameters, including on-field decision-making, the number of reviews the match official has got right, and conduct on the field. Accordingly, points are tallied and umpires are ranked internally.As per ESPNcricinfo’s data, Llong has had the highest percentage (36.2%) of his reviewed decisions overturned in Tests since September 28, 2017.Menon, who began his umpiring career in 2017, has officiated in three Tests, 24 ODIs and 16 T20Is in men’s cricket. He has also stood in ten women’s T20Is, including the 2018 and 2020 T20 World Cups. After S Venkataraghavan and S Ravi, he is the third umpire from India to make it to the Elite panel.”It’s a great honour and matter of pride for me to be named in the Elite panel,” Menon said in an ICC release. “To be officiating regularly along with the leading umpires and referees of the world is something that I always dreamt of and the feeling has yet to sink in.”Having already officiated in Tests, ODIs and T20Is as well as in ICC events, I understand the great responsibility that comes with the job. I also feel this is a responsibility on me to take Indian umpires forward and help them by sharing my experiences.”Adrian Griffith, the ICC’s senior manager of umpires and referees, congratulated Menon, saying he “has come through our pathway system with very consistent performances”.Last year, England’s Michael Gough and West Indies’ Joel Wilson were promoted to the Elite panel, while Ravi was omitted from the list.’Not surprised by Menon’s selection’ – TaufelTaufel, who has worked extensively with Indian umpires, said he was not “surprised” by Menon’s elevation. “I’m not surprised by his selection as his talent was evident some years ago,” Taufel told ESPNcricinfo. “But again it shows that it takes many years to get to world-class, through commitment, dedication, resilience and a growth mindset. With Nitin joining the top group, a role model is there for many Indian umpires who aspire to be the best. Hopefully, it will encourage the BCCI to keep investing in their development programs for match officials.”ICC Elite panel of umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Nitin Menon, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Bruce Oxenford, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker and Joel WilsonICC Elite panel of match referees: David Boon, Chris Broad, Jeff Crowe, Ranjan Madugalle, Andy Pycroft, Richie Richardson and Javagal Srinath

Everton are interested in completing the signing of a "very dangerous" midfielder this summer, according to an update from journalist Alan Nixon.

Everton transfer news

Blues supporters will be hoping for an excellent summer in the transfer market as Sean Dyche and his side look to kick on after a frustrating season of points deductions and takeover turmoil.

Many players continue to be linked with Everton ahead of potential moves at the end of the campaign, with Blackburn Rovers attacker Sammie Szmodics being seen as an exciting option who could come in and provide competition for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. His 27 goals in the Championship this season means he tops the scoring charts, and it looks as though the Blues believe he can make the step up to the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Hull City centre-back Jacob Greaves is seen as a great replacement for Jarrad Branthwaite should the Englishman leave Goodison Park in the summer. He has averaged 4.3 aerial duel wins per game across 43 Championship outings this term, as well as 1.8 tackles per match.

Celtic teenager Rocco Vata has reportedly been viewed as a strong replacement for Amadou Onana, should the current Blues man leave, while Boulaye Dia is considered an upgrade on Calvert-Lewin, having scored four goals in Serie A for Salernitana this season.

Everton want "very dangerous" ace

According to Nixon on Patreon (via Goodison News), Everton are well-placed to sign Freiburg midfielder Merlin Rohl once the summer window arrives.

He said: "Rohl would only cost around £12m, a fee that is also attracting Newcastle and Palace, who have him on their extended lists of targets."

The 21-year-old is seen as someone who can fill the expected void left by Onana, with the Belgian potentially moving on to pastures new, and a £12m offer could be enough for the Blues to get their man.

Rohl could be an astute signing by Everton in the coming months, coming in as a young player with a lot of years ahead of him, but also someone who has already picked up plenty of experience. The £13,000-a-week midfielder has chipped in with two goals and three assists in the Bundesliga this season, while Germany Under-21s head coach Antonio Di Salvo has said of him:

"He fought his way into [Freiburg's] team. That's not easy. He focused on defensive work and also came into his own offensively. He scored a very nice goal on Sunday with a great solo run that highlights his qualities. He's very quick and determined, a strong shot-stopper. He also scored a very nice goal in the European Cup. He's very dangerous at the moment."

"50% will hate it" – Pundit shares what he’s heard on second Everton buyer

He says half the fans would “hate” it.

ByHenry Jackson May 4, 2024

Rohl could bring extra quality in the final third for Everton, with more firepower needed after only scoring 38 times in 36 Premier League games this season, and his versatility would be an added bonus for Dyche, with the German capable of shining in attacking midfield and in wide areas.