All posts by h79snht.top

Everton have opened talks with Alex Iwobi over a new contract, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports.

The lowdown

The 26-year-old joined the Toffees in the summer of 2019 in a £34m move from Arsenal, signing a contract to 2024.

The Nigerian has played every minute for the Merseyside club so far this season, operating in a central midfield role.

Iwobi isn’t the only player whose contract Everton are hoping to renew, with extensions for Jordan Pickford and Anthony Gordon also planned.

The latest

Ornstein took to Twitter on Sunday night to break the news about Iwobi in sharing a corresponding article for The Athletic.

Everton are intent on tying down the 26-year-old to a new deal, with negotiations expected to ‘ramp up’ in the coming weeks.

Ornstein tweeted: “Everton open talks over new contract for Alex Iwobi. 26yo midfielder increasingly important to #EFC & club want to secure future (current deal 2024).

“Dialogue at early stage but set to ramp up in coming weeks, like Pickford + Gordon.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-7/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict

A new contract for Iwobi would be just reward for his strong start to the 2022/23 season.

He’s a player who’s doing a bit of everything right now in the middle of the park, ranking in Everton’s top five for tackles, total passes, shots, key passes and dribbles per game (via WhoScored).

Sports journalist Josh Bunting has said that the Nigerian has been a ‘revelation’ this season, while Matt Jones of The Liverpool Echo has dubbed him a ‘glorious footballer’.

You would think that, on recent form, Iwobi will be in line for a healthy boost to his £50,000 per week earnings, having truly found a home on Merseyside.

Everton enjoyed what seemed like a fine transfer window in the summer of 2017 as they spent huge amounts of money revamping their entire squad.

Whilst Jordan Pickford is still around as their number one, the rest of those transfers have either left or are sitting on the bench at Goodison Park.

It seemed like the Toffees had reinvested the money gained from the £75m sale of Romelu Lukaku, but little did they know just how much they would miss him.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has shown signs that he might be able to take the mantle at times, with his 16-goal haul during the 2020/21 season, but injuries have left him unable to repeat the feat.

If they were to have the hulking Belgian back now in his prime, they would surely be an unstoppable force when combined with the solid defence Frank Lampard has put in place.

With James Tarkowski and Conor Coady at the back, Everton currently boast the second-best defence in the league so far this season.

If the Lukaku from the 2016/17 season could be taken now, with his sensational 25 Premier League goals that season, it would give Lampard the focal point for his creative outlets like Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray to thrive off.

In fact, Dwight McNeil might benefit the most, as he would finally have a target man to aim his crosses at. He ranked sixth for successful crosses last season, with 42.

This season too marks a flurry of chances created per 90 by a few members of the squad, all of which would likely be dispatched for fun by the 29-year-old who was so clinical under Ronald Koeman.

Signed in 2014 by Roberto Martinez for what turned out to be a steal, they paid just £28m for his services.

Described as “monstrous” and a “world-class elite striker”, with this summer’s fine additions both in midfield and at the back, it seems like a striker of this ilk would truly be the final piece of the puzzle for Everton now.

Neal Maupay has started life well at Goodison Park, but their all-time Premier League top scorer would take them to another level with the way he used to bully defenders.

Boasting incredible strength and blistering speed, to have him under Lampard’s current system would be an absolute dream.

Sheffield Wednesday have added James Shan to Darren Moore’s backroom team at Hillsborough, reliable journalist Alex Miller has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Moore doing well overall

The Owls currently look like strong promotion hopefuls in League One, sitting third in the table and boasting the second-most valuable squad in the division as per Transfermarkt.

Moore may not be doing a perfect job but the positives appear to outweigh the negatives as he seeks to guide Wednesday back into the Championship.

Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Port Vale, a significant update has emerged regarding a new addition to his management team.

The Latest: Wednesday hire James Shan

Taking to Twitter, Miller confirmed that Shan has been added to Moore’s coaching setup, having worked with him during their shared time at West Bromwich Albion.

The journalist tweeted:

“A wee bombshell dropped by Darren Moore at the end of this afternoon’s pre-Port Vale presser. Wednesday have added James Shan to their backroom staff. DM worked with him previously at WBA.”

The Verdict: Keeping things fresh

It is always important to keep freshening things up in the coaching staff, ensuring things don’t grow stale and players don’t tire of hearing from the same individuals all the time.

It is something that Sir Alex Ferguson mastered during his time as Manchester United boss, changing his assistant manager numerous times, and it is good to see Moore making tweaks.

The fact that he and Shan have already worked together bodes well, suggesting that they know each other inside out, and it will hopefully aid the Owls’ promotion push, starting with today’s trip to Vale Park.

Sunderland have had a number of talented youngsters come through their academy over the years, including the likes of Jordan Henderson and Jordan Pickford – who could be playing in the World Cup next month.

Unfortunately, not every young player who bursts onto the scene goes on to live up to their potential and the Black Cats have had their fair share of failed wonderkids over the years.

One talented youngster who has, as it stands, failed to live up to the hype surrounding him as an academy starlet at the club is winger Joel Asoro.

The attacker, who left the Stadium of Light in the summer of 2018, came up through the system on Wearside after arriving from Sweden in 2015 and broke into the first team as a teenager.

He had scored 20 goals in 27 games for Sweden between U16 and U17 level and made his Premier League debut for the Black Cats in the 2016/17 campaign, which led to interest in his services from teams across Europe and he was once dubbed a ‘wonderkid’ by UEFA’s website.

It was reported that Paris Saint-Germain met with the youngster’s agent regarding a potential move to the Ligue 1 giants, whilst Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid were also said to be keen on him. He was valued at up to €15m at the time (roughly £11m in today’s market) and described as a ‘prodigy’ by FootMercato.

In 2017, he was named as a nominee for that year’s Golden Boy award – celebrating the best youngster in Europe – and then-manager David Moyes hailed the prodigy, saying:

“Joel has got potential and he is very young. He is 18 this week and he is someone who we introduced into the first-team set-up during pre-season because of numbers but he made a big impact.”

However, he was unable to make a significant impact at senior level when he was given a regular spot in the first team for 2017/18. He played 26 times in the Championship, scoring three goals and providing two assists.

Sunderland were relegated to League One at the end of that season and Asoro opted to move to Swansea to link up with Graham Potter in Wales, for a reported fee of £2m – considerably less than the fee mentioned amid the previous interest from PSG.

He ended up making 18 appearances for the Swans and spent time out on loan at FC Groningen and Genoa, failing to play a single game with the latter, before signing for Swedish side Djurgardens IF on a permanent deal in 2021.

The former Black Cats wonderkid has scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 62 appearances for the Allsvenskan outfit since making the move and is currently valued at £1.35m by Transfermarkt.

He has gone from making his Premier League debut and being chased by PSG and Bayern Munich as a teenager, whilst being valued at around £11m, to playing in Sweden – away from Europe’s top five leagues – and being worth a small fraction of that.

Asoro was unable to kick on at Sunderland or Swansea after the initial hype around his potential when he was in his teens and there is little evidence to suggest that a dramatic comeback is on the way. Although, he still has plenty of time left ahead of him at the age of 23 to progress in the future.

As it stands, though, he has not lived up to the potential he had as a youngster and the Blacks Cats will not be looking back on his sale with regret.

Journalist Hannah Perkins has shared a fresh update on the Wolves manager search involving former boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Lowdown: Lage sacked…

It’s been nearly two weeks since the Old Gold sacked their former boss Bruno Lage, coming after a series of disappointing Premier League defeats which could leave them in real trouble.

The Molineux outfit currently languish in 18th, having scored the fewest goals of any top flight side with their lack of fire power coming as a major concern.

Wolves have also won just one match this season, a 1-0 victory at home to Southampton at the start of September, as club hierarchy are now tasked with appointing their perfect coach to help turn the tide.

The Latest: Perkins shares big Nuno update…

Sharing news on their former coach Nuno, who has been repeatedly linked with returning to the club, reporter Perkins has a big update for supporters.

The journalist claims he is actually ‘already in Wolverhampton’ for talks.

She explained (via Twitter):

“As per others, Nuno Espirito Santo is indeed in advanced talks to return to Wolves. One source has told me the former boss is already in Wolverhampton to hold further discussions about his return.”

The Verdict: Good news?

Called a ‘great’ manager by Spurs striker Harry Kane, Nuno won the Championship title in his first season at Wolves and could be considered one of their best managers of the last few decades, despite the unceremonious end.

As backed by the BBC, Wolves are indeed in negotiations with their former head coach and he could be the right man to bring stability back to the club.

The 48-year-old knows Wolves inside and out having spent years there before his lacklustre move to Tottenham.

Every youngster in West Ham’s academy right now will be looking to emulate Declan Rice’s progression into the first team but 16-year-old Ollie Scarles may well have a better chance than most.

Rice joined West Ham’s academy after leaving Chelsea and has gone on to become the Hammers’ captain after Mark Noble’s retirement, making 208 appearances for the first team by the age of 23.

He is also an England regular, having earned 34 caps for Gareth Southgate’s side in his career thus far, and he looks likely to be a mainstay for the Three Lions for the next decade.

In Scales, West Ham look to have an extremely talented teenager who is already threatening to break into the first team, having travelled to Belgium to face Anderlecht last week.

The Athletic’s West Ham reporter Roshane Thomas has claimed that Scarles is “on David Moyes’ radar” and it is easy to see why, as he has registered three assists in three U’18 Premier League games so far this season.

Transfermarkt suggests that Scarles’ main positions are as a defensive midfielder and a centre-back, so the Rice comparisons are only going to be natural as he continues to progress in the Hammers’ academy.

However, The Athletic claim that he is also capable of featuring as a left wing-back and left-midfielder, having featured there in Papa John’s Trophy game earlier this season.

Scarles’ former coach David Kingston spoke very highly of the youngster’s attitude and ability when speaking to The Athletic.

He said: “West Ham have a great player on their hands. He’s probably the most humble teenager you’ll come across. In terms of having a positive attitude, he’s the best I’ve worked with.”

While it might be some time before we see Scarles feature regularly in West Ham’s first team, he looks to have a bright future ahead of him and with enough hard work, there seems no reason why he can’t emulate Rice’s progression from academy star to England regular.

Crystal Palace are reportedly considering a move for Middlesbrough right-back Isaiah Jones in the January transfer window, and the youngster could prove to be the next Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Selhurst Park.

According to Alan Nixon, Palace are keen on bringing the 23-year-old to south London in the winter transfer window, having missed out on signing him in 2019 when he was with Tooting and Mitcham just five miles away.

Instead, Jones signed for Middlesbrough, where he has established himself as one of the most exciting young defenders in the Championship in recent years.

After loan spells with St Johnstone and Queen of the South, the latter of which saw him notch six assists in just 12 appearances, Jones returned to the Riverside Stadium and has been a key fixture in the Boro side ever since.

In 63 appearances for the Teessiders, the versatile right-sided player has contributed three goals and 12 assists, including two goals and three assists in 15 Championship appearances this season.

Despite a tricky start to the campaign which saw Chris Wilder sacked, Jones has still been on top form for Middlesbrough, with WhoScored ranking him as the squad’s top performer so far this season with an average rating of 6.9/10.

Patrick Vieira could well be in the market for a right-back considering he has just Joel Ward (32) and Nathaniel Clyne (31) as options in that role. The latter is currently out injured, while both are approaching the end of their careers at the top level.

Therefore, Jones could be an exciting young prospect for Vieira to have in his squad and would surely add some attacking quality in defence which the Eagles arguably lack at the moment, with the full-backs having contributed no goals and just one assist between them so far this season.

If the youngster does join Palace and become a hit, he could follow in the footsteps of Wan-Bissaka, who starred at Selhurst Park as a right-back before earning a £50m move to Manchester United in 2019.

While Jones’ main strength is in his attacking play and Wan-Bissaka’s was defending, there is little doubt that the 23-year-old could prove to be “fantastic” (in the words of Middlesbrough’s Dael Fry) should he join Vieira’s side in January, and he could be the next English youngster that Palace develop and sell on for a big fee.

Celtic forward Daizen Maeda has notably come under fire for his struggles in front of goal in recent times, with the Japanese international having been particularly profligate during the Old Firm outfit’s disappointing Champions League run.

The 25-year-old had enjoyed a prolific spell following his arrival at Parkhead in January, scoring eight goals and providing five assists in just 22 games at the tail end of last term, although has since scored just three times in 18 games in all competitions so far this season.

While few can criticise the nine-cap gem’s tireless work ethic – having been dubbed a “machine” by ex-Bhoys striker Chris Sutton last term – the £3.15m-rated man has showcased a lack of cutting edge of late, particularly in Europe.

The Glasgow side’s group stage run thus far has seen the dynamic speedster miss three big chances, as per SofaScore, notably squandering a guilt-edged opening on matchday one at home to holders Real Madrid – fluffing his attempt at goal just after the break.

With manager Ange Postecoglou admitting that his side had paid the “ultimate price” for their wasteful nature after seeing their hopes of progression ended, there may well be frustration that the likes of Maeda, and others, have failed to provide the goods when it mattered.

In need of a potentially more ruthless presence in the forward line, the 57-year-old could well be better served turning to academy asset, Adam Brooks, with the versatile teenager having showcased his quality for the club’s B team of late.

The highly-rated 18-year-old – who can feature in an attacking midfield role or through the middle – has been in clinical form so far this term, with five goals in just eight games in all competitions, including four goals in just five games in the Lowlands League.

The Scotland youth international has notably been lauded by coach Darren O’Dea in recent times, with the former Celtic defender saying of the emerging talent last season:

“Adam is one at the minute that’s in really good form, he’s scoring goals, he’s created a lot of goals, he’s trained particularly well. But he’s also developing the other side to his game.”

While Postecoglou has thus far been somewhat unwilling to promote from the academy set-up – with Stephen Welsh the only graduate to have forced his way into the first team of late – the former Yokohama boss could well strike gold by bringing young Brooks into the fold sooner rather than later.

Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus will be confident of making Brazil’s World Cup squad for the upcoming tournament in Qatar, especially considering his excellent form since joining from Manchester City in the summer.

With five goals and five assists in 12 Premier League matches, Jesus is hitting form at precisely the right time and could join a plethora of riches in the team, with the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, and Richarlison all looking like making Tite’s squad.

However, the 61-year-old must call up Gabriel Martinelli for the World Cup as he could be a wonderful option to utilise in Qatar.

Martinelli must go to Qatar

Despite only making his international debut in March this year and winning just two more caps since, Martinelli has been outstanding for Mikel Arteta’s side so far this season, especially in the Premier League.

With seven goal contributions in 12 matches, his attacking skills have been on regular display. The Brazilian also averages 1.8 key passes per match and has created a further four big chances.

By averaging 2.1 successful dribbles per match, his ability to go past defenders could be useful for Brazil, especially if they come up against stubborn opposition.

Martinelli knows what it takes to win a tournament with Brazil, having won an Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020 and this winning mentality could also stand him in good stead, with the national side aiming to win the World Cup for the first time in 20 years.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp described the £90k-per-week winger as the “talent of the century” earlier this year, and while this may be a tad over the top or a little premature, there is no doubt he has the ability to shine at a global international tournament.

With just 26 players picked for the final squad, it will be extremely tight whether or not he sneaks into the final roster, especially as he faces competition from the likes of Gabriel Barbosa and Matheus Cunha. It could well be a nervy wait for the talented winger.

Brazil won’t just be targeting success at Qatar, they are constantly looking to the future and if Martinelli is chosen this year, it could give him the experience to become part of the Seleção for the next decade.

Jurgen Klopp has reportedly asked Liverpool to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente next summer.

The Lowdown: Bellingham slipping away…

It was reported earlier this week that FSG are ‘unlikely’ to pay the asking price for Jude Bellingham, meaning that they may have to look at alternative targets.

The Anfield giants are also eight points off the top four at the moment in the Premier League table, and if they do not qualify for next season’s Champions League, then the Borussia Dortmund star may be out of their reach anyway.

The Latest: Klopp wants Llorente

As per Spanish sources, Klopp has asked Liverpool to make an ‘economic effort’ to sign Llorente next summer.

The 27-year-old’s manager Diego Simeone could give the ‘green light’ for him to leave for Anfield, should the Reds meet Atletico’s asking price.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/https-www-footballtransfertavern-com-liverpool-fc-news-liverpool-premier-league-mohamed-salah-news-updates-klopp/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Get it done

With their chances of signing Bellingham seemingly falling, Llorente would be a great alternative should Liverpool be able to get a deal done.

Hailed as an ‘incredible footballer’ by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, the 27-year-old has already won the Champions League (with Real Madrid) and La Liga (with Atletico) in an illustrious career.

He has has 17 senior caps for the Spanish national team ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, in which he will hope to feature, while Liverpool fans already know of his big-game potential after he scored twice against the Reds to dethrone them as Champions League holders in spring 2020.

Llorente is capable of playing pretty much anywhere across the pitch, so his extra versatility could be very useful to Klopp and his squad over the next few seasons should the Reds find themselves challenging on all fronts again.