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Everton are reportedly eyeing a move for Merih Demiral in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Centre-back needed

The Merseyside club certainly need to improve on their defence if they have ambitions of qualifying for Europe next year, given that they conceded 48 goals in the Premier League last season.

A new central defender could go a long way towards resolving that and would give the Toffees another option alongside the likes of Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey, Mason Holgate and Yerry Mina.

The Latest: Demiral interest

As per Tuttosport, Everton have probed Juventus about the potential signing of Demiral, along with Atalanta and AS Roma.

However, the Turin giants are looking for a fee in the region of €40m (£34.4m) for his signature.

The Verdict: Sign

Although the fee may seem a bit steep, especially for a centre-back, Everton should do all that they can to try and get Demiral on their books.

Described as an ‘outstanding’ player by Italian media after a stellar display back in February against eventual Serie A winners Inter Milan, he has certainly shown that he is more than capable of playing at the highest level, and at just 23 years of age, he has a lot of potential still left to fulfil.

Even though Turkey went out at the group stages at Euro 2020, Demiral performed very well at times, averaging 6.7 clearances, 1.7 interceptions and 1.3 tackles per game, while also winning 4.3 of his duels per match (Sofascore).

Everton would do well to snap him up ahead of some of the top clubs in European football following his performances in this summer’s tournament.

In other news, find out what transfer update has been bemoaned by these Evertonians

According to a recent report from Wolves journalist Liam Keen for the Express & Star, the Premier League are negotiating on behalf of their clubs with FIFA and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) officials to see if players can leave in early January and be available for their clubs over the Christmas and New Year period.

From a Wolves point of view, if a deal can be reached, this would allow defenders Willy Boly and Romain Saiss to be involved for the Premier League clash against Manchester United on January 3 at Old Trafford.

Wolves fans would be delighted

If an agreement can be made, this would surely give Wolves manager Bruno Lage a big boost when it comes to taking on the Red Devils and delight a lot of Old Gold fans in the process.

Even though Wolves have the likes of Conor Coady and Max Kilman in their squad who have started all 15 of their Premier League games so far this season, there’s no certainty that they will be available to play at Old Trafford next month. That could leave Lage having to rely on the likes of Saiss and Boly to step up if they are both available.

Despite Boly not making even one appearance in the Premier League so far this term, he still has the backing of Lage, who described him as an “important” player for Wolves.

Saiss, on the other hand, has been a regular figure for the Old Gold in this campaign, starting all 15 league games alongside Coady and Kilman and earning himself an overall season rating of 6.89/10 for his performances, making him Wolves’ fourth-highest rated player according to WhoScored.

With this is mind and the fact that United have currently scored more than double the amount of league goals (25) that Wolves have managed (12), it would undoubtedly be preferable if Lage can call upon both Saiss and potentially Boly, if he’s fit enough, to try and secure a positive result against the Red Devils.

If a deal can’t be agreed between the Premier League and AFCON officials, the Wolves boss will have to hope that Coady and Kilman will be fit enough to play and that they can do enough to keep United at bay.

In other news: Wolves dealt possible transfer blow on £40m “Van Dijk-like signing”, Shi surely fuming

Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt was forced off for the under-23s on Monday evening with a fresh injury concern.

The Lowdown: Gelhardt’s season so far

He has featured in four of the five Premier League games under Jesse Marsch, scoring a crucial winner against Norwich City last month.

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The 19-year-old has slowly been establishing himself as a valuable figure in the American’s squad from the bench and played 31 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Southampton on Saturday.

He was given a start for the under-23s in a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Monday evening, but it didn’t go to plan.

The Latest: ‘Bad news’ for Gelhardt

The Yorkshire Evening Post shared the news of Gelhardt’s injury on Twitter, describing it as ‘bad news from Elland Road’.

They added that the forward had an issue with his left leg and had to receive treatment, with the Whites’ initial hope being that it is a dead leg.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Gelhardt started for the under-23s looking to build up his fitness, with a reported fake positive virus test impacting the striker during the international break.

Fans may well be wondering why he was even playing on Monday, considering that both Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts are long-term absentees.

Hopefully the issue is a minor one and the 19-year-old can be available for selection for the huge trip to Watford this weekend following the club’s assessment this morning.

In other news – 9.1/10 rating: Leeds target produces incredible display after Orta name-dropped him

Newcastle United have now been backed by Noel Whelan in their pursuit of Conor Coady in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Coady on shortlist

A source from the St. James’ Park faithful has claimed to Football Insider that Coady is on their shortlist ahead of January.

It will reportedly take a bid of around £30m to sign the central defender from Wolves, who is under contract at the Molineux until 2025.

The Latest: Whelan backs Coady move

Speaking to Football Insider about those claims, former Leeds United and Coventry City striker Whelan has backed the North East club in their pursuit of Coady:

“He’s a brilliant defender and consistency is what you will get from him.

“Newcastle have struggled defensively for a number of years now, so getting a defender like him into the spine of that side will be massive.

“That’s the first place I’d be looking.

“You have Wilson, Saint-Maximin and Almiron in the attack, so you have enough there but the frailties are at the back and at centre-half, for me.

“Connor Coady is a player you would be more than happy with at your football club.

“He’s got the leadership qualities, he’s an England international now and he is a very consistent performer for Wolves.”

The Verdict: Too much money

There is always going to be a premium price to pay for English players in the market, but £30m is simply too much for Coady, considering that his market value is currently rated at £22.5m by Transfermarkt.

Being the captain at Molineux, he would certainly offer leadership to the team, and at 28 years of age, is in his prime.

However, he has been no better than Ciaran Clark and Jamaal Lascelles in terms of average interceptions (one), clearances (2.7) and blocks (0.6) per game in the Premier League so far this season (Whoscored), and even though money is not an object to the new owners, they should either be looking to get him for cheaper or look elsewhere.

In other news, find out which striker who has ‘a bit of everything’ would be a ‘great signing’ for NUFC here!

Leeds United have been dealt a late setback ahead of their Premier League meeting with Watford this afternoon.

What’s the latest?

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s 3pm kick-off (via Yorkshire Evening Post), Roy Hodgson revealed that both Nicolas Nkoulou and Kwadwo Baah have returned from injury, leaving the 74-year-old with a fully-fit squad to pick from ahead of Leeds’ trip to Vicarage Road.

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Regarding the current state of his squad, Hodgson said: “Basically, we have a fully fit squad.

“It’s quite incredible the work the doctors and the physios have done here this late in the season to present each day a list of players all of them ready and able to train. So I congratulate them and it does mean that we don’t have anything to think about in that respect.”

Marsch will be gutted

Considering the sheer number of injuries with which Jesse Marsch has had to contend since his arrival at Elland Road back in March, the news that Watford have a fully-fit squad for the relegation six-pointer this afternoon is sure to have left the 48-year-old Leeds manager gutted.

Indeed, while the return of Joe Gelhardt will have come as a huge boost to the American and his side, the fact nevertheless remains that Leeds are having to make do without a number of their first-team regulars at Vicarage Road – with Tyler Roberts, Junior Firpo, Patrick Bamford and Jamie Shackleton all sidelined.

Furthermore, the return of long-term absentee Nkoulou and the highly-rated Germany under-19 international Baah will not only provide the Hornets with a boost for their meeting with the Whites this weekend, but also over the remainder of the season. Considering that there are just eight points separating Watford and Leeds prior to kick-off today, that could give Hodgson’s side the edge in the race for survival, especially if the hosts win at Vicarage Road this afternoon.

As such, it is clear to see that Watford’s clean bill of health is certainly bad news for Leeds, duly making the three points on offer this afternoon all the more important to secure.

AND in other news – Sold at £13m, now worth £100m: Leeds had a nightmare on 20 year-old who “everyone is talking about”

Dani Vivian’s performances for Athletic Bilbao have caught the eye of Wolverhampton Wanderers, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net.

The lowdown

Vivian, a centre-back, has made his first-team breakthrough at the Estadio San Mames this season, starting seven of the first eight La Liga matches.

He’s averaged 4.9 clearances and 1.6 tackles per 90 minutes so far. Of Wolves’ current defenders, only Romain Saiss can better those numbers.

Wolves may still be in the market for a centre-back, having unsuccessfully pursued Lille’s Sven Botman and Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara during the summer transfer window (via The Athletic).

The latest

Vivian is ‘drawing the attention’ of three Premier League sides – Wolves, West Ham United and Arsenal. They’re said to be ‘compiling statistical reports’ on the Spaniard.

The new contract he signed last season runs until 2023 and, importantly, contains a release clause of €40million (£34million).

The verdict

Vivian may not yet be at the calibre of Botman and Kamara, two of the best young defenders in Europe, but his stock certainly seems to be growing by the week.

Intriguingly, the report adds that, the way things are going, the list of suitors will grow significantly before the end of the season.

Still, it’s hard to justify making him the third-biggest signing in Wolves’ history at this stage.

In other news, fans hailed this ‘magic’ moment.  

Adam Blackmore has dropped a big update on the future of reported Aston Villa transfer target James Ward-Prowse…

What’s the talk?

The Radio Solent journalist has stated that the Southampton midfielder will not be leaving the south coast before the end of the transfer window.

He tweeted: “After the last 24 hours with Ings, Grealish, etc., and all the crazy gossip that goes along with it, it’s probably worth reiterating the point I’ve made previously, that Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse is going nowhere in this window.”

Aston Villa are interested in signing the England international this summer and have reportedly already had an offer of £25m rejected by the Saints.

Fans will be fuming

Aston Villa fans must be fuming with this update as it appears to rule out what would be a terrific signing for the club. Ward-Prowse is a proven Premier League performer and would be a superb addition to Dean Smith’s side, which is why supporters will surely be upset that he is now set to stay with Southampton.

The Englishman played every single minute of the Saints’ league campaign last term, averaging an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.07. He provided eight goals and seven assists from midfield, whilst also making 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game.

Of all the Villa players to feature in 10 or more Premier League matches last season, only Ollie Watkins (7.18) and Jack Grealish (7.56) managed higher average ratings than Ward-Prowse. This shows that the 26-year-old could come in at Villa Park and be one of the better performers at the club, as he has already shown that he can perform to a high standard in the top flight.

At the end of last season, Saints head coach Ralph Hasenhuttl called him “outstanding”. The Austrian told the Daily Echo: “It’s not surprising for me, a player who played every minute this season is unbelievable.

“His physicality and his performances are outstanding. That’s our captain on the pitch and he is on the way that he is a very important player for this club for the long-term, I think.”

This highlights Ward-Prowse’s quality at Premier League level and why he would surely improve Villa’s side. Therefore, supporters will be gutted over this update from Blackmore, with the midfielder now looking likely to be playing for Southampton rather than Villa in the 2021/22 campaign. It is now down to Johan Lange and Smith to identify alternative targets before the end of the transfer window.

AND in other news, “It might leave them a bit light” – Aston Villa journalist rules out exit for 27 y/o amid report…

Adama Traore’s long-term future is unlikely to belong at Wolves after a lack of playing time recently, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Traore loses place

Bruno Lage’s side are in a good place at the moment, sixth in the Premier League after winning 1-0 at home to high-flying West Ham on Saturday.

However, Traore isn’t a key part of Wolves’ plans at the moment, having fallen out of favour in recent weeks. The winger hasn’t started a game this month, with the likes of Francisco Trincao and Daniel Podence preferred to him out wide, and he featured for just 14 minutes against the Hammers.

The Latest: Hatfield makes Traore exit prediction

Recent reports have linked Traore with a move away from Molineux, and speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Hatfield said that he expects the Spain winger to move on

The journalist claimed: “If I was a betting man, I would probably say that his future lies away from Molineux.”

The Verdict: Time to move on?

The £27m-rated Traore is an exciting player renowned for his pace and power – indeed, Jurgen Klopp once called him “unplayable” – but it appears as though Lage doesn’t rate him as highly.

If that is the case, it is pointless keeping hold of him, especially as Wolves could earn a healthy fee for his signature, with his current deal not expiring until 2023.

Allowing Traore to leave would suit all parties, giving Lage additional transfer funds on players he wants around and giving the Spaniard an opportunity for regular football elsewhere.

It could be argued that it is no coincidence that Wolves’ form has improved without Traore in the team, with the winger failing to contribute to a goal in 13 appearances this term despite his aforementioned traits.

In other news, Wolves have been tipped to sign one player. Find out who it is here.

According to Calciomercato, there has been an update on the future of AC Milan captain Alessio Romagnoli and it involves Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Conte eyeing Serie A swoops…

One of the recurring themes of new manager Antonio Conte’s time at Spurs so far is the repeated links to some of Italian football’s biggest names.

Indeed, Calciomercato recently claimed that the 52-year-old could target as many as six Serie A players in Federico Chiesa, Matthijs de Ligt, Stefan de Vrij, Marcelo Brozovic, Vlahovic and Romagnoli.

Another San Siro star in Franck Kessie has also been repeatedly linked with Tottenham as both Rudy Galetti and La Gazzetta (via Get Italian Football News) drop suggestions of a very advanced move.

The topic of this report is Romagnoli, however, as Calciomercato bring news on Spurs’ pursuit of the player after TuttoJuve24 claimed Conte is ‘ready’ to take him ‘immediately’.

The Latest: Romagnoli has ‘proposal’ from Tottenham…

As well as the majority of Tottenham’s targets being from Serie A, a number of them could also leave for free in the summer of 2022. Indeed, the likes of Brozovic, Kessie and Romagnoli all currently have deals which expire at the end of this season and are free to negotiate pre-contract terms with other clubs in January.

According to Calciomercato, the Milan defender has ‘many proposals’ on the table, including from Juventus and Spurs as both clubs endanger the Rossoneri’s chances of agreeing fresh terms with their captain.

The Verdict: Astute option?

If Tottenham can secure an agreement to sign Romagnoli for free next summer, or even for a cut-price fee in January, we believe he could be an astute purchase to partner Cristian Romero.

The 26-year-old, who would come with a longer shelf life than fellow centre-back targets like De Vrij, stands out as a composed and assured figure in central defence.

So far this season, Romagnoli has averaged a higher pass accuracy than any Tottenham defender, with teammate Fikayo Tomori also labelling him a ‘great champion’ alongside teammate Simon Kjaer (Corriere dello Sport via milannews.it).

With the player earning a reported £106,000 per week, Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici wouldn’t exactly have to break the bank with Romangnoli’s salary demands either, given that a fee around that amount should be more than attainable.

The 6 foot 2 powerhouse may well bolster Conte’s backline as he aims to bring glory back to N17.

In other news: Spurs now close to signing ‘monster’ player as Conte seeks to solve severe problem, find out more here.

Liverpool have reportedly shown an interest in Cagliari defender Sebastian Walukiewicz as Jurgen Klopp eyes further additions to his backline.

What’s the story?

That’s according to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, who claim that the Reds are monitoring the 21-year-old centre-back ahead of a possible move this summer.

The report claims that the Serie A outfit will demand a minimum of £8 million for their prized asset after an impressive showing last season.

Fans will surely be delighted

Liverpool suffered from a severe injury crisis in 2020/21, with their three senior centre-backs all suffering season-ending injuries by January.

The absence of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip saw Klopp turn to midfielders Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, but that caused problems in the club’s engine room, forcing the German tactician to trust fringe player Nat Phillips, loanee Ozan Kabak and youngster Rhys Williams in the second half of the campaign.

An upturn in results saw the Anfield outfit finish third in the Premier League standings, but the club’s hierarchy have wasted no time in adding reinforcements, signing Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig.

The arrival of the France Under-21 international has seen Phillips heavily linked with a £15m move away from Merseyside, although his departure would potentially leave Liverpool light on numbers at the back.

Therefore, news that the club’s hierarchy are reportedly plotting a move for Walukiewicz will surely leave the supporters feeling delighted.

As per WhoScored, the 6 ft 1 beast made 1.9 interceptions per league game last term, three clearances and 0.7 blocks, placing him in the top three for all metrics when compared to his teammates.

After spending a year alongside former Atletico Madrid and Inter stalwart Diego Godin at the Sardegna Arena, Walukiewicz will have had an education in the art of defender that many youngsters can only dream about.

With money tight, Klopp may be tempted to sell Phillips over the coming weeks despite his impressive showing last term and replace him with Walukiewicz, maintaining a variety of options at the heart of the defence while making a healthy profit.

The funds generated could help Director of Football Michael Edwards bring in another one of Liverpool’s top transfer targets while ensuring the first-team squad should no longer be decimated by injuries so easily.

And, in other news…Liverpool make bid for “extraordinary” wizard but Reds fans should be gutted