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Everton have found themselves in a Premier League relegation battle this season with Frank Lampard desperately trying to save them from a drop into the Championship next season, but he could be heading for disaster if reports are to be believed on Michael Keane’s future at the club.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Paul Brown, Everton will keep hold of Keane this summer due to a potential lack of interest in the player and a contract that runs until 2025.

Brown told GIVEMESPORT;

“Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey are both under contract until 2025, so I can’t see that either of those two will be moved.

“There probably wouldn’t be much of a market for Keane anyway; he’s not playing well this season.”

Major Everton nightmare

It is no secret that the Everton centre-back has had an abysmal season, with a number of serious blunders in his performances that have ultimately cost the team crucial points in their pursuit for safety in top flight football.

Keane tops the list for Premier League own goals this season with two instances where the defender has opened up the scoring for his opponents, with one goal scored against Norwich City at Carrow Road in a 2-1 defeat, and then scoring the first goal again a few weeks later for Tottenham Hotspur in the 5-0 thrashing.

The £65k-p/w centre-back, who was dubbed a “liability” by Trevor Sinclair, then proceeded to get red carded against West Ham United which saw Everton concede another defeat, proving that the player has let his team down time and time again this season with extremely poor decision making in the last few months during the most vulnerable time for the club.

If Lampard manages to secure safety for Everton this season there is no doubt that he will need to strengthen his team to ensure that they don’t find themselves in a similar position next season, and with Keane’s aforementioned mistakes hindering the team’s progress, the manager could be sleepwalking into a major nightmare by not encouraging the club to move him on this summer.

With that being said, the former Chelsea boss must do everything he can to either demote the defender to a squad player by signing a replacement or put Keane on the transfer market in an effort to sell ahead of next season as improving the squad should be the top priority this summer.

In other news: Lampard can unearth the new Terry as Everton plot bid for 19 y/o heading for “the top”

Edinson Cavani’s time at Manchester United appears to be up, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming that the club have “no intention” to hand him a contract extension past the end of this season, along with Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard.

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford could also be heading through the departure doors of Old Trafford, with Arsenal interested in offering him a way out of Manchester this summer – according to The Daily Mirror.

With the duo both potentially lining up for other clubs next season, and Anthony Martial not yet impressing or beginning to show signs of resurrecting his career on-loan at Sevilla, the Red Devils could find themselves short in the striking department – and thus, a move for Roma star Tammy Abraham could be on the cards.

What’s the news?

Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) have claimed that United are “ready to make a big investment” in Abraham, who has scored 19 goals for club and country in all competitions this season, impressing since moving to Italy.

The report also states that “many clubs” have asked about the £40.5m-rated striker, including Tottenham – who have been linked with making a move for the Englishman should another United target, Harry Kane, depart the north London club this summer.

Made for Manchester

United fans are longing for a clinical, natural striker who can emulate the great Wayne Rooney and be the team’s primary goal-getter, and should Kane not be available this summer or choose to stay with Spurs, Abraham would be an excellent alternative.

Managing editor of The Athletic’s Tifo Football, Joe Devine, said that Abraham currently “owns the big stage”, which is evident by him netting two goals in Roma’s fierce ‘Derby della Capitale’ game with Lazio on their way to winning 3-0.

That’s as well as scoring the goal against Vitesse that sent the Serie A giants through to the next round of the UEFA Conference League – both coming in the club’s last two fixtures.

Among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions, the 24-year-old who was dubbed “Drogba-esque” by Rio Ferdinand, ranks incredibly highly in some key barometers.

He is in the top 2% for xG per 90 (0.69), top 16% for through balls per 90 (0.18) and top 15% for tackles per 90 (1.28) – proving that he is a complete striker still in the making, who will only get better and better – and would most likely be a huge success in Manchester.

Made for the big stage, this is exactly the type of forward that United need heading into next term. Not only will he provide more goals; but he could also be the Premier League’s next Drogba. A very exciting prospect indeed.

In other news: Man Utd now plotting bid for £90m-rated “animal”, he’s even better than Haaland

An update has emerged on free agent forward Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, regarding Sheffield Wednesday’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to the Sheffield Star, Sheffield Wednesday are considering a deal to sign free agent winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing this month.

The report claims that Darren Moore is eyeing more additions to his squad before the end of the window and Mendez-Laing is someone under consideration.

Nightmare

Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri must avoid a nightmare situation by swerving a deal for Mendez-Laing in the coming days.

Wednesday have had a sublime start to the season and are currently top of the table after four games, with three wins and one draw. There is no need for the club to take any risks in regards to new additions as they could end up ruining what Moore is trying to achieve on and off the pitch.

Mendez-Laing left Cardiff and later admitted to the use of cocaine in a non-sporting setting and was handed a three-month ban in July 2020. The forward released a statement earlier this year admitting that he has overcome personal hurdles and is now working hard to return to playing. He told BBC Sport:

“With the help of my family, close friends, my agent, and the PFA (Professional Footballers’ Association) during this extremely difficult time, I have been able to overcome my personal hurdles, to focus, and invest my time in working hard, determined to return to football.

“I appreciate all the support I have been given throughout. I now want to leave that period of my life in the past where it belongs.”

Whilst it is fantastic to read that Mendez-Laing is trying to get his life back on track, Wednesday are not in a position where they should be taking a risk on him. He may not be the right type of character, given his personal struggles, that thee Owls need in the dressing room as they will need all the positivity they can muster to launch a promotion push to return to the Championship at the first time of asking.

The 29-year-old joined Middlesbrough last season and scored once in nine appearances before being let go in the summer. This suggests that Neil Warnock did not see enough from him in training to warrant keeping him around on Teeside, which is another reason why Wednesday should be avoiding him. He is out of match practice and out of form due to his absence from the game and there is no need for the club to take a gamble on such a player in their situation.

AND in other news,  Chansiri must splash cash on “first-class” beast, he could be SWFC’s match-winner…

Sunderland have been dealt a blow regarding the fitness of Ross Stewart ahead of their upcoming Carabao Cup clash.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by Chronicle Live, who claim that the centre-forward looks set to be left out for the Black Cats’ trip to Wigan Athletic on Tuesday evening, as the 25-year-old picked up an ankle injury in the club’s 2-2 draw with Fleetwood Town on Saturday.

However, the report also went on to state that Tom Flanagan is once again available after serving his one-match suspension, while youngsters Niall Huggins, Frederik Alves, and Nathan Broadhead could all come into Lee Johnson’s starting XI.

Johnson will be gutted

While the Carabao Cup is not likely to be a competition overly high on Johnson’s list of priorities in a season in which Sunderland are hoping to mount a push for automatic promotion in League One, the absence of Stewart will nevertheless have left the 40-year-old manager gutted.

Having played second-fiddle to Charlie Wyke following his move from Ross County to Wearside back in January, Stewart has highly impressed in place of the now-departed 30-year-old centre-forward – who, rather ironically, now plays for Tuesday’s opponents – so far this season.

Indeed, over his seven League One appearances this term, the £450k-rated man has scored five goals, as well as taking an average of three shots and making 1.3 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the Scot earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.36, ranking him as Sunderland’s best performer in the third tier of English football.

As such, while the competition may not be of utmost importance to Johnson, the absence of Stewart will nevertheless come as a blow to the 40-year-old, as a win against the only side currently above Sunderland in the League One table would certainly be a major confidence boost for the Black Cats.

In other news: Sunderland enter into fresh talks with £4.3k-p/w “nightmare”, fans will be buzzing

The return of the Premier League this weekend after the latest international break sees Southampton take on Leeds United at St Mary’s on Saturday, with both teams having had rather disappointing starts to the campaign.

The Saints’ previous league outing before the break saw them fall to a 3-1 defeat against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Djenepo should start for Southampton on Saturday

One player who did not feature in Southampton’s starting XI against Chelsea but who should come in against Leeds is Moussa Djenepo, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £55k-per-week according to Spotrac.

Southampton signed the winger back in the 2019 summer transfer window on a four-year contract from Belgian club Standard Liege in a deal which could rise to £15m.

Since then, the 23-year-old – who is currently valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt – has made 58 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, in which he has scored four goals and provided two assists along the way.

So far this season, Djenepo – who was described by teammate Nathan Redmond as being a “super-talented” player – has played in all but one of Southampton’s league games, starting four of them, but has yet to score a goal or provide an assist.

Nonetheless, he has managed to rack up 1.2 shots per game so far this season in the Premier League according to WhoScored, showing that he is still very much an attacking threat for the Saints whenever he’s on the pitch, and he could therefore be a potential game-changer against Leeds. Only four players can exceed that tally and there is a strong chance that two of them won’t feature on Saturday through either suspension (James Ward-Prowse) or injury (Che Adams).

After replacing Nathan Tella in the second half of the Chelsea game, Djenepo made two successful dribbles and won five ground duels and two tackles in just 17 minutes, ultimately seeing him earn a match rating of 6.5/10. That was higher than the likes of Tella and Redmond, both of whom started the match according to SofaScore.

Looking ahead to the Leeds clash, we feel that Hasenhuttl should go with Djenepo over Tella on the left wing to see if the Mali international can help the Saints secure their first league win of the season against Marcelo Bielsa’s side – who they would overtake in the table if they manage to do so – based on the decent showing the 23-year-old delivered off the bench against Chelsea.

In other news: Hasenhuttl must unleash “perfect” £9m-rated Southampton gem, he’s a real game-changer

Celtic have made some incredibly strong progress under Ange Postecoglou but the time to properly judge the Australian will be next May.

The Hoops have signed some exceptional players to suit his system and all of that has provided six wins on the spin.

Yet, given how everything unravelled last season, supporters must be realistic about their chances.

What’s the word?

With just over a week to go before the transfer window closes for the month, the Bhoys still have plenty of business they want to conclude.

Odsonne Edouard could still head to the Premier League and if he does depart, a replacement will be required.

Celtic have been in the market for Greek forward Giorgos Giakoumakis but they are also interested in signing a player closer to home; Kevin Nisbet.

The Scotland international has been a target all summer and according to reporter Peter Martin, they are trying to tempt Hibernian with a player swap deal involving Leigh Griffiths.

Whether Hibs decide to bite on a deal, however, remains to be seen.

Must sign him

With Nisbet having expert knowledge of the Premiership, deciding to sign him this summer should be a no-brainer for Postecoglou and Dominic McKay.

Only Edouard scored more goals in the Scottish top-flight than the 24-year-old last season while a further two strikes in 2021/22 has taken him to 20 in Hibernian colours.

Furthermore, Celtic have seen firsthand the damage he can do.

On his way to being described as “wonderful” by Frank McAvennie, Nisbet scored twice against the Bhoys last term, including a last gasp goal in the League Cup.

On that occasion, he embarrassed the catastrophic Shane Duffy late on. A ball was swung into the area but the Irish centre-half typically failed to deal with it.

He lost balance and then instead of clearing the ball sufficiently, played it straight into the path of Nisbet who fired home in injury time.

It was a typical poacher’s finish from a player who has made the Premiership his playground over the last 12 months.

His record might not be as attractive as someone like Giakoumakis who found the net 29 times last campaign, but he knows the SPFL inside out.

Needing little adjustment time, he may well be the perfect heir to Edouard’s coveted throne. Ange needs him for that reason alone.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Kyogo: Ange must seal Celtic swoop for “dazzling” 27-goal weapon…

Aston Villa are keen on signing Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma, according to Sky Sports.

As to be expected, a number of Villa fans have been giving their thoughts to the news on social media.

The Midlands club have already finalised their first marquee addition of the January transfer window by agreeing on a loan deal with Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho.

Steven Gerrard and Johan Lange now appear to be turning their attention to a holding midfielder, with Marvelous Nakamba recently undergoing knee surgery.

Bissouma has just 18 months remaining on his contract with the Seagulls, with Villa seemingly willing to take advantage of that situation this month. The 25-year-old has been with Brighton since 2018 and has made 111 appearances for the club, 15 of which have come in the current campaign.

The Mali international is renowned for his effective distribution of the ball and his tough-tackling nature. No player who has started a top-flight match for Villa this season can better his 88.8% passing success rate, while his match average of 3.6 tackles is well clear of anyone in Gerrard’s squad (John McGinn leads the way with 2.7 per game).

Villa fans react

Well-known Twitter feed @villareport shared Sky Sports’ claim regarding Villa’s interest in Bissouma on the social media website.

Here is what these supporters had to say in reply, with many buzzing over the development and one describing a potential deal as ‘huge’.

“OH MY, STEVIE IS GOING CRAZY.”

Credit: @Jack_Hurley_R

“If we get him, wow”

Credit: @GW_94

“We are huge, man”

Credit: @TommmForddd

“Incredible if we pull this off as well”

Credit: @jack_gatehouse

“PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Would have a bigger impact on the team overall than Coutinho”

Credit: @trading2b3

“DON GERRARD WHAT IS GOING ON”

Credit: @Finleysurrell1

In other news: ‘Oh my god’ – Many Villa fans erupt at who West Ham now want to sign

A number of Manchester City supporters absolutely loved Kevin De Bruyne’s comments which seemed to mock Manchester United’s quality.

Pep Guardiola’s side enjoyed a superb derby win last weekend, cruising to a 2-0 victory away to their bitter rivals at Old Trafford.

The gulf in quality between the two sides was enormous for much of the game, and in truth, City could easily have won by more if they had wanted to.

It was the latest proof of how superior City are to United currently, and some fresh comments from De Bruyne suggested that Guardiola thinks very little of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Speaking to the MIDMID Podcast [via City Xtra on Twitter], the Belgian admitted that City trained for just 10 minutes in the lead-up to the game – far less than they normally to do in preparation to face an opponent. He said:

“The day before a game we usually train tactically, based on how the opponent plays. But before United, Pep said: ‘We don’t know how they are going to play. We shall see’. And we stopped training after 10 minutes or so.”Often Pep knows how the opponent is going to play. This time he didn’t know, so he didn’t know what to do.”

Man City fans react to De Bruyne comments

These City fans took to Twitter to show their love for De Bruyne’s comments, with one supporter lapping up the “disrespect” shown to United.

“Hahahahaha 10 minutes though. Manchester City I love you more and more by the day”

Credit: @CorrinneStanley

“My club”

Credit: @Dido_Mcfc

“Demolished them piece by piece after 10 minutes tactical training”

Credit: @fodenscity

“The disrespect”

Credit: @Mtamandeni_

“The pride of Manchester”

Credit: @thegoat10

“Mad, this is how United train every week”

Credit: @LordAtrexia

In other news, some Man City fans have erupted over an update on one player. Find out who it is here.

Kevin de Bruyne will be a ‘massive miss’ for Manchester City in their FA Cup semifinal meeting with Liverpool on Saturday, Danny Mills has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

De Bruyne was forced off in City’s goalless draw with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg after hurting his ankle.

And right-back Kyle Walker was also unable to complete the game at the Wanda Metropolitano after sustaining a similar injury.

Manager Pep Guardiola said after the match that the injuries had left his side in ‘big trouble’.

And in a fresh update in his Friday press conference, he revealed that neither De Bruyne nor Walker had trained on the eve of the game.

Liverpool are due to meet City for the second week in succession, with their semifinal pencilled in for 15.30 on Saturday. The winner will then play Chelsea or Crystal Palace in the May showpiece.

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The latest

Mills, who played for City between 2004 and 2009, is confident that they’ll be able to cope with the absence of Walker.

But he fears that update on De Bruyne could potentially tip the scales in Liverpool’s favour.

“Kevin De Bruyne is a massive miss,” the Sky Sports pundit told FI. “Kyle Walker, they can probably deal with.

“[Joao] Cancelo slots across and [Oleksandr] Zinchenko comes in. You’re a touch weaker but they can deal with that.

The verdict

There’s no denying that De Bruyne is a huge loss for City. This is a player who was named the official ‘King of the Match’ in last Sunday’s 2-2 draw after opening the scoring.

But perhaps Mills shouldn’t downplay the absence of Walker.

Another pundit, Paul Robinson, has warned that Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane, Liverpool’s left wing options, will be ‘licking their lips’ if Walker is absent.

The Englishman was named the fastest player in the Premier League in 2020 and that pace can help him neutralise opposition wingers.

Diaz’s acceleration has been described as ‘incredible’ by Marko Grujic, so is he now primed to hurt City if he gets a start?

In other news, Liverpool are keen on this Real Madrid midfielder.

A big Sunderland update has emerged in their search for a new manager, regarding out-of-work coach Grant McCann.

What’s the talk?

The Sun journalist Alan Nixon has revealed that the former Hull City boss is poised to meet with the club over a potential deal to replace Lee Johnson.

He Tweeted: “Grant McCann will have talks soon. Won’t be only one. But no compo and experience of League One.”

Elation

Sunderland fans will surely be elated by this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it shows that the club are making swift moves to bring in a replacement. They are not biding their time and dallying over what their next step will be and are, instead, looking to speak to potential appointments as quickly as possible.

Fans could love this as Sunderland do not have time to waste. They are third in the League One table and straight back into action on Saturday at the Stadium of Light against Doncaster, which is why they need a coach in sooner rather than later to avoid potentially missing out on crucial points.

The Black Cats faithful may also be elated with this update as McCann could be an excellent appointment. He has proven that he knows how to get a side out of the third tier as he led Hull to promotion last season, winning the division and racking up 89 points – averaging 1.93 points per game.

Johnson, meanwhile, picked up 53 points – 1.66 per game – in League One for Sunderland during the same campaign. The ex-Bristol City boss was relieved of his duties after the 6-0 defeat to Bolton left him averaging 1.86 points per game this term.

This suggests that McCann could be an improvement on the 40-year-old as he has shown that he has what it takes to get a team promoted from this division. He also has 73 Championship matches managed under his belt, which could come in handy if he ends up joining the club and taking them up to the second tier.

Supporters will surely be pleased to read that the club are attempting to bring a coach in who has experience of managing in League One and doing so successfully on top of that. Kristjaan Speakman will now need to assess whether he is the right fit for the squad the club currently have available, with the next few days potentially being an exciting time for the fans as they wait to see who the new manager will be.

AND in other news, Journo claims exciting SAFC manager news could emerge by “Saturday”, fans will love it…