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According to Record via Sports Witness, Everton are interested in signing Sporting Lisbon captain Bruno Fernandes in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

Fernandes has been in quite outstanding form for Sporting this season, scoring 22 times and registering 11 assists in 39 appearances in all competitions.

When considering that he is not even a striker, those numbers are quite something.

Fernandes has a contract with his Portuguese club until the summer of 2023, but according to Record via Sports Witness, he might have a decision to make at the end of the season.

The report has claimed that Everton have joined Liverpool and Atletico Madrid in pursuit of the 24-year-old, who is an 11-time Portugal international.

The price tag could be substantial, but the Toffees must do all that they can to bring the attacker to Goodison Park in this summer’s transfer window.

Why should Everton sign him?

Simply put, Fernandes would be a huge upgrade on Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Sigurdsson has scored nine Premier League goals this season, but is quite unpopular with the Everton fans due to his inconsistency.

Indeed, there are many of the club’s supporters who feel that the Iceland international does not turn up when his team really needs him.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Sigurdsson is five years older than Fernandes, meanwhile, and Everton should look to upgrade in this summer’s transfer window.

Beating the likes of Liverpool and Atletico to the Portuguese would certainly send out a huge message to the rest of the Premier League.

And it is absolutely vital that the Merseyside giants have a strong summer transfer window as they look to progress next season.

Leeds United fans have been handed an update on their pursuit of Rangers star Ryan Kent ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window…

What’s the story?

Last year, Leeds had a number of offered rejected by the Ibrox outfit, but it appears their interest in the winger has not ended, with journalist Pete O’Rourke claiming that he has some big admirers behind-the-scenes at Thorp Arch.

He said: “I think Marcelo Bielsa was a big fan of him, as is Victor Orta, so that one does seem to have some credence to it.”

Imagine him and Raphinha

After enjoying a superb season last year – he scored 13 goals and set up another 15 – Kent has continued his good form into the new campaign, managing an impressive 16 assists in just 36 games across all competitions.

The £20k-a-week earning ace was hailed by team-mate Conor Goldson as “magnificent”, while the defender also added: “He has got a lot of ability. (He is) 24-years-old, two-footed. It is not nice when he runs at you, I can tell you that personally from training. He has got everything.”

The praise does not stop there however, with Neil Dewsnip, his former coach at England U17 level, saying: “He seems to relish the atmosphere, so I think he’s in the bracket of players who think ‘the bigger, the better’. Ryan is very exciting so, when he’s good he’s devastatingly good.

“But that’s a trait of a lot of wide players. The challenge is to be consistent and I’m sure that’s what Steven and his staff will be working to achieve.”

The interest in Kent is certainly understandable especially when you consider the uncertainty surrounding the future of Raphinha.

The big talking point this summer will of course be whether the Brazilian stays put at Elland Road, and while Premier League survival would certainly help the Whites’ chances of keeping hold of him, news of Barcelona’s interest is sure to have the club sweating.

Letting Raphinha go in the transfer window would be a massive blow for Leeds given his performances for them – even this season he has managed nine goals in 28 Premier League games, and done his level-best to preserve the Whites’ top-flight status.

But while the Brazilian’s exit would hurt, bringing in Kent would provide that same level of excitement and end product that Raphinha has brought to the table.

The man with 34 senior goals to his name could be the arrival that offsets any potential Raphinha departure this summer.

AND in other news – Leeds must finally offload £15k-p/w outcast who last played at Elland Road in 2018

Leeds United have plans in place ahead of the January transfer window at 11pm…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Tim Thornton, who dropped a quite exciting claim to Sky Sports News earlier this morning.

Crysencio Summerville is subject to interest from abroad, with 2.Bundesliga outfit Hamburg SV said to be keen on signing him on loan, so if Marcelo Bielsa does sanction his exit, then the club will look to bring someone in to replace him.

“There is interest in him. Summerville wants to go out and play. Leeds have already got alternatives lined up. [Takumi] Minamino at Liverpool they have been looking at. But as things stand, he’s not going anywhere. Of course, this is transfer deadline day and that could change.”

Late encouragement?

This should provide some excitement to those around Elland Road as it shows that Victor Orta and co are prepared to bolster the playing squad, should a spot become available.

Of course, the Argentine needs a couple of reinforcements in order to boost their chances of avoiding a relegation scrap as he has been dealing with quite the injury crisis at Thorp Arch.

Minamino is certainly an intriguing option to sign as he has impressed during his time at Liverpool, despite a lack of game time. It’s always going to be hard for him when the likes of Sadio Mane and Mo Salah are ahead of him in the pecking order.

The versatile Japanese winger, who was dubbed “very special” by Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl last season following his loan move to the south coast, has delivered six goals and one assist in 18 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

That includes two Premier League goals in 86 minutes, which is quite remarkable. Just imagine what he could do at Elland Road when given a proper opportunity for game time.

Elsewhere, Chelsea winger Kenedy is another potential option, according to Telegraph journalist Mike McGrath.

Both players would surely be easy to get over the line, given they are both at current Premier League teams, so there should be plenty of encouragement if you’re a United supporter, heading into the final few hours of the window.

AND in other news, Leeds eye last-ditch Aaronson alternative in “very special” £10m gem, Bielsa needs him…

Manchester United are keen on signing Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn in the summer.

That’s according to The Telegraph, with a number of Red Devils fans giving their thoughts to the news on social media.

United aren’t expected to be busy during the January transfer window, with the club turning their attentions towards a busy summer.

Midfield is thought to be an area where United want to strengthen, with McGinn featuring against Ralf Rangnick’s side in a 1-0 FA Cup defeat last week.

The Telegraph’s James Ducker revealed on Monday that the 27-year-old is admired by Old Trafford technical director Darren Fletcher and could be valued at around £40m. Should his contract situation remain the same in the Midlands, the Scot would have two years left on his deal in the summer, although he is expected to be offered new terms.

United fans react

@utdreport shared the links regarding McGinn on social media. Here is what these United fans had to say in reply, with a mixture of responses available to view below, where one supporter labelled it as ‘ridiculous’.

“Wow”

Credit: @3112Christian

“This is fantastic”

Credit: @Bosun_Betiku

“This is ridiculous when he costs as much. He does why not get someone more suited to the manager like Zakaria whilst saving a lot of your money for a better player and get them now, I don’t really just see the point, just trying to throw us off surely!”

Credit: @detectivechimpR

“These are the types of players we need ‘work horse’ ”

Credit: @Jornwathe4

“Shame on Man United.”

Credit: @manutdtimes

“If we’re even looking at this it’s absolutely ridiculous”

Credit: @henryja04492394

In other news: ‘Conte at it again’ – Lots of Man Utd fans react as Spurs now eye move for £120k-p/w ace

Having scored 40 league goals fewer than Championship table-toppers Fulham, West Brom made their move in the early stages of the January transfer window to add some more firepower to their squad with the signing of Daryl Dike.

Unfortunately, the former Orlando City forward was recently and cruelly struck with a muscle injury which will now keep him out of action for a considerable amount of time.

Before the transfer window closed, the Baggies managed to bring in another striker – presumably as a result of Dike’s injury – in the shape of former Reading and Newcastle United marksman Andy Carroll on a free transfer until the end of the season.

The striker joined Reading in November after he left the Magpies, where he was picking up £23k-per-week according to Salary Sport last year, as a free agent in the summer.

During his brief stint with Veljko Paunovic’s side, the striker scored two goals and provide one assist in eight league appearances prior to finding himself out of the squad shortly before joining the Baggies.

Now that the 33-year-old has made his way to The Hawthorns, this will be a great chance for him to not only put his underwhelming time at Reading behind him, but also to potentially achieve something great by getting the Baggies back into the Premier League again.

While his first performance in a West Brom shirt in their recent 2-0 defeat against Millwall may not have been memorable, there is an argument to be made that Carroll didn’t arrive in ideal circumstances, given the Baggies’ dreadful run of form which got former manager Valerien Ismael the sack.

Now that his former Newcastle boss Steve Bruce, under whom the striker played 43 times at St. James’ Park, has entered the frame at West Brom, they will need to work together again to the best of their abilities if Albion are to have any hope of securing promotion by the end of the season.

If Bruce can get a positive tune out of the striker in the coming weeks and months in terms of goals and strong performances, this should give the Baggies a great chance of being in with a shout of promotion, especially since goals are what the team badly needs.

In other news: Bruce can become an instant fan favourite by unleashing WBA’s rarely-seen “star”

West Ham are unlikely to sign Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli in January due to ‘bad blood’ between the two clubs, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Alli linked with Hammers move

The Hammers may be looking to bring in new faces in the January transfer window, in order to strengthen their top-four push.

One player that have been linked with signing is Alli, who has fallen increasingly out of favour at the north London club, only making eight Premier League starts this season.

The 25-year-old has been involved since Antonio Conte took charge but it may still be the case that a move away materialises this month.

The Latest: Journalist not convinced

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke admitted that he struggles to see a transfer happening, given the rivalry which exists between the two London clubs.

He claimed: “I just can’t see Tottenham and West Ham doing business for Dele Alli, especially with both clubs fighting it out for a top four finish and there’s a bit of bad blood between the clubs.”

The Verdict: Hard to see it happening

It’s hard to disagree with O’Rourke, with Spurs surely not willing to sell a player to a direct rival, even if he isn’t considered a key player at N17.

The battle to finish in the top four is going to be intense in the coming months and it would make little sense to potentially make West Ham stronger, should Alli reach his potential with the Irons in the same way that Jesse Lingard did last year.

Should the Hammers seal a deal for the 25-year-old, it could be an inspired move, with the midfielder scoring 51 goals in the Premier League and being hailed as ‘fantastic’ by Ian Wright.

In other news, some West Ham fans have erupted over one transfer claim. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have been offered the chance to sign Mauro Icardi in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that the Paris Saint-Germain centre-forward’s agents have contacted Spurs regarding the possibility of a move to the club in the upcoming winter market.

The report added that PSG are open to parting with the 28-year-old in January, although Sport Witness suggested that Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici’s preferred target for the position is Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Icardi would solve Spurs’ issue

Considering that Conte has only the option of Harry Kane as a natural centre-forward in his first-team squad, it is clear that the position is one in which the Italian must strengthen this winter if he is to realistically give Tottenham a chance of securing a top-four finish this season.

Indeed, with Kane having somewhat struggled for form of late, scoring just one goal over his 12 Premier League appearances, Spurs have often struggled to find the back of the net in the current campaign, with their 13 goals scored fewer than the likes of Newcastle United and Burnley in the bottom three.

As such, while Icardi has found his game-time limited at PSG following the arrival of Lionel Messi this summer, the £31.5m-rated marksman has nevertheless proven in his career that he could well be the solution to Conte’s centre-forward headache.

Indeed, following his initial season-long loan switch to Paris back in the 2019/20 campaign, the £157k-per-week forward demonstrated that he is something of a perfect rotation option up top, bagging 12 goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances over just 20 Ligue 1 appearances – only 14 of which came as starts.

These returns saw the player who legendary centre-back Giorgio Chiellini claimed is “almost impossible to mark” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.04, something which demonstrates the Argentina international’s capacity for having a huge influence on his team’s results even if he is not selected continuously.

As such, should Conte and Paratici indeed go on to seal a deal for Icardi this winter, it would very much appear as if the duo would be taking a massive step towards finally solving one of Spurs’ biggest issues.

In other news: Conte must make “incredible” £60m dynamo his first signing, he’d revolutionise Spurs

Crystal Palace are reportedly keen to sign Brentford midfielder Christian Eriksen this summer, as the Eagles look to push on after a successful first season under Patrick Vieira.

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, the south London side are interested in luring the Dane away from west London this summer, after the attacking midfielder joined the Bees in January on a six-month contract.

There was a risk in signing the 30-year-old who hadn’t played since suffering a cardiac arrest last June whilst in action for Denmark at the EURO 2020.

However, the former Tottenham Hotspur star has settled back into the Premier League excellently and is a target for an array of clubs, including Palace.

Palace must sign Eriksen

Crystal Palace will be hopeful that their midfield will once again include Conor Gallagher next season, with the Englishman highly impressing at Selhurst Park on loan from Chelsea this term, however, the Eagles are yet to make any sort of breakthrough in extending the 22-year-old’s stay in SE25.

Therefore, if Gallagher isn’t to stay with the Eagles, signing Eriksen would ensure Vieira’s midfield doesn’t suffer. Having said that, the attacking threat of both Eriksen and Gallagher in the same midfield would be a mouthwatering concept for Palace supporters.

Despite fears that the 30-year-old wouldn’t be able to play football again, the Denmark international has returned to action with no signs of wear and tear, having been labelled “unbelievable” by his manager and fellow countryman, Thomas Frank.

The midfielder has scored and assisted once in five league appearances for Brentford, having left Inter Milan in the summer, as well as netting twice last month upon his return to the Denmark national team.

Having earned 111 caps for Denmark as well as making 533 senior appearances at club level, the 30-year-old possesses remarkable experience that the Eagles could certainly do with, despite aiming to lower the average age of their squad.

Moreover, the Dane has scored 148 goals in that period, highlighting the quality he could provide.

It would certainly be a statement signing for Palace who have impressed under Vieira in the Frenchman’s first season as a Premier League manager.

The South London outfit are currently 10th in the Premier League whilst also set to face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday.

Securing a top-half finish and potentially winning the FA Cup would be a marvellous success for the Eagles. Moreover, it would certainly attract higher quality talents in the summer, such as Eriksen.

AND in other news: Vieira must finally unleash £37k-p/w Palace “baller”, his “magic” could stun Chelsea

Lots of Everton fans were critical of the performance of Jonjoe Kenny in their 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

With Nathan Patterson unavailable and Seamus Coleman dropped to the bench, Kenny was left to play at right-back, and he seemed to struggle throughout the game up against both Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho.

The 24-year-old lost out on three of his duels and failed to make a single dribble, tackle or cross, while he also lost possession of the ball on 24 different occasions in total, the most out of any of his teammates (SofaScore).

He did not do enough to warrant keeping his starting place ahead of Coleman and Patterson, and Duncan Ferguson now has a selection dilemma to ponder ahead of Everton’s next match.

Everton fans blast Kenny

These Toffees fans on Twitter blasted Kenny’s performance against Aston Villa on Saturday:

“Kenny can’t pass a ball 5 feet”

Credit: @blackhurst92

“Can’t believe Kenny was playing today, offers nothing with the ball. No Gordon as well was baffling. Heading for the Championship after years of squad mismanagement, fully deserved”

Credit: @MarkWood17

“Kenny and Holgate starting. 2 lightweights in midfield. Wingers having to cut back all the time. No cohesion. Absolute shambles of a club.”

Credit: @nsno1878

“Jonjoe Kenny, who’s he conned into making him a pro footballer?”

Credit: @JoelBeckett93

“Jonjoe Kenny is atrocious”

Credit: @paddy55304510

“Jonjoe Kenny is dead set one of the worst players I’ve ever seen.”

Credit: @LDand_13

In other news, find out whose display against Villa was also slammed by many Evertonians

After making no mistake in picking up all three points in their previous Premier League outing against Norwich City, Aston Villa are back in action once again this weekend with a home clash against Burnley next up for Steven Gerrard’s side.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Gerrard could select to be in his starting XI to take on Sean Dyche’s side, one player that featured in their midweek victory that should be in the team to face Burnley is Jacob Ramsey, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £15,000-per-week according to Salary Sport.

In the 90 minutes he was on the pitch for against Norwich, Ramsey showed Gerrard just what a significant midfield player he can be for the Villans by showing his ability in both an attacking and defensive sense.

Going forward, as well as scoring Villa’s opening goal in the first half, Ramsey managed to make two key passes, have a total of three shots at goal and complete one successful dribble.

In a defensive regard, Ramsey managed to win seven of the 10 duels he was involved in and make two tackles in the game, showing how much of a well-rounded midfield player he is.

This performance earned the 20-year-old an impressive overall match rating of 8/10 from SofaScore, making him Villa’s second-highest rated player on the day as he was deservedly called “outstanding” by Gerrard.

Birmingham Live also picked up on his solid performance against Norwich by saying that it was a “coming-of-age performance from the 20-year-old who looks every bit a Premier League player,” as well as adding that Ramsey is “growing into a proper player.”

With this in mind and the fact that Villa have the likes of Morgan Sanson, Anwar El Ghazi, Leon Bailey, Bertrand Traore and Marvelous Nakamba out for the weekend’s game, even though Gerrard may have little option but to start Ramsey, his performance against Norwich certainly showed that he should be in the team based on his quality alone, not the inavailability of others.

Even though Carney Chukwuemeka managed to grab an assist in the match against Norwich after coming off the substitutes bench, the fact that Ramsey has more minutes in the league under his belt this season suggests that he would be the better fit to start against Burnley rather than Chukwuemeka on this occasion.

In other news: AVFC handed big injury boost ahead of Burnley clash that’ll have Gerrard buzzing – opinion