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Many Everton fans have been lauding a transfer link to Maxi Gomez as the Daily Telegraph have reported that the Merseyside club are keeping tabs on the Valencia ace.

According to the outlet, Carlo Ancelotti’s team have made contact with the Spanish side with regards to the availability of the player, and Gomez will apparently be allowed to leave so that they can trim their squad going into the new 2020/21 term in order to cut costs.

Indeed, the £28.8 million-valued ace has a relatively impressive scoring record at club level, netting no fewer than 70 times and making a further 26 assists in 170 games in all competitions over the last few seasons, as per Transfermarkt.

These members of the Goodison Park faithful lauded the link on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even claiming that the Uruguayan international is the ‘closest we’ll come to ever replacing Lukaku,’ as the former Chelsea and Manchester United man managed to score 87 goals in 166 matches for the Toffees (via Transfermarkt):

Evertonians, would Gomez be a good signing? Comment below!

Tom Davies must look to cash in on the transfer interest emerging from Southampton after Carlo Ancelotti snubbed the outcast midfielder in Everton’s Carabao Cup win over West Ham United.

What’s the word?

According to reports by Sky Sports, Southampton are interested in signing Davies before the summer transfer window slams shut next Monday given the midfielder’s continued decline in the pecking order following the arrivals of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure at Goodison Park.

Everton are open to parting ways with their academy product ahead of Deadline Day, but have thus far responded to the Saints’ approach by informing the south coast outfit that Davies is only available for a permanent transfer, while Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side would prefer a loan deal at present.

Davies has been a constant outcast of manager Ancelotti’s plans in the new campaign, with the Italian only calling on the £14.4m-valued 22-year-old to play a total of two minutes in the Premier League to date.

Game time has been more forthcoming in the Carabao Cup, however Davies found himself among the unused substitutes as Everton thrashed West Ham 4-1 on Wednesday night, having played the full 90 minutes against Salford City and the final 28 minutes against Fleetwood Town in the earlier rounds.

Ancelotti’s latest snub must act as a signal to Davies that his time, at least immediately, is up at Goodison Park, and must therefore urge the Italian and Director of Football Marcel Brands to work on securing him a move to Southampton before the window closes.

Chance to impress

If Southampton are only interested in taking Davies on loan, and no other offers arrive before Monday, then Everton must see the move as an opportunity for the 22-year-old to impress not only themselves but other potential suitors.

Davies’ fall from grace on Merseyside started well before the arrivals of Allan and Doucoure in the summer, given Ancelotti seemingly lost patience with the England U21 international shortly into his tenure by the infrequency in which he featured last season.

To now be resigned to a back-up role that returns scarce outings even from the bench, Davies must be aware that this summer presents a great chance to secure minutes elsewhere otherwise risk his career stagnating behind the established ranks.

The player who burst onto the scene in 2017 and vowed ‘this is just the start’ is no more, but in his place stands a young man who completed 93% of his 85 passes, took 102 touches and attempted four dribbles against Salford, per SofaScore, and can still find a club – such as Southampton – where he can thrive once again.

AND in other news, a long-time Everton star has emerged as a transfer option for a Premier League competitor.

Is Daniel Levy getting the band back together at Tottenham Hotspur? It certainly seems that way after a sensational claim on deadline day…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Spurs have been offered the chance to sign Christian Eriksen on loan in a cut-price deal from Inter Milan, just ten months after selling him to the Italian outfit for around £16.9m.

The Serie A giants are reportedly keen to trim their wage bill and raise funds through player sales, so much so that they’d be willing to pay half of the 28-year-old’s £200k-per-week wages.

It’s also claimed that the Danish playmaker has been offered to several of Spurs’ top-flight rivals though it remains to be seen if Levy would sanction a shock return.

Levy masterclass

This could be an outstanding swoop from Levy and another sign of him sprinkling his magic. He sold Eriksen with just six months to run on his contract, and now could sign him for free on loan.

Only £100k-per-week would need to be paid if the aforementioned claim is to be believed. That would be one hell of a masterclass from the Spurs chairman.

It can be argued that the club are still yet to replace the attacking midfield dynamo after a prolific seven-year stint in north London.

His touted replacement, Giovani Lo Celso, has turned out to be a deeper option having only provided four goals and three assists in 42 appearances, per Transfermakt.

The majority of goals have been scored or created by striking duo Heung-min Son and Harry Kane – you could only imagine the damage that Eriksen would do behind these with Gareth Bale, Tanguy Ndombele and Sergio Reguilon all likely to play too.

Eriksen arguably enjoyed his best season in 18/19 where he delivered eight goals and 12 assists in the Premier League, whilst also averaging 2.4 shots, 2.1 key passes and 1.2 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

By comparison, his Argentinian successor is only averaging 1.5 key passes per game whilst Ndombele, who is also of the creative nature, is managing just 0.3 key passes from two top-flight starts.

Despite not being around him much, Jose Mourinho was a fan, once claiming “he shows clearly the quality he has” whilst ex-manager Mauricio Pochettino has dubbed him “amazing” as well as “outstanding” in the past.

Transfermarkt value the Inter Milan misfit at £54m, so this could certainly be an outrageous coup from the tough-negotiator himself, Mr Levy.

AND in other news, £100k-per-week flop could be Spurs’ desperate Milan Skiriniar alternative…

Aston Villa made a huge mistake in the summer transfer window by not tying up a deal for Reading’s John Swift.

What was the story?

Reports from The Birmingham Live back in late August suggested that Dean Smith’s side were very much interested in signing Swift, and that they were ready to compete with fellow Premier League side, Sheffield United, for his signature.

The report added that Villa were set to offer around £6-8m, more than what the Blades had initially proposed to Reading. In the end, the midfielder stayed put, and after starting the first two games of the Championship campaign, has missed the last few weeks of the new season through injury.

A goal-scoring option for Dean Smith

Whilst Villa have started off the new campaign superbly with four wins from four, and their new signings settling in well, you can’t help but feel Swift could have added a different dimension to the squad.

The former England U21 international is comfortable playing as a central midfielder or further forward, and has proven over the years that he has a real knack for getting himself into the box and finding the back of the net – last season saw him bag six goals and provide ten assists in 41 Championship games.

If you compare that to Villa’s central options from last season, then it’s really night and day. Only Conor Hourihane scored more with seven, whilst he and the rest of his midfield teammates could only manage half the amount of assists.

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has previously gone on record to hail Swift, saying he’s part of a Reading attacking force that has “got the ability to do something out of nothing”.

In fact, England boss Gareth Southgate once tipped him for a “great future” following his performances at U21 level, and whilst he may not have kicked on into becoming a household star, he’s certainly someone who Villa should have brought to the club.

Earning a reported £25k-a-week at Reading, Swift could have been a midfield dynamo for Smith.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has delivered his verdict on Newcastle’s signing of Callum Wilson.

With six goals in his first eight games across all competitions, it’s been an impressive start to life on Tyneside for Wilson. The England international arrived from relegated Bournemouth back in the summer transfer window for around £20m, and he is already proving his worth for the Magpies.

Now, Kirkland has thrown his backing behind Newcastle’s summer signing, and insisted that he has improved massively in recent times. Speaking to FFC’s James Beavis, he said: “They needed somebody up top, didn’t they? Wilson, he’s surprised me, because I saw him a few times for Bournemouth but he looks like a different animal now. Now he’s there, he looks like a different player. Superb.

“For £20m as well, that’s nothing these days, for a number nine, for a striker, who’s going to score you 10-15 goals. An absolute bargain.”

If Wilson keeps his current form up, then he’s well on course to break the 20-goal barrier for Newcastle in the Premier League, and it’s been a long time since that’s happened.

Having a proven goal-scorer at the top of the pitch who you can rely on week-in and week-out to find the back of the net and stick chances away is always going to be the difference-maker at the highest level. The Magpies had to watch Joelinton toil away at the top part of the pitch last season, and it was no surprise that they looked toothless in attack, scoring just 38 goals in the entire league season.

Wilson however, is showing that he can absolutely be that man for Newcastle, and Steve Bruce will be hoping he delivers on that.

Manchester United shouldn’t have to look very far to find a replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if a recent opinion by a pundit is to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to ESPN, Bundesliga expert Archie Rhind-Tutt believes RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann is the “perfect” candidate to replace Solskjaer at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have suffered from an inconsistent start to the season, having been humiliated in a 6-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at home, although they have begun to show signs of a recovery in recent weeks, with a remarkable 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League.

But question marks still remain over Solskjaer’s future at the club, with recent reports suggesting that his position is under threat.

Sign him up!

The 33-year-old is widely regarded as one of the most forward-thinking and innovative coaches in the world. Nagelsmann has arguably transformed Leipzig with his exciting brand of football, as the head coach guided his side to third in the Bundesliga and the Champions League semi-finals last season.

It’s perhaps hardly surprising that Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid have all been linked with him in recent years, which just goes to show how well-respected he is as a manager, despite his young age.

Most importantly, Nagelsmann has shown the tactical acumen that Solskjaer has often been criticised for lacking in the past. Indeed, Bruno Fernandes reportedly had a furious confrontation with the United boss over his tactics in the defeat to Spurs. It’s worth pointing out that the German outwitted Jose Mourinho’s side last season, as the Red Bulls ran riot in a 3-0 win at the Red Bull Arena.

In fact, he has admitted that he doesn’t stick to a formation, telling ESPN: “I do not prefer a formation because it is only numbers.

“I do not think about formations too often. It is the easiest thing to recognize and to see on the pitch, but when the game starts is when things start to get weird.”

This kind of creativity is arguably something United have been craving for so long, as players have reportedly even begun to question Solskjaer’s training methods.

The Red Bulls famously stunned Atletico Madrid to reach their first Champions League semi-final since they were first formed 11 years ago last season, with goals from Dani Olmo and Tyler Adams securing the victory.

When you consider the fact that Nagelsmann currently works with United’s long-term target Dayot Upamecano, if that doesn’t sweeten the deal for you, we don’t know what will.

Get it done, Ed Woodward, before it’s too late, as it’s surely only a matter of time before one of Europe’s biggest clubs come calling. Who knows what Nagelsmann may be able to achieve with United’s spending power?

AND in other news, Donny van de Beek is proving to be a huge waste of money after latest Manchester United snub…

Glasgow Rangers are back in action for the first time since the international break this afternoon, as Steven Gerrard’s side face Aberdeen FC at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership in a repeat of the opening game of the season.

The Gers hammered Hamilton Academical 8-0 last time out, and will be hoping to build upon their newfound momentum after throwing away a two-goal lead against Benfica in the Europa League at the start of the month.

Gerrard has revealed that he has a fully-fit fit squad to choose from aside from Bongani Zungu, whilst Steven Davis withdrew from the Northern Ireland squad for personal reasons last week. It is currently unclear if he will be able to face the Dons, meaning that Scott Arfield, Joe Aribo and Ryan Jack are in contention to start.

Here at Football FanCast, we’ve worked on a predicted starting XI, which sees the Rangers manager make four changes to the side that thrashed the Accies.

Jon McLaughlin may be pushing for a place in the starting line-up, having kept a clean sheet against Hamilton, but we’re backing Allan McGregor to resume his rightful place between the sticks as he was trusted with the gloves for the away trip to the Pittodrie Stadium at the start of the season.

The Ibrox boss probably won’t want to make many changes to the back four, with Borna Barisic, Connor Goldson and James Tavernier likely to start, although we expect to see Filip Helander replace Leon Balogun at the back, despite the Nigerian surviving a minor injury scare against Sierra Leone whilst away on international duty.

Today’s game against Aberdeen may have come too soon for Davis but Gerrard still has a plethora of options to pick from in that area of the pitch, as he will be able to select a combination of Arfield, Aribo, Jack and/or Glen Kamara to form his three-man central midfield. Kamara has undergone something of a transformation under Gerrard but was run ragged during his time with the Finnish national team so may be forced to settle for a spot on the bench.

Having impressed his Romania U21 boss Adrian Mutu with his work ethic, Ianis Hagi could also be able in contention with the ever-reliable Ryan Kent on the opposite wing, with the 24-year-old scoring the winner at the Pittodrie Stadium.

As we’ve previously discussed, Jermain Defoe has been in fine form this season, as he has been directly involved in two goals in his past three games in the Premiership, but even he will most likely have to play second fiddle to Gerrard’s first-choice striker Alfredo Morelos once again.

AND in other news, Ryan Kent: Wilson must answer Gerrard’s call to give Englishman a new deal as Leeds are on red alert…

Leeds United face Everton this weekend and Phil Hay has provided an injury update after Marcelo Bielsa’s pre-match press conference.

Hay provides big update

Hay reported that Bielsa has confirmed that Pablo Hernandez and Diego Llorente are both still missing due to their injuries. The return date for the two is still unknown.

Blow for Leeds

Hernandez shone in Leeds’ promotion season last campaign. He scored nine goals and picked up nine assists (WhoScored). He also managed on average 2.1 shots, 2.3 key passes and 1.1 successful dribbles per game.

Meanwhile summer signing Diego Llorente is yet to start for Leeds. However, in his career before joining the Premier League side, the six-capped Spanish international was very impressive. He is a defensive player with 247 appearances and has 18 goals to his name (Transfermarkt), so enough experience to come in and thrive when fit and healthy.

The fact that they are both unavailable to start or even come off the bench will definitely be a big blow for Bielsa and it will make his fixture against the Toffees even harder.

In other Leeds news, the club have managed to tie down an exciting prospect. Have a read here!

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must unleash Paul Pogba against Manchester City in a pivotal clash in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

Pep Guardiola’s side will go above the Red Devils if they win at Old Trafford, which is precisely why Solskjaer must put his faith in the Frenchman, irrespective of Mino Raiola’s latest outburst.

As soon as he came off the bench against RB Leipzig, the stage was set for Pogba to make an impact.

Pogba played a big part as he stepped onto the pitch as a second-half substitute for the eighth time this season, this time replacing Nemanja Matic in the midfield in the Champions League clash against the Bundesliga challengers.

He made an impact almost immediately as United tried to fight back from 3-nil down, with his header cannoning off Harry Maguire into the back of the net to put his side within touching distance of the knockout stages.

His efforts were ultimately in vain, as United were unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League, thanks to goals from on-loan Manchester City full-back Angelino, Amadou Haidara and Justin Kluivert.

With Raiola’s comments triggering an outcry on social media, there are of course concerns about his future at the club, but Solskjaer has moved to dissuade those fears.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, he said: “You have to ask Paul if he is happy or not. I’m not going to speak for him. Paul is focused on doing his best for the team and when he’s here he’s working hard in training just needs to focus on his performances.”

Defeat is not an option for Solskjaer, who also finds himself facing questions about his own future at the club.

Whilst his strained relationship with Pogba and his representatives is well-documented, the club legend cannot allow personal grievances to cloud his judgement.

Beating their arch-rivals would be a big step in the right direction and may go some way towards getting the Red Devils back on track.

Despite his off-pitch issues at Old Trafford, it’s fair to say that Pogba has been one of the club’s best players in recent weeks, with one goal in his past two games in all competitions.

His former boss Jose Mourinho once heaped praise on his “monster” heroics after the 2-1 win over Leicester City in 2018 before things took a turn for the worse.

Valued at £72m via Transfermarkt, the French World Cup winner has scored 34 goals and supplied 35 assists in all competitions, including two goals and an assist against the Citizens. Therefore, he surely deserves the chance to play in what could turn out to be a season-defining game for both manager and player in the Premier League.

AND in other news, Ed Woodward must secure Juventus striker Paulo Dybala as an Anthony Martial alternative…

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has provided an update on defender Gary Cahill and the pre-match news will not be what the Eagles fan base will want to hear.

The latest on Cahill

Roy Hodgson was speaking in his press conference in the build up to the big clash against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. He said: “Gary Cahill is injured unfortunately. He is the only absentee on top of the long term ones.”

This is a big blow for Palace

Hodgson knows the importance of Cahill, as in the past he said, “He’s also brought us leadership qualities, he’s been very good leadership-wise. He’s the best type of leader; he’s the quiet leader people don’t see from Row Z in the stand.”

For now they don’t know the severity of the injury, and it will be very frustrating for Hodgson as the squad depth is crucial during the busy Christmas period.

The defender has made 4.4 clearances per game this season (WhoScored), showing his safety first attitude around the box. The former Chelsea star is 35, but has an abundance of experience, and  is still a vital asset for the club.

Therefore, Hodgson will be gutted to lose him for the Villa fixture, especially when the South London side have conceded the third most goals in the division (SofaScore) and Villa, led by Jack Grealish, are absolutely flying.

Have a read of Crystal Palace fans praising one player in the 1-1 draw to Brighton here!