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Plenty of Everton fans have been drooling over the latest news that Hayley Raso has signed a new deal with Everton Women that will keep her with the Merseyside club until the summer of 2021, as per the Toffees’ official website.

The 25-year old joined the Blues from Brisbane Roar in last winter’s transfer window but is yet to make her first-team debut because she had been struggling with an injury problem added to the fact that the Women’s Super League was stopped due to the global pandemic outbreak that swept across the footballing world.

Raso began her career at Canberra United in her native Australia before moving to Brisbane Roar in 2013, and she has also played in the United States of America with Portland Thorns.

The winger made her senior international debut at just 17 years of age and featured heavily for her country in the 2019 Women’s World Cup, where she helped the Matildas make it into the round of 16.

These EFC supporters drooled over the news on Twitter, as they hope that Raso will play a key part next season:

Evertonians, do you follow the women’s game? Comment below!

Liverpool will walk out for their final home game of the season this evening as they prepare to host Chelsea.

The Premier League champions will finally be rewarded for their runaway 2019/20 campaign following their clash with Frank Lampard’s side. The Reds will be presented with their first top flight trophy in 30 years whilst millions of fans watch worldwide.

Since they clinched the title back in June, Liverpool haven’t been their usual fiery selves on the pitch. They have won just two matches out of five since their initial celebrations. Although points no longer matter, Jurgen Klopp and his men will still want to end their home run with a win, especially before they lift the trophy.

Transfer Tavern has predicted how the Merseyside outfit might set up for their final 2019/20 match at Anfield…

In perhaps a bold assumption, Xherdan Shaqiri could get the nod to start on the right-wing against the Blues. The Swiss international has been out of action for the majority of the season and could really use a good run out before the term comes to a close. Mohamed Salah’s Golden Boot chances are gradually slipping away, with just two matches left for him to close the four-goal deficit between him and Jamie Vardy.

The Egyptian underperformed against Arsenal last time out, making just ten accurate passes and completing one lone dribble (via Sofascore). Klopp may choose to rest Salah whilst he has the luxury to do so.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s subpar performance in midfield at his old ground will more than likely see him dropped to the bench. Naby Keita deserves a start, having contributed two assists since the league restarted.

Chelsea have a lot to fight for and will undoubtedly be fielding a strong side to try and snub the champions. Although the result doesn’t matter to Liverpool, Klopp won’t want a repeat of their spanking against Manchester City. An unchanged back four and goalkeeper option will likely be the case as they try to keep out Lampard’s clinical attack.

How do you think the Reds will lineup against Chelsea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set for a summer clear-out after coming from behind to draw against West Ham at Old Trafford. 

Solskjaer’s side moved up into third place, a point ahead of Leicester City, who they will face at the King Power Stadium at the weekend.

Michail Antonio opened the scoring after Paul Pogba blocked the ball with his hands in the penalty box, before Mason Greenwood levelled the score.

As James Ducker pointed out, Solskjaer did nothing, which shows what he really feels about his squad as the second half dragged on for what seemed like an eternity.

According to The Telegraph, the Red Devils are ready for a spending spree in the summer, as the Norwegian believes he needs five players to challenge for the Premier League next season.

Solskjaer has made four permanent signings so far, namely Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Bruno Fernandes, Daniel James and Harry Maguire, but he is not prepared to stop there.

The Telegraph claims the head coach and his assistant Mike Phelan have worked out what they need to compete for trophies once again.

Despite the fact he has made four signings in his first 12 months, Solskjaer wants a right winger, a centre forward, a centre midfielder, another centre-back and a left-back as well.

He privately feels a winger, defender and defensive midfielder are his top priorities for now, but will wait and see what the summer brings.

Ducker revealed Solskjaer has already decided to sell the deadwood to raise some much-needed funds, as he considers Jesse Lingard and Phil Jones surplus to requirements, among others.

While he remains determined to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho in the summer, he has serious problems at the other end of the pitch he urgently needs to address.

Victor Lindelof has never really looked convincing next to Harry Maguire, as he has received a low WhoScored rating so far, while the club captain has copped a fair amount of criticism for his performances since the Premier League restart.

The board may be reluctant to get rid of Maguire so soon after signing him from Leicester for a world-record fee for a defender, but he certainly needs a new partner to bring the best out of him.

Although they did not know it at the time, the Red Devils had a real chance to put some distance between them and Chelsea, as the Blues ended up dropping points against the champions, and they could live to regret their failure to beat the Hammers.

Missing out on Champions League football could have dire consequences for a deal for Sancho this summer, so there is so much at stake heading into the weekend.

United fans, do you think Solskjaer can make the changes he needs to challenge for silverware next season? Let us know down below!

Leeds United have spent the last few years signing a plethora of young players who they hope will come good in the near future.

The likes of Rafa Mujica and Guille Amor both came from Barcelona last year, while Tyler Roberts has been making waves in the first-team after joining from West Bromwich Albion.

However, despite having players from the likes of Barcelona in their youth setup, Phil Hay believes that there is a 16 year-old recently brought in from Linfield that everyone should be looking out for.

What’s been said then?

The journalist was answering fans’ queries in his column on The Athletic, and one supporter wanted to know his view on the next breakout star in Leeds’ youth set-up.

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The reporter wrote a detailed answer namedropping the likes of Pascal Struijk and Stuart McKinstry as two players with the potential to make a breakthrough, but he signed off his reply with an interesting comment on Charlie Allen.

“Look out for Leeds’ new signing Charlie Allen, a striker from Linfield. He’s only 16 but people can’t speak highly enough of him,” Hay wrote.

Interesting

There’s very little for us to go off in terms of judging Allen’s potential ability as he’s only played a handful of first-team games and they’re in Northern Ireland, but if a 16-year-old is being raved about that is incredibly exciting.

A striker is something Leeds have desperately been lacking for some time now, and if Allen can come through and make an impact in the coming years, not only could he be a great asset in the team, but he could save the club millions in the transfer market chasing the right attacker.

Fingers crossed the people Hay has spoken to are right about this young man.

The transfer saga of Wilfried Zaha and his potential move away from Crystal Palace has been one of the biggest stories in recent years. Of course, it was never going to break records or write history but the Ivory Coast forward has managed to turn a lot of heads when he was suddenly available on the market.

But he ended up staying at Palace and slowly but surely, the story died down a little bit. Now, however, a couple of seasons into the future, he might be set for a move once again. Darren Bent spoke exclusively to Football Insider and talked about how it is time for the 17-cap superstar to make a step up in his career. The destination? Everton.

Here’s what he said for Football Insider: “I know you might look at where they are in the league but I’d say it’s a step up in regards, they have a top manager, he’s going to attract top players. I like what they’re doing down there, they’re building something quite special, so it would be nice for Zaha to go there and transform them to where they feel they should be.

“I really like it, it suits him well and he’d do well going there. It’s about going to the best fit for him and if he goes to Everton he’d get a lot of game time and he’d go well.”

Of course, this would not be the first time Carlo Ancelotti’s side tried to snatch him up. Palace had rejected £70m plus James McCarthy and Cenk Tosun last summer and stated their star is worth £80m.

It is not known how much would the Eagles ask for now but it would definitely be a formidable amount either way.

Zaha has played a total of 362 games in all competitions for the club since his arrival and has managed to net 57 goals in that time as well. For that reason, he would not go for cheap.

Verdict

If Ancelotti is really to strengthen his team for the upcoming 2020/21 Premier League season, he will have to add quality firepower to the Toffees’ ranks. Zaha certainly falls under that category.

However, his availability is questionable. Palace would probably be open to selling but it still might cost an arm and a leg.

According to Corriere Della Sera’s Brescia edition (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa are eyeing up a potential move for Venezuela international Jhon Chancellor in this transfer window.

What’s the word?

Dean Smith’s side look to be enjoying a very fruitful time in the transfer market thus far, with a big-money deal for Ollie Watkins already secured, and Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez being lined up too.

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Now, Corriere Della Sera claim that Brescia supremo Massimo Cellino is in England to negotiate with Villa and Watford over Chancellor, and that the centre-back could be someone who brings the Italian side a major profit.

The report does add however that the 28-year-old’s preference is to remain in Italy for the time being, and that interested sides face a fight to convince him to move.

Villa’s own Van Dijk

After enjoying a stellar couple of seasons at Liverpool, there can be no question that Virgil van Dijk has proved himself to be one of the world’s best central defenders, even earning himself a Ballon d’Or nomination in 2019.

The Dutchman’s mixture of size, defensive nous and composure in possession has made him a superb acquisition for Jurgen Klopp’s side, and Premier League teams are surely looking out for how they can sign their own Van Dijk.

Step forward, Jhon Chancellor. At 6 foot 6, the Venezuelan is an absolute mammoth of a player, and his performances for Brescia last season in Serie A were nothing short of outstanding.

He won 4.0 duels per match and made 5.4 clearances, 1.3 interceptions and 1.2 tackles per game too. Add to that the fact he also boasted an impressive passing accuracy of 86%, and it’s clear to see he’s got all the hallmarks of the modern day centre-back.

Compare that to Villa star Tyrone Mings, and it paints another favourable picture. The England international produced significantly lower numbers in those same categories than Chancellor: he won just 3.2 duels, and made only 0.9 interceptions and 0.5 tackles per match, with a passing accuracy 78%.

If Villa want to make a statement signing for their defence, then Chancellor is the man.

Crystal Palace have entered the race to sign Tiemoue Bakayoko in this transfer window.

That’s according to Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, who claim that the Eagles have made an offer to the Chelsea midfielder.

Bakayoko spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Monaco and appears destined to leave the club in the coming weeks.

He made 23 appearances in all competitions and is also wanted by AC Milan, with the Blues looking to receive as much of the £36m they paid for him as possible.

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The once-capped France international has made just 43 appearances for Chelsea since his arrival in 2017 and Palace are now ready to go head-to-head with the Italian club to nab him in this window.

Roy Hodgson’s side are said to have approached the player directly and, while there is no hint as to whether a transfer fee has been offered, it is said that Bakayoko will make a decision in the coming days over his next club.

Palace have already signed Ebere Eze from QPR in this window and strengthening the midfield behind the playmaker could be a clever move as the 2020/21 season gets underway.

Bakayoko has a hint of Premier League experience and remains a relatively young player – he turned 26 in August – with a high ceiling.

If Palace are able to bring him in, this would be a coup for the Eagles.

£18 million. That’s how much Leeds United will be paying to make Michael Cuisance their newest summer signing if a deal comes to fruition.

It seems to be just a matter of time before the Bayern Munich man is announced as a Leeds player, and while it’s incredibly exciting to see such a highly-rated young midfielder sign for the Yorkshire outfit, it does leave a number of questions around Adam Forshaw’s future.

The 28-year-old hasn’t played much football over the past 12 months, with an injury keeping him out of action since United’s game against Charlton last October.

Forshaw is undoubtedly a Bielsa favourite, with the Argentine saying that he defends in a similar manner to Kalvin Phillips and attacks in a similar way to Mateusz Klich, and when you consider that those two have started every Premier League game so far, that is high praise.

However, with Forshaw still out with injury and Cuisance coming in, it’s hard to see how he gets back into the first-team picture.

Klich and Phillips are nigh on undroppable, with Klich starting all-but-one of Leeds’ league games since Bielsa took charge, while Phillips is arguably United’s best player, earning an England call-up before he even made his Premier League debut.

Of course, there is a third midfield role that is usually taken up by a more attacking player with Rodrigo, Pablo Hernandez and Tyler Roberts all playing that role in recent weeks, but there is sufficient strength in depth in that role to the point where Forshaw isn’t really an option.

A lot has changed at Elland Road since Forshaw went down injured, including new recruits coming in and taking his spot. Now, the 28-year-old is in something of a no man’s land at Leeds where he is a depth option in a position that doesn’t really get rotated all that much.

In other news, one Leeds loanee showed exactly what he can do last weekend.

David Moyes must have been left slightly concerned after witnessing Darren Randolph prove wasteful in possession as the Republic of Ireland lost 4-2 on penalties to Slovakia on Thursday night.

It was agony for Stephen Kenny’s Boys in Green after 120 minutes in Bratislava as they played out their UEFA Euros Play-Off tie with a drab display featuring defensive resilience but offensive bluntness, which mostly kept Randolph quiet between the sticks.

Slovakia were held to just three shots on target from 12 efforts, with Ireland getting bodies in the way of three strikes and watching as six sailed wide of the post, per SofaScore. Ireland, themselves, only managed to direct three of their 13 shots on target, with five blocked and five directed wide.

Only one of Slovakia’s on-target efforts also came from within the box, as Randolph was left to make just two saves over regular and extra time. His stop of Ondrej Duda’s strike just before the break being the pick of the bunch, tipping an acrobatic volley out for a corner.

But in possession, Randolph struggled with just 16 accurate passes from 32 attempts, while failing to pick out a teammate with 15 of 20 attempted long balls as the 33-year-old turned possession over time and time again.

If Moyes ever finds himself needing to rely on Randolph to cover for Lukasz Fabianski in the Premier League, the Scot will be well aware of the threat the Irishman will pose to his own side with the Irons set to often be welcoming pressure back upon themselves.

Moyes has managed to tackle the start of the league season only needing to favour the £2.52m-rated shot-stopper as a substitute, while awarding him minutes in the Carabao Cup before a 4-1 loss at Everton brought a halt to the Hammers’ charge.

Randolph coped with retaining possession far better at Goodison Park than he did for Ireland, with only 26% of his 19 passes going astray, but also conceded from two-thirds of the on-target shots he faced and only attempted nine long balls of which five found Everton players.

With a recent record like his, Randolph is set for an uncomfortable few months watching on from the sidelines until the FA Cup presents him with a new opportunity to feature in east London.

AND in other news, West Ham United are sounding out a potential late defensive addition in a Championship ace relegated last season.

Manuel Lanzini stole the show against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend when the West Ham United midfielder’s stoppage-time screamer found a way into the top corner of Hugo Lloris’ net.

It was a strike that reminded everyone of the skill the Argentine once showed on a regular basis in east London, but Lanzini’s first Premier League goal since May 2019 also served as a stark wake-up call for how long it has been since the 27-year-old’s finest hours in claret and blue.

Only a few years ago, Lanzini’s talents secured his seat on the plane to the 2018 World Cup only for a serious knee injury sustained in training to rule the midfielder out of the competition without a ball being kicked.

The blow put a major dent into his West Ham career, while a fractured collarbone in November 2019 sent Lanzini back to the physio’s room for a further two months and his place in the side has never been a guarantee since.

Following David Moyes’ return to the London Stadium in December 2019, Lanzini saw out the league campaign with just six further starts from 11 appearances whilst failing to offer a single goal or assist and be left on the bench on eight occasions.

The new season came around, but new opportunities did not, with last weekend’s 3-3 thriller in north London serving as Lanzini’s first taste of top-flight action after four outings as an unused substitute.

Lanzini made good use of his brief cameo to steal the headlines in the dying seconds, and clearly left a positive impression on Moyes who has since come out in support of the 27-year-old.

“No doubt the injury has had an impact on where he is, but I don’t see a reason why he can’t get back to that level,” Moyes stated at his press conference on Friday, via quotes by the official West Ham website.

“I can see the improvement in training, he’s got competition and when you have competition the best thing you can do is what he did the other night.

“We’ve got really good competition for places at the moment and we want Manu to be a part of that because he has talent and we want talented players.”

Yet while Moyes is seemingly in support of Lanzini rediscovering his past form, it will take far more than just the Irons boss’ trust to see the five-cap Argentina international return to his best and once again display the talent that left Slaven Bilic stunned at how well he took to the Premier League. It was under the Croatian’s leadership that he played his best football, scoring 15 times and providing eight assists.

And speaking in November 2015, four months on from Lanzini’s initial arrival on loan from Al-Jazira, Bilic said via quotes by The Guardian: “I am only surprised that he hit it off straight away.

“I thought he was going to need more time because he played with al-Jazira. It is a good level, but you can’t compare that with the Premier League.

“He is a phenomenal player, who is very comfortable on the ball, no matter where he is and gives everything in every training session.”

Moyes will need to see that same determination in training to warrant starting Lanzini once more, as while his stunning strike at Spurs was special, it will only paper over the cracks seen in the midfielder’s game.

Lanzini only managed to create two big chances to score in the Premier League last season, while also spurning each of his three big chances to find the back of the net. Additionally, he only averaged 0.6 shots, 1.3 key balls, 18.5 accurate passes in the opponent’s half, 0.6 crosses and 1.4 successful dribbles a game, per SofaScore.

Now with Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma for competition in the attacking midfield line, Moyes will need more than the odd screamer to truly trust Lanzini.

AND in other news, West Ham are at risk of a tense future with the departure of a popular backroom figure.