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Jordan Pickford has not had the best season this term with Everton.

The England international has been far from solid in between the sticks – he has a save percentage rate of just 63.8% in the Premier League, which is worse than all but one other goalkeeper in the top flight. He has made plenty of mistakes so far this term – three of his mistakes have led to goals, which again is the second most in the division – and he has come under plenty of criticism as a result.

His England spot has come under pressure as well. The £25.2m-valued man – as per Transfermarkt – was, at one point, a shoo-in, as we saw during the 2018 World Cup when he played in every game, but Dean Henderson’s form for Sheffield United – the Blades shot-stopper has the second-most clean sheets in the Premier League with 13 this season – has put Pickford’s place in jeopardy.

Jonathan Liew of The Guardian, though, appears to believe that his place is still secure. The Everton fans do not appear to agree, and they have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

Tottenham are trying to hijack Napoli’s high-profile move for Lille striker Victor Osimhen. 

Recent reports have suggested that Osimhen is on his way to Serie A after Lille received a colossal offer from Napoli reportedly worth €81m, which roughly equates to £73m.

Osimhen has established himself as one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers after a successful debut season in Ligue 1, scoring 18 goals overall. He has become the latest forward to make a name for himself with the Mastiffs, following in the footsteps of former Chelsea ace Eden Hazard and Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe.

The Nigerian seemed to be close to completing a move from the Stade Pierre Mauroy, but circumstances have now changed. According to L’Equipe, as relayed by Goal, Spurs are set to launch a last-ditch attempt to try and sign the striker in the summer.

L’Equipe claimed that Mourinho is confident he can steal a march on Napoli and tempt Osimhen to join Tottenham instead. The 21-year-old has previously indicated he wants to move to the Premier League but it is believed his position has shifted after the offer from the Azzurri, as he rejected a bid from Arsenal earlier this year.

While Osimhen would certainly be a dream signing, it is hard to believe this is anything other than wishful thinking. Daniel Levy has made it clear that he will not be splashing the cash this summer, after taking out a £175m loan from the Bank of England to alleviate financial pressure from these uncertain times.

Mourinho is fully aware that his budget has been strictly limited and he will have to rely on swap deals, free agents and bargain deals to improve his squad before the start of next season.

Tottenham desperately need to sign a backup striker to cover for Harry Kane, as the England international missed a large chunk of the season after suffering a hamstring injury.

Lille are demanding at least £70m for the youngster, which is something Spurs simply cannot afford at the moment.

Tottenham fans, should the board sign Victor Osimhen this summer? Let us know down below!

West Ham will have to go on the offensive this summer and somehow gather the necessary funds to reinforce the squad. David Moyes has once again managed to save the Hammers from demise but the team needs to refresh and what better way to do that than to bring in some new faces?

According to the latest report from the Sunday Mirror’s printed edition, the coach has set his gaze on Barcelona’s young starlet, Monchu. Seeing how they want young and hungry players to give them that edge for the upcoming season, the 20-year-old seems to fit the bill perfectly.

The bad news, however, is that the Catalan giants have reportedly already declined a £26m bid and would ideally want a sum that’s closer to £36m. This could potentially be an issue since West Ham are not exactly swimming in cash at the moment, especially since the recent outbreak has left them drained of funds.

Still, Barcelona are in the same boat and are eager to sell as many players as they can this summer. £36m does seem a bit much for an academy player who’s not even in the first-team yet but seeing how Monchu has a release clause of around £90m, this deal could still fall under the category of a real bargain.

The question now remains, can Moyes actually lure him away from the Camp Nou with a good project in the Premier League? It seems like it could be easier said than done.

Only time will tell.

Verdict

Monchu is far from a regular in Barcelona’s first-team squad but the youngster has made his Champions League debut against Napoli last Saturday and it would certainly be difficult to snatch him away at this point.

West Ham may have more success if they were to try for a loan deal, although that also seems unlikely at this point. Monchu is incredibly talented and Sunday Mirror state he even drew comparisons with Xavi Hernandez, a Barcelona legend, for his leadership abilities and incredible technique, and the Catalans may be keen on keeping him for the future.

Aston Villa signed in excess of 15 players last season yet were embroiled in a relegation battle that went down to the final day, so they simply can’t afford to repeat their mistakes this time around…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mirror, Dean Smith is set for another spending spree having replaced sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch with Johan Lange.

It’s claimed that the Villa boss intends to bring in a new striker with Wesley set to miss the start of the 2020/21 campaign and one name on the list is Liverpool outcast Divock Origi.

But only if he’s free to leave Anfield, which may be something he wants to do if he’s to make Belgium’s Euro squad next summer.

Suso-like signing

This is a move that Lange should probably swerve as it has all the hallmarks of being a Suso-like blunder in the shape of Wesley and Mbwana Samatta.

Origi has barely featured this campaign – per WhoScored, he’s provided the Reds with just four goals whilst averaging a mere 0.5 shots and 0.4 dribbles per game.

These figures are considerably worse than the injured Brazillian, who still managed to notch five strikes and even averages more shots (1.7) and dribbles (0.6) each appearance.

The 25-year-old has scored plenty of important goals for Jurgen Klopp’s side, notably during their Champions League-winning run, and as a result has been lauded by teammate Virgil van Dijk as “fantastic” in the past.

Whilst during a rare start against Everton back in December had the German calling him “outstanding” and “impressive”.

Despite this, Villa simply must avoid signing him as its unlikely to be third time lucky in the striker position, particularly as there’s also interest in Ollie Watkins, who at £25m would be an absolute steal considering Smith signed him for Brentford three years ago.

If Lange wants to get off to a smooth start in the Midlands, then he should forget Origi and instead splash out on the Bees talisman.

AND in other news, Smith could land himself a huge upgrade on Trezeguet…

According to A Bola, Tottenham have made contact with Benfica over a potential summer move for Pizzi.

What’s the word?

Spurs have had a busy start to the transfer window already, bringing in the likes of Joe Hart and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in particular to boost their first-team squad.

Now, Portuguese publication A Bola (via Sport Witness) claim that Pizzi is on a list of potential recruits for Jose Mourinho’s side this summer, and that the right-winger could be available for around €20m (£18m).

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

The report claims that the price tag has alerted Spurs and Mourinho, and that it has prompted them to make contact with Benfica – however, an official bid has not been made just yet.

A major upgrade on Erik Lamela

Despite playing on the right-hand side for Benfica, Pizzi enjoyed an extraordinary season in front of goal for Benfica during the 2019/2020 campaign.

He scored a quite incredible 30 goals, and provided a further 19 assists in just 51 games across all competitions, and it’s the kind of numbers of that really puts Spurs’ own Erik Lamela to shame.

The Argentine, who played the most of his 35 games last season from that right flank (18), scored just twice and set up only two more from that position. Most of Spurs’ attacking quality came from the opposite side, with the likes of Heung-min Son often outshining him.

Pizzi could offer the Lilywhites a genuine goal-scoring threat, and lighten the burden on the likes of Son and Harry Kane to score the bulk of Spurs’ goals.

And as a fellow Portuguese native, Mourinho would surely love to work with one of his country’s finest attackers. The Benfica star’s ability to not just play on the right, but all across midfield and even as a number ten is the kind of versatility that would no doubt appeal to the current Tottenham boss.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche is determined to sort out new contracts for a number of players who are approaching the end of their current deals at Turf Moor.

No fewer than 15 members of the Clarets’ first team squad are into the final year of their current contracts and the 49-year-old is keen to get several of those tied down in addition to exploring potential new signings.

Addressing the contracts situation to Lancashire Live, Dyche said: “There’s more to come. We have to make sure we’re safeguarding in house as well as looking outside of what we do. And that has to be looked at, quite obviously, and we are doing.

“In house is important as well because we think we’ve got some very good players here and I think it works on two levels. It works in the sense of rewarding them for what they’ve done, and continue to do, and also safeguarding the club for the football business, operating in the Premier League, and the business side, where we should remain strong.”

Burnley have made some progress in terms of contract renewals, taking up an option on Ben Mee to keep him at the club until 2022 and securing a new deal for Bailey Peacock-Farrell (as per  Lancashire Live).

However, a plethora of players are just over nine months away from coming to the end of their current deals, including several first team regulars at Turf Moor. Jay Rodriguez, Ashley Westwood, Jack Cork, Charlie Taylor, Phil Bardsley and Erik Pieters, all of whom made more than 20 Premier League appearances last season, will all be out of contract next July as things stand.

Only nine members of Dyche’s current squad are contracted beyond next summer, although key players such as Mee, James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil, Chris Wood and Nick Pope are among that number (as per TransferMarkt).

Burnley saw Jeff Hendrick, Aaron Lennon and Joe Hart all leave the club at the end of June after they were unable to agree short-term renewals to keep them with the Clarets until the end of the delayed 2019/20 season, so Dyche may be understandably wary of a similar situation arising once more.

With just 24 players, Burnley have the joint-smallest squad in the Premier League as it is, so tying down key personnel to new deals ought to be a matter of priority.

Indeed, as Dyche has hinted, the more players that are committed to new contracts, the lesser the need becomes to splurge in a transfer market which has been affected by circumstances arising from the global pandemic.

Burnley fans, which players’ contracts need to be addressed as a matter of urgency? Have your say by commenting below!

According to The Guardian, Tottenham have made an approach to sign Southampton striker Danny Ings.

What’s the word?

The England international enjoyed a superb 2019/2020 campaign for the Saints, scoring 25 times in just 42 games across all competitions, narrowly missing out on the Premier League’s Golden Boot award to Leicester’s Jamie Vardy.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…



World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Now, The Guardian claim that Spurs are very much interested in luring Ings to north London, but have seen a formal approach for the 28-year-old turned down by Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

The report adds that the Lilywhites have yet to make an official bid for the player though, with Southampton still hopeful of tying down the centre-forward to a new contract.

Levy masterclass

If Spurs are to sign one genuine striker in this summer transfer window, then Ings surely has to be right at the front of the queue.

As the report suggests, a deal with Southampton is unlikely to be easy to do, but the 28-year-old has proven himself to be a quality striker at Premier League level.

His exploits in a Southampton side that suffered a disastrous start to last season, including a 9-0 thrashing at home to Leicester, is a testament to his abilities, with Spurs themselves being silenced by his performances.

He scored an excellent winner at the turn of the year when he left Toby Alderweireld on the floor with a neat flick over the top, before rifling home with his left foot.

Ings’ current international teammates Eric Dier and Harry Kane have both hailed him previously, with the former calling him a “massive threat”, whilst the latter hailed him a “great player”.

If Daniel Levy can land the £75k-a-week earning marksman before the close of the window, Spurs could have an elite strike-force.

According to Turkish journalist Ovunc Ozdem, Besiktas defender Domagoj Vida has turned down a move to West Brom in this summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

The Baggies have endured a difficult start to the new Premier League season from a defensive standpoint, conceding 11 goals in their opening three games against Leicester, Everton and Chelsea.

It’s no surprise then that Slaven Bilic appears to want a new central defender before the close of play on Monday night, but Ozdem has delivered a major blow to their chances of landing Vida.

The journalist claims that the reason the Croatia international snubbed a move to the Hawthorns and even Serie A giants Roma, is that he could not get the same salary as he is on at Besiktas.

Worse than Kyle Bartley

With 81 caps to his name, and plenty of tournament experience with Croatia including in the World Cup, Vida certainly has the kind of international pedigree that makes him more of a recognisable face in European football.

But moving past that, the 31-year-old would simply have been a major disaster for Bilic. Earning around £70k-a-week at the moment at Besiktas, the centre-back would have become the joint highest-earner at the Hawthorns along with Charlie Austin – the man in second, Kieran Gibbs, earns £55k-a-week.

The financials wouldn’t have made any sense for a player at that age and inevitably set for a decline over these coming years, and his ability on the pitch is already beginning to show that. As per Whoscored, he averaged just one tackle, 1.4 interceptions and 2.5 clearances in the Turkish league last season, with the Baggies’ Kyle Bartley managing 1.3 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 4.5 clearances per match.

Then, you have to take into consideration his poor disciplinary record. Vida has picked up 82 yellow cards and four red cards over the course of his career, whilst he has also fallen in trouble with FIFA too.

Luke Dowling has avoided a major West Brom disaster.

Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki has tipped Glasgow Rangers ace Glen Kamara to play in the Premier League but Steven Gerrard’s side must keep the midfielder at all costs.

What’s the word?

Kamara has impressed for club and country in recent weeks as Finland ran riot over Bulgaria on Saturday. The 24-year-old also featured against the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League on Wednesday.

And Pukki has backed him to succeed south of the border. The former Celtic centre-forward told The National “Glen is a top player and I think he would definitely do well in the English Premier League. I’d bet on him playing there at some point in his career.”

But Kamara has insisted he isn’t thinking about a Premier League switch. He had attracted interest from Marseille in the summer after catching the eye of Andre Villas-Boas but a move never materialised. It remains to be seen how much it will take to tempt Kamara away from the Ibrox Stadium but the Gers have refused to sell him so far.

Keep Kamara at all costs!

It’s safe to say that Kamara has turned out to be a true bargain when you consider how little he cost the club in the first place. Rangers signed the 21-cap Finland international from Dundee United for just £50,000 in 2019.

And Scott Arfield admitted the Gers pulled off the “steal of the century” by signing him for just a snip. The Canada captain implied that Kamara is “only going to get better” after he arrived at the Ibrox Stadium.

He has since played nine Scottish Premiership games this season, whilst he has averaged one key pass, created one big chance and won at least one ground duel per game, as per SofaScore. Upon further inspection, if you take a close look at his heatmap, you can see a hub of activity dotted around the midfield area, which shows that he is a proper workhorse in the middle of the park.

This kind of work rate is almost always hard to find in any player, let alone a player in his position, so finding a suitable replacement would be a tough challenge, especially considering the current circumstances.

Kamara has been linked with Arsenal, Brighton, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace and Juventus, Marseille and Anderlecht in the last year alone, although Gerrard has made it clear that he isn’t going anywhere.

Rangers fans should be reassured that the board don’t seem to have any intentions of selling him anytime soon. In fact, they are prepared to offer the colossus a bumper new contract, if recent reports are to be believed…

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard must unleash Rangers ace Bongani Zungu against Celtic… 

Former England international centre-back Steve Howey has been sharing his thoughts on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, the recent injury he sustained against Everton and how the club will cope without him in the team for the foreseeable future.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, the 48-year-old had this to say on van Dijk and how the club can move on without him in the team.

He said: “You’ve got to look for [Joe] Gomez and the likes of [Joel] Matip and people like that to step up to the plate. You’re hearing calls now that possibly Jurgen Klopp might have to go into the transfer market to buy and replace him [Van Dijk]. Not that you can replace Virgil van Dijk, but these are the opportunities, this is what happens in football, this is what happens in life.

“Sometimes somebody’s misfortune is your chance to actually shine and grab your chance, so now it’s up to the likes of Gomez and Matip [to step up].

“It’ll be interesting to see how they cope because not only is Van Dijk a fantastic player, he marshalls that back four very well, he is a captain really so it’ll be interesting to see how they cope without him. I think Matip and Gomez are good players  but where would they go really if they get another injury in that position?”

The Dutchman was forced off the pitch in the early stages of Liverpool’s match against Everton after being on the receiving end of a bad tackle from Jordan Pickford, damaging his knee in the process.

Later, the official Liverpool club website revealed that Van Dijk will have to undergo knee surgery and then begin a “rehabilitation programme with the club’s medical team to enable him to reach full fitness as soon as possible.”

Before suffering this injury, Van Dijk was having a pretty underwhelming season for the Reds with WhoScored giving him a season rating of 6.45/10 for his performances in the five Premier League appearances he’s made.

Liverpool’s first game since Van Dijk picked up this injury saw them beat Dutch side Ajax 1-0 away from home in the Champions League.

Although, the club would undoubtedly want the Dutchman back fit and ready for action as soon as possible, this match against Ajax showed that they can perform well defensively and keep a clean sheet without him playing.