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Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho's agents were spotted at Chelsea amid talks of the Argentine moving to Stamford Bridge this January.

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• Garnacho linked with Man Utd exit
• Chelsea could make a move for winger
• Garnacho's agents spotted at Chelsea

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Garnacho's future at Manchester United is under doubt as the Red Devils struggle to find form and the Argentine's place in Ruben Amorim's side looks to be in trouble. United are said to be open to letting Garnacho leave the club this January and Chelsea are said to be in talks to sign the highly-rated 20-year-old.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Garnacho's agents Carlos Cambeiro and Quique De Lucas were spotted at Stamford Bridge during Chelsea's Premier League clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers to spark the rumours about a move to the Blues.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Manchester United are said to be open to selling Garnacho this month but are said to be stuck on their £50 million ($61m) valuation for the winger. Additionally, Chelsea are also said to be concerned about Garnacho’s attitude.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GARNACHO?

  The Argentine could very well end up staying at Manchester United as Garnacho has not been outcast by Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford, unlike Marcus Rashford. However, if Chelsea do plan to reach United's valuation, the move could very well go through this month.

As they continue their unbeaten start on the pitch, Celtic have reportedly started plotting a move to seal a future star after sending their chief scout to watch him in action recently.

Celtic transfer news

How the Bhoys go about improving their current side is a difficult but positive conundrum to crack thanks to their flawless start to the current campaign. Even in the Champions League, the Bhoys remained unfazed, smashing Slovan Bratislava 5-1 to open their European season in style.

Meanwhile, in the Scottish Premiership, the champions remain on course to retain after creating a five-point gap on Old Firm rivals Rangers and instead going head-to-head with new challengers Aberdeen.

With that said, the focus for Celtic should be on the future and ensuring that they only extend their dominance rather than eventually lose out to those around Scotland. And if recent rumours are anything to go by, they intend to do exactly that in the January transfer window.

According to Fotbolldirekt – a media outlet based in Sweden – via Sport Witness, Celtic are beginning to plot a move to sign Bazoumana Toure from Hammarby IF.

Sold for £20m: Celtic struck gold selling ace who's now worth millions less

The Hoops hit the jackpot when they decided to cash in on the centre-forward.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 25, 2024

The media there expect a big development to take place soon with Celtic positioning themselves to sign the 18-year-old winger after sending chief scout Joe Lefevre to watch him in action.

Given that Eintracht Frankfurt, Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica are all also reportedly interested in Toure, Celtic will undoubtedly have to act fast if they want to secure his signature in a deal that would have to meet Hammerby’s reported €10m (£8m) price tag. A player with plenty of potential, Toure would be joining the Scottish champions at the perfect time, as they go for yet another title.

"Superb" Toure is one for the future

At 18 years old, Toure is already making his mark at Hammerby, with six goals and three assists in just 16 appearances last season. It’s no real surprise that he has attracted such high interest from all around Europe and the Bhoys will simply be hoping to see their sales pitch convince the youngster that Celtic Park is the place to be.

Earning plenty of praise during his recent rise, Toure was dubbed “superb” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig.

What is interesting to note is that he can also play on both wings to hand Brendan Rodgers a versatile option within his frontline, should Celtic complete their move in 2025. With years to reach his best form too, the Ivory Coast youngster could quickly turn into an excellent coup.

Having followed up the good news of the Friedkin Group’s pending takeover with their first Premier League win of the season against Crystal Palace, Everton could now finally have a replacement for Amadou Onana lined up.

Everton transfer news

Once again awaiting Premier League approval, Everton will have everything crossed that they’ve finally found new owners in Friedkin, who have plenty of experience across Europe, having taken charge of AS Roma in the Serie A.

Friedkin means business as update shared on Branthwaite's Everton future

Dan Friedkin is looking to make an early statement with the Toffees.

By
Henry Jackson

Oct 1, 2024

The likely new owners released a statement via Everton’s official website following the news of the sale, with a spokesperson saying: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement to become custodians of this iconic football club. We are focused on securing the necessary approvals to complete the transaction. We look forward to providing stability to the club, and sharing our vision for its future, including the completion of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.”

The Toffees’ change in fortunes didn’t stop there, either, with Sean Dyche’s side following the news up with a well-fought 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace to finally get their season up and running in England’s top flight.

Now, those at Goodison Park have seemingly turned their attention towards finally finding a replacement for Amadou Onana, who swapped Merseyside for Aston Villa in the summer transfer window.

According to reports in Spain, Friedkin Group now want to sign Dario Essugo from Sporting Club next summer, with the midfielder currently on loan at Las Palmas. Still just 19 years old, there’s no doubt that the Portuguese gem is one for the future and a player who could sit at the base of Dyche’s midfield for years to come if Everton make their move. In what could be the first arrival of the Friedkin era, Essugo is one to watch.

Why "exciting" Essugo would be an impressive coup

Dubbed “one of the most exciting DMs in Europe” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, Essugo has enjoyed a fine start to life at Las Palmas in La Liga and could now earn a move to the Premier League as a result. Replacing Onana would be quite the task, but the midfielder is far from his peak at 19 years old, handing him a number of years to eventually become a key man at Goodison Park.

Of course, when the summer transfer window arrives it will be interesting to see Sporting’s own stance on Essugo. If he continues to perform in Spain, then the Portuguese giants may just become a tough nut to crack on the transfer front. With new money to play with, however, Everton have fresh hope in pursuit of their targets.

Chelsea star Sam Kerr says she was "terrified" for her life having allegedly been locked in a taxi and forced to break the car window.

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• Chelsea forward Kerr in court to face charges
• Says she was "terrified" for her life while locked in taxi
• Facing allegations of racially aggravated harassment

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kerr has appeared in court on charges of racially aggravated harassment to a police officer. It is alleged that she and her partner, West Ham and USWNT star Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking before getting into a taxi. The driver later took them to Twickenham Police Station complaining that they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them vomited in the car. Kerr is said to have become "abusive and insulting" towards one of the police officers and the court was shown video of the Australia star calling him "stupid and white".

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kerr has admitted to making the comments but denies they meet the standards of causing racially aggravated harassment and argued that she was treated differently by officers on racial grounds. Kerr, 31, says she was "trapped" in the taxi after attempting to roll down the window, only for the driver to close it and start driving dangerously. Eventually, Mewis kicked the back window until it shattered.

• WHAT KERR SAID

  "I was terrified for my life. We were not in control," Kerr told the court. "I deemed him to be dangerous because of the driving but also because he could have taken us anywhere. He couldn't be tracked so no one knew where we were."

  Kerr said two of the officers were "antagonising", explaining: "Not believing us – telling us things hadn't happened that I knew had happened, making me feel like a liar, second guessing myself."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SAM KERR?

  While Kerr's trial continues, her Chelsea team-mates will be in action against West Ham in the Women's League Cup on Wednesday.

Potentially rewarding Fabian Hurzeler for the excellent start to his tenure, Brighton & Hove Albion are reportedly keeping tabs on a La Liga defender who recently pocketed one of Europe’s best forwards in Robert Lewandowski.

Brighton transfer news

After Graham Potter, many expected Brighton to fall away and gradually begin to struggle. Instead, the only way was up as Roberto De Zerbi arrived before building on what Potter formed to create a side capable of defeating the likes of Ajax on the European stage, only for the former Sassuolo boss to also leave his tenure in Sussex for Marseille during the summer.

Questions then rightly came again, as did several doubts over whether those at The Amex had finally made one brave decision too many when they hired 31-year-old Hurzeler. Yet, here the Seagulls are again, soaring high in the Premier League and getting results against the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and, most recently, Tottenham Hotspur in dramatic comeback fashion.

Now, those in Sussex could be about to repeat their genius on the transfer front. According to reports in Spain, Brighton are now keeping tabs on Enzo Boyomo, who recently helped Osasuna to end Barcelona’s unbeaten run to start the La Liga campaign, keeping Lewandowski quiet in a stunning 4-2 victory.

Just 23 years old, the central defender is the exact type of player that slots into Brighton’s criteria when recruiting fresh faces and as Lewis Dunk approaches 33 years old, it wouldn’t be absurd to suggest that Boyomo could eventually replace the club captain.

Limiting Lewandowski to just 0.36 expected goals and 23 touches before the striker was hauled off after 70 minutes, as per SofaScore, Boyomo proved that he is more than capable of competing against the best that Europe has to offer.

Rolls-Royce Boyomo would be impressive coup

Helping Osasuna up to fifth in La Liga, Boyomo has shown all the signs that he’s ready for such a step towards the Premier League and Brighton to sure up what is a side mainly focused on entertainers under Hurzeler. Adding another central defender may just provide that extra balance that the Seagulls needed in defeat against Chelsea and in a poor first-half against Spurs.

A player who graduated from Blackburn Rovers’ academy before finding his feet in Spain, Boyomo was dubbed a “Rollls-Royce” by La Liga Extra in the type of composure that would suit Hurzeler’s risky, yet reward-filled style of play at The Amex.

Also strong in the tackle, Brighton could yet unearth yet another impressive coup when 2025 arrives. After keeping Lewandowski quiet, the natural next step may prove to be attempting to do the same against the likes of Erling Haaland and Ollie Watkins in England’s top flight.

City's old guard bailed out their younger and inexperienced team-mates as they made it out alive of a tricky cup tie in east London

Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish answered the call when Manchester City reached out to their most experienced and classiest seniors to get them out of a tricky situation in the FA Cup at Leyton Orient, as last year's runners up survived an early scare to win 2-1.

City, who have reached the semi-finals in all but one of Guardiola's previous eight seasons, were heading for a disastrous exit to the League One side when Tottenham loanee Jamie Donley let fly from the halfway line and crashed his shot against the bar, watching in delight as it tricked in off the back of Stefan Ortega and into the net.

To make matters worse for City, new £50m signing Nico Gonzalez had to be taken off with a suspected back injury after suffering a nightmare debut, along with fellow first-timer Vitor Reis, who was hauled off at half-time. Guardiola introduced John Stones and Abdukodir Khusanov, and later De Bruyne and Foden, although it was starter Grealish who made the real difference.

The England international crossed for Rico Lewis to shoot at goal, with the effort bouncing off Khusanov and into the net. Grealish then found De Bruyne with a sumptuous pass and the Belgian nudged the ball past the excellent Orient goalkeeper Josh Keeley to break the Londoners' hearts.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Gaughan Group Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Stefan Ortega (6/10):

  Did well to block Kelman's shot. Completely flummoxed by Donley's enterprising strike although he can't be blamed too much for that.

  Rico Lewis (7/10):

  Looked far more comfortable going forward than at the back and his calm passing and positioning, not to mention sparking the equaliser, gave City a foothold.

  Vitor Reis (4/10):

  An unforgiving place to make his English football debut as he struggled to live with Kelman. Taken off at half-time.

  Ruben Dias (5/10):

  Didn't cope well with Orient's direct approach and hooked at the break, perhaps with Madrid in mind.

  Nico O'Reilly (5/10):

  This was a world away from the 8-0 win over Salford and he looked completely rattled by his surroundings.

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  Midfield

  Ilkay Gundogan (6/10):

  Wasted a glorious chance when he got the ball caught under his feet inside the box and scuffed wide but recovered from it by guiding City back from the dead, orchestrating their play through the middle.

  Nico Gonzalez (4/10):

  A baptism of fire. Displayed some nice passes at first but getting knocked over by Sonny Perkins was a real 'Welcome to the FA Cup' moment and he is now likely to be injured against Real Madrid.

  James McAtee (5/10):

  Struggled to find space in the first half amid Orient's careful positioning. Coped better in the second and hit the post but was then taken off.

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  Attack

  Savinho (6/10):

  His trickery always had Orient on the edge and eventually helped break them down.

  Omar Marmoush (5/10):

  Had a tough time leading the line throughout and should have done better with his shot which Keeley saved in the first half.

  Jack Grealish (8/10):

  The FA Cup is becoming his escapism. Pulled City's strings throughout the game and had his prints on both goals.

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  Subs & Manager

  Bernardo Silva (6/10)

  An ideal replacement for Gonzalez, giving City a calm and experienced head to negotiate their way out of trouble. Had a shot cleared off the line by Donley before half-time.

  Abdukodir Khusanov (7/10):

  What a way to respond to his nightmare debut. Made a crucial tackle on Kelman to avert a second goal then deflected in the equaliser.

  John Stones (6/10):

  His passing and close control helped City ease their way back into the game.

  Phil Foden (5/10):

  Didn't have much of an impact in his 18 minutes.

  Kevin De Bruyne (7/10):

  Exactly the impact City were hoping for, delivering a deft and killer touch to see them home.

  Pep Guardiola (6/10):

  His starting XI underestimated Orient's threat but corrected himself with his pro-active substitutions.

Everton fans haven’t exactly had much to be proud of over the last couple of campaigns, with the Toffees always seemingly finding themselves battling against the Premier League drop.

The last three seasons have seen the Merseyside outfit survive by the skin of their teeth come the final crunch game of the gruelling season, finishing in 15th, 17th and 16th after once being viewed as regular top-half finishers that constantly eyed up a spot in the top four of the table.

Sean Dyche has his work cut out for him again this campaign by the looks of things, but there is obvious talent in the current Toffees camp despite their already lowly position of 16th, with one star even sticking out as their next potential Ross Barkley.

Ross Barkley's time at Everton

Before his career went slightly pear-shaped at Chelsea, and then when he breathed life into his playing days on the books of Luton Town, Barkley was a beloved homegrown talent at Goodison Park.

The exciting attacking midfielder was front and centre of some top Toffees squads, with his stellar output of 12 goals and 11 assists in all competitions during the 2015/16 season a standout high from his seven-season stay on Merseyside, often linking up with sharp shooter Romelu Lukaku in the process.

The Toffees were always likely to face an uphill battle when attempting to keep Barkley happy at Goodison Park, especially when the Blues did come calling in 2017, offering the Liverpool-born midfielder a chance at more opportunities to pick up illustrious silverware, on top of a chance to line up alongside some exceptional talents at Stamford Bridge.

In total, Barkley would notch up a mightily impressive 27 goals and 25 assists donning Everton blue, eventually costing Chelsea £15m to win his services.

Much like Anthony Gordon is a pantomime villain for the way he exited Merseyside for Newcastle United, Barkley is also treated in a similar hostile manner for the way he deserted the Toffees, leaving mid-way through the 2017/18 campaign after a summer move went awry.

Whilst there is still very much bad blood between the two parties, Everton won’t say no to having a player in a similar ilk to Barkley in their current ranks.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The player who could be the new Barkley

Now dazzling the Goodison Park faithful with top-drawer displays from attacking midfield, it could be argued that Dwight McNeil is slowly but surely turning into Everton’s new Barkley this season, with the former Burnley midfielder a definite standout performer for Dyche’s men even when things have been largely against them.

Regularly deployed as a winger by Dyche when the pair were together at Turf Moor, the 24-year-old is now shining in a number ten spot – the position Barkley loved at Merseyside – and a role that would have been alien to him when playing in Lancashire.

Now, it’s proving to have been a masterstroke of a decision to throw him into this fresh position, with zero goals coming his way when he has lined up in a more conventional left wing spot this season.

When utilised in his new spot, however, he has been key to Everton picking up some positive results, with two strikes finding the back of the net against Crystal Palace when McNeil was used centrally as Dyche’s men ended up picking up their first league win.

Managing to evade Eagles shirts to then lash home a tremendous strike in the 2-1 win, McNeil might well find more freedom has come his way operating in this new role, than bombing down the flanks ever gifted him.

Labelled as a “magic” talent in the past for the Toffees by football journalist Joe Thomas, he is very much coming into his own now, with Dyche potentially reliant on the ex-Burnley man to keep coming up trumps in moments of adversity that could follow.

He might well even be referred to in the same breath as Barkley if he continues to make that attacking midfield spot his own, as Dyche’s men aim to pick up another league victory against Ipswich Town up next courtesy of their breakout star.

He's like Martinelli: Everton lining up move for "unstoppable" £12m star

The Toffees need to add some quality in the January transfer window.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 12, 2024

Ruben Amorim revealed Marcus Rashford was not on the same page after the exiled Manchester United forward completed his loan move to Aston Villa.

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• Amorim discarded the forward from his plans
• Rashford joined Villa until the end of the campaign
• Amorim admitted Rashford did not buy into his ideas

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford made an immediate impact under Amorim by scoring the first goal of his reign against Ipswich Town. However, despite United's ongoing struggles, the manager continued to overlook him, leading to a sharp decline in his role at the club. His extended absence from the squad made it clear that he was no longer in the coach’s plans.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rashford has now been granted an opportunity to revive his form under Unai Emery at Villa Park, thanks to a loan deal, which includes an option to buy for £40 million, suggesting that his time at United could be coming to a permanent end. Under the terms of the agreement, Villa will cover at least 75% of Rashford’s wages but have not paid a loan fee for his temporary switch.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Speaking about Rashford’s departure, Amorim explained the situation, making it clear that the pair failed to establish a common understanding.

  “What I say is I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it," he told reporters. "And sometimes you have one player who is really good with one coach and the same player with another coach is different. I just wish the best to Rashford and Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  When pressed on whether Rashford could still have a future at United, Amorim refused to offer any guarantees.

  "Like we said before, we are fighting for our jobs until the summer," he said. "So I am just focused on these games. Thankfully Marcus is in Birmingham now with Unai, so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players.”

After suffering a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace at the start of October, Alisson Becker could now reportedly be sidelined for longer than first feared in a worrying blow for Liverpool.

Alisson injury update

Of course, whenever Alisson is not available – which is frustratingly often – it’s a blow for Liverpool. But Caoimhin Kelleher deserves great credit for how he steps up time and time again. The Irishman almost shared the responsibility with Alisson at times last season as his injury issues piled up and has so far done the same again to great effect in the current campaign.

Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over RB Leipzig was the Irishman’s latest important performance, keeping the German side at bay with more than one excellent save and earning his clean sheet and the praise of Rio Ferdinand and Steve McManaman as a result.

Leipzig won’t be the last game that Kelleher is asked to step up either, following the latest injury update on the Reds’ number one. According to Football Insider, Alisson could now miss longer than initially expected and make his return to action at the start of December rather than straight after the November international break as first reported.

100% duels, 95% pass rate: Liverpool star is outshining Gravenberch & Salah

Liverpool defeated RB Leipzig to extend their perfect start in the Champions League.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 24, 2024

This could see the Brazilian make his return against Manchester City on December 1, of all games, in what would be the ultimate boost for Arne Slot and his side. He is, however, certain to miss Arsenal this weekend, Brighton & Hove Albion in both the Premier League and Carabao Cup and others in the coming weeks.

Games that Alisson will miss in November

Without their shot-stopper, Liverpool haven’t skipped a beat, but the difficult games are yet to come in Slot’s most testing run yet in charge of the Reds. A trip to The Emirates this weekend particularly stands out as the Dutchman’s biggest game so far, with a win perhaps cementing his side’s place as serious title contenders and a defeat perhaps bringing those at Anfield back down to the reality of a top four chase.

If they are to seal a big three points, Liverpool will have to do so without Alisson at The Emirates and then quite possibly the six games that follow in a mix of Premier League, Carabao Cup and Champions League action.

Possibly missing Liverpool’s biggest games in the Champions League so far this season, Alisson will be desperately hoping to defy the odds and win the battle to be fit to face familiar foes Real Madrid before then squaring off against Manchester City a few days later.

Ruben Amorim is struggling to believe that he has only won four league games with Manchester United and is finding it hard to "fail and fail".

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• United languishing in the 15th spot in PL standings
• Amorim has already lost nine of the 21 matches
• Portuguese at his wits end to turn around the situation

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  With nine defeats in 21 games across all competitions, the Portuguese coach has found it increasingly difficult to turn things around at Old Trafford. The squad has seemingly struggled to adapt to his tactical approach, and issues surrounding training discipline have further complicated his task.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United currently sit in 15th place in the Premier League, far from their usual battles for silverware and Champions League qualification. Although the possibility of a relegation fight remains unlikely, the team’s performance has been significantly below expectations despite spending significantly in the summer transfer market.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Amorim was fully aware of the challenges awaiting him when he took the job, but the extent of the club’s decline has left him increasingly worried. In an interview with , the former Sporting CP boss admitted his concern over United’s current predicament and accepted that his pride is hurt.

  "If you said to me in the beginning that you are going to win four matches in 14, I don’t believe you. I would say you are crazy you know. And that for me is the hardest part," Amorim said.

  When asked if his frustration stemmed from being used to success – having won two league titles with Sporting, including in his first full season – Amorim explained that his disappointment goes beyond just results.

  "It’s your pride as a coach – it doesn’t matter the context," he explained. "You are [at] Manchester United and you lose nine games in the Premier League. As a player… you know that when you get to this moment sometimes it is really hard to turn things around. And we are in this moment. So, I was expecting hard days, but not like this."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  United’s recent form has been concerning, with back-to-back defeats against Tottenham and Crystal Palace adding to the growing pressure on Amorim.

  "I am doing everything I know and we are still losing, and that is really hard to say," he said. "So I just want to say that I am giving everything… I took a lot of time to choose a club to leave Sporting and I chose this club for me. But after all that work, to fail and fail and fail is really hard. So I am giving everything, I want to change things, but sometimes your best is not enough. Let’s hope that we can change this in this game."