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Everton shelled out a huge fee when they bought Richarlison from Watford back in the summer, parting with an initial sum of around £35m to bring the Brazilian international to Goodison Park – as reported by the BBC, clauses in the deal could take the fee to around £50m, which would eclipse the club-record £45m spent on Gylfi Sigurdsson.

How has he done so far?

The 21-year-old started his Premier League career with the Hornets in impressive fashion, quickly introducing himself as a typically skilful Brazilian flair player, but with the ability to turn his mercurial talents into goals and assists.

However, after Marco Silva was sacked, Richarlison’s form nosedived, and he finished the 2017/18 campaign with just five goals and four assists to his name at Vicarage Road, as seen on his Whoscored page.

Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…

There seems to be a good relationship between Silva and the former Fluminense forward, with that suggestion further reinforced when the Portuguese manager convinced his new bosses to splash the cash to bring his favourite to Merseyside.

It mustn’t be forgotten that Richarlison is a very young player, and arrived on these shores as a youngster who had never played his football outside of Brazil, so his debut season can be forgiven. This term, however, he has looked far more mature in a central role for the Toffees, scoring nine league goals in 20 starts, as per Whoscored, and proving to be far more efficient and consistent in his movement and end product.

The Verdict

At such a young age, and taking the state of the current market into account, the deal for Richarlison could be considered a snip in a few years if he continues his upwards curve.

It is encouraging to see that he has almost doubled his tally for goals from last season just over halfway through the current campaign, and most importantly, he is playing under a manager who trusts him and will give him sufficient game time to develop.

One stat which also catches the eye is the amount of aerial duels that he has won. The 21-year-old averages 2.3 aerial duels won per game in the league, as per Whoscored, which suggests that he is learning how to use his broad frame more effective in the physical English game.

He has been an astute signing who has impressed hugely, and so long as Silva is at the helm, he should continue his rapid rise as a footballer which has seen him score three times in his six appearances for Brazil – his form has also attracted glances from the Camp Nou, with Barcelona keeping tabs on his progress according to The Daily Star in December.

Manchester United are could finally end their striker hunt after being linked with a move for Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Super Deporte (as relayed by the Manchester Evening News), the Red Devils have the highly-rated 24-year-old on their ‘agenda’, with new manager Ralf Rangnick looking to make his mark on the first-team squad.

The report states that: “Manchester United has the Sevilla player Youssef En-Nesyri on the agenda…The English team are looking for a forward with good scoring figures, and En-Nesyri fits the profile they are managing.”

En-Nesyri was close to joining fellow Premier League outfit West Ham United in the summer after they had a €30 million (£25.5m) bid rejected, and Sevilla are said to be happy to let him leave ‘if a good offer arrives.’

Ralf Rangnick could end Man Utd’s striker hunt

With Edinson Cavani set to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign and Cristiano Ronaldo turning 37 in February, reinforcements at the top end of the pitch should be high up on Rangnick’s wishlist.

United have long been linked with an additional striker, and although Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland is believed to be their No.1 target, the competition for his signature is set to be fierce.

Therefore, viable alternatives will need to be assessed by the club’s hierarchy, and a potential move for the £36m-rated En-Nesyri could well be on the cards.

The Morocco international only arrived from La Liga minnows Leganes in January 2020, but he’s quickly established himself as one of the division’s elite forwards, bagging 24 goals in 52 appearances for Julen Lopetegui’s charges last term.

And his underlying number were equally as impressive. As per WhoScored, En-Nesyri averaged 2.1 shots per league game throughout 2020/21, 2.5 aerial duels won and 1.6 touches in the penalty area, placing him in the top two for each metric when compared to his teammates.

These returns saw pundit Terry Gibson dub the African forward a “world-beater” and highlight his truly top-class potential.

Whether Rangnick would deem En-Nesyri an ideal fit for his high-intensity pressing system remains to be seen, but it appears as though the United hierarchy are keeping close tabs of the 6 foot 2 target man.

And, in other news…Huge boost: David Ornstein delivers big Man Utd update, Rangnick will be elated

Celtic will reportedly look to sell winger Jota for a massive €30m (£25.5m) when they make his move permanent, according to journalist Pedro Almeida.

The Lowdown: Jota’s impressive form

The 22-year-old has been in excellent form since moving to Scotland over the summer, becoming an regular figure under Ange Postecoglou.

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The Portuguese winger has netted eight times and registered six assists in 17 Hoops appearances, occupying the left-hand side in a front three.

Almeida previously suggested that Celtic ‘will advance to the definitive signing’ of Jota for a fee in the region of €7.5m (6.38m), and it now appears as if Parkhead chiefs could be keen on making an immediate profit.

The Latest: £25.5m claim…

Almeida took to Twitter late on Tuesday evening to provide an update on the winger.

He claimed that Celtic will buy Jota for €7.5m (£6.4m) and ‘plans to sell’ him for €30m (£25.5m), but didn’t name any possible destinations or interested clubs.

The Verdict: Record-breaking

Should an immediate sale go through at €30m (£25.5m), that would make him Celtic’s most expensive departure of all time, surpassing the £24.3m move which took Kieran Tierney to Arsenal in 2019.

It may make sense to keep hold of Jota after making his move permanent and try to build a team around the likes of him and Kyogo Furuhashi in attack. Described as ‘terrific’ by Owen Hargreaves, you’d expect that there could be more to come from Jota, who is still early into his professional career, so holding onto him could be a wise decision.

However, it appears as if Michael Nicholson may have his eyes on a record-breaking transfer.

In other news: Celtic face substantial asking price for pacey Postecoglou target after weeks of rumours. 

Taking to Twitter, Calciomercato journalist Alessio Lento has shared the latest on Tottenham Hotspur’s outgoings as he makes a claim involving Giovani Lo Celso.

The Lowdown: Conte makes ‘evaluations’…

Speaking before the January transfer window opened, Spurs manager Antonio Conte declared that he was making player ‘evaluations’ as he weighed up who should stay or leave the club this winter.

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The likes of Dele Alli and Matt Doherty have already been linked with a move away from north London as the club reportedly set their sights on bolstering key areas of the squad, such as right-wing back (Evening Standard).

Amid his current lack of game time at N17, Lo Celso is another player who could leave Spurs this month, as Lento takes to social media with his information.

The Latest: Lo Celso ‘ready to accept’ loan transfer…

According to the Italian reporter, the Argentina midfielder is ‘ready to accept’ a loan transfer away from Tottenham in January, with Serie A giants Juventus having already made the ‘first approaches’.

“First approaches between Lo Celso and Juventus,” Lento explained on Twitter.

“The player of Tottenham is very fond of option and would be ready to accept a loan as well. The Bianconeri, however, are not the only ones on the trail of the Argentinian midfielder.”

The Verdict: Green light?

Depending on the variation of Conte’s three-at-the back formations, with attacking midfielders consistently deployed in his system (BBC), we believe Lo Celso could still be an asset at Spurs if the Italian can nurture his best form.

Slammed for being a ‘passenger’ in some matches this season, as explained by club insider John Wenham (Football Insider), his form for Argentina is at the other end of the spectrum. National team boss Lionel Scaloni even hailed the 25-year-old as ‘one of the best in the world’ in his position, with the 36-cap ace consistently favoured by his country (Transfermarkt).

If Lo Celso can transfer his international form to club level with Spurs, Conte may yet unearth a fine attacking alternative as he aims to guide the Lilywhites to a top-four finish.

In other news: ‘Absolute no-brainer’…Sky Sports pundit thrilled by ‘exciting’ transfer news out of Spurs, find out more here.

Tottenham are still interested in signing Wolves winger Adama Traore in the January transfer window, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Traore linked with Wolves exit

The 25-year-old may have scored his first goal of the season last weekend but his Wanderers career looks likely to reach its conclusion at some point this year.

Traore has been strongly tipped to move away from Molineux this month, with the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham thought to be interested in signing him.

While it has been claimed that the winger will be staying put in January, a new update may suggest otherwise.

The Latest: Romano makes fresh Traore claim

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Romano confirmed that Spurs are still eyeing up a move, as Antonio Conte looks to bring in a new wide man:

“Tottenham are still trying to sign Adama Traore in January. Wolves manager Bruno Lage’s pushing to keep him until the end of the season – Spurs want to give Conte a new winger as he asked.”

The Verdict: Matter of time

It does feel as though Traore will be moving on in either January or the summer, with Bruno Lage seemingly not considering him a key part of his plans, with the winger having been in and out of the starting line-up throughout the season.

In truth, it makes sense for Wolves to get as much as they can for the Spaniard, using the money to bring in players who the manager believes would suit his style of play.

For all Traore’s entertainment value, he continues to be a player who flatters to deceive – one goal contribution by the middle of January is not good enough for a senior attacker – and it is time for the Old Gold to cut ties with him.

The only reason he should stay this month is if Wolves are unable to find a suitable replacement in time, with squad depth affected by losing him and signing nobody.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly ‘very interested’ in signing one player. Find out who it is here.

West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone will leave the club at the end of the current season, according to reliable journalist Steve Madeley.

The Lowdown: Johnstone continues to shine

The 28-year-old ended up staying put at the Hawthorns last summer, despite constant reports linking him with a move elsewhere, having been hailed as ‘wonderful’ by BBC pundit Micah Richards, who played alongside him at Aston Villa.

Johnstone has continued to impress for West Brom this season, making 22 Championship appearances and helping his team to sit fourth in the table currently.

It still looks likely that the England international won’t be around forever, though, with a fresh update suggesting as much.

The Latest: Journalist makes key claim

According to The Athletic’s Madeley, Johnstone is expected to leave the Baggies next summer, also ruling out a January exit at least.

When asked if the club’s priority next month would be to cash in on the goalkeeper, he outlined:

“I really don’t think that’s the case. Which is not to say they wouldn’t sell if the right offer came in but I don’t think they have any wish to lose him, nor do I think they’re likely to receive the kind of offer that would tempt them to sell.

“After all, as it stands, Johnstone will be free to leave for no fee in May, so it’s hard to see any Premier League club paying big money for him now unless they really need a No 1 immediately and I can’t see a club that does.”

The Verdict: Inevitable exit?

It is encouraging to hear that Johnstone won’t be leaving in January – his exit then would be a damaging blow to West Brom’s promotion hopes – but sadly a summer move now feels inevitable.

His contract expires at the end of the season, meaning he will be available on a free transfer, at which point a Premier League club could snap him up readily, rather than Albion at least fetching a fee for him if he were to be sold next month.

The only hope is that Valerien Ismael’s side return to the top flight as well, at which point Johnstone may decide to sign a new deal and look to build upon his 41 clean sheets in 153 appearances for the Baggies.

In other news, Luke Hatfield has made a transfer claim regarding one rumoured target. Find out who it is here.

Sunderland are back in League One action this weekend with a clash against Ipswich Town next up for the Black Cats after securing the top spot in Group F and a home tie in the next round of the Papa John’s Trophy with a 1-1 draw against Bradford City earlier in the month.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Sunderland manager Lee Johnson could pick in his starting XI to face Ipswich, one player that featured in the draw against Bradford that should be in the running for a starting place at the weekend is striker Nathan Broadhead.

Sunderland signed the striker back in August on a season-long loan deal from Premier League club Everton.

Since arriving at the Wearside club, the 23-year-old, who is currently valued at £450k according to Transfermarkt, has made just eight appearances for Sunderland across all competitions, starting just one of the five league games he’s appeared in.

During his time on the pitch against Bradford before being replaced by Will Harris in the second half, Broadhead not only managed to score Sunderland’s equalising goal, but he also managed to complete 17 of the 19 passes he attempted, win five out of the six duels he was involved in and make one tackle in the process, showing how much of a tough opponent he was for Bradford on the night.

His performance ultimately earned him an impressive overall match rating of 7.5/10, making him the highest-rated outfield Sunderland player according to SofaScore.

Taking this into account and the fact that Ipswich have managed to concede more goals (25) than any of the top ten teams in the League One table, this could be a great opportunity for Johnson to give Broadhead, who has been described as a “terrific” player by Everton U23 manager David Unsworth, a chance to terrify Ipswich and then fully prove himself in League One with a consistent run of games.

However, the fact that Ross Stewart has been in brilliant goalscoring form in League One this season with ten goals in 15 appearances, suggests that Johnson isn’t likely to drop him for Broadhead, meaning a potential change in formation to have both Stewart and Broadhead in the side could be the way forward for Sunderland, especially since they’ve lost their three previous games across all competitions prior to the Bradford match.

With this in mind, considering how Leon Dajaku failed to have much of an attacking impact in the game against Bradford with no key passes made, perhaps he could be the one to make way for Broadhead on this occasion to see if that can turn Sunderland’s fortunes around.

In other news: 98 duels won: SAFC beast with 14 interceptions has been an unsung hero for Johnson…

Rangers were left frustrated as they returned to Premiership action but failed to pick up all three points on Tuesday night as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men returned from the break in an uninspiring fashion.

The Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by Aberdeen away from home, with the hosts coming from behind to secure a point. Ianis Hagi handed Gers the lead in the first-half as he converted from close range after a delicious cross into the six-yard box from Ryan Kent.

Aberdeen then equalised in the 73rd minute as Lewis Ferguson calmly slotted away a penalty. Alfredo Morelos was penalised for a handball in the area and the Dons midfielder made the most of his opportunity to level the scores.

Kent was sent off in the final ten minutes as he was shown a second yellow card for a soft foul on former Celtic man Scott Brown.

Although the ex-Liverpool man was given his marching orders, forget him, it was Morelos who let van Bronckhorst down badly in the match.

The Colombian striker let a lot to be desired as he put in a disappointing performance, struggling with his all-round game and in the final third.

As per SofaScore, he lost a whopping 11 individual duels, out of 18 in total, and only had 47 touches of the ball in his 89 minutes on the pitch. This shows that he was far too weak against the Aberdeen centre-back and allowed himself to be taken out of the game too easily.

He also failed with five of his six attempted dribbles and did not manage a single key pass, as per SofaScore. In the first-half, he ignored Scott Wright in an excellent position in the first half as he swiveled and scuffed a shot at the goalkeeper.

Ex-Gers forward Jermain Defoe recently said of the attacker: “Alfredo is someone who loves scoring goals.

“If we win 8-0 and he hasn’t scored, he’s not happy. I was the same when I was younger.”

Morelos failed to score and cost the Gers the win for his error as he gave away the penalty, so “not happy” may be an understatement in this particular situation. Although, it is seemingly the bare minimum emotion that the striker will now be dealing with, according to a man who worked with him for some time.

Therefore, the dud let himself and van Bronckhorst down and all parties will be frustrated by his performance on Tuesday night. It is now down to the centre-forward to ensure that he gets back on the scoresheet in the next match and make amends for his mistake against the Dons.

AND in other news, GvB could find Rangers their next Patterson in machine who’s tipped for a “big career”…

As per journalist Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express, amid all the rumours surrounding Erling Haaland, it appears Man City have their eyes on another player as news emerges on Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Sky Blues in striker search…

Pep Guardiola seems set to target a world class centre-forward in the summer window after failing to sign Spurs star Harry Kane last summer.

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Haaland, who appears to be dominating the headlines where City are concerned, has been very heavily linked with a move to Eastlands since The Mail broke news of a deal even allegedly being in place.

However, the Norway star isn’t the only man reportedly on Guardiola’s radar, with Benfica’s big name attacker Nunez also a target according to reports.

Sharing an update, Taylor now has some news for City supporters as Eastlands officials travel abroad this week.

The Latest: City officials travel…

According to his information, Sky Blues officials were in attendance to run the rule over Nunez during Benfica’s clash with Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday.

It is believed that scouts from Man United, Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham and Arsenal were also at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica in midweek.

The Verdict: Ideal Haaland alternative?

If City can’t seal an agreement for their top target this summer, Nunez arguably stands out as as perfect alternative.

Scoring 28 goals already this season, the starlet attacker could leave for around £60 million this summer, but the amount of competition could mean sporting director Txiki Begiristain faces a summer transfer battle.

Lauded as an ‘absolute beast’ by Anfield Index podcaster Hari Sethi after that clash with Liverpool, one of the most in-form frontmen in Europe could raise a real bidding war and it will be interesting to see whether the Sky Blues could be part of it.

In other news: ‘Man City close to finalising’…Insider shares major player development out of Eastlands, find out more here.

While Leeds United starlet Illan Meslier has firmly established himself as the number one goalkeeper at Elland Road, had things turned out slightly differently a decade ago, it may well have been a certain Kasper Schmeichel holding the gloves.

Reports claimed that the Whites sold Schmeichel for less than £1m, with then boss Simon Grayson making it clear that the call to sell the Denmark international was one that was in the “best interests” of the Whites, and that it was the “right deal for the club”.

Speaking after a move to the Foxes was confirmed, the Denmark international let it be known that the decision for him to leave Elland Road was taken out of his hands, and that it was well and truly against his wishes.

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He said: “I want to put on record that I have never asked to leave the Leeds United, nor did I reject an offer for a new contract, since one was never put to me. I was enjoying being a Leeds United player and was looking forward to winning promotion this season with the club.

“I have spoken to the manager Simon Grayson and he has made it clear to me, that, in spite of having played well for him, this is something he believes is a good deal for Leeds United. I have been put in a very difficult situation and will spend some time considering my options for my future.”

Since then of course, Schmeichel has developed into a Premier League stalwart, having earned promotion to the top-flight with Leicester and being part of that now historic side that clinched the title against all odds in 2016.

Then, the goalkeeper added to his credentials as a Foxes icon and legend by delivering an impressive display in the FA Cup final victory last year, leading manager Brendan Rodgers to dub his performance as “special”.

All in all, he’s now played 466 games in total for Leicester, including featuring in the Champions League, Europa League and the Europa Conference League too.

The big Dane has also picked up 80 senior caps for his country, while he was even named by FIFA as one of the three finalists for the world’s best goalkeeper award back in 2018.

While Meslier has finally offset the impact of Schmeichel’s departure, you can’t help but feel a sense of what if with the goalkeeper.

Leeds suffered a bit of an embarrassment in letting the Dane go.

AND in other news: Orta can now axe “awful” £55k-p/w flop as Leeds eye “underrated” £12.5m-rated “threat”