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Derby County are reportedly among a number of Championship clubs interested in signing Scotland international Stephen O’Donnell this summer.

The Lowdown: O’Donnell impresses for Scotland

The 29-year-old is currently playing at Euro 2020, impressing in the Tartan Army’s 0-0 draw with England on Friday night as he won two tackles and helped his team to a clean sheet, shacking Raheem Sterling throughout.

The right-back bounced back from a below-par showing against the Czech Republic in Scotland’s opener, showing quality and consistency out wide at Wembley four days later.

The Latest: Derby linked with move

O’Donnell’s form has seemingly caught the eye of a host of clubs, with the Daily Mail claiming that Derby are one of those interested in a move for the defender.

Birmingham City, Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers and Barnsley are all mentioned in the report too as a potential battle to sign the Motherwell man begins to brew.

The Verdict: Shrewd summer addition

O’Donnell could be a solid acquisition for Derby, possessing a wealth of experience (377 club career appearances) and representing his country at a major tournament.

While he might not necessarily be the most flamboyant footballer, he is a safe pair of hands, averaging 1.3 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game in the Scottish Premiership last season.

O’Donnell’s ability to play at both right-back and right wing-back could also appeal to Wayne Rooney as the Derby manager looks to build a side capable of pushing towards the play-off positions in 2021/22.

In other news, one Derby player is reportedly in talks with another club over a summer move. Find out who it is here. 

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up a summer move for VfL Wolfsburg midfielder Josip Brekalo, but they face competition for his signature.

The Lowdown: Midfield reinforcements needed

The Whites completed an excellent season last weekend, beating West Brom 3-1 to finish ninth in the Premier League, in their first year back in the top-flight.

Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt be content with the squad he currently has at his disposal, but will also see the need for new signings this summer.

Additions to Leeds’ midfield could be required, whether it be to support Kalvin Phillips or bring more creativity further up the pitch.

The Latest: Brekalo linked with Leeds move

According to Bild [via Sport Witness], Brekalo has emerged as a target for the Whites this summer, with Everton also keen on the 22-year-old.

Napoli, AC Milan and Fiorentina are also mentioned in the report, with the attacking midfielder having a number of admirers.

Brekalo scored seven goals and registered three assists in the Bundesliga in 2020/21 and has netted four times in 22 caps for Croatia.

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The Verdict: Ideal squad player?

At 22, Brekalo is still an emerging player, but he is also an established international who has the quality to be a success at Elland Road.

The youngster averaged 1.3 key passes per game in the league last season, which is superior to Phillips (1.2), suggesting he may bring more guile than the Leeds star, perhaps making them a perfect combination in midfield.

Brekalo may not come in as an immediate regular starter, but he could certainly be a key squad player, developing and becoming more influential as the season progresses, just like Rodrigo did.

In other news, Leeds have been urged to sign a player who could fill a key position this summer. Find out who it is here.

According to Italian outlet Il Messaggero, Erik ten Hag is one step away from becoming the new Tottenham manager.

The Lowdown: Levy’s search goes on

It is now seven weeks since Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties as Spurs boss, but Daniel Levy is yet to decide on a successor.

Antonio Conte looked set to be the Portuguese’s replacement, but talks with the former Chelsea boss collapsed (The Guardian).

The Latest: Ten Hag close

However, it seems that Spurs could now be on the verge of securing an appointment, according to Il Messaggero.

It is now being said that Ten Hag is “one step away” from taking over from Mourinho despite him recently signing a new contract with current employers Ajax (Goal.com).

The Verdict: Top choice

If Spurs were able to secure the services of the 51-year-old, it would be a fantastic coup for Levy and co. Ten Hag has done a brilliant job with Ajax – the Amsterdam club have won the last three Eredivisie titles with the Dutchman in charge, winning 74 from a possible 93 matches in the division (Transfermarkt), while they even reached the Champions League semi-finals during the 2018/19 season when they eventually lost to Tottenham.

The new contract is likely to make any deal more expensive for the Lilywhites, but given how important it is to find the right man, they cannot afford to look for the cheapest option and hope for the best. Ten Hag could be an inspired arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In other news, Tottenham have been offered this Premier League star.

Liverpool recorded a potentially pivotal victory over Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening, elevating themselves into a Champions League qualification spot for the first time since February.

The hosts made a fast start in midweek, with Sean Dyche’s men harassing the Reds through some intelligent pressing and strong, physical challenges.

Chris Wood could have put the Clarets ahead when he was bearing down on Alisson Becker’s net but shot wide of the mark to let Liverpool off the hook.

The 2019/20 Premier League champions took full advantage of Burnley’s poor finishing, slowly asserting themselves upon proceedings and taking control of the game after Bobby Firmino calmy slotted Andy Robertson’s cut-back into the corner of Will Norris’ net.

Further efforts from Nat Phillips and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made the three points secure for Liverpool, but there was one man who let Klopp down on one of the biggest occasions this season.

As per SofaScore, Mohamed Salah received a rating of just 6.3/10, the lowest out of all the Liverpool players, and a staggeringly low rating given the outcome of the game.

The Eygpt international won just two of his eight duels against his physically imposing opponents and, almost unbelievably, had only 46 touches throughout the 90 minutes, eight fewer than the 54 goalkeeper Alisson Becker had.

It was a night where Klopp would have wanted his big star to step up, but he failed to deliver. Thankfully, a few of the Reds’ lesser-heralded players were able to rise to the occasion.

It’s hard to be too critical on the 28-year-old forward, though. The Anfield outfit have seriously struggled for large periods of the current campaign, with attacking duo Sadio Mane and Firmino both suffering from a serious drop-off in form.

However, Salah has managed to maintain his incredible goalscoring record in spite of the difficulties surrounding his campaign, bagging an astonishing 31 goals and providing five assists in 50 appearances for the Reds.

Liverpool fans will be hoping his below-par performance in midweek was a one-off then as their top-four hopes go down to the final day with a clash against Crystal Palace set to determine their European fate.

And, in other news…Asking price set: Edwards must act to sign Reds target with a pass accuracy of 87.1% – opinion

Many Everton fans have been left to bemoan a transfer update from Fabrizio Romano on Max Aarons.

Replying to a Toffees supporter when asked if the Norwich City ace was going to Goodison Park, the Italian football journalist and transfer guru claimed: ‘No chance’.

Just last month, Romano had stated that the Merseyside club were ‘leading the race’ to sign Aarons, and that advanced talks were ‘progressing’.

It has left several Blues wondering what has happened between then and now, as it looks as if they will have to start pursuing other targets in the right-back area.

Playing in all but one game for the Canaries in the EFL Championship in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), Aarons was certainly a key player in getting them promoted back up to the Premier League, and at just 21 years of age, the Englishman would have been an ideal long-term successor to 32-year-old Seamus Coleman.

Everton fans on Aarons transfer update

These EFC fans were left to bemoan the transfer update as it was shared on Twitter:

“I’VE SEEN IT AND I’M SAD”

Credit: @PaigeyEFC

“Our season is over before it even started”

Credit: @whoisparadox

“Noooooooooooooo”

Credit: @efcowen1

“Sigh”

Credit: @SP0RTSEDlTS

“Pain.”

Credit: @LiamAnderson66

“Another joke Everton should have wrapped up months ago, end up going to Tottenham this kid”

Credit: @CallumCarroll

In other news, find out which player Toffees are pleading to sign here!

James Maddison has said exactly what Leicester City fans wanted to hear after the Foxes reached the FA Cup final on Sunday.

Kelechi Iheanacho’s solitary strike, the Nigerian’s 15th of the season, was enough for Brendan Rodgers’ men to secure their progression at the expense of Southampton at Wembley Stadium.

Maddison made his first appearance for the club since breaking lockdown guidelines as he was afforded a cameo from the bench.

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Whilst he did not manage to impact the game, having two shots and getting neither of them on target according to WhoScored, the £110k per week midfielder, instead did his talking off the pitch with an Instagram post that stated he had “making up to do from now until the end of the season”.

Following his recent escapades, that is exactly what Foxes supporters will have wanted to hear.

After breaking those aforementioned guidelines, Maddison was hugely criticised and even dropped from Leicester’s squad in what was a crunch clash against West Ham United as both teams battled for a UEFA Champions League place.

The Foxes ended up being on the wrong side of a 3-2 scoreline, a result which could impact their chances of finishing in the top-four come the end of the campaign.

Whilst it would be naïve to suggest that Maddison would have been able to prevent that defeat on his own, he could well have impacted the game.

It was even more of a disappointment considering that the midfielder had been one of the stars of Leicester’s season thus far, having racked up 21 goal contributions in all competitions.

Previously praised as “honest” by Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers, Maddison’s own admission will not be able to rectify the mistakes that he has made but his awareness of those huge errors and his need to correct them going forwards highlights maturity and ambition on his part.

That acceptance on his part will also allow the club to move on and galvanise themselves for the remainder of the campaign.

Heading into the final few months of the season then and eyeing an FA Cup final at the conclusion of the campaign, Maddison’s words are exactly what Leicester supporters want to hear.

AND in more news, take a closer look at Wesley Fofana’s impressive performance against Southampton at Wembley…

Marcel Brands should plot a move for Everton to sign VfB Stuttgart winger Silas Wamangituka to solve a key issue with Carlo Ancelotti’s side that Friday’s win over Arsenal exposed.

The Toffees were linked with the Bundesliga dynamo by Eurosport last month, who claimed that Wamangituka had caught the attention of a number of Premier League sides with his direct style of play, immense pace and finishing ability.

Wamangituka is Die Roten’s second-best scorer and playmaker with 11 goals and five assists in 25 German top-flight appearances this term, before requiring surgery for a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament rupture sustained against Bayern Munich on March 20.

The DR Congo native was seen to have been one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting talents before his injury, and is in line for a new contract at the Mercedes-Benz Arena that will increase the 21-year-old’s wage from €1m (£17k-p/w) to €1.5m (£25k-p/w) a season.

It remains to be seen what impact his likely lengthy spell on the sidelines has for the potential suitors assessing swoops for the £22.5m-rated forward, who is under contract at Stuttgart on his current terms through to the summer of 2024.

But the issue should not prevent Brands from plotting plans to sign Wamangituka amid Everton’s search for a new, young attacking option, as the 6 ft 2 maestro can solve a key issue in Ancelotti’s system that Friday night’s 1-0 win over Arsenal exposed.

Die Roten’s rumoured plans to present Wamangituka with a £25k-p/w contract would also be no issue for the Toffees’ to better, with Spotrac and Sportekz figures showing only Joao Virginia (£10k), Anthony Gordon (£10k), Jarrad Branthwaite (£15k) and Robin Olsen (£23k) as currently earning less.

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Everton fortuitously beat Arsenal on Friday through an own goal from Bernd Leno, when the German failed to keep out Richarlison’s pass across the six-yard box that posed no serious threat.

Richarlison had been involved in one of the Toffees’ better chances to score earlier in the game, when the Brazilian was freed to run at the Gunners backline by a powerful pass from Allan only for Leno to save the eventual effort.

Everton too often lacked the pace to get in behind the Arsenal defence beyond that and struggled to purposeful impose any pressure at the Emirates, by either getting to the ball too late or moving possession too slowly without a willing runner.

Wamangituka would be expected to offer that presence in Ancelotti’s attack if Brands can seal a deal, for an exciting forward Stuttgart boss Pellegrino Matarazzo claims has “no bounds” to his “huge” potential and teammate Orel Mangala can only praise.

“He is a calm guy but on the field, he is really wild. He is really good at dribbling and is really fast,” Mangala said, via quotes by Bundesliga.com.

Wamangituka has averaged 1.9 successful dribbles and won 5.5 ground duels per game in the Bundesliga this season, which would see the winger rank first in both accounts at Goodison Park with Richarlison (1.75) and Allan (5.4) Everton’s current respective leaders for their efforts in the Premier League, per SofaScore.

Obviously, Wamangituka’s injury will be a topic of concern for potential suitors, but his immense potential and stunning record in Germany should see that Brands explores a deal to solve a key issue of Ancelotti’s current squad.

AND in other news, Everton have been urged to sign a £30m star who “doesn’t have limits” despite Carlo Ancelotti’s concerns…

According to reports, Aston Villa are interested in signing Bournemouth starlet Ajani Burchall in this upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

The 16-year-old has burst onto the scene with the Cherries this campaign, making his first-team debut at the back end of December when he came on as a second-half substitute in a 5-0 win over Huddersfield. The occasion was even marked by former Manchester City striker Shaun Goater, who lauded his fellow Bermudan, calling him “the future”.

Now, Football Insider claim that Villa have joined the race to sign the teenage starlet this summer, with the likes of West Ham and Arsenal also said to be interested in the winger.

The report adds that Burchall has rejected a scholarship deal with Bournemouth, with a move to a Premier League club now very much on the cards.

A new Jack Grealish?

Bournemouth’s official club website has written that Burchall is “predominantly plays wide and is an exciting forward player who likes to take opponents on and has an eye for goal, while also being a hard-working, tough-tackling winger”.

Meanwhile, Burchall’s teammate at the Vitality Stadium, Steve Cook, said after his debut: “You could see how special a player he is. His first involvement was checked his shoulder, cut across a player and won his foul. For a 16-year-old, that awareness, that knowhow, I think the club have produced a really good player.

“On Saturday we had a few players who have come through the youth system, so it’s terrific. The club’s been known for that and I think Ajani has got great talent. He obviously can’t train with us day-to-day because he’s at school! But I’m sure he’s got a very good future and a very proud moment for his family.”

Given his ability to beat players one on one, his “eye for goal” and also predominantly playing off the left flank, there’s a lot of similarities between Burchall and Villa talisman Jack Grealish.

At just 16, Burchall has got the world at his feet and has got all the time in the world to grow and develop, and there’s surely no better place than Villa Park, and no better person to learn from than Grealish.

Meanwhile, Villa struck gold with this player signed by Suso…

Sunderland suffered their first defeat in 15 games (Sky Sports) on Saturday against Charlton Athletic in League One, and the fans were far from happy with the performance of Josh Scowen.

The Black Cats are currently fighting for promotion to the Championship, but their 2-1 defeat against The Addicks is a huge blow to those hopes. Unfortunately, despite spending much of the match in control, they were unable to beat an opponent who themselves are also eyeing one of those coveted promotion spots.

The performance of Scowen was particularly disappointing for the fans. He actually put the ball into his own net to give the London outfit the lead, and struggled throughout the game in the middle of the park. Lee Johnson will be expecting more from him during the remaining few weeks of the season, even though he did grab what turned out to be a consolation goal.

The fans took took to social media platform Twitter in their droves to share their thoughts on his display.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Scowen below

“Scowen is a waste of space”

Credit: @SafcF1Fan

“Got nowt to do with that, when we play the right team we can create and score. Scowen in midfield totally ruins the team”

Credit: @DavidHindmarsh7

“Scowen is virtually on the line. It’s absolutely pathetic 4th division Sunday league clearance. If he can’t kick a ball like that properly then he needs to find another sport”

Credit: @SafcMod

“Scowen is embarrassing but making that save look like is shocking, he’s dove past the ball and then parried it back into the goal, embarrassing”

Credit: @BradfordGavin

“Get Scowen off I am not sure what he actually does full stop.”

Credit: @GuyAllison73

“How is Scowen still on the pitch? Dreadful”

Credit: @mgsmith95

In other news, Sunderland fans slammed this man against Peterborough on Monday.

Manchester United travel to Italy on Thursday for a crunch UEFA Europa League last-16 tie against AC Milan.

The two teams find themselves level following the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford last week but with Stefano Pioli’s men scoring an away goal, the onus is really on the Red Devils.

Having played just four days ago, and with an FA Cup quarter-final creeping up this weekend, will Ole Gunnar Solskjaer be tempted to make any changes to his starting line-up?

Considering the importance of the tie, there might only be two alterations to the Man Utd XI and they will be in line with Solskjaer’s normal changes for Europa League matches.

Dean Henderson should remain in between the sticks with David De Gea only recently returning to action.

However, two changes should occur in front of him. Alex Telles has started all but two of the Red Devils’ European games so will likely replace £19.8m-rated Luke Shaw once again, despite the left-back currently being in excellent form.

Meanwhile, after sitting out the first leg, Victor Lindelof may also be swapped out for fellow centre-back Eric Bailly.

Despite that, the backline should remain otherwise the same.

Midfielders Donny van de Beek and Paul Pogba have handed Solskjaer huge boosts in their returns to fitness. However, having both been out for a considerable amount of time, they may be only afforded places on the bench, meaning Scott McTominay and Fred will once again be the Red Devils’ midfield pairing.

The attack meanwhile should have a very familiar look to it. Bruno Fernandes is likely to be flanked by Marcus Rashford and Daniel James. Owing to Edinson Cavani’s continued fitness problems, Mason Greenwood will continue in the centre-forward role.

AND in more news, read why the Red Devils have to make a move for Sporting CP’s Pedro Goncalves…