Tag Futebol

Everton have often produced talented midfielders in their academy with Leon Osman, Ross Barkley and Jack Rodwell just a few of the players who had their start with the Toffees.

Now with Frank Lampard managing the senior squad, Everton have a young manager who is renowned for his eye for youth talent which will be an exciting prospect for those players hoping to follow in the footsteps of the likes of academy graduate Anthony Gordon.

As a result, it would be no surprise that now the former Chelsea boss is settled in at Goodison Park he can start to build and adapt his very own squad, as well as integrate youth prospects into his future plans for the team.

One player who has been rising through the ranks of the academy, earning first-team training sessions and a place in the pre-season squad that travelled to America, is Isaac Price.

The talented midfielder has tallied up 70 appearances in which has scored five goals and registered four assists at youth level during his time at the club. He also made his Premier League debut under Lampard in the final game of last season against Arsenal.

Just like the aforementioned Barkley, Price is an attacking-minded midfielder often occupying the most advanced role in the centre of the pitch and could follow in the footsteps of the former Everton prodigy by breaking through in the first team most regularly.

The 19-year-old – who was dubbed “impressive” by journalist Adam Jones – has been a key player in Everton’s EFL Youth Trophy campaign this season and has been displaying his many talents that could be hugely valuable to Lampard.

Over two appearances, Price has scored one goal and completed 100% of his dribbles, demonstrating that like Barkley, he is adept at progressing the ball forward and causing a threat in the final third.

Crucially, he also has the vision to unlock a defence, averaging two key passes a match, while he is also willing to work hard defensively. Indeed, the teenager has made one interception, 2.5 tackles and three clearances per game.

All of those numbers indicate that he is a complete midfielder who can offer both fantastic attacking and defensive attributes.

With that being said, the future is looking bright for the talented youngster and if he can continue to flourish in the youth academy, as well as prove himself in the first-team training opportunities he gets, he could become their next Barkley-esque discovery from the Finch Farm academy.

Wolves are one of several Premier League sides monitoring Blackburn Rovers talisman Ben Brereton-Diaz ahead of January and the striker could be the man to save the Old Gold’s season.

According to 90min, Wolves have scouted the Chile international but could face competition from the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Everton in any potential deal.

The 23-year-old, who could cost £10m, has enjoyed a strong start to the season for Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side, hitting ten goals in all competitions, including nine in the Championship, as the Ewood Park outfit currently sit second in the league.

This is more than Wolves have managed as a whole in the Premier League, with their eight goals in the top flight the fewest of any side, with the two strikes they managed in last weekend’s defeat against Brighton the first time they had scored more than once in a league game this term.

Injury problems have not helped the Old Gold, as Raul Jimenez, Sasa Kalajdzic and Pedro Neto are all currently sidelined, while Diego Costa’s arrival on a free transfer has been something of a disaster so far with the ex-Chelsea man failing to find the net.

Therefore, signing a striker in January will surely be a priority for new manager Julen Lopetegui, and Brereton-Diaz’s sensational form across the last two campaigns suggests that he could fit the bill as Wolves look to avoid relegation back to the Championship.

It may be difficult to prise him away from Ewood Park given the two sides’ respective positions in 2022/23, but with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Blackburn could be forced to sell the young forward in January.

Tony Mowbray was full of praise for the former Nottingham Forest man when he was still making a name for himself as a youngster in Blackburn’s team in 2020

He said:” Brereton with the ball at his feet is an extraordinary talent. He’s a wonderful footballer who can dribble with both feet, take people out of the game.”

The Chilean forward has certainly lived up to that praise over the last few years and if he arrives at Molineux in January, his goals might just be the difference between Wolves staying in the Premier League or dropping into the Championship.

Aston Villa managerial target Ruben Amorim is unlikely to take the job and could decide to stay put at Sporting CP instead, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Amorim strongly linked with Villa job

In recent days, the 37-year-old has emerged as a strong contender to take over from Steven Gerrard, following his departure on Thursday evening.

Amorim has impressed greatly at Sporting since becoming manager in 2020, winning one Primeira Liga title, one  Portuguese Super Cup and three Portuguese League Cups (one with Braga).

Now, a negative update has emerged, however, suggesting that Villa may have to look elsewhere for their new boss.

The Latest: Romano provides negative update

Writing for Caught Offside, Romano revealed that Amorim is unlikely to head to Villa Park:

“Ruben Amorim also looks unlikely as he’s tempted to stay at Sporting and keep going with current project.

“Aston Villa are exploring the managers market, we should have more of an idea about who they go for next week. Personally, I think Amorim was a fantastic idea as he’s a potential top manager for present and future, but Sporting have no intention to let him go.”

The Verdict: Big blow for Villans

Considering Amorim has looked like one of the two main candidates to take charge at Villa, this update has to be seen as a big blow.

He is an exciting young manager who is winning trophies and making waves at Sporting, so he could have brought his ideas to this Villans squad and made big difference.

There is still time for Amorim to have a change of heart, however, but if Villa do miss out on him, they would be wise to turn their attention to Brentford manager Thomas Frank instead, given the job he is doing in west London.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is personally attempting an impressive Josko Gvardiol and Christopher Nkunku double deal, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Potter era underway…

The Graham Potter era is well and truly underway after the unceremonious sacking of fan favourite boss Thomas Tuchel.

Looking to get back among the Premier League’s elite, Chelsea’s new manager has made a fairly solid start to life at Stamford Bridge – remaining unbeaten with a win against Crystal Palace and draw at home to Salzburg in the Champions League.

The Blues take on Serie A giants AC Milan this evening in another big match for Potter, but according to reports, it appears Boehly is fully prepared to back his man with significant investment off the field.

The Latest: Boehly personally pursuing double deal…

As per 90min, the Chelsea owner is personally pursuing a double deal for RB Leipzig stars Christopher Nkunku and Josko Gvardiol.

It is believed that they are currently ‘in talks’ with the Bundesliga side as Boehly tries to convince them to agree to sales ‘immediately’.

Personal terms are also thought to be nearly fully agreed.

The Verdict: Ambitious…

Trying to land both of Leipzig’s key men is a big move and nobody can accuse Boehly of a lack of ambition since taking over the club.

Nkunku currently ranks as their second-best performing regular behind Willi Orban has seriously impressed going forward with six goals in eight league matches already this season (WhoScored).

Gvardiol, whilst not having the best start to this campaign, has been likened to Real Madrid star David Alaba and would come to west London with bags of potential.

Indeed, this may well be a very exciting era for Chelsea supporters given Boehly’s serious intent thus far.

Aston Villa target Mauricio Pochettino is keen on potentially taking over from Steven Gerrard, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Pochettino rumours

Speculation first emerged towards the end of August regarding Pochettino and Villa. FI stated that Pochettino was on a list of targets for NSWE, stating that they wouldn’t be afraid to part ways with Gerrard, should results fail to improve.

Gerrard has guided Villa to a draw with Manchester City and a win over Southampton since then, however, rumours regarding the former Tottenham and PSG manager moving to the Midlands are still circling.

The Latest: Update

FI shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Pochettino after he turned down the job at Ligue 1 side Nice.

They claimed that the Argentine ‘would be very open’ to the possibility of taking over at Villa Park, with his next role in management not depending on Champions League football.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-news-2/” title=”Aston Villa latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Pressure still on Gerrard?

Villa may have picked up three points prior to the international break, however, it wasn’t a convincing display.

The much-needed victory took Villa into 15th place with seven points from seven games, but the six games in October could be crucial in regards to Gerrard’s future.

If things don’t improve further, then perhaps NSWE would be willing to pull the plug and step up their interest in Pochettino, especially as he is now keen on a possible return to England.

Glasgow Rangers and Giovanni van Bronckhorst hold a definitive ‘interest’ in bringing Malik Tillman to Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Matondo signs

The Gers confirmed the signing of Rabbi Matondo from FC Schalke 04 on their official website on Tuesday afternoon.

The winger has signed a four-year deal at the club for an undisclosed fee, and becomes their fourth senior signing of the summer (excluding John Souttar).

Now the Light Blues can focus on other targets as the new Scottish Premiership season draws nearer, and there have been plenty of rumours surrounding Tillman after Rangers Review heaped praise on the American starlet in a scouting report this week.

The Latest: Tillman ‘interest’

Taking to Twitter, journalist Fraser Fletcher has confirmed that Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Tillman is now of ‘interest’ to the Teddy Bears, and has emerged as one of their next potential targets:

“Malik Tillman is of interest to Rangers, the attacking midfielder is one of a number of potential targets for the club.

” The 20-year-old USA international has made 2 appearances for his country and is contacted until 2024 with the German champions.”

The Verdict: Get it done

There is no reason why RFC should stop with their summer transfer business, and adding Tillman would prove to be another shrewd signing.

He has already received an aforementioned glowing review from Rangers Review journalist Craig Vickers, who hailed the six-foot-one gem as a ‘beast physically’ with ‘very, very good technique’.

Tillman broke into Bayern’s first team last season at just 19 years of age, and made seven appearances in total over all competitions for the European giants, scoring one goal (Transfermarkt).

He is capable of playing anywhere in midfield or across the front line, which should give Rangers and van Bronckhorst that extra incentive to sign him up and add some attacking quality to fill the Joe Aribo-shaped hole in their squad.

Wolves are reportedly interested in signing Racing Club sensation Carlos Alcaraz this summer, and the Argentine could be a superb addition to Bruno Lage’s side.

It was reported earlier in the year that Wolves were one of several European sides keen on the 19-year-old midfielder, who has established himself as a regular in Argentina despite his young age.

Similar to his Spanish namesake, Alcaraz looks to be one of the top emerging talents in his sport and could soon be making an impression in Europe, although the 19-year-old will be starring on the football pitch rather than the tennis court.

The youngster has already made 64 senior appearances for Racing Club, in which he has contributed eight goals and six assists, so it is no surprise that he is so highly regarded in his home country.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig was full of praise for the teenage midfielder on Twitter, dubbing him “one of the biggest talents in Argentina”, so he could definitely be a quality signing for the Old Gold this summer.

Those at Racing Club have dubbed Alcaraz the ‘next Lautaro Martinez’ after he came through the ranks there, before establishing himself as a top striker in Europe with Inter.

The Argentina international has hit 74 goals in 179 appearances for the Serie A side following his arrival in 2018 and has unsurprisingly attracted interest from the Premier League as a result.

When Arsenal were linked with the striker earlier in the year, they were reportedly told to pay £59m for his services, which emphasises his status as one of the top young strikers in world football.

Therefore, if Alcaraz can live up to his comparison with Martinez, Wolves would be signing a superb young player this summer with the potential to reach the top, so Lage should do everything he can to bring him to Molineux.

AND, in other news: “I know”: talkSPORT journo drops big Wolves transfer claim, supporters will be gutted

An update has emerged on Rangers and their attempts to bring a new number nine to Ibrox in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Jonas Advan Giaevar has confirmed that Rangers have made contact with one of their transfer targets.

He Tweeted: “It’s true that Rangers at least have enquired about Erik Botheim. Remains to be seen whether that leads to an offer or not.”

The centre-forward is currently a free agent after deciding to rip up his contract with Russian club FC Krasnodar, merely months on from joining them from Bodo/Glimt.

The new Alfredo Morelos

By securing a deal to sign the free agent, Ross Wilson can land Gio van Bronckhorst his new Morelos to lead the line next season.

The Light Blues are reportedly in talks with Besiktas with a view to potentially selling the Colombia international this summer and that would leave a huge hole to fill at the top end of the pitch.

In the Premiership last season, the 26-year-old scored 11 goals and provided seven assists for his teammates, showing that he can have a major impact in the final third.

Botheim, who was once dubbed a “complete forward” by scout Jacek Kulig, can be the ideal replacement for the predator this summer.

The Norweigan striker enjoyed a terrific spell with Bodo/Glimt and proved that he has the quality to score and assist goals on a regular basis. In the 2021 Eliteserien campaign, he found the back of the net 15 times and managed three assists in 30 matches.

He also caught the eye in the Europa Conference League as he produced a stunning four goals and four assists in six games, averaging a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.57.

This means that he scored 19 times and assisted seven in 36 outings for Bodo/Glimt in 2021/22 before sealing his transfer to Russia, proving himself domestically and in Europe.

The 22-year-old attacker can, therefore, be van Bronckhorst’s new Morelos as he has the potential to replicate the current Gers gem’s output in the final third, based on his form in Norway.

He has shown that he can score and assist goals at a similar rate and it will now be down to whether or not he can adapt to Scottish football, which is a risk that Wilson and the club will need to take if they lose their number nine.

AND in other news, “The edge..”: Transfer insider drops big Rangers claim that’ll delight supporters…

Manchester United have been tipped to sign Feyenoord left-back Tyrell Malacia this summer and the Dutch youngster could bring an end to Alex Telles’ nightmare spell at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

According to the Mirror, Feyenoord are willing to listen to offers for the 22-year-old defender with Erik ten Hag receiving the green light to potentially make him his first signing as United boss.

They include a report from Voetbal International which claims that Lyon have already seen two bids for the young defender rejected, so interest in the Netherlands international is clearly high after a superb season with Feyenoord.

Malacia made 32 appearances in the Eredivisie last season, contributing one goal and four assists, earning an impressive 7.14 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He also made six appearances in the Conference League where he was dubbed “sumptuous” by reporter Alex Turk, helping Arne Slot’s side to the final where they eventually lost 1-0 against Jose Mourinho’s Roma.

Could Malacia end United’s Telles nightmare?

There was a lot of excitement among United fans when Telles joined the club from Porto in an £18m deal in 2020 but the Brazilian has flattered to deceive in his time at the club thus far.

Last season saw the 29-year-old make 21 appearances in the top-flight, in which he contributed no goals and four assists, averaging a 6.89 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Martin Keown was less than impressed with his performance in United’s 3-1 defeat against Arsenal last season, as he clumsily fouled Bukayo Saka after some panicked defending.

The problem with Telles and Luke Shaw last season was perhaps that neither were given a consistent run in the side by United’s managers and if Malacia were brought in as a youthful cover for Shaw, then the Brazilian could perhaps be moved on.

Telles will turn 30 next season and ten Hag should perhaps look towards the future if he wants to overhaul United’s identity, as there have been far too many instances of players staying at Old Trafford for arguably longer than they should, with the club having already seen the likes Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic depart this summer.

Considering some of the former Porto man’s performances last season, ten Hag should take advantage of Feyenoord’s decision on Malacia and bring him to Old Trafford as Telles’ replacement.

And, in other news… Man United now plotting offer for “incredible” £106m monster, he’s Ten Hag’s dream

On-loan Celtic winger Jota is reportedly focused on kicking on at Parkhead, further suggesting that he will sign a permanent deal this summer.

The Lowdown: Jota superb for Hoops

The Hoops won the Scottish Premiership title earlier this month, following a memorable first season with Ange Postecoglou in charge.

Jota was undoubtedly a key player throughout the campaign, picking up 15 goal contributions (seven goals and eight assists) in the league and being hailed as ‘absolutely brilliant’ by Marvin Bartley.

The Portuguese starlet is only on loan from Benfica currently, however, and the hope is that he stays for good this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-7/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Jota open to signing

According to A Bola [via Sport Witness], Jota has gone on holiday ‘with the conviction’ that he will ‘continue to shine’ at Parkhead moving forward.

He is thought to have a ‘very happy relationship’ with Celtic in general, with the report even describing it as a ‘marriage’ which he will say ‘yes’ to.

Contract terms are already being negotiated, claims the report, with Celtic informing Benfica they will trigger the buy option.

The Verdict: A no-brainer for Celtic

This is a hugely positive update from a Celtic perspective, with Jota such a talented attacking player who could potentially be a future icon at the club.

At 23, he has so many years ahead of him and he has shown in his short time with the Hoops what a devastating wide player he can be in the Scottish Premiership.

Jota will surely be licking his lips at the prospect of playing in the Champions League next season, too, which is surely another big reason why he looks ready to sign permanently.

In other news, Kieran Devlin has dropped a key Celtic transfer claim. Read more here.