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Arsenal may well be looking to banish a few demons as they get ready to take on struggling Everton at the Emirates this evening, with the north Londoners having suffered a 1-0 defeat in the reverse meeting on Merseyside earlier this month.

The Toffees had wilted amid the raucous atmosphere at Goodison Park on the day, with the Merseysiders having enjoyed an instant lift following the appointment of Sean Dyche, as defender James Tarkowski headed home the game’s only goal.

With Mikel Arteta’s side hoping to right those wrongs this time around, the former Manchester City assistant coach will once again be without the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Mohamed Elneny due to injury, albeit with Thomas Partey in the frame for a more prominent role after making his return from a muscle issue against Leicester City last time out.

How will Arsenal line up against Everton?

While the Spaniard has largely stuck with his tried and trusted starting lineup so far this season, Football FanCast predicts that there will be two changes from the side that edged past the Foxes on Saturday…

4-3-3 – (GK) Ramsdale; (RB) Tomiyasu, (CB) Saliba, (CB) Gabriel, (LB) Zinchenko; (CDM) Partey, (CM) Xhaka, (CM) Odegaard; (RW) Saka, (ST) Trossard, (LW) Martinelli.

One of those notable tweaks could lie at right-back with versatile defender Ben White in line to make way for Takehiro Tomiyasu, with the Englishman having produced his “worst performance of the season” against Dyche’s men a few weeks ago, as per journalist Jason Soutar.

Ahead of the backline, the aforementioned Partey could make his return to offer a greater physical presence in the centre of the park, with the 6 foot 1 gem’s inclusion set to see January arrival Jorginho drop to the bench, despite the Italian’s recent strong form.

The “world-class” 5 foot 10 asset – as described by pundit Jose Enrique – has been branded “superb” by former Gunners striker Kevin Campbell (talkSPORT, 20/02/2023/, 08:11) for his impact of late, although endured an underwhelming debut against the Toffees at Goodison, having failed to provide a single key pass and squandered possession on six occasions in his 30-minute outing.

That alteration could seemingly be Arteta’s final change to the side, with the continued absence of Jesus set to see Leandro Trossard given the nod once again ahead of Eddie Nketiah in a centre-forward berth, with the Belgian having been somewhat controversially denied a fine goal against Leicester.

Wolves are reportedly one of several Premier League clubs who are interested in signing former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum this summer, and he could be a superb addition to Bruno Lage’s side.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the Old Gold’s top-flight rivals Leicester City, Everton and West Ham are also keeping tabs on the Paris Saint-Germain ace, who looks set to leave the French champions after a difficult first season with the club.

The report claims that Les Parisiens are keen to sign Renato Sanches from Lille, which could leave Wijnaldum out in the cold.

The Ligue 1 champions want to move him on as a result, but could struggle to do so due to his wages and contract situation, which means that any Wolves move for him could be a loan deal.

Should Wolves sign Wijnaldum?

Although his time in France has been perceived as a disappointment, Wijnaldum still made 38 appearances in all competitions last season, contributing three goals and three assists, which led his manager Mauricio Pochettino to dub him “a complete player”.

His form for the Netherlands has been quite strong, with five goals in his last 13 starts for Louis van Gaal’s side, which emphasises that he is still a quality player on his day.

The 31-year-old was an integral part of Liverpool’s team during his time at the club, making 237 appearances and contributing 22 goals and 16 assists across a five-year spell at Anfield, so he clearly has what it takes to be a success in the Premier League, which he won two years ago.

During the Dutchman’s time at the club, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for Wijnaldum, saying: “Gini’s character is out of the question: he is a sensational guy, completely committed to the team and the club until the last day, and we’ll see when it will be.”

Therefore, with the futures of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves still in doubt, it would definitely be well worth Wolves bringing the £16.2m-rated Netherlands international to Molineux this summer.

In other news… The Athletic shares Wolves latest on “outstanding” star, supporters will be buzzing

Newcastle United reportedly now lead the chase to sign Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz and even submitted a bid for the player.

The Lowdown: Pope done

It has been widely reported that a deal to bring Nick Pope to St. James’ Park to Burnley is done, with an official announcement expected soon.

With Matt Targett brought in on a permanent deal from Aston Villa as well, the North East club can now start to move on to other targets further up the pitch, having significantly improved their rearguard with their first two moves of the summer.

The Latest: Ruiz chase

As per Corriere dello Sport, both the Tynesiders and Arsenal now lead the chase to sign Ruiz, while Manchester City and Manchester United are further behind with their interest in the Napoli star.

Given that he only has a year left on his contract, the Serie A side are only asking for €30m (£25.8m) to sell, with the report claiming Eddie Howe’s team had a much higher £42m bid rejected in the January transfer window.

The Verdict: Get it done

Given the interest in his signature from their Premier League rivals, who can also offer him European football, the Magpies simply need to get this deal done if Ruiz is seriously a target for Howe.

They could sign the midfield maestro for £16.2m less then they were willing to pay for him just a few months ago, and so he could turn out to be a real bargain.

Dubbed an ‘absolutely incredible‘ player by journalist Zach Lowy, Ruiz has consistently played at the highest level for Napoli over the last four seasons, playing in both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League as well as Serie A (Transfermarkt).

The six-foot-two box-to-box star has notched up 22 goals and 15 assists from midfield in his time there (Transfermarkt), and so would offer the Toon another injection of end product from deep that could really help them push up the table next term.

Rangers’ recent links with a striker could pave the way for Alfredo Morelos to leave Ibrox.

There has been some uncertainty over the Colombia international’s future under Giovanni van Bronckhorst in Glasgow, and that could continue to be the case despite reports this week that he is in talks over a new deal with the Light Blues.

The Premiership giants have been linked with a move for Sunderland striker Ross Stewart recently, and if he were to arrive at Ibrox this summer, it could be the catalyst for Morelos departing.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have been regularly linked with the Scottish striker after he excelled in English League One last season, hitting 26 goals as the Black Cats were promoted to the Championship.

If the 25-year-old were to make the move back to Scotland, then it would perhaps not be a surprise to see Morelos move on from Ibrox, especially if contract talks ultimately lead nowhere.

While it will be very difficult to replace ‘El Bufalo’ after his sensational performances for Rangers in recent years, which have seen him hit 113 goals in 224 appearances for the Teddy Bears, Stewart’s displays last term suggest that he could be a more than capable heir to the South American.

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The former Ross County marksman earned an incredible 7.40 average rating from WhoScored for his performances in League One, which ranked him as the third-best player in the division across the campaign.

During his time in Scotland, Stewart enjoyed moderately prolific spells with the likes of Alloa Athletic and Ross County, so he could find the net on a regular basis if afforded better service at Rangers.

Former Gers right-back Alan Hutton is a big fan of the Sunderland predator, telling Football Insider: “He was outstanding in League One but we’re talking about elite level. Only time will tell if he can reach those heights.

“I’m pretty sure Giovanni van Bronckhorst will have sights on a few different players. Stewart is a particular type of number nine. He’s a big guy, he’s not the usual profile that Rangers go for.”

Stewart could certainly offer Rangers a different option up front next season, as Morelos was the club’s best attacking aerial threat last term, with just 1.8 headers won per game, whereas the Scotland international won 5.6 per match in League One.

The Sunderland striker offers pace, power and clinical finishing, so if Morelos is to leave Ibrox this summer, Stewart could well be the ideal replacement. It’s a prospective deal which Rangers chief Ross Wilson simply must get done over the coming weeks and months.

In other news… “I’m sure…”: talkSPORT pundit drops Rangers claim that’ll leave supporters buzzing

West Ham United are in talks to sign forward Jesse Lingard on a Bosman deal and already have a plan in place for after the ‘deal is completed’, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing move…

As reliably reported elsewhere, Lingard remains a priority target for Moyes and the Hammers following their previous attempts to bring him back to the London Stadium.

The 29-year-old dazzled on loan at West Ham for the second half of the 2020/2021 Premier League season, scoring nine goals and assisting four others in 16 starts.

Rio Ferdinand was quick to praise the ‘amazing’ Lingard during this spell but he couldn’t quite fight his way into the United starting eleven over 21/22.

Moyes is apparently pushing to seal Lingard on a permanent deal this window with a Turkish reporter now sharing what he knows on the situation.

The Latest: Lingard ‘talks’ claim made…

According to the journalist who works for Italian news outlet Calcio In Pillole, West Ham are indeed ‘in talks’ to sign Lingard.

As well as this, Moyes and co apparently have a plan for ‘when the deal is completed’ – and that is to ‘seek offers’ for winger Said Benrahma (Twitter).

The Verdict: In motion?

It appears the Irons boss wants to replace Benrahma with Lingard this summer as he aims to upgrade and rotate his squad, coming as a fair few decisions are made behind-the-scenes.

As West Ham set their sights on transfer targets, the east Londoners are seemingly willing to let many current first teamers depart in their stead – including the likes of Tomas Soucek according to recent reports.

This could be a really interesting summer for GSB and one which may well define their 2022/2023 season and beyond.

In other news: ‘I believe…’ – ExWHUemployee has ‘great news’ for West Ham supporters! Find out more here.

Newcastle United’s move for Moussa Diaby may be about to advance, The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope says. 

The lowdown

Hope reports that Bayer Leverkusen winger Diaby ‘has been on Newcastle’s radar since January’.

Manager Eddie Howe is intent on adding a winger to his ranks during the summer transfer window.

Diaby, formerly of Paris Saint-Germain, is under contract with the Werkself until June 2025 and is valued at a whopping £49.5million by Transfermarkt.

For reference, Newcastle’s transfer record currently stands at £39.6million – the fee they paid Hoffenheim for Joelinton in 2019.

The latest

After striker Patrick Schick committed to Leverkusen by signing a new contract and Adam Hlozek joined from Sparta Prague on Thursday, Hope told NUFC fans that they ‘might see movement on Diaby’ soon.

He added that Brennan Johnson, recently promoted with Nottingham Forest, has ‘also [been] watched’.

Newcastle scouts were in attendance at Wembley as Johnson’s Forest beat Huddersfield Town in the Championship playoff final last weekend 1-0 to claim a place in the Premier League.

The verdict

Newcastle fans should be excited if a move for Diaby is indeed in the offing.

According to FBRef, Diaby is similar in profile to the likes of Mohamed Salah, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden.

He possesses a ‘supernatural, divine gift’ (in the words of the president of his first club) and journalist Ronan Murphy says he’s ‘the player they thought they might be getting from Joelinton’.

His return of 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions last season was simply outstanding, with the Frenchman averaging a direct contribution every 115 minutes.

Only Robert Lewandowki (38), Christopher Nkunku (33), Erling Haaland (29), Schick (27) and Thomas Muller (26) were involved in more Bundesliga goals in 2021/22.

In other news, read this big goalkeeper claim from a European newspaper. 

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for Gavi, but now there has been an update from a reliable source which will come as a big blow to the club’s plans to secure his signing this summer

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared the news that Barcelona have tabled a new contract offer for their teenage sensation.

The transfer insider tweeted: “Pablo Gavi’s agent Iván de la Peña has finally received new contract official proposal from Barcelona, after long standby – confirmed as reported by

@moillorens”

“Talks will enter into key stages in the coming days after optimistic feelings in the last meeting.”

Bad news for Liverpool

The news that the La Liga giants have now offered a new contract to Gavi will be a huge blow for Liverpool, who are looking to bolster their midfield this summer, with the 17-year-old reportedly identified as a favoured target.

Gavi has been an absolute sensation this season at Barcelona, scoring two goals, delivering five assists and creating eight chances in 34 league appearances, along with making 1.1 tackles and 51.4 touches per game and successfully completing 62% of his dribbles.

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The youngster has been attracting attention and earning high praise from his manager Xavi, with the Barcelona boss hailing the teenager as “spectacular” as he said: “More than anything his work is spectacular. We’re happy to have him and I don’t want to compare him to anyone. There’s no ceiling for him.”

Liverpool have been linked with a number of midfield targets including Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham, so it is clear that they are interested in adding younger alternatives in the middle of the park, with Thiago, Jordan Henderson and James Milner all into their 30s at this point.

Signing Gavi would have effectively guaranteed a top talent in the Reds’ midfield for years to come, so it’s bad news for the Anfield club that Barcelona are now opening talks and doing whatever it takes to retain his services in La Liga.

Not all is lost, though, as the youngster could still turn down his current club’s offer. If that proves to be the case, FSG would then need to act fast in securing his signature this summer before the powers at Camp Nou table a more attractive proposal to the 17-year-old.

AND in other news: FSG can land Neymar 2.0 for Liverpool with move for “magic” £115k-p/w “real weapon”

An update has emerged on Rangers and their pursuit of a new goalkeeper to bring to Ibrox during the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Gers are one of two teams interested in signing Jack Butland ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Ross Wilson is plotting a move for the Englishman as a potential replacement for Allan McGregor in Glasgow as the veteran’s contract expires this year.

The report claims that Bournemouth are also keen on the shot-stopper and the Gers will need to beat off competition from the Cherries to land him.

Gio van Bronckhorst needs him badly

The Ibrox head coach needs him badly this summer as McGregor needs to be given significant competition – or to be replaced – next season.

In the Premiership, the 40-year-old played 29 games and conceded 0.9 goals per game as he made four errors directly leading to shots/goals. This shows that he had lapses in concentration as he made costly mistakes in the top-flight, including two errors in the 3-3 draw with Ross County.

If he does put pen to paper on an extension then Butland must be brought in to push him for the number one position so that they are not resigned to having an error-prone goalkeeper between the sticks. Of course, if the Scot decides to call a time on his career then the Gers will have a number one jersey to give to the Palace man.

Eagles reporter Mark Wyatt dubbed him as “incredibly brave” earlier this season as he won his place back in the team for a spell under Patrick Vieira. He made nine Premier League appearances ahead of Vincente Guaita and conceded 1.4 goals per game, whilst saving 100% (1/1) of the penalties against him.

In those nine matches, Butland did not make a single error directly leading to an opposition shot or goal, which suggests that he was a reliable option between the sticks for the English outfit. He has also only made one leading to a goal in his five Premier League campaigns throughout his career.

The £35k-per-week tank can, therefore, be can be a much-needed addition to the team if he can continue that level of reliability next term, given McGregor’s mistakes in the Scottish top-flight.

He still has plenty left to give at the age of 29, 11 years younger than McGregor, and can be van Bronckhorst’s number one for many years to come if Wilson can strike a deal for him.

AND in other news, Race won: Wilson lands Rangers deal for sought-after teenage gem, GvB will be buzzing…

Leeds United remain firmly in the race for the signing of Aberdeen youngster Calvin Ramsay this summer, according to reports from Italy.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Ramsay

The Whites have been linked with a move for the 18-year-old following some impressive performances for the Scottish Premiership club.

The teenager made two league appearances in 2021/22 and seven in all competitions, and has been described as an ‘elite’ player by Pittodrie chairman Dave Cormack.

It appears as though Leeds continue to view the right-back as a long-term transfer target, with reports of their interest refusing to go away.

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The Latest: Leeds still interested in Ramsay

According to Italian outlet Tutto Bologna Web [via Sport Witness], the Whites remain in the conversation regarding Ramsay, but that also remains the case with Bologna and Liverpool.

However, it is suggested that Aberdeen could be looking to increase their asking price for the player amid the renewed interest of two Premier League clubs.

The report suggests that a heightened asking price could eliminate Bologna from the equation, coming as an undoubted advantage for Leeds.

The Verdict: Hugely exciting prospect

Ramsay looks like an exceptional prospect, and it would feel like a significant coup if he opts to join Leeds over Liverpool it would feel significant, given the Reds’ current standing in the European game.

The Whites need to be looking at long-term right-back replacements for Luke Ayling, who turns 31 later this year, and the Aberdeen youngster could fit the bill perfectly, slowly becoming a regular in years to come and suiting Jesse Marsch’s style of play with his attacking forays.

There would surely be more chance of him earning playing time at Elland Road than at Anfield, too, considering that Trent Alexander-Arnold is virtually unmovable in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI and is still only 23 years old, therefore looking set to nail down the position for another few years yet.

Leeds also set a Premier League record for the most teenage debutants in a season (eight) in 2021/22, so there is a clear first-team pathway for Thorp Arch’s top talents.

In other news, a worrying Leeds transfer update has emerged. Read more here.

Journalist Dean Jones has now made a promising Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Villarreal star and Spurs centre-back target Pau Torres.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move for Torres…

The 25-year-old is said to be a primary target for the Premier League club this summer as Spurs manager Antonio Conte prioritises the signing of a central defender.

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It is believed that securing a new defender is one of the Italian’s transfer wishes as he eyes a major north London overhaul, with The Daily Mail previously reporting that Tottenham are confident they can strike a deal.

Torres is apparently eager to leave Unai Emery’s side this summer, with Football Insider also claiming that the Lilywhites believe they can sign him for £10m less than the 25-year-old’s release clause of £55m.

The Latest: Jones makes promising Torres claim…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has now made a promising claim, stating that a move away for Torres ‘seems imminent’ and that he ‘will now become available’ as Spurs eye a move for the defender.

The journalist explained:

“Pau Torres is good value at £45 million, to be honest. It’s really hard to find centre-backs that have been tested at European level and are available.

“I believe that Torres will now become available, he’s been mooted for a transfer for so long that it seems imminent. So, I think Tottenham should push for him and look to get that perfect partner for Romero.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Speaking to the same outlet, Journalist Pete O’Rourke also believes that Torres would be a ‘great signing’ for the north London club.

We wholeheartedly agree with both reporters that Spurs may need to get a deal over the line for Villarreal’s star defender, especially considering just how much of a mainstay he has been for them in La Liga.

Only goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli has played more league minutes for the Yellow Submarine over 2021/22, with Torres also making the second-most clearances and winning among the most aerial duels per 90 (WhoScored).

With numbers like these, he could well be Romero’s ‘perfect’ ally at the back for Tottenham.

In other news: Paratici tables crucial bid as Conte personally pushes for Spurs signing, find out more here