Journalist Dean Jones has claimed Everton will avoid relegation this season thanks to the “massive threat” of Dwight McNeil on the wing.
What’s the latest on Dwight McNeil at Everton?
While the season had looked destined for disaster under former boss Frank Lampard, new manager Sean Dyche has steadied the ship with back-to-back home wins in the Premier League.
McNeil has started all three of Dyche’s games in charge – which include wins over Arsenal and Leeds United and a defeat at Liverpool – and even provided an assist in one game.
And while the club are still not out of the woods when it comes to relegation, Jones has boldly predicted that the 23-year-old winger has enough quality to help the club avoid the drop.
Speaking on Chasing Green Arrows, the insider said: “We’ve seen already that McNeil’s deliveries are a massive threat in this team. Now, the deliveries don’t always have the preciseness that they might need, but they’re going to.
“Like, once he’s right, when his radar is fully tuned in, it’s hard to beat. And I think Dwight McNeil in the rest of this season is going to be a major part as to why Everton end up staying up.” Can McNeil help Everton avoid relegation?
It’s quite the call considering McNeil has exactly had the most incredible start to life with Everton. Indeed, he has two assists and two goals in 24 appearances across all competitions in his debut season.
However, he may be given a boost as he is now working with his former boss. Indeed, the duo worked together at Burnley and Dyche has coached the winger 142 times – so he’ll certainly be familiar with his manager’s tactics and style of play.
In that period, McNeil scored seven goals and provided 18 assists, so he’s not exactly prolific but is a steady performer and if he can kick on at his new club, perhaps he can be key in helping the Toffees pick up vital wins.
As things stand, Everton are two places and one point above the bottom three so there’s plenty of work still to do when it comes to avoiding relegation.
But perhaps the ex-Burnley duo can help salvage the season.
Rangers midfielder Steven Davis has been ‘brilliant for years’ and deserves a new contract, according to pundit Frank McAvennie.
The Lowdown: Injury blow
Davis suffered a season-ending knee injury at the end of December, which cast doubt on whether Rangers would choose to extend his contract beyond the end of the campaign, when is it due to expire.
However, Football Insider reported earlier this month that a new contract is ‘very likely’ to be offered to the midfielder, who would become a player coach, having already started work on obtaining his coaching badges.
The Latest: McAvennie reacts
In an interview with Football Insider, McAvennie has claimed that the Gers should keep the 38-year-old around in some capacity, due to the positive influence he could have on their younger players.
When asked whether Michael Beale should offer him a new contract, the pundit said: “Davis is a player that I would look up to. He has been there, seen it and done it. I do not get why he would not want to keep him around the place in a coaching role.
“Defoe was great for [Alfredo] Morelos, just watching him every day. No matter what people say Davis is a great, he has been brilliant for years. If I was a Rangers players I would want to train with him every day and listen to him.He’s a huge figure for them.”
The Verdict: Worth keeping?
If the Northern Irishman is able to make a full recovery from his knee issue, then he would be a trusty back-up option for Beale in midfield, having made 16 appearances for Rangers in all competitions prior to his injury.
However, given his age, the most important reason to keep him is because he knows the club inside and out, having made a total of 360 appearances across his spells with the Teddy Bears, while he also has 306 Premier League appearances to his name.
This experience is vital to have in any dressing room, and he could have a real impact on some of the club’s younger midfield players, including Malik Tillman, who they have been given the green light to sign permanently in the coming months.
As such, letting Davis’ contract run out would be a mistake on Rangers’ behalf, and Beale should offer him a player-coach role to make sure he stays at Ibrox.
Presenter Mark Goldbridge has claimed that Manchester United loanee Marcel Sabitzer needs to do more to earn a permanent move to the club.
How has Sabitzer played for Man United?
The Austrian arrived on loan on deadline day in January following a long-term injury to Christian Eriksen, and has had a quiet start to life at Old Trafford.
He is yet to score or assist in his three Premier League starts, and appeared off the bench as United won the Carabao Cup, and it remains to be seen whether the club will keep him beyond his initial loan from Bayern Munich.
Speaking on The United Stand following United’s FA Cup victory over West Ham, Goldbridge claimed that Sabitzer has to start showing more if United are to make his move permanent.
“It’s interesting with Sabitzer so because people keep saying ‘I’d give him a contract in the summer.’ I want to get to the point where we give him a contract in the summer, but right here right now, we’re not going to give a contract to somebody that’s behind Fred, behind Casemiro and will be behind Eriksen, so he’s therefore fourth choice at best. So we’ve got to get more out of him,” he stated.
“It’s early days, but we’ve got to get more out of him, otherwise it won’t be a permanent move whether he wants it or not. So we’re not at that point for me yet. I’d like him to get there. I like the player. He’s got to settle and he’s got to grab a first-team slot.”
Should United keep Sabitzer?
During his performance yesterday he lost five duels and lost possession eight times. However, he did manage two key passes, a passing accuracy percentage of 79, two tackles and one interception (Sofascore).
Erik ten Hag looks set to splash the cash on a new striker in the summer, with Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane linked, and given that the midfield also needs reinforcing, Sabitzer could be an easy addition for depth.
At 28, he may not be a long-term option in the midfield even if he becomes a starter, and whilst it may be an easy deal to do, there may be younger or better alternatives that United could sign instead of Sabitzer.
Liverpool have not been at the races this season, falling from their pedestal at the forefront of domestic and continental football and now struggling to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Indeed, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds languish in fifth in the Premier League, six points adrift from fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, and fell in the early stages of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
And with Anfield receiving a 5-2 drubbing at the hand of Real Madrid in this term’s Champions League round-of-16 first leg, the Merseyside outfit’s German manager has his work cut out to reinstate the cohesion and intensity that has waned over the duration of the campaign.
Every department of the field has been affected, and while offensive seasonal signings Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, landed for £85m and £35m respectively, have tantalised promise of success, the attacking line has not been what it once was, especially given the £35m departure of prolific stalwart Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich.
And with recent news that Klopp favourite Roberto Firmino will depart from Anfield at the end of his contract, further concerns have consequently risen.
Firmino has made 355 appearances for the Reds, scoring 108 goals and supplying 79 assists, integral in the club’s ascension and subsequent clinching of a wealth of major honours including the Premier League and Champions League, also scoring ten goals and providing five assists from just 16 starts this season.
Thus, attention will turn to who can replace him with Lewis Koumas potentially one prodigy set to benefit.
Who is Lewis Koumas?
With such burning requirement for reinforcements at Liverpool, spending a lucrative fee on a replacement for the 31-year-old Firmino might not be the most prudent move, given the offensive ranks at the club boast the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota as well as the aforementioned Nunez and Gakpo.
That’s why academy prospect Koumas – son of former Premier League player Jason Koumas – deserves a shot at ascending to the first-team fold, having impressed for the club’s academy.
“He’s a good footballer. He’s very good at running without the ball, he is very good at running forwards. His movement and timing is excellent – and he likes to finish,” Liverpool coach Marc Bridge-Wilkinson once described of the prodigy to The Athletic.
The 17-year-old possesses an innate striking instinct, having scored seven goals and provided three assists from just six matches in the U18 Premier League this season, also scoring twice from as many games in the UEFA Youth League.
Also speaking to The Athletic, Koumas’ former youth coach Danny Hart stated: “He played like a 16-year-old when he was 10. It was just bizarre, the quality he had. From that first trial alone he was just unreal. He was like the driver and the engine. You could play him wherever you needed to.
“He was such an athlete, which helped, and he was so switched on tactically. You could give him the ball and he knew what to do with it. All of the players looked up to him.”
Praised by Andy Kelly for one performance where he “worked his socks off”, Koumas certainly boasts the cutting edge and work-rate to replace Firmino and eventually earn a place in Klopp’s system over the coming years, giving the copious ranks up front for the senior side, investing in youth and providing the exciting talent with the platform to make a mark could unearth the next club’s next star.
TalkSport pundit Ally McCoist has claimed it would be “business madness” to let Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane leave for free is he doesn’t sign a new contract.
What’s the latest on Harry Kane’s Spurs contract?
As things stand, the England captain is the subject of much transfer speculation. Indeed, with his current deal set to expire in 2024, he seems to have reached a pivotal point in his career.
He could stay at Spurs to try and cement his status as a club legend, or he could try and seek out success at a top club where he is more likely to win the first silverware of his career.
By the end of the season, he will have just one year left on his contract. This means, if he won’t renew, Spurs will have to sell him in the summer in order to extract his maximum value in the transfer market. If not, they could hold onto him for one more campaign, but he would be free to leave for free in 2024.
While speaking about this possibility on TalkSport prior to Spurs’ Champions League exit in midweek, McCoist claimed that Daniel Levy would not allow this to come to pass, and so it seems as though the player’s future will be decided this summer.
On the matter, the pundit said: “Absolutely no chance, and the one man that wouldn’t allow that to happen will be Daniel Levy.
“I mean, one thing, Daniel Levy is a very, very, very astute businessman. There can be no argument with that. So it would be business madness to let an £80m, £100m asset leave 12 months later from nothing.
“So that will not happen, that can’t happen.”
Will Kane leave Tottenham this summer?
Amid all this contract uncertainty, Manchester United look to be the favourites to land the striker at the moment. What’s more, The Sun reports that he could be signed for less than the £100m asking price currently expected.
It’s pointed out that if Spurs don’t finish in Champions League spaces this season, they won’t be able to quite demand as much for Kane as they would like.
Even so, it’s likely that Levy would still be able to get a figure close to £100m for his club’s star player but if he isn’t sold in the summer, they’ll need the 29-year-old to sign a new deal or else risk losing him for nothing.
Kane has given so much to the club – and is now Tottenham’s all-time top scorer – but having yet to win a trophy, it remains unclear if the club can offer him what he’ll want in the next stage of his career.
It certainly will be a fascinating situation to watch unfold this summer as his true ambitions become clear.
After squandering a two-goal advantage to slump to a chastening 5-2 defeat at Anfield against Real Madrid three weeks ago, Liverpool’s prestigious European history and Champions League exploits under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp left the devoting fanbase with a sliver of hope; a flame, refusing to quench at the heart of the storm.The fire in the Reds’ bellies was extinguished this time, however, with Liverpool’s struggling season compounded by the tame and tepid performance at the Santiago Bernabeu.So often under Klopp’s reign at the club has the city of Madrid been the crux of the European struggles – Liverpool did win the 2018/19 Champions League, the first major honour under the German manager – but have since fallen by the hand of Atletico Madrid in the ensuing campaign, now knocked out by Los Blancos for three successive seasons.Karim Benzema scored the solitary goal of the affair in Spain, capitalising on some questionable Reds defending as the game approached the closing stage, ending the already infinitesimal chance of a historic upset.For the majority of the second leg, it was a competitive affair that might’ve even been labelled enthralling had the aggregate score been level, both sides threatening, but with Carlo Ancelotti’s holding champions always looking the sharper, the deadlier, the higher in quality, bolstered by their lead, Liverpool came up short.
Was Alexander-Arnold at fault vs Real Madrid?
Rising through the youth ranks, perhaps Liverpool’s greatest homegrown talent since Steven Gerrard, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a staple to all the success that Klopp has bestowed upon the vibrant red of Merseyside, and it is no coincidence that the silverware-laden chapter has been concurrent to the 24-year-old’s emergence.
Indeed, the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup have all been gleaned over past seasons, with the ball-playing master’s unparalleled vision and aptitude with his pinging deliveries cementing his stature as one of the leading creative forces in world football.
Having forged 262 appearances for Liverpool, his only club, the £180k-per-week dynamo has scored 15 goals and supplied 65 assists, ranking among the top 2% of full-backs in Europe for progressive passes and the top 3% for shot-creating actions, as per FBref.
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But against Real, Alexander-Arnold’s defensive frailties were illuminated, with journalist Scott Saunders stating he was “taunted all night” against the likes of Vinicius Jr., who has comprehensively bested the 18-cap Englishman across recent years.
As per Sofascore, the former Kirkby graduate’s lowly match rating of 6.1 was the lowest from any player across either side, illustrating just how ineffective he was, nullified across every facet of his trade.
In the thick of the action with 79 touches, Alexander-Arnold did make one key pass and completed five of his ten crosses but did lose possession an almighty 22 times.
Having failed to come out on top in any of his seven duels either, he was simply not robust or combative enough to effectively contribute against the Champions League’s most illustrious outfit in Real Madrid.
More alarming, perhaps, is the fact that the ace was dribbled past on six occasions, bullied and belittled in his duties; for context, no other full-back on the pitch was dribbled past more than twice, with Alexander-Arnold branded a “training dummy” by Casey Evans, so inept was the defender against the imperious home faithful.
The fact that Andy Robertson was not dribbled past a single time on the alternating flank, winning both his ground duels, is evidence that the attacking left flank was the preferred avenue for Ancelotti’s side, a recipe served with success.
Diogo Jota was himself culpable for a poor performance, earning a 6.4 rating and being called “sloppy” by Neil Jones, and with Liverpool needing goals and failing to find the back of the net even once, a large portion of the blame certainly must lie with the offensive outlets.
But with Alexander-Arnold ostensibly the more dynamic and creative full-back in European football, on a night requiring a hero, Klopp’s phenom failed to deliver, and Liverpool’s last, albeit slim, chance of silverware slipped away as solemnly as the former intensity that has dissipated like dust in the wind.
The future of Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos is still uncertain, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, could the Ibrox faithful finally be seeing the Colombian hitman depart the club this summer?
Michael Beale will be doing everything he can in order to keep the striker, especially considering his recent resurgence under the Englishman and the fact that when he is performing at his best, there aren’t many players like him.
Having netted over 100 goals for the club, his form has attracted attention over the previous few summers, and he won't be at the Gers forever.
Beale may already be planning ahead however, with the 42-year-old seemingly interested in signing Swansea City striker Joel Piroe in the summer transfer window, and he may be the player to fill the Morelos-shaped void in the near future.
It is claimed that Rangers have been sending scouts to watch the striker in action for the Swans and this may lead to a potential move.
Who could replace Morelos at Rangers?
There is no reason why Piroe can’t replace the hulking Gers forward, especially with his form for the Welsh side since joining them in 2021. Across 84 matches in all competitions, the Dutchman has netted 38 goals and grabbed a further seven assists.
He might even be an upgrade on Morelos, with the 23-year-old displaying better statistics across a wide range of attacking metrics this season compared to the Rangers hitman.
Piroe has importantly registered more goals (13 to nine) and shots on target (47 to 25) while he is also creating more big chances (five to four).
In succeeding with more dribbles (0.8 to 0.3) it proves that the Swans gem wouldn't just be a goal-scoring replacement but a more mobile and creative presence too.
Indeed, Piroe was dubbed as a “danger man” by journalist Josh Bunting at the start of the year, and he also stated that the striker will “punish you” if he lurks in and around the opposition penalty area.
Beale must go through a major rebuild in the summer in order to challenge Celtic for domestic superiority and if that means letting go of players who don’t want to be at the club, then so be it.
His first two signings, Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell have enjoyed positive starts and by scouting Piroe, he may just have his ideal Morelos heir, who could perhaps eclipse his record at Ibrox in the coming years.
Arsenal are thriving on the pitch of late, with Mikel Arteta's well-oiled machine seemingly cruising towards the Premier League title.
His side is easy on the eye, relentless in their work rate, and as such boast both one of the best attacks and the best defences in the division. Try as they may, Manchester City have a tough task on their hand usurping the Gunners as they enter the climax of the season.
This title charge has been a product of the culture shift at the Emirates, which their young Spanish boss instigated by ruthlessly offloading all who he deemed to be dead wood. Instead, he would replace them with young, hungry assets all with a point to prove; a point they are so emphatically making this season.
What makes things even more special around north London is that the squad is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the good work the club is doing, with many of their loanees thriving too.
One such example is Folarin Balogun, who has taken his opportunity to star in Ligue 1 with both hands. He will envision a future where he can challenge for that starting striker spot, but signing Vitor Roque would arguably stunt his growth by adding another blockade to his pathway.
Who is Vitor Roque?
Having recently visited London to discuss the proposals of the numerous European teams vying for the Brazilian, Arsenal are reportedly one of many elite options for the 18-year-old to choose from.
Stade de Reims' Folarin Balogun in action with Paris St Germain's Fabian Ruiz and Sergio Ramos
Having scored three goals in just four games this campaign, building upon his 14-goal tally from the season prior, this wonderkid does seem to be the next big thing to come out of South America.
Such is his pedigree, Brazil's former national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari even claimed: "He will become one of the greatest players we have ahead of us." High praise indeed.
Whilst the idea of such a purchase seems so exciting, what Balogun has done this season cannot be ignored. Across 27 appearances in the French top flight, the 21-year-old boasts 17 goals and a further two assists. For reference, Kylian Mbappe only has two more league goals than him.
Arteta has even admitted to standing up and taking note, as he claimed: "When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it’s just incredible. It’s very rare to see that. But he’s got something special, that’s why we decided to give him a long-term contract and have faith in him."
However, signing added direct competition for his role would likely only see him slide further down the pecking order despite his blistering form. If anyone has deserved to now challenge for the first team it is Balogun.
Chelsea have been interested in signing Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the Georgian's potential arrival at Stamford Bridge could see Todd Boehly admit his mistake with Mykhailo Mudryk.
Could Chelsea sign Kvaratskhelia?
Gazzetta dello Sport claimed at the back end of February that the runaway Serie A leaders were willing to double the wages of the winger in an attempt to batter away interest from willing suitors elsewhere, with Chelsea believed to be interested over the last few months.
The Blues could clearly do with additional firepower despite their £550m spending spree as they have just 29 goals in 28 top-flight fixtures to date after another blank against Aston Villa this weekend.
Kvaratskhelia won't be cheap, though, as his side are believed to want around €100m (£88m) to surrender one of the most exciting young talents in world football.
Indeed, the 22-year-old has been instrumental in Luciano Spalletti's side's incredible performances in both Serie A and the Champions League this season with Journalist Mina Rzouki notably predicting early on in the Georgia international's stay in Naples that he was destined for big things.
She wrote: "Kvaratskhelia is a phenomenon. This kid is so special. I know it’s just Napoli’s second game, but he is bossing everything."
The youngster has nearly matched Chelsea's goal tally with his individual goal contributions for Napoli, boasting a remarkable 14 goals and 14 assists in all competitions so far this term, which has helped him to a superb 7.64 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Italian top flight.
For context, the top performer in Potter's squad according to WhoScored is Enzo Fernandez with a 7.07 average rating, while Kai Havertz is comfortably the top scorer at Stamford Bridge with a measly seven strikes in 27 Premier League appearances.
However, the German's contributions this season look good in comparison to Mudryk's, with the Ukrainian hauled off early again in yesterday's 2-0 defeat by Villa, with his tame finish when one-on-one with Emiliano Martinez perhaps a microcosm of his Chelsea career thus far.
Chelsea winger MykhailoMudryk
The 22-year-old may only be young and adjusting to a new league but the reality is that Chelsea paid £88.5m for him and for that sort of money, you would expect an instant impact, as seen with Fernandez.
In seven Premier League appearances, he has mustered no goals and one assist, averaging a woeful 6.21 average rating from WhoScored which incredibly ranks him as the 30th-best performer at Stamford Bridge so far this campaign.
It might be too early to write Mudryk off completely, but it seems fair to suggest that Boehly made a mistake in spending so much on him.
Therefore, he could replace him entirely with another £88m signing in Kvaratskhelia, who has already proven himself to be a top player in a major European league with Napoli.
Chelsea have made "approaches" for Bayern Munich's former manager Julian Nagelsmann, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
What's the latest on Nagelsmann to Chelsea?
On Sunday evening, the breaking news coming out of SW6 was that Todd Boehly had relieved Graham Potter of his duties following a poor run of results and general form this season meaning that the owner is now on the hunt to find a new candidate to take over in the dugout at Stamford Bridge.
The German was recently sacked at the Allianz Arena and replaced by none other than Thomas Tuchel with his dismissal coming as a shock considering his side were only second in the table when he was given his marching orders, though that might have come as a blessing in disguise as he already has admirers in the Premier League.
Football Insider reported that the Blues were monitoring the availability of the 35-year-old prior to Potter's departure but were set to face competition for his services from Tottenham Hotspur who have also identified him as their number one candidate to replace Antonio Conte, but it's the former who appear to have taken the first official step to appointing him.
Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Chelsea have made contact with Nagelsmann and have even held in-house discussions about him as they weigh up whether he is the ideal man to be put in charge in the capital. He wrote:
"Understand there have been already approaches for Julian Nagelsmann to be the new Chelsea head coach. Talks will continue to make final decision — but he’s the favourite. #CFC No confirmation on Pochettino links at this stage. Nagelsmann, mentioned in internal talks yesterday."
Bayern Munich's former boss Julian Nagelsmann.
Is Nagelsmann the right candidate for Chelsea?
Chelsea supporters may be worried that appointing Nagelsmann would be a risk considering he's just been sacked by Bayern but that decision certainly has no reflection on his time at the club and he could be the perfect candidate to take over the reins for Boehly.
The Sports360 GmbH client had a remarkable record in his homeland, winning 60, drawing 14 and losing just ten of his 84 games in charge, averaging 2.31 points per match, via Transfermarkt, which is the kind of positive form that would have any team competing for silverware and challenging at the top end of the table.
Nagelsmann also has the trophies to prove his success having once secured the Bundesliga title and twice the German Super Cup, not to mention that he also won the award for Manager of the Year back in 2016/17, making this a potential match made in heaven.