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Manchester United have been pursuing Jadon Sancho for several years now, and appear to be no further forward. 

The Red Devils have been linked to Sancho ever since Jose Mourinho took charge of Old Trafford.

Sancho has told Borussia Dortmund he wants to return to the Premier League, via ESPN. However, Dortmund remain confident nobody will be able to afford their asking price, as Hans-Joachim Watzke believes clubs are incapable of spending such a huge amount of money at the moment.

Watzke told Sport1: “If Jadon approaches us and says he wants to leave no matter what, which did not happen until now, and a club wants to spend what we demand, we will discuss it.

“But I don’t think there will be a club that pays the fee we want.”

Although reports have repeatedly insisted that the Red Devils are leading the race to sign Sancho in the summer, this doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. United have actually started drafting a list of alternatives in the event they miss out on the winger, which may concern some supporters.

The 20-year-old, who is BVB’s top scorer this season,netted 19 goals and supplied 18 assists in the Bundesliga, although Lucien Favre’s side still missed out on the coveted title.

To make matters worse, Dortmund suffered a humiliating defeat at home to Hoffenheim on the final day of the season. Nevertheless, the 8-time German champions are optimistic Sancho will stay at the Signal Iduna Park.

Moreover, they are holding out for their £115m valuation.

Ed Woodward has stressed it is unrealistic to expect the board to splash the cash in the transfer window, as a result of the financial repercussions of the pandemic.

Failure to sign Sancho would be a major blow for Solskjaer, as the club legend has identified him as his top transfer target.

Clubs all over the world are bearing the brunt of the economic impact from the pandemic, and United may be unable to meet Dortmund’s hefty demands.

United fans, do you think the board will sign Jadon Sancho in the summer? Let us know down below!

Despite being one of the stars of Newcastle’s promotion from the Championship a few years ago, Dwight Gayle hasn’t had much impact at Premier League level.

The striker was brought in by Rafa Benitez back in 2016, and notched up 23 goals in 32 games back in the 2016/2017 campaign when they were in English football’s second division.

The following season however saw his goals completely dry up, with just six in 35. Despite that however, Steve Bruce was quick to insist that Gayle would have a big role to play just last summer, saying: “Since I came in, I’ve told him ‘Dwight, get yourself fit, and you can be part of this going forward. You’re only as good as up top, and we’ve got some serious options up there now. Dwight could be a big part of that. I just hope he gets fit and proves that.”

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And then, towards the end of last month, Bruce once again waxed lyrical about the centre-forward. He said: “I’ve said on record that I’ve tried to buy him three times. I’ve said all along that I want him to stay fit because as you saw with the way he scored his goal today, he’s got that crucial thing of being able to score. He’s got the knack, and when you’ve got that, it’s invaluable. Let’s hope he stays fit.”

Against West Ham on Sunday afternoon, Gayle proved his manager absolutely right.

Despite only being on the fringes of the game – he had just 25 total touches and only made 13 successful passes – Gayle made his presence known in key moments for the Magpies.

He of course played a huge role in Jonjo Shelvey’s equaliser for Newcastle’s second of the match, and showed his selflessness and creativity by providing two key passes and creating one big chance.

Gayle also didn’t shirk any of the physical battles, winning an impressive five out of his ground duels, and drawing three fouls from the Hammers defence too.

The striker is a real live-wire in and around the box, and Newcastle just seemed to be far more dangerous with his more energetic style of play than having Joelinton play through the middle – in the end, the Magpies registered 11 total shots on goal.

He may not have gotten on the score-sheet, but Gayle proved just why Bruce hailed him as “invaluable”.

Plenty of Everton fans are split on the possible signing of FC Barcelona ace Jean-Clair Todibo as Spanish outlet Sport have reported that “everything points to” the Merseyside club getting him in the summer transfer window.

As per the outlet, the Catalan giants are asking for a fee of 20 million euros, plus 5 million in bonuses, which is the equivalent of around £22.5 million.

However, the Toffees face potential competition from AS Roma to get his signature on the dotted line, as the publication also reports that the Blues have now frozen their interest for now anyway.

Nevertheless, if the opportunity arose, Carlo Ancelotti’s team could swoop in, providing that they pay the asking price.

The central defender, who was on loan at FC Schalke 04 in the 2019/20 season, averaged more tackles, interceptions and dribbles in the Bundesliga than Mason Holgate, Michael Keane and Yerry Mina did in the Premier League in the last campaign, but also averaged the fewest clearances, passes and long balls per league game, according to Whoscored.

Being just 20 years of age, Todibo arguably still has a lot of potential, but the Frenchman does not have any prior experience playing in England.

These members of the Goodison Park faithful seemed split on Twitter as to whether Todibo would be a good signing:

Evertonians, would Todibo be a good signing? Comment below!

According to Sky Sports, Everton have joined the race to sign Wigan defender Antonee Robinson this summer.

What’s the word?

The Toffees let Robinson go on a permanent basis just last summer, but it now appears that they are keen on bringing him back to Merseyside.

Sky Sports claim that despite seeing fellow Premier League side Sheffield United have a £2m bid accepted for the defender, “late interventions” from both Everton and Fulham have held up any move to the Blades.

How big of an Everton fan are you? Can you spot Mikel Arteta from Graham Stuart? This quiz will test your knowledge, try it if you’re brave enough…



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The report adds that Carlo Ancelotti’s side are keen on securing a replacement for the recently retired Leighton Baines, although Robinson’s potential arrival would see him more likely join as a back-up to first-choice option Lucas Digne.

Fixing Marco Silva’s mistake

The fact that Everton are in for Robinson just a year after letting him go on a permanent deal, really shines a light on just how much of a major mistake former boss Marco Silva made.

Whilst of course it’s unlikely the Portuguese man would have known about Baines’ retirement at the end of the season, the fact the Toffees hero was set to turn 35 during the middle of the campaign should have set alarm bells ringing.

Silva should have taken the decision to give Robinson another year away on loan, before recalling him and throwing him into the first-team picture. But with Wigan’s recent financial struggles, Everton have the perfect chance to take advantage and fix last summer’s error.

Robinson’s former manager at Bolton, Phil Parkinson, said of him back in 2017: “He’s so dynamic going forward. Antonee is a real character. He doesn’t give in. And that kind of attitude can take you places.”

At 6 foot, Robinson doesn’t appear to be the typical full-back. But if the Toffees are looking for someone to provide competition for Digne, then they need to look no further than someone who was one of their very own.

Sunderland are keen on making a move for Bristol City attacker Sammie Szmodics, claim Football Insider.

Black Cats boss Phil Parkinson has the summer transfer window to address a number of areas within his squad that saw the Wearsiders ultimately fail to gain promotion to the Championship for a second consecutive season.

One area in particular that desperately needs improving is in attack, having limited options at the Stadium of Light which include Will Grigg and Charlie Wyke, both of whom struggled to find regular consistency.

The future of Grigg and Wyke remains with a Football Data Consultancy discussing the former’s chances of making an impact next season for the club, claiming an exit would be best.

As transfer gossip continues, Sunderland have now been linked with a potentially new attacking option in Szmodics.

The 24-year-old has recently fallen out of favour with Bristol City seeing him restricted to a handful of appearances last term, whilst spending time during the 2019/20 season on loan with League One side Peterborough.

Valued at £135,000 by website Transfermarkt, Szmodics could hand Parkinson a cheap option to bolster his attacking options, given that financial restraints are being put on the majority of English Football League clubs after the introduction of the salary cap.

This could be a very shrewd move by Sunderland if they can get a deal done. Whilst admittedly Szmodics has struggled with Bristol City, he did bag four goals and provide four assists in just 10 appearances for Peterborough in the second half of last term, at the same level that the Black Cats currently are at.

Added to that, he also regularly contributed in the 18/19 campaign for Colchester United, netting 14 and assisting nine in 43 League Two appearances.

He looks a proven performer at the lower levels, and given his relatively low value it could turn out to be a bargain for the Wearside outfit.

Do you think Szmodics would be a good signing for Sunderland? Let us know in the comments section below…

Tottenham Hotspur are hardly short of wing options but they shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to land someone who’d be shades of a former club legend…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, Spurs are one of several teams interested in signing AFC Bournemouth winger David Brooks this summer but the relegated Cherries are yet to receive a single offer.

It’s claimed that Manchester United, Liverpool, Leicester City and Everton are all keen on landing the young Welsh international but the Championship outfit have made it clear they want to keep him at the Vitality Stadium.

Earlier in the week, a price tag of around £30m was put on the 23-year-old by the Express amid interest from the Foxes.

Bale 2.0?

Whilst there is an obvious nationality comparison to the great Gareth Bale, there are plenty of other similarities that could see Spurs land a second-coming of the wing wizard.

The Real Madrid superstar was signed as a skinny teenager back in 2007 from Southampton and even though Brooks is six years older, his frame and ability are quite the same.

Brooks was limited to game time on the pitch after picking up a long-term injury during pre-season and clearly the Cherries felt his absence as they were relegated to the second tier.

Last season, the 5 foot 8 winger provided seven goals and five assists in his debut PL campaign, also averaging 1.4 shots, 1 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per appearance, via WhoScored.

Chris Mepham believes the Welshman has “tonnes of talent” whilst his ex-boss Eddie Howe claims Brooks has “creative flair” and “non-stop energy” – this doesn’t sound too distant from his countryman’s spell in north London.

In 2019, the 23-year-old even beat Bale to land the Welsh Player of the Year award, so there’s a serious talent out there and perhaps a club like Tottenham is the perfect spot for Brooks next season.

AND in other news, Spurs must sign “explosive” playmaker likened to Frank Lampard…

West Ham United fans had more to be pleased about against Arsenal than they had done against Newcastle United, though that isn’t a very high bar for them to have got over.

It was a resolute performance at the Emirates, though it eventually wasn’t enough, as Eddie Nketiah’s goal in the 85th minute meant the Hammers remain pointless after two Premier League games.

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While the claret and blue army will give certain players credit for their individual performances, it is unlikely Moyes will be getting too much appreciation for the decisions he made.

One of those which has caused fury among West Ham fans is the decision to leave Josh Cullen out completely, with the Republic of Ireland international not even being given a place on the bench.

A fan looked back at how Carlos Sanchez was often given a place on the bench as a benchmark, while another hinted that this attitude is what led to the departures of Grady Diangana and Jeremy Ngakia.

This feeling is only made stronger following his performance in the Hammers’ 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Charlton Athletic, in which the 24-year-old was named Man of the Match.

During that match, he completed three tackles, two interceptions and maintained a pass success rate of 92% – one of those passes, which was clipped over the top to Andriy Yarmolenko, created Sebastien Haller’s second of that match.

Whether he should have started against the Gunners is another question, but fans have been left frustrated after he wasn’t even afforded a place on the bench.

Abdoulaye Doucoure was one of the stars of the show as Everton beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 on Saturday with a near-perfect display whilst pulling double-duty in the absence of Allan.

Carlo Ancelotti tackled the Goodison Park affair without Brazilian Allan holding down the defensive duties in midfield, with the former SSC Napoli ace sidelined with a groin injury sustained in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win over West Ham United.

Yet the 29-year-old’s absence passed by without a blip as Doucoure displayed all the hallmarks of the perfect box-to-box enforcer that Everton splashed £20million to sign, just a year on from Watford rejecting offers worth £30m under the instructions of Marco Silva.

Saturday’s clash with Brighton marked Doucoure’s fifth appearance for Everton across all competitions, having started all available Premier League games to date and having entered the action from the bench to replace Allan midway through the second-half against West Ham.

His efforts to hinder Graham Potter’s Albion have rightly received a myriad of plaudits, with the Liverpool Echo lauding the Frenchman for being “absolutely everywhere”.

“He was absolutely everywhere for Everton this afternoon,” Adam Jones noted. “Whether it was covering at right-back following a marauding [Seamus] Coleman run or breaking into the box to allow James Rodriguez a chance to score, this was a brilliant display from the summer signing.”

Doucoure’s heatmap from the match shows the 5 ft 11 enforcer focusing his efforts to the right-hand of Ancelotti’s three-man midfield as tasked, but also drifting around each half of the pitch to aid his teammates wherever needed with gleeful ease.

Per SofaScore, retaining and winning the ball also came easy to Doucoure as he snatched possession with two interceptions, a tackle and blocked one shot while misplacing just four of his 56 passes and winning three of seven ground duels.

Ancelotti also bore witness to Doucoure creating a big chance to score from one of his three key balls on Saturday, which led to Rodriguez bagging his brace for a first assist of the season.

With Doucoure as comfortable in possession and with his back to goal as ever, Allan’s absence swiftly turned into a forgotten thought that will instil great confidence in Ancelotti and the midfielder’s display would have delighted a packed Goodison Park had fans been allowed in.

AND in other news, Everton are planning to part ways with a multi-million-pound signing who scored four times last season.

Liverpool have taken an unexpected lead in the race for Jadon Sancho as the Dortmund winger reportedly favours a move to Anfield over anywhere else.

According to The Independent (via Sportsmole), the England international would rather join the Premier League champions than heavily-linked Manchester United. This news comes in spite of the months of talks connecting Sancho and the Red Devils, who have been eager to get a deal over the line. However, due to the 20-year-old’s hefty asking price of £117 million, United failed to gather the funds in time this transfer window.

Clubs must now wait patiently until at least January if they want to negotiate with Dortmund over their star player. But for Liverpool, it’s not as easy as just slamming the cash on the table.

What signing Sancho could mean for Liverpool

The Reds boast a very diverse squad. Some players have been brought in to make an instant impact like Virgil van Dijk, whilst others have been nurtured like Trent Alexander-Arnold. Signing Sancho would be another tick in the box for homegrown talent on Merseyside. However, it’s likely Jurgen Klopp would need to offload someone in order to make room for the rising star.

A battle for a place on the team-sheet between Sancho and Mohamed Salah may not make for a happy dressing room. The Egyptian has smashed numerous records during his time at Liverpool and has helped the club win their sixth Champions League and first ever Premier League title, whilst also being described as a “complete player” by Arsene Wenger. Sancho however, is eight years Salah’s junior and could pave the way for a whole new era at Anfield.

Ex-Liverpool man Jason McAteer recently wrote in his Racing Post column that he believes the England international will be great competition for Salah and fellow winger Sadio Mane. But a harsh reality may mean that there’s no way all three can be at the club, as you would have one world class player who is likely to be unhappy with a lack of minutes. Should the Reds revisit their talks with Sancho next year and if he wants the move, Klopp and co have a huge decision to make first.

In other news, Jurgen Klopp makes smart choice to keep Xherdan Shaqiri at Anfield…

David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady appear to have acknowledged their failings in the summer transfer market through West Ham United’s rumoured defence of signing Craig Dawson on loan from Watford.

What’s the word?

According to Irons insider ExWHUemployee, while speaking on the West Ham Way Podcast, the Hammers ownership were reluctant to commit to Dawson long-term this summer as they do not consider the Watford defender to be a first-choice option in David Moyes’ plans.

The east London outfit acquired Dawson following the closure of the international transfer market on a season-long deal, which is rumoured to include an option to buy next summer for around £2million.

West Ham were linked with a myriad of defensive options this summer but saw their efforts fail to result in done deals, with Burnley opposed to accepting bids worth up to £30m for James Tarkowski as the Clarets valued the England international at £50m, while Bayer Leverkusen were approached too late in the market to sell Jonathan Tah and Olympique de Marseille ace Deja Caleta-Car did not wish to leave the Ligue 1 outfit.

Dawson is yet to feature for West Ham since joining the London Stadium natives on loan, but could make his debut against Manchester City on Saturday with the 30-year-old in contention for a place in Moyes’ matchday squad.

If Moyes does include the Hornets loanee, it will likely only be among the substitutes, and come as his first chance to change opinions in east London with ExWHUemployee noting that fan unrest also played a key part in GSB’s reluctance to sanction a long-term deal.

“We ended up signing Craig Dawson, he is a Will Salthouse player as I’ve clarified before,” ExWHUemployee noted. “We were going to sign him on a permanent deal for around £2m. But we were only going to offer him a one or two-year contract and I think he had a three-year contract at Watford.

“And it proved quite hard to get him to sign when he knew he wouldn’t get a contract the same length as the one he had. Also, because there was quite a lot of negativity from the West Ham fans, the club erred on the side of caution and thought: ‘right we’ll get him on loan, he’s probably only going to be a back-up anyway’.”

GSB acknowledged their failings

Having failed in so many attempted swoops this summer, Gold, Sullivan and Brady could easily have opted to award Dawson a contract matching the length of his Watford terms in order to add depth to Moyes’ backline.

However, they appear to have acknowledged their failings in securing a first-choice option and decided best to only acquire Dawson on a temporary deal as the move offers the east London outfit an easy out in 2021 should the Watford loanee fail to establish himself.

The decision also prevented GSB from facing greater fan unrest following the protests seen outside of the London Stadium on the opening day, as they did not commit to keeping a player supporters were opposed to signing but without leaving Moyes weak in defence.

Had Dawson been signed permanently, West Ham may have found themselves in a position next summer where they need to sell the 30-year-old in order to sign the first-choice option they hoped to land this year, as the Watford man would be taking up wages and a squad place he may not deserve – a situation which would surely have angered the Irons faithful.

AND in other news, West Ham risk a Jack Wilshere 2.0 scenario by signing a once-£42.4m-valued outcast backed by a club legend.