Everton have reportedly been keeping tabs on Manchester United defender Chris Smalling and a move at the end of the season, when the England international is out of contract at Old Trafford, could very well be on the cards.
As reported by the Sun, Smalling is currently busy negotiating a possible extension at United, but could be tempted by a move to Everton with Marco Silva particularly keen on pinning him down. Although the Red Devils have the option of keeping Smalling for a further 12 months, Everton are set to put a proper offer in-front of him with Silva already having sent scouts to United games to monitor him.
Smalling had a lot of up and down performances so far this season but has been at the heart of a United team that has experienced similar results. The instability of the team has been blamed on a lot of individuals part of the club, but it is almost certain that the ownership would back manager José Mourinho with the necessary funds in the next two transfer markets to sign the defenders he didn’t get in the summer.
That could play a key role in Smalling’s decision making, opening the door for Silva to offer him a spot in the Everton first team. The former Watford boss has mostly opted for a centre-back pairing of Michael Keane and Kurt Zouma, while Yerry Mina made his debut on Sunday against Chelsea next to Keane.
The Toffees seem to have found their form in recent matches but would like to build a solid base for next season and the addition of Smalling could add a lot of experience for Silva to try and challenge for a European and possible Champions League spot.
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With Zouma only on-loan at Everton, the chances are big that they might experience a shortage of centre-backs when next season gets underway. But with Smalling in the squad, Silva would be able to experiment as to who would be his best combination alongside Keane and Mina.
Loads of Everton fans have been running the rule over their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, and plenty are calling for Lucas Digne to replace Leighton Baines.
Everton may finally get themselves the first spot on Match Of The Day tonight, as the Toffees played out a thrilling draw against Bournemouth.
The major talking point of the match was of course the red card for Richarlison, who was given his marching orders after leaning his head in towards Adam Smith.
Smith was later sent off himself, and the Cherries then fought back from two goals down in a ten against ten encounter.
The first Bournemouth goal came from a penalty, which was given when Baines clumsily nudged Callum Wilson over in the box.
While it was a very soft decision, fans aren’t impressed with Baines’ performance, and it looks like the veteran left back could be on his last legs.
Baines is a fan favourite at Goodison and for good reason, but with summer signing Digne waiting in the wings, fans are calling for Marco Silva to make a brave call and drop the 33 year-old.
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You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
James Milner has not always been the biggest fan favourite at Liverpool during his two-and-a-half-year stay at the club.
The 32-year-old has spent the majority of his career playing as a winger, but upon moving to Anfield, he admitted that he had a desire to play more centrally in midfield.
During his time at Liverpool, the experienced player has been asked to take on various positions.
Last season, the former Manchester City man was used at left-back ahead of Alberto Moreno.
In the current campaign, manager Jurgen Klopp has not always included Milner in the first XI, but in recent performances, the midfielder has impressed.
In total, Milner has started just 15 games in all competitions, but in his last two outings he played the full 90 minutes.
In an interview with the club’s official website, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sung the praises of his hardworking teammate.
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A large number of Liverpool fans agreed with the sentiments, and some feel that Milner is not given enough credit.
Manchester United travel to Stoke City in the English Premier League’s late Saturday kick-off and fans can’t wait to see the Red Devils in action after the international break.
United have started the season superbly with a 100% league record and Jose Mourinho has named the team that will attempt to make it four wins from four.
The Portuguese has made a number of changes with the most prominent being Ander Herrera getting his first start of the season in place of Juan Mata, who drops to the bench.
With a heavy schedule and important fixtures ahead, Mourinho will have to utilise the full depth of his squad and can count himself lucky to be able to bring in quality like Herrera from the sidelines. He’s been one of United’s most consistent players over the past couple of seasons.
The Spaniard is a popular figure with Red Devils fans and they’re excited to see him take on Stoke, reacting on Twitter to his inclusion…
Plenty of Leeds United supporters are unhappy with Sky after their team’s Championship showdown against Newcastle United at St James’ Park was rearranged for the evening of Good Friday.
The clash was originally scheduled for the Saturday of Easter weekend, but will now kick off at 7.45pm the day before on April 14.
With the Magpies guiding the way to automatic Premier League promotion, and Leeds looking likely to secure a playoff spot, it is building up to be an exciting fixture.
Because of the reason, the bigwigs at Sky Sports have selected it as one their televised live games over the Easter period.
While that is good news for those watching at home, it is frustrating news for some of the fans who had already made arrangements for the match to be on Saturday.
Logistically it could prove to be a problem as well considering that fans will need to travel up to the North East for an evening kickoff on what will be a busy day across the holiday break.
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After Leeds confirmed the fixture change on Twitter, plenty of fans let their feelings be known.
After failing to pick up all three points in a crucial Tyne-Wear derby last month – and subsequently losing to major relegation rivals Norwich City in somewhat unforgivable circumstances last time out – Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez certainly has a major job on his hands in simply restoring some much-needed positivity around St. James’ Park this week.
The Magpies have failed to portray themselves in a promising light for the duration of the 2015/16 campaign, and aside from one or two impressive displays from the increasingly concerning Tyneside outfit this season, Newcastle deserve nothing more than their current lowly position in the Premier League’s dreaded relegation zone.
So then, with fewer than 10 games to go between now and the culmination of the current season – are the determined Magpies already destined for the Championship next term, or can Benitez somehow turn things around in dramatic style?
Well, from the moment Newcastle United made the less than assuring decision to hire former England, Middlesbrough and Derby County boss, Steve McClaren, they were doomed.
McClaren was clearly the wrong man for the job when all is said and done. No other right-minded Premier League club would have seen fit to offer the ill-fated 54–year-old tactician a role in the English top-flight this term, regardless of whether or not there was a distinct lack of viable alternatives available at the time.
Benitez remains a strong coach with a strong managerial record to fall back on, that’s for sure, but as the widely admired Spaniard was thrown in at the deep end with very little time to implement his own plans down on Tyneside, whilst also possessing little to no experience of fighting his way out of a gritty relegation dog-fight in the past, such a coup for Newcastle may not be enough to save their Premier League status in the end.
Yet even though the Magpies have certainly been hindered from a managerial point of view this season, the first-team squad available down at St. James’ Park isn’t fit to uphold their hard-earned position in the top tier.
Despite spending close to £80m on a succession of supposedly talented players with bags of potential, this is a team that have somehow only served to worsen as the 2015/16 domestic proceedings have played out.
The likes of Ayoze Perez and Georginio Wijnaldum have blown hot and cold, while players such as Yoan Gouffran, Emmanuel Riviere and Vurnon Anita haven’t been plying their trade at a high enough level in a long time. Aside from the unmistakably passionate Aleksandar Mitrovic up-top for Benitez’s struggling outfit, very few Newcastle players have looked up for the fight down on Tyneside this season.
The Magpies can’t seem to score enough goals in order to maintain their current status in the Premier League, and their defensive line has looked far from organised or resilient across the entire campaign.
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Relegation therefore seemingly beckons whichever way you look at it.
So, whilst a dramatic last-minute escape from the dreaded drop zone could still theoretically await the loyal Magpies following come the end of the current season, this team have looked destined to make their way back down towards the Championship for a long, long time…
Marco Reus is one of the most coveted players in the football world right now, and with a £20m release clause expected to be activated next summer, Liverpool could come in for a January swoop and lure the Borussia Dortmund star away for a slightly higher price.
However there are a few other areas that Liverpool need to fix if they want to improve on their lacklustre start to the season, which currently sees them 9th in the table after eight games.
Here are FIVE players that could follow Marco Reus to Liverpool
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON REUS TO SEE THE FULL LIST!
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Edinson Cavani
Mario Balotelli was purchased for £16m from AC Milan during the summer as a replacement for 31-goal Luis Suarez, but the Italian hasn’t performed and has already dropped to the bench for Brendan Rodgers recently.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani could be the player to arrive to put the Reds back in contention for the title. Also from Uruguay, Cavani has an astonishing goal record during his time with Napoli in Serie A.
The 27-year-old hasn’t performed as well with PSG, but he’s still managed 25 goals while playing second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ezequiel Lavezzi
Another player from Paris Saint-Germain – as well as Napoli with Cavani – Ezequiel Lavezzi could be exactly what Liverpool need to take the pressure off a ‘tired’ Raheem Sterling.
The English starlet caused a media storm after he insisted he was too fatigued to play for the Three Lions, but more importantly it does seem that the Reds do rely on the 19-year-old way too much and should avoid burning him out.
Lavezzi is the answer, as the Argentine is an experienced winger who has played at the highest level in football. The 29-year-old is quick, tricky, and scores his fair share of goals playing on the flanks.
Yevhen Konoplyanka
Liverpool fans could already be sick of hearing of Yevhen Konoplyanka, as the Dnipro winger has been linked with the Reds for almost all of 2014.
However with less than a year remaining on the Ukrainian’s contract, Liverpool could make a cut price swoop in the January transfer market to bring in cover for the jaded Raheem Sterling
Konoplyanka is a dynamic and versatile player, combining pace and technique as well as the ability to play on either wing… making him extremely useful for Brendan Rodgers’ 4-3-3 system.
Victor Valdes
Although Simon Mignolet saved a penalty in his first appearance for Brendan Rodgers’ side last season, his Liverpool career has been underwhelming.
Mignolet does not perform consistently enough for a side looking to challenge for the title, but former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes was one of the best in the Spanish La Liga.
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A knee injury however forced an end to his Barca career, but with the Spaniard recovering well as a free agent, Liverpool could finally find a goalkeeper able to keep Mignolet on his toes or become the number-one himself when back to full fitness.
Sami Khedira
Khedira has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal and Chelsea of late, but with Liverpool still interested, Anfield could be the best destination for the want-away Real Madrid star.
The German World Cup winner is a dynamic box-to-box midfielder who is great at tackling, accurate at passing and scores a few brilliant goals once in a while.
Sound like someone? Steven Gerrard is definitely not the same player he was a few years ago, with some supporters even calling for the legendary Englishman to be dropped from the first XI.
The 27-year-old could be a perfect replacement, but what makes it even more interesting is the arrival of Khedira could see Emre Can – both Germans of Turkish decent – form into a formidable midfield partnership.
Manchester United are a club who have become known for splashing the cash in the transfer market over recent years, in an attempt to edge closer to their former Premier League glory.
The Red Devils have shelled out over £800m on new additions since the summer of 2022, with various managers being backed by the hierarchy at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim was the latest manager in such a line, with the 40-year-old handed over £200m in the recent summer alone to try and resurrect his career in Manchester.
However, it appears that such a move was to no avail, especially after he was handed his marching orders and sacked from his position earlier in the week.
His dismissal may have come as a shock, but the hierarchy are still targeting added reinforcements during the ongoing January window to hand his replacement the best chance of success.
Man Utd preparing club-record bid for young talent
The need for investment in the United squad has been there for everyone to see in 2025/26, with the club still short of quality in numerous key areas of the squad.
The Red Devils’ midfield department still appears somewhat light in real star quality, something which the board have tried to rectify with a pursuit of Brighton star Carlos Baleba.
During the summer, Amorim made it clear he wanted to sign the Cameroonian international, but even after the manager’s departure, it appears the hierarchy are continuing with the pursuit – but any deal could cost over £100m.
The youngster isn’t the only player on their radar who could cost a small fortune this winter, with RB Leipzig sensation Yan Diomande another star currently being pursued.
According to TEAMtalk, United are just one of a number of sides keen on a move for the teenage winger who already has six league goals in just 14 appearances.
It also states that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are closely monitoring the forward, who only joined his current side six months ago.
However, like Baleba, it would be a huge statement of intent from the board, with the Bundesliga side slapping a price tag of over £100m on the attacker’s head – a deal that would break United’s record.
Why Diomande would be a Sesko repeat for United
As part of the club’s recent spending spree last summer, United paid a staggering £74m for the signature of Benjamin Sesko to finally end their hunt for a new centre-forward.
Given the nature of the fee, the Red Devils fanbase were no doubt excited about the prospect of the Slovenian international, but his move hasn’t fully lived up to its full potential as of yet.
The 22-year-old has featured in 17 league outings so far this campaign, but has only managed to find the back of the net on four occasions – the third highest of any player in the squad.
However, Sesko registered his first double for the club during Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Burnley – which could ignite the flame for the talisman during his time at Old Trafford.
Patience will no doubt need to be handed his way before he secures the hearts of the fans, but he’s certainly demonstrated glimpses of his quality in recent months.
He could benefit from the move to land Diomande during the current window, with the Ivorian star potentially following in his footsteps in the near future.
If he does move to the Premier League, it would be a repeat of Sesko, with the Red Devils hierarchy forking out a huge fee to land a star from German side RB Leipzig.
His incredible stats from his breakout season in the Bundesliga highlight the quality he possesses with the ball at his feet – potentially having the tools to provide the goods for Sesko on a consistent basis.
Diomande, who’s been dubbed the “best in the business” by talent scout Wasi, has completed 6.3 progressive carries and 4.3 successful take-ons in the Bundesliga this season.
Yan Diomande – Bundesliga stats (2025/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
14
Goals & assists
8
Pass accuracy
82%
Progressive carries
6.3
Successful take-ons
4.3
Key passes
1.4
Passes into 18-yard box
1.4
Carries into final third
3.9
Carries into the 18-yard box
3.4
Stats via FBref
Such numbers showcase his phenomenal ability to glide past the opposition and create a problem at any given opportunity for any player who tries to stand in his way. It also shines a light on why The Athletic’s Seb Stafford-Bloor noted that Diomande is “physically similar” to United target Antoine Semenyo.
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However, he’s also been able to add the end product to his runs in Leipzig this season, as seen by his superb tally of 1.4 key passes and 1.4 passes into the opposition box per 90.
The aforementioned figures could hugely benefit Sesko in the long-term, with the striker potentially getting on the end of the winger’s darting runs into the opposition box.
Diomande’s quality in possession is further demonstrated with his tally of 3.4 carries into the final third per 90, which could inject needed pace into the current Red Devils attack.
Whilst any move would be a huge gamble on the United hierarchy’s part, it’s one that could turn out to be a masterstroke if the youngster continues on his current trajectory.
A partnership of Diomande and Sesko at United is one for the fanbase to get excited about, with the duo having the chance to write a new history for the club alongside one another and under the latest manager.
Mainoo will love him: Man Utd in further talks to hire Solskjaer alternative
Manchester United appear to be making progress on a deal to land one boss who’s perfect for Kobbie Mainoo.
Other Premier League sides did more business, but Chelsea still had a busy end to the summer transfer window.
The club finally got their hands on Alejandro Garnacho, opted against signing Fermin Lopez, and made a surprise move to bring in Facundo Buonanotte on a season-long loan – without an option or obligation to buy.
Additionally, the Blues decided to cancel Marc Guiu’s loan to Sunderland following the recent injury to Liam Delap.
However, that’s a decision they might not have needed to make, as they’ve already got an incredibly talented youngster who could’ve filled in.
Chelsea's striker situation
There is plenty of optimism around Chelsea and what they could achieve this season, and rightly so, but things are currently far from ideal in the striker department.
In the win over Fulham on Saturday, Liam Delap started up top, and while he looked lively in the opening exchanges, he had to come off in just the 14th minute with a hamstring injury, which will keep him out of the action for eight to ten weeks.
The sudden setback for the Englishman caused the club to momentarily stop Nicolas Jackson’s loan move to Bayern Munich, only for the Senegalese striker to make it quite clear he wanted to go.
Now, Maresca does still have a fit Joao Pedro to call on, but until Cole Palmer is fit enough to come back into the side, the Brazilian is likely to continue as the team’s ten or second striker.
So, with there being minimal options on the market, the West Londoners decided that the best route to take was to cancel Guiu’s loan to Sunderland.
After all, the young Spaniard did score six goals in 16 appearances for the side last season, and had already bagged one in three games for the Black Cats.
However, while that might serve Maresca in the short term, it could limit the 19-year-old’s long-term development, and it might not have even been necessary, as there is a youngster in the academy who deserves a chance to fill in.
The Chelsea youngster who should be in the squad
Few, if any, top academies can match Cobham for the sheer number of quality players it produces, and it looks like the next success of the production line could be Shumaira Mheuka.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
It’s almost certain that fans outside of Chelsea have little to no idea who the 17-year-old gem is, but fans of the club would have seen him make several first-team appearances last season.
Maresca trusted the Birmingham-born gem to come off the bench four times in the Conference League and even once in the Premier League, at home to Southampton.
He might not have got onto the scoresheet in any of those cameos, but do not get it twisted, the youngster looks to be a lean, mean goalscoring machine.
For example, in 53 appearances for the West Londoners’ youth sides, the young ace, whom one analyst has dubbed one of the “brightest young strikers in England,” has scored 26 goals and provided six assists.
That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.65 games, which is a more than encouraging rate of return.
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It’s also better than Guiu managed in his youth team days, as in 25 games for Barcelona’s junior sides, he scored eight goals and provided four assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.08 games.
Mheuka vs Guiu at Youth Level
Players
Mheuka
Guiu
Appearances
53
25
Goals
26
8
Assists
6
6
Goal Involvements per Match
0.60
0.56
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Now, it would be absurd to expect the youngster to come into the side and make loads of appearances, but he could certainly fulfil the role as a backup and someone who plays in the less important games.
After all, how is he going to take the next step unless he is exposed to more senior football, and with respected talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbing him “the future of Chelsea and English football,” Maresca might want to get him in the squad as soon as possible, in case another team comes along and offers him just that.
Ultimately, while it would have been something of a risk, the Blues should have let Guiu remain out on loan for his own development, and used Mheuka as the backup option – he deserves a shot.
Jamie Carragher has named the Chelsea summer signing he's "not a fan" of
The Sky Sports pundit is already skeptical about one of Enzo Maresca’s new additions.
The Tottenham Hotspur board have decided to showcase ambition in their hunt for a new manager, with an “elite” name now on their shortlist as a potential replacement for Ange Postecoglou.
Managers linked with Tottenham as Ange Postecoglou heads towards exit
There is a growing sense behind-the-scenes that chairman Daniel Levy will part company with Postecoglou, regardless of whether Spurs end up winning this year’s Europa League (Matt Law).
Tottenham in contact with ex-Bayern Munich boss to replace Ange Postecoglou
The Australian is being tipped to leave regardless of their European campaign.
ByEmilio Galantini
This follows a seriously lacklustre 2024/2025, where Postecoglou hasn’t been dealt the easiest hand, thanks largely to injury issues which have swept through the squad on a consistent basis all season long.
However, 16th in the Premier League after 18 top flight defeats is closer to relegation form than that of a ‘big six’ side, and critics have been arguing that Spurs should be doing far better – regardless of their luck with player availability this term.
Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures
Date
Liverpool (away)
April 27th
West Ham (away)
May 3rd
Crystal Palace (home)
May 10th
Aston Villa (away)
May 18th
Brighton (home)
May 25th
With Postecoglou now heading towards the exit door, which is more likely than not as things stand (The Telegraph), the Lilywhites are making contingency plans and performing due-diligence on managerial candidates to succeed the Australian.
Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Thomas Frank (Brentford) and Scott Parker (Burnley) have all been linked with the job within this past fortnight, while there is some belief that Mauricio Pochettino would be keen on a return to Tottenham after a tough start to life in charge of the USA.
Further abroad, Spurs are big fans of Simone Inzaghi and his work at Inter Milan over the last few seasons (Fabrizio Romano), but the Nerazzurri won’t be keen to lose their successful tactician, who is currently attempting to guide them to a second consecutive Serie A title.
According to reports in Germany, Tottenham have also made contact with Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac, but the former Croatia captain has no interest in leaving the Bundesliga for N17 as things stand.
Tottenham now targeting Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti
Now, in a surprise update, it is believed Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is being targeted by Levy and Spurs.
The Italian is one of world football’s most decorated ever managers, having won five Champions League titles across spells at the Bernabeu and AC Milan, with Ancelotti also boasting Premier League title-winning experience from his time at Chelsea.
The 65-year-old also has a Bundesliga title on his CV, having managed Bayern Munich as well, so there is no question Ancelotti brings success wherever he goes. His £8.3 million-per-year contract expires in 2026, and amid Real’s links to Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, he faces an uncertain future.
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According to GiveMeSport, Tottenham’s board have internally discussed moving for Ancelotti, after “key decision-makers” at the club decided to be “bold” and mean business in their pursuit of Postecoglou’s potential replacement.
However, even if Spurs’ interest is there, they would need Ancelotti to be brave enough to consider a switch to Tottenham, and the “elite” head coach will be mindful that other proven winners like José Mourinho and Antonio Conte have come away empty-handed.