Everton have made an impression in the Premier League this term and now look poised to try and tempt an exciting offensive talent to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton pushing to land January arrivals

Despite a frustrating defeat to Brentford last weekend, Everton are still on course for a successful campaign and remain in the mix for European qualification at the halfway point of 2025/26.

Nevertheless, there is a feeling signings will be necessary for the Toffees to kick on under David Moyes, especially through the middle as Thierno Barry and Beto struggle to find their feet consistently in front of goal.

With that in mind, reports suggest that Everton have been offered the chance to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Jorgen Strand Larsen. However, they may need to compete with the likes of Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur for his services.

Concerning their defence, Blackburn Rovers star Ryan Alebiosu could be on his way to Merseyside as Moyes looks to find a long-term successor to club captain Seamus Coleman.

Watford captain Imram Louza is also wanted at Everton, though again, it remains to be seen whether the Premier League outfit stump up enough cash to tempt the Hornets into a mid-season sale.

Truthfully, January is a difficult window and clubs are notoriously hard to deal with as they don’t want to lose their best players. Regardless, the Friedkin Group have work to do, and they will be keen to show that Everton are capable of reaching significant heights under their stewardship.

Now, they could be set to make their move for a star who is thriving on the continent, potentially providing competition in the wide areas for Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye.

Everton enter race to sign Zuriko Davitashvili

According to Foot Mercato, Everton have entered the race to sign Saint-Etienne winger Zuriko Davitashvili, who is also on the radar of Besiktas and Fenerbahce after his excellent start to the campaign.

Further reports from Georgian outlet, Geo team suggest that Everton “will try to sign” him throughout the next few weeks. Besiktas have already seen a bid of around £10m knocked back.

Scoring nine times and laying on an assist in his first 17 appearances this campaign, he has earned comparisons to the likes of Marcus Rashford and Pedro Neto, via FBRef.

So good have his performances been that it has caused concern among key officials at the Ligue 2 outfit as they fear he may leave during their promotion bid to reach the French top-flight.

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Benfica are also keen to land the Georgia international, though his current employers have made it clear that he won’t be sold during the January window, providing a theoretical deterrent to keen suitors.

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Nevertheless, elite clubs circling may prove too lucrative to ignore for Saint-Etienne, who will know more than anyone that every player has their price in the modern market.

Everton aren’t short of attacking talent, though you can never have too many technicians when looking to carve sides open, hence why Moyes may be making a move for another wide reinforcement.

Everton have now reportedly launched their first move to sign a Premier League striker, whose price-tag has just plummeted.

Moyes has "no complaints" about Brentford thrashing

It was about as bad as it could get for Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium when Brentford raced into a 3-0 lead, before eventually sealing a 4-2 victory.

The Toffees felt the full impact of their absentees, with Iliman Ndiaye a particular miss once again, and David Moyes admitted that he could have “no complaints” about the result against the Bees.

The veteran manager told reporters: “I’m disappointed we didn’t play better. We were just a bit short in some areas. We were disappointing defensively today and not as strong as we have been.

“We are short on a lot of cour creative players which showed at times. [But] we didn’t do our defensive duties as well as we could have done.

“When your centre forwards score goals that’s what we want. Today they didn’t have the support and back-up. If we’d kept a clean sheet we could have won. But no complaints, Brentford deserved the victory.”

Looking at any potential silver lining, the defeat at least exposed the problems that the Friedkin Group still have to solve in Merseyside. This is still a squad lacking in depth, especially going forward, and one which also need a reinforcement at right-back.

With that said, Friedkin have plenty of time to act in the January transfer window and a number of potential targets have recently emerged as a result.

Related Everton now keen on signing £4m AFCON star who Victor Osimhen called "exceptional"

The Toffees could land a January addition.

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This includes the likes of Ivan Toney, who is reportedly a dream signing for Everton, and now Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Jorgen Strand Larsen.

According to TeamTalk, Everton have made contact to sign Strand Larsen, who is now available for just £40m just months since Newcastle were told to pay around £60m to secure his signature.

Everton make contact to sign Strand Larsen

The Wolves striker has struggled ever since failing to get his move in the summer and has far from helped his side’s attempt to avoid the drop. As things stand, after picking up their first victory of the season over West Ham United last time out, the Midlands club are 12 points adrift of safety.

It’s times like these that sides near the bottom so often turn towards their best players, but Strand Larsen has scored just one Premier League goal all season and looks a shadow of the player who netted 14 times in his debut campaign.

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Whilst Wolves desperately need him to get back to his best form, the Norwegian desperately needs a move away that Everton could offer him this month.

Despite his current form, the context of Wolves’ season should be considered before Strand Larsen is judged too harshly and this wouldn’t be the first time that Moyes has got players back to their best form.

For just £40m, Everton could land an instant upgrade on Beto and Thierno Barry, especially if they find a way past his £95,000-a-week wage demands.

Chelsea shocked the football world on New Year’s Day by parting company with manager Enzo Maresca following a spectacular breakdown in relations between the Italian and senior figures at Stamford Bridge.

The 45-year-old’s eighteen-month tenure ended following his decision to step down after feeling his position had become untenable, though disputes currently rage over whether he resigned or was dismissed by the club.

Sky Sports report that Maresca endured several disagreements with Chelsea’s medical department regarding player workload and availability throughout his spell in charge, with particular tensions surrounding captain Reece James’ minutes despite his history of hamstring injuries.

The situation exploded publicly when Maresca stunned reporters following December’s victory over Everton by claiming he had experienced “the worst 48 hours” at the club and stating “many people didn’t support us,” comments which shocked his own close circle and prompted agent Jorge Mendes to contact the hierarchy seeking explanation.

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Maresca missed his post-match press conference following Tuesday’s chaotic 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, which was officially attributed to illness.

Supporters booed the team off while chanting “you don’t know what you’re doing” when he substituted Cole Palmer, highlighting the lack of fan backing despite winning the Club World Cup and Conference League titles alongside securing Champions League qualification last term.

Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior has now emerged as the overwhelming favourite to replace Maresca following impressive work at the French club owned by Chelsea’s parent company BlueCo.

The 41-year-old nearly guided Hull City to the Championship play-offs before joining Strasbourg, where his possession-based philosophy mirrors Chelsea’s preferred style.

He’d also be a relatively straightforward appointment considering Rosenior is already under the BlueCo umbrella, yet reports suggest that Chelsea are also considering alternatives.

Now, according to one Spanish media source, the Blues have been offered a big name in the form of legendary former boss Jose Mourinho.

José Mourinho prepared to join Chelsea after Maresca exit

Indeed, it is believed that Mourinho is willing to return to Chelsea after Maresca’s departure, and has offered himself to the club as an alternative to Rosenior.

The 62-year-old, who has won almost every major honour as a manager including multiple Premier League titles in west London, guided Chelsea through one of their most successful periods near the start of this century.

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Mourinho only took charge of current club Benfica last September, but the Portuguese is now prepared to strike what would be his third Chelsea reunion and come back to England.

Given Mourinho is already in work and will likely cost a compensation package to buy him out of his current Benfica contract, it would still be a surprise to see the ex-Man United and Tottenham boss back at Cobham — especially with Rosenior already in talks.

However, as we’ve already seen at Chelsea this year with Maresca’s shocking and sudden departure, you can never say never.

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Jurgen Klopp is building one of the best attacks in the world at Liverpool – but not just the three players he would choose to start most games, but also including his squad depth in that area too.

The signing of Luis Diaz from Porto in the January transfer window showed that the Reds aren’t afraid to splash out the cash on players who aren’t guaranteed to start every game, as Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane still firmly remain number-one choices on the wings.

However, Salah’s contract has little over one-year remaining, and both parties still haven’t made any more progress in reaching a new deal, with the Egyptian’s demands reportedly far too extortionate.

What’s the news?

It is expected that if the Merseyside club can’t agree a new deal before the end of the summer, they will begin lining up transfer targets to replace their superstar.

Real Madrid star Marco Asensio is one man that has been linked with a move in recent weeks, but it is also possible that he may be signed to play in a deeper role should Liverpool press ahead with a deal.

But forward Darwin Nunez is one player that is expected to leave his club in the summer, and Liverpool are believed to be keen on a deal for the Benfica forward, who has scored an incredible 20 goals in 20 Liga NOS games this season, with two of them coming from the bench.

It’s thought he may cost in the region of a whopping £55m.

Tactical reshuffle should Salah leave

The 22-year-old forward, tipped to be “world-class” by manager Jorge Jesus, has been sensational this season in Portugal, and has also made an impact in the Champions League too, where he has scored three goals in seven games.

Though, the all-important question is, how could the Uruguayan replace Salah and would his entrance finally signal the end of their Egyptian hero’s stay in England?

Interestingly, he is more of a centre-forward than a winger, but he can play on the left should he be required to. Though, should the 29-year-old Liverpool star depart, there is only really one player already capable of performing on the right side of the pitch in his spot, which is Diogo Jota.

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The Portuguese forward has more often than not played as a striker this season, but in three appearances where he was deployed on the right-hand side, he has scored three goals, which could suggest that if Nunez was to make the move should their Egyptian star leave, he would play down the middle and Jota would take Salah’s spot.

It sounds like a very menacing duo in attack, one that could finally allow Jurgen Klopp and co to part ways with their star man.

In other news: Forget Ox: Klopp must now unleash “classy” £1.8m-rated LFC maestro one last time 

Andrew Musgrove has given his reaction to some positive Newcastle United news that has now emerged involving Ryan Fraser.

The Lowdown: POTM nominee

As shared by the official Twitter page of the St. James’ Park faithful, Fraser has now been nominated for the Player of the Month (POTM) award for February.

The Scotland international grabbed one goal and one assist in the four games played in the Premier League, helping his team pick up three wins and a draw (Transfermarkt) to lift them further away from the relegation spots in the table.

The Latest: Musgrove reacts

Taking to Twitter, The Chronicle journalist Musgrove has now given his reaction to the news of Fraser’s nomination, claiming that he has had a ‘fantastic turnaround’ in a Magpies shirt.

Before his goal and assist last month, the 28-year-old had managed just one assist in the top flight this season.

The Verdict: No looking back

After a disappointing start, Fraser will not want to look back, and the winger will hopefully kick on even further from now until the end of the campaign.

Eddie Howe has even been singing his praises, stating in his pre-game press conference ahead of their match at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon that he has played ‘very well’ under him and that he has ‘proved’ that he is a ‘good’ player.

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Nonetheless, with Allan Saint-Maximin still a doubt for the visit of the Seagulls, it is Fraser’s time to shine once more.

In other news, find out who was not in training alongside Saint-Maximin here!

Gio van Bronckhorst will be looking to lead Rangers into the semi-final of the Scottish Cup as the Ibrox side head into a quarter-final clash today.

The Gers won 3-0 against Annan Athletic in the previous round, with Filip Helander, Kemar Roofe and Fashion Sakala all getting themselves on the scoresheet in that match.

They now face Dundee FC away from home and come into the game off the back of a 3-0 win – thanks to goals from James Tavernier, Alfredo Morelos and Leon Balogun – in the Europa League.

How many changes will Gio make to the side? Here is our predicted XI…

McLaughlin, Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Barisic, Sands, Jack, Ramsey, Diallo, Kent, Roofe (4-1-2-3)

We are predicting that he will make seven alterations to the team, with a number of players coming in for this cup clash.

Starting off between the sticks, Jon McLaughlin may replace Allan McGregor. The ex-Sunderland man kept a clean sheet in the last round and, therefore, deserves to keep his place as the cup goalkeeper.

At the back, we are predicting that Filip Helander and Borna Barisic will come in to make up the defence next to James Tavernier. Both players played against Annan Athletic and this match is a chance for them to get out on the pitch.

In midfield, van Bronckhorst could be forced into at least one change. John Lundstram is an injury doubt and we are predicting that Aaron Ramsey will replace him in the middle of the park. The Welshman’s only start for the club to date came in the last round of the competition and this is a big opportunity for him to get some minutes under his belt, with James Sands – who also played in that game – coming in for Glen Kamara.

Out wide on the right, Joe Aribo may drop out due to an injury and this would allow Amad Diallo to make his return on the wing. It would be a huge chance for him to showcase his quality and prove that he can make his loan from Manchester United a success before the end of the season.

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Finally, we are predicting that Alfredo Morelos will be given a rest. He has played nine times since the start of February and van Bronckhorst may axe him from the XI to give him a break, whilst offering a starting berth to Kemar Roofe.

Ex-Gers boss Steven Gerrard previously dubbed him a “Duracell bunny” and he recently came off the bench to score the winner against Aberdeen. He must step up and show that he can fill in for Morelos in the number nine position and help Rangers land a place in the final four of the competition. 

Tavernier, Goldson, Ryan Jack and Ryan Kent are the players we are tipping to remain in the side from the one that beat Red Star Belgrade on Thursday.

AND in other news, Cost £2.2m, now worth 145% more: Rangers struck gold on “consistent” £18k-p/w dynamo…

Crystal Palace impressed against Manchester City for the second time this season by holding Pep Guardiola’s side to a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park on Monday evening.

The Eagles, who beat City in the reverse fixture back in October, defended superbly throughout and were good value for their point.

There were some impressive displays on show from the home side, but here at The Transfer Tavern, we’ve used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three very best performers were for Palace.

Vicente Guaita – 7.9/10

No surprise to see Guaita top the rankings list, with the goalkeeper Palace’s best performer with a 7.9/10 rating.

The Spaniard made five saves, three of which were from inside the box, and completed 19 passes, eight of which were long balls.

Tyrick Mitchell – 7.2/10

Next up is Mitchell, who impressed up against Riyad Mahrez. The left-back won all of his four duels and completed 13 passes.

More importantly, Mitchell also wasn’t dribbled past all evening and made five clearances and four tackles.

Marc Guehi – 7.1/10

Captain Guehi is the third and final inclusion, ending with a 7.1/10 rating. The centre-back made nine clearances, one tackle and won all three of his duels.

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Guehi also wasn’t dribbled past all night and even made a key pass, losing possession on just nine occasions.

In other news: Palace want to beat Leeds to ‘instrumental’ 12-goal midfielder; same agent as Andersen & Edouard.

Liverpool are interested in signing PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo this summer, according to reliable journalist David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Gakpo impressing for PSV

The 22-year-old is enjoying an eye-catching season for the Eredivisie giants, scoring eight goals and registering 13 assists in the division.

Gakpo also netted twice in the Champions League prior to PSV’s exit and he has been described as a player who ‘has everything’ by former Netherlands midfielder Theo Janssen.

The youngster’s current deal in Eindhoven may not expire until 2026, but a fresh update suggests that he could be on the move in the near future.

The Latest: Liverpool eye up move for Gakpo

Writing for The Athletic, Ornstein claimed that Liverpool are among the clubs interested in making a move for Gakpo this summer.

The likes of Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also seen as potential suitors, with PSV willing to sell if the right offer comes along. The Dutch outfit are not believed to have set an asking price, although offers in excess of £35m have already been mentioned

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The Verdict: One for the future

Liverpool have five excellent attacking options at their disposal these days, with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino all battling for minutes.

However, Firmino is now 30 years of age, while Salah and Mane will both reach that milestone later this year, so Gakpo could be considered a long-term replacement for them at Anfield.

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The majority of his appearances this season have been in a left-sided role, so he could be seen as Mane’s successor, although Diaz’s emergence does cloud the situation.

Gakpo’s versatility means that he can excel anywhere across the frontline, so Jurgen Klopp may feel that the 22-year-old is an ideal signing who can fill in across various roles as the years progress, eventually joining Diaz and Jota as a regular in a new-look front three at Liverpool.

In other news, Liverpool are interested in signing one highly-rated player. Find out who it is here.

Everton’s transfer windows back in the  2017/18 season was arguably their worst ever, having spent almost £183m on new signings, with just two of them still playing regularly for the club – Michael Keane and Jordan Pickford.

It was a disastrous waste of money for the club, as they signed a number of players who proved to just not be good enough – including Dutch playmaker Davy Klaassen, who arrived at Goodison Park from Ajax for £24.3m.

Manager at the time Ronald Koeman was a huge fan of the midfielder, but despite being given a year to adjust to the Premier League, he failed to settle in Merseyside, and left just a year later.

“He had trouble with the aggressiveness and the tempo,” said Koeman. “You do not get time on the midfield.

“I was disappointed with Davy. What did not help him was that we did not have a striker. Romelu Lukaku left and the arrival of Olivier Giroud did not go through at the last moment.

“I really expected him to adapt more easily. That’s why I had also met him. Nobody in the club had doubts about him. Not in the Netherlands either.

“Klaassen was someone we spent a lot of money for and who could have really played a role in the midfield. In retrospect, you may have to doubt whether the step was not too big.”

Perhaps a rather more damning assessment comes from the Netherlands with one outlet claiming the attacking midfielder “almost drowned” such was his diabolical spell in Merseyside.

After making just 16 senior appearances for Everton and creating just one goal, he was sold to German club Werder Bremen for just £12.15m the following summer, earning £3.64m from a 56-week salary of £70k for his sole season in the Premier League and costing them a staggering £5.8m for every shot he took in the top-flight.

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Now, he is turning out for Ajax once again, having scored seven goals in 35 appearances in all competitions this season, on top of scoring an impressive four goals for Holland in his last ten caps, as well as setting up four more.

The 29-year-old is reviving his career as he edges closer to his 30s, but after scoring five Eredivisie goals this season and being praised by manager Erik ten Hag recently for giving “the right impulse” – Everton will be wondering what went wrong, and why he is once again returning to the kind of form that tempted them into buying him in the first place.

In other news: Lampard could unearth Everton’s next Distin in unseen 17 y/o prodigy at Finch Farm

On-loan Aston Villa star Philippe Coutinho has expressed a willingness to take a major pay cut to facilitate a move away from Barcelona. 

The lowdown

The Brazilian moved from Camp Nou to Villa Park on a short-term deal in January, and 90min last week reported that Steven Gerrard’s side have already opened talks over a permanent deal.

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However, they also revealed that the 29-year-old earns ‘just shy’ of £500,000 per week with the inclusion of bonuses. That far outstrips Villa’s current wage ceiling, the £120,000 that they pay to Danny Ings, who earns 50% more than the next-best reimbursed players on the list.

Coutinho’s £142m move to Spain in 2018 remains one of the biggest in football history, but he has struggled so much for Barcelona that he has occasionally been booed by his own fans.

The latest

Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo reported (via Birmingham Mail) that both Barcelona and Coutinho hope to negotiate a permanent exit from the Nou Camp this summer.

The La Liga club want €40m (£33.5m) for the Brazilian, which is pretty much in line with the £33m purchase option that Villa have been granted.

The report stated that ‘the main obstacle’ to a permanent move is Coutinho’s salary, but ‘club sources consulted by MD’ insist that the player ‘always does his part to overcome’ this barrier. The 29-year-old will seemingly do what he can to ensure that an agreement can be reached with a new club.

The verdict

Coutinho is enjoying his football at Aston Villa. He said at the end of February that he is ‘very happy’ in the Midlands, having fulfilled his ambition to return to the Premier League.

That sense of contentment has been evident on the pitch, with the playmaker bagging four goals and laying on three assists in his first 10 appearances in claret and blue.

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Significantly, his Brazil prospects have also improved following the move away from Camp Nou. Having missed out on the Selecao squad altogether in September and October and watched on from the bench in November, he has featured in each of the country’s three games under Tite so far in 2022.

Coutinho knows that leaving Barcelona for good could be crucial to his World Cup ambitions, and that is yet another reason to make sacrifices in terms of his pay packet. It could be a major hurdle cleared if Villa are hopeful of sealing him on a permanent move.

In other news, could this throw a spanner in the works for Villa?