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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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Posts ByKelan Sarson

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"

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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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	Beau Casson collected 29 Pura Cup wickets this season and earned himself a surprise elevation into the Test squad © Getty Images

Simon Katich says he has no hard feelings towards the Australia selectors after spending nearly two and a half years out of the Test side. Katich finally earned his recall in a 15-man squad to tour the West Indies following a record-breaking domestic summer during which he made 1506 Pura Cup runs at 94.12.It might take an injury to one of the established top six for Katich to play his first Test since late 2005, however he is just pleased to be back in the mix. “The last time I was dropped I knew I deserved to be,” Katich told the . “I wasn’t playing well enough. I had a poor Ashes series and I was bitterly disappointed.”I do know my game a lot better now. I have experienced a lot in that time. Having been in and out of the team has taught me a lot of lessons. This time around I probably appreciate it a lot more. I know that the older you get, the more you realise that you just never know when the end is near.”Despite his outstanding year Katich was still surprised to receive the call, given the quality of players in the Test frame in recent years. It is fair to say he was not half as shocked as his New South Wales team-mate Beau Casson. The left-arm wrist-spinner moved from Perth to Sydney last season and struggled with a shoulder injury, collecting seven wickets at 72 before improving in 2007-08 and being chosen as the back-up for Stuart MacGill in the Caribbean.”I’m a little bit hazy,” Casson said while sitting beside Katich and Michael Clarke, Australia’s vice-captain, at an SCG press conference after the announcement. “I feel on cloud nine. I’m not sure if it’s actually real. Just sitting next to those guys was a huge thrill. I idolise those guys.”Casson said he had taken a little while to settle in at New South Wales but was now confident with where his cricket was heading. “In the first year in a team, you are a little bit timid, not showing your full personality and lacking self-belief,” Casson said.”But it’s been great with Simon [Katich], he has given me a chance and given me the confidence to be Beau Casson. My girlfriend has made it incredibly easy for me. It’s been a fantastic ride. I was down in the dumps last year with the shoulder and Sally kept me up through all the down times.”The same elation was not so evident when Ashley Noffke reacted to his inclusion in the Test squad. Although he was pleased to take another step towards a baggy green that eluded him during the 2001 Ashes tour and his 2003 trip to the Caribbean, Noffke had other things on his mind when the team was announced and he spoke to the media outside a hospital on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.”My three-year-old daughter Breanna was going in to get her tonsils out this morning so the focus was on that really and how she was going to react,” Noffke told . “I didn’t even know when it was being selected. It was a pretty traumatic thing for her to go through. Even though it is minor in the scheme of things I didn’t really enjoy today very much.”After collecting a sensational double of 51 wickets at 19.03 and 741 runs at 46.31 in the Pura Cup, Noffke is likely to be Australia’s first-choice reserve fast man in the West Indies. That means Ben Hilfenhaus, who was also picked, is unlikely to see any Test action. But after a summer that brought a disappointing 28 wickets at 43.82, the Cricket Australia-contracted swing bowler was simply pleased to be considered.”It shocked me at first, and probably still is,” Hilfenhaus said in the . “I thought I would spend the winter playing some golf and working out in the gym. It’s obviously a real buzz. It tells me the selectors have real faith in me.”

Michael Di Venuto scored 204 not out and 58 for Durham © Getty Images

Michael Di Venuto and Stuart Clark made the most of their county outings this week but widespread rain washed out a string of one-day matches. Di Venuto became the leading run-scorer in Division One of the County Championship with his unbeaten 204 for Durham against Kent at Chester-le-Street.It was his second century of the season and he followed up in the second innings with 58 to continue the outstanding form he showed during the Australian summer in the Pura Cup. Di Venuto scored his double-century quickly but safely – he took only 241 balls to reach the milestone and offered only one chance, on 156.His effort set up a 157-run victory for Durham, despite an impressive reply from Kent’s Robert Key, who made 169. Steve Harmison’s nine-wicket match confirmed the win.Clark has wasted no time making his mark in his first season at Hampshire. He claimed 7 for 82 against Lancashire at The Rose Bowl and among his victims were Brad Hodge (4) and Stuart Law (20).Lancashire struggled to 207 but escaped with a draw in the rain-affected match. The biggest news to come from The Rose Bowl was an ankle injury that put Lancashire’s Andrew Flintoff in doubt just days before England’s first Test against West Indies.The runs kept coming for Simon Katich, who led Derbyshire to victory over Leicestershire at Derby. In a low-scoring affair, Katich made 94 in the first innings to give his side a 50-run lead and then steered them home in the second innings with an unbeaten 45. He was without his prolific team-mate Ian Harvey, who was forced out of the side when Tasmania’s Travis Birt became available. Birt had little impact, making 25 and 1.Justin Langer confirmed his position as the top run-getter in Division Two of the County Championship when he made 86 for Somerset against Northamptonshire at Northampton. However, his was only a supporting role as Marcus Trescothick again reminded everyone of his capabilities with a sensational 284 in just over eight hours.Jason Gillespie played a small part in Yorkshire’s comprehensive win over Worcestershire at Leeds. After Yorkshire rattled up 521, Gillespie took 3 for 56 as the visitors were bundled out for 129. He was barely required in the second attempt, when Worcestershire managed only 132 and lost by an innings and 260 runs. Phil Jaques, opening the batting for the visitors, made 38 and 21 and was one of only three men to reach double-figures in each innings.At Kennington Oval, Matthew Nicholson snared 3 for 68 as Surrey dismissed Warwickshire for 329. The match was drawn but Surrey took the first-innings honours when Mark Ramprakash and Jonathan Batty each made centuries in an unbeaten 283-run stand.David Hussey, who is captaining Nottinghamshire, helped his side stay on top of the Division Two table. Hussey made 48 and was one of several Nottinghamshire batsmen to get a start as they racked up 336 against Middlesex at Trent Bridge. Middlesex were dismissed for 176 but Andrew Strauss made up some ground in the second innings when he made 120, which was his first century since last August.

Division One

Middlesex’s Ed Joyce on his way to a big hundred at Southgate© Martin Williamson

Ed Joyce celebrated his England one-day call-up with a fine unbeaten 154 for Middlesex at Southgate, as Yorkshire squandered a commanding position with a dire collapse in the morning session. After resuming on 337 for 5, Yorkshire lost their last five wickets for 18, with Chris Silverwood finishing as the pick of the attack against his former team-mates, taking 6 for 51 in 22.2 hostile overs. Jason Gillespie responded by trapping Ed Smith lbw with the second ball of Middlesex’s reply, but Joyce added 131 for the third wicket with Ben Hutton to put the innings back on track.Durham revived their fortunes on the second day at Edgbaston, as Dale Benkenstein was joined by a furiously wagging tail to leave Warwickshire playing catch-up. At 73 for 5 in reply to 208, the match was evenly poised, but Benkenstein added 70 for the sixth wicket with Phil Mustard, before Ottis Gibson lifted his side into the ascendancy with an uncharacteristically measured 81 from 150 balls. As Benkenstein continued to accumulate, eventually finishing on an unbeaten 144, Graeme Onions chipped in with a useful 40 before grabbing an early wicket as well. Nick Knight and Ian Bell put the innings back on course with a stand of 53, but Bell’s late dismissal tipped the scales firmly in Durham’s favour.

Chris Read falls to Dmitri Mascarenhas, as Hampshire took control at the Rose Bowl © Getty Images

Dmitri Mascarenhas led the way for Hampshire as they lorded it over the county champions, Nottinghamshire, on a one-sided second day at the Rose Bowl. The day didn’t start so auspiciously for Hampshire as Charlie Shreck shredded the tail with figures of 5 for 94, but from that moment on there was no looking back. Mascarenhas took 4 for 25 from 12 overs, and was ably backed up by Billy Taylor and James Bruce, before Dominick Thornley wrapped up the tail. Notts were all out for 147, a deficit of 254, but Shane Warne’s decision not to enforce the follow-on was amply justified when John Crawley and James Adams piled on the runs in an unbeaten 96-run stand.

Division Two

3rd dayGlamorgan edged ever closer to victory on the third day at Derby, as the spin pairing of Robert Croft and Dean Cosker twirled their way through Derbyshire’s defences, sharing six of the seven second-innings wickets to fall. Michael di Venuto resisted as best he could with a doughty 183-ball innings, but when he was sixth out for 95, the writing was on the wall. Earlier, in an ominous indication that the conditions were in the bowlers’ favour, Glamorgan lost their last seven wickets for 90, including Mark Cosgrove who was unable to add to his overnight 233.2nd dayGraeme Hick and Ben Smith extended their fifth-wicket partnership to 330 at Taunton, as Worcestershire racked up a vast total of 618 against Somerset. Hick was eventually dismissed for 182 leaving Smith to push on to 203, one run shy of his career-best score. Charl Willoughby was the pick of Somerset’s beleaguered attack, finishing up with 6 for 104 in 33 overs, although Keith Parsons was instrumental in whittling through the tail, as he finished with 3 for 33. By the close, Somerset were fighting hard in reply on 199 for 3, with Wesley Durston (89 not out) closing in on his second first-class century.For a full report of Surrey against Leicestershire at The Rose Bowl click here

Alex Tudor: discarded by Surrey© Getty Images

Surrey have finally lost patience with Alex Tudor, and despite his 10-year history with the club, have released him with one year left on his contract. Tudor played in only one County Championship game for Surrey this season, as a back problem limited him to 2nd XI and club cricket for Spencer, where he played as a specialist batsman.”Alex has been struggling with his fitness for a while now,” said Paul Sheldon, the club’s chief executive, “and unfortunately he has only been able to complete one Championship game this season. Alex has been a wonderful servant to the club over the past ten seasons and we all wish him the very best in the future.”Tudor, now 26, made his England debut against Australia at the age of just 20 in Perth in 1998/99 series where he picked up the wickets of both Waugh twins. But even then, injuries had already started to plague him, and he had to withdraw from the fourth Test of the series with a hip problem.He retained his place for the first Test of the next home series, against New Zealand at Edgbaston, and although his bowling was not of the standard he’d have liked, it was his contribution with the bat that created headlines. He hit an unbeaten 99 as England beat New Zealand by seven wickets. It was the highest-ever score by an English nightwatchman, and helped win him the Cricket Writers’ Club Young Cricketer of the Year award.”Following a phone call from the chairman of cricket I was told I was being released,” said Tudor. “Surrey has been my home for the past ten years and I am sad to be leaving. It has always given me enormous pleasure and pride to be a Surrey player and I have always given 100% both on and off the field for the club.”I have recently seen a specialist who has diagnosed my injury and we are both confident that I can regain my fitness in the next six months and continue my cricket career in 2005.”His Surrey release may well be a chance for Tudor to make a new start – free from injury, he will be hoping – although with his injury record it must be doubtful whether any club will risk offering him a long-term contract.

MCC 266 for 5 (Bell 88, Flower 76) lead Sussex 200 by 66 runs
ScorecardA combination of bad light and heavy rain meant that only 34.1 overs were possible at Lord’s today in the second day of the season-opener between MCC and Sussex. In that time, MCC progressed to 266 for 5, with both batsmen to fall – Ian Bell and Andy Flower – missing out on their hundreds.There was no play before lunch, and hence Bell and Flower were keen to make up for lost time, starting brightly as the Sussex attack took a while to warm-up in the damp and chilly conditions. The batsmen cruised along with little trouble until Mohammad Akram warmed his side’s spirits by removing Bell for 88, courtesy of a good catch by Michael Yardy (195 for 4).Flower, 40 not out overnight, continued his warm-up for the season ahead with Essex – as a non-overseas player this time – as he eased past his half-century, and gave MCC the lead. He added 59 with Alex Gidman before edging Akram, a county colleague last summer, behind to Tim Ambrose, the wicketkeeper, for 76 (254 for 5).Gidman was named as England A’s captain for their tour of India this winter, but had to fly home early with an injury. Today, though, he had his chance to put that frustration behind him, and he showed his credentials with five fours and a six on the way to 42 not out. Bad light inevitably forced an early close around 5pm, with MCC leading by 66 runs.

Simon Lowe, the Manager of the Playing for Success Study Support Centre that is based in the Centre of Excellence at the County Ground, has recently received some very good news.When I called to see him yesterday morning he told me: "Earlier this year I was asked to submit a bid to the D.F.E. for extra funding and I have just been informed that we have been awarded £10, 000 to enable us to enhance our provision here at the centre."Simon continued: "What I am going to do is to involve schools who up until now have been unable to get into the centre because of where they are. The money that we have now received will be used to fund the Exmoor Extension Project which means we will now be able to involve Danesfield School at Williton, Minehead Middle School and Dulverton Middle School."The project gets underway on Monday March 3rd and runs for six weeks, with each school coming into the centre once a week for a three hour session.Each session will consist of two hours working in the centre with Simon and his staff and a member of staff from the school, plus a one hour coaching session in the Centre of Excellence with former Somerset player Peter Robinson.The Playing for Success Centre Manager concluded: "This exciting project will enable us to enhance and extend the use of the centre by opening it’s doors to students who up until now have been prohibited from getting here after school because of where they live.”The Exmoor Extension Project will run at the centre in addition to the programme that is already being provided to students from schools in Bridgwater, Wellington and Wiveliscombe.

Andrew Caddick sustained a hairline fracture to the knuckle on his left handwhen hit by Brett Lee whilst batting during the NatWest Series match at TheOval on Thursday 21 June.Dean Conway, England team physiotherapist, said: “Andrew has had an X-raywhich revealed a hairline fracture on his left knuckle.”He bowled after sustaining the injury yesterday and we do not expect the injury to stop him bowling in future.”At this stage, he is not being considered a doubt for the first npower Test Match against Australia but we will revise the situation after he has seen a specialist on Monday.”