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Everton can put their panicky summer transfers right with a future swoop for Manchester United outcast Sergio Romero, as the Argentine goalkeeper plans showdown talks over his Old Trafford future.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Star, Romero is seeking crunch talks with Manchester United Executive Vice-Chairman Ed Woodward after only being informed of his omission from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s 25-man Premier League squad through social media.

Romero is said to be “baffled and angry” with United bosses at their lack of communication, while already being frustrated after being dropped to the bench for last season’s Europa League Semi-Final defeat to Sevilla having kept seven clean sheets in the nine prior fixtures.

The 33-year-old has also fallen to fourth choice in Solskjaer’s plans behind David De Gea, Dean Henderson and Lee Grant, who has featured for the Red Devils just twice since his move to Old Trafford in 2018 for around £1.5million.

Romero had hoped to secure a move away from Manchester United this summer and grew ever keener to quit the Premier League giants following his omission from their Champions League squad, but saw a potential move to Everton collapse when the Red Devils refused to lower their £10m asking price.

The ‘keeper now intends to discuss tearing up his £100,000-per-week contract in order for United to allow him to leave on a free transfer, with talks with Solskjaer and Woodward likely scheduled for next week once Romero concludes a period of self-isolation after returning from Argentina.

Everton given a second chance

Everton’s intrigue in Romero was long-reported in the summer, with the shot-stopper the subject of interest as the Blues sought a cheap back-up for Jordan Pickford before returning with a loan approach on Deadline Day.

United’s demands ensured a deal could not be concluded for a goalkeeper Louis van Gaal lauded upon his capture in 2015, when the former Dutch international sought cover in case De Gea departed amid interest from Real Madrid.

“Sergio is a very talented goalkeeper,” Van Gaal said, via quotes by The Telegraph. “He was a young keeper during my time at AZ and I am delighted he is joining United.

“He will be a great addition to the team and I am looking forward to working with him once again.”

Manchester United’s refusal to accept offers below £10m ultimately led Everton to panic and brought Robin Olsen in on a season-long loan from AS Roma that features no option to buy and a responsibility to cover his wages in full.

The Blues’ deal offers Carlo Ancelotti an easy out next summer should Olsen fail to challenge Pickford, while now seemingly offering the Merseyside outfit a second chance to right the wrongs of this summer and secure Romero’s services if the Argentine is able to agree a mutual end to his contract.

It will be unlikely that Everton and Director of Football Marcel Brands do manage to lure Romero to Goodison Park, however, as their commitment to cover Olsen’s salary for the season will ensure they look poorly on the potential of signing another option and especially one who turns 34 in February.

Ancelotti also has Jonas Lossl and Under 23s prospect Joao Virginia to call on, making it unnecessary to sign a fifth goalkeeper in Romero unless Olsen’s loan deal can be terminated early.

AND in other news, Everton appear to have dodged a bullet in a £13.5m man courted by Marco Silva in 2019.

Celtic are far from having an ideal 2020/21 season. Despite still being in good stead to lift another Premiership title at the end of the campaign, they have slipped out of favour as Rangers continue to dominate.

Not only have the Bhoys struggled to perform in the Premiership, but their Europa League run has left a lot to be desired too. They are currently bottom of their group, having picked up just one point so far.

Neil Lennon has a lot of things to consider as he moves forward with his team and one glaring problem is his defence. For a side that conceded just 19 goals in 30 matches last season, Celtic have already shipped ten this time round, with not even half of the games played.

The manager opted to drop new signing Vasilis Barkas after some questionable performances in the net. Scott Bain is now Lennon’s first choice goalkeeper, but even he is proving to be having a difficult time.

Celtic should have moved for Joe Hart

The Hoops were linked to some big names over the summer and managed to retain some of their own, for example, star striker Odsonne Edouard. But they really missed a trick by not signing Joe Hart, who was linked to a move to Celtic Park before his surprise transfer to Spurs.

The club were hoping to agree terms for a permanent deal for Fraser Forster, but nothing came to fruition on that front. Hart is currently valued at just £2.1million, which will be easy money for Peter Lawwell to scrape together. However, the club could’ve bagged the former Manchester City man for free, who joined Spurs as a free agent following the expiration of his Burnley terms.

Having won the FA Cup and two Premier League titles with City, Hart is definitely a player who knows how to win. The 33-year-old was once a huge fan favourite too, often lauded for his cat-like reflexes in between the sticks. He picked up some extremely positive comments in 2015 during City’s Champions League run. One fan labelled him a “beast” in the goal after saving a Borussia Monchengladbach penalty.

Hart may have fallen down the pecking order as he has aged, but his experience would be a huge asset to Lennon’s struggling defence. The shot-stopper’s current contract has just two years on it, so a deal could be struck next season, however, Lawwell really dropped the ball by not sanctioning off a move when he was available for free.

In other news, Celtic must consider revisiting talks with Ryan Sessegnon as attacking options become a worry…

Sunderland must green light a January loan for Under 23s prospect Josh Hawkes after Phil Parkinson lauded the impact temporary moves had for Elliot Embleton and Jack Diamond.

What’s the word?

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s League One clash with MK Dons, via quotes by the Chronicle, Parkinson claimed Embleton and Diamond are now reaping the rewards of their moves away from the Stadium of Light as they begin establishing themselves in the first-team fold.

Diamond joined Harrogate Town on loan for the 2019/20 season and helped the club clinch promotion from the National League to League Two, netting three times in 27 regular season outings before striking once in the Play-Off Final.

The 20-year-old has struggled to earn senior minutes since his Sunderland return, with just one of his appearances coming in League One, but was among the raft of changes who started Tuesday’s EFL Trophy clash with Fleetwood Town.

Embleton, too, featured from the off at Highbury, where the Durham-born midfielder earned just his second senior outing of the campaign after battling with injuries that have kept him out for extended periods over the past year.

Parkinson believes that Diamond’s time at Harrogate and Embleton’s with Grimsby Town during the 18/19 season have helped the pair in their development, noting: “The loan spells they had have really benefited them.

“I spoke to Embo the other day and I was saying to him that when he was on loan at Grimsby, he learnt things that it is hard to teach players on the training pitch – how to handle different types of games, different pressures within games.

“And it was the same for Jack, who went on to be part of a promotion campaign with Harrogate which saw them get out of a tough division.

“The development of those two players has been really enhanced by those loan moves.”

Hawkes must leave

Having lauded the impact of loan moves for Embleton and Diamond, Parkinson must now consider a similar option for Hawkes after frequently overlooking the 21-year-old since his summer arrival from Hartlepool United.

Hawkes earned his first senior Sunderland outing during the midweek EFL Trophy clash with Fleetwood, and impressed at Highbury with two shots, two attempted dribbles, 36 touches, seven duels, one key pass, one tackle and three crosses while played at striker, per SofaScore.

The wide forward was signed with a view to playing in the U23s, but has proven already that he is a step above the youth grades and must strive to feature either in League One or Two once the winter market opens.

Hawkes struck 11 of his 13 Hartlepool goals in the National League having played 59 times in the division, so would not benefit in the same manner from a move into non-league football as Diamond, and Parkinson must realise that the winger’s potential needs an adequate stage now rather than later.

Sunderland were not the only side to have shown an interest in the attacker this summer, either, with reports Leeds, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Portuguese side Braga were also in contention.

The Black Cats emerging triumphant and landing Hawkes was ultimately seen as a big deal, with Kevin Phillips telling Football Insider: “It just shows you still, as much as they’re still in League One, Sunderland are a big club.

“It’s good news to hear that after two or three of their best young players left the club.”

AND in other news, Phil Parkinson must prioritise taking a chance on an “excellent” yet rarely-seen Sunderland gem.

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Inter striker Lautaro Martinez in recent weeks and the Argentinian could be a superb addition to Pep Guardiola’s squad.

According to FC Inter News (via Sport Witness), the Spanish manager considers the 23-year-old the ‘perfect heir’ for Sergio Aguero, who looks likely to leave the Citizens this summer when his contract with the club expires.

Martinez has established himself as a top striker in European football in recent years, having contributed 36 goals and 10 assists in 96 appearances for I Nerazzurri since joining from Racing Club in 2018.

The young striker has also been prolific in his appearances for his national side, having grabbed 10 goals for Argentina in just 19 caps (per Transfermarkt).

It is no surprise, therefore, that Lionel Messi is a big fan of the 23-year-old and with Barcelona also reportedly interested in signing him, the legendary winger was full of praise for Martinez in an interview with Mundo Deportivo earlier this year, saying:

“Lautaro is an impressive forward, especially because I think he is a very complete striker: he is strong, he dribbles well, he has a goal, he knows how to protect the ball.”

In a previous interview with the same publication, Messi was extremely complimentary of him, saying:

“He is spectacular, he has impressive conditions, you could see that he was going to be a great player, now he exploded and is showing it.”

Therefore, the Barcelona man is clearly a big fan of Martinez and would love to see him join Barcelona but he could be the perfect man for Manchester City.

Whilst Gabriel Jesus has performed fairly well in his time with the club, having scored 71 goals in 158 appearances for the Citizens, it seems unlikely that he will get close to Aguero’s superb record with the club.

Martinez meanwhile, has been excellent in his performances so far this season, with five goals in just six Serie A appearances, resulting in a solid average rating of 7.10/10 (per WhoScored).

If the Inter man could perform the target-man role in City’s squad as well as Messi clearly feels he can, then he could work extremely well with the likes of Raheem Sterling in Guardiola’s squad, as he could hold onto the ball and slip the rapid winger in behind opposition defences.

Whilst he won’t come cheap, with Transfermarkt valuing the striker at £63 million, the 23-year-old could be a top striker in City’s side for easily the next eight or nine years so we feel that he’s well worth the price Inter would demand.

And, in other news… Manchester City can sign their long-term Fernandinho replacement in £36m beast

Leeds are one of several Premier League clubs to be linked with Barcelona striker Martin Braithwaite recently but the Whites would be making a big mistake if they signed him.

It was reported in November by Spanish news publication Sport (via Sport Witness) that Leeds, along with West Ham and West Brom, are interested in signing the Danish international in the January transfer window.

However, it was reported earlier in December by ESPN that the striker is determined to stay at Barcelona to prove himself, which may come as a relief to some Leeds fans.

The Danish international was far from impressive in his last spell in England with Middlesbrough, where he will have worked with current Leeds director of football Victor Orta during his time with the Teesside club.

Braithwaite would make 40 appearances for ‘Boro, in which he contributed nine goals and two assists (per Transfermarkt).

Whilst this isn’t the worst record, he was openly criticised by Tony Pulis for his attitude during his time at Middlesbrough, with the current Sheffield Wednesday boss saying:

“The biggest disappointment for me is he’s the highest-paid player I’ve ever worked with in the Championship.

“As a matter of fact, the last club I worked at, which was a Premier League club, he’d be in the top five earners at the club without a question of a doubt.

“Steve Gibson bent over backwards, backwards, to give that lad everything he wanted to bring him to this club.

“To show the disrespect he’s shown to this club by saying he’s not coming back, to Steve Gibson, who’s made him a multi-millionaire, let’s make no bones about it, the wages and what he’s earning are astonishing.

“For him to show Steve Gibson that disrespect, and the supporters and his fellow players, it’s just amazing.

“I’ve dealt with players all my life, some can make your hair curl – not mine. But for him to come out and say that, it just puts him up there as such an ungrateful person.

“For a person who said twice he didn’t want to go, he wanted to stay and help the club get promoted, then within 36 hours when he knew the club from Spain was in for him, then he wanted to go.” (per Gazette Live)

Although his form since leaving Middlesbrough has been fairly impressive, with his efforts with Leganes earning him a move to Barcelona earlier this year, Leeds would do well to avoid a character such as Braithwaite in their squad.

The 29-year-old has scored three goals for Barcelona so far this season but truthfully, most strikers in the world would manage those sorts of numbers when supported by the likes of Lionel Messi, Philippe Coutinho, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele, to name just a few.

[freshpress-quiz id=“562145″]

Therefore, when you consider the impressive form of Patrick Bamford so far this season, and Braithwaite’s previous form in England, it could definitely be argued that Leeds would be making a mistake if they signed the £6.75 million rated forward in January and it should be a relief that he is keen to stay with the Catalan side.

And, in other news… Leeds may already have the heir to Phillips’ throne in teenage prodigy wanted by PSG

Crystal Palace crushed Premier League stragglers West Bromwich Albion in a comfortable win at the Hawthorns last weekend to claim their first points in three games.

The Eagles are now getting ready to face Jose Mourinho’s high-flying Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon as they seek to build on their new-found momentum.

But ahead of the upcoming clash with Tottenham at the weekend, Roy Hodgson delivered some worrying news as he confirmed that summer signing Nathan Ferguson has suffered another setback in his bid to get match fit for the first time since he arrived at Selhurst Park.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the manager said: “It is quite sad news.

“He was and is getting on very well and actually joined in with us this week and has just become a bona fide member of the squad without us having to moderate what he can and can’t do.

“But unfortunately as sometimes happens in these situations, especially as he is young and enthusiastic, it has led to him picking up a slight thigh strain. At the moment I am waiting on the results of that thigh strain from the MRI. It is very unfortunate.”

With the new signing ruled out due to injury, Hodgson will be without Ferguson for at least their next Premier League game against Spurs. Joel Ward has recently recovered from injury but as one of only two right-backs available, Hodgson finds himself short of options as Palace enter a busy schedule in the build-up to Christmas.

Unless he drastically changes his mind, the 73-year-old will have to start Cheikou Kouyate alongside short-term injury cover Nathaniel Clyne, who has been in-and-out of the starting line-up in recent weeks.

According to The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam, Clyne only signed a temporary contract until January as he arrived at the club as a free agent after being released by Liverpool in the summer.

However, with Ferguson once again sidelined for the foreseeable future, this could present the former Liverpool defender with the golden opportunity to salvage his Palace career.

Palace are currently twelfth in the top flight, level on points with Aston Villa, but Newcastle and Leeds United are breathing down their necks. With Spurs at the top of the table, Mourinho’s side will be viewed as clear favourites. But Clyne could keep the free-scoring Harry Kane and Son Heung-min at bay in an attempt to persuade the board to give him a contract extension.

His former boss Jurgen Klopp thought highly of the 29-year-old as he called him a “machine” during his time at Anfield. Valued at £7.2m via Transfermarkt, it would be a shame to see the Eagles to let him go for free when the winter transfer market opens in January.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace can’t afford to lose Christian Benteke amid interest from Club Brugge…

It’s now been close to a year since Stewart Donald first claimed he’d look to sell Sunderland but we’re not really any closer to reaching a conclusion.

It was reported last month that the Oxford-born businessman had agreed a deal with Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus but evidently, it’s not been wrapped up yet.

Another interested party is Rich Energy CEO, William Storey.

The former Haas F1 investor has been very outspoken about his desires to buy the football club and after a long-winded interview with The Chronicle, it appears as though he’s already got plans in place for what he’d do at the Stadium of Light.

You have to credit it him because it genuinely looks as though he’s got Sunderland’s best interests at heart. However, all of his words and planning could be thrown out the window if it’s Dreyfus who ends up with the keys to the Stadium of Light.

One strategy Storey wants to implement if he walks through the door is something that falls into recruitment. He admitted last weekend that he wants to bring as many as five players currently at Premier League clubs to the north-east.

Of course, they won’t be established individuals but instead players under the age of 23 that reside in academy sides. Now, this may not sound like the smartest of ideas on paper given their relative inexperience but when it comes to the financial side of things, it’s incredibly cunning.

Sunderland are currently restricted by the EFL’s new salary cap – something the club voted against before it was introduced – and thus, they won’t be able to do too much in the January window.

However, as Storey concludes, these younger players are on smaller wages and would be easier to bring to the Mackems.

If Sunderland aren’t going to sell Aiden McGeady – someone on £31k-per-week – they will need all the financial help they can get. Of course, Storey would bring new investment with him but that’s not going to stop the club from crossing the line in terms of the salary restrictions.

The Black Cats may need to get rid of a few players but it is evident Storey knows the context of the club and how they can get around it.

“Academy players are on much lower money, that’s number one. The average Academy player in the Premier League wouldn’t be breaking the salary cap,” he stated.

It’s very shrewd and Sunderland could well give themselves a giant push towards promotion if they implement this successfully.

AND in other news, Sunderland can find another Semenyo if they swoop for gem with “lots of pace”…

When Joao Moutinho arrived at Molineux with his strapping stylish beard, eyebrows were raised.

Not for the beard itself, but for the player who was sporting it. This transfer was a major coup for a club of Wolves’ stature.

Moutinho had been regularly linked with Tottenham Hotspur but it was the Midlands he travelled to in search of Premier League football.

He has been a star ever since his move in 2018 and has cemented himself as one of the most consistent in his position in the league.

The Portugal international has registered 14 league assists in just over two seasons and keeps things ticking over with unerring confidence.

However, he is now 34 years of age and despite his positional awareness and composure, is getting no younger.

Thus, could a replacement be in line soon? It’s possible when you consider that Wolves have lined up Liverpool midfielder Gini Wijnaldum as an option in the transfer market.

Signed for £25m from Newcastle, he has been a dynamic pillar in the middle of the park and would add a great deal to a midfield usually dominated by Moutinho.

In fact, he could usurp the Portuguese. That’s because of his passing and impetus in the final third.

Moutinho is the archetypal deep-lying playmaker. Very rarely does he move from his position and when he does, it’s to break up play and spread a wonderful cross-field ball. Wijnaldum possesses similar traits but he also loves to burst forward.

In the words of Jurgen Klopp, the Dutchman has “all the things you need.” Truer words have rarely been spoken by the Liverpool boss, someone who has been rather vocal all season.

Wijnaldum has amassed a pass success rate of 92% this season – higher than Moutinho – and he’s also a bigger goal threat. Since Moutinho signed in 2018, he has scored just twice in the Premier League compared to the eight netted by Wolves’ current target.

Considering Ruben Neves has a largely similar job to the former Monaco man, they could do with a more dynamic successor once Moutinho moves on.

Wijnaldum is adept defensively but has far less to do in that third of the pitch for a Liverpool side who enjoy more possession.

Despite that, Jeff Shi must go all out to secure this transfer.

AND in other news, Forget Diego Costa: Wolves must swoop for 51-cap demon who’s “outstanding physically”…

Steve Bruce is expected to make a handful of key changes to his starting line-up at Arsenal after admitting he “picked the wrong team” for Newcastle United’s midweek defeat to Sheffield United.

The Magpies earned the ignominious honour of becoming the first side to lose a Premier League game to Chris Wilder’s Blades this season when beaten 1-0 on Tuesday, and Bruce accepts he was too defensive in his team selection.

“In hindsight, I picked the wrong team. I have to come in front of you [the media] and accept that, and accept that the performance was nowhere near good enough,” Bruce said, via quotes by The Northern Echo.

Bruce is also facing injury concerns ahead of returning to the Emirates Stadium on Monday night, the place where Newcastle exited the FA Cup just nine days before. So, with that in mind, here’s a potential line-up the Toon may field in north London…

Martin Dubravka returned from a heel injury to make his first appearance of the season during Newcastle’s FA Cup defeat at Arsenal, but will be expected to watch from the sidelines as Karl Darlow chases a fourth clean sheet in what would be his 18th top-flight outing of the campaign.

Jamaal Lascelles also opened the cup affair earlier this month as he made his return following several weeks out after testing positive for coronavirus, and Bruce hopes to have the 27-year-old in the side to face Mikel Arteta’s Gunners this week, likely in place of Federico Fernandez.

“Jamal Lewis could come back into the frame. The captain, Jamaal Lascelles, could come back in – we’ll see how he is after a week’s training after the COVID,” Bruce said. “We’ve got a problem with Fernandez.”

Bruce had fielded a very defensive midfield at Sheffield United with Jeff Hendrick and Isaac Hayden anchoring the unit and Sean Longstaff playing out wide, but will likely only retain Hayden at Arsenal.

Longstaff registered the second-lowest match rating at Bramall Lane by a visiting player on Tuesday night at 5.9 by WhoScored, having failed to create any chances to score, take a shot and only won possession with one of his four tackles.

The £16m-rated dud will likely be replaced by Miguel Almiron, who joins Matt Ritchie in providing the attacking width with Allan Saint-Maximin still weeks away from a return and Ryan Fraser suspended.

Matty Longstaff will hope to be given the call to partner Hayden in north London after sitting out the Blades defeat, having played the full 90 minutes in each of Newcastle’s three prior Premier League games and holding his own in defeat to Leicester City earlier this month.

Callum Wilson will once again lead the line on his own in search of a ninth goal of the season, after firing blanks at Bramall Lane made it three games without a goal for the Toon’s top-scorer.

AND in other news, a £2m-rated Newcastle target’s potential has been questioned by his current side.

Sam Allardyce faces an uphill task to keep West Brom in the Premier League this season.

And one of their biggest problems seems to be at the back as they have leaked a whopping 39 goals in 17 matches, six more than any other top-flight team this campaign.

It surely makes defensive reinforcements an absolute priority during the January transfer window and whilst the Baggies have been linked to the likes of James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho, it’s another mooted target they should be plumping for.

Last month, the Daily Star reporter that Albion were keen to take Manchester United outcast, Phil Jones, on loan for the remainder of the season with the Red Devils expected to pay the bulk of his £120k-per-week wages.

That would suit West Brom immensely as Big Sam is working on a very restricted financial budget – according to the Telegraph’s John Percy, ‘moves for players who will cost in excess of £2 million are rated as seriously doubtful.’

The Baggies only have one domestic loan space left, so using it on a vastly-experienced defender like Jones could make the world of sense.

Similarly, Albion have struck gold with United before when taking on Jonny Evans, who was also struggling for game time at the Premier League giants.

For £6m, the Midlands outfit got every penny back with three consistent seasons where he played at least 28 matches each campaign before they were relegated to the Championship.

Jones would certainly be shades of that very move and he’s a player that Allardyce knows very well too, which is merely another reason to why a stint at the Hawthorns is beneficial.

The 66-year-old unearthed the Englishman at Blackburn Rovers prior to his £16.5m switch to Old Trafford, even tipping him for international stardom in an interview with the Telegraph in 2011, he said:

“He is already growing into what I consider to be a leader. When he gets more experience he will be able to control his team-mates and eventually he will wear the armband for England. It’s a lot to ask of such a young man but he has the all-round outstanding ability to be a very top player.”

Now valued at just £5.4m by Transfermarkt, Jones needs to find another club as he’s only started 17 matches since the beginning of the 2018/19 season.

Despite only being 28, he has proven to be a reliable influence over 200 appearances in the big time, he’s averaged a whopping 5.3 clearances and 1.9 tackles per game during the past decade, via WhoScored, which ranks him above all of Semi Ajayi, Dara O’Shea and Branislav Ivanovic in this current Baggies squad.

Luke Dowling simply has to sanction a swoop for what could be West Brom’s next Evans.

AND in other news, Baggies’ “total nightmare” in GRAVE DANGER of becoming another Nacer Chadli…