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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Sheffield Wednesday loanee Dean Windass has described the appointment of Darren Moore as a “positive” one for the Owls.

Wednesday had been without a manager since Tony Pulis was sacked following a run of just one victory in 10 Championship matches towards the end of December.

First team coach Neil Thompson was placed in interim charge and enjoyed an excellent start in the Hillsborough dugout, leading the Owls to five wins in his opening seven games which saw them climb out of the relegation zone.

However, four defeats on the bounce has left Wednesday in serious danger of losing their Championship status, and just three days after they squandered a two-goal lead to lose at Luton, Moore left his duties at League One promotion-chasing Doncaster Rovers to make the short trip across Yorkshire.

And despite losing his first game to Rotherham on Wednesday night, Windass told FFC that he was upbeat about Moore’s appointment. He said:

“I think it’s a positive one. I was speaking to Josh on Tuesday when he came into the training ground and met all of the players. He’s my ex-teammate, so I know Darren really well when I signed for Bradford, he was our big man at the back. Josh said to me ‘he wants to play from the back, he doesn’t want to launch it long’.

“He did a magnificent job at West Brom, unfortunate to lose his job in my opinion, and then obviously got back into the game with Doncaster.”

Doncaster currently sit 6th in the League One standings, so is Windass surprised that Moore opted to leave?

He added: “It’s a strange one in a sense of they’re flying high in League One. But maybe sometimes in football nowadays, it’s not so much about the money, it’s about the challenge and Sheffield Wednesday is a massive football club. It’s a big challenge for him, but fair play to him for leaving League One and Doncaster maybe getting promoted.”

There’s so much to admire about Moore, but following their defeat to Rotherham, Wednesday are now in serious danger of being relegated, so he needs to get results or he’ll be a League One manager quicker than he might have thought.

Lots of Everton fans have been discussing a news update about Gylfi Sigurdsson that recently emerged on social media.

Football Insider have recently reported about Sigurdsson’s situation, saying that Everton could consider selling the Icelandic midfielder in the summer and that he could be on the market, despite Carlo Ancelotti being the player’s admirer.

The midfielder could be available for less than what Everton paid for him and he could be the one key player that the Toffees end up selling in the summer.

He will turn 32 in September later this year and next season, he will enter the final year of his current deal. Having said that, Sigurdsson’s wage demands could be a problem for his potential sale in the summer as he currently earns over £100,000-a-week.

The 31-year-old has contributed 15 goals in all competitions for the Toffees this season. In the Premier League, he has found the net four times, getting as many assists (As per Transfermarkt).

In the Premier League, he has picked up a rating of 6.65 this season and as many as 12 Everton players have grabbed a higher average rating than the former Tottenham star (as per Whoscored).

The news about Sigurdsson’s potential exit was relayed on Twitter by Everton FC News. Many Toffees fans made their views clear about him.

What did Everton fans make of the news about Sigurdsson?

“Would he deserve a new contract? I think not. Best to get a fee for him and get someone better in.”

Credit: @ferninho

“Sell. Makes good business sense age wise. He’s shown he can still cut it, so I imagine we would have some interested parties. You wouldn’t really call him a typical no10. Yes good at set pieces but in NFL terms he’d be in special teams and not your QB.”

Credit: @MarvinT_EFC

“Seems strange to me. Gylfi is liked by Carlo, and is directly helping us win games. Why would we suddenly decide to sell a player with 15 goal contributions so far this season? It’s more likely that we will give him a new deal.”

Credit: @Geof17773624

“They wanna sell him to give James the 10 shirt so they make a mint on sales haha.”

Credit: @JonnieHodson

“Played well this year but perhaps time to recoup a fee.”

Credit: @steviemac2010

“Decent squad player, can make an impact off of the bench. Want at least £15 million for him.”

Credit: @RyanEFC999

“YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!”

Credit: @Craigm_PT

In other news, Everton could lose a young forward- read more here.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Marlon Harewood believes Moise Kean’s form at Paris Saint-Germain this season means he will get to decide where his future lies.

Kean is currently on loan at the 2020 Champions League finalists from Everton, joining last October in a move that has helped to resurrect his career.

The 21-year-old struggled to make much of an impact at Goodison Park following his transfer from Juventus back in 2019. He scored just two league goals in 29 games and was infamously substituted despite being brought on as a substitute by Duncan Ferguson in a 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

Kean’s fortunes, however, have changed drastically. The Italian forward has struck 11 times in Ligue 1 during the current campaign and has also found the back of the net three times in the Champions League, including against Barcelona.

As a result, Harewood thinks £53,000-a-week man Kean will have the choice of staying at Everton or joining PSG permanently, with both clubs likely to want to keep the in-form man after his exploits.

“Football’s crazy, that’s why I love football. From him being at a top club like Everton, to moving to PSG – you’re talking about elite levels,” the former Premier League striker said to FFC.

“He’s gone there and done really well. It’s good because sometimes when players go on loan, you go out on loan to try and better yourself and try and carry on your future at another club because you’re not getting it at the club that you’re at, he’s literally done that. He’s gone to another club and just excelled.”

“So it’s all on him really if he wants to stay or if he wants to come back to Everton, because he seems very at home where he is and is playing so well.”

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is currently Everton’s first-choice No.9 and understandably so given the season that he is having. However, with Carlo Ancelotti sometimes deploying a two-striker system, there could be room yet for Kean at Goodison Park.

Southampton centre-back Jannik Vestergaard is reportedly attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the summer and if Ralph Hasenhuttl wants to keep him on the South Coast, then the club should consider offering him a new deal as soon as possible.

The Danish international’s contract with the Saints is set to expire at the end of next season, meaning that if Spurs did make an approach for the six-foot-six defender in the summer, then it is unlikely that Southampton would be able to demand a significant fee, despite his impressive performances this season.

In fact, Hasenhuttl could potentially lose him on a free transfer next year, with foreign clubs free to approach him with the view to signing him on a Bosman transfer in January 2022.

Considering how important the 28-year-old has been in the Austrian’s side this season, the club should surely be looking to tie him down to a longer deal to ensure that he isn’t prised away from them too easily in the future.

In 21 appearances this season, the former Borussia Monchengladbach man has averaged an impressive 7.09 rating for his performances, which is second to only James Ward-Prowse in the Southampton squad.

Therefore, he is clearly a key figure in this Southampton side and should be rewarded with a new deal, as his current deal sees him earn £60k per week at the South Coast club.

Arguably, the club should be focusing on the Dane more than Danny Ings, with the club currently in ongoing negotiations with the England international over a new deal, with his contract also set to expire at the end of next season.

However, despite his impressive performances in recent seasons, the former Liverpool man has suggested that he sees his future with a Champions League side, so it is difficult to see his long-term future with Southampton.

Although Vestergaard will likely share the same dream, he hasn’t openly admitted to it, so there’s no reason to think he can’t finish his career at the top with Southampton by signing a new long-term contract.

Therefore, Martin Semmens should perhaps forget about Ings and instead focus on delivering a new contract to the Danish international, as his performances this season certainly warrant him earning a new deal.

And, in other news… Semmens can deliver Saints’ Ings replacement with swoop for in-demand 24 y/o

Former Everton player Michael Ball reckons the presence of James Rodriguez at Goodison Park will boost the club’s pulling power no end this summer.

The Blues brought in Rodriguez from Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer and the Colombian was a blockbuster signing. He has won the Champions League, La Liga and Bundesliga twice in his career and took home the World Cup Golden Boot in 2014 (via Transfermarkt).

Ball, who made more than 100 appearances for Everton between 1996 and 2001, says that the club are becoming an increasingly attractive proposition.

In his Liverpool Echo column, he wrote: “We’re lucky to have James at Everton because of his relationship with Carlo Ancelotti, and you would hope that would leave others on the outside looking in thinking, ‘I want to learn from Ancelotti, I want him to improve me as a player.

“We can offer a club where they will be a key player and play alongside James Rodriguez. We’re looking for the next icon to have their name chanted from the terraces.”

Everton harbouring European ambitions

In Ancelotti’s first full season at the helm, the Toffees are well-placed to make a return to European competition. They are two points off the top six ahead of the run-in and retain a game in hand on the sides above them.

Everton were last in Europe in the 2017/18 season but it was far from a memorable campaign as they bowed out of the Europa League in the group stages.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Everton are a seriously impressive outfit at this moment in time. It just remains to be seen to what extent the effects of the pandemic will rein in the club’s spending power.

The Blues spent more than £67m last summer and brought in less than £4m through player sales (via Transfermarkt), so there may need to be greater balancing of the books this time around before any more superstar names like Rodriguez rock up at Goodison Park.

In other news, could this potential move be a huge boost to Everton’s resources?

According to recent reports, Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign Vejle BK centre-forward Wahid Faghir this summer.

So far this season, the Danish prospect has hugely impressed over his 22 Superligaen appearances for Constantin Galca’s side, with the 17-year-old bagging five goals and providing two assists in the Danish top flight.

As a result of his impressive performances at such a young age, it has been previously reported that clubs such as Leicester City and Ajax are keen on a move for the Denmark under-21 international this summer. According to The Sunday Mirror (print edition, page 75; via Sportslens), Tottenham have now also taken a shining to the striker.

According to the reports, Faghir would be interested in a move away from Denmark at the end of the season, with a potential move to Spurs representing a deal which would be “hard to reject” for the 17-year-old.

Transfer Tavern Take

While Faghir is undoubtedly a player who still has much developing to do as a footballer, the fact the 17-year-old already has 36 league appearances under his belt, over which he has scored eight goals and has registered four assists, would appear to bode extremely well for his future in the game.

Also, considering that Faghir has been dubbed “the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic”, it would very much seem that, if Daniel Levy can indeed go on to secure a deal to land the striker this summer, Spurs could well have a future star on their hands.

In other news: Mourinho has been backed to seal this £21.5m summer swoop for Tottenham backroom favourite – find out more here!

David Moyes has rarely dipped his toe into the transfer market since returning to West Ham United for a second spell in charge. But when he has, it has often worked out.

Jarrod Bowen has gone from a Championship star to proving to pundit’s that he has Premier League talent, Craig Dawson has been a rock in the defence, and Vladimir Coufal has been a sensation at right-back.

Those players represent three of the six arrivals at the London Stadium since Moyes’ return, but one of the first, Tomas Soucek, has seen his rise to prominence result in his market value skyrocketing.

Soucek boasted a modest TransferMarkt valuation of £9m when Moyes first rought the Czech Republic star to the Premier League on an initial loan deal in January 2020. Yet the 26-year-old’s incredible form has since moved that marker to £36m.

He is now West Ham’s second-most valuable player behind only Declan Rice, who is valued at £54m, with a jump of £27m in just 14-months.

Only Soucek and Rice have seen their TransferMarkt values rise by more than £10m since making their debuts for West Ham, with Bowen’s £9m increase the third-highest on current figures with the forward now valued at £27m.

The rapid rise of Soucek’s value will come as no surprise to the Hammers fanbase, who have seen the former Slavia Prague star fast emerge as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the Premier League.

Only Bruno Fernandes (16) and Ilkay Gundogan (12) have scored more often than Soucek (9) from central midfield positions in the top-flight this term while Soucek’s commanding presence has earned him widespread adulation.

“When we’re talking about box-to-box midfielders, there’s nobody better in the Premier League right now than Soucek,” Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports, via quotes by TalkSPORT.

“The goals stand out massively – that is huge for a midfield player and is a big reason why West Ham are where they are.

“Aerial duels won is just off the scale. No midfielder in the last ten years has managed that many… since Marouane Fellaini!”

Soucek has won 102 more aerial duels than any other midfielder in the Premier League so far this season with success in 165 of his 272 challenges, per WhoScored. That is also the most won by any player in the top-flight by 34 to Sheffield United’s Oli McBurnie (131).

Add in Soucek’s team-high return of nine goals in 29 games this season, it is no wonder that the Hammers are set to offer him a bumper pay rise to fend off interest from a host of Premier League and European suitors, per Football Insider.

Soucek currently earns £67,000-per-week at the London Stadium and has previously been linked with German giants Bayern Munich, although The Athletic claimed in December that any side wanting to seal a deal would have to offer in excess of £50m.

That would be more than twice the £19m that the Irons paid Slavia Prague to turn Soucek’s loan deal permanent last summer, and may already be considered too little as his form and importance to the side continues to rise.

Soucek struck a 48-minute hat-trick to help the Czech Republic thrash Estonia 6-2 in a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday night, with two goals before the break; a well-placed header and a driven effort from range before tapping home his third later on.

It is no wonder that Kevin Campbell claims Soucek has been “phenomenal” for West Ham, and the increase of his market value does not look like stopping anytime soon.

AND in other news, West Ham are adamant a deal to sign a £100k-p/w “revelation” will be reached…

Former Newcastle United star Keith Gillespie believes Steve Bruce should be given until the end of the season at the club to turn things around, telling Football FanCast that there may not be time to bring in a new boss.

Bruce is under intense pressure at St James’ Park, with the club in very real danger of falling into the Championship.

Newcastle are currently two points clear of Fulham, who are 18th, and they have a remarkably tough run-in.

Bruce’s side play West Ham United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester City and Manchester City in succession, while their next game comes against Tottenham Hotspur.

They need to pick up points quickly if they are to remain in the league but Gillespie believes that there simply isn’t time to bring another manager into St James’ Park, though he does accept that their current system is not working.

Speaking to FFC, he said: “It’s one of them. Nine games to go, can you get somebody in who’s going to really turn things around?

“I think, stick with the manager and see what he can do to turn things around.

“The style of football that they have played is clearly not working. They need to have a different approach to games in terms of the formation that they play.”

Gillespie accepts that he has a personal relationship with Bruce, having played with him at Manchester United, and he maintains that the performances of the players simply haven’t been good enough in recent weeks.

Newcastle haven’t won a game since February, when they beat Southampton 3-2, and have gone six games without a victory.

Gillespie added: “I know Steve Bruce from playing with him. I’d love him to turn things around because I think it is tough, being a manager of Newcastle and things aren’t going right.

“He is getting a lot of flak at the minute. But only him and the players can sort that out and for me, the players have let him down too because their performances just haven’t been good enough.”

After the club confirmed Tottenham Hotspur will open 2021/22 season ticket renewals on Monday 12 April, chairman Daniel Levy has sent a message to Lilywhites supporters as Spurs anticipate finally welcoming supporters back for next campaign. 

As part of the government’s plan to ease the country out of lockdown, clubs across England have been announcing season ticket renewal options for 2021/2022 as Premier League sides hope to be boosted by the welcome return of income from matchday revenue.

Levy sends message to Tottenham fans

Tottenham have now confirmed their renewals will open on Monday next week, and after the official club development, chairman Levy has sent a message to supporters in gratitude for their patience.

In a teasing declaration on the club’s website, Levy explained as part of his statement: “We are proud of our passionate and loyal fanbase and we cannot wait to see you back in the stadium where you belong as soon as possible.

“This vision has seemed like a distant possibility on so many occasions, yet we have never given up hope that we would one day be in a position to say, with a degree of certainty, it is time to welcome you all back home.”

Transfer Tavern take

Spurs supporters were briefly allowed back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as part of the old government tier system, with 2,000 fans in attendance for the north London derby back in December.

It has been over a year since the stadium has been at full capacity, however, and the Lilywhites potentially welcoming back supporters properly next season comes as a big boost for the club financially and for fans who want to see their team live.

In other news: Tottenham turn to ‘very talented’ unseen Spurs youngster after blow, find out more here.

Many Wolves fans have been left to bemoan an injury update by Tim Spiers on Pedro Neto.

As per a tweet from The Athletic journalist, the Portugal international will be out injured for six months with an injury to his knee, and is required to have surgery on it later this week.

It really is yet another big injury blow to Nuno Espirito Santo’s men having already lost the likes of Raul Jimenez and Willy Boly for long spells.

Neto has been nothing short of a revelation for the Midlands club so far in the 2020/21 term, scoring five goals and making a further five assists in 35 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

The 21-year-old will also miss Euro 2020 in what is an added piece of despair for the Molineux faithful and of course the player himself.

Wolves fans on Spiers’ Neto injury update

These Wanderers fans bemoaned the injury update on Twitter, with one WWFC supporter even going as far as to say that they were ‘gutted’ while another branded it as ‘terrible news’:

“I am so done with this season. Can we just call it now please. Gutted for him.”

Credit: @pocodrom

“Damn. Really feel for him. Some reward for carrying the team all year”

Credit: @samgelder

“What is the point in life?”

Credit: @RampantRaul

“Well that’s me crying to sleep”

Credit: @TobyLittle14

“Null and void.”

Credit: @mariwwfc

“Terrible news for Neto, especially missing the Euros where I really thought he would star. Let’s hope he makes a full recovery, flies for Wolves next season & is in the Portugal first XI by the World Cup”

Credit: @GavinderPawar

In other news, find out what transfer update Wanderers have flocked to here!