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Everton would need to stump up a significant transfer bid to sign Ismaila Sarr in January, according to journalist Dean Jones. 

The Lowdown: Everton linked with Sarr

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Toffees are interested in signing the £40k-per-week Senegal winger.

Prior to making four appearances for his country in the World Cup, the 24-year-old had scored six goals and delivered three assists in 18 Championship appearances with Watford this season.

With the January transfer window now close to opening, some details have emerged regarding what it could take for Everton to land the winger.

The Latest: Jones drops Sarr claim

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones had this to say about Sarr and the possibility of Everton making a move to sign him next month.

“If they are exploring this one, I think they’ll probably be discovering that it’s going to take a massive bid to land him because Watford are trying to keep the door shut on this.

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“I’m told he won’t leave in January unless it’s a really, really big bid, mainly because they still want promotion and they need him.”

The Verdict: A financial gamble

Described as a “scary” attacking player by Ben Foster, Sarr would follow in the footsteps of the likes of Richarlison and Abdoulaye Doucoure if he were to make a move from Vicarage Road to Goodison Park in the coming weeks.

As well as his goals and assists in the second division, only Joao Pedro (39) has had more shots at goal than the winger (38) at his current club.

Also, only one other player has delivered more crosses into the 18-yard box than the winger (8), which further showcases the attacking impact he has.

While the Watford star clearly has significant attacking talent, the financial aspect of a potential January deal is definitely something that Everton and their hierarchy will need to consider before launching a move for him.

Rumoured Liverpool transfer target Enzo Fernandez has a €120m (£103m) release clause in his current Benfica contract, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Fernandez linked with Liverpool

The 21-year-old is arguably seen as one of the most exciting young midfielders on the continent, excelling for Benfica and appearing in all three of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup games so far, scoring a sublime goal in the 2-0 win over Mexico.

Fernandez has been linked with a move to Liverpool in recent weeks as Jurgen Klopp looks to make some significant midfield signings in the near future.

Although the Benfica starlet’s current deal runs until the summer of 2027, an update has emerged regarding his future.

The Latest: £103m release clause

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed the extent of Fernandez’s release clause, adding that a January move is out of the question.

The Italian stated:

“The release clause included into Enzo Fernández contract with Benfica is worth €120m. Club has no intention to sell Enzo or let him leave in January.

“River Plate also have percentage of future sale on Enzo.”

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The Verdict: Potential summer move?

This is a blow for Liverpool in terms of making Fernandez a possible January acquisition, with a new signing desperately needed to inject some fresh legs into an ageing midfield.

If the Reds manage to bring in a new player in the next transfer window, it could be that Fernandez then emerges as a primary option next summer, although the Premier League giants would surely baulk at his release clause.

Benfica would probably still be willing to accept a sizeable offer of some kind, and considering his long-term potential and his billing by his former River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo as hailed as ‘fearsome’, he could be worth every penny if Liverpool break the bank for him.

Glasgow Rangers will be hoping to bounce back from their defeat last time out in the Premiership as they prepare to host Hearts at Ibrox tonight.

The Light Blues head into the match off the back of two defeats in the Scottish top-flight and the Champions League in their last two competitive outings, losing to St. Johnstone and Ajax respectively.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men were beaten 2-1 by the Saints last weekend despite holding 73% of the possession and having 18 more shots at goal than their opponents.

The Dutch head coach is now under pressure after a section of the supporters chanted for his dismissal during the loss and The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell claimed that there were ‘mass calls’ on social media for him to be sacked.

Van Bronckhorst should switch his team up from the clash with St. Johnstone in order to inspire an improved performance and, most importantly, a positive result.

One player he must finally unleash from the start is academy midfielder Charlie McCann, who has been an unused substitute in each of the last four Premiership matches.

The rarely-seen gem, who has played just once in the league this season, has been doing enough in training to make the bench for the first team but van Bronckhorst has not been generous in handing him minutes on the pitch.

Rangers struggled to convert their chances against St. Johnstone, with one goal from 29 shots, and McCann is a goalscoring midfielder who could add an extra threat from the middle of the park.

Journalist Josh Bunting heaped praise on the youngster’s attacking intent earlier this year, Tweeting: “Charlie McCann is a quality player for Rangers, a real natural number 8 who must be knocking on the first team door. His goal today was stunning but his all round play is very sharp. Has a nice pass selection, always wants to get on the ball and make something happen.”

The Northern Ireland U21 international has scored four goals and provided one assist in six B Team matches so far this season and registered one assist in three first-team outings – starting one of those games.

He had showcased his attacking quality in the youth teams at Manchester United prior to making the move to Ibrox as he plundered 17 goals and seven assists in 62 appearances for their U21 and U18 sides combined.

These statistics show that he has the potential to be a goalscoring threat from midfield and that is why van Bronckhorst must unleash him from the start against Hearts in place of Malik Tillman, who failed in four of his five attempted dribbles and lost ten of his 13 duels last time out – failing to register a goal or an assist.

Aston Villa, being the illustrious club they are, have tempted plenty of high-profile talent to the Midlands over the years.

The proud winner of seven English titles, one European cup and numerous domestic trophies, it made their relegation in 2016 all the more shocking.

Especially considering how it came just seven years after they nearly signed one of the best midfielders of this generation.

Back in 2009, Wesley Sneijder was coming off the back of an underwhelming season for Real Madrid where he had scored just twice. The financially-troubled Spanish club saw him as a profitable asset that they could afford to lose and slapped a £20m price tag on the Dutchman.

With Inter Milan refusing to stump up the cash, the Daily Mail reported Villa as the favourite for his signature with Martin O’Neill in charge.

However, as we all know he did eventually make the move to Italy, for a fee of around £15m.

It was at La Beneamata where he truly began to shine, as he played an integral role in their sensational treble-winning season.

He would score eight and assist 15 across all three competitions that they won, and also provided an assist to Diego Milito for his opener in the Champions League final. This campaign also saw him awarded Midfielder of the Year.

His sensational season wasn’t done there, however, as he played nearly every minute in his country’s run to the World Cup final.

His illustrious career that ended with plenty of silverware led Roberto Mancini to dub him a “champion and a fantastic player.”

The 38-year-old would go on to excel at almost every club he played for, with particularly outstanding performances for Galatasaray. He scored 45 times and assisted 44 in 175 games for the Turkish giants before eventually retiring in 2019 at Qatari club Al-Gharafa.

He still holds the record for most caps for the Netherlands, with an astounding 134.

Sneijder will likely always be remembered as one of the classiest yet deadly midfielders of the era, with journalist Luis Miguel Echegaray labelling him a “legend” in 2018.

Whilst he was winning numerous trophies, Villa are yet to win one major honour since and have suffered a spell in the Championship too.

Had they just forked out the asking price in 2009, perhaps he could have been the catalyst to spurring them on to all kinds of success, instead of the mediocrity they have suffered through.

Three clubs from the Premier League have reportedly ‘sent their scouts’ to watch Leon King in action for Glasgow Rangers ahead of a potential January move.

The Lowdown: Breakthrough season

18-year-old King is enjoying somewhat of a breakthrough season at Ibrox, having played nine times already in all competitions, including 90 minutes in last week’s 2-0 loss away at Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League (Transfermarkt).

Before this term, he had also featured eight other times for the senior team dating back to the 2020/21 campaign, so he is clearly that is very highly thought of by the club.

The Latest: Premier League interest

Taking to Twitter, Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United, Newcastle United and Leeds United have ‘already sent their scouts’ to watch King in action, and are ‘monitoring’ his situation at the Gers, as his contract expires in 2024:

“Many clubs are monitoring Rangers centre back Leon King (2004) who started against Liverpool at Anfield, last week — he’s out of contract in June 2024. #transfers Manchester United, Newcastle and Leeds have already sent their scouts to follow King.”

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The Verdict: New deal needed

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team need to give King a new deal soon, so that they can protect his value and fend off any interest from the English top flight.

Hailed as an ‘absolutely top class’ talent by renowned Rangers bloggers Four Lads Had a Dream, it is scary to think that the central defender is just 18, and is already making an impact in the first team with the likes of Calvin Bassey and Leon Balogun leaving in the summer.

Nonetheless, with the January transfer window coming up, the Light Blues will want to sort his future out before then, and hopefully get King to commit long-term.

An update has emerged on Sunderland centre-forward Ross Stewart and interest in his services ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, fellow Championship side Blackburn Rovers are eyeing up a swoop to land the Scotland international on a free transfer.

The forward is out of contract at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and the report claims that the Lancashire club could offer him the deal that he is looking for.

It is stated that Tony Mowbray will want to keep hold of him but could be on the lookout for a replacement in the January window, with the threat of losing the striker looming over the Black Cats at the moment.

First disaster

Sunderland’s new manager must avoid his first major disaster in charge of the club by convincing Stewart to remain at the Stadium of Light.

He must work hard, alongside Kristjaan Speakman, to sell the project and the direction the Black Cats are going in to the centre-forward, to ensure that he puts pen to paper on a new deal instead of pursuing a move to one of their rivals.

Losing him would be a gigantic blow for the club as he has been magnificent for Sunderland since the start of the 2021/22 League One campaign.

The Scottish attacker started all 49 of their league and play-off matches throughout the season and plundered an eye-catching 26 goals as he led the line brilliantly, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.25.

Alex Pritchard lavished the goal machine with praise at the end of that campaign, saying:

“[Stewart] is unbelievable. The size of him, on the ball, he can run, he can hold the ball up, he’s good with his feet. He’s got everything. He’s great in the air. Holds the ball up and he gets in behind and you see in the semi-finals – the goal he got in behind and he’s so quick. And he’s been a revelation this year for us.”

He was then asked to prove that he could handle the step up to the Championship and he has enjoyed a phenomenal start to the campaign, scoring five goals in seven appearances in the second tier – averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.66. Only Oliver Norwood (7.68) has averaged a higher rating in the division and Josh Sargent’s score of 7.23 is the next highest by a natural number nine.

This shows that he has been one of the best players in the league this term and that is why allowing him to join another Championship team would be a disaster for Mowbray. The head coach must now do everything in his power to avoid that scenario from becoming a reality.

Nottingham Forest have submitted a ‘last-gasp offer’ to sign Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque, according to reliable journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The 28-year-old still has two years remaining on his deal with the French giants, but has been consistently linked with a move to the Premier League for the majority of the summer.

Wolves were reported to have made a bid for him but have now signed Sasa Kalajdzic, whilst Everton have also been credited with an interest, but the Reds now appear to be coming in with the intention of hijacking any potential deal.

The Latest: Forest make Ajorque offer

Taking to Twitter, O’Rourke revealed that Forest have made a proposal for Ajorque, but are set to face competition for his signature. He wrote:

“Nottingham Forest are making a last-gasp offer for Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque who is also a target for Crystal Palace and West Ham.”

The Verdict: Surridge alternative

Sam Surridge is being linked with a late switch to Championship side Middlesbrough, so Steve Cooper will need to be on the lookout for a replacement, and Ajorque would be a welcome addition.

The 6 foot 4 forward, dubbed ‘remarkable’ by former Strasbourg manager Julien Stephan, has made 62 goal contributions (45 goals, 17 assists) in 127 career Ligue 1 appearances, via WhoScored.

A player with this kind of return will be exactly the profile the boss wants to recruit, and whilst the deal is most likely only a loan, Ajorque could play a significant role in helping keep Forest in the top-flight.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to strike an agreement for Blackburn Rovers sensation Ashley Phillips this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs keeping busy…

Despite the signings of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie, it is believed that Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici is keeping busy.

Links continue to surround the likes of Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo and other more obscure targets have emerged in the past week or so in north London.

After sealing a Premier League top four finish last season, Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte seemingly means business for his first full campaign in charge of the club.

The Latest: Lilywhites looking to seal Phillips move…

Indeed, as per a report in the last 48 hours, an encouraging update has come to light on Spurs’ pursuit of Blackburn starlet Phillips.

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The 17-year-old, whose non-professional contract expires at the end of this season, is thought to be ‘on the verge’ of a move to N17.

The Daily Mail claim Tottenham are ‘looking to strike a deal’ for Phillips and are ‘closing’ on the central defender, simply awaiting Paratici’s green-light.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Phillips, eyed by Chelsea and Man United also, would come to Hotspur Way with a glowing reputation.

The centre-back’s former boss Tony Mowbray waxed lyrical over his young talent late last year, calling him ‘phenomenal’ with ‘amazing’ attributes.

Meanwhile, Spurs pundit John Wenham did a background check on Phillips and was left blown away – calling him a ‘monster’ and urging Paratici to get a deal done ‘asap’ (Football Insider).

Seemingly little risk financially, Paratici and Co have little to lose when it comes to moving for the teenager and he could even be a future star.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in Nicolo Zaniolo…

What’s the word?

That’s according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who provided an update on Spurs’ pursuit of the AS Roma midfielder to GIVEMESPORT this week.

Antonio Conte’s side have been linked with a move for the 23-year-old in recent weeks, with a creative midfielder thought to be next on the agenda for the Italian head coach.

“I do think there’s something in the links, I do think he’s a player that Tottenham are interested in,” the journalist said.

“If you consider Conte’s setup and consider the type of player he’s been signing, I think Zaniolo would be a really good fit.”

An exciting 7th signing at Spurs?

The north London outfit have conducted some impressive business so far in the transfer window, bringing in no fewer than six new signings, ranging from a £60m splash in Richarlison to a loan swoop for Clement Lenglet.

But perhaps there is one missing piece in the fact that Conte is lacking a creative presence in the engine room, with the likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso reportedly on the chopping block.

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It’s a role that has been something of a problem for Spurs, ever since Christian Eriksen departed the club back in January 2020, where he joined Conte’s Inter Milan.

The Dane was a reported target for the Italian once again but he has instead opted for a move to Premier League rivals Manchester United, so the Lilywhites are still without that elusive no.10.

Zaniolo, dubbed “explosive” by Roma legend Francesco Totti, would be a “really good fit,” just as Jones suggests.

During the 2021/22 campaign, the Italy international delivered eight goals and nine assists, proving to be a key threat in front of goal for former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho over in Rome.

He also ranks inside the top 3% for through balls (0.32 per 90) and the top 8% for successful dribbles leading to a shot (0.50 per 90), when compared to his positional peers across Europe, via FBref.

Zaniolo’s former coach at Inter, Stefano Vecchi, even believes he’s similar to Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, two players renowned for their ability to deliver attacking contributions from the engine room in the Premier League.

On the above evidence, supporters should be hugely excited by this update from Jones. Zaniolo would be a remarkable seventh signing of the window and one that would surely leave the Spurs faithful absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Michael Bridge backs Spurs to seal attacking midfielder…

Sunderland are reportedly now battling with one of Alex Neil’s former clubs to sign Troy Parrott.

The Lowdown: Familiar face…

The Stadium of Light faithful will know all too well what the 20-year-old is capable of, as he scored and assisted against them while on loan at MK Dons last season.

The Tottenham striker managed 10 goals and seven assists across all competitions (2-1 on aggregate by Wycombe Wanderers, the team that Sunderland saw off in the Wembley final.

The Latest: Three-way fight

As per Sunday World, the Wearside club are now in a three-way fight with Neil’s former side Preston North End and fellow Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers to sign Parrott.

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has suggested that he wants his players to get getting regular first-team football; and with Richarlison signed from Everton on top of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min being at Spurs, Parrott is unlikely to get that in north London.

The Verdict: Sign him

The Black Cats already know what Parrott can do, and given that Ross Stewart is the only senior striker in Neil’s squad at the moment, signing the young Irishman would be a smart piece of business.

Dubbed a ‘clever’, ‘smart’ and ‘cheeky’ player by former Ipswich Town team-mate Tomas Holy, the 6 foot 1 forward will be desperate to prove himself in the Championship, after impressing in League One.

Already a full Republic of Ireland international with four goals and two assists in 15 games (Transfermarkt), the 20-year-old certainly appears to have a lot of potential, and Sunderland could benefit hugely from his continued development if they win the race ahead of Neil’s former employers to sign him.