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Everton have landed a huge boost in the race to sign Kalidou Koulibaly, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that the Napoli defender “would be interested” in a reunion with Carlo Ancelotti.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Give Me Sport, transfer guru Romano has claimed that Koulibaly may consider a move to the Premier League this summer.

The Senegalese star has been widely linked with a switch from the Serie A, with Everton said to have marked Koulibaly as their top defensive target and that Ancelotti is willing to sell Yerry Mina to fund a deal.

Napoli are expected to hold out for €50m (£42.5m) to sell Koulibaly, who also has suitors in Bayern Munich and Manchester City, having lowered their £89m asking price from last summer to ward off interest from Manchester United.

Romano notes that Koulibaly was close to joining Manchester City in 2020, but adds that the opportunity to be reunited with Ancelotti may prove more attractive.

“I think he would be interested because he’s always had this attractive situation with the Premier League,” Romano said, when asked if Koulibaly would consider a reunion.

“He’s always been attracted by the Premier League clubs.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-everton-news-gossip-and-views” title=”The latest Everton news and views!”]

“Also, last summer, he was really close to Manchester City, so his agent is strong with Premier League clubs.”

Should Everton sign Koulibaly?

Romano claiming that Koulibaly would be interested in a move to Goodison Park and being reunited with Ancelotti will come as a huge boost for Everton, given the 29-year-old is noted to be the Toffees’ top defensive target for the summer market.

However, Everton still have a relative mountain to climb in order to obtain the 43-cap enforcer’s services in the off-season due to the rival competition, plus the Merseyside outfit’s need to first sell Mina in order to raise the necessary funds.

Finding a suitor for Mina should now become priority number one for Marcel Brands, so that the Blues’ Director of Football can limit the opportunities for the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester City to strike a deal.

Ancelotti was a huge advocate of Koulibaly’s talents during his time in charge of Napoli, so it is no wonder that the Italian is now seemingly keen to acquire the £195,000-per-week titan amid questions over his best defensive pairing.

The Toffees manager described Koulibaly as “the best defender in the world” back in 2019, and strongly believes that the 6 ft 1 centre-back owns a place among the greats of the game.

“Koulibaly belongs to the category of [Paolo] Maldini, [Lilian] Thuram, Thiago Silva and Sergio Ramos. He’s very intelligent,” Ancelotti once told La Stampa, via quotes shared by Football-Italia.

“Usually those who are as strong and quick as him think nothing else is needed to resolve problems. I divide players into optimists and pessimists. He’s a pessimist, he knows that [pace and strength] isn’t enough, so he’s very attentive and he has a strong character.”

It remains to be seen if that character will be on show in the Premier League wearing royal or sky blue next season, but Romano’s comments will undoubtedly come as a boost for Everton.

Click here to see the full interview with Fabrizio Romano.

AND in other news, Everton can potentially save £13m by turning to this Max Aarons alternative…

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak recently, and he could be a serious upgrade on Gabriel Jesus in Pep Guardiola’s squad if he were to join.

What’s the word?

According to the Mirror, City are keeping close tabs on the 21-year-old forward after his impressive run of form with the Spanish side, and they could make a move for him in the summer.

Whilst Borussia Dortmund have an option to re-sign him for just £25 million, it is suggested that he doesn’t want to return to Signal Iduna Park anytime soon, which could open the door for City to bring him to the Premier League.

More clinical than Gabriel Jesus?

Whilst City have been unbelievably good at times this season, winning their last 20 fixtures in all competitions, there have been times where you feel they could have been a lot more comfortable if they possessed a quality finisher up front.

Sergio Aguero made his return from injury against West Ham at the weekend but struggled to have any real impact on the game, and with his contract up in the summer, it is still up in the air as to whether he will still be a City player next season.

Despite City’s dominance in league and cup competitions this season, Jesus has just nine goals and three assists in 26 appearances and has been guilty of being wasteful in front of goal on a number of occasions.

Isak, meanwhile, has 12 goals and two assists in just 20 La Liga appearances this season and has averaged an impressive 7.22 rating for his performances in the Spanish top-flight.

The Swedish forward, who is valued at £19.8 million by Transfermarkt, also averages more shots per game than Jesus (2.5 compared to 1.7), suggesting that he is more goal-hungry than the Brazilian, which is a trait City arguably lack, as sometimes it is better for a striker to be greedy and shoot rather than looking for the pass.

The football scouting website FBref suggests that Isak has scored more goals than his expected goals rate, and is expected to score 0.51 goals per game, whereas Jesus has scored fewer goals than expected, and is expected to score 0.48 goals per game.

Therefore, you could definitely argue that Isak is much more clinical than the 24-year-old, despite being just 21-years-old, and therefore, sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely consider him as an option for the summer transfer window.

And, in other news… Fewer passes than Ederson: £45m-rated City ace failed to seize rare opportunity vs WHU

West Ham United have confirmed on their official Twitter channel that they will freeze 2021/22 season ticket prices for both the men and women’s campaigns among other initiatives – prompting many Irons fans to have their say.

This comes after the government announced a four-step plan to progressively ease England’s national lockdown with the goal of removing all legal limits on contact by late June 2021.

As a result, the return of football fans in stadia nationwide looks set for next season – with it being around a year since maximum capacity crowds have been allowed to watch their side in action.

West Ham have now announced that, for the 2021/22 campaign, season ticket prices for both the men and women’s sides will be frozen in a bid to aid the return of supporters to the London Stadium.

Flocking to this update by the club, it’s safe to say many Hammers fans praised the “excellent” decision from owners GSB – find some of their verdicts down below.

West Ham fans delighted by 2021/2022 season ticket announcement

“Absolutely cannot contain my excitement at the Block 103 Row 1 Reunion!”

Credit: @brendontschurch

“Very clear and concise and fair. I’ve often criticised the club for the way they do things, but this is excellent.”

Credit: @andyaustin67

“Let’s ensure we all get behind the team, we now know the team we have is capable of some big things, I would love to see the London Stadium become atmospheric, and West Ham push on even further, COYI.”

Credit: @darrenallix

“BRINGGG ME TO THE BOWL”

Credit: @JackkWHU

“Thank you GSB, more excellent work”

Credit: @JimmyMundee

“OMG”

Credit: @whugrace

“Can’t wait to get back next season roll on August”

Credit: @jackcwhufc21

In other news: West Ham are eyeing this £10.8m-valued starlet, find out more here.

After being tested in a new right-back role against Manchester City in midweek, Ryan Bertrand returned to a more natural left-back position for the Saints’ game against Brighton on Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately for Ralph Hasenhuttl, the 31-year-old produced another poor display, as the Seagulls claimed a 2-1 victory which leaves Southampton looking over their shoulders at the relegation spaces, as their woeful run of form continued at St Mary’s.

The former Chelsea man is yet to agree to a new contract with the South Coast club and Arsenal are reportedly taking an interest in him ahead of the summer, which makes you question whether he is completely focussed on Southampton right now.

As per SofaScore, Bertrand would earn a 6.8/10 rating for his performance, which was nowhere near the worst of any Saints player, however, his attacking play against Brighton was truly awful.

The left-back would fail with his only dribble attempt, whilst only one of his six crosses during the game would find a Southampton shirt.

His passing was nowhere near its usual standard, as he would complete just 33/49 of his passes, resulting in a poor accuracy rate of 67% – significantly below the 79.5% he has averaged in the Premier League this season.

None of his four long balls were accurate and he managed to lose possession on a remarkable 28 occasions, which was the most of any Southampton player on the pitch, and only second to Pascal Gross from Brighton’s team, with the German losing the ball 32 times during the game.

Whilst his defensive game was fairly solid, as he made four tackles and three clearances, the experienced defender’s attacking output has been a cause for concern all season, as he has just one assist to his name in the top-flight, and the game against Brighton was unfortunately no different.

Bertrand has to start offering Hasenhuttl more down the left-hand side from an attacking perspective, especially with the Saints struggling to create opportunities in the absence of Danny Ings.

As one of few experienced options in a fairly young Southampton side, it was a disappointing display from Bertrand once again against Brighton, and hopefully, his form will improve before the end of the season as Hasenhuttl really has his hands tied behind his back when it comes to possibly selecting an alternative, with back-up left-back Jake Vokins having left on loan in January.

And, in other news… Forget Forster: Saints can sign serious McCarthy upgrade in £8.6m beast

Many Liverpool fans have been left slamming some comments that were made by Jurgen Klopp after they lost 4-1 at home to Manchester City.

Speaking after the game, the German boss said (via Emma Sanders): “Big parts were brilliant from our side. I really liked it. In the first half we played really good football. Start of the second half, City changed slightly & it’s a little adaptation. We didn’t give enough options to play. We gave the first goal away.”

It is quite odd for Klopp to suggest that his team were ‘brilliant’ for ‘big parts’ in the game despite them ultimately getting well-beaten in the end by Pep Guardiola’s team.

While the Reds recorded more possession than their Premier League title rivals, they hardly posed too much of a threat, with MCFC recording more shots on target, big chances and dribbles than their opponents, as well as being much more solid defensively with more duels won, tackles, interceptions and clearances in the match (Sofascore).

It is now three losses in a row at Anfield and several Kopites have started voicing their concerns.

Liverpool fan reaction to Klopp comments

These LFC supporters slammed the comments made by Klopp on Twitter, with one fan even going as far as to call them ‘disturbing’:

“I know he has to be positive but that’s delusional. What saves did Ederson make?”

Credit: @Ciaran_El

“He’s watching a different game to the rest of us. I wish he’d be more honest and shake the players up instead of giving them an excuse.”

Credit: @stayleyvegas

“Disturbing remarks if he really means it”

Credit: @ArchivesHammer

“Is he being sarcastic? Is he concussed? Somebody should check on him. The ‘this is fine’ mentality was warranted for a while but now it’s a concern.”

Credit: @Ghostcrisps

“This type of rhetoric is never good.”

Credit: @Sacrebleu2021

“The man is deluded, as good as admitted his tactics didn’t work…… again.”

Credit: @AdamDan61875427

In other news, find out which transfer link Liverpool fans are lauding here!

Leeds United are set to face a real battle in the race to sign Reading starlet Michael Olise in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested Marcelo Bielsa’s side are interested in landing the £7.2m-rated talent this month, but The Daily Mirror’s latest update on Olise’s future may have handed the Whites a major blow.

The report claims that fellow Premier League side Aston Villa are now also eyeing up a potential move for the 19-year-old, and that Dean Smith is keen to add more younger players to his first-team squad, and has been given the green light to make some major moves in the transfer market.

Radrizzani must cough up

Given Olise’s performances this season for the Royals, it’s no surprise to see plenty of clubs lining up to try and sign him. He’s bagged four goals and provided an impressive eight assists in just 24 games this campaign, and with his ability to play anywhere behind the striker, could give Bielsa another attacking weapon.

His teammate at Reading, Sam Baldock, said early last year: “Michael is a real talent, he’ll get on the ball in any situation. He’s fearless, if you ask him today I’ll guarantee that he had no nerves. He’s a lively character and one who I’ve noticed a real change in the last couple of months.”

Given his age, there’s real potential for Olise to go far, and nabbing him at a low price now would gift Leeds an incredible asset both in terms of what he could offer on the pitch, and how much he could sell for down the line.

Andrea Radrizzani must surely consider coughing up the money Reading want for him now, and making sure that Villa or any other club don’t swoop in under their noses. It would be a nightmare for the Whites if Olise turned into a superstar elsewhere and they look back on the moment they snubbed a move for him.

If you had thought the international break would give Mikel Arteta the time to try and change some of the things that has been plaguing his Arsenal side this season, then you were sadly mistaken.

The Gunners have looked toothless in attack all season – before the game against Leeds on late Sunday afternoon, they had managed just nine goals in their opening eight Premier League games – and it was a real test for Arteta to fix that.

Having made the call of using Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang through the middle, the Gunners boss opted for both Willian and Nicolas Pepe to start either side of him.

And whilst the latter may have gotten himself sent off for a stupid headbutt early in the second-half, it was actually the north London side’s summer signing, Willian, who was the real let down for Arteta.

As per Sofascore, he had absolutely no shots on goal whatsoever, delivered no key passes, and saw the only cross he attempted fail to find its mark.

Despite showing a couple of neat touches here and there to try and evade the Leeds press, it just seemed like the game passed him by, and he couldn’t cope with the speed and intensity of it all.

In the end, even Arteta had seen enough, and made a fairly rare decision in terms of his managerial career so far, of hooking a player at half-time.

Reiss Nelson and then Bukayo Saka, the Gunners’ two homegrown academy products, delivered the kind of pace and punch that Arsenal sorely lacked. The fact an experienced star like Willian couldn’t do that was bordering on a disgrace.

Liverpool have been linked with LOSC Lille midfielder Renato Sanches recently and the 23-year-old could prove to be the Reds’ replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum.

According to Le10 Sport, Jurgen Klopp is a big admirer of Sanches and believes that he could be the ideal replacement for Wijnaldum, who looks increasingly likely to leave the Merseyside club this summer when his contract expires.

Whilst the former Bayern Munich man struggle in his last spell in the Premier League with Swansea City on loan, his performances since joining the Ligue 1 side have demonstrated that he has a lot of quality.

Last season, the Portuguese international made 19 appearances in the French top-flight, contributing three goals and one assist, which helped him average a superb 7.13 rating.

He has continued his strong form with Les Dogues this season, averaging a solid 6.98 rating across his eight appearances in Ligue 1.

Despite being just 23-years-old, the midfielder already has 22 caps for his country and was one of the stars of Portugal’s Euro 2016 campaign, which saw them win the competition.

Liverpool also may be able to take advantage of Lille’s worrying financial situation to sign the £18 million-rated midfielder on a cut-price deal, suggesting that this is definitely a transfer that Michael Edwards could complete.

Earlier this year, Lille coach Christophe Galtier lauded the midfielder’s recent displays, saying:

“He has a capacity to play. He has personality, his balance is excellent. He’s a high-level player who needs to apply his qualities in service of the team.”

Considering WhoScored rates Sanches’ passing, dribbling and defensive contribution amongst his strongest attributes, it definitely seems as if he could replace Wijnaldum in this team, as his style of play could prove to be a perfect fit with the Reds.

The Dutch midfielder is undoubtedly going to be a tough player for the Merseyside club to supersede, considering he has featured 206 times for Klopp’s side, contributing 20 goals and 16 assists, whilst also writing himself into Liverpool folklore after his brace against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final.

However, the Reds cannot afford to not replace the 30-year-old, and it seems as if Sanches could be the ideal man to step in at Anfield, so long as he doesn’t replicate his performances with Swansea City from the last time he was in England.

And, in other news… Forget Firmino: LFC beast was Klopp’s true hero vs Spurs

Glasgow Rangers will want to bounce back from the thrilling 3-3 draw with Benfica in the Europa League when Steven Gerrard’s side take on Hamilton Academical in a game of top versus bottom in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Rangers gave away a three-goal lead in Lisbon on Thursday night and will want to get back to winning ways this weekend. The Gers are still unbeaten so far this season, so they will be looking to make short work of the Accies.

Scott Arfield reportedly faces a race against time after picking up a knock in the draw away at Benfica, whilst Nikola Katic remains the only long-term absentee injured on the sidelines. Gerrard is hopeful that Arfield will have recovered in time to face the Accies but it may not be worth the risk with the home game against the Portuguese giants at the end of the month.

Here, Football FanCast has taken a look at how Gerrard could set his side up for the clash with the Accies, which sees him make three changes to the side that faced Benfica.

The Ibrox boss has a decision to make with Connor Goldson and Filip Helander as the Gers gear up to face Hamilton on Sunday. Whilst we think Gerrard should give Goldson a rest, it’s likely Leon Balogun will replace Helander in the starting-lineup instead. Gerrard may hand summer recruit Calvin Bassey a rare start which will see Borna Barisic drop to the bench, whilst James Tavernier retains his place on the right flank.

As we outlined earlier, Arfield could still be sidelined for a few more days, meaning that Joe Aribo could come into the centre of the midfield alongside Glen Kamara and Steven Davis.

Ryan Kent is set to continue on the left of Alfredo Morelos, who broke club legend Ally McCoist’s record with his 22nd goal in 38 Europa League games for the Gers.

With Rangers such firm favourites for this match Gerrard may use this opportunity to run an experiment on the right wing which sees summer signing Cedric Itten start instead of Ianis Hagi – particularly given the form of Brandon Barker, who has only scored once in eight games in all competitions so far.

AND in other news, Lesson for Gerrard: Glasgow Rangers star striker Alfredo Morelos must not be benched again…

Southampton could have a replacement for recent departure Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg lined up.

According to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), the Saints have their sights firmly set on 21-year-old Ibrahima Diallo from Brest. After attracting interest from Leicester in January, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side become the latest to monitor the Frenchman’s situation.

Who is Southampton transfer target Ibrahima Diallo?

The club have named Diallo as their priority signing to secure before the transfer window closes. The Brest ace has represented his country at an U20 level and has made a total of 53 senior appearances in Ligue 1 (via Transfermarkt).

Diallo operates primarily as a defensive midfielder but he has also been known to play further forward as well.

L’Equipe state that the Saints could sign the France youth international for €15million (£13.6m), despite still having three years left on his current contract.

Where would Ibrahima Diallo fit at Southampton?

Southampton are currently strapped in the engine room, having a mere five midfielders listed on their senior roster. However, the likes of Will Smallbone have only recently been promoted from the youth league. Despite his young age, adding Diallo to the ranks could seriously bolster Southampton’s options.

With Hojbjerg no longer in the picture, Hasenhuttl’s side are really lacking depth. Star striker Danny Ings will also see a dip in performance if the midfield is struggling to feed him the chances he is prolific at latching onto.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg vs Ibrahima Diallo

Despite generally playing in a more defensive role than Hojbjerg, Diallo registered the same amount of assists (1) as the Dane during the 2019/20 season, and tallied a better passing percentage with 86% to the new Spurs signing’s 78.1% (via WhoScored).

Diallo also completed more dribbles per match – 1.4 – to Hojbjerg’s 1.2. His discipline was also much better, receiving just two yellow cards in the league season compared to the 25-year-old’s five.

These stats alone suggest that the Frenchman is a more level-headed player and can pull the strings in midfield, whilst helping to protect the backline. With the Saints finishing in a respectable 11th place last campaign, Diallo could be a signing to help push them further up this table this time round.

In other news, Spurs are keen to sign Southampton striker Danny Ings…