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Everton squandered their best chance to offload Cenk Tosun during the summer transfer market, having offered the Besiktas target to the Super Lig giant’s biggest rivals.

What’s the word?

According to Fotospor, Besiktas were interested in re-signing Tosun during the summer market having been offered the chance to land the forward on loan by Everton, but were left annoyed at how the Toffees conducted their business.

Everton chiefs had put forward a deal that would have seen Tosun return to Vodafone Park two-and-a-half-years on from his £27million move to Merseyside, though the Black Eagles were not convinced they should cover the 29-year-old’s £60,000-per-week contract in full.

However, while the Besiktas hierarchy discussed what sort of counter-offer they could make, Everton were putting their same offer to Galatasaray and Fenerbahce in hopes they would see value in taking Tosun on loan and covering his entire salary.

The Toffees’ plans frustrated Besiktas and no deal was ultimately secured for the 42-cap Turkey international to return to the club he scored 64 goals for in 142 appearances.

Carlo Ancelotti has since included Tosun in his 25-man squad for the Premier League season, but is yet to award the attacker any minutes across all competitions following surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament.

Tosun suffered an ACL injury during training with Crystal Palace in March after making just five appearances for the Eagles during what was scheduled to be a half-season loan spell.

Naïve mistake by Everton

Everton offering Tosun’s services to Galatasaray and Fenerbahce whilst in talks with Besiktas was a naïve mistake by Director of Football Marcel Brands, who squandered the Blues’ best chance to offload the forward for a year by burning bridges with the Vodafone Park side.

Besiktas held an interest in signing Tosun if a financial agreement could be struck with Everton, who would have benefited far more from sanctioning a temporary deal even if it meant Carlo Ancelotti’s team continuing to cover a percentage of his salary.

Tosun has never made the grade on Merseyside with just 10 goals in 51 games, five of which came during his first half-season at the club under Sam Allardyce before the 29-year-old was ushered aside to promote Dominic Calvert-Lewin into an integral starting role.

Ancelotti is also yet to award Tosun any minutes on the field since taking charge at Goodison Park, having opted to only name the Turkey international among the substitutes before his ill-fated loan spell with Palace.

Had Tosun not suffered his serious injury in training and been able to improve on his early Eagles form that featured one goal in 176 minutes, then Everton may have had more suitors lining up to sign the now £8.1m-rated forward. Instead, the Toffees’ efforts blocked his most-likely route away from Merseyside and will now be hoping that January sees an offer arrive.

AND in other news, a permanent transfer could be imminent for a £1.44m-rated Everton man after his latest comments.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly leading the race to sign Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson this summer, reports say. 

Wilson was touted to move to Tottenham last year amid claims of an £80m double raid by Mauricio Pochettino. While a move never materialised, the Lilywhites are still interested in the England international.

According to The Sun, Spurs have emerged as the front-runners to sign Wilson in the summer.

Bournemouth were relegated on the final day of the 2019/20 Premier League season. Despite the fact they beat Everton at Goodison Park, Aston Villa’s draw at West Ham meant their efforts were all in vain.

The Cherries badly needed a win and for both Watford and Villa to lose at the weekend.

While Wilson failed to get on the score-sheet, his teammates Josh King, Dominic Solanke and Junior Stanislas combined to put three past the Toffees.

Daniel Levy is set to submit a quick offer for the forward, as he will want to remain in the Premier League when Bournemouth drop back down to the Championship.

The Cherries had resisted all attempts to sign Wilson in the past, usually handing him long-term deals to ward off any potential suitors, although the chairman could capitalise on their mistake as they will want to get his salary off their wage bill as soon as possible.

Wilson currently earns £110,000-a-week wages and he may have to take a pay cut to stay in the English top flight.

The 28-year-old has struggled for goals this season, as he has only scored eight times in 35 games in the Premier League, but he is still highly rated and could provide suitable cover for Harry Kane. Despite his struggles, he has still taken 1.8 shots per game via WhoScored.

However, it is worth remembering he managed nearly double that tally last year (WhoScored).

Spurs desperately need to find a backup for Kane and his international teammate turn out to be a shrewd signing. Available at a mere £10m, he would surely be a bargain, especially given the current climate.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Wilson in the summer? Let us know down below!

Whilst Tottenham Hotspur go about their summer business rather quietly, one transfer saga just won’t go away…

What’s the word?

According to RMC Sport (via Sport Witness), Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte will not waiver from his interest in Spurs’ club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele.

It’s claimed that the Serie A outfit will come back in with another offer in the coming days, which will open up a potential swap deal with one of their current stars.

Jose Mourinho is a fan of central defender Milan Skriniar, who is valued at £45m, whereas he’s not taken too kindly to the Frenchman since he took charge in November.

Aggressive leader

Spurs are lacking in the defensive department following the exit of long-serving veteran Jan Vertonghen, so involving Skriniar in some form would surely be smart business.

In Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier they lack an aggressive leader – someone like a John Terry or Ricardo Carvalho, who Mourinho had at Chelsea – and that’s what the Slovakian colossus would bring.

Skriniar has been likened to former Liverpool enforcer Martin Skrtel as well as Alessandro Nesta.

“He has always been the leader on and off the pitch,” claims his former youth coach Tibor Goljan whilst Goal lauded him as one of the signings of the summer in 2018, describing the Inter brute as “a strong tackler who is quick to make clearances.”

The 25-year-old impressed on the biggest stage this season, averaging 2.5 tackles, 2.3 clearances and 1.8 interceptions coming up against Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, via WhoScored, so he seems like the perfect candidate to help lead Spurs back into the Champions League.

It was only one season ago that they made the final.

Carvalho was integral to Chelsea winning two PL titles and one FA Cup under Mourinho and in Skriniar, he’ll be getting a similar figure who can truly kickstart his era in north London.

AND in other news, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has to unleash “huge talent” tipped for the top this season…

Liverpool returned toÂwinning ways on SundayÂafter putting two past a struggling Aston Villa at Anfield.

The Premier League champions bounced back to positive form following their 4-0 defeat to Manchester City. Goals from Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones secured a win against the Villains.

Alisson also had an impressive game and was rewarded a Man of the Match result by Sofascore for his commanding presence in goal.

However, one player who seems to have slipped under the radar despite a solid performance was Naby Keita. The Guinean supplied the assist for Mane’s opening goal, slicing a diagonal ball across the box to the lurking winger in front of the net.

The official Liverpool Twitter account has uploaded a video of Keita’s assist, showing a unique angle of his vision to set-up the opener.

As well as his impressive assist, Keita completed 100% of his attempted dribbles (2/2) and 50% successful long balls (3/6). He earned an overall Sofascore rating of 7.4, which is his best performance since February, when he earned a score of 7.6 against Norwich.

Keita has struggled for game time this season as a result of ongoing injuries. The 25-year-old has missed a total of 16 games in the 2019/20 campaign due to a series of injury problems (via Transfermarkt). Because of this, he has become something of a controversial figure amongst the Liverpool fanbase, with many arguing why he shouldn’t remain with the club.

It’s been a battle for Keita this season who has only managed five goal contributions so far, but with Liverpool already being crowned champions, he could be relied on to start the remaining games whilst others rest. A boost in confidence could be exactly what he needs to return to action next season fit and firing.

Do you think Naby Keita should be a first team regular? Have your say in the comments below!

Southampton are ready to steal a march on their Premier League rivals by signing Kyle Walker-Peters from Tottenham Hotspur this summer. 

Walker-Peters, 23, has made a huge impact at St Mary’s, playing in every single minute of Southampton’s last four games, helping the Saints beat Watford and Manchester City while drawing with Everton and Manchester United.

According to The Sun, as per @thespursweb, Tottenham are trying to flog Walker-Peters for £10m to raise some much-needed funds.

Ralph Hasenhuttl wants to wrap up a deal as quickly as possible, amid interest from several teams in the top flight.

Spurs are set to sanction a transfer for the youngster, as Jose Mourinho has ruled out any chances of the academy product returning to north London in the summer.

Walker-Peters didn’t do himself any favours after appearing to take a pot-shot at the Portuguese in an interview with the Saints’ official website.

The Lilywhites lack cover for Serge Aurier but Mourinho has decided to look elsewhere.

Daniel Levy has made it clear he will not be spending “rivers of money” in the summer, meaning Mourinho will mostly have to resort to sorting out swap deals, signing free agents and hunting for bargains in the transfer market.

Walker-Peters has been in sensational form for the Saints but finds the way back to his parent club shut.

The Portuguese has identified Southampton’s former captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as his top priority this summer, and he could use the funds raised to cover some of the costs.

However, it is worth pointing out Hojbjerg won’t come cheap, as he will cost up to £35m, via The Times.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should let Kyle Walker-Peters leave? Let us know down below!

Sheffield United fans have taken to Twitter to bemoan David McGoldrick’s finishing ability, despite watching their side record a 2-1 win over Norwich on Sunday.

The Blades went 1-0 down after Alexander Tettey found the back of the net in the first half, although whatever Chris Wilder said at half-time, it did the trick.

Last season’s Championship runners-up scored just four minutes after the restart thanks to Enda Stevens, before another full-back in George Baldock scored three minutes later after a skilful turn and finish.

However, the win perhaps would’ve been more comfortable if McGoldrick finished some of his chances.

The Irishman made two key passes, won seven aerial duels and also got involved defensively with two tackles, interceptions and clearances.

Aside from that, though, the 32-year-old simply couldn’t finish against Daniel Farke’s men.

McGoldrick had three attempts on Tim Krul’s goal, but could only get one on target – this supporter below said that the experienced striker’s inability to score is “killing” him.

This fan echoed that desperation, saying that they’ve never wanted a player to score a goal as much as they do towards McGoldrick, stating that the forward does all the other parts of the game so well.

Lastly, these two supporters both made clear that they “love” the Blades attacker, but couldn’t help but knuckle down on the player when it came to telling McGoldrick that he must improve in front of goal.

In other news, see which player these Sheffield United fans expressed their adoration for recently…

Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers was dramatic, to say the least.

Just when it seemed like the teams would share the spoils of war, Jose Mourinho’s troops managed to rattle the inside of their opposition’s net once again before the final whistle, snatching all three points for their troubles in the process.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

But one man has seemingly managed to particularly impress the Spurs players as Football Insider reports that some of the senior players have requested that Spurs sign Adama Traore after his fantastic display against them.

Upon seeing this update, many of the fans also couldn’t help but agree – Traore looks like the real deal with three goals, three assists and 4.5 dribbles per game to his name in the Premier League this season – as they started imagining him in their squad and gushing over his skills.

Some of the fans weren’t afraid to compare Traore to some of their former and current stars.

Who is that?! Can you name all of these obscure Spurs signings? Give it a go now…

One fan said that he looks like Aaron Lennon, the current Burnley player who left Spurs in 2015, on steroids while one other pointed out that he is better than Lucas Moura.

Across all competitions, Traore has managed to score four goals, one of which was against Spurs, and assist further six in the ongoing 2019/20 campaign and could potentially be a good addition to Mourinho’s squad.

And if these reactions on social media are anything to go by, many of the fans seem to think so too.

Meanwhile, many Spurs fans were delighted with one report linking their club with a big name in the world of football…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Cristiano Ronaldo is a man who loves a good challenge and so far, he is yet to find one that can beat him.

His stay at Juventus, however, was not a complete success, at least for now.

Sure the Portuguese superstar has helped the Bianconeri get the Scudetto last season but that’s not anything particularly new at the club. The bigger goal is, of course, the Champions League, a title they haven’t won since 1996.

But if the recent reports coming from Eduardo Inda, who was a guest for Chiringuito de Jugones (via OKDiario), are true, Ronaldo might be contemplating a return to Manchester United next summer if Juventus fail to conquer Europe in 2019/20.

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Of course, he has a great history with the Red Devils, seeing how he donned their colours from 2003 until 2009 when he joined the Galacticos in the Spanish capital.

Ronaldo was extremely successful at Old Trafford as he managed to bag 118 goals and assist a further 69 in a total of 292 games for the English side, winning three Premier League crowns and one Champions League trophy along the way.

But even though losing such a big figure could potentially affect any side, Juventus could actually benefit from it in a way.

Ronaldo is already 34 years of age and not getting any younger and keeping him for too long could potentially become a costly exercise.

After all, despite his obvious pedigree and skill, the Portuguese superstar has fallen off just a tiny bit.

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This season, he only has six goals and two assists in 14 games across all competitions and has been subbed off in his last two fixtures.

Of course, he is still a huge brand for the Bianconeri but having Ronaldo in your team definitely costs money, and having an underperforming Ronaldo might cost even more.

This is not to say that he is completely finished already and it’s entirely possible he suddenly picks up his form and ends up bagging dozens of goals by the end of the campaign.

For him, it would obviously be routine at this point in time, but can Juventus really take that chance? Especially with the emergence of Paulo Dybala and some other young targets on their radar.

When everything is said and done, shipping Ronaldo off next summer might as well be like dodging a bullet that was bound to hit them sooner or later.

As for Manchester United, they are in a different position altogether.

The Red Devils will hardly be focusing on Champions League glory and having someone like Ronaldo would definitely boost them immensely, both on and off the pitch with the fond memories supporters will have of him, as well as his continued commercial attraction.

Just recently, ESPN reported that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is on a lookout for a more experienced forward for his attacking line who can guarantee him goals.

Well, there’s hardly anyone better on the planet in that regard than Ronaldo himself.

For that reason, United just might be hoping Juventus fail in the Champions League so they can get their hands on the Portuguese superstar once again.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Jan Vertonghen turned in an exceptional display as Tottenham Hotspur beat Burnley 5-0 on Saturday.

On the chalkboard

The Belgium international played at left-back against the Clarets, with Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez at centre-back.

He had 82 touches of the ball throughout the 90 minutes, a higher figure than any other Spurs player, per WhoScored.

Vertonghen also registered a pass completion rate of 84%, provided two key passes and completed two dribbles down the left flank.

The Belgium international, so often played as a centre-back, also won two aerial duels and five tackles, while making three clearances and two interceptions, while he was never dispossessed.

This was a fine performance that may well slip under the radar given the goals that were scored – notably Son Heung-Min’s amazing solo strike – but it should be noted just how well he played.

Forever a Spurs legend: Honour Pochettino by getting 100% on this all-Poch quiz…

A constant position change

Vertonghen should absolutely play at left-back from here on in.

He has played at left-back on three occasions this season and performed adequately each time, picking up a rating of 7.04 against Bournemouth and 6.58 versus Manchester United.

But as a rampaging full-back, he is a superb option, a player with the ability to tackle and win the ball back given his schooling as a centre-back, and also to whip in exceptional crosses and potentially create chances for his team-mates.

Danny Rose, throughout the season, has averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.56, while Ben Davies’ is even lower and stands at 6.45.

Vertonghen, in total, has a rating of 6.96.

He is the best option for the flank and should be given the chance to make the position his own.

Meanwhile, who exactly is the young Spurs left-back name-checked by Jose Mourinho?

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Charlie Nicholas thinks Liverpool should brush aside Aston Villa but he did point to one area of weakness where Liverpool could be exploited.

What did he say?

The pundit praised the Reds’ front-three as well as the effectiveness of their full-backs, and suggested that when they’re on top form they make life really difficult for the opposition.

However, he also stated that Liverpool’s area of weakness lies on the flanks, pointing to the space the full-backs leave in behind when venturing forward which Villa could take advantage of.

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Writing in his Sky Sports’ Premier League predictions, Nicholas said: “They [Aston Villa] want John McGinn and Jack Grealish on the ball, with the energy and drive to find the gaps that Liverpool will leave open.

“It could be Trezeguet who could hurt Liverpool, especially in these wide areas. Everybody has seen with Trent Alexander-Arnold that he is unbelievable going forward but can leave gaps at the back, so how do you expose it? It is the wide areas where Liverpool can win and lose games.”

Another positive for Liverpool is that Jack Grealish is battling fitness to start the match, so could be off form, and if Jurgen Klopp’s side dominate the midfield like they so often do – with 58% average possession this term – then the full-backs will be able to take up dangerous positions.

Weakness at the back

From his comments, it seems that Nicholas believes the match-up between Trezeguet and Alexader-Arnold could be key to deciding the outcome of the match.

The 25-year-old has managed an average of 1.3 successful dribbles per league game but the main worry for Liverpool is that he could exploit Alexander-Arnold by running in behind him.

His positioning has been questioned this season. He was at fault for Kosovo’s second goal against England back in September and he was also pinpointed as a defensive weakness by Chris Wilder, who told his Sheffield United side to concentrate their attacks down Liverpool’s right flank.

If Trezeguet is on form, Villa could have success by deploying a similar method of attack.

Alexander-Arnold, therefore, must keep an eye on the potential for runners in behind, and keep a balanced position throughout which ensures his side don’t get caught on the break, otherwise they could lose ground at the summit of the table.