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Everton were given a huge boost in their chase for a new manager on Wednesday morning.

The Toffees had interviewed Nuno Santo for the vacant managerial role but were facing strong competition from Crystal Palace.

A deal had been agreed and he was closing in on a move to Selhurst Park after resigning at Wolves. However, the plug was pulled on a move which has now given Everton a free run at luring him to Merseyside.

If he does arrive then it will understandably change the complexion of Everton. Nuno has favoured a three-man defensive shape but tried to migrate Wolves into a team that played with four defenders last term.

Though, a move to Goodison Park could give him the license to be more attacking.

With that in mind, we’ve had a go at predicting his starting XI once the transfer window closes, if he does take over at Everton…

Much of the team remains the same from last season but crucially for the Toffees, they keep Dominic Calvert-Lewin despite interest from Manchester United.

One player who could arrive and join the Englishman in attack is Pedro Neto.

The Portuguese starred under Nuno at Wolves, scoring five goals and assisting six strikes on his way to being crowned the Old Gold’s Player of the Season for 2020/21.

A £50m move to Man United has been touted but he has his admirers at Everton as well.

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The second addition to this team is in midfield where another Portuguese dynamo could sign on the dotted line.

Joao Palhinha has been linked with a move to Merseyside and could favour a switch to Goodison if his fellow countryman becomes their new manager. It’s thought Sporting Lisbon will require a fee of £35m in order to let him go.

The final transfer is at right-back where Seamus Coleman is ousted for Ainsley Maitland-Niles, another player who’s caught the eye of Everton.

The Arsenal man prefers to play in the middle of the park but his versatility could be a huge asset to Nuno.

A fee of £20m may be needed in order to prise him away from north London, leading to a potential spend of £105m from Marcel Brands.

Nuno wanted to sign Maitland-Niles when he was at Wolves so there is a real chance that he could want him at his next club too.

After all, Coleman’s contract expires in the summer of 2022 so they will need to think of younger alternatives moving forward.

AND in other news, Old Gold set for huge blow after Wolves news emerges, fans should be devastated…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Leeds United defender Jon Newsome thinks West Brom’s Matheus Pereira could be the ideal summer recruit for Marcelo Bielsa.

Pereira is currently being linked with a move away from the Baggies following their relegation to the Championship, with Leeds one club who are said to be interested.

The Express reports that the Yorkshire club are keen on bringing the Brazilian attacker to Elland Road when the transfer window opens, though FA Cup winners Leicester City are at the front of the queue for his signature.

Newsome, however, believes Pereira is exactly the kind of player his old side needs. He told FFC in an exclusive interview:

“I think one of the roles, I wouldn’t say they struggle with, but that 10, in behind Patrick Bamford, that No.10 role.

“Tyler Roberts has played it for predominantly most of the season and, although he’s had a decent season, he’s still not got off the mark in terms of scoring goals. I can see him [Pereira] dropping in there.

“That is an area that I think the club will be looking at.”

As well as Leicester, the Express also claims that West Ham and RB Leipzig are interested in signing the player, so bringing him to Elland Road does not look like it is going to be easy.

Pereira has been extremely impressive in the Premier League this season, scoring and creating for his side. Earlier in the campaign, he was highlighted as a major threat by Pep Guardiola before Manchester City took on West Brom.

Plenty of West Ham fans have praised Pablo Fornals on social media for his display against Southampton on Sunday afternoon.

David Moyes knew prior to kick-off that just a point will be enough for his side to qualify for the Europa League next season, and the Scot made two changes to the side which beat West Brom 3-1 on Wednesday evening, with Lukasz Fabianski and Jarrod Bowen coming in for Darren Randolph and Said Benrahma respectively.

However, it was Fornals‘ performance which had a number of Hammers fans talking on social media following his starring role at the London Stadium.

He was making his 31st start of the Premier League campaign and 36th appearance in all competitions. The Spaniard only scored three league goals this season prior to the final game of the season but he netted twice in the opening 45 minutes to put the Hammers on their way to the 2021/22 Europa League. He also won several tackles and duels, as well as having a high passing completion rate, to give an all-round stellar performance against the Saints.

West Ham fans react

Here is what these Hammers supporters had to say about the attacking midfielder, with one fan describing him as ‘brilliant’ and another excitedly comparing him to Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta, who was renowned as a passing maestro and had a decent scoring record.

“Pablo Fornals has turned into some player”

Credit: @joe200953

“Pablo Fornals you are something else man”

Credit: @ewansm38

“Fornals is the new Iniesta”

Credit: @FloydWHU

“FORNALS IS QUALITY WE NEED TO KEEP HIM”

Credit: @datwag1

“Fornals has been brilliant”

Credit: @1bbyWHU

“Pablo Fornals is such an intelligent player it’s always his end product that lets him down. Technically he’s terrific and that second finish was brilliant, he always has that knack of being in the right place.”

Credit: @AzamWHUFC

In other news: Hammers leading the race for Championship star, find out more here. 

Liverpool will sign RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

If there is one area of the pitch the Reds must strengthen in this summer, it is the centre of defence. Jurgen Klopp has endured a desperate time of things in that area this season, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all sidelined for many months.

Konate appears to be the front-runner to come in at the end of the season, with reports continually linking the RB Leipzig man with a move to Anfield.

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Romano talks up Liverpool’s move for Konate

Someone who has been vocal about the possibility of the 21-year-old heading to Merseyside is Romano, and taking to Twitter on Sunday, he delivered another forceful verdict on the transfer, saying:

“Said here we go days ago… he’s going to Liverpool!”

Transfer Tavern take

It does seem increasingly likely that Konate will be a Liverpool player next season, with the youngster a centre-back of huge potential. It has even been claimed recently that he could end up becoming the best in the world in that position one day, highlighting why the Reds are eyeing him up.

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Injuries are the one concern with Konate, however, considering he has already had a string of fitness issues, but the hope is that those will ease with age.

The last thing Klopp needs is another injury-prone defensive figure around, with both Gomez and Matip becoming problematic in that respect.

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited after more talk surrounding the Reds’ interest in one player emerged. Read more here.

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been sharing their concern after Jack Grealish’s agent spoke out regarding the midfielder’s future.

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a Villa Park exit in recent months, with Manchester City thought to be after his signature this summer.

Grealish only signed a new five-year deal with the club back in September, but it seems as if City will launch a big-money bid for the attacking midfielder, should they win the Champions League later this month.

Speculation appears to be growing ahead of the upcoming transfer window, and Grealish’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, addressed the player’s future.

Talking to Sky Sports, Barnett admitted the midfielder loves the club, however, he added in a dreaded ‘but’, claiming they will have to wait and see how things pan out over the summer.

“He loves Villa but I think we just have to wait and see how things pan out. At the moment he is a Villa player and he has no thoughts about anything else.”

Villa fans react

Those comments were shared on Twitter by @villareport on Thursday evening.

Their post received plenty of interaction, with these Villa supporters sharing their concern at Barnett’s future comments.

“that “but” had me shook”Credit: @compsavfc_”oh no”Credit: @tiwari0216″Inevitable he’ll go at some point if he’s got any ambition. I would! He’s looking at his mates Foden and Mount thinking I WANT A BIT OF THAT “Credit: @chippaper”Yeah he’s off”Credit: @MBlackmore1874″The dreaded but.”Credit: @AJWise”What?”Credit: @smudgersmith__

In other news: Major Carney Chukwuemeka development emerges, find out more here. 

Everton teenager Thierry Small has been urged to be patient by Danny Mills following reported interest from Leeds United.

The 16-year-old is one of the most exciting young players in the pipeline at Goodison Park, making his first team debut in the FA Cup back in January and becoming the youngest player in the club’s history.

It is claimed that Small is unhappy with his potential pathway into the first team at Everton, though, leading to speculation surrounding his future. Leeds are believed to be one of the clubs eyeing up a move for him, with Manchester United and Arsenal also among the potential suitors, per Daily Express.

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Mills offers Small advice amid Leeds interest

Speaking to Football Insider, former Whites defender Mills told Small to be patient over his future, seemingly putting him off a move to Elland Road for the time being:

“Just be good enough, that’s the advice. You’re 16, you’re not realistically going to get into the first team until you’re 18, 19 at the earliest.

“Learn your trade, get better at your trade. That’s the advice I’d be giving him. Work on your weaknesses, work on your positioning.

“Also, you need experience. In a year’s time or two year’s time, go out on loan. Go to some French second division side or some Dutch second division side to get some game time.

“Learn where it’s easier to get away with making mistakes. Learning at the highest level in the Championship or Premier League is hard because when you make a mistake you get slaughtered. The pressure’s on from your teammates, from your fans, from your manager and the coaches. My advice would be go and learn and get the experience away from the limelight.

“Then come back to it. It’s very difficult to put this into young players but don’t rush things. There are very few players who are top players at 19-years-old.”

Transfer Tavern take

It is always exciting to see Leeds linked with top English talent, so the hope is that they can eventually persuade Small to join the Marcelo Bielsa revolution.

Everton are no doubt keen to keep hold of the left-back, however, possibly seeing him as a long-term replacement for Lucas Digne.

Leeds have Leif Davis as a future option in that role, which could be a possible stumbling block when it comes to signing Small.

In other news, another English club are reportedly keeping an eye on one Leeds player – find out who it is here.

According to reports from Germany, the Southampton manager, Ralph Hasenhuttl, is attracting the interest of the Bundesliga giants, Bayern Munich.

The report by Munich based newspaper Tz (via Sport Witness) claims that, with Hans-Dieter Flick’s future at Bayern looking increasingly uncertain, the German side are beginning to consider options to replace the 56-year-old this summer.

And, despite the RB Leipzig manager, Julian Nagelsmann, being stated as the favourite to replace Flick, second on the list of Tz is Hasenhuttl, with the paper explaining that the Saints boss is “no stranger to Bayern” after spending time with the club’s B-team in the early 2000’s.

Furthermore, Tz claim that the Bayern hierarchy appreciate Hasenhuttl’s philosophy and playing style, and believe that the 53-year-old would be a “good match” for the club, however, it is also mentioned that the Austrian’s lack of silverware could be a problem, with the report finally giving Hasenhuttl a 15 per cent chance of landing the job at the Allianz Arena.

Transfer Tavern Take

While it can easily be assumed that Nagelsmann would be Bayern’s first choice to replace Flick, with the Leipzig manager denying that any talks have taken place with Munich regarding the position, perhaps there is a genuine cause for concern among Southampton fans about losing Hasenhuttl this summer.

With it not even being certain that Flick will be leaving the Bundesliga side at the end of the season, Saints fans should not worry too much about the prospect of losing their manager, for now, but if the vacancy is there come summer it will surely be tempting.

Despite a couple of humiliating defeats under his watch, we suspect Saints fans will be desperate for the club to ward off Bayern’s approach, if and when it arrives.

In other news: Sources claim Southampton are eyeing £25k-p/w gem; Hasenhuttl could seal a move for just £3m – find out more here!

Glasgow Rangers midfielder Ianis Hagi has suggested his career may not be on a good trajectory despite helping the Gers win their 55th Premiership title.

Hagi makes worrying comments

£5.4m-valued Hagi (Transfermarkt) is currently on international duty with Romania after helping the Gers confirm their status as league champions.

Speaking to the Romania national team’s media department (via Ibrox News), he suggested his career is not on the correct trajectory. He explained:

“Not necessarily that I won the title in Scotland means that I entered a good trajectory. The career has its pros and cons, it matters to know how to get over them, to learn from them.

“After all, everyone has their own way. I see it as a goal I wanted. I want to win more trophies, I liked the feeling, the emotion I experienced.”

Worrying?

Given recent speculation surrounding the 22-year-old’s future, this may not be the best news for Steven Gerrard and co. Serie A outfit Lazio have been linked with a move for the former Genk man recently, with him reportedly available for a fee of about £8.5m (Gazzetta Dello Sport).

All in all, this has been a solid first full campaign for Hagi at Ibrox. In 38 matches in all competitions, he has seven goals and 12 assists (Transfermarkt), and has improved as the season has progressed. With Champions League potentially football on offer next season, he may be tempted to stay in Glasgow, but he clearly has bigger ambitions than that. While these comments neither confirm nor deny his desire to seek pastures new, his future remains far from certain.

In other news, Rangers fans react to this injury news.

Celtic’s hunt for a new manager is approaching a month now but we’re still no closer to discovering who’ll be sitting in the Bhoys dugout next season.

Roy Keane was thought to be the favourite but in recent days Lucien Favre and Thierry Henry have both emerged on their radar.

What’s the word?

Another manager who had been on Celtic’s radar in the last few weeks was Chris Wilder.

The Englishman left Sheffield United with his team rock bottom of the Premier League and he now has no shortage of suitors.

Celtic were dealt a blow in their chase of Wilder last week when it was revealed that a potential sticking point in their pursuit would be his pay-off. The former Blades boss is set to receive money from the club over the next six months, a sum that would get smaller if he finds a new job.

However, in a fresh twist to the tale, they have been dealt another almighty blow. That’s because according to The Daily Mail, Burnley have now entered the race for Wilder.

Fortunately, that will only happen if Sean Dyche decides to finally leave his post in the summer.

The outlet claims that Wilder is set to become one of the hottest properties over the next few months, meaning Celtic will have to move quickly if they want him.

Bad news for the Hoops

Dermot Desmond hasn’t particularly had the easiest few weeks in the Celtic hierarchy.

Questioned over his future in Glasgow last week, he will be left tearing his hair out at the repeated setbacks in their quest to find a new manager.

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Jesse Marsch has already been ruled out of the running in what was the biggest blow to their aspirations yet. The American revealed he was honoured to be linked with the job but he has now been linked with Borussia Monchengladbach.

It seems as though the coaches that Celtic target are all in demand. Fortunately, however, they do have some breathing room between now and next season.

Wilder should have been one of the names at the top of their wish list though. He is a canny thinker, is astute defensively and has plenty of success under his belt; he took Sheffield United from League One to the Premier League.

Desmond will have to hope that Wilder doesn’t become one who got away.

AND IN other news, Reliable journo shares six-word update on Celtic manager hunt, fans should be buzzing…

Many Everton fans have been left to laud Jordan Pickford as the former Sunderland ace spoke about his “good” form lately.

Speaking to evertontv, with his comments relayed by the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, Pickford also claimed that mentally he is “in a very good place” after finding himself out injured for a while in February, as he looks ahead to the Merseyside club’s next game at home to Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

The England international has been in very good form recently, despite conceding the penalty away at Chelsea as Carlo Ancelotti’s team lost the match 2-0. Before that game, in which he made a number of decent saves as well, he had kept three clean sheets in a row in the top flight, helping his side claim nine points and really aid their push to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the start of the 2021/22 term.

Everton fan reaction to Pickford comments

These Toffees supporters lauded Pickford on Twitter after reading his comments, with one Blues fan even going as far as to claim that the 27-year-old goalkeeper has been “outstanding”:

“He’s been simply outstanding”

Credit: @CBobblers1878

“Been great”

Credit: @_jennifer1878

“Been in phenomenal form lately. Keep it going lad”

Credit: @alexdsmiff

“My MOTM the last few games”

Credit: @Nirosta

“Been superb”

Credit: @Upper__Gwladys

“Much improved lately, hopefully can continue. Showing people why he’s Everton and England No1”

Credit: @PaulAshcroft8

In other news, find out what early news before Burnley has left fans fuming here!