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Everton must strive to agree a new contract with Director of Football Marcel Brands, after talks were muted for the man Carlo Ancelotti feels is doing a “fantastic job”.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton are expected to open discussions with Brands over extending his time at Goodison Park following the turn of year.

The 58-year-old is set to be out of contract next summer but Toffees chiefs favour holding off talks with senior staff until they are in the final months of their current deals, and will continue on this path with Brands.

Everton value the work Brands has carried out since arriving in 2018 from PSV Eindhoven and believe that the Merseyside club will benefit from the continuity the Dutchman – who also sits on the board of directors – can offer.

Brands was highly influential in the Goodison Park outfit’s transfer activity this summer, having had to reach an agreement with Real Madrid over James Rodriguez’s remaining salary in order to secure what is now said to have been a free transfer.

The former PSV chief also laid out the groundwork for Ben Godfrey’s £20million move from Norwich City, while Brands’ framework for potential targets also led to the capture of Niels Nkounkou following his release by Olympique de Marseille.

A crucial deal

While Everton’s hierarchy are open to waiting until the New Year before holding talks with Brands, it is crucial for the Goodison Park outfit’s continued success in the transfer market that they strike an agreement with the Dutchman to extend his contract.

Everton’s transfer record since his arrival in 2018 has featured far more hits than misses, with Lucas Digne, Richarlison, Andre Gomes, Yerry Mina and Bernard all acquired during his first window at the club.

Brands then followed those deals up with a permanent agreement with FC Barcelona for Gomes in 2019, while adding Rodriguez, Allan, Godfrey and Abdoulaye Doucoure this summer.

Last year’s arrivals in Alex Iwobi, Moise Kean and Fabian Delph may have struggled since their moves, with the former since starting just 19 Premier League games, the Italian leaving for PSG on loan this summer and the later frequently missing game time through injuries. But overall, Everton’s transfer business has been successful and inspired their unbeaten start to the current campaign.

Brands also has the respect of manager Ancelotti, who endorsed a new contract for the Dutchman following their first summer transfer market working together.

“What can I say? He is doing a fantastic job and he has done a fantastic job,” said Ancelotti earlier this month, via quotes by the Daily Mail. “I have a fantastic relationship with him, the board still has a fantastic relationship with him.”

While Everton are open to waiting until the New Year to hold discussions with Brands, the Blues must ensure that a deal is ultimately secured.

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

Tottenham Hotspur continued their impressive run of form with a last-gasp 1-0 victory over West Brom on Sunday afternoon.

And Jose Mourinho’s team selection provided some clues into the future of one Spurs outcast.

The Special One opted for what appears to be his first-choice centre-back pairing, Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld, once again but named young summer arrival Joe Rodon on the bench as their back-up instead of Davinson Sanchez.

In fact, the 24-year-old – who was signed by Mauricio Pochettino for £42m in 2017 – was left out of a Premier League matchday squad for the third successive game.

Sanchez has featured just four times in the top-flight and has been axed since the dramatic 3-3 draw to West Ham United, a game in which the north Londoners should’ve won.

It was expected that Mourinho altered his backline having played their last few matches with the same duo, though evidently, he’s had enough with the error-prone Sanchez.

In the past, the Colombian has been lambasted as a “liability” with some supporters calling him a “clown” too.

Former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood has even dubbed Sanchez a “mistake waiting to happen” – something even Mourinho know all too well having instructed his Manchester United side to target him whilst at Ajax during their Europa League triumph in 2017.

Now valued at just £40.5m by Transfermarkt, it appears that the Pochettino favourite is quickly running out of time to salvage his career in N17.

It’s not like he has impressed whenever he’s featured this term either, averaging just 1.8 tackles and one foul per game, across both domestic and European competitions, via WhoScored.

The departure of long-serving central defender Jan Vertonghen should have opened the door for Sanchez to finally kick on and cement his name down as that first choice option but that hasn’t been the case.

A 23-year-old with no top-flight experience, a midfielder-turned-defender and an ageing star who’s the wrong side of 30 are all ahead of him in the pecking order.

That snub on Sunday could be the final nail in the coffin for his future.

AND in other news, Forget Kane: £85k-p/w monster was Spurs’ true match-winner vs WBA…

Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with the latest accessory from the club – a Gers-branded kilt.

As is the case with any club, the Ibrox outfit have released a whole host of products recently in an attempt to bring in more revenue to the club. Their partnership with Castore has seen the Liverpool-based company release a number of clothing options. One particular hoodie had a retail price of £170 – that did not go down well with the Rangers fans.

The tartan design on this latest release was decided after over 10,000 MyGers members voted, and was revealed by the club’s official account on Twitter. However, whilst many clearly liked it, there are plenty of others who were not happy – some made it clear they preferred the previous offering.

In a bid to share their discontent, the fans took to the social media platform to show their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say about the kilt below

In other news, Glasgow Rangers fans were delighted with this man during international duty.

There are no two ways of saying this; Borna Barisic has quickly become a valuable asset for Glasgow Rangers since the Croatian defender signed a four-year deal to join the 54-time Scottish champions in 2018.

What’s the word?

After Steven Gerrard made it clear that his first-choice left-back wasn’t for sale amid Premier League interest in the summer, Barisic insisted he wouldn’t pay attention to any transfer talk as he is focused on stopping Celtic from winning ten in a row.

However, Gary Bollan believes the Rangers full-back could be heading for a club south of the border in the not too distant future.

When asked about Barisic’s future, he said: “It’s a big ask for anybody to come in and replace Barisic, because he’s the best left-back in the country and he’s the first pick for one of the strongest nations in the world, Croatia.

“If you’ve got the delivery he has, and the athleticism to get up and down the left flank like he does, then there’s no doubt that clubs in England will be looking at him.

“In England, a lot of clubs now play with their full-backs high up the pitch and if he went down there, he would be a success. I don’t doubt that for a minute.”

Bollan is not alone in praising Barisic’s performances, either, with former Celtic defender Mark Wilson impressed by his credentials.

Wilson said: “He’s the best left-back in the country. He’s improved his defending and supplies assists and is a threat at set-pieces.”

Keep him at all costs

Whilst Calvin Bassey has burst onto the scene after impressing so far this season, Barisic’s performances cannot go unnoticed. The praise flowing his way from fans and pundits alike will leave Ross Wilson with little room to gamble on his future amid links abroad.

In 13 appearances in the Premiership this season, Barisic has scored one goal and supplied four assists, whilst he is averaging one shot, one dribble and 2.1 key passes per game, as well as one interception and one clearance via WhoScored,

By comparison, even Bassey has only mustered 0.7 shots and 0.5 key passes per game, as per WhoScored, which just goes to show that it will be hard to find a player who can replace his volume of output for a reasonable price.

The 28-year-old’s current contract will run out in 2024, having signed a two-year contract extension at the start of this year.

However, Ianis Hagi actually earns more than the 15-cap Croatia international, which we can’t quite work out, especially when you consider the fact that he has played in every single Europa League game so far this season.

Once hailed as a “terrific” talent by Alex Rae, there is no excuse for dawdling when it comes to giving him new and improved terms, as the Gers must do all they can to try and convince him to stay at the club.

Simply put, they must keep him at all costs as he will likely have a part to play as they attempt to regain the title for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign.

Therefore, Rangers need to settle any lingering concerns by getting their business done as soon as possible.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must trust Glenn Middleton amid Leeds United links to Ryan Kent…

Crystal Palace midfielder Jairo Riedewald has made such a strong start to the season that Roy Hodgson must recall him to the starting line-up to take on Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

Hodgson has no new injury concerns to speak of, which isn’t exactly a bad thing, but this does mean that he faces somewhat of a selection dilemma in the midfield.

Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur started against West Bromwich Albion last weekend as the Eagles cruised to a comfortable 5-1 win over the Baggies at the Hawthorns.

However, Hodgson must resist the temptation to give the club captain a second chance, as he cannot be trusted for the big occasions, whilst McArthur hardly did himself any favours at all with an uncharacteristically lightweight display.

Milivojevic’s ill-discipline can cause a problem, as he has received 35 yellow cards in 126 appearances in the Premier League. Remarkably, he has been sent off just once in the top flight, although he was absent for the entirety of November after Palace lost their appeal against his red card at Wolves.

Instead, Hodgson should seriously consider starting Riedewald, who isn’t afraid of stepping up to the plate, as he played the full 90′ minutes in the first A23 derby of the season.

The 24-year-old initially struggled to make much of an impression upon his arrival at Selhurst Park, but he started in the 4-1 win at home to Leeds United, which is exactly why he must play in the more meaningful games of the campaign, especially when you consider the fact that they conceded just one goal against a side who have scored 17 goals in the Premier League so far this season.

Riedewald could slot into position alongside Cheikou Kouyate in the midfield, who has started ten out of the last eleven games in the centre-back position.

Hodgson himself has heaped praise on the Dutchman, as he described the defensive-minded midfielder as an “intelligent player” who is a “superb professional” after he was called into action for his first game in the first division since April 2018 last season.

Valued at £4m via Transfermarkt, in nine appearances in the top flight this term, the former Netherlands international has scored one goal this season so far, whilst he is averaging 1.4 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

He could play a key part in stopping the free-scoring Harry Kane, who has bagged eight times and ten assists in the Premier League.

Whilst it might seem a little bit harsh to bench Milivojevic, Riedewald lining up against Jose Mourinho’s side may have long-term benefits for Hodgson going forward.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace target Jordan Amavi is the perfect Patrick van Aanholt replacement…

Sunderland booked their place in the last 16 of the EFL Trophy on Tuesday evening as Lee Johnson secured his first win as the Black Cats’ new boss, defeating League Two Oldham Athletic 2-1 on their own patch.

The home side did take the lead inside 13 minutes with Bobby Grant rifling past academy shot-stopper Anthony Patterson before Chris Maguire levelled things on the half-hour mark.

Fellow first-team regular Josh Scowen then secured the victory in the second half, heading home from a ball in from Grant Leadbitter.

Although despite the victory, not all of Johnson’s senior stars were at the races at Boundary Park – none more so than Conor McLaughlin, who was especially poor.

Value at £360k by Transfermarkt and capped 38 times for Northern Ireland at international level, the 29-year-old really should be carving up opposition that are struggling in the division below.

Per SofaScore, McLaughlin failed to win a single duel from three attempts, lost possession nine times, and also didn’t register a single tackle or block either, meaning he was lightweight and wasteful.

The former Fleetwood and Millwall defender even failed to deliver an accurate cross throughout the 90 minutes, proving to be ineffective in attack. It’s no wonder Will Grigg and then Charlie Wyke had very little to feed off, and as such, neither got themselves on the scoresheet.

RokerReport graded Bailey Wright a five out of ten, one rating below that of McLaughlin, but it was the right-back who looked more suspect at times.

Johnson isn’t blessed with options in the full-back position and the late injury to Dion Sanderson will have hardly helped either, so the 39-year-old should quite rightly be furious with what he saw.

Whilst it is still early days, the veteran badly let his new manager down and will need to improve when the Black Cats face second-placed Lincoln City at Sincil Bank on Saturday afternoon.

AND in other news, Lee Johnson dealt first blow as Sunderland boss as key man faces month out…

Christmas is here, which means 2020 is quickly drawing to a close, and what a year it has been for West Brom.

The Baggies clinched promotion from the Championship after a two-season absence from the Premier League, though since, things haven’t really gone to plan…

Captain of the ship Slaven Bilic received his P45 earlier this month with Albion second from bottom on just seven points.

The West Brom hierarchy have turned to Sam ‘the firefighter’ Allardyce in their time of need for yet another survival bid despite the 66-year-old being out of the game for two-and-a-half years.

In his first game in charge, the Midlands outfit were thrashed 3-0 by arch-rivals Aston Villa, so Big Sam has it all to do if they are to remain a top-flight team in 2021.

But forget those worries for now, and take a look back at some finer moments with this tricky quiz.

We bet only die hard Albion fans will get close to 75% on this one! Go on, give it a go…

AND in other news, West Brom Exclusive: Sam Allardyce tipped to sign former star in January swoop…

Tottenham Hotspur legend Glenn Hoddle has dropped an intriguing transfer claim this week ahead of the January window.

The 63-year-old, who managed and played for Spurs, believes Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse would be a perfect target for Jose Mourinho this year.

Speaking on his podcast, ‘The Glenn Hoddle Footy Show’, he said:

“I think his all-round game has come on leaps and bounds, but as a set piece artist there is no-one better.

“He’d be a major asset for Tottenham, for instance. Or he could go and play in Everton’s team tomorrow.

“Whether he has the mentality you don’t know until he goes to a big club.”

Daniel Levy has already raided the Saints once this season, and perhaps, he should indeed listen to Hoddle and swoop for the impressive attacking midfielder.

Spurs’ form has dipped in recent weeks, indeed, they have not won in their last four Premier League outings, and they have struggled to continue their rich vein of goalscoring.

This points to there being a creative issue amongst Mourinho’s squad – they certainly haven’t been able to replace Christian Eriksen as of yet. No midfielder is averaging more than 0.8 key passes per game in the top-flight at the moment.

Both Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have effectively been creating those chances for one another (both managing 1.5 key passes per game or more), and that is something that needs to change to sustain the form that saw them briefly top the table.

And that is where Ward-Prowse makes a ton of sense.

The £22.5m-rated maestro is not just a set-piece specialist having contributed to seven goals in 16 starts so far this term. That is more than Dele Alli, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele combined.

Ward-Prowse is also managing 1.7 key passes per game, only better by Son, and 1.8 crosses per game in the top-flight this term, as per WhoScored.

Of course, his free-kick ability is what he is most known for with Peter Crouch dubbing him “Beckham-esque” which only echoes the thoughts of teammate Theo Walcott, who claimed he is actually better than the England legend.

Now capped four times by the Three Lions, the Saints skipper is finally getting the recognition he deserves. He’s even impressed talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham, who claimed he’s “got the devil in him” after a win over Iceland.

No one could fault the “machine” for following Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to N17 if any offer were to come about. Levy must strike.

AND in other news, Levy could secure Jose Mourinho his next Essien in £16.5m BEAST…

West Brom have reportedly opened discussions over a potential loan swoop for Okay Yokuslu…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Baggies boss Sam Allardyce is looking to bring the Celta Vigo utility man to the Hawthorns this transfer window as he eyes extra protection for his leaky backline.

It’s claimed that the La Liga outfit are open to offers for the 26-year-old despite him playing 13 times this season.

Two birds, one stone

With Filip Krovinovic looking more and more likely to be leaving Albion this month and with the rising need for a holding midfielder, sporting director Luke Dowling and Big Sam can resolve multiple problems at West Brom by making a move for Yokuslu.

As per the Express & Star, Krovinovic is deemed surplus to requirements and is set to have his season-long loan from Benfica cut short before joining Hajduk Split for the rest of the campaign.

The £9m-rated Yokuslu, meanwhile, can also play in central defence, meaning he could be an additional option to a backline that has leaked more goals than any other Premier League outfit this season.

Capped 28 times by Turkey, the Celta Vigo ace would be an interesting acquisition given their links to both William Carvalho and Hamza Choudhury since the transfer market opened over two weeks ago.

Over the course of his career so far, Yokuslu has proven to be an absolute animal defensively having averaged 2.2 tackles, 1.9 interceptions, 1.9 clearances and a whopping three aerial duels won per game, via WhoScored.

Standing at 6 foot 3 inches, he’s an imposing figure, so it’s perhaps no surprise to see these sorts of numbers as he is evidently difficult to get past – for comparison, only Conor Gallagher has averaged more tackles of any regular WBA player, whilst Yokuslu has won more aerials than either of Dara O’Shea or Semi Ajayi, so he’d be a crucial presence at set-pieces.

He’d also top Albion’s charts currently for interceptions too.

By adding Yokuslu this month, Big Sam can not only replace Krovinovic in one fell swoop but he could also find that defensive midfielder he’s longing for – one who is capable of playing in defence too.

It would certainly be a shrewd signing to make.

AND in other news, Allardyce can find his next Nzonzi in £18m-rated “giant” compared to Patrick Vieira…

When West Ham brought Tomas Soucek to East London last January, it’s safe to say that not many eyebrows were raised.

The Irons were creeping into a relegation dog fight so on paper, signing an unknown quantity probably wasn’t the best of ideas.

However, the Czech Republic international has turned into a star and has cemented himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.

Indeed, it’s a testament to his play that he’s managed to secure that tag, especially when the Hammers have Declan Rice at their disposal too.

Soucek was signed on an initial loan deal but after scoring three goals in the second half of last season, David Moyes made the move permanent.

The fee West Ham paid was a mere snip, as they splashed out £15m on a midfielder who has become one of the most dominant in the Premier League. After bringing him back to the London Stadium, Soucek has racked up five goals in 19 top-flight outings this term.

It’s a brilliant record for a player in his position but it’s not just his goals that have made this a dream deal.

The 25-year-old has nearly doubled his value in the space of six months and is now rated at £27m via Transfermarkt, putting in combative performances from West Ham’s central areas.

He is a rampaging force, using his wiry frame to hurdle towards the penalty area for a late arrival, or just race back and recover possession for his team.

In 2020/21, Soucek has won a colossal 6.1 aerial duels per game. That’s a tally that usurps every single player at West Ham. Furthermore, he’s strong in the challenge and has won 1.7 tackles a match. For context, only Rice, Vladimir Coufal and Fabian Balbuena have won more.

For a modern midfield player, he is perfect. The Czech born star finds himself all over the pitch, sweeping up loose balls before setting up an attack.

Based on his performances, it’s hardly a surprise to see he’s earned some rave reviews. Danny Mills typified his qualities earlier this term, saying: “I think we’re starting to see a real top-quality midfield player who gets into the box.”

Alex McLeish issued similar sentiments, claiming: “There has been some fantastic recruitment, Soucek has been an absolute steal.

“Soucek is playing out of his skin, he came from Czech Republic, Coufal too – two great acquisitions and with the other players West Ham have got, Moyes has done a great job there.”

It’s hard to argue with those assessments. He has the highest expected goals tally of anyone in the squad – 4.6 – and he makes the most ball recoveries in the side – 12.3 per game.

Soucek also ranks third-highest for progressive passes in the side (2.89 per game) while he presses the opposition 14.3 times a match – again the third-highest tally when assessing Moyes’ players.

The midfielder was nowhere close to being a marquee addition but he has turned out to be one of their most important acquisitions in years.

He is imperative to their play and has been vitally important to their turnaround this season.

AND in other news, “Another Antonio” – Exclusive: Harewood backs potential West Ham move for £13.3m beast…