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Everton have appointed Duncan Ferguson as their interim manager whilst they search for a candidate to take the permanent role in leading the squad at Goodison Park, and after interviewing Vitor Pereira this week, there has been an update on progress.

What’s the word?

Sky Sports reporter, Vinny O’Connor, was live at Finch Farm yesterday to give an update on the progress on the Everton manager search, and the potential of Pereira being appointed.

O’Connor told Sky Sports News:

“As regards to Vitor Pereira, at this moment, we understand that no appointment is imminent.

“Vitor Pereira, we are told, is one of several candidates in line for the Everton manager’s job.”

Sky Sports have reported a number of candidates who could potentially become the new manager to take on the challenge at Everton, with both Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney being named.

Fans surely buzzing

Everton fans will surely be buzzing that there have been no offers made, already taking to social media to share their thoughts on Pereira being appointed for the managerial role, and he has not had a welcoming reception so far, with one fan tweeting:

“Start worrying, sacked in the Turkish league, the hierarchy of this club is frightening, we are going down!”

Pereira’s recent record after being sacked for the second time by Fenerbahce and relegating 1860 Munich to the German third league is surely the reason fans are uncomfortable with the idea of having the Portuguese manager put in place to try to save Everton’s season, where there is no room for error in the remaining few months as the side is currently only three points off the relegation zone.

Moshiri has already been advised to pull away from signing the former Porto manager according to reports, with the Everton board worried about making any rash decisions due to the fragile situation at Everton. Indeed, we agree with those sentiments, and so do plenty of fans who will be keen to ensure that Pereira isn’t offered the gig at Goodison Park.

However, a decision will need to be made soon as the Toffees have an important game against Brentford in the fourth round of the FA Cup, and the Toffees will be hoping they can salvage something from their season by having a good cup run.

In other news: Alan Myers drops claim on Christophe Galtier

With only a few days left until the January transfer window closes, it appears that Wolves could be set to make a late swoop to bring a player in that is apparently wanted by a number of big clubs across Europe.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Record (via Sport Witness) Wolves are one of the clubs alongside Atletico Madrid as well as fellow Premier League sides Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur that are interested in signing Sporting midfielder Joao Palhinha.

The 26-year-old, who has been described as a “special player” by Ruben Amorim in the past, has made a total of 81 senior appearances for Sporting across all competitions, chipping in with seven goals along the way.

Having spent his entire career in Portugal, a move to the Premier League to play at a club such as Wolves that already has a significant Portuguese presence in their playing squad and coaching team could be very appealing for Palhinha if he would be open to starting a new chapter in his playing career.

Lage would love him

In terms of a potential move to Wolves, with current midfielder Joao Moutinho set to see his contract at Molineux expire at the end of the season, Palhinha, who is currently valued at £23.4m according to Transfermarkt, could be Lage’s perfect replacement for the veteran Wolves maestro if he ends up leaving in the summer.

With that in mind, the fact that both Moutinho and the Sporting midfielder have managed to rack up an identical pass success percentage of 86.7% in their respective leagues so far this season shows the similarity between the pair.

Moving forward, if Wolves could secure Palhinha’s signature this month and integrate him among the other midfielders in the Old Gold side such as Moutinho as well as Leander Dendoncker and Ruben Neves, who he could strike a good midfield partnership with in the future if Moutinho leaves, this would surely delight Lage.

As a result of his options in that area, he could put Wolves in a good place to end the season on a high note.

However, with the other clubs mentioned in the report being interested in the midfielder in mind, it could be a challenge for them to attract him to Molineux, but certainly a challenge they would think they have a chance of cracking.

In other news: Huge boost: Lage confirms “good news” from Molineux that’ll have fans delighted – opinion

There has been unwavering attention on Newcastle United in recent weeks regarding potential transfers given the significant upgrade in their financial status as a result of their Saudi-backed takeover.

After PIF’s first transfer window at the top of the Newcastle hierarchy, Eddie Howe’s squad is certainly stronger, with the signings of Bruno Guimares and Kieran Trippier the standouts from January.

However, the new regime will need to learn from previous mistakes made by their predecessors in the transfer market, with some current players in the squad falling well short of the expectations laid out for them upon signing.

This particularly applies to attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron, who certainly hasn’t lived up to the then-club record £21m fee Newcastle reportedly paid Atlanta United for him in January 2019.

Three years on from his move to the northeast, the Paraguayan has only scored 13 goals for the club in 110 appearances, whilst registering just five assists. That’s a return of one goal involvement every 6.1 games.

To put the figure into perspective, Almiron was averaging one goal involvement every 1.63 games for Atlanta, having scored 22 goals and contributed 21 assists over 70 appearances for the MLS outfit.

Granted, arguments can be made about the difference in the quality of opposition faced in the MLS and Premier League, but the performance figures and price tag would have indicated that the Magpies could have expected a more significant output than what has actually been produced.

With the transfer window now shut, Howe will have to make do with the squad he has in order to steer the Tyneside club clear of relegation to the Championship.

The Englishman will be steering the ship, but he’ll need his crew members to step up, and that particularly includes, Almiron who has been particularly below-par this term.

The 27-year-old has started just three Premier League matches under Howe and is yet to register a goal involvement in any competition this season after 19 appearances.

He was admittedly the subject to praise from Don Goodman after a lively performance against Manchester City in December, with the Sky Sports pundit saying: “He gets through a shift, doesn’t he? He’s all-action, all energy. Attacking and defending. That’s why he’s popular around these parts.”

Hard work is important, but it’s numbers like those mentioned above which have caused the Paraguayan’s market value to decrease. Having been bought for £21m, the attacking midfielder is now worth £14.4m, according to Transfermarkt. His actual fee is 46% higher than his current market value, hardly a glowing indictment of his tenure on Tyneside.

That value is his lowest since signing for the Geordies but could soon go even lower, having been worth £14.4m for the majority of his tenure at St James’ Park after being valued at £18m when signed three years ago.

Newcastle have 17 games left to save their season, but Almiron could have even less than that to save his Magpies career. Howe needs to see an impact from the Paraguayan soon if the team are to steer clear of danger, or else the 27-year-old will surely be out of the picture.

AND in other news, NUFC must get the most out of £35k-p/w machine who’s “so good”

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Dean Jones of Eurosport has made a transfer claim involving Southampton and towering Middlesbrough defender Dael Fry.

The Lowdown: Southampton eye summer moves…

As reported recently, the Saints and transfer chief Martin Semmens already have their eyes peeled on strengthening manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s options ahead of possible summer moves.

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They have been linked with the likes of West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and a permanent move for loanee striker Armando Broja from Chelsea.

Another Blues starlet in Tino Anjorin is also being scouted by the Saints but it appears those targets are not the only ones, at least according to Jones.

The Latest: Jones makes Fry claim…

Speaking to GMS, the reporter says Southampton are also in the mix to sign Boro’s star defender as they are ‘very interested’ alongside a number of clubs.

“Dael Fry and [Marcus] Tavernier are obviously making headlines at the moment following Middlesbrough’s great win,” Jones explained.

“Both of those players will be available in the summer if Middlesbrough don’t manage to win promotion. So, there are a lot of Premier League clubs looking at these two players, Dael Fry, in particular, Wolves, Brighton, West Ham and Southampton are all very interested in him.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Described as irreplaceable last year by former Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock, the Championship side could apparently demand around £20 million for his services.

A hefty fee for a player from England’s second tier, Fry has perhaps done just enough to earn that valuation going by his plaudits and comparisons in the past.

Likened to Manchester City defender John Stones (90min), the 24-year-old mainstay has been called ‘unbelievable’ by his Riverside teammate Tavernier.

Of course, a figure around £20m is huge for Southampton and Semmens would have to weigh paying such an extortionate fee very carefully – even with the backing of Serbian-born businessman Dragan Solak and Sport Republic.

In other news: talkSPORT journalist: Southampton now ‘most likely’ to sign ‘unreal’ international, find out more here.

On-loan Aston Villa star Philippe Coutinho has expressed a willingness to take a major pay cut to facilitate a move away from Barcelona. 

The lowdown

The Brazilian moved from Camp Nou to Villa Park on a short-term deal in January, and 90min last week reported that Steven Gerrard’s side have already opened talks over a permanent deal.

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However, they also revealed that the 29-year-old earns ‘just shy’ of £500,000 per week with the inclusion of bonuses. That far outstrips Villa’s current wage ceiling, the £120,000 that they pay to Danny Ings, who earns 50% more than the next-best reimbursed players on the list.

Coutinho’s £142m move to Spain in 2018 remains one of the biggest in football history, but he has struggled so much for Barcelona that he has occasionally been booed by his own fans.

The latest

Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo reported (via Birmingham Mail) that both Barcelona and Coutinho hope to negotiate a permanent exit from the Nou Camp this summer.

The La Liga club want €40m (£33.5m) for the Brazilian, which is pretty much in line with the £33m purchase option that Villa have been granted.

The report stated that ‘the main obstacle’ to a permanent move is Coutinho’s salary, but ‘club sources consulted by MD’ insist that the player ‘always does his part to overcome’ this barrier. The 29-year-old will seemingly do what he can to ensure that an agreement can be reached with a new club.

The verdict

Coutinho is enjoying his football at Aston Villa. He said at the end of February that he is ‘very happy’ in the Midlands, having fulfilled his ambition to return to the Premier League.

That sense of contentment has been evident on the pitch, with the playmaker bagging four goals and laying on three assists in his first 10 appearances in claret and blue.

Significantly, his Brazil prospects have also improved following the move away from Camp Nou. Having missed out on the Selecao squad altogether in September and October and watched on from the bench in November, he has featured in each of the country’s three games under Tite so far in 2022.

Coutinho knows that leaving Barcelona for good could be crucial to his World Cup ambitions, and that is yet another reason to make sacrifices in terms of his pay packet. It could be a major hurdle cleared if Villa are hopeful of sealing him on a permanent move.

In other news, could this throw a spanner in the works for Villa?

Italian journalist Giancarlo Padovan has named Tottenham Hotspur among the clubs in the mix to sign Juventus forward Paulo Dybala. 

The lowdown: The end of an era

The 28-year-old is set to leave the Italian giants as a free agent in the summer and as a result, end a seven-year spell in Turin.

In that time the versatile Argentinian attacker has enjoyed a trophy-laden career, helping Juve towards five Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia successes and three Supercoppa Italiana victories.

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However, despite previously agreeing on terms to sign a new deal, Dybala is now believed to be moving onto pastures new with a host of clubs keen.

The latest: Spurs named

Speaking to Sky Italia, via CalcioNapoli1926 and translated by Sport Witness, Padovan has doubled down on previously reported interest from Tottenham in bringing the Argentina star to the Premier League.

The journalist said: “He knows that besides Juventus there are many important teams, he knows that he can go to Atletico or stay in Italy, at Inter. In England, there are Arsenal or Tottenham: in short, he will not remain unemployed.”

Padovan went on to claim that the 32-cap ace may struggle to earn the €10million (£8.4million) per year salary that he desires but the forward is determined to prove Juventus wrong.

It’s also suggested that Dybala will requisition UEFA Champions League football as a ‘minimum’ requirement from a new club.

The latest: The importance of top-four

Potential deals such as this one truly underline the importance of finishing inside the Premier League top four and subsequently qualifying for Europe’s elite competition.

Whilst a move for the man lauded as ‘extraordinary’ by Alessandro Del Piero could be difficult to complete due to the fierce competition, Antonio Conte would undoubtedly be desperate to add a player of Dybala’s calibre to the Lilywhite’s squad.

This season, the man valued at £36million (Transfermarkt) has scored 13 times and provided six assists in 29 appearances across all competitions – predominantly from a second striker role – so to sign him for zero initial transfer cost would be incredible business.

In other news, Tottenham eyeing four major summer signings. Find out more here!

Nottingham Forest are back in action tomorrow evening with a home clash against Coventry City after beating Blackpool away from home in their previous outing.

On the chalkboard

Sam Surridge didn’t start at the weekend but ended up having an impact when he came on, meaning he should now be in the starting XI

Having replaced Keinan Davis after 66 minutes against Blackpool, Surridge ended up having one clear shot at goal which ended up increasing the away side’s lead towards the latter stages of the game.

Since arriving at the Midlands club back in the previous January transfer window on a permanent deal from Stoke City, the Englishman has appeared in eight league games for the Reds but has yet to start one.

Speaking after Saturday’s win, the Forest boss had this to say about his substitute hero and the chances of him finally starting a match.

He said: “For sure, he’s pushing for a start. But all of the players are. I’d be comfortable playing any of the players who maybe haven’t started or didn’t start at the weekend.”

In his five previous appearances for Cooper’s side, the 23-year-old has found the back of the net three times, showing what a useful attacking option he can be.

With this in mind, it seems as though the winter recruit has done enough to finally warrant a place in the starting XI.

Taking into account how Davis could only rack up one shot at goal against Blackpool before being replaced by Surridge, this could persuade the Forest manager to give the former Stoke figure a start up top against Brennan Johnson after his weekend brace.

Labelled as a “baller” by one Forest journalist, the centre-forward could be a terrifying prospect for Coventry to have to deal with, especially considering they’ve conceded a total of 48 league goals this season, 12 more than Forest.

If the Reds boss does finally give the attacker the chance to show what he can do on the pitch from the start, he could end up staking a claim to become a regular starter for the team if he’s able to make the most of his chance and add some more goals to his record.

In other news: Cost £0, now worth £3.6m: Forest struck gold on “superb” gem likened to “Wolverine”

Everton have undeniably spent significant amounts of money on bringing new players to the Merseyside club over the past few years.

Despite their hefty spending, the Toffees have had a difficult season in the Premier League this time around.

With 30 games played, Frank Lampard’s side have lost 18 of them, putting them in 17th place and just four points above the relegation zone.

One shining light for the Toffees throughout this campaign has been Anthony Gordon, who the club have undoubtedly hit the jackpot on.

As a product of Everton’s youth academy, the winger made his senior debut back in December 2017 in a Europa League clash against Apollon Limassol under former Toffees manager Sam Allardyce.

With 52 senior appearances to his name, 32 of them have come during this season across all competitions.

In those 32 appearances, the Englishman, who has been labelled as a “fearless” player by Alan Shearer, has found the back of the net four times and provided three assists in the process.

In terms of his overall performances in the Premier League, WhoScored currently list him as Everton’s joint-fourth highest rated outfield player currently in Lampard’s squad with a rating of 6.72.

Back in April 2020, Transfermarkt rated the youngster’s market value at £1.17m, whereas it now stands at £14.4m, highlighting a massive increase based on what he’s delivered on the pitch for his club over the past weeks and months.

Labelled as a player that “has got everything,” by Ben Godfrey, Gordon certainly made a difference for his side last time out by scoring the winning goal in their 1-0 win over Manchester United, which could end up being a crucial result in terms of their chances of avoiding the drop.

To highlight how impressive the 21-year-old has been for Everton in an attacking sense, only Andros Townsend (45%) has a better percentage for shots on target than the Liverpudlian (44.4%) out of players to have more than three attempts at goal.

Also, no other Toffees player has made more dead-ball passes that have led to a shot at goal than Gordon (10), highlighting just how much of an attacking nuisance he can be for the opposition.

Taking all of this into account, the Merseyside club have certainly proved with the emergence of Gordon that they don’t always need to go out into the transfer market and spend significant sums of money on new players.

In other news: “I know for a fact..”: Insider drops big Finch Farm claim, it’s bad news for Everton

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in CF Montreal’s Djordje Mihailovic.

What’s the talk?

According to 1000Cuorirossoblu, PIF are plotting a swoop for the attacking midfielder at the end of the season, alongside a number of other clubs.

The report claims that Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Leverkusen and Leeds are also keen on the gem, whose contract with the MLS side expires in December 2023.

Huge Almiron upgrade

Newcastle must secure a deal to sign Mihailovic as he would be a huge upgrade on Miguel Almiron heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

In 26 Premier League appearances, Almiron has scored one goal and provided one assist for the Toon. Whilst his strike against Crystal Palace earlier this month was a terrific finish and one for the fans to enjoy at St. James’ Park, he has not been able to produce that level of quality on a consistent basis and his lack of impact in the final third is a cause for concern.

Two goal contributions in 15 league starts is a dismal return from a winger, particularly after he managed five (four goals and one assist) in 28 starts last season (34 appearances). He has not been a reliable player for the Magpies in the final third and that is why the club should be looking to sign Mihailovic to take his place in the team.

The Montreal midfielder has had a sensational start to 2022 as he has racked up four goals and two assists in eight appearances. He has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.61 as he has created 2.5 chances per game, showing that he can consistently deliver at the top end of the pitch.

This comes after he managed four goals and 14 assists in 32 starts in 2021. In the 2020/21 campaign, he created a whopping 18 ‘big chances’ and made 2.3 key passes per game and these statistics suggest that he can be a creative force for the Magpies – with journalist Chris Smith dubbing him a “gorgeous passer”.

He can, therefore, be a big upgrade on the Paraguay international if he is able to translate his form for Montreal over to the Premier League next season.

The American dynamo, who has 40 MLS goals and assists combined in his career, is also five years younger than Almiron and has scope to develop further over the years. Howe can work with him on the training pitch to hone his skills and this means that he can be a player for the short and long-term future of the club.

AND in other news, 71% duels won: £19k-p/w NUFC titan brought his “passion off the pitch” onto it vs NCFC – opinion

Sunderland have been handed a huge boost ahead of the League One run-in, with an injury update emerging from the Academy of Light.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Cambridge United clash (via The Northern Echo), Alex Neil revealed that Aidan McGeady – who has been sidelined since November of last year due to a knee ligament injury – has now returned to full training with the first-team squad.

Regarding the recovery of the 36-year-old, the Black Cats manager said: “He trained with us yesterday so that is a big step forward.

“He hasn’t been with the group for quite a while now but yesterday was his first training session so, obviously, it’s only the beginning. He was on the grass yesterday with us and he looked fine.”

Neil will be buzzing

With Sunderland still very much being in with a shout of securing a play-off place this season, there is no doubt that McGeady’s return to full training will have left Neil buzzing.

Indeed, while it would appear unlikely that the 36-year-old will make a return to action over the club’s final three League One fixtures, having him on the training pitch will certainly add an element of experience to the sessions – something that will subsequently have a positive influence on the Black Cats’ push for a top-six spot.

McGeady is out of contract this summer, however, while the winger has made it clear he wants to continue to play football in a recent interview, there has been no progress or confirmation of his current deal at the Stadium of Light being extended as of yet.

The winger told the Scottish Daily Mail (via Daily Record): “I know I am 36 and have not got that many years left but I still think with the way that I play, I can do so for a few years.”

Sunderland are currently in seventh following a draw with Plymouth Argyle on Monday night, but the Mackems do have a game in hand on their fifth and sixth place competitors – something which means the clash with Cambridge United tomorrow will have huge consequences in the play-off race.

AND in other news: Neil must now boldly axe “fatigued” £2.7k-p/w Sunderland star, he needs a break