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Everton have found themselves in a Premier League relegation battle this season with Frank Lampard desperately trying to save them from a drop into the Championship next season, but he could be heading for disaster if reports are to be believed on Michael Keane’s future at the club.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Paul Brown, Everton will keep hold of Keane this summer due to a potential lack of interest in the player and a contract that runs until 2025.

Brown told GIVEMESPORT;

“Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey are both under contract until 2025, so I can’t see that either of those two will be moved.

“There probably wouldn’t be much of a market for Keane anyway; he’s not playing well this season.”

Major Everton nightmare

It is no secret that the Everton centre-back has had an abysmal season, with a number of serious blunders in his performances that have ultimately cost the team crucial points in their pursuit for safety in top flight football.

Keane tops the list for Premier League own goals this season with two instances where the defender has opened up the scoring for his opponents, with one goal scored against Norwich City at Carrow Road in a 2-1 defeat, and then scoring the first goal again a few weeks later for Tottenham Hotspur in the 5-0 thrashing.

The £65k-p/w centre-back, who was dubbed a “liability” by Trevor Sinclair, then proceeded to get red carded against West Ham United which saw Everton concede another defeat, proving that the player has let his team down time and time again this season with extremely poor decision making in the last few months during the most vulnerable time for the club.

If Lampard manages to secure safety for Everton this season there is no doubt that he will need to strengthen his team to ensure that they don’t find themselves in a similar position next season, and with Keane’s aforementioned mistakes hindering the team’s progress, the manager could be sleepwalking into a major nightmare by not encouraging the club to move him on this summer.

With that being said, the former Chelsea boss must do everything he can to either demote the defender to a squad player by signing a replacement or put Keane on the transfer market in an effort to sell ahead of next season as improving the squad should be the top priority this summer.

In other news: Lampard can unearth the new Terry as Everton plot bid for 19 y/o heading for “the top”

Leicester City have received a potentially worrying blow after defender Wesley Fofana admitted he wants to play for La Liga giants Real Madrid at some point in his career.

What’s the story?

The 20-year-old centre-back established himself as one of the Premier League’s brightest prospects before suffering a broken leg on the eve of the new campaign and has now declared his interest in one day following in the footsteps of his friend Eduardo Camavinga by moving to the Santiago Bernabeu.

“Rumours of Real Madrid?” he said in an interview on YouTube (as relayed by Spanish outlet Marca). “It’s an honour; Real Madrid is the club of my dreams. It’s the biggest club in the world, and my dream is to play there.”

Leicester fans gutted?

Although it’s unlikely that Fofana will be departing Leicester any time soon due to the severity of his recent injury setback, the youngster’s willingness to speak so openly about his future ambitions away from the club may leave some fans feeling gutted.

The France U21 international arrived at the King Power Stadium from boyhood club Saint-Etienne in a £30m deal and went on to make 38 appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ charges in all competitions, playing a pivotal part in the club’s FA Cup success.

As per SofaScore, Fofana averaged 2.2 interceptions per game last term, 1.8 tackles and 3.3 clearances, highlighting his impressive impact during his maiden campaign on English shores.

But the youngster was equally imposing with the ball at his feet for the Foxes, achieving a passing accuracy of 86% and a dribbling success rate of 71%.

Unfortunately for Leicester, they’re set to be without Fofana’s services for the majority of the season due to his fitness woes, but large sections of the fanbase may now be worried about losing him on a permanent basis.

The Midlands outfit have often sold their best players like Harry Maguire and Ben Chilwell in order to fund new investment and to continue their progress both on and off the pitch, but this summer saw them adopt a different approach.

No big star was sold by Rodgers’ side, while several high-profile new acquisitions were brought to the club, illustrating the newfound ambition the hierarchy now have after consecutive fifth-place finishes under their Northern Irish tactician.

Therefore, Fofana expressing his desire to move to Madrid may come as a big disappointment to the Leicester chiefs and fanbase alike, as Fofana has the potential to form the foundations of a successful side for man years to come.

And, in other news…Leicester receive boost in pursuit of £9m-rated beast, fans will be buzzing 

Fulham have been dealt a big injury blow ahead of their Championship fixture this Saturday.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by The Athletic, Tom Cairney has only taken part in training once since the arrival of Marco Silva at Craven Cottage earlier this summer, with the midfielder having to withdraw from this session due to a recurrence of his knee injury which has so far kept the 30-year-old out of action for nine months.

Speaking about Cairney’s injury, the Portuguese manager stated: “It’s a situation we have to see day by day. He had one training session with me and then he got worse, and after we decided to stop him.”

It is then claimed that the Scotland international will not be available for the Huddersfield Town fixture this afternoon, with his return date being unknown at present. Harrison Reed and Terence Kongolo are also set to miss the clash due to knocks, while Anthony Knockaert is a doubt due to a back injury.

Silva will be gutted

While knocks to the likes of Reed, Kongolo and Knockaert will come as a blow to Silva, it is Cairney’s ongoing injury in particular which will leave the 44-year-old gutted.

The absence of the midfielder was drastically felt by Fulham last season, and considering the level of his performances in the club’s last promotion-winning campaign, he would very much appear to be a player who has the ability to fire the Cottagers back to the top flight once again this term.

Indeed, over his 34 Championship appearances for Fulham in 2019/20, the £8.1m-rated ace bagged eight goals, provided three assists and created six big chances for his teammates, taking 1.1 shots and making 1.8 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £27k-per-week midfielder earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as the club’s second-best performer in the second tier that year.

As such, Silva will undoubtedly be hoping that Cairney will be able to recover from his knee injury as quickly as possible, as the 30-year-old would most likely be a key player for the Portuguese manager this season whenever he’s available once more.

However, with it appearing very uncertain at present as to exactly when the Scot will make his return to first-team football, Silva will simply need to make do without the midfielder for a little while longer just yet, starting with Huddersfield this weekend. Not knowing when the 30-year-old will be back in action must be a killer for the new Fulham manager.

In other news: Silva must axe Fulham’s £3.6m-rated flop with “Barca DNA”, he’s stealing a living

Burnley have been offered the chance to sign Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, who is a target for Tottenham Hotspur, with the Clarets said to have submitted a loan offer for his signature [Sky Sports].

The Lowdown: Weston McKennie profiled

Emerging as one of the brightest talents to come out of the United States, the 23-year-old has excelled in Italy since joining up with the Old Lady in 2020.

Last term, he showed his ability in to mix it at the elite level, registering nine goal contributions in 46 fixtures for his current employers; six goals and three assists [Transfermarkt].

In a surprising twist of fate, he could now be set for a move to Turf Moor  after constant links to north London in the last couple of weeks – some reports even suggested he was keen to reject interest from West Ham to join the Lilywhites instead.

The Latest: Burnley offered chance to sign McKennie; loan offer submitted

Burnley are said to have been offered the chance to acquire the USA international, with one source revealing that the Lancashire club have submitted a loan bid for the 6-foot ace [Sky Sports].

Of course, Tottenham have retained an interest in McKennie this window, being linked with a £40 million swoop last week for the anchor man to shore up their midfield ahead of the deadline [The Independent].

The Verdict: Losing out on McKennie to Burnley would be a sore one to take for Tottenham

In the market for a midfielder after the departure of long-serving ace Moussa Sissoko to Watford, the news that McKennie could be going elsewhere in England will come as a body blow to the Spurs hierarchy.

Carrying the requisite qualities to dictate play in central areas, he recorded an impressive pass accuracy average of 85.4% per game during the 2020/21 Serie A season [WhoScored].

McKennie has earned plenty of praise for his talents in the past, once being labelled as ‘outstanding’ by former Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel after scoring his first competitive goal for the club [Schalke 04 Official].

Should McKennie move to Burnley, he may turn out to be one that got away for Tottenham, as they could do with some reinforcements in midfield.

In other news, a Tottenham Hotspur ace has performed a u-turn on leaving the club. Find out more here.

Many West Bromwich Albion supporters have flocked to Twitter to discuss an issue at the Hawthorns.

The Athletic’s West Brom correspondent, Steve Madeley, produced a story about the current traffic problem which has occurred at the home of the Baggies this season.

In the report, Madeley states how some fans have missed games due to being stuck in traffic or are even turning around and heading home after being delayed.

According to West Midlands Police, traffic management around the stadium is not within their jurisdiction and the club also have no authority over the road network.

It is said that the issue is Junction 1 of the M5, which is close to the ground, with both sets of fans using the roundabout when travelling to games.

West Brom fans flock to Madeley tweet

These West Brom fans have taken to Twitter to react to Madeley’s tweet and have told their own stories and frustrations about the current problem at the ground.

“I am close to giving up after 4 decades of going and it is all to do with the parking and a bit of Sky fixture lottery”

Credit: @shrew69

“Junction 1 island is horrific. Said it before, and ill say it again, nobody will do NOTHING til someone is killed on that island. Easiest football stadium to get to (from a motorway)… The most unorganised, chaotic nightmare of a stadium to get to!”

Credit: @WBAFC_TOM

“It’s not just about the ‘routes’, there needs to be affordable and accessible parking. The club need to step in. I had a ticket for the Derby game but couldn’t face the challenge of getting there after the Millwall game so I didn’t go.”Credit: @blueandwhite78″Never known it as bad as this season, leaving Sutton 2 hours before kick off just to guarantee making kick off now”Credit: @b_smith82″The problem on the motorway island is everyone’s so selfish and just want to get on to the island that they block the exits. So the other cars can’t leave the island and it all just sits there not moving.”Credit: @JonW1995″Takes me 2 hours, I live 10 mile from ground.”Credit: @8en1990In other news, some West Brom fans have expressed their unhappiness with this player. Find out more here.

Sheffield United are reportedly interested in a deal to sign QPR goalkeeper Seny Dieng, according to The Sun (8th August, page 67). 

What’s the story?

Sheffield United have already been faced with considerable interest from Arsenal for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who has recently returned to the first-team squad having been away from England on international duty over the summer.

Ramsdale has been with the club since 2020, although it’s claimed that he could be heading for the Bramall Lane exit door in the near future, with the transfer window set to close on August 31st.

Therefore, the Blades are seemingly preparing for his departure by targeting a move for Dieng, who has two years remaining on his current contract with Mark Warburton’s QPR side.

He has made 44 appearances in total for the Rs in total, which includes 43 from the 2020/21 season, as QPR finished ninth in the Championship table.

The Sun report that Dieng could be on the move this summer for a fee in the region of £6million, with the Blades eyeing a move for the 26-year-old.

Dieng has been with QPR since 2016, and kept 11 clean sheets with them last season, as they finished last year’s campaign strongly under the watchful eye of Warburton.

The shot-stopper has previously been attracting interest from West Ham United, and you don’t do that by chance, so that speaks volumes about his ability at this moment in time and the exciting potential he has.

Dieng has shown that he’s more than capable of performing to high standard in the Championship, with the shot-stopper adjusting well to the demands of life in the second-tier, which can sometimes be an unforgiving league.

He had an average Whoscored rating of 6.71 from the 2020/21 season for QPR and he could turn out to be a smart signing by Sheffield United this summer.

Slavisa Jokanovic’s side will be looking to win promotion back into the Premier League at the first time of asking, having been relegated from the top-flight last term, in what was a disappointing campaign for the Bramall Lane faithful to witness.

The Blades haven’t been very active in the summer transfer window, but Ramsdale’s potential departure late into this summer could prompt some late movement, which is certainly needed.

Sheffield United were beaten by Birmingham City in their opener this term, and Jokanovic will be keen to see a positive response from his side in midweek when they return to action against Carlisle United in the EFL Cup.

Dieng made an error against Norwich City last term, but Warburton labelled the shot-stopper as ‘outstanding’ for his performances during last year’s campaign.

“He’s human. There’s no-one in the world [who doesn’t make mistakes]. [Lionel] Messi makes mistakes, [Cristiano] Ronaldo makes mistakes, the very, very best people in the world make mistakes.

“Seny’s had an outstanding season, he’s just human. It’s as simple as that.”

Dieng would be a smart signing by the Blades if they can get a deal over the line to secure his signature, as he’s shown that he’s capable of performing to a more than good enough standard at this level, and it’s a deal that the Bramall Lane faithful should be buzzing about.

AND in other news; Sheffield United also want to sign this in-demand star before the window closes…

Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick could sign a major upgrade on Harry Maguire with Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger.

What’s the story?

According to reports from Sky Deutschland (via Sport Witness), United are one of a number of top European sides who are chasing the Germany international.

It’s claimed that the likes of PSG and Bayern Munich have joined Real Madrid in the race to sign the central defender, and that Rangnick’s side have now emerged as an additional contender for his signature.

Better than Maguire

While Maguire may be established as a cornerstone of this United defence, Rudiger’s arrival would see the club land a genuine upgrade on the England international.

As per Whoscored, the £100k-per-week German has averaged an impressive 7.00 match rating over the course of the Premier League this season, which far betters Maguire’s measly 6.56.

And, when you look at the key underlying numbers, it’s easy to see why.

Rudiger averages almost double the number of interceptions that Maguire does, while he also boasts a far higher average number of passes and key passes per game – the kind of ball-playing centre-back that could thrive under Rangnick.

The Chelsea man also wins more offsides per game too, a pointer of how his pace and reading of the game is slightly superior to that of Maguire.

Rudiger’s performances for the Blues has earned rave reviews from a number of people, not least former United man Rio Ferdinand, who waxed lyrical about just how good he has been in the top-flight.

He said (via the Metro): “Look at Rudiger, he’s arguably, since Tuchel has been there (at Chelsea), been the best defender in the Premier League. Him or (Ruben) Dias in that time. He’s been unbelievable, he’s like an animal.”

And, speaking to BILD, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was similarly effusive in his praise, saying: “Toni has established himself exceptionally since the first day we arrived. He is an absolute leader and plays at an incredibly high level.”

The £31.5m-rated star could bring some proven Premier League experience and quality to this United back-line, and a real upgrade on Maguire.

Meanwhile, Man Utd must move for this Serie A midfielder…

Spanish outlet Sport have provided an update regarding Aston Villa loanee Philippe Coutinho.

The Lowdown: Phillips and Saint-Maximin links

Steven Gerrard is gearing up for his first full season in charge at Villa Park, with a summer shake-up seemingly on the cards.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-developments/” title=”Aston Villa latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Reports over recent days have claimed that Villa are set to offload both Morgan Sanson and Anwar El Ghazi in the summer, and there have also been plenty of rumours when it comes to incomings.

Villa are believed to be readying a £60m offer for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips and also have their eye on Newcastle United forward Allan Saint-Maximin, who is valued at around £50m.

NSWE may well splash the cash over the coming months, including on Coutinho, who joined from Barcelona in January with an option to make the move permanently this summer.

The Latest: Coutinho update

Sport Witness relayed an update from Sport regarding the 29-year-old on Tuesday morning.

They claimed that Villa are ‘very satisfied’ when it comes to the Brazilian, and that financially the Midlands club will have no problems in meeting the €40m (£33.4m) option agreement.

The Verdict: Now for a salary agreement…

There had been talk that Newcastle were looking to land Coutinho, but it’s good to know that Villa chiefs are happy over paying a big-money fee.

All that needs to happen now is for there to be an agreement when it comes to a full-time Villa contract. The playmaker has proven his quality back in the Premier League with seven goal involvements in 11 Villa appearances, but the elephant in the room could be his salary.

Coutinho is currently on 65% of his £300,000-a-week contract, so you’d expect that he may need to take a pay cut in order to sign permanently in the Midlands.

In other news: Newcastle now keen on signing another Villa player as advanced update emerges

He may be a striker but there’s a belief among those close to West Ham that young academy gem Sonny Perkins could well become the club’s next Declan Rice.

That’s certainly one claim from Irons insider ExWHUemployee, who made the exciting declaration on a recent episode of his ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast.

He said: “One thing to also pay attention to is a West Ham youngster called Sonny Perkins. He was on target for the England U18s on Monday as they beat Russia.

“This is someone I’ve spoken about on the podcast before as a talent, and he’s really beginning to stand out now at academy level, really getting rave reviews.

“Obviously performing on the international stage as well for his age, and he is one to keep an eye on.

“From what I’ve heard in the academy circles, he could be the next Declan Rice. So just keep your eye out for his progression within the next few years.”

Aged just 17, the Hammers prospect recently broke into the club’s under-23 squad, despite only being a second year scholar, whilst he made he debut for the England under-18s just last month.

That speaks volumes on not just his potential but his current ability. Clearly he’s performing way above his current age, so that’s exactly why he’s being touted as another Rice, who broke into the first team as a teenager himself.

Perkins has been in fine form for West Ham’s youth teams this season, scoring five times in nine appearances across the Under-18 Premier League, the Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy, and that includes an impressive hat-trick against Reading at the start of the new campaign.

Meanwhile, according to The Athletic, there is plenty of optimism over West Ham’s current academy set-up, and it is something in which first-team manager David Moyes has taken a keen interest.

He and his backroom staff regularly attend games, so it’s surely a matter of time before Perkins catches his eye, if he hasn’t already.

Given the Hammers’ need for striking reinforcements, a player of the teenager’s calibre could well help save the club millions in future transfer windows.

If you’ve got the ability, then it doesn’t matter what age you are, and the likes of Rice and Ben Johnson have been testament to that.

AND in other news, Newman can seal West Ham bargain in 6 ft 4 “diamond” who was once “very keen” to join…

West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Sevilla winger Lucas Ocampos this summer as David Moyes plans to strengthen his squad during the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Hammers – alongside Premier League rivals Wolves – are keen to bring the 27-year-old to England.

The Argentine has two years left on his contract with the La Liga outfit and played the entire first leg of the two teams’ Europa League round of 16 tie last month, missing the trip to the London Stadium.

Valued by Transfermarkt at £27m, Ocampos has scored nine goals and registered four assists in 36 appearances across all competitions this season and could be an intriguing addition to the Irons’ squad.

Moyes should sign Ocampos

It’s no secret that, despite another successful season, West Ham need a reshape of their playing personnel this summer. The average age of Moyes’ squad is 28.8 and consists of just 24 players, a low tally considering that they’ve played in four different competitions this term.

Reinforcements in every position are likely to be needed, including in the wide attacking positions.

Although at 27 he wouldn’t bring the average squad age down considerably, Ocampos is at a prime age where he can still improve whilst already having huge experience, something which could potentially shift out the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma, Pablo Fornals or Andriy Yarmolenko.

Most importantly, though, he’s certainly an improvement on some of the Hammers’ current options.

Bowen is arguably an exception, with the Englishman currently West Ham’s top scorer this season with 14 goals. However, the 25-year-old is the only Irons winger who has scored more than Ocampos in 2021/22, with Benrahma scoring nine and Pablo Fornals six, and the ex-Hull City star has been linked with a possible move to Newcastle in recent days.

Moreover, Yarmolenko is expected to depart this summer upon the expiration of his contract, further highlighting the necessity of a winger being on West Ham’s wishlist this summer.

Described as “electric” by journalist Fede Praml, the tricky Sevilla winger currently averages 1.9 shots per game whilst enjoying an 83% passing accuracy and 40% dribbling success. The 27-year-old’s defensive contribution is satisfactory too, with 1.4 tackles and 0.6 clearances per match.

It may take time for the Argentine to adapt to the Premier League and West Ham’s style of play if he moves to east London, but it is crucial that the Hammers finish the next transfer window with a bigger squad than what Moyes current has, especially if they succeed in qualifying for Europe and if Bowen is tempted to Tyneside.

In other news – Imagine him & Zouma: Moyes could unearth West Ham’s next Rio Ferdinand in “clever” £12k-p/w gem