Everton fans certainly won’t be excited by this weekend’s transfer rumours! The Sun on Sunday (page 59, via HITC) are reporting the club sent their top scout to watch Birmingham forward Che Adams. Great, right?

Well, no.

If this is the level of player they’re looking at, there’s no chance they’ll join the big six.

The Everton hierarchy have talked a good game for a few years now. There’s the promise of attacking football, a new stadium and money being available, with a huge amount being spent already. It’s looking positive, but they need to start investing more heavily if they’re to bridge the gap to the big boys.

Marco Silva’s attacking intentions are clear, and they’ve got a young squad. They now need to add some world-class talent to push them into the European spaces, particularly a striker. Che Adams is not world class by any stretch of the imagination and signing him would be a punch in the face to Evertonians who are hoping for success.

He could be a great prospect for the future, and he’s scored 21 goals for Birmingham this season, but Everton shoudn’t be the place where he’s tested in the Premier League. They need an established striker with experience at the highest level to take the club to new heights.

The 22-year-old, who is valued at £6.3 million (by Transfermarkt), would be a major disappointment to the Goodison faithful who need some big signings in summer to prove their club are planning on going places. If Everton did sign Adams there’d be so much pressure on him to perform like a Premier League star that he’d most likely crumble under it all.

If the Toffees are serious about catching up with the top six, they need to stop scouting in the Championship and cast their net across the best teams in Europe’s top five leagues. Buying players at the level you aim to grow to is the only way to reach the top.

Everton fans, who do you think your club should sign in the summer to help bridge the gap to the big six. Join the discussion by commenting below.

أفادت تقارير سوادنية، عن اقتراب فريق الهلال السوداني من ضم، لاعب الزمالك، خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية المقبلة.

الزمالك يستعد لمواجهة وادي دجلة، مساء اليوم الخميس، ضمن مواجهات الجولة 32 لبطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
 
ووفقاً لصحيفة “كفر و وتر” السودانية، نادي الزمالك وافق على طلب نادي الهلال السوداني باطلاق سراح رزاق سيسيه وذلك بعد مفاوضات بين القاهرة والخرطوم.

طالع أيضًا.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الزمالك ووادي دجلة في الدوري المصري

وأشارت: “سيطير السيد الطاهر يونس عضو مجلس إدارة الهلال خلال الساعات المقبلة لاستكمال اجراءات اللاعب وتسليم الزمالك نصيبه من صفقة الانتقال”.

طالع | رزاق سيسيه: ليس لدي وكلاء في مصر.. والزمالك يملك تحديد مصيري

رزاق سيسيه صاحب الـ21 عامًا يلعب ضمن صفوف الاتحاد السكندري على سبيل الإعارة من نادي الزمالك.

يذكر أن مسؤولي الزمالك أبدوا رغبة في عودة اللاعب بداية الموسم المقبل، بعد ظهوره بشكل جيد وتألقه رفقة الاتحاد السكندري في الفترة الأخيرة.

Some terrible players have donned the red shirt of Liverpool in recent years, but none are much worse than David N’Gog.

Liverpool, in 2009, were a shade of their former selves, that goes without saying, and heading into one of their most tumultuous periods of football to date. A wayward transfer policy at the hands of former manager Gerard Houllier and current boss Rafael Benitez had seen them recruit some of the worst players we have ever had the displeasure of laying our eyes on.

Pure, unadulterated rubbish that had no place in the Anfield tunnel, not as a player, ball boy, water boy, cleaner or mascot. They were trespassers, and by all means, should have been charged with some sort of crime for being so utterly terrible. What makes it worse is that the club missed out on opportunities to sign the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo (Sky Sports), Dani Alves (Sky Sports) and Gareth Barry (Liverpool Echo) throughout the last decade, but thought it sufficient to welcome such travesties as Phillip Degan, Vincent Weijl, Emmanuel Mendy and, of course, David N’Gog.

Ah, David N’Gog – certainly one of the more divisive players who have stepped through the doors of Anfield. Fans either torn between wanting to forget his move ever happened and wanting to remember every excruciating moment he represented the club to make their current quality feel all the sweeter.

The then-19-year-old Frenchman arrived a fledgeling ‘talent’ from Paris Saint-Germain in summer 2008. The Reds described him as “one of the brightest young talents in French football” and “lightning quick”, although he managed just one – yes, one – goal in 18 matches for PSG the season before (as per The Guardian).

So how did his ‘performances’ in Ligue 1 translate into the Premier League? Absolutely terribly, of course.

The youngster somehow found the back of the net six times in the opening half of the season, including a goal against Manchester United at Anfield. A year later he would enjoy plenty of opportunities under Roy Hodgson, a man who will easily go down as one of the worst managers in Liverpool history.

After Kenny Dalglish steadied the ship bring in Luiz Suarez and Andy Carroll on transfer deadline day, N’Gog’s day were over.

With the best years of his career behind him, the Frenchman moved to Bolton in 2011 and failed to sprinkle his limited talents enough to prevent them from suffering Championship relegation after 11 successive years in the top flight. The drop down in quality did not seem to suit him either, and though he made a brief reappearance back in the Premier League for Swansea City it was quite obvious that he lacked the qualities to “make it”.

France beckoning with Reims securing the players signature for the 2014-15 season. N’Gog improved slightly bagging a goal in every four appearances, but it was not enough to keep him from suffering a second relegation in his career. A brief and unsuccessful in Greece with Panionios followed before Ross County of all times tried their luck.

David N’Gog, formerly of Liverpool, now represents Budapest Honvéd FC in the Hungarian first division.

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According to Noticias de Gipuzkoa, Everton and Liverpool are both interested in signing Real Sociedad defender Diego Llorente.

If the Reds’ interest is serious, then Everton would do well to win the race for the 25-year-old’s signature. However, if there is a chance of the Toffees being able to bring the Spaniard to Goodison Park this summer, then he is a target the Merseyside club should pursue.

Considering the two-cap Spain international has a Transfermarkt valuation of just £15.75 million, he ought to be well within Everton’s financial reach. However, bringing Llorente to Goodison to join Marco Silva’s squad would certainly have knock-on effects. We consider the potential consequences below…

No deal for Zouma

Kurt Zouma is currently on loan at Everton from Chelsea. The Frenchman has impressed generally this season and has been a regular starter under Silva. If they were able to, Everton would probably want to make the 24-year-old’s move to Merseyside a permanent one. 

However, a move for Llorente would suggest that Everton are resigned to the fate of losing Zouma this summer, something that may well be tied to the fact Chelsea won’t be able to recruit players in the next two transfer windows due to their transfer ban.

Jagielka finally forced out

Another player whose future would be cast into doubt by the arrival of Llorente is Phi Jagielka. The 36-year-old club-captain is out of contract anyway at the end of this campaign, but Silva has shown that he is open to extending the veteran former England international’s terms, or at least he hasn’t yet decided against it.

Yet, the acquisition of Llorente would surely eliminate the need to keep Jagielka at the club. After more than a decade at with Everton, fans will be sad to see the centre-back go, but it would likely be the inevitable outcome of Llorente’s arrival.

A move to a back three

If Llorente were to be signed, then he would join Michael Keane and Yerry Mina – both also signed within the last couple of years – in battling for a starting berth in the heart of the Toffees’ defence. As things stand, the Portuguese manager generally lines his side up with a back four. However, with three talented centre-backs on his books, he may be tempted to switch to a back three.

This move may offset some of his side’s frailties in the middle of the park. Aside from Idrissa Gueya, Everton lack steely, battling defensive-midfielders capable of breaking up opposition attacks. With an extra centre-back behind them, though, this may well matter less and make the team less vulnerable defensively – it will also allow Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne to get a little further forward, where their qualities stand out the most.

Liverpool fans may believe that this could be their year in the Champions League after being drawn against FC Porto recently. The Reds managed to get the better of the Portuguese club in last year’s competition, so they’ll feel confident heading into this year’s clash. 

It’s safe to say that Jurgen Klopp already faces a busy summer with a number of loan players returning and a few first-team members possibly taking their careers elsewhere.

One player who may be coming to the end of his time at Anfield is James Milner.

The Englishman hasn’t been able to secure regular minutes in the current campaign, other than when there’s an injury. He’s filled in at right-back, left-back and in central midfield at times but he just hasn’t looked comfortable in possession and he turns 34 next year with his contract set to run out in the summer.

Luckily, Jurgen Klopp has already found the perfect replacement for Milner in the form of Marko Grujic. The 22-year-old has spent the current campaign on loan at German side Hertha Berlin, scoring three and assisting one.

Grujic has earned rave reviews in the current campaign as one of the rising stars in the Bundesliga. His temporary manager Pal Dardai described him as top shelf and intimated (as per Index, via Empire of the Kop) that he is the most talented footballer he’s ever worked with.

His performances in the middle of midfield have been sensational, with his passing, tackling and eagle eye for goal making him a very well-rounded midfielder.

The Serbian has done more than enough to warrant a first-team place at Anfield in the summer. He offers so much more than Milner and could provide a different dynamic, with his attacking qualities benefiting Klopp’s style.

Liverpool fans, do you think Grujic is ready to make the step up? Surely his performances have been too good to ignore this season…

[ad_pod ]Sunderland have had an exciting and entertaining season despite last year’s relegation to the third tier, and fans have been having a bit of fun by sharing their “unpopular opinions†about their club on Twitter.Sunderland will welcome Walsall to the Stadium of Light on Saturday in a match that could well launch their end-of-season push to finish above Barnsley. Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….The Tykes, who held the Black Cats to a goalless draw at Oakwell during the week, travel to Doncaster on Friday night, where anything less than three points will open the door for Sunderland to surpass them, providing they win their games in hand.Jack Ross’ side have of course struggled to turn draws into wins at times over the last few months though, and plenty of fans are unimpressed by their style of play, with one saying they have only played “well†on a couple of occasions this season.

Loads of fans have been sharing what may be usually be their unspoken views on the club, and from the hilarious to the outrageous you can find some of the best reactions down below…

اعترف والد لاعب آرسنال توماس بارتي، أن الأخير كان مترددًا بشأن فكرة الرحيل عن صفوف أتلتيكو مدريد إلى النادي الإنجليزي.

وحصل آرسنال على خدمات اللاعب الغاني في آخر أيام سوق الانتقالات الصيفي، الاثنين الماضي.

وقال والد بارتي، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “مترو” الإنجليزية: ” لقد ذهبت إلى دورة تدريبية لذلك كنت أقرأ الكتب الرياضية وأبرز الأحداث، وأيضًا التاريخ الآخر حول الرياضة للرجال والنساء، لذلك أخبرت نجلي أن الفرصة قد جاءت وعليه ألا يضيعها”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فينجر: عدم مشاركة أوزيل مع آرسنال لغز بالنسبة لي

وأضاف: “ما لاحظته إنه كان فقط مستعدًا للعب مع فريق يتواجد في دوري أبطال أوروبا، ولكن اقترحت عليه فكرة الانتقال إلى نادِ لا يشارك في دوري الأبطال ويساعدهم في التأهل إلى تلك البطولة”.

وواصل: “كانت نصيحتي له بغض النظر عن الخطوة الكبيرة، عليه أن يستمر في التدريب بجدية وألا يفقد التركيز، كان متجاوبًا بشدة معي”.

وتابع: “في الواقع لم ننزعج بأي شيء لأننا كنا نأمل أن يأتي فريق أكبر من أجل بارتي، كنا على علم بالفرق الأخرى التي كانت مهتمة بضمه مثل يوفنتوس وتشيلسي وما إلى ذلك”.

واستكمل: “لذلك علمنا أن الله كان معنا في كل هذه الأمور”.

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There are conflicting reports about Ryan Kent’s price tag this summer, but a permanent move to Rangers is looking less and less likely.

What’s the story?

According to The Liverpool Echo, Liverpool are seeking in excess of £12m for Kent this summer.

The 22 year-old has been mostly superb for the Gers since returning from injury, but the report says the Reds are unlikely to sanction another temporary move and will command a huge fee.

The Daily Record have also named their price tag for the winger, claiming a bid of around £8m to £10m will do the trick.

Either way, Kent is simply not worth that much and Steven Gerrard should give up the chase.

Imbalanced squad

Aforementioned, Kent has been brilliant at times since returning from injury, and he has already racked up five goals and nine assists during his debut campaign at Ibrox.

However, the Gers have a frankly ridiculous amount of left-wingers, with Glenn Middleton, Jamie Murphy and Eros Grezda all expected to be in and around the first team next year while Jordan Jones will join this summer as well.

Given that the squad is sorely lacking in striking support for Alfredo Morelos, right-sided attackers, creative midfielders and centre-backs, splashing out a huge portion of the summer kitty on Kent would be a grave error from Gerrard.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

The boss is clearly a big fan of Kent having worked closely with him at Liverpool, but he cannot justify spending anywhere close to £10m on a player who is not necessary to build and develop the squad.

There are more pressing matters to attend to, matters that could shape the club’s future under Gerrard and matters that will be ignored if the boss throws all of his cash at his old club.

Marcelo Bielsa is the key to unlocking big name signings this summer – they just need to complete the small task of securing promotion.

We are at the business end of the season now and all hands are on deck at Leeds United as they fight alongside Norwich City and Sheffield United for the automatic promotion spots.

Indeed, this is usually an exciting period for fans – the run-in into the transfer window – the excitement of the rumour mill linking exotic names from far and wide – the faces of potential stars who could light up a club’s season, superimposed into our favourite kits in our imaginations.

Leeds United have sadly not been able to enjoy this pleasure. In fact, they have been able to enjoy scant little recently for the anxiety of missing out on the Premier League again is so strong.

But gossip is still flying, and according to reports from Italian outlet Tutto Mercato, PSV Eindhoven’s highly-rated youngster Justin Lonwijk could be one of the first signatures to join Elland Road next season.

The 19-year-old has an impressive record playing for the Dutch club’s under-21 team, where he has made 24 appearances and scored six goals this season, following equally admirable stints at under-19 level, scoring 20 times in 50 appearances, respectively.

With his contract set to expire this summer, there is every chance that the player’s agent has artificially generated interest to improve his client’s current deal at PSV – as they so often do nowadays.

Eintracht Frankfurt and AS Roma are also said to be interested in the player, so Bielsa faces some tough competition if Lonwijk’s availability is legitimate.

Leeds United fans, how you do you see the rest of your season going? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

وجه طارق قنديل عضو مجلس إدارة الأهلي، التهنئة للشعب المصري على فوز المارد الأحمر على نظيره الوداد المغربي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا، اليوم السبت.

وفاز الأهلي على الوداد المغربي بهدفين دون رد في ذهاب دور نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، في اللقاء الذي جمع بينهما على استاد محمد الخامس بالدار البيضاء.

اقرأ أيضًا.. وائل جمعة عن انفراد حسين الشحات: كان يحتاج أبو تريكة.. ويشيد برباعي الأهلي

وقال طارق قنديل في مداخلة عبر إذاعة الشباب والرياضة: “مبروك للشعب المصري، أداء جميل وربنا وفقنا ومتبقي 90 دقيقة فقط لكي نصل للنهائي”.

تابع: “البعثة كانت منضبطة، والكل كان في قمة الالتزام، والله كان كريمًا معنا”.

وواصل: “اللاعبون كانوا رجالا وعلى قدر وحجم اسم الأهلي، وسنخرج من الاستاد على المطار مباشرة، والطائرة ستتحرك بالبعثة الساعة 3 فجرًا”.

واستكمل: “أداء مشرف، وأقول لجماهير الأهلي أنكم جمهور عظيم ويستحق كل شيء جميل، وربنا يمتعنا بإفريقيا”.

وبسؤاله هل تتمنى أن يكون النهائي أمام الزمالك أم الرجاء، رد قائلاً: “أتمنى الفوز بالبطولة”.