Everton: Woodgate rips into Richarlison

Richarlison was ‘hugely disrespectful’ to the travelling Everton supporters following Sunday’s defeat against West Ham United.

That’s according to BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Jonathan Woodgate, speaking live on air.

The lowdown

Everton lost 2-1 at the London Stadium to deepen their relegation fears ahead of Wednesday’s crunch encounter with Burnley.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-3/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Aaron Cresswell and Jarrod Bowen scored either side of a deflected Mason Holgate effort to give the Hammers victory against Frank Lampard’s side, who were reduced to 10 men with 25 minutes left when Michael Keane picked up a second yellow card.

Richarlison started on the left of Frank Lampard’s front three, joining Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Demarai Gray in the attack, and completed the full 90 minutes.

However, Woodgate spotted the Brazilian walking straight down the tunnel following the full-time whistle rather than going over to acknowledge the travelling fans.

The latest

Woodgate said that Richarlison really ought to ‘go and clap’ the fans after the game, many of whom would have made a 200+ mile journey from Merseyside.

He accused the 24-year-old of immaturity, claiming that he was effectively throwing his ‘toys out the pram’.

The verdict

Perhaps Richarlison’s frustration got the better of him. He had chances to score what could have been a crucial goal, but two of shots were off target, and the other three were blocked.

Journalist James Nalton wrote that the 24-year-old ‘should have done better’ with the opportunities he was given, picking out instances where he could have teed up Vitaliy Mykolenko or finished a chance created for him by Alex Iwobi.

It has been a difficult season for the £90,000-per-week forward in general, as reflected by his tally of just four goals. For comparison, in each of his first two years at Everton, he struck 13 times in the Premier League (via Transfermarkt).

If some Toffees supporters are upset with Richarlison, then maybe he will be able to redeem himself by tucking a chance away at Turf Moor in midweek.

In other news, Everton are ready to axe this midfielder in the summer

The Chalkboard: West Ham must swap their wingers against Crystal Palace

[ad_pod ]

West Ham visit Selhurst Park on Saturday to face Crystal Palace and will be hoping for a repeat of their previous meeting – the Hammers ran out 3-2 winners on December – although their chances will be significantly boosted if Manuel Pellegrini makes a simple tactical tweak.

On the chalkboard

There is a feeling of positivity around the London Stadium this season, despite some questionable results – Pellegrini has taken the helm and was backed extensively in the transfer market as he looked to overhaul the mish-mash he inherited from David Moyes.

While a few of the summer signings have failed to make an impact – albeit largely due to injuries – Felipe Anderson has been exceptional in the Premier League and is a threat when given an opportunity to whip in a cross or take a shot on goal.

Playing on the left-flank, the Brazilian has been a standout performer but will surely struggle to produce the goods if he starts in his regular role. He may not like it, but the former Lazio man must be deployed on the right if he wants as much joy as usual.

Avoiding Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Palace right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka has outshone Eagles talisman Wilfried Zaha this season and his battling performances in defence have surely put him on the radar of the big six.

As the noisy Selhurst Park faithful will tell you, wingers hate playing against the former winger; his pace makes him difficult to get away from and, on the rare occasion that he is beaten, a perfectly-time sliding tackle will often see him win the ball back.

Anderson would surely breathe a sigh of relief if he was tasked with attacking down Palace’s left, guarded by Patrick van Aanholt. The Dutchman is a threat going forward but can be caught out in defence – Pellegrini must switch his speedster over to the opposite wing if he wants to get the best from his star man, even if it means the 25-year-old won’t be able to cut inside, as he loves to do.

Who is West Ham’s worst ever signing? Check out the video below for a pretty strong candidate for the dubious honour…

Crystal Palace: Fans react to Christian Eriksen links

Crystal Palace have joined Brentford in the race to sign free agent Christian Eriksen.

That’s according to 90min, and their claim has had a number of Eagles fans talking on social media.

Eriksen is currently without a club after leaving Inter Milan last month and has been offered a return to the Premier League with Brentford.

The Bees have tabled an initial six-month contract with the option of a further year for the 29-year-old, however, Palace are also circling.

90min suggest that the Eagles and Championship leaders Fulham have also made contact with the attacking midfielder, who has made 226 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 51 times and providing 67 assists.

Eriksen left Tottenham in 2020, but it seems as if a return to England is on the cards with multiple clubs keen on his services.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the update regarding Palace’s interest in Eriksen on Twitter. This is what these Eagles supporters have had to say in reply, with many surprised at the links.

“Please @CPFC”

Credit: @joshstoneham03

“Maybe Eriksen is coming? Seems interesting”

Credit: @byson_matrix

“I’m going to pretend this is happening and have a fantastic Monday night”

Credit: @erictwigs

“Let’s get him!”

Credit: @SidViscous9

“Beautiful player, who I would LOVE to see in red n blue, BUT – can he really be allowed on a pitch after his last appearance? There’s a reason why his last contract was annulled…”

Credit: @Promo_man

“Erm”

Credit: @matthew_poole30

In other news: Crystal Palace now move for Celtic defender with transfer on the cards – journalist. 

Everton injury news on Townsend

Ben Dinnery has now dropped a shock Everton injury claim involving Andros Townsend.

The Lowdown: Out for the season

The Goodison Park faithful confirmed in March that Townsend will be out for the rest of the season, after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during their 4-0 loss away at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-3/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

A scan on his knee revealed that he will have to now undergo surgery, before starting his rehab with the medical staff at Finch Farm.

The Latest: Dinnery claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery, a medical expert who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in both medicine and data analysis, has claimed that Townsend may not be able to get back to his pre-injury levels until the 2023/24 campaign:

“Whether a surgery has been successful or not comes down to the definition of success.

“Is success a full return to play and pre-injury levels? If so, we won’t know for up to nine months, maybe even longer.

“Surgeons these days are well-versed in carrying out these procedures. There are very, very high success rates.

“In terms of the injury, I’d be fairly confident that it will all go as planned. But it will be several months before we know how Townsend has responded.

“It could be early 2023 before we see him back in contention. Then it might even be 2023-24 before we see him back to his pre-injury levels.”

The Verdict: Shock

It may come as a shock to some fans of the Merseyside club just how long it could be until Townsend fully recovers.

By the 2023/24 term, he would be 32 years of age, and so there would have to be question marks over how long he could still perform at the highest level.

Townsend has ranked as one of the Toffees’ best players in the Premier League, and has contributed three goals and two assists (WhoScored), so losing him for such a long time will come as a big blow to Frank Lampard and the supporters.

In other news, find out which ‘excellent’ brute Kevin Thelwell is now plotting a move for here!

Everton eye Leicester ace Vestergaard

Transfer insider Dean Jones has been reacting to some transfer news from Everton involving Jannik Vestergaard.

The Lowdown: Vestergaard swoop?

It has previously been reported from a Football Insider source that managing director Kevin Thelwell is now plotting a move to bring Vestergaard to Goodison Park in the summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-4/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

A senior scout from the Merseyside club watched the Leicester City central defender play for Denmark during the international break, and the recruitment team want to prioritise signing a ‘dominating’ centre-back like him.

The Latest: Jones reacts

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has now given his reaction to the news, claiming that the potential deal is ‘not one that’s been mentioned’ to him as being ‘likely’ to happen:

“It’s not one that I’ve heard. He’s not one that’s been mentioned to me as one that is likely.”

The Verdict: Needed

The Toffees certainly need a new presence in the backline, and Vestergaard could be just that.

Described as a ‘real threat‘ in both boxes by journalist Luke Hatfield, the 29-year-old stands at a mammoth six-foot-six-inches tall, winning 2.1 of his aerial duels per match on average this season.

Jamie Carragher previously called the Blues’ defence a ‘Championship back four’ just last month, and given his Premier League experience, Vestergaard could be an ideal signing should they avoid relegation.

Nonetheless, Frank Lampard will have to make-do with what he has got for now, and could look to the big Dane this summer.

In other news, find out the latest on Lampard’s future here!

Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs eyeing move for Denzel Dumfries

Tottenham Hotspur are now eyeing a move for Inter Milan right wing-back Denzel Dumfries, according to a report by Sport Mediaset (via SportWitness).

The Lowdown: Conte’s search for a RWB

It was heavily reported that Spurs boss Antonio Conte wanted to bring in a new right wing-back in January.

Fabio Paratici was initially negotiating with Adama Traore over the proposition of playing in the position, having come close to agreeing a £20m fee with Wolves.

However, Spanish giants Barcelona swooped in at the last minute, snatching the 26-year-old out of Conte’s grasp.

As a result, the Lilywhites manager has been left with just Emerson Royal, following the season-ending injury sustained by Matt Doherty.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Dumfries rumours

According to a report by Sport Mediaset (translated by SportWitness), Inter may need to sell players to manage the books this summer. Therefore, Dumfries could be an option which would make significant money.

It is claimed that Bayern Munich and Tottenham would be “in the front row” for a summer transfer, as both sides are “watching him very carefully”.

Sport Mediaset further report that it would take in the region between £29.5m and £33.7m to secure the Dutchman’s services.

The Verdict: Good signing

After a shaky start to his Serie A career, Dumfries has gone on to earn comparisons with that of Inter legend Maicon, after a string of “brilliant” performances.

The Netherlands international’s underlying stats certainly illustrate this; he ranks in the 99th percentile in his position for non-penalty expected goals, non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists, touches in the attacking penalty area and progressive passes received (Europe’s top five leagues via FB Ref).

His attacking threat would complement Conte’s play-style perfectly, as he would slot in as an overlapping wing-back in Spurs’ back five.

If Paratici can get this deal across the line, we feel this would be a perfect signing for Conte.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Sky Sports man drops Steven Bergwijn claim

Everton could sell one of key duo

Everton have been rather active in the transfer window over the past few years when it comes to bringing new players to the Merseyside club.

At times, the Toffees have spent significant sums of money on players such as Ben Godfrey, Alex Iwobi and Moise Kean to name a few.

The previous summer transfer window was a different story for the club as they were impacted by Financial Fair Play rules, resulting in them only signing Demarai Gray for a relatively low fee of £1.7m.

Looking ahead to the next summer window, it seems as though the Goodison Park outfit may once again be in danger of being troubled by their financial issues, this time in a much more potentially damaging regard.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Paul Brown had this to say about the future of Everton duo Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.

He said: “It’s inevitable that one of them goes because the financial position the club finds itself in is so dire that they know they have to sell someone to generate some revenue.”

Bad news for Lampard

Having scored a combined total of nine Premier League goals between them this season, it’s safe to say that the duo are two of Everton’s key attacking figures.

The attackers also make up two of Everton’ three highest-rated outfield players currently at the club in terms of their overall performances according to WhoScored.

Also, with the pair being worth a combined fee of £82.8m, they are the club’s two most valuable players, showing why Brown thinks selling one of them could help the Toffees financially.

However, given how vital they both are on the pitch for the Merseyside club, selling either of them anytime soon would be a disaster for Frank Lampard and the fans.

While this could be an issue for the Toffees by the time the upcoming summer transfer window opens for business, their main concern at the moment will surely be on doing all they can to stay in the division.

Moving forward, the best thing that Everton can do is to win as many points as they can from their remaining league games.

Once they potentially manage to do that, the focus can then shift onto their summer business.

In terms of what the financial situation at the Merseyside club will look like at that point, it should be their top priority to keep hold of both Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin.

In other news: Lampard can now axe “desperate” flop as EFC plot bid for “exceptional” £37k-p/w dynamo

Wolves transfer news on Adama Traore

Tim Spiers has now revealed some key transfer news involving Wolves and Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Who’s in the running?

Traore’s contract at Molineux expires in the summer of 2023, and with no sign of him penning a new deal any time soon, the January transfer window provides the optimum opportunity for the Midlands club to get the maximum value out of selling him.

Tottenham have been strongly linked with signing him after reportedly already having personal terms agreed, while Italian football journalist Rudy Galetti has recently claimed that the 25-year-old is on his way to Barcelona on a loan move with an option to buy.

The Latest: Traore’s price tag revealed

Replying to a Wolves fan on Twitter, The Athletic journalist Spiers has revealed that Traore’s asking price is €25m (£20.9m), contrary to some reports of a higher figure. The journalist tweeted:

“I think there’s some confusion because some reports are £ and some €.

“From what I’m told it’s €25m, so £20.9m.”

The Verdict: Too cheap

While Traore has not been at his best so far this season, with just one goal scored and no assists in 23 games across all competitions (Transfermarkt still value him at £25.2m, and there is no doubting his ability on his day.

The Spain international currently averages a whopping 4.2 dribbles per game in the Premier League, second only to Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin (4.3), and at 26 years of age, he still has room for improvement.

Wolves should not be bullied into selling him cheaply with just a few days left in the transfer window.

In other news, find out what transfer update has left these Wolves fans gushing

Ajeti, Barkas, Bolingoli set to exit Celtic

Celtic trio Albian Ajeti, Vasilis Barkas and Boli Bolingoli all look set to leave the club this month, according to The Daily Record’s Gabriel McKay.

The Lowdown: Exits needed

The Hoops have been extremely busy when it comes to incomings this month, with Michael Nicholson finalising five signings for Ange Postecoglou’s squad in January. Midfielder Matt O’Riley was the latest to move to Parkhead, penning a deal until 2026 from MK Dons.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-copy/” title=”Celtic updates!! (Copy)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It seems as if Celtic’s focus now is on moving players out of Glasgow in the final days of the window, with three Neil Lennon acquisitions in line to leave the club.

The Latest: McKay’s claim

McKay shared a transfer news recap on The Daily Record on Saturday evening.

Within his report, he said that Ajeti, Barkas and Bolingoli all ‘look set to go in the opposite direction and follow Leigh Griffiths out of Celtic Park’.

The Verdict: Flops

Celtic paid £4.5m for both Ajeti and Barkas and £3m for Bolingoli. That has proven to be £12m not well spent, with the trio hardly featuring under Postecoglou this season.

Hopefully the Hoops can recoup the majority of the £12m they spent on those three players, but that could be a big ask for CEO Nicholson with only a few days remaining in the transfer window.

If you use Transfermarkt’s valuations, for example, the Hoops could land just £4.95m, as Ajeti’s value has dropped from £4.05m to £2.25m as a Celtic player, Barkas’ going from £4.5m to £1.35m and Bolingoli’s falling from £2.7m to £1.35m.

In other news: ‘Absolute travesty’ – Journalist reacts as Celtic swoop for Jota now in ‘doubt’

Leeds United: Where’s Jack Clarke now?

Having been one of the rising talents of Leeds United’s academy, it no doubt would have hurt the club’s fans to see Jack Clarke being prised away by Tottenham.

Reports back in the summer of 2019 claimed that Spurs paid a £10m fee to Leeds to sign Clarke, with further payments scheduled based on whether certain conditions are met.

Sadly for both the north Londoners and more so the player himself, things just haven’t quite panned out for him, with Transfermarkt now citing his value at less than half of that amount at just £4.5m.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

That’s a real indication of just how much of a step backwards his career has taken since Spurs signed him, with the now 21-year-old having made just four senior appearances for the Lilywhites.

Having been unable to break into the senior setup at Spurs, Clarke was shipped out on loan to QPR, who were keen to see him rediscover his potential and help him find his form.

The club’s director of football Les Ferdinand said: “You can see that Jack is quality as we played against him last year when he was at Leeds. He’s a young boy but he has undoubtable talent and I think once he goes back they’ll probably look at him through pre-season, see how he does and then make a judgement on whether it’s another loan or (Jose Mourinho) may see a benefit to the Tottenham team now and the way he wants to play.”

However, Clarke would play just seven times for QPR before returning to Spurs, and it’s safe to say that things haven’t kicked on from then.

Along with spell with the Hoops, Clarke also spent time out on loan at fellow Championship outfit Stoke, and in January he moved to League One side Sunderland.

While he has featured more regularly for the Wearside club – he has played 13 consecutive times in the third tier – he has scored just one goal and provided one assist.

It was no surprise that Sunderland boss Alex Neil admitted that the versatile midfielder’s end product has let him down in his short spell with the club thus far, saying: “He can take people on one-for-one, which is obviously a good strength to have, and he’s been a threat for us. He’s missed a few key chances, and I think that’s the next stage for him. He just needs to be that bit more clinical in front of goal.

“I think there’s been a few games recently – Lincoln, in particular, is one that sticks in the mind – where he had a golden opportunity, and they’re the moments we’ve got to capitalise on. But, in the main, I think his appetite for the work that he needs to do and his willingness to be a threat for us and take us up the pitch, he’s done well.”

For Clarke’s sake, a good end to the season would do him the world of good and help him to find his groove again, but in Leeds’ case, they played an absolute blinder by letting go of the £25k-a-week earner for an eight-figure fee three years ago.

AND in other news – Leeds could strike gold with £42m teenage sensation, he follows Raphinha on Instagram

Game
Register
Service
Bonus