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Reliable journalist Paul Joyce has handed Everton another injury blow ahead of their return to Premier League action, alongside the issues for James Garner and Jarrad Branthwaite.

Everton injuries before Ipswich clash

The Blues are back after the international break, facing a massive trip to Ipswich Town, as two struggling teams do battle at Portman Road. Sean Dyche’s men are only one place and one point ahead of the newly-promoted outfit, highlighting the importance of Saturday’s result.

Everton need as many players fit and firing as possible this weekend, allowing depth to make a difference from the substitutes’ bench. Still, Dyche knows he will have to make do without several important players. Both Garner and Branthwaite are doubts, with the latter enduring a horribly fitness-plagued season to date, which hasn’t allowed him to kick on after such an impressive 2023/24 campaign.

Seamus Coleman, Vitaliy Mykolenko and Armando Broja are also absent, but on the plus side, influential attacking ace Iliman Ndiaye looks likely to be available. Now, however, another injury blow has emerged, acting as a new setback for Dyche.

Everton handed fresh injury blow

Taking to X on Thursday, Joyce confirmed that Everton youngster Tim Iroegbunam is now expected to be out for “weeks” with a foot issue, ruling him out of the Ipswich game in the process:

This is another setback that Everton could really do without, considering the 21-year-old has been a firm fixture in the team so far this season.

Iroegbunam has started four of the Blues’ seven Premier League matches, as well as appearing in another two, and he has been a solid performer at the heart of their midfield. He has averaged an impressive three tackles per game, showing how effective he is in his off-the-ball wor – only Roman Dixon (5.0) has a higher average for Everton this season, who has only played once.

During his Aston Villa days, there was also the small matter of the young Englishman being hailed by a legendary former midfielder in Steven Gerrard, who said of him: “He’s got a fantastic profile for a number six. He’s a long project for us to work at. He’s still very raw but he’s got a lot of attributes that we like.

“Tim has got to work on his game, I went to watch him for the under-23s in the week, and he started a little bit slow and got sent off at the end but in the middle bit of the game he was outstanding and looked like a Premier League player.”

£120k-p/w Everton flop was meant to be Arteta 2.0, then he left for free

Everton star was going to be their next Arteta but left for £0.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 18, 2024

Having both Iroegbunam and Garner out is far from ideal for Dyche, in terms of his midfield options, and the Everton boss will be desperate to see both back in the fold as soon as possible.

West Ham United transfer chiefs have drawn up “fresh plans” to sign a £40 million player, with manager Julen Lopetegui personally identifying him as a possible new addition.

Lopetegui under pressure as West Ham eye new attackers

Chairman David Sullivan and the Hammers hierarchy gave their green-light for technical director Tim Steidten to splash nearly £120 million on nine new signings in the summer, but their form hasn’t exactly reflected the new quality in Lopetegui’s squad so far.

What Julen Lopetegui has done to leave West Ham players very "surprised"

The Spaniard is dividing opinion behind the scenes.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 2, 2024

West Ham are without a win in all competitions since late August, with their last victory coming against Bournemouth in the EFL Cup. Since then, Lopetegui has watched his side fall to Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City while also being held against Fulham and Brentford in the Premier League.

While it is still very early days, questions are being asked about West Ham’s lack of memorable moments in games, despite the quality and fresh new additions to choose from.

Match

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

#8

28/09/2024

Brentford (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#7

25/09/2024

Liverpool (A)

Carabao Cup

5-1 loss

#6

21/09/2024

Chelsea (H)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#5

14/09/2024

Fulham (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#4

31/08/2024

Man City (H)

Premier League

3-1 loss

#3

28/08/2024

Bournemouth (H)

Carabao Cup

1-0 win

#2

24/08/2024

Crystal Palace (A)

Premier League

2-0 win

#1

17/08/2024

Aston Villa (H)

Premier League

2-1 loss

Some critics believe Lopetegui is at risk of losing his job if their form doesn’t pick up quickly, with West Ham also unable to call upon striker Niclas Füllkrug, who is still recovering from an achilles injury and unavailable for selection.

“I think there’s more pressure on him after what David Moyes managed to do,” said ex-West Ham recruitment chief Mick Brown to Football Insider this week.

“When 60,000 people are saying they don’t want this and they want a different type of football, the board have had to be careful with their decision.

“It’s always difficult trying to judge what the owners and directors will do. Their knowledge of the game is not great and they’ve made many mistakes in the past. They were warned to be careful what they wished for, but having made that decision [replacing Moyes with Lopetegui], they’re wary of making another mistake.

“I don’t know Lopetegui and I don’t know how he works, but if we’re looking at the results he’s had so far, which is what the game is about, he’s definitely at risk.”

Fullkrug’s absence has exposed West Ham’s lack of striker depth, for both the present and for the long-term. Indeed, Danny Ings and Michail Antonio are on the wrong side of 30 and out of contract next summer, leading to the club’s reported interest in Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush.

West Ham draw "fresh plans" to sign Marmoush after Lopetegui call

GiveMeSport have shared a fresh update this evening.

It is believed that West Ham have drawn up “fresh plans” to sign Marmoush, with Lopetegui personally earmarking the Egypt striker as a possible new signing at the who can give them that extra bite going forward.

Marmoush is also being chased by Newcastle United and Aston Villa, as all three Premier League sides prepare to battle it out over the £40 million forward’s signature at the turn of the year.

The 25-year-old has started this campaign in absolutely electric form – scoring six goals and registering five assists in just seven games across all competitions – which has surely turned many heads in east London.

Praised for his “tireless” work rate by Eintracht boss Dino Toppmöller as well, other reports have claimed that Marmoush is “most likely” to join West Ham or Crystal Palace, so this could be one to watch heading into 2025.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil signed some quality players during the summer, but the Old Gold have failed to hit the ground running.

Unless things pick up soon, the manager could find himself under some pressure, no doubt about it.

Jorge Strand Larsen joined on loan in the summer, and Wolves will be hoping he enjoys a better temporary move than some of the previous signings who have joined on loan in the past, most notably Trincao.

Trincao’s Wolves’ statistics

The Old Gold signed the winger from Barcelona on a season-long loan deal in the summer of 2021, having an option to buy if he was successful.

In 30 matches, Trincao scored three goals, showcasing flashes of his talent at the Midlands side, but it was clear Bruno Lage wasn’t going to make his move permanent.

In a strange quirk to the deal, Wolves ended up paying the La Liga side £5m to not make the deal permanent following a clause in the loan agreement.

He has since joined Sporting CP, netting 26 times across 108 appearances at the time of writing. It didn’t quite work out for him at Molineux, and the club could have signed someone else instead that summer. A player who is currently starring for AC Milan – Rafael Leao.

Wolves missed out on signing Rafael Leao in 2021

Ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, it was reported that Wolves were keeping tabs on the winger as it appeared that Milan were willing to let him go for the correct price, with talks even held with the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, over a potential deal.

It was certainly a missed opportunity for the club, as since this failed move, Leao has turned into one of the finest attacking talents on the continent.

Since the start of the 2021/22 season, the 25-year-old has scored 46 goals and grabbed 44 assists across 143 matches in all competitions, an incredible record.

Previously hailed as “unstoppable” by Milan legend, Fabio Capello, the winger has reached new heights during his spell in Italy, demonstrating his talents regularly for the Serie A side.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

According to Transfermarkt, the winger is now currently valued at an eye-watering €90m (£75m), which means Wolves will certainly not be able to lure him to the Midlands now, that’s for sure.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2023/24

47

15

14

2022/23

48

16

15

2021/22

42

14

12

2020/21

40

7

6

2019/20

33

6

3

His valuation not only ensures he is the highest-valued player at his club, but he is also ranked as the 20th most expensive player according to market value in the world.

The 25-year-old has also impressed for Portugal, scoring twice at the 2022 World Cup as his nation crashed out at the quarter-final stage.

Imagine if Wolves had somehow pulled this transfer off. How good would Leao have been in the Premier League? It is a question no one knows the answer to, but it appears his desire to remain in Italy has paid dividends over the previous few seasons.

Trincao might not have been the worst signing Lage made, but considering Leao was a key target, it represented a major missed opportunity by the club.

Wolves wanted to sign "unplayable" star for £21m, now he's worth £103m

Wolves wanted “super” striker, who’s now worth five times the amount

ByConnor Holden Sep 27, 2024

A “phenomenal” title-winning manager is reportedly liked by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Manchester United, with Erik ten Hag’s future still looking shaky.

Ten Hag still given time at Man Utd

Ten Hag is now at the beginning of his third season as Red Devils boss, but despite winning two trophies in that time, he is still yet to fully convince the vast majority of the Red Devils’ fanbase.

An EFL Cup and FA Cup apiece is all well and good, but performances and results in the Premier League have been nowhere near good enough too often, while United failed to get past the Champions League group stage last season.

After five league matches in 2024/25 to date, the Red Devils sit 11th in the table, winning only two matches so far and losing 3-0 at home to bitter rivals Liverpool earlier in the campaign. For that reason, Ten Hag finds himself battling to save his job, even though one report has stated that Ratcliffe and others high up at the club are still willing to give him time to prove himself.

That hasn’t stopped other managers from being linked with the job, however, with former Juventus boss Max Allegri linked with taking charge at Old Trafford if the current manager is relieved of his duties soon. Now, another name has been thrown into the mix.

Man Utd like "phenomenal" title-winning manager

According to InterLive [via Sport Witness], Simone Inzaghi has emerged as a potential Ten Hag replacement at Manchester United, with the Red Devils admiring the Italian.

The report says that they “don’t have too much confidence” in their current leader, adding that “at this point his farewell to Old Trafford seems almost obvious”, with the Inter Milan manager standing out as a candidate to be his successor.

Inzaghi’s credentials are clear, with the 48-year-old doing a superb job in charge of Inter, including winning the Serie A title last season and clinching Italian Cup glory three times in his managerial career – once with Lazio.

He likes to adopt a 3-5-2 formation, which can be an awkward system to come up against because of the effective use of wing-backs, while Felipe Caicedo has waxed lyrical over him in the past, saying he is the best manager he has played under:

“Inter are an unplayable team, come on. They’re very strong and know what they want. The squad has been together for years. Inzaghi is a phenomenal coach. I’ve never had a better manager, even though I had top coaches like Eriksson and Hughes.”

For now, it does appear as though Ten Hag is safe in his job, but there is a nagging feeling that he isn’t the right man to take United forward, with one step forward often seemingly leading to two in the wrong direction.

Man Utd keen on signing 21 y/o superstar who Kane thinks is "unbelievable"

This could be a game-changing addition by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

ByHenry Jackson Sep 23, 2024

In Inzaghi, the Red Devils have a proven winner at the peak of his powers as an option, so if Ratcliffe doesn’t see enough improvements in the coming weeks, he could consider making a move for him.

Newcastle United are reportedly edging closer in their pursuit of Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, as Eddie Howe seeks star talent this summer.

The Magpies have already made a statement this transfer window in capturing Sandro Tonali in a deal worth £55m from AC Milan, however the big names aren’t due to stop there.

How much is Joao Felix worth?

Financial backing isn’t due to be an issue for Newcastle this summer, with the support of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) behind them.

A lucrative offer is exactly what Howe’s side will need to produce in order to pry Felix away from Madrid, who expect a figure of €140m (£120m) for the Portuguese whizz.

While a sum of that amount seems ludicrous, the North East side could negotiate a compromised offer for the forward, who is valued by FootballTransfers around €45m (£39m).

Could Newcastle United sign Joao Felix?

According to Spanish outlet ABC, relayed by Sport Witness, Newcastle are one of the clubs to have ‘rang’ Atleti over the availability of Felix.

The context implies that the Magpies have made contact with the Spanish side over the player, with Manchester United and Aston Villa also named as potential suitors.

Howe’s side have the upper hand over the Villans, with the player wanting Champions League football next term, however with a reported salary of £195k-per-week, it would be a statement to bring the 23-year-old to St James’.

Hailed as being a “dream” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the former Chelsea loan player could be an electrifying addition to Howe’s squad, in a move that could prove the clubs’ ambition going forward.

A difficult loan spell in west London hasn’t caused Premier League sides to divert away from the attacker, who has established himself as one of the best in Europe for his rise in the game.

Rising through the ranks at Benfica, the Portuguese gem sparkled in his homeland, seeing him snatched by Atletico after a magnificent first senior season for the Eagles, in which he made 24 goal contributions in 26 Liga Portugal appearances.

A complete player in terms of his passing, finishing and quality in possession, the 23-year-old made 39 goal contributions in 96 La Liga appearances before endeavouring on his Premier League journey.

Ranking in the top 5% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year in terms of his progressive passing (4.12 per 90), Felix has seen himself compared to the likes of Lionel Messi based on his statistics over a per 90 average, via FBref.

Deployable anywhere along the front line, the potential introduction of Felix could cause some worry for Miguel Almiron, who could see his place in the squad jeopardised by the 23-year-old marvel.

Putting his past glory aside, the former Chelsea man performed at a higher level than the Paraguayan in a number of attributes last season.

As per FBref comparisons, the 29-year-old averaged 2.49 shots per 90, as well as 2.78 progressive carries and 1.23 successful take ons per 90, lesser averages than Felix who averaged 4.40 shots, 3.25 progressive carries and 2.10 successful take-ons per 90.

The Viseu-born ace also averaged better in his distribution to cause threat in the final third, recording an average of 4.50 progressive passes and 2.77 passes into the final third per 90, to Almiron’s 4.48 progressive passes and 1.63 final third passes per 90.

In signing Felix, Howe could boldly ditch the 29-year-old in place of the forward, who has the capabilities to take the Magpies to the next level.

Manchester United target Diogo Costa's name 'keeps coming up' at Old Trafford as Erik Ten Hag endeavours to sign a new goalkeeper this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

What's the latest transfer news involving Diogo Costa?

According to The Daily Mail, Porto goalkeeper Costa and Inter Milan stopper Andre Onana are among the favourites to replace David De Gea at Old Trafford.

The report states that Manchester United's budget won't be able to cover bringing in both a goalkeeper and a striker, so a compromise of some sort will need to be found within their recruitment process.

Football Insider claim that it looks likely that De Gea won't return to Manchester United amid uncertainty surrounding his contract situation and the fact he is now a free agent while he isn't keen to play second fiddle at the Premier League giants.

In terms of the Red Devils' attraction towards Costa, A Bola via The Sun have revealed that he has a clause of around £65 million in his current contract at Porto.

As per The Athletic, Manchester United have also contacted Feyenoord over the availability of goalkeeper Justin Bijlow as they step up their transfer proactivity.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports journalist Sheth has detailed that Costa is a name that carries on getting mentioned in conversations at Old Trafford.

Sheth said: "United will be looking at other keepers. Diogo Costa from Porto is a name that keeps coming up.

"David Raya from Brentford, possibly a little bit too expensive for what United believe, with him only having a year left on his contract and making it clear that he wants to leave."

Would Costa be a good signing and who else had been linked with the Red Devils?

Costa, who has been hailed as "sensational", has earned a reputation as a reliable stopper between the sticks and could help Manchester United to reach a new gear in 2023/24.

Last term, the 23-year-old made 41 appearances in all competitions for Porto and managed to keep 20 clean sheets in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Costa also achieved a save percentage of 77.2% in the Primeira Liga and 81.6% in the Champions League, respectively, demonstrating his capacity to keep the majority of strikes he faces away from the target.

Sofascore illustrate that Costa earned an average match rating of 6.95/10 for his exploits on the pitch in the Portuguese top-flight last campaign.

In other news, Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has completed his medical ahead of a move to Manchester United. Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano gave an update on the state of play surrounding the England international on Twitter, stating: "Mason Mount’s medical was fine and successfully completed — waiting for Manchester United announcement. Mount’s expected to share his ‘goodbye’ message to Chelsea — then Manchester United will unveil Mount as their first summer signing."

The Daily Mail have reported that Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund is another target for Manchester United, with talks continuing between both parties, indicating a busy summer window ahead at Old Trafford regarding incomings.

Arsenal are still very interested in Southampton's Romeo Lavia and he "remains" on their shortlist, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Are Arsenal going to sign Lavia?

Having invested all their time and resources into securing deals for Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, Arsenal's recruitment team have barely been able to catch their breath over the past few weeks.

The Gunners want to build a team capable of going a step further and toppling Manchester City next season, and Mikel Arteta will need significant reinforcements to catch the champions, especially with the added pressure of Champions League football.

While Rice remains their midfield priority, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey's seemingly inevitable Emirates exits means that a second midfielder will be required as well. That midfielder very well could be 19-year-old Romeo Lavia.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Lavia remains firmly on the Gunners shortlist, despite interest from Liverpool ramping up.

"We already told you last week that Romeo Lavia is in Arsenal's list, that Arsenal had some positive conversations on club and player's side, but still no official bid," said the Italian.

"We know the priority is to resolve other stuff, like Timber, Rice and many others. Of course, Havertz will be official, but, guys, it is important to say that Romeo Lavia remains in Arsenal's list as one of the players they appreciate."

"So, Romeo Lavia is in Arsenal's list, but from what I understand, also Liverpool have opened talks to sign Romeo Lavia."

Romano also suggests that the Gunners may have to wait for Partey's future to be decided before they can act on their Lavia interest. However, by this time they could be behind other clubs in the queue.

Last season's Premier League runners-up had also shown a significant interest in midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who could have followed the path of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to north London, but the German has since joined Barcelona.

What could Arsenal expect from Lavia?

The fact that Lavia has taken inspiration from former Manchester City teammate Fernandinho can only be a positive thing for potential suitors, with the Belgian sharing some key characteristics with the 53-cap Brazilian international.

Lavia has great defensive awareness and reads the game well, being described as "head and shoulders" above any of Southampton's other players this season – albeit that is a very low bar – and being praised for his "professionalism" and "consistency".

Valued at more than £40m by the Saints per Romano, that could well prove to be a steal in an inflated transfer market, especially for a player who is just 19 with a year of top-flight experience under his belt already.

Lavia could provide Arsenal with significant defensive stability in the absence of Partey, as well as being a cheaper alternative should Declan Rice join Man City.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in a Premier League ace, as the Villans bid to take the squad to the next level this summer.

It’s expected to be a busy transfer window for Unai Emery and newly appointed president of football operations Monchi, who have experienced successful business escapades together while at Sevilla.

The latest link could pose to be a significant upgrade to the squad and become the second signing snatched from a newly relegated side, with Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans in agreement to join the club at the expiration of his contract.

Leeds United could be forced to sell one of their stars this summer, after suffering relegation to the Championship, as Villa eye midfielder Tyler Adams.

As reported by the Daily Mail earlier this week, the American international’s future has been ‘enquired’ about by the Midlands side, with Brighton, Everton and Nottingham Forest all interested.

The report states that Leeds have valued the 24-year-old at £25m with interested clubs said to be weighing up bids.

What could Tyler Adams offer to Aston Villa?

Lauded as a “monster” by ex-defender Alexi Lalas, the former RB Leipzig ace made a huge impact in his debut Premier League season, after signing for Leeds from the Bundesliga side last summer.

Despite his best efforts, the New York-born talent was unable to steer the Whites away from relegation, and with Championship football confirmed for next term, the end of his time at Elland Road already looks in sight.

While Leeds’ relegation is upsetting for most in Yorkshire, the timing comes as good news for Villa, who could snatch a true destroyer in midfield by swiping the talent.

The 24-year-old could pose to be a shining light in Emery’s set-up, posing similar attributes to a fellow defensive midfielder already at the club.

Douglas Luiz ranked as Villa’s top performer this campaign via Sofascore, maintaining an average match rating of 7.10 acting as the Villans colossus in midfield.

Emery could repeat the success of the Brazilian at Villa Park by signing Adams, who has performed at a similar level in the engine room this campaign.

As per Sofascore, the £57k-per-week gem averaged a monstrous 3.7 tackles per game with a win rate of 57% of his total duels, cementing his claim to being the controller in deep midfield.

Luiz showed strengths in mirrored attributes to the 24-year-old, averaging two tackles per game and a 52% win rate of his total duels as the enforcer in Emery’s side.

The two fared almost identically in terms of their rate of interceptions with Adams averaging 1.5 to Luiz’s 1.1 per game, with both players also providing a positive outlet going forward, with the Brazilian averaging 1.2 key passes to the Leeds ace’s one per match.

Emery could have the recipe to create the perfect duo of midfield operators, in adding a Premier League-proven whizz in the engine room to his squad. Indeed, it would perhaps be a signing that could prove to be a replica of his middle of the park general.

Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke is hoping to bolster their midfield with Bayern Munich ace Ryan Gravenberch this summer after failing in their seasonal goals and missing out on Champions League qualification.

What's the latest on Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool?

That's according to prominent German outlet BILD, who claim that reports of the Reds' interest indeed ring true and manager Jurgen Klopp has maintained his interest with the summer transfer window now officially open.

There are reports that the ace is available for just £25m after failing to cement a regular starting berth with the German champions this season, signing from Ajax for €24m (£20m) one year ago.

A prospective transfer is complicated by Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel's unwillingness to allow his budding midfield machine to leave despite his lack of minutes, but if the Reds can put forth a compelling offer he could yet leave the Allianz Arena to play a central role in Liverpool's revival.

Should Liverpool sign Ryan Gravenberch?

As the adage goes: if it rains at eleven it will last til seven. Liverpool's spluttering season resulted in a failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons, and was exacerbated by the unwanted news of Jude Bellingham's magnetising to Real Madrid after heavy speculation surrounding his future at Borussia Dortmund – speculation that pointed largely towards Merseyside.

It wasn't to be and the Kop have made a shrewd early move to rectify the woes by signing Alexis Mac Allister for a bargain £35m earlier this month, and considering the fact that Gravenberch has been described to be "better than Jude Bellingham" by ex-Tottenham Hotspur gem Rafael van der Vaart, Liverpool could be plying the astute work necessary to return to the top.

Having also been praised as "dominant" by his former coach, Gravenberch only started three times in the German top flight and will expect an upturn in playing time next term if he does remain with Bayern.

The 11-cap star, despite his inactivity, still ranks among the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 23% for progressive passes, the top 26% for progressive carries and the top 19% for successful take-ons per 90 as per FBref.

And provided the platform to cement a position of salience at Anfield, Gravenberch would surely only see such metrics skyrocket, becoming the club's saviour after a lacklustre year for Klopp's side.

He could be the dream alternative to Khephren Thuram, who has been of heavy attention to the Anfield side this summer, with the likes of Fabrizio Romano confirming that the Nice ace is on the shortlist as a physical presence to strengthen the robustness of the club.

Comparatively, the Frenchman ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, which is unequivocally impressive.

Thuram is indeed a "monster" of a midfielder – as stated by Sam McGuire – but he is allegedly available for around €60m (£51m), and considering this, Gravenberch is surely the more auspicious option.

Evidently just as talented and available at a far cheaper rate, Schmadtke and co must consider such a player to bolster their ranks.

Everton are “informed” on the situation of Lyon striker Moussa Dembele ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Moussa Dembele leaving Lyon?

The Frenchman first arrived at the Groupama Stadium from Celtic back in 2018 and since joining, he’s gone on to make a total of 172 appearances under Laurent Blanc, but he’s now on the lookout for his next destination after it was confirmed that he would be leaving upon the expiration of his contract at the end of this month.

The Ligue 1 centre-forward is no stranger to the English top-flight having carried out a spell at Fulham between 2012-2016, and after making himself available on the market, there’s a chance that he could be set to return having caught the eye of Sean Dyche, but not for the first time.

Back in January, The Mirror (via Goodison News) reported that the Toffees were in talks to sign the 26-year-old but a deal failed to come to fruition, though with him now set to cost nothing to recruit, the boss has been put on alert once again as he weighs up whether to make a second attempt at bringing him to Merseyside.

Are Everton signing Dembele?

Taking to Twitter, Romano name-checked Everton as one of the clubs interested in striking a deal for Dembele following his departure from Lyon. He wrote:

“Moussa Dembele has been approached by several clubs after leaving OL as free agent. Understand Everton and Galatasaray are both informed on conditions of the deal, while Saudi clubs are also keeping tabs on Moussa's situation.”

Should Dyche make another move for Dembele?

Everton are clearly serious about signing Dembele to be considering another approach and it’s no surprise given Dyche's penchant for playing with a classic number nine. Dembele was previously dubbed the “New Didier Drogba” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so with the centre-forward being free, it would be an absolute bargain of a deal and one that Dyche should 100% revisit.

The Adidas-sponsored star, who pockets £51k-per-week, clocked up 89 goal contributions (70 goals and 19 assists) in 172 Lyon appearances and standing at 6 foot tall, makes an ideal target man, averaging 1.3 aerial wins per league game last season, a number that rises to 3 if you take it per 90 minutes.

Finally, Dembele, who has the versatility to operate as a second striker alongside his natural role up top, already knows what it takes to compete and be successful having secured ten trophies at club level throughout his career, so would be able to instill a much-need positive mindset and winning mentality to the squad at Goodison Park.