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After Frank Lampard was appointed as the new manager at Everton on Deadline Day, the manager had to rush into making some impact signings he thought would help him steer the club into safety and out of the relegation battle.

The former Chelsea boss managed to acquire the services of Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek and Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli, both of whom were facing similar fates at their parent clubs with the pair being outcasts in their teams and struggling for game time, with Lampard offering them both a golden opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.

However, the pair have been less than satisfactory since their arrival at Goodison Park, with Alli only picking up 218 minutes of play over the last four months and Van de Beek hasn’t been much better, although he did make an instant impact on his debut that seemed promising at the time.

The 24-year-old who was criticised for being a “danger” by Casey Stoney won the most possession in the middle third (6), made ten ball recoveries, making the joint-most tackles (4) and aerial duels won (3) against Leeds United but failed to emulate this stand-out performance ever since.

In February, it was reported by The Mirror that the Man United loanee would set out to make his temporary move to Everton permanent and at that point, it looked like a promising prospect for Lampard, but as the months have gone on and time runs down on his half-season loan, the manager must brutally axe Van de Beek, sending him back to Old Trafford.

The Toffees were without the support of the Dutch midfielder again on Sunday in their victory at the King Power Stadium with Lampard confirming that he is injured for the third time, which means that he hasn’t been featured in the team since March, unavailable to assist Everton in their tight relegation battle.

This inconsistent form will come as no surprise to Dutch legend Marco van Basten, who cast doubt on Van de Beek’s ability to handle the Premier League, even going as far to say he was “not that good” in a scathing review of the player.

“Van de Beek is not that good,” he said. “As number 10 at Ajax it is much easier than as number 10 in Spain or England.”

Ironically, the £22.5m-rated former Ajax star may get his second chance at Manchester United despite his inconsistencies and lack of minutes in the Premier League since his arrival, as when he returns to Old Trafford this summer, the manager that propelled him into the spotlight will be taking charge.

Erik ten Hag has been appointed as the new Man United manager, and Van de Beek will be given the chance to prove his worth back in Manchester this summer according to reports, which will take pressure off Farhad Moshiri and Lampard having to have awkward conversations about his future this summer.

Ultimately, with light at the end of the tunnel almost in reach for the manager and his Merseyside team after moving out of the relegation zone on Sunday, he will need to focus on improving the squad next season by getting rid of deadwood, and Van de Beek will be an easy offload for Everton.

AND in other news: Forget Holgate: Everton’s “top pro” who completed 95% passes saved Lampard today

Transfer insider Dean Jones has encouraged Tottenham Hotspur to make an attempt to sign Chelsea midfielder Jorginho this summer. 

The lowdown: Spurs eyeing replica

Spurs boss Antonio Conte will certainly be in the market for more reinforcements following the arrival and subsequent positive impacts of Juventus pair Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur in January.

Following a report from the Evening Standard claiming that Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici will seek to find a player of a similar ilk to the 30-year-old Jorginho, a cultured midfielder is clearly on the list of priorities at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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However, one reputable journalist has suggested that the north Londoners could make a move for the real deal…

The latest: ‘A lot of talk’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones has suggested that Tottenham should make a move for the 43-cap Italy ace.

He said: “If Conte wants a Jorginho, then go and try and sign Jorginho, because I think that Chelsea might be open to him leaving at this point.

“There’s a lot of talk of him potentially being reunited with Maurizio Sarri this summer. And I think that we will be reading headlines about him potentially leaving Chelsea.”

With off-field matters still not resolved in west London, Jorginho is out of contract in 2023 and is currently unable to negotiate a new deal with the club.

The verdict: Not the right fit

Albeit nigh on impossible to question Jorginho’s quality having been named the Best Player in Europe in 2020/21, the experienced Italian midfielder isn’t where Spurs should be looking at this juncture, despite Conte previously recognising his improvement in becoming a ‘stronger’ player since arriving in the Premier League.

Instead, the Lilywhites need to bring younger options with the potential to flourish and develop further whilst at the club into their ranks.

For this, when using the FBref player comparison tool, names such as 25-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt defensive midfielder Djibril Sow, Lyon starlet Maxence Caqueret and Sassuolo 24-year-old Maxime Lopez all trend alongside Jorginho stylistically and would fit a more suitable age bracket.

Whilst a move on the cheap for the man described as ‘relentless’ by manager Thomas Tuchel would be a welcome one, we feel Conte and Paratici would be best served looking at long-term options.

In other news: Reliable source: Tottenham agreement now ‘very likely’ as Conte closes in on ‘top signing’, find out more here.

Everton have survived their desperate relegation battle and will remain in the Premier League next season after a disastrous campaign, but Frank Lampard and his team can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t a comfortable game for the Toffees by no means, but the manager will be proud of the resilience his team showed in the second half of the game to come back from 2-0 down against Crystal Palace to score three in the final 45 minutes at Goodison Park.

Despite being at home Everton had less possession (43%), fewer big chances and completed over 100 less accurate passes than Patrick Vieira’s side yesterday evening, but even without domination of the ball, the team took their chances when they needed to.

In the first half, the Toffees struggled to impose themselves on their visitors and started massively on the back foot which ultimately cost them when Jean-Philippe Mateta found the back of the net in the 21st minute but the first goal wasn’t enough to wake the home team up as they conceded a second 15 minutes later when Jordan Ayew scored to double Palace’s lead.

Lampard quickly realised that he needed to make some ruthless changes to his team if he was going to have any chance of securing safety ahead of the final game of the season, swapping out an uninspiring Andre Gomes for Dele Alli and that one change may have been the catalyst in changing Everton’s fate on Merseyside.

Michael Keane and Richarlison brought their team back into the game with goals in the second half, but it was Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s killer goal in the 85th minute that made every Blues supporter’s dreams come true, with a goal that has now saved Everton in their penultimate game of the campaign.

One player who deserves a huge amount of credit for the win tonight is Demarai Gray, who came on the pitch for Anthony Gordon in the 61st minute, a substitution that was worth its weight in gold.

The 25-year-old who was hailed a “game-changer” by former manager Gary Rowett proved just how effective he can be in important moments even with just 13 touches of the ball he made every single one count.

Gray won 100% of his ground duels, was successful in 100% of his dribble attempts, creating one big chance and making one key pass proving that although he didn’t make many touches he was effective in achieving what he was brought onto the pitch to do.

Lampard, the squad and the supporters will be massively relieved and overjoyed to have taken themselves out of the relegation fight ahead of the last day of the season, but now the club must focus on the future and there is some serious work to do to make sure they don’t fall into the same situation again next season.

AND in other news: Everton eye a move for 18 y/o “shining light”, he could be the next Calvert-Lewin

The Evening Standard have now shared a promising West Ham United transfer update involving Rennes defender and transfer target Nayef Aguerd.

The Lowdown: Moyes joins race…

Irons boss David Moyes joined the chase for one of Ligue 1’s standout defenders in recent weeks amid his search for a central defensive upgrade, as backed by The Telegraph.

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Journalist Mike McGrath first claimed earlier this month that West Ham are looking to revive a deal for Aguerd after they failed to finalise his Premier League move last year.

Later on, it was reported by Sky journalist Dharmesh Sheth that the Irons had entered negotiations for the Morocco international with ‘growing confidence’ they can complete a move.

The Latest: Evening Standard share update…

Backing reports, The Evening Standard have weighed in with their own update, claiming ‘talks are progressing over a deal’ for Aguerd as manager Moyes ‘steps up transfer talks’.

The Scotsman is continuing to plot a summer rebuild in east London and it is believed that West Ham negotiations are advancing for Rennes’ star.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Aguerd’s capture will come as a big boost for Moyes and real upgrade for his defensive roster.

Lauded as the ‘real boss’ of Rennes by members of the French media, no player in Bruno Génésio’s side has made more clearances per 90 than the 26-year-old, summing up exactly why he’s been called one of the best defenders in France.

Taking this into account, Moyes’ interest is perfectly justified, and we believe Aguerd’s arrival would signal a solid start to the summer.

In other news: West Ham tension behind-the-scenes as GSB could now be set for big decision, find out more here.

Newcastle United could still recruit the best behind-the-scenes talent in football without having to worry about breaching Financial Fair Play rules, claims finance expert Dr Dan Plumley.

The Lowdown: Non-playing staff

On Saturday 28 May, The Times reported that the non-playing staff at Newcastle will be handed a pay rise for the first time in several years.

The current FFP system in the Premier League permits clubs a £105m loss over a rolling three-year period, with salary costs counting towards that total.

However, the Premier League is expected to adopt UEFA’s new profit and sustainability system imminently. This limits clubs to spending 70 per cent of turnover on wages and transfers, but it ultimately means only player and manager wages will be counted towards the quota.

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The Latest: Plumley’s claim

Plumley believes that Newcastle can utilise the new system to pay elite non-playing staff big wages to gain an advantage, without breaching FFP rules.

Speaking with Football Insider, Plumley claimed:

“This is potentially one way to get around FFP.

“If you look at the makeup of the backroom staff, Liverpool are the gold standard. They look at data, sports science, and psychology. The list is endless.

“In a sport where the margins are so fine, it can really pay off if you can get an edge in this area. If you have the best minds and the finest talent in football, you can make gains behind the scenes.

“Of course, everything needs to be streamlined and the culture needs to be right, and the commercial team and the finance team can grow too.”

The Verdict: May have already started

Just last night Newcastle announced the appointment of highly rated Dan Ashworth as the club’s new sporting director.

The 51-year-old joined former club Brighton in 2018 with an impressive reputation after his spell with the FA, where he helped various England age groups triumph at three tournaments in 2017, and then proceeded to establish the south-coast side as a mainstay in the Premier League.

With such appointments already taking place, this will be a huge sign of things to come for Newcastle, who will be doing anything they can to make marginal gains in pursuit of European qualification.

In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies target Hugo Ekitike ‘told’ he can leave Reims

Ex-BBC man Noel Whelan has insisted that Everton should sell Richarlison this summer if Paris Saint-Germain meets the asking price for the Brazilian.

The Lowdown: PSG links

According to a report by 90min, PSG are ready to make a move for the Toffees forward.

It is claimed that the Merseyside outfit need to sell either Richarlison or Dominic Calvert-Lewin in order to ease concerns over potential Financial Fair Play breaches.

Football Insider have reported that Frank Lampard will accept offers over £50m for the Brazil international, and the club are increasingly confident that a deal can be secured.

The Latest: Whelan’s claim

Ex-BBC man Whelan has urged Everton to get the deal done if a suitable offer comes in for the 25-year-old.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed: “It’s a no-brainer for me if there is interest in Richarlison.

“He drives me crazy. The antics that follow him on the pitch just completely overshadow what a great player he can be. If you can get a big chunk of money, £50million – then get it done.

“He’s not going to sign a new deal. It’s a way of giving Lampard the money he needs to bring in maybe four new faces this summer.

“Look, it might not just be Richarlison. We’ve seen Calvert-Lewin linked with moves as well. I think they may well have to sacrifice both players to do any business this summer.”

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The Verdict: Big loss

Despite an underwhelming season for Everton in front of goal, Richarlison managed to hit double figures and become the Toffees’ top scorer for the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

Praised by former manager Carlo Ancelotti as a ‘fantastic player’, it is no wonder that Everton fans are desperate for the club to hold onto their star man.

According to the Daily Mail however, the attacker has informed the Everton board about his intentions for the future at the club, and the Goodison faithful may have to just hope the club get the very best deal and reinvest wisely this summer.

In other news: Everton: PSG ready to make move for Richarlison

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of rumoured Leeds United transfer target James Milner.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, despite the versatile central midfielder receiving three proposals from interested clubs this summer, the 36-year-old is now set to put pen to paper on a new one-year deal with Liverpool – seeing him remain at Anfield until at least June 2023.

This is likely to come as a blow to Victor Orta and Leeds, with Joe Donnohue suggesting in a recent article for the Yorkshire Evening Post that the Whites could well have been one of the teams to make an approach for the former England international – as Jesse Marsch’s side have been linked with a move for their academy graduate continuously over the past two years.

In his tweet, the transfer insider said: “James Milner received three proposals/approaches from other clubs but he always wanted to stay at Liverpool as priority. New deal will be valid until June 2023. Final details to be resolved soon then paperwork will be ready to be signed.”

Supporters will be gutted

With Stuart Dallas having been ruled out of action until the turn of the new year, it is easy to see why Leeds could have been one of the clubs interested in the signing of Milner on a free this summer, as the Liverpool midfielder and the Northern Ireland international appear to be cut from the same cloth.

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Despite his game time becoming more limited with each passing season, the £1.8m-rated dynamo nevertheless remains an incredibly important part of Jurgen Klopp’s squad – something the 36-year-old undoubtedly proved in 2021/22.

Indeed, according to FBref data, the £150k-per-week veteran ranks in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for progressive passes per 90, as well as the top 5% for passes attempted, the top 1% for xA, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for tackles, the top 14% for blocks and the top 22% for interceptions over the last 365 days.

Aside from these impressive metrics, it is Milner’s ability to operate in a number of different positions that makes him such a valuable asset, with the Englishman playing 20 games in central midfield, five in defensive midfield, four at right-back and one from left midfield over the course of the season.

This positional versatility would have very much made the former Leeds starlet a perfect replacement for the injured Dallas, who himself is adept at operating from a number of positions across the pitch, with the 31-year-old playing 15 games at left-back, 13 at right-back, six in central midfield, one in defensive midfield and one from left midfield throughout 21/22.

However, following Romano’s latest update, it now would appear as if any hope Leeds may have held regarding a move for Milner this summer have now been dashed, something that is sure to come as a gutting blow to Orta, Jesse Marsch and Leeds supporters alike.

AND in other news: Orta can seal “outstanding” Raphinha replacement with Leeds bid for £72k-p/w “machine”

West Ham United are reportedly eyeing a deal for Hertha Berlin defender, Jordan Torunarigha, according to reports in Germany.

What’s the word?

As per journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Hammers have been named as one of the clubs who have “enquired” about the 24-year-old centre-back ahead of a possible move this summer.

The transfer insider has revealed that the 6 foot 3 giant has rejected a move to Gent – where he spent the second half of last season on loan – opening up the possibility of a €5m (£4.2m) move elsewhere: “News #Torunarigha : Gent made an offer (about 2 million € + bonuses). Player & Hertha have declined. Wolfsburg & West Ham have inquired about him. Probably: change within the Bundesliga! Price: around 5 million € ! conversations are ongoing”.

This news would suggest that David Moyes and co are plotting further centre-back additions, despite reportedly being close to confirming the signing of Rennes’ Nayef Aguerd.

Moyes’ next Zouma

Torunarigha may be something of an unknown quantity to most, although impressed during his temporary stint in Belgium last term, averaging 1.2 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 2.3 clearances per game from his 11 league outings, while also winning a solid 55% of his total duels and keeping four clean sheets.

The towering colossus had previously spent all of his career in his native Germany with Hertha, with the academy product scoring six goals and providing five assists in his 81 games in all competitions for the Bundesliga outfit.

Although unlikely to come straight into the starting XI at the London Stadium, the £4.5m-rated man would provide quality depth to what had been a problem area last term, with Moyes in need of additional reinforcements as the club once again get set to compete in European competition.

He would also seemingly be a player that the former Manchester United man could gradually help to nurture and improve without the weight of expectation of a big transfer fee, with the Scot having previously proven his astute nature in the transfer market.

The £21k-per-week gem – who was part of Germany’s Olympic squad in Tokyo – could also prove to be the club’s next Kurt Zouma, with the pair sharing a number of statistical and stylistic similarities, according to FBref.

Signed from Chelsea in a £29.8m deal last summer, the Frenchman enjoyed a fine debut campaign in east London – despite off-field controversy – averaging 1.4 interceptions and 5.5 clearances per game in his 24 Premier League appearances, while also winning an impressive 62% of his aerial duels.

Like the younger man, Zouma is also 6 foot 3 and provides an imposing presence in the backline, with his recovery speed also proving vital on occasion.

The same can be said of Torunarigha who was been labelled “mobile and comfortable on the ball”, as per the Bundesliga website, albeit with one notable difference coming in the fact that he is left-footed – offering a unique option to Moyes’ side.

The “rough diamond” – as he has previously been dubbed by former boss Pal Dardai – may not be of the quality of the current Hammers man just yet, although he could blossom into a player of similar ilk if a deal can be done this summer.

IN other news, “A chance…”: Ex drops exciting West Ham transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

West Ham are one of the clubs on the trail of Bordeaux striker Hwang Ui-jo, according to Calciomercato. 

The lowdown

Bordeaux finished bottom of Ligue 1 last season and consequently suffered relegation to the second tier. They have since been sent down another division to National 1, due to breaches of financial regulations.

Hwang made 29 league starts over the course of the campaign, with three further appearances as a substitute.

He spent much of his career in his native South Korea and Japan before moving to France in 2019.

Valued at £6.3million by Transfermarkt, the 29-year-old only has 12 months left to run on his Bordeaux contract, where there is likely to be a fire sale after their double demotion.

The latest

The Italian outlet reports that ‘a sudden opportunity’ has presented itself ‘on the market’.

Bordeaux are expected to sell Hwang this summer for a knock-down price, alerting a number of teams.

In terms of domestic suitors, Nantes have submitted an offer, while Marseille are back on the case after a failed pursuit in 2021. West Ham, along with newly-promoted Schalke, have also ‘taken information’.

It will come down to the player’s preferences, with the forward ‘free to choose his next club’.

The verdict

Hwang’s haul of 11 goals was fairly strong when you consider how much Bordeaux struggled. He was clinical too, comfortably out-performing his expected goal tally of 7.8 (via FBRef).

Overall, Hwang has netted 103 goals in 330 club matches and added 15 in his 45 South Korea caps.

In terms of playing style, he’s similar to Newcastle United’s Callum Wilson and former Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool star Luis Suarez.

Hwang, dubbed ‘brave’ and ‘a wonderful player to coach’ by former manager Jean-Louis Gasset, could be a solid, low-cost option for the Hammers as they look to bring in further cover and competition for Michail Antonio.

In other news, an update has emerged on West Ham’s pursuit of a PL midfielder. 

Charlie Eccleshare has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur forward Steven Bergwijn.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Athletic journalist revealed that, following Ajax’s long-term interest in a move for the 24-year-old, the Eredivisie side have now come to a €25m (£21.5m) agreement with Tottenham regarding the transfer of the winger.

Eccleshare goes on to state that the deal should go through around July 1, while Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte are hoping to secure the signing of a new forward prior to the Netherland international’s departure.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “On Bergwijn, understand that fee of €25m (£21.5m) has been agreed but final details are being sorted. Expectation is that deal will go through on or after July 1 and that Tottenham are hoping to bring in another forward before they sell Bergwijn.”

Supporters will be buzzing

While it is undeniable that Bergwijn is an exceptionally talented footballer, not to mention one who boasts a considerable amount of potential for future growth, considering how little the Dutchman featured following Conte’s appointment at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Eccleshare’s update that the winger has finally secured a move away from north London is sure to have left supporters buzzing.

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Indeed, of the 20 Premier League fixtures in which the £26m-rated forward featured under the Italian coach, only one of these appearances came from the off – with Bergwijn playing a total of just 275 minutes of league football for the 52-year-old.

However, despite this lack of minutes, the £73k-per-week talent still managed to impress last season, scoring three goals over his 20 top-flight outings under Conte – an average of one every 92 minutes – as well as netting a further goal and assist over his three outings in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Nevertheless, considering the fee Spurs look set to bring in for the 22-time capped international and his near-permanent spot on the Spurs bench last time out, it would very much appear as if a move away this summer is a deal that suits both the player and Spurs, while the prospect of Paratici bringing a more suitable forward into the club in Bergwijn’s place is sure to be an exciting thought for supporters.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano now reveals “very advanced” talks, Spurs supporters will be gutted