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Reports from Spain earlier this week claimed that Carlo Ancelotti is eager to exploit Everton’s relationship with FC Barcelona to help him sign Miralem Pjanic in the summer, but the Toffees boss must avoid striking a deal for the Bosnian midfielder.

It is claimed that Ancelotti wants to maximise the relationship that Everton have built with the Camp Nou natives in recent years, one which has seen Lucas Digne, Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes ditch the La Liga giants for life on Merseyside.

Pjanic could be the next in line to join that group after struggling to establish himself in Catalunya since leaving Juventus last year, with Ronald Koeman often leaving the 30-year-old on the bench such has been the disdain for his performances.

Koeman is thought to have had high hopes for Pjanic having arrived after his €65m (£59m) arrival and the €72m (£66m) sale of Arthur to Juventus in June, but the 98-cap international has only started 13 of his 28 appearances in all competitions.

Pjanic is still seen to have his admirers around Europe and is not expected to struggle to find a new home in the off-season, with Everton one side who could potentially sign him.

It is suggested that the Blues may enquire into signing Pjanic on loan for the 2021/22 campaign with an option to buy the midfielder, who now has a TransferMarkt valuation of just £36m, in the following summer window.

Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur may also be in the mix for the £271,000-per-week talent as Jose Mourinho likes Pjanic a lot, though Barcelona are noted to favour a deal with Everton due to the two club’s shared relationship.

But Ancelotti should not explore the requirements Barcelona are bound to request to send Pjanic out on loan for next season, as the four-time Serie A winner would not be expected to improve the Goodison Park ranks sufficiently enough to make a move worthwhile.

Koeman has frequently opted to overlook Pjanic this season as the former Toffees boss has grown serious concerns over the Bosnian’s abilities, noting last month via quotes by FC Barcelona Noticias: “Miralem has to improve the rhythm of the ball [and] know his position.”

Pjanic’s struggles to adapt to Koeman’s demands, and the resulting lack of game time, have seen the 30-year-old grow frustrated at the Camp Nou, and question why he has only started three of his seven La Liga appearances from 11 available games since the turn of the year.

“I have played at all the clubs I’ve been at and with all the coaches I’ve had. A situation like this has never happened to me. Of course, it’s not easy, I accept it with great difficulty,” he told Telefoot last month.

“I don’t have the exact reasons why I’ve not had the playing time I expected. I keep working and you have to respect the decisions that are taken, even if you don’t agree. I want to leave my mark at this club.”

That mark has so far been one of a player who Marca note ‘seems to be getting further, not closer, from where Barcelona need him to be,’ as Pjanic struggles to find any consistency with his performances or minutes on the field.

His maiden year at the Camp Nou started on the wrong foot, too, with Sport reporting in October that he was ‘two steps behind his teammates in training’ and was ‘still far from optimal physical shape’ despite more than a months’ worth of sessions, as he struggled to match the intensity shown by his new teammates.

With the Premier League often touted to have higher physical demands on players than La Liga, we would expect to see Pjanic struggle if Everton were to make a move to sign the midfielder this summer and as such, they must not explore what is bound to be an expensive deal.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti is eager for Everton to sign a £32.5m-rated titan who top clubs would sign “without thinking twice”…

When Sunderland face Fleetwood on Tuesday evening, they will do so full of confidence.

They swatted fellow promotion hopefuls Doncaster to one side in recent weeks, and their win over Burton demonstrated that the Mackems truly have the wind in their sails.

On the chalkboard

Lee Johnson won’t want to make too many changes to the side that beat the Brewers so comfortably at the weekend.

However, if he is thinking of making a change, then he must drop one specific player to the bench again. That happens to be Southampton loanee Jake Vokins.

The left-back has had a pretty torrid start to life at the Stadium of Light and to date, his temporary spell has been a difficult one. Roker Report said it was hard to picture many worse Sunderland debuts after the 2-2 draw with MK Dons and he’s looked unconvincing ever since.

He was at fault for the second goal during the defeat to Shrewsbury and misplaced a succession of passes in the win over Burton.

It eventually saw him hauled off in the second period in place of a man who simply has to start on Tuesday night.

The solution

The answer to their woes with Vokins lay at the feet of another loanee; Jordan Jones.

The winger has only played six times and started twice since his move south of the border from Rangers, but he’s caught the eye in his minimal time on the pitch.

He was hailed for his efforts by supporters after his cameo off the bench last time out and as his fitness grows game by game, he could become a force to be reckoned with.

Jones was only on the field for 23 minutes against Burton but managed three key passes – the second-highest number of anyone in a Black Cats jersey. On top of that, he finished the clash with a pass success rate of 100%.

You only need to heed words from Glasgow Live reporter Mark McDougall to understand what he can offer: “In all honesty, he should stroll League One if his attitude is right when he goes down there. He’s two-footed so can go inside or outside and has pace to burn.”

The journalist added: “He can be a joy to watch when he’s on his game because of how direct and tricky he is.”

Johnson has already extracted similar qualities from Aiden McGeady in recent weeks so it’s exciting to see what he could do with Jones.

He needs to be unleashed on Fleetwood, not just because of his individual attributes, but because Vokins is struggling down the left.

AND in other news, 1 goal in 15 games: SAFC ace who left Parkinson fuming has been a passenger for months…

Connor Goldson was Steven Gerrard’s unsung hero as Glasgow Rangers ground out a routine victory over St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

Gerrard’s side now need just six more wins to claim their first league crown in a decade after an inspired Ianis Hagi scored in the second half to give Rangers a 1-0 win over Callum Davidson’s side.

Hagi looked back to his very best as he ran the Saints ragged at Ibrox, while Borna Barisic also had a big part to play on the left-hand side of the defence, but the man who caught the eye the most was Goldson.

Goldson was nothing short of immense on the night, as he cut an imperious figure for the Gers, helping them to a third successive victory across all competitions.

Under Gerrard, the 28-year-old has been colossal at the back, and was hardly troubled at all as he put in a tremendous shift in a show of physical strength and exertion.

In total, he won 81% of his duels overall, including seven from eight individual battles in the air – that being the most out of any player from either side.

He also emerged victorious from one tackle, one clearance and three interceptions, while he wasn’t dribbled past once, such was his level of dominance. The next few months are going to be very demanding and Goldson has shown he is the sort of player who can compete and lead by example.

All credit to the Rangers manager Gerrard, as he has played a huge part in transforming the career of a player whose life-threatening heart condition threatened to derail his career entirely.

Goldson also took 119 touches, that being bettered by none other than James Tavernier himself, and also won more aerial duels than any other player on the pitch.

In fact, it was the Rangers defender’s all-round display that overshadowed the performance of Barisic. He may not possess the ball-carrying ability of Barisic, but his no-nonsense attitude has kept them out of many a tight spot on multiple occasions so far this season.

He may not be the most naturally-gifted centre-back at the club, but he’s certainly become Mr Dependable.

AND in other news, Ianis Hagi stars in Rangers’ 1-0 win over St Johnstone…

Jairo Riedewald has signed a new three-year contract with Crystal Palace which will keep him at Selhurst Park until 2024.

While it’s a welcome boost for Roy Hodgson, the same can’t be said for James McCarthy, who faces an uncertain future in south London.

Riedewald scored a worldie of a goal after his 20-yard screamer took a deflection off Ciaran Clark to ensure the Eagles recorded back-to-back-wins in the Premier League for the first time since September as they overcame a spirited Newcastle United on their own home turf at St James’ Park.

He then marked the special occasion by putting pen to paper to a new deal to commit his future to the club.

McCarthy, on the other hand, has struggled for game time under Hodgson this season, with Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur often preferred in his place, having made ten appearances across all competitions, earning a rather disappointing WhoScored match rating of 6.36 overall for his efforts.

By comparison, the 24-year-old has been in superb form for Hodgson’s side since the start of the season, averaging a solid 6.44 for the Eagles in all competitions.

In fact, it’s fair to say that Hodgson’s midfield is pretty well-stocked at present. He’s got Milivojevic, McArthur, McCarthy and Riedewald at his disposal, with the first two making at least 37 appearances between them this season thus far.

And the Eagles also have Cheikhou Kouyate on their books, albeit the 31-year-old has shifted to more of a defensive role as of late.

With Riedewald now penning a new deal, you do worry that McCarthy could soon be deemed surplus to requirements by the south London club.

Hodgson previously praised McCarthy for his role in Palace’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City last season, saying: “He’s been excellent and he’s getting better and better. We knew it would take a little time. He was training with Everton, so when he came to us he was technically fit and there was nothing wrong with him but of course he was not that close to the first-team for periods of time, not knocking on the door if you like.

“I knew the more he did with us, the chances he would get, he would get stronger and stronger. The action he performed for our equalising goal was quite incredible. That amount of running at that point in the game and to produce that pass was a class act. My faith in him and his faith in himself and determination to get back to that level of football has been rewarded. When you get these serious injuries which take you out of football for a long period of time it’s not easy.”

Unfortunately for McCarthy, since those promising comments, he has still been forced to settle for a spot on the bench more often than not so far this season and with Riedewald seemingly here to stay, the Irishman may have to get used to a place on saidthe aforementioned bench.

If he can’t re-establish himself in the first team between now and the end of the season, then it wouldn’t be a a surprise at all to see him leave Selhurst Park in the summer.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace will rue not signing Bayer Leverkusen winger Demarai Gray…

Speaking exclusively to FootballFanCast, former Premier League ace Rob Lee has slammed Arsenal star Willian.

The £220k-a-week earning star joined on a free transfer from London rivals Chelsea in the summer transfer window, and enjoyed a superb debut for Mikel Arteta’s side by assisting two goals in a opening day 3-0 win over Fulham.

Since then however, things have gone downhill for the Brazil international, with the 32-year-old still yet to score for the club and only adding one more assist to his total.

That has seen the winger drop out of the starting line-up in recent weeks, with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe firmly ahead of him in the pecking order on that right-hand side.

And when asked about how Willian has done this season for Arsenal, Lee delivered a scathing verdict on the Gunners’ summer signing.

He said: “Awful. For someone of his ability, you can see why Chelsea didn’t want to give him a long contract. Could have been Frank’s (Lampard) decision or could have been someone else’s decision, but you can see why they weren’t going to give him a longer contract.

“Willian has got so much talent and so much ability, but again, I don’t know, he just seems he’s not bothered. If he plays great, then great. But if he doesn’t, then not really bothered.”

The idea that Willian hasn’t been particularly bothered at Arsenal this season echoes the kind of problems the Gunners have had with Mesut Ozil, who also has that similar languid style – in fact, The Athletic recently claimed that “some feel that, not unlike Ozil, Willian is not helped by his relaxed body language”.

With the Gunners’ young guns like Saka and Emile Smith Rowe showing the way in recent weeks, Willian’s performances have just been scrutinised even more. And given he still has more than a couple of years left on his contract, it feels like a bad signing already.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could sign another Kieran Tierney in this starlet…

Sheffield Wednesday advanced into the next round of the FA Cup this weekend, seeing off the challenge from lower league opposition, though they remain without a permanent manager.

The Owls are looking for their fifth boss in three years following the sudden sacking of Tony Pulis over two weeks ago, chairman Dejphon Chansiri pulled the trigger after just one win in ten matches under his tenure.

Although according to talkSPORT this weekend, the Yorkshiremen have opened talks with Paul Cook over the vacant managerial role.

He was even quizzed about the possibility of taking over at Hillsborough Stadium whilst on pundit duties for Sky Sports, he said (via YorkshireLive):

“It is very, very flattering to be linked. I am an out of work manager and I am desperate to get back into football,” before adding: “Sheffield Wednesday is an absolutely massive football club. It would be a fantastic club for anyone to manage so while I’m being linked with it, it is obviously very flattering.”

The Athletic have also claimed that the 53-year-old was in the running the first time before Chansiri hired Pulis.

Cook has been out of work since departing Wigan Athletic at the end of the 2019/20 season, he resigned citing the club’s off-the-field problems as a major factor to talkSPORT (via Wigan Today).

He was the man to bring the Latics up the Championship and recorded an overall record of 65 wins from 155 matches (41.9%).

And there will be one name eager to see him appointed, that being Chey Dunkley, who was Cook’s first-ever signing at the DW Stadium.

The 6 foot 2 titan was one of his star performers too – when fit – in 117 appearances under him, Dunkley scored 13 goals whilst during the 2018/19 season, he averaged a whopping 6.2 clearances and 5.8 aerial duels won, per WhoScored.

Those figures are the best of his career of matches recorded by the statistical website.

Indeed, Cook could bring the very best back out of the Owls summer signing, especially as they have leaked 23 goals in 23 matches so far this season.

Former Latics teammate Sam Morsy lauded the 28-year-old “unbelievable” due to his aerial ability and goalscoring record, also claiming that he’s “lethal” in one-on-one situations.

He would surely benefit more than any other player at Hillsborough and that could be a major game-changer for their bid to avoid the drop.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit drops hint over vacant Sheffield Wednesday job…

Some Southampton fans were left fuming at the display of Danny Ings in his side’s 0-0 draw against West Ham United in the Premier League.

So often the talisman for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team, the England international did not have the best of games at St. Mary’s Stadium, as he recorded a very measly 6.1 overall rating on Sofascore, the lowest out of any player to have set foot on the pitch.

The 28-year-old failed to win any of his eight duels in the entire game, and also never managed to record a single shot on goal or a single successful dribble (Sofascore).

He also had fewer touches than his own goalkeeper in Alex McCarthy in the match, and also failed to register a single key pass, all while losing possession of the ball no fewer than 13 times (Sofascore).

The striker did not escape criticism from some SFC supporters on Twitter after his quite dismal performance.

Southampton fan reaction to Ings display

These Southampton fans slammed his performance, with one even claiming that he was ‘invisible’ in the clash:

“Quite literally, the worst game Ings has had in a #saintsfc shirt. Why play him when he’s not fit?”

Credit: @Jimwhite72

“#SaintsFC lethargic tonight. Ings and more off the pace. Would have liked to have seen Armstrong on 10 minutes earlier. Still, another point and another clean sheet in a difficult period of congested games. Onwards.”

Credit: @JamesConverge

“What a tired, dreary #SaintsFC performance that was. Starting to become a habit at the moment. West Ham came for a point and defended well but just like Fulham and Man City we just played it about with no belief we could score. Ings looks a shadow at the moment.”

Credit: @jonokli

“Another poor performance. The left hand side is pretty much redundant. We an equivalent to KWP ASAP, Bertrand finished IMO. Ings well short too and never looked like scoring again. Only positive is a clean sheet #SaintsFC”

Credit: @jamesalexwhite7

“Ings has been fairly invisible, not fully fit #saintsfc”

Credit: @sfcpaul100

“What’s happened to our goals and Danny Ings. Getting worrying #SaintsFC”

Credit: @SputhamptonFC

In other news, find out why Saints are raving about one particular stat here!

Aston Villa must surely consider going back in for Reading midfielder John Swift, after rivals Sheffield United appeared to drop out of the race to sign him.

What’s the story?

The former England U21 international was the subject of intense speculation over the course of the summer transfer window, with reports even going so far as to claim that Villa were ready to make a bid for him.

That however failed to materialise before the end of the deadline, but Villa could be tempted to go back in for Swift given what Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder had to say about possible incomings for the Blades.

He said: “There are conversations. There won’t be permanent transfers. There will be loans. There’s been discussions through agents who represent players and through clubs as well. It’s a fluid situation, as you can imagine. I’d like to use both loans and I’ll be putting my recommendations to the board.”

Potential McGinn upgrade

With John McGinn woefully out of form this season for Villa – he’s managed no goals or assists in the Premier League since mid October – Smith must surely be looking at Swift as someone who could add a bit of dynamism and spark to the centre of midfield.

The Reading ace hasn’t featured much for the Royals this season due to injury, but he does have a track record of being someone who can offer a goal-scoring threat, managing 45 goal contributions in 152 games for the club.

And after he put an impressive performance against Leeds United last season in the Championship, Marcelo Bielsa made it quickly just how much he likes him, saying: “Swift is a great player. I rate him a lot. He is a player who appears suddenly in attack and the same in transition. Especially when he passes from the defence to the attack.”

The £4.5m-rated man could give Villa an extra edge in the middle of the park.

Meanwhile, Villa could land a surprise bargain in this Premier League star.

If losing Harry Kane to injury last season taught Tottenham anything, it’s that they need more personnel on their attacking roster. As the club push for their first ever Premier League title, a solid back up for the England international should be high Jose Mourinho’s shopping list.

Spurs currently only have loan signing Carlos Vinicius to cover Kane, which isn’t good enough for an elite side on the hunt for silverware. Desperate times like these only highlight deals from the past that turned out to be wrong in hindsight. One of them is Daniel Levy’s decision to let Fernando Llorente leave last year.

Llorente was a loss for Spurs

Looking to bolster their options up front, Spurs paid £15million to sign Swansea’s star player in 2017. Thanks to Llorente and Gylfi Sigurdsson – who also left the club at the end of the 2016/17 season – the Swans survived relegation. The striker netted an admirable 15 goals, finishing in the top ten highest goal scorers for the campaign.

Despite a slow start to his career in north London, Llorente showed flashes of brilliance and ended his tenure with 13 goals and six assists in mainly cameo appearances (via Transfermarkt). And although he played second fiddle to Kane, Mauricio Pochettino was a big admirer of his. So much so that when the Spain international joined Napoli on a free contract last summer, the former boss was left seething when they were trumped by the Italians for his signature.

That certainly would have caused friction between Pochettino and Levy and could have potentially added to the Argentinian’s shock departure just months later. Fans were left distraught when their beloved manager was given the sack and they were frustrated with Levy over his decision to let Llorente go.

It seems despite his clever deals like signing Dele Alli for £5million, the Spurs chairman isn’t squeaky clean when it comes to his business decision. This is definitely up there with some of the club’s major faux pas.

In other news, Dele Alli situation could brew storm between Daniel Levy & Jose Mourinho…

After making his breakthrough in the 2018/2019 season when he made his full Premier League debut against Chelsea, Sean Longstaff hasn’t kicked on some would have hoped at Newcastle.

It even led to then Magpies boss Rafa Benitez saying he deserved a call-up to the England boss, insisting: “Sean wouldn’t look out of place with England, there are not too many young English players with his quality. I think he will go, he’s doing well and playing in the Premier League. I like to see my players going to the national team.”

But fast forward more than a year, and Longstaff has yet to move forward, with this season seeing him play just 13 minutes of football in the Premier League – two games even saw him fail to make the match-day squad.

After handing him a rare start against Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup back in September, Steve Bruce admitted that Longstaff has got a lot of work to do to get back to his best.

He said: “Sean is in the last two years of his contract – we all know what capabilities he’s got he’s got to show it more often and more regularly. He’s got a lot of work to do, but he’s got healthy competition around him and as I said, he was another one who needed a game tonight and I think that showed.”

Bruce also added that he thinks the 22-year-old’s long-term future could be in the number ten role, and that’s something that tallies well with what former Scotland international, Kris Boyd, has said.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

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He declared: “Sean Longstaff is a throwback. He is willing to take risks. He is a midfielder who is willing to take a shot, willing to try that forward pass. He might lose it five times out of six but he is prepared to do that because he knows that the sixth time it might lead to the goal that wins the game. He is always on the front foot and that’s what I like about him.”

With Jonjo Shelvey out injured, Newcastle need one of their brightest prospects to really step up to the mark. If he can get back to his best, then he could be the kind of game-changer that adds something different to the Magpies midfield.