Liverpool Send Scouts To Watch £50k-p/w Midfield "Artist"

Liverpool have deployed chiefs to assess Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha ahead of a potential summer move to Anfield, according to reports.

What's the latest on Palhinha to Liverpool?

The Reds are known to be in the market for a few new central-midfield additions during the upcoming window, with four players in that position set to be out of contract and therefore likely to be on their way out, and Palhinha has been identified as a possible candidate.

The Portugal international only arrived at Craven Cottage back in July, but has taken the Premier League by storm, as in his 31 appearances to date, has quickly become Marco Silva’s best-performing defensive player with a match rating of 6.99, as per WhoScored.

GiveMeSport reports that Jurgen Klopp had his eyes on the SW6 talisman even before he joined the Whites, so has clearly been a long-term admirer of his target, though a deal won’t be easy to complete with another four years still to run on his contract at Craven Cottage.

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have “sent scouts” to monitor Palhinha on several occasions as they weigh up making an official approach ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Merseyside outfit have a “strong relationship” with his agency, Gestifute, which is owned by Jorge Mendes – the same agent who also acts for Fabinho, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez. The Reds are hoping to bring in “multiple” midfielders at the end of the season as the boss plots a huge overhaul and the £50k-per-week talent is one of the names on his list of options.

Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha.

Would Palhinha be a good signing for Liverpool?

Palhinha may not be as high-profile a player as the likes of Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and Chelsea’s Mason Mount, who Liverpool have also been linked with, but the man dubbed an “artist” by journalist Josh Bunting, could be a fantastic acquisition at Anfield.

The 6 foot 3 ace is naturally a defensive midfielder, as displayed by him ranking in the 99th percentile for tackles – making 105 this season alone, winning 60 in total, which is higher than any of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef.

The Lisbon native is also capable of contributing to his side’s efforts in the final third having scored four goals since joining, with this form at both ends of the pitch. And perhaps more importantly, his influence on the Fulham team is stark.

Indeed, Fulham have lost every game he has not featured in this season, such is his impact in midfield. Therefore, whilst his price tag remains to be seen, we think there is enough evidence for FSG to splash the cash to secure his services later in the summer.

"Madness" – Chelsea Make Major Manager Decision

ESPN journalist Luis Miguel Echegaray has been left in disbelief as Chelsea cool their interest in former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique.

What’s the latest on Enrique to Chelsea?

The 52-year-old has been on Todd Boehly’s radar since the west Londoners opted to dismiss former manager Graham Potter at the start of April.

Enrique is also reliably believed to have even flown to England for talks with Chelsea recently, coming as the club step up their pursuit of a new manager.

Frank Lampard has been placed in temporary charge until the end of the Premier League campaign, a tenure which has gone disastrously thus far with still no victory since taking the hot seat.

Spain's former boss Luis Enrique.

Out of the Champions League and with zero chance of clinching silverware, it’s back to the drawing board for Boehly with managers high on the agenda.

Enrique was thought to be among the primary contenders to take over at Chelsea alongside former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, with the latter sacked unceremoniously despite leading his former club to a Champions League quarter-final.

Now, though, according to a report by The Telegraph, Chelsea have apparently cooled their interest in Enrique – with the Champions League winner not among Boehly’s main contenders for the role.

Reacting to this news, Echegaray has been left surprised – explaining that Enrique could be ‘perfect’ for the job.

Taking to social media, he explained:

Instead of the former Spain boss, it is believed that Nagelsmann and former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino are set for further talks and Boehly has even already been ‘impressed’ with the latter coach.

Should Chelsea turn away?

Enrique has plenty of credentials and arguably far more than some other names to have been linked.

Indeed, the former Celta Vigo boss holds multiple league titles alongside a Champions League winners medal – all while encouraging a possession-based, attack-minded style of football.

His status as a free agent stands out as yet another incentive for Chelsea to make a move for him, so The Telegraph’s update does indeed come as a surprising one.

Perhaps it was Enrique’s lack of experience in England which ultimately lead to this decision, but one way or another, some supporters will be disappointed.

'India losing a bigger headline than India winning'

MS Dhoni has said it was very important for India to not trip up in the final of the Asia Cup to hold the critics at bay, and to keep the team’s momentum intact leading up to the World T20. The unit is a balanced one ahead of the showpiece event, he said, with the only question mark hanging over seamer Ashish Nehra who might have to make way for Mohammed Shami.”India losing a final is a bigger headline than India winning a final,” Dhoni said after sealing an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh in Mirpur with a six over midwicket. “It’s like putting in a lot at stake: if you win then they say ‘nothing really’; if you lose to Bangladesh, say people ‘oh, you lost to Bangladesh?'”You’re supposed to win. It’s like a game where a lot is at stake but when you win, you actually don’t take anything forward.”However, Dhoni added, Bangladesh’s recent top form at home – including a 2-1 ODI series victory over India in June 2015 – translated into this victory meaning a lot more. “Things have changed. It’s not like the 2004 Bangladesh team. They have a fantastic squad right now. They have improved a lot, and that’s what is showing in their performance on the field. So it was an important one to win.””As far as staying in the present is concerned, it always helps. If you start thinking about what happened when the last time we were here… of course you feel hurt, but what’s important is to forget all of that and concentrate on the present. You can’t do much about the past, you can only take the learnings from the past and that’s what we did today.”Dhoni said the focus now turned to the World T20 for his team, which is already “in the groove” for the tournament. “If you see the kind of performances that the team has given, they will carry a lot of confidence into the World T20. They know what has been really going well for them, what their strengths are.”While he is satisfied with how the XI is looking, Dhoni said, he is also still waiting to see how Shami’s recovery progresses; Nehra has “done very well” for the team but might be replaced by Shami if the latter can get fit in time. Shami was initially part of the Asia Cup squad, but was ruled out of the tournament after it was found he had failed to fully recover from a hamstring injury that had kept him out of the limited-overs series in Australia in January.”Whether Shami is fit or not, we’ll see. He still has a bit of time,” Dhoni said. “The only reason he was picked was because, he is someone who can deliver with the old and new ball, yorkers being his strength.”I think it’s very difficult to replace [Jasprit] Bumrah. He has the strength of bowling yorkers at will, and with the new ball also he has contributed. Nehra has also contributed. Few games ups and downs happen in T20. Hardik Pandya, he’s a fast-bowling allrounder. If Jadeja or him can bat No. 8 and they can give me three or four overs, then it looks like a better balanced side.”For Shami to replace [someone], it would be Ashish. Ashish is the only slot, but to replace Ashish would be very tough. The reason being he has done very well for us, he has moved the ball around. But Shami will have to prove his fitness in the warm-up games. If he does, he will stay ahead with the team.”Nehra was India’s joint second-highest wicket-taker at the Asia Cup, with six wickets at an average of 16.50. He was the most expensive of their specialist bowlers though, conceding 7.07 runs per over, with his poorest returns coming in the final where he took 1 for 33 in his three overs.

Arsenal "frontrunners" to sign Declan Rice

Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that Arsenal are currently among the "frontrunners" to land midfield transfer target Declan Rice in the summer window.

What’s the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?

While the Gunners will no doubt be primarily focusing on the exploits in the Premier League as they look to win the division as he enter the final 11 games of the campaign, others will still have one eye on the upcoming transfer market.

In fact, it seems the West Ham United captain may even be looking ahead to the end of the season as he dropped a big hint about his future when saying in December that he wants to play Champions League football soon.

This no doubt would have put a number of clubs on high alert and while speaking about the player on the Devils United podcast, Jacobs said Manchester United and Chelsea are both keen on the player but tipped Arsenal to get the deal done if things remain as they are.

He said: "Declan Rice is a player that Manchester United have liked for a while, but Arsenal and Chelsea are thought to be the frontrunners.

"And the reason for that is because, a bit like what I said a moment ago, Rice just really likes living in London and has spoken glowingly about Mikel Arteta.

"So I sense that Arsenal are frontrunners, but Chelsea are still very much in that race as well."

Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Group B – England v Iran – Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar – November 21, 2022 England’s Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their second goal with Declan Rice REUTERS/Paul Childs

Why does Declan Rice want to join Arsenal?

As Jacobs alludes to, Rice is understood to be very keen to learn under manager Arteta – with the midfielder said to be a big fan of the Spaniard (via The Guardian).

What's more, the Gunners seem to be in the market for a big new midfielder signing – evidenced by their failed attempts to sign Moises Caicedo in the winter – so the West Ham captain may be able to see a clear path for him to claim a spot in the starting XI.

On top of that, the club's superb season now means the prospect of winning major trophies in the near future is a lot more realistic and this will no doubt appeal to Rice who is yet to win any silverware up to this point in his career.

Of course, clubs like Chelsea and Man Utd will also be able to offer him similar incentives, so it's not a done deal just yet. But it does feel as though this transfer is in Arsenal's hands for now.

Talks opened: West Ham star now in line for new deal after impressing

The future of West Ham United defender Vladimir Coufal has taken a twist as an update emerges on a potential new deal in east London.

Latest West Ham news

David Moyes and his Irons side have enjoyed an absolutely terrific start to the new Premier League season, coming after they sold former superstar Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105 million in the summer transfer window.

The departure of Rice was seen as a major worry for West Ham, but so far, they have shown that the absence of their ex-powerhouse is proving little issue.

Summer signing Edson Alvarez has excelled in the 24-year-old's stead, impressing national media with some of his displays in claret and blue.

West Ham have also bolstered their coaching department with the appointments of John Heitinga, Mark Robson and Henry Newman, who will assist Moyes behind-the-scenes at Rush Green.

David-moyes-transfer-west-ham-united-deadline-day

“I would like to welcome John to West Ham United and also welcome Mark and Henry into the first-team group," said Moyes to the club's official website.

“John is someone I have known for a long time. He has gained some very good experience since beginning his coaching career in the Ajax Academy and working his way up to their first-team. Mark and Henry are both already familiar to everyone here at the Club and have deserved the opportunity to step up within our structure.

“John, Mark and Henry will each bring experience in different areas and complement the strengths we already have in the coaching team alongside Billy, Kevin and Xavi. I look forward to working with them and building on the positive start we have made to the new season.”

It is also believed that the Hammers are eyeing up former star Jesse Lingard to further reinforce their ranks ahead of a tough and congested campaign of fixtures.

Their promising start to the 2023/2024 season has also seen some members of the West Ham squad thrive compared to last term, like striker Michail Antonio and Coufal.

Concerning the latter player, there has been a very interesting update on his future.

Will Vladimir Coufal leave West Ham?

Vladimir-Coufal-West-Ham

Indeed, the Czech Republic international has seemingly re-established himself as Moyes' preferred right-back, coming after he was usurped in favour of Thilo Kehrer over 22/23.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke, writing for Football Insider, has now claimed that initial talks have been opened over extending Coufal's stay at the club.

The 31-year-old's current terms are set to expire at the end of this season, and while they have the option to extend by a further 12 months, it is believed West Ham are plotting to reward his exceptional performances thus far.

Coufal "could even land a new deal" following his "impressive" start, with the full-back having "turned his career around" under Moyes.

He is currently preferred over fellow right-back Ben Johnson, who is yet to play a single second in the top flight.

While Johnson's contract is also set to expire at the end of the current campaign, it appears Coufal is the one currently in line for fresh terms as things stand.

It will be very interesting to find out the conditions of this potential contract for Coufal, who was also a "key member" of the Conference League-winning squad.

'Whose line is it anyway,' asks Gibson as SA maintain de Kock's innocence

South Africa’s head coach Ottis Gibson was steadfast in his defence of Quinton de Kock ahead of an ICC code of conduct hearing on Wednesday

Firdose Moonda07-Mar-2018South Africa insist Quinton de Kock only acted on provocation in the Durban stairwell dispute, even though he has been found guilty of breaching the ICC’s code of conduct.De Kock did not contest the charge at a hearing on Wednesday evening, though he aimed to lessen the sanction that applies to a Level 1 offence. Although he was unsuccessful in the endeavour and admitted he had said “something” to Warner, the South Africa wicketkeeper maintained he was not the instigator.CCTV footage of the passageway leading to the dressing rooms showed David Warner being physically restrained and shouting at de Kock, who did not respond. Warner was charged with a Level 2 offence on Tuesday evening, and fined 75% of his match fee. Though he has accepted those sanctions, Australia claim Warner was responding to a jibe from de Kock, and they say it was “personal.”South Africa, however, have denied de Kock provoked Warner in any way. “We are appealing Level 1 because we think Quinny didn’t do anything,” the head coach Ottis Gibson said. “Quinny wasn’t aggressive. You saw some footage, and the footage showed Quinny walking up the stairs and somebody else being restrained, and then Quinny gets a Level 1. That doesn’t seem fair.”Gibson would not comment on whether de Kock was entirely silent, and neither would several team sources, only for the man himself to admitt he had answered back.”Quinny would not have said anything had something not been said to him in the first place. But I wasn’t out there. Faf was there. Faf probably knows what was said,” Gibson said. “But there’s one guy walking up the stairs going back to his dressing room, there’s another guy having to be restrained. If I am walking, trying to get back to my dressing room and somebody is being restrained, how can you fine me for something?”Asked if de Kock said anything about Warner’s wife, which is what Australia are alleging, Gibson chose to focus on the undefined line and called for clarity. “I wasn’t there. I can’t categorically speak for another person. There’s this thing and I have seen it recently now about the line. They are saying they didn’t cross the line, but where is the line, who sets the line, where did the line come from? When you are saying you didn’t cross the line but we didn’t cross the line, you went very close to the line… whose line is it?”South Africa would really like the umpires to start answering that question. Du Plessis called for them to step in immediately after the end of the first Test. But Kumar Dharmasena and S Ravi have made no reports of anyone breaking the code of conduct and Australia subsequently used that as part of their defence. Gibson, however, believed that the umpires must have heard something.”The match officials are there to do a job and to govern the game on the field, and off the field I guess,” he said. “If they hear things on the field, they should clamp down on it. It becomes unfortunate when everybody else hears stuff and the match officials say they haven’t heard anything. They are there to do a job and they must do their job.”If things are happening in the game and things are being said, and if it’s within earshot – if the player is standing at point or wherever he is fielding, surely the umpires can hear. Maybe the umpires need to stand up and take control of the game.”Unhappy might not be the right word. We just feel that the umpires are there to do a job and they must do their job. When they hear things, they must take charge and don’t leave it to: ‘oh, we didn’t cross the line.’ Can you say whatever you want, and then when something is said, it’s offensive. You didn’t tell us where the line was. Let’s be clear where the line was.”With tension escalating on both sides, the umpires’ roles will be in sharp focus once again in Port Elizabeth. Dharmasena will be the on-field official again on Friday and he will be joined by New Zealand’s Chris Gaffaney.”I am happy with aggression being shown on the field if it’s coming from the bowler,” Gibson said. “If a fast bowler is bowling bouncers and trying to intimidate batsmen, to me that’s aggression. When everybody else is chirping or sledging the batter as he is trying to bat, that’s not aggression in my book. That’s how I grew up, playing the game in the Caribbean. But, obviously, things change.”Gibson recalled the West Indies greats of the past, who “didn’t have to (say anything) because they were aggressive with the ball and their body language, and that’s what aggression is. When a batsman is trying to take his guard and people are standing around and saying whatever they want to say, I’m not sure that it’s necessary.”If a bowler has tried everything he can to get a batsman out and he can’t get him out because a batsman is playing well, and then they have to revert to that, then is it aggression? I don’t think that it is.”That was the case at Kingsmead, where de Kock scored 83 and partnered Aiden Markram for a sixth-wicket stand of 147 which stalled Australia’s victory push and dragged the match into the fifth day. De Kock had not struck a half-century in 15 Test innings before that, and there were questions over his form. But Gibson believed the Durban knock showed what de Kock is capable of, both with bat and in his conduct.”It takes a strong character to stand up and bat for three hours when everybody on the field is saying whatever they want to say to you. But then, as soon as you respond, then it’s a different thing. The game should be about cricket on the field. I feel like everybody needs to focus on cricket. Calm down and get back to cricket.”

Ivan Toney scores with genius free-kick just 19 minutes into his first Brentford game in eight months as he grabs shirt from crowd for emotional tribute celebration

Ivan Toney made the perfect return for Brentford on Saturday as he fired in a free-kick just 19 minutes into his first game back from suspension.

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Toney back from eight-month suspensionBrentford star scored from free-kickMade gesture with shirt in celebrationGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The striker returned from an eight-month suspension for breaching betting regulations. After Nottingham Forest took the lead just three minutes in, Toney smashed in a low free-kick to bring his team level and paid his respects to his uncle by holding up a shirt in his celebration.

The shirt read: "For you, Uncle Brian."

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The game is Toney's first of the season after he was hit with a lengthy ban. The 27-year-old scored 20 goals in 33 matches in the Premier League last season and has attracted interest from Arsenal, but Brentford hope to keep their star forward and it is reported they will have to pay around £80 million ($102m) to get him this month.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Toney has now scored three direct free kicks in the Premier League since the start of last season – and from just 10 attempts, according to . The only player to match that record in the same timeframe is James Ward-Prowse, who scored three from 25 tries.

'No evidence' of corruption in Perth Test, says ICC

Criminal charges may result from allegations of corruption in Australian cricket, the ICC has warned, as an investigation began in earnest in the wake of claims that the ongoing third Ashes Test at the WACA has been targeted by spot-fixers.According to a report in The Sun, two men asked the newspaper’s undercover reporters for up to £140,000 (USD187,000) to “spot fix” markets in the third Test, such as the exact amount of runs scored in an over. No individual players on either team were singled out in the report.The ICC responded with a statement from Alex Marshall, general manager anti-corruption, who said there was currently “no evidence” that the Perth Test had been corrupted. He later added that the ACSU would be cross-referencing the new information from The Sun with their existing intelligence, and confirmed that they would push for prosecution if it was deemed that offences had taken place in countries, such as Australia, where match-fixing is a criminal offence.”It is obviously very early stages and our priority on receiving everything from The Sun late last night was to consider whether the integrity of the third Ashes Test had been compromised,” said Marshall. “There is no evidence, either from The Sun or via our own intelligence, to suggest the current Test match has been corrupted. At this stage of the investigation, there is no indication that any players in this Test have been in contact with the alleged fixers.”We are now working through the rest of the information from The Sun as part of what will be a wide-ranging investigation and we will map this against our own existing intelligence and live investigations to look for any corroboration or cross over. We are taking these allegations very seriously and will follow the correct processes of a thorough investigation. We will look for clear and usable evidence that proves or disproves the allegations made. This will include looking for corroboration, speaking to key witnesses and securing all relevant evidential material.”This will not be concluded overnight and we will be working with ACU colleagues from Member countries to investigate every single allegation in full. We will not be making any comment in relation to the identity of any individual names in the dossier whilst this investigation is ongoing.””The allegations are wide ranging and relate to various forms cricket in several countries, including T20 tournaments. We will look closely at all the information as part of our investigation. We ask anyone with information about these allegations to get in touch with the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit via [email protected].”The ACSU’s sentiments were echoed by England and Australia officials. “Cricket Australia takes a zero-tolerance approach against anybody trying to bring the game into disrepute,” said a CA spokesman.”Cricket Australia will co-operate fully with any ICC Anti-Corruption Unit investigation.”Australian cricket has a long-standing, proactive approach to sports integrity management and Cricket Australia has a dedicated Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) to prevent corruption within Australian domestic comptetitons, including the BBL.”In addition to this, all players participating in CA sanctioned competitions, including the BBL, are required to complete an anti-corruption education session before they can compete.”CA works closely with the ICC ACU on all international fixtures played in Australia.”Players are able to report any suspicions they have on a confidential basis and in the past there has been a strong Australian player culture to do so.”An ECB spokesman added: “ECB work closely with the ICC and their Anti-Corruption unit to protect the integrity of the international game. We are aware of these allegations and there is no suggestion that any of the England team is involved in any way.”The game’s most high profile spot-fixing scandal was broken by the now-defunct – sister paper to – in 2010, which led to Pakistan’s Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif being given prison sentences for bowling deliberate no-balls in a Test at Lord’s.Marshall confirmed that similar action could be on the cards if deemed appropriate. Recent legislative changes at state and federal levels have made fixing a criminal offence in Australia and New Zealand, while in the UK it is covered under the Bribery Act.”Nothing has been referred [to the police] as yet because we are still assessing the information,” he said. “If we deem that offences have taken place in countries where match-fixing is illegal then yes we will work with the local police and report our concerns and share information to push for prosecution.””As with any investigation we will use all options available to us should we deem it necessary and appropriate. The ability to download mobile phones is one part of the investigative toolkit for us.””We are conducting a live investigation and will do that by focusing on the facts, intelligence and evidence at hand. We will be looking in detail at the allegations, looking for any corroboration of what has been alleged, either from the Sun’s own investigation or our own intelligence, and we will be examining whether there is any evidence which we can now use and take forward. We will do this without further speculation or comment.”Australia’s wicketkeeper Tim Paine said the allegations had not been a distraction to him during the first day of the Test match, and reiterated that he and others in the team had long been educated about the pitfalls of corruption.”I heard very briefly about it this morning, not a lot else about it,” he said. “What I do know is that all of our guys have been educated on that sort of stuff for a long time, I’ve been contracted since I was 16 and been through it every year, so we certainly know what’s right and wrong and I know there’s no-one in our team who’s involved in any way.”

Hider three-for, Shanto make short work of Ireland A

ScorecardAssociated Press

Bangladesh A took a 2-0 lead against Ireland A after their eight-wicket win in the third unofficial ODI in Cox’s Bazar. Left-arm fast bowler Abu Hider starred with the ball, bagging a three-for, as the visitors were skittled out only for 103 runs. The home side won with 27 overs to spare.Andy Balbirnie’s decision to bat first backfired for the entire Ireland A batting line-up, barring himself. His 90-ball 52 amounted to more than half of the team total and featured three fours and a six. Having come in at No. 3, he added 48 runs for the seventh wicket with Shane Getkate, whose 23 was the only other double-digit score by an Ireland batsman other than Balbirnie’s.After Balbirnie fell to legspinner Tanbir Hayder in the 33rd over, Ireland added one more run at the expense of the last three wickets.Hider took out three of the top five batsmen – Stuart Poynter, Sean Terry and Simi Singh – while Sunzamul Islam and Hayder bagged two each. Subashis Roy, Abul Hasan and Al Amin also took one wicket apiece.Both openers got starts but failed to sustain their innings. Anamul Haque, playing his first match of the series, fell for 20, while Shadman could only amass 24. Captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto subsequently took Bangladesh A home with an unbeaten 41 off 38 balls.The fourth and fifth ODIs are scheduled to be held on October 25 and 26 in Cox’s Bazar.

Everton: Dyche Could Secure £35m "Handful" To Partner Danjuma

Everton could finally be set to solve a long-term problem area of theirs, as they hone in on a top striking target…

Who are Everton signing this summer?

That's according to Italian outlet La Nazione (as relayed by Firenze Viola), who detail the Toffees' continued interest in Salernitana forward Boulaye Dia.

Whilst his €25m (£22m) release clause is noted to have expired this week, his club have slapped a new mouth-watering €40m (£35m) figure on his head and the cash-strapped Merseyside outfit still remain in the race to bring him to Goodison Park.

In fact, the report even states that they have 'come forward' to negotiate a deal this summer, with Neal Maupay a potential makeweight that they could use.

The Italian club were noted as interested in the Frenchman in January, who has struggled to make his mark since joining from Brighton and Hove Albion last summer.

Having already welcomed Ashley Young as their first deal of the window, the Senegalese international could mark the newest addition to follow the freshly-announced Arnaut Danjuma.

How good is Boulaye Dia?

With the persisting injury woes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin having plagued him for a second straight year, the English forward can no longer be relied upon as the sole number nine.

Sean Dyche, as a pragmatic man unwilling to take such a risk, seems to understand that better than any of the recent coaches to have graced the Goodison Park dugout.

As such, Dia would mark a welcome addition to spearhead a new-look front line that now consists of a certain maverick Dutchman at last.

Should these two former Villarreal stars both be welcomed, they could strike up another fine partnership to help fire the famous club to comfortable safety in the same way they aided the Yellow Submarine to the Champions League semi-finals.

After all, Danjuma boasts the necessary danger and creativity to forge plenty of chances for the 26-year-old finisher, who has impressed since moving to Italy. With 16 goals and six assists last season in Serie A, already the forward has showcased his adaptability to switch between leagues.

arnaut-danjuma-everton

Just the year prior he had boasted ten goal contributions in LaLiga too, suggesting that the Premier League could be just as easy a conquest.

It was during the 2021/22 campaign that the former AFC Bournemouth dynamo enjoyed his standout year in Spain, recording 16 goals of his own alongside four assists across all competitions. In the league, the 26-year-old would maintain a 6.97 average rating too, buoyed by his 54% dribble success rate and 0.7 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

His dynamism and direct play style would make him a constant threat down either flank, in turn providing space for Dia to work his lethal magic. He managed a prolific 33% goal conversion rate last term in Serie A, which was actually higher than Erling Haaland's in the English top flight.

It is therefore no surprise to see him lauded by many, with journalist Josh Bunting having highlighted a key asset that will undoubtedly have Dyche thrilled:

"Boulaye Dia the key man for Salernitana a goal and two assists so far since joining, a handful to deal with due to his hold up."

With his ability to bring others into play alongside his clinical nature, he could be the man who provides for Danjuma in key areas, later popping up to finish the chances forged by such a dynamic new addition.

Should the Toffees welcome both of these forwards this summer, it poses an exciting prospect for a fanbase starved of any excitement in recent years.

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