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Gylfi Sigurdsson has found a new gear under Marco Silva this season but Nikola Vlasic’s form at CSKA Moscow suggests that he could be the man to eventually step into the Iceland international’s shoes.

Sigurdsson has been released of the manacles which restricted him under Sam Allardyce last season and Everton are reaping the rewards. A return of nine goals and three assists from 24 Premier League appearances is just reward for his fine performances, while his link-up play has been at the heart of Everton’s best performances under the Portuguese manager.

However, if Everton want to improve then no player should be considered untouchable. The very best sides are those which demand constant improvement throughout the squad, with competition for places often serving as the best way to guarantee that desired progression.

With that said, Sigurdsson may well be looking over his shoulder now that Vlasic is beginning to thrive with CSKA Moscow. The creative midfielder is showing signs that he can dethrone the Iceland international and become the next coveted playmaker to operate in the hole.

Indeed, Vlasic has already scored seven goals and provided four assists this season, including a memorable winner against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

At just 21-year-old Vlasic is showing the level of promise which Silva will naturally want to see from the player he offloaded temporarily in the summer, and his return in 2019 could signal the beginning of a glowing career on Merseyside.

Boasting a similar level of creative instinct, technical prowess and ability to influence the game in the final-third, the Croatia international could yet blossom into the next Sigurdsson-esque figure at Goodison Park despite his slow start in English football after completing his transfer from Hajduk Split in 2017.

Vlasic’s return in the summer will effectively represent a new signing for Silva.

Everton fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Manchester United have sacked ‘club legend’ Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager with immediate effect.

The Norwegian has led the Manchester side during five seasons, joining the club as manager at the end of 2018.

After a shocking loss of 4-1 to Watford on Saturday afternoon, it was the final nail in the coffin for Solskjaer, and after an emergency meeting held in the hours after the game, the former Manchester United striker was relieved of his duties, with official confirmation on Sunday morning.

There seems to have been a common theme throughout the Manchester United managerial and coaching staff over the last five years, with ex-players taking key roles in important positions of influence to what is being translated onto the pitch every week in the team.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Nicky Butt to name a few of the ex-players who have been working behind the scenes of Manchester United, with Carrick or Fletcher being likely to lead the current side out in the upcoming fixtures whilst the board looks for a suitable interim manager.

There have been many names thrown into the conversation to succeed the Norwegian at Manchester United, and one name that has been mentioned is yet another ex-player has been linked with the move, Laurent Blanc.

Blanc has been put into the conversation for the interim manager job that the Glazers and Man United board have outlined as their first priority who they will appoint for six months, until the end of this season when they will then look to appoint a long term solution.

The former Manchester United centre back has been managing in France, starting at Bordeaux, moving into the France job in 2010, and going to Paris Saint Germain following his two-year stint at international level.

Legendary Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, hailed Blanc as ‘intelligent’ when he spoke out on the 56-year-old manager’s work with the France international side;

“When Laurent played in Manchester he followed our training methods very carefully.

“That’s very intelligent and obviously he has qualities as a coach because he made Les Bleus a winning team again.” he told RMC Sport.

Blanc is currently managing the football team of Al Rayyan Sports Club in Qatar, but a move to such a high profile club with no long term expectations of success could be an attractive choice for the manager.

Surely, Manchester United and the Glazers would learn their lessons from the nightmare that has unfolded in the most recent months of Solskjaer, however, and avoid the emotive and difficult situation they have put themselves in by appointing another ex-player.

Combine that with his handling of egotistical players and it wouldn’t bode well. Sports Illustrated outlined the following about his spell in Paris: “Upon replacing Carlo Ancelotti, maestro of all things man management, Blanc was criticised for an inability to keep egos in check – a prerequisite for any big team – as well as persisting with a style that lacked verve and panache. He also seemed unable to change a game if it wasn’t going to plan.”

With that in mind, he has to fall low down in United’s list of potential replacements for Solskjaer.

The Red Devils will travel to Spain to play Villarreal in a Champions League decider on Tuesday and will need a win to secure their place in the round of sixteen, losing could be yet another blow in Manchester United’s bad fortune this season.

In other news: Proven winner Lopetegui could save Manchester United

In the space of just two Premier League games, newly-appointed Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard seems to have already turned things around at Villa Park by winning his two opening league matches after the Villans’ poor run of form which saw Dean Smith get the sack.

With this in mind, it seems as though the former Rangers boss could be looking to make some changes to his squad during the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

In a recent interview with Villa TV, the club’s CEO Christian Purslow said that he thinks it’s “perfectly possible in the coming weeks, when Steven and Johan [Lange] are working together, that Steven will want to make one or two adjustments and that might lead to one or two out and maybe one or two in.”

While it may still be slightly early in Gerrard’s reign at Villa Park and a bit early to be talking about January transfers, it should be exciting for Villa fans to hear that some deals could be done during the upcoming window as the 41-year-old looks to put his stamp on the squad.

Given how busy Villa were in the previous summer window in terms of bringing in new players after selling Jack Grealish to Manchester City in a £100m deal, including the likes of Emi Buendia, Danny Ings and Leon Bailey, it’s safe to say that the Midlands club are not shy in splashing the cash when they feel it is needed.

Now that Gerrard has come in and had a perfect start in terms of results in the league, it seems likely that he could be rewarded in January and allowed to make some signings of his own to help strengthen the squad even further.

With two wins under his belt at Villa, it would be safe to presume that the mood around the club is positive at the moment, and that fans will be happy with Gerrard’s impact so far and would be delighted to see the manager bring some new players into the squad in January.

Moving forward, with Villa set to take on Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the league before the start of the next transfer window, these games in particular will be a good opportunity for Gerrard and the owners at Villa Park to see what areas of the pitch they may need to strengthen if they end up struggling to compete against that trio.

In other news: Gerrard could be heading for his first AVFC disaster over £31.5m-rated “absolute joy” 

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped a promising injury update concerning Kyogo Furuhashi.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by The Scottish Sun, the Bhoys boss revealed that, despite being brought off due to a knock after just 15 minutes of Sunday’s fixture against St. Johnstone, the 26-year-old centre-forward’s injury does not look to be anything serious.

Speaking about the hamstring strain suffered by the Japan international, Postecoglou briefly said: “He will be fine.”

Celtic fans will be buzzing

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Kyogo has become since his £4.6m move to Glasgow earlier this year, the news that the centre-forward does not look as if he will be ruled out for any real length of time is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 14 Premiership appearances this term, the £1.8m-rated forward has already bagged eight goals, registered two assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.1 key passes and taking 2.1 shots per game.

These returns have seen the £18k-per-week man average a SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him as Postecoglou’s 11th-best player in the top flight of Scottish football – of those who remain in the 56-year-old’s first-team squad.

The 26-year-old hitman has also scored a further eight goals and provided three assists over 12 fixtures in the Europa League, Europa League qualifying and the League Cup, taking his total to 16 goals and five assists in 26 appearances for the club.

As such, it is clear for all to see that it is undoubtedly a case of the sooner Kyogo recovers the better for Celtic, meaning Postecoglou’s latest update regarding the striker’s injury is certainly fantastic news for everyone involved with the Hoops.

In other news: Game-changer: Huge Celtic injury update emerges that will leave Postecoglou buzzing

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has ‘called’ former Liverpool forward Luis Suarez ahead of a possible summer swoop.

That’s according to journalist Gerard Romero, and, as to be expected, the update has received plenty of interaction from Villa supporters on social media.

Romero, who has over 300,000 Twitter followers, had previously shared details of an offer from Villa, with Suarez apparently turning down approaches from Palmeiras, Corinthians, Atletico Mineiro and a Saudi Arabian side to focus on a move to the Midlands.

He’s now added that Gerrard has ‘called’ Suarez ‘for the summer’, with the 34-year-old into his last six months on his Atletico Madrid contract.

Gerrard’s former Reds teammate will turn 35 on Monday, but it seems as if a return to the Premier League to reunite with Gerrard and possibly Philippe Coutinho could be on the cards.

Villa fans react

@villareport relayed Romero’s update regarding Suarez on Twitter. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one labelling a possible move as ‘incredible’.

“Stop it now Stevie”

Credit: @BlackMarcus__

“Would never imagine we’d have Coutinho, Ings and potentially Suarez at Villa with Gerrard as a manager a year ago”

Credit: @JaiGhuman_

“This Will Be An Incredible Signing If It Happens”

Credit: @Jack31998773

“Get him on a 6 month loan then sign for free in the summer”

Credit: @casper197635

“Stevie G getting the band back together at villa park!”

Credit: @VivaAVFC

“Makes more sense. Allows us to offload one of the strikers in the summer then”

Credit: @UTVilla10

In other news: ‘We’ve actually broken Lange’ – Many Villa fans ‘excited’ as more transfer news is now confirmed. 

Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has been reacting to rumours of a permanent swoop from Celtic for loanee Jota, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: January move

Jota has proven to be an inspired signing for the Hoops, contributing to 14 goals in his 18 appearances in green and white.

The 22-year-old is currently out due to a hamstring injury, but as reported by Sky Sports, Celtic are expected to trigger their £6.5m option to make his loan permanent.

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The Hoops are set to do just that before the summer, so a January move is a real possibility.

The Latest: McLeish reacts

McLeish, who regularly contributes for BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider regarding the update on Jota.

Here is what he had to say in reply, admitting that he is ‘very surprised’ about a January move for the winger, who he called a ‘game-changer’:

“When he came in at first, I thought work in progress. Probably a work in progress for the Portuguese team to take him back after the loan spell.

“Very surprised that they’re willing to let him go in January, given the form that he’s been in. He really has expressed himself as a very good technical player. He’s taken people on, scored goals, worked hard.

“These are all the traits a manager loves in individual players, especially when he can change the game with his skills. As we say, a game-changer.

“If Celtic can buy him, he’s a very good, young, potentially great player.”

The Verdict: Celtic making their mark

Should Celtic complete a permanent transfer in the region of £6.5m, it would be the most expensive signing of the Ange Postecoglou era, surpassing Kyogo Furuhashi’s £4.86m move over the summer. However, even though it would take a relatively big fee, it could prove to be a steal in the long run.

You’d expect that Jota is still far from his prime at the age of 22, so a long-term deal could see his valuation increase past the £6.5m mark should he continue to impress in Glasgow.

Celtic could reap the rewards with impressive displays on the pitch and eventually go on to make a big profit on the Portuguese attacker when the time is right, in the likely event that wealthier clubs submit a tempting offer.

In other news: Celtic allegedly now looking at signing 34-assist ace in January; he’s his agency’s biggest star

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing as an official post emerged from the club involving Steven Davis’ time on international duty.

As shared in some footage by the official Twitter page of the Ibrox faithful, Davis can be seen walking away from his post-match interview to give a young Northern Ireland supporter his shirt, after their 0-0 draw at home to Euro 2020 winners Italy in their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.

He also stood to take a photo with the fan, as well as selfies with other supporters in the crowd.

The national team captain also gave away another of his shirts, prompting several Light Blues to show their appreciation for a player who is beloved by club and country for his passion and work ethic.

Davis is still going strong despite being 36 years of age now, with 18 appearances in total over all competitions so far this season for the Teddy Bears an impressive reminder of his fitness as the years wane on – he’s also scored one goal and provided one assist (Transfermarkt).

Rangers fans on Davis footage

These Gers buzzed as the footage was shared on Twitter:

“A living legend proud to have this man playing for my club and captaining my country”

Credit: @faithsteph11

“Class act, Rangers social team playing a blinder today though with all the notifications haha”

Credit: @RossFerguson

“Such a gentleman”

Credit: @EmmaHod81360881

“What a fantastic bloke you are Steven Davis!”

Credit: @billytf

“Class through to the core from @StevenDavis8 an absolute master.”

Credit: @CN51NKY1964

“He better be getting a TESTIMONIAL when it’s time”

Credit: @Bike_Nut69

In other news, find out what Giovanni van Bronckhorst report had RFC fans talking here!

When it rains, it pours.

Leeds United have suffered yet another injury blow this week…

What’s the latest?

As relayed by The Athletic’s Phil Hay, it appears as if young striker Sam Greenwood is the latest name to have picked up an issue following the Yorkshiremen’s 2-0 defeat to West Ham United in the FA Cup at the weekend.

“This is beyond ridiculous,” the ever-reliable journalist said in response to a screenshot of the 19-year-old starlet confirming an injury to social media.

Another cruel blow

This is just another in a long string of problems for manager Marcelo Bielsa.

Regularly throughout the season, he has had to endure the loss of key players and backup options, seemingly every week there is a new concern and that will surely leave him furious as he cannot get any sort of consistency going on the pitch.

What makes this Greenwood blow even worse is the fact that Patrick Bamford’s recovery has been dealt a setback, whilst alternatives in Rodrigo, Tyler Roberts and Joe Gelhardt are also on the treatment table, leaving him light on strikers heading into another clash with the Irons.

The two sides will go head to head once again on Sunday but this time in the Premier League, where the Whites will need to keep ticking over, having gone eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Their chances of righting the result in the cup are seriously hampered by not having a single striker available.

Elsewhere, Bielsa was also missing skipper Liam Cooper and key cog Kalvin Phillips in the defeat, whilst against Arsenal last month, the Argentinian head coach was missing as many as 11 players – something that could repeat itself this weekend.

Indeed, just as Hay outlines, it is getting rather “ridiculous” at Thorp Arch, where there are surely more injured first-team players than ones available. You have to feel sorry for the manager.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Meslier: Leeds lightweight who lost 86% duels badly let Bielsa down…

Transfer insider Dean Jones expects Aston Villa to sign either Kalvin Phillips or Yves Bissouma this summer. 

The lowdown

According to The Guardian, Gerrard is keen to add a defensive midfielder to his ranks, as well as a striker.

And The Times recently reported that Villa are ‘leading the race’ to sign Phillips from Leeds United.

They’re apparently willing to break their transfer record with a £60million swoop for the Englishman.

Football Insider, meanwhile, claimed this week that Villa had been in contact with Bissouma’s camp ahead of the transfer window.

They allegedly made a ‘£20million-plus’ bid in January, which was rejected by Brighton.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones said Villa could submit bids for both players but will ultimately only sign one of them.

“I think they’ll go for both players, but I only expect them to sign one,” he said. “I’ll be very surprised if they got both of those players through the door.”

The verdict

If Villa were to see bids accepted for both players, who should they prioritise?

Intriguingly, the duo are of somewhat different moulds. Phillips, described as a ‘quarterback’ by Rio Ferdinand, likes to launch long passes from deep, averaging 3.3 a game to Bissouma’s 1.9.

So Villa need to choose a stylistic direction, with Bissouma more of a defensive mind with the fourth-most tackles per game in the division, but there’s also a financial calculation to be made.

If Phillips is to cost as much as £60million, might it be more prudent to pursue Bissouma, who is out of contract in 14 months’ time, putting Brighton in a fairly weak negotiating position.

Signing the Malian could leave Villa with considerably more to spend on the striker position.

In other news, this Villa star is attracting interest from Arsenal.

West Ham United have been linked with summer swoop for Blackburn striker Ben Brereton Diaz, according to reports in Spain.

The Lowdown: Brereton Diaz in fine form

The 22-year-old has been in fantastic form this season. The Chile international is the third-highest scorer in the Championship, having netted a sensational 20 goals in 30 games.

This total may have been even greater if it wasn’t for him suffering a ruptured ankle ligament in Blackburn’s 0-0 stalemate against West Brom in mid-February. This has seen him ruled out of action ever since, having amassed seven games on the sidelines so far.

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The Latest: West Ham’s interest

According to fresh reports emerging out of Spain (via Claret & Hugh), West Ham are interested in a summer move for Brereton Diaz.

Alongside the Hammers, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Everton are all said to be closely monitoring the 22-year-old, whilst there is further interest from Leeds and La Liga outfit Sevilla.

The Verdict: Very possible

When compared with the other clubs listed with an interest in Brereton Diaz, West Ham should be confident that they can persuade the Chilean to join David Moyes’ ranks.

However, competition will only step up if Blackburn fail to get promoted to the Premier League. Otherwise, Rovers would be far less willing to sell their star man as they make their long-awaited return to the top flight, while the player himself might be happy to remain at Ewood Park if his side go up.

Backed by Colin Hendry to be Blackburn’s “catalyst” for promotion, West Ham will be closely monitoring the 22-year-old’s situation as the summer approaches.

With their two top scorers in Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen both spending significant periods on the treatment table this season, the Irons could do with adding a player of the Chilean’s goal record to their ranks.

In other news – ‘Ahead of schedule’: ExWHUemployee shares huge West Ham boost as unexpected injury news emerges