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Everton are reportedly ‘keen’ on signing Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech before the transfer window closes.

The Lowdown: Toothless attack

The Goodison Park outfit were toothless in attack once again in their 2-0 loss away at West Ham United in the Premier League, having recorded just two shots on target despite having 68% possession.

The result leaves them as recording the second-fewest goals in the division with just 15, and in desperate need of some extra reinforcements in the transfer market before the end of the month.

The Latest: Ziyech interest

Taking to Twitter, journalist Sami Mokbel says that the Merseyside club are ‘keen’ on signing Ziyech, alongside AS Roma:

“Chelsea face decision on Hakim Ziyech’s future amid interest in the winger. Everton and Roma, among other clubs, keen.”

Expanding in his corresponding article for The Daily Mail, Mokbel adds that it is ‘unclear’ whether Ziyech would be willing to join them in the midst of a relegation battle, while Frank Lampard is a ‘huge admirer’ of his, having played a ‘key role’ in Chelsea’s move to sign him when he was their manager.

The Verdict: At all costs…

The Toffees need to be bringing Ziyech in at all costs, as he could make a big difference in them potentially staying up.

Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson claimed that he is ‘world class‘ on his day, and that was evident at the World Cup, where he was Morocco’s third-best performer on their way to reaching the semi-finals, scoring one goal and supplying one assist in his seven games (WhoScored).

Sports broadcaster Vai Bhardwaj has previously hailed his ‘magical left foot‘, where he ranks in the 94th percentile of his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted per game, as well as the 93rd for shots and progressive passes (FBref).

Nonetheless, even if the Blues could only get him on loan, Ziyech would still be an excellent signing if they can get a deal done.

Sunderland have a key advantage in the race to sign Joe Gelhardt, as Tony Mowbray’s track record for developing young players could attract the striker, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Sunderland chasing Gelhardt

As per Football Insider, there is now a three-way race to sign Gelhardt, with Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough set to battle it out for his signature before the transfer window shuts next week.

Leeds are said to have given the green light for the striker to leave on loan in January, due to the arrival of Georginio Rutter, and Wigan Athletic were at one point leading the race, but have now dropped down the pecking order.

The Latest: Mowbray could be key

According to a report from Leeds Live, Mowbray’s proven history of developing youngsters could be the decisive factor in a potential deal, rather than signing for the comparatively inexperienced manager in Kolo Toure at Wigan.

All parties are said to be taking as much time as they need to make what is a big decision, and so a deal may not be concluded until later in the window.

The Verdict: Get it done

The 20-year-old has not been prolific in the Premier League with Leeds, scoring twice and bagging four assists in 35 appearances, but his age has to be taken into account, and this experience in the top flight will still stand him in good stead when he makes a move to the Championship.

Hailed as ‘fantastic’ by the media a little over a year ago, the starlet has time on his side to live up to the superstar description given by journalist Paul Kendrick earlier on his career, but he needs a consistent run in the first team if he is going to do so.

Given that Sunderland have recently lost Ellis Simms, with the striker being recalled by Everton, they are in need of a new option in attack, and Gelhardt could be a very astute signing in the second tier, while a loan agreement means they will also not have to fork out a transfer fee.

Journalist Dean Jones claims Southampton has been working to ‘identify the best candidate’ in the forward position before the January window closes.

The Lowdown: Saints make Sulemana bid

A report coming out of Ghana has claimed that Nathan Jones’ side has submitted a bid for Kamaldeen Sulemana of Rennes.

In addition, the French side is apparently ‘tempted’ to accept the offer made by the Premier League team, the fee is said to be around £17 million.

Sulemana tends to operate on the left wing, but the Ghanaian can also play on the right side and as a centre-forward if need be.

The Latest: A striker will come

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones tipped the Saints to get a new striker in before the window slams shut at the end of the month.

He said, “Manchester United signing Wout Weghorst, that’s really the sort of player that Southampton might have been looking at in a window like this if it was potentially available.

“You see other clubs throwing pretty big money players that seem reasonably risky. I know the list has been drawn up for Saints. They’ve been working through it to identify the best candidate, and I’m pretty sure that they will sign somebody.”

The Verdict: Proven striker needed ASAP

We believe that Southampton have a potential bright spark in the form of Sekou Mara, but they need to bring in an already-established striker into their ranks.

Earlier in the season, pundit Micah Richards was in awe of Mara’s assist against Brentford in a 2-2 draw. Speaking on Match Of The Day (via The Daily Echo), he described the Frenchman’s assist as ‘ridiculous’.

Mara is only 20-years-old and still has room to improve and develop. Che Adams and Adam Armstrong have proven to be immense goal-scorers in the Championship, but have never cut it consistently at Premier League level.

This is why we think that Jones needs to bring in an established forward into his sqaud, as not only would Mara potentially thrive learning off a more experienced striker, but Adams and Armstrong are both under the age of 27 and could benefit under the tutelage of a wise attacker.

Should Southampton stick with what they have upfront then it could be a total disaster for them, as they have the joint-fourth worst attack statistically in the league and currently sit bottom of the league.

Southampton return to Premier League action today as they travel to face Thomas Frank’s high-flying Brentford.

Nathan Jones enjoyed a fruitful January transfer window, during which he welcomed five new faces to St Mary’s in an effort to avoid the drop. In doing so, they coincidentally snatched two targets in Paul Onuachu and Kamaldeen Sulemana away from relegation rivals Everton, both of whom could feature today.

Given the ever-changing nature of the former Luton Town manager’s formations, it is difficult to predict exactly how he will line up. Having opted for a 5-3-2 last time out against Newcastle United in midweek and lost, there is no certainties when it comes to the 49-year-old’s tactics.

However, Southampton’s recent form has been promising, and despite not being outstanding it still marks a major upturn from their horrendous pre-World Cup results.

Contending with injuries and all the new players who will be vying for a starting berth, today’s clash at the Gtec Community Stadium is poised to be an interesting one.

With that in mind, here’s what Football FanCast predicts for the Saints’ starting XI…

Jones is expected to make four changes from the side which crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of Newcastle, sticking with his 5-3-2 formation.

Gavin Bazunu will remain in between the sticks, with the youngster sitting just behind a slightly tweaked back three.

Both Jan Bednarek and Mohammed Salisu will keep their places at centre-back, whilst Armel Bella-Kotchap returns to the starting line-up in place of Lyanco. The Polish defender was notably recalled from his loan with Aston Villa midway through January in an effort to bolster Southampton’s defensive ranks.

They will be flanked by Romain Perraud (who comes in for Kyle Walker-Peters) and James Bree, the ex-Luton player with whom Jones reunited during the January transfer window.

It is expected that the midfield three remains the same, as Ibrahima Diallo and Carlos Alcaraz provide a foundation from which James Ward-Prowse can operate with more freedom further up the pitch. The club captain boasts five goal contributions in his last six league matches.

Saints fans can expect one debut, as Onuachu could replace Adam Armstrong to partner Che Adams up front. Their considerable size difference will make for an interesting dynamic, as the Scotsman looks to feed off the chaos forged by the Nigerian’s immense 6 foot 8 physical presence.

Such is his stature and goalscoring prowess that he was dubbed a “beast” by journalist Okon Nya. He replaces Armstrong, who was accused last April of a “crisis of confidence” by journalist Benjy Nurick, and a spell out the side could actually benefit the 25-year-old, who last scored a Premier League goal in August.

Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports News has claimed that there has been less public interest in buying Manchester United than the club had expected.

The Lowdown: Up for sale

Near the end of last year, the owners of the Red Devils were reportedly exploring the possibility of selling Man United to an interested party.

ESPN has claimed that the Glazers are looking to sell the Premier League club for a ‘world record’ fee.

News has also broken recently that there’s Qatari interest in Erik ten Hag’s side according to Sky Sports.

The Latest: Only Ratcliffe public

When speaking on Sky Sports News, Solhekol claimed that public interest in the club hasn’t met their expectations, with billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s interest marking the only public bid for the Red Devils.

Comparing the recent sale of Chelsea to the current bidding process at Old Trafford, he stated: “[Chelsea] attracted a lot of people who were serious about buying Chelsea, but a lot of people as well who were looking for publicity, I think that is what’s different.

“As far as Manchester United and Liverpool are concerned, it is not as much of a sort of media circus, but there is interest in buying Manchester United, but I’ve been told that it’s not quite at the level that was expected.

“So far, the only person who’s shown their hand has been the UK businessman to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has come out and said that yes, he would like to buy Manchester United.

“But apart from that, we haven’t had anyone coming out publicly saying that they want to buy the club in the same way that we had with Chelsea.”

The Verdict: Desperate for sale

We don’t think that the lack of declared interest in the public eye is necessarily a bad thing for Manchester United, as the focus should be on finding the right bidder behind closed doors while allowing the fans’ attention to remain on the players and their campaign.

That said, it’s no secret that there’s a lot of animosity between the supporters and the Glazers, so there may be celebrations purely for the fact they are going rather than who the potential new owners are.

In many ways, the current owners are very lucky to have Ten Hag at the helm, as he’s having a strong Premier League campaign where they look set to finish in the top four and will be in the League Cup final later this month.

The Dutchman was backed heavily in the summer but was then unable to sign any players on permanent deals in January, despite a potential lack of strength in depth in terms of strikers and right-wingers.

For all parties involved, it’s better that new owners arrive at Manchester United very quickly for the sake of the club’s ambition and their fans – there has been a lack of trophies in recent years and new ownership could help spark a new era at Old Trafford.

Leeds United’s wretched form since returning from the break for the 2022 World Cup continued as they lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Jesse Marsch’s side had not won a Premier League match since beating Bournemouth 4-3 in November and they were unable to change that at the City Ground.

The Whites started quickly but were hit with a sucker punch in the 14th minute of the match as Brennan Johnson produced a wonderful volley from the edge of the box to beat Illan Meslier – slamming the ball into the back of the net from Pascal Struijk’s clearance – and that turned out to be the only goal of the game.

One player whose performance was disappointing was centre-forward Patrick Bamford as the marksman failed what could be described as Marsch’s big test at the City Ground.

Earlier this week, the club confirmed that Spanish striker Rodrigo, who has scored ten goals in the Premier League this season, is set to miss up to two months of action with a leg injury.

This afforded Bamford the opportunity to lead the line against Forest and it was a significant chance for the Englishman to prove that he can step up and fill the void left by the Spaniard.

He had scored two and assisted two in his last two FA Cup appearances but his Premier League form throughout the campaign has left a lot to be desired with the 29-year-old having only found the back of the net once so far.

Before being substituted in the second half, the former Chelsea man failed to trouble Keylor Navas as his two shots were either blocked or missed the target. The forward also ceded possession eight times from 25 touches and Marsch may not have been impressed by the lack of concentration and, or, quality with his passing.

This shows that Bamford struggled in possession and had very little impact on the team at the top end of the pitch, both in terms of the sharpness of his shooting and his creativity on the ball to help his teammates.

The £70k-per-week dud was also a lightweight in the number nine position as the forward was bullied out of the game by Scott McKenna and Willy Boly. He lost 100% (4/4) of his individual duels in the match and this shows that the striker struggled to deal with the physicality posed by the opposition.

Therefore, it is clear to see just how the 29-year-old failed Marsch’s big test. In and out of possession, Bamford was unable to prove that he is the man to step up in Rodrigo’s absence, which could lead to the manager thinking of alternative solutions for the upcoming matches.

Jordan Pickford is reportedly not locked in a pay dispute with Everton, and instead contract talks have ‘deferred’ over their uncertain Premier League status.

The Lowdown: Contract dispute?

It was reported on Saturday night that Pickford has not been offered a pay rise to sign a new deal at Goodison Park.

He reportedly wants to double his £100,000-per-week wages in order to stay, with his current contract set to expire in 2024.

The Latest: Pay dispute denied

As per The Liverpool Echo, Everton insiders have insisted that a pay dispute between Pickford and the Merseyside club’s chiefs is ‘not true’.

Instead, talks have simply been ‘deferred’ while their Premier League status remains uncertain.

The Verdict: Survival so important

Whether Sean Dyche is able to keep the Toffees in the Premier League or not is going to be so vital in terms of being able to keep Pickford at the club.

They are currently in the relegation zone, but have an opportunity to climb out of it if they can beat bitter rivals Liverpool at Anfield tonight.

Despite Everton’s struggles, it could be a lot worse for them, as Pickford has made the third-most (75) number of saves of all goalkeepers in the division so far this season.

The Blues will no doubt be desperate to keep the England international in their ranks for as long as they can, and so survival will be key in terms of him signing a new contract.

West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek was hailed by the media for his performance away at Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon.

The Lowdown: West Ham defeated

West Ham came up short in their tough trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium today, with second-half goals from Emerson Royal and Son Heung-min proving to be the difference between the two sides.

Jarrod Bowen had a very good chance to equalise minutes after the opener, but he was denied by Fraser Forster, before Son latched onto a through ball from Harry Kane to secure all three points for the hosts.

The Latest: Soucek hailed

Despite the defeat, Soucek was hailed by members of the media for his performance in midfield, with Josh Bunting saying:

“Tomas Soucek has struggled this season for form, much better so far this afternoon though. He’s actually worked quite well in West Ham’s high pressing game. His best performance in quite sometime, West Ham well organised and have cut off the supply into Harry Kane closing space.”

Journalist Alan Rzepa was also full of praise for the 27-year-old, describing him as ‘fabulous’ when he is part of a midfield three.

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The Verdict: Encouraging signs

While the defeat will be very disappointing for David Moyes’ side, it was an encouraging performance from the Czech Republic international, receiving a 7.4 rating from Sofascore, the highest of any West Ham player.

The most pleasing aspect of the 6 foot 4 titan’s performance was his defensive work, making a total of three tackles and five interceptions, totalling a higher combined figure on those metrics than anyone else on the pitch, while he also won six aerial duels.

A display of this quality against a team vying for the Champions League places will be very pleasing for David Moyes, and Soucek has now staked his claim to be a more regular starter, having only appeared as a substitute in two of the previous three Premier League matches before today.

Manchester United are trophy winners once again. It has been six arduous years since the club last tasted silverware but on a brisk Wembley afternoon, Erik ten Hag’s men reigned supreme.

Not since 2017 when Jose Mourinho took the Europa League home have they had success like this but it feels like a glut could follow in the coming years.

The new regime hasn’t all been plain sailing, however, with United now having come what feels like a long way since that 4-0 defeat to Brentford in the early stages of the campaign.

Though, leaders have now emerged and several players have stood up when it really matters with the Red Devils beginning to look like a force to be reckoned with once again.

In truth, it never looked in doubt with Ten Hag inspiring his team to a 2-0 win over the underdogs Newcastle United.

Casemiro was once again crucial, with the midfielder more than justifying his price tag and hefty wages in recent months.

He looks every bit the Champions League winner they thought they were signing, even adding goals to his game.

Throughout 2022/23, the Brazilian has found the net on five occasions, with the latest of those coming today in the Wembley showpiece.

He steered home Luke Shaw’s free-kick expertly before Marcus Rashford’s deflected strike – eventually awarded as an own goal by Sven Botman – sealed things.

Who was Man United’s best player in the Carabao Cup final?

Casemiro was undoubtedly one of the heroes throughout but a special mention should be reserved for his fellow South American; Lisandro Martinez.

Another of the most eye-catching transfers last summer, the Argentine has fought back against the critics who labelled him ‘too small’ upon his entrance in English football.

He has since become “an absolute warrior” – as dubbed by reporter Jon Dunham – for Ten Hag, emerging as one of the pivotal cogs and figureheads in what this revolution has been at Old Trafford.

A pitbull on the pitch, his never-say-die attitude and bullish approach to the game marks him out as an old-school defender but he is very much the modern package too.

In essence, he is the perfect centre-back and despite his height, never gets bullied.

That shone through during the final on Sunday with the “mad man” – as labelled by writer Mitch Wilks – winning three out of his four ground duels, via Sofascore.

Martinez produced three tackles in total, while making five clearances and blocking two shots during an afternoon where the likes of Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron rarely had a sniff.

Also boasting a pass success rate of 82% from his 38 touches of the ball, the former Ajax man oozed class when in possession.

His partnership with Raphael Varane was imperious and is very quickly becoming of the best in the country.

They are physical, classy and huge pillars of this team. Indeed, if anyone embodies the changing culture at United, it is Martinez. The World Cup winner certainly deserves every bit of the success he has achieved in the last few months.

Sunderland content creator Roker Report has poked fun at Newcastle United after a video of supporters waving flags in their Carabao Cup final defeat surfaced.

The Lowdown: Cup final heartbreak

It was heartbreak for Newcastle in the final in the end, as they lost 2-0 to Manchester United on Sunday evening.

In truth, Eddie Howe’s side did little to really test goalkeeper David de Gea despite recording more shots and possession than their opponents on the day, as they only recorded two shots on target compared to the Red Devils’ ten (SofaScore).

The Latest: Roker Report poke fun

Taking to Twitter in response to a video surfacing of Magpies supporters waving black and white flags at Wembley despite their team being 2-0 down in injury time, Roker Report could not help but poke fun at them, calling the waving of their white flags laughable and a ‘mark of surrender’:

“Keep laughing about this. Two nowt down, waving flags that were paid for by their Saudi overlords. The fact waving a white flag is a mark of surrender clearly lost on half of them. You just absolutely love to see it.”

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The Verdict: Just a bit of banter…

Roker Report’s cheeky jibe shows that the friendly banter between the North East rivals still exists despite the fact that they are in different leagues, and the Toon fans won’t dwell for too long when they look towards what is to come under their new owners.

The clubs have been on different trajectories in recent years, with Sunderland looking to bounce back to the Premier League and Newcastle dreaming of European football and domestic cup success.

Hopefully, the Black Cats will gain promotion back up to the top-flight this season, with them only five points off the play-off places in the Championship, to see the banter continue when they could come head-to-head in the Premier League next term.