All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur manager target Julian Nagelsmann is thought to be 'very tempted' by the prospect of joining Spurs, according to reports.

What's the latest on Nagelsmann to Spurs?

The 35-year-old is rumoured to be high on the agenda of Spurs chairman Daniel Levy after he chose to mutually part ways with former boss Antonio Conte.

Since the latter manager's departure, things haven't exactly been going well in north London, with Tottenham's latest 6-1 hammering at the hands of Newcastle costing interim boss Cristian Stellini his job.

The Italian was handed his P45 after Tottenham were dealt a major blow in their pursuit of a top four Premier League finish – and it is now the task of Ryan Mason to see them through to the finish line.

Nagelsmann, out of work after his shock Bayern Munich dismissal last month, is a candidate to succeed Conte permanently this summer. Reports have suggested that he is warming to the idea of an approach from Spurs, something which will encourage supporters amid a turbulent time at their club.

Now, according to reliable German news publication Bild, there has been a development from Nagelsmann's side. Indeed, the tactician is apparently 'very tempted' to take over at Spurs next season, with the ex-RB Leipzig boss now 'concentrating' on this option.

If Levy meets his demands, Nagelsmann could 'work on the island' for 2023/2024, coming as the Spurs chief is 'desperately looking' for a new manager.

What could Nagelsmann bring to Spurs?

The young tactician stands out as, arguably, the most exciting junior head coach in world football – having already clinched a league title and the admiration of elite bosses like Pep Guardiola.

The Man City boss, commenting on Nagelsmann all the way back in 2018 before a Champions League group stage encounter with Hoffenheim, explained:

“I’m really, really impressed [with Nagelsmann]. Taking over Hoffenheim in such a bad situation so young. He will have a lot of success in his career. He’s already at a good team in a top competition. It’s the first time we meet, but hopefully it won’t be the last.”

Former Man City defender Angelino even likened Nagelsmann to Guardiola, saying their attacking philosophies and style are 'very similar'.

This could be an enticing draw for Spurs supporters who are eager for their side to play open, expansive football – with BBC Sport writer Raj Chohan weighing in and calling Nagelsmann an 'unreal attacking coach'.

Arsenal dropped yet more points in the Premier League title race with a 3-3 draw against Southampton last night, meaning they have just a five-point lead over Manchester City, who have two games in hand.

Mikel Arteta’s men will realistically need to beat City in midweek in order to win a first league title in 19 years, and considering the reigning champions haven’t lost a match since February, it’s an extreme challenge.

The Gunners are masters of their own downfall, however, falling 2-0 and 3-1 behind in a nervy evening at the Emirates, with only some salvation secured through two late goals rescuing a point that looked so unlikely after 80 minutes.

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were among the few players who performed to their high standards, with both grabbing a goal and making 11 key passes between them; it’s just a pity the other players weren’t at the races.

Oleksandr Zinchenko was uncharacteristically poor, winning just two duels and failing to even attempt a dribble during the tie, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6/10 for his troubles.

But it was another consistent performer who failed to build on some excellent performances of late who really let Arteta down in Thomas Partey.

How did Thomas Partey perform against Southampton?

The Ghanaian will have been expected to assert his authority in matches like this, controlling possession so Arsenal could dictate the play and create plenty of chances, yet he struggled against the Saints last night.

Arsenal correspondent Charles Watts stated that Partey was “so poor” and that several big players such as Martin Odegaard and Zinchenko “underperformed”, and this is in line with the performance they put in against the team that was sitting at the bottom of the league table before the match started.

Statistically, Partey took 100 touches and completed 91% of his attempted passes, though this was all in vain as the Gunners struggled throughout and couldn’t quite find their rhythm.

The Ghanaian won just 50% of his duels, was dribbled past four times and committed two fouls during the match, while also losing possession eight times throughout.

Considering on average this term he has only been dribbled past once per game and wins 58% of his duels, his display last night was way below his usual standards, and just when Arteta needed his key men to step up and take control of the title race following dropped points against Liverpool and West Ham United, they pretty much blew it.

Tottenham Hotspur have not had many legends to boast about in recent years, as a club that enjoyed a steady rise under Mauricio Pochettino, and a sharp decline under the three managers that succeeded him.

As such, this period has only added to a barren run for the Lilywhites, in which little silverware has graced their side of north London.

Daniel Levy has been a lightning rod for such failures, earning a reputation as a frugal negotiator who is unwilling to compromise if he feels someone is trying to make a fool of him. Therefore, it has led to the club neglecting top targets and refusing to spend big to keep up with their rivals.

This has also come alongside numerous big sales, only further adding to fan unrest.

Such a downturn in form has likely tarnished the legacy of many around the club of late, with only Harry Kane the exempted party given his relentless scoring form.

One name who has arguably experienced the greatest fall in stock is Hugo Lloris, as a once domineering goalkeeper and one of the best in the Premier League, now opposition hopes to see the Frenchman in between the sticks given his culpability.

How has Hugo Lloris played for Spurs across his career?

Having joined the club under Andre Villas-Boas, the Portuguese boss was tasked with reinvesting funds from two major sales: Luka Modric and Gareth Bale, both to Real Madrid.

His swoop for the Lyon shot-stopper came on deadline day in 2012 and merited a fee of just £13m. Given how he has since gone on to play 447 times for the club, one might be fooled into thinking this automatically merits legend status.

However, performances in recent years have tarnished what would have been a remarkable tenure for the 36-year-old, who was once one of the division's top performers.

During the 2018/19 season, arguably the apex of his career, Lloris recorded a 7.12 average rating in which he would concede just 33 goals in as many games. This came alongside his 3.1 saves per game, with just one error all season leading to a goal, via Sofascore.

To compare that with this campaign, where the keeper has contributed heavily to the sixth-worst defence in the league whilst making four errors leading to goals, this is what will stick in the memory.

The £100k-per-week stalwart has unfortunately seen such a fine career wane for some years now, with journalist James Maw branding him a "liability" in 2019 before pundit Jason Cundy followed up on this in 2021: "Lloris has got to move on," he said. “He is a weak link, I really think they need an upgrade. Lloris does not fill the back four of Spurs with any confidence."

What makes this even more frustrating is the performances of the 6 foot 2 titan for his national team, as he captained France to World Cup glory in 2018. Meanwhile, his near-eleven-year legacy in north London remains without a trophy.

Who has a bigger legacy than Hugo Lloris?

Although a great servant to the club, recency bias can work in both directions. Should this mark one of his last few years at Spurs, the goalkeeper will unfortunately be remembered for his failures during the twilight of a lengthy career.

Meanwhile, the likes of Kyle Walker, who joined Manchester City for £53m in 2017, left while he was on top. Perhaps if Lloris had done so in a similar manner, seeking some silverware of his own, the struggling asset might not have continued to tarnish his legacy.

The 27-year-old defender has since won four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and four League Cups under Pep Guardiola, whilst also enjoying a fine final year in north London to ease fans' unrest.

During that 2016/17 season before departing, the right-back maintained a 7.10 rating alongside 1.2 key passes, 2.8 clearances and 2.2 tackles per game, via Sofascore. Although many might question the manner of his exit, few can have issues with his input before bidding farewell.

However, Walker is far from the only past and present Lilywhites player to likely leave the fans with fonder memories. Harry Kane and Heung-min Son are the outstanding options from the current team, but even some of their last trophy winners like Dimitar Berbatov and Danny Rose could make a strong case.

Lloris has enjoyed a fine career laden with honours and praise, but his contribution has not proven enough to bring those titles to N17.

As such, inconsistency and ever-dwindling performances could see next season, the final year of his contract, as the final nail in his coffin that cements a legacy that does not befit such a devoted leader.

South Africa start their first Test tour of Bangladesh with a 45-minute flight from Dhaka to Chittagong tomorrow

Pat Symcox27-May-2016South Africa start their first Test tour of Bangladesh with a 45-minute flight from Dhaka to Chittagong tomorrow. None of the South Africans have played in Chittagong before, and little is known about the conditions. By all accounts the hotel rates rather fewer than five stars, and the weather predictions aren’t great. It is the rainy season, and completing a Test at all is considered fortunate. The city is a busy port, and is in very mountainous region. Humidity is the biggest enemy of any touring team.But after their solid performances in the last two outings of the TVS Cup against India last week, the South Africans have good reason to feel upbeat about their progress in this part of the world. The bowlers have clearly worked out that on these sluggish pitches, slower balls are not easy to score from. The batsmen, on the other hand, have realised there is no substitute for time spent at the crease. They also now realise that if someone gets in he has to go on and finish the job, as starting an innings is not an easy task.The make-up of South Africa’s team for the first of the two Tests, which starts on Thursday, will be interesting. The pitch is expected to be tailormade for Bangladesh’s spinners, but Eric Simons, the SA coach, has two spinners in his own squad. Simons will have to weigh up whether to play both of them, against a team which would probably prefer that, or to bank on the fact that even on a slow turner the South African pace bowlers will still be a handful. In any case, the two-spinner option would probably mean leaving out one of the batsmen who have been doing well on subcontinental pitches recently.The left-armer Paul Adams is likely to be the first-choice spinner and, since Jacques Rudolph and Graeme Smith can fill in with a few overs themselves, Robin Peterson might well miss out.In the pace department Charl Willoughby was picked specifically for his ability to swing the ball in the air when pitches aren’t conducive to lateral movement. However, the fact that he is a genuine No. 11 won’t help his cause. Andrew Hall and Alan Dawson have stepped up when needed, and their batting ability will make both hard to overlook.The series may be in Bangladesh, but South Africa are still expected to come out on top. Bangladesh, after all, have lost 16 of the 17 Tests they have played so far – and their only draw came when rain washed out the last two days of a match against Zimbabwe. It should add up to a gentle baptism for Smith as a Test captain.

West Ham United are not yet mathematically safe from relegation in the Premier League, although the current gap to their relegation rivals means David Moyes' side should have enough to stay up.

Why have West Ham struggled in front of goal?

Scoring goals has been the main problem in a disappointing season for the Hammers, with just 37 to their name in the top flight so far this term.

New signings Gianluca Scamacca and Danny Ings have failed to end the ongoing striker curse at the London Stadium, which has seen big-money signings such as Sebastian Haller fail in the past.

Scamacca mustered just three Premier League goals in 16 appearances in the first half of the season before injury ruled him out of recent fixtures, with Ings brought in during the January transfer window to aid the Hammers' fight against relegation.

However, the experienced Englishman has shown very little in his 14 top-flight appearances thus far, scoring twice in the 4-0 win against Nottingham Forest and failing to find the back of the net in any of his other outings.

His woeful 6.28 average rating from WhoScored ranks him as the 20th-best performer in Moyes' side so far this campaign, with the striker clearly unable to have the desired impact at the London Stadium.

Ings' average of just 6.6 passes per game also emphasises just how little he has been involved in his West Ham appearances, and surely it is time that Moyes considered another option in his attack, with the ageing Michail Antonio once again finding himself as first-choice under the Scottish manager.

Should Moyes unleash Divin Mubama?

Youngster Divin Mubama represents an ideal option for the Hammers in both the short and long term, and his impressive appearances in the Europa Conference League this year certainly suggest that he could have a greater impact in the Premier League than Ings.

He scored his first senior goal for the club in the recent win over AEK Larnaca, having previously seen an effort against FCSB ruled as an own goal on his debut for the first team.

The 18-year-old's phenomenal record with the U23s so far this campaign, which has seen him hit 13 goals in 18 Premier League 2 appearances, as well as eight goals in five games in the FA Youth Cup, suggests that he knows where the back of the net is and is destined for big things at West Ham.

Mubama has been tipped for a "massive future" by journalist Josh Bunting and is very much on the up, while the £125k-per-week Ings now looks way past his best, so Moyes should surely put his faith in the youngster for the final few games of the season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to make a bid of more than €25m (£22m) to ensure they win the race for Almeria striker El Bilal Toure, according to recent reports.

What's the latest Wolves transfer news?

According to a report from Fanatik, Besiktas are interested in signing Wolves striker Raul Jimenez, and the Mexican's departure could increase the need for Julen Lopetegui to bolster his frontline in the upcoming transfer window.

Lopetegui is preparing for a busy summer, according to reporter Alex Crook, with Diego Costa also set to leave at the end of the season, upon the expiration of his contract, and Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres could be targeted as a replacement.

The Old Gold are currently said to be leading the race for Gyokeres, while they have also been linked with a surprise move for Barcelona's Ansu Fati, in a deal where Ruben Neves goes in the opposite direction.

According to a report from Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), Wolves are now ready to make a bid for El Bilal Toure, which would be worth an initial €25m (£22m) plus bonuses, with the club trying to finalise the deal quickly.

With Brentford also interested in the striker, the Old Gold are keen to get a deal over the line soon, although the report does not indicate whether the bid would be acceptable to Almeria.

Should Wolves sign El Bilal Toure?

It is clear that Wolves need to bring in a new striker this summer, as their record in front of goal has been very poor in the Premier League this season, with winger Daniel Podence and midfielder Ruben Neves at the top of the goal-scoring charts.

It will not be a major loss if Jimenez does depart this summer, as, although he has had injury issues, he has not been good enough, still yet to score a league goal, and he is now 32-years-old, so younger options are required.

Costa has also failed to live up to expectations, scoring just one league goal, and the Almeria marksman could be a fantastic replacement, given that he has been impressive in a real breakthrough season in La Liga.

The 21-year-old has weighed in with six goals and two assists in 19 appearances in the Spanish top flight, which is a solid record, considering he has made a number of appearances off the bench.

Hailed as a "major talent" by members of the media, the Malian forward is at an age where he is likely to develop even further, and he could be a solid signing for Wolves, although over £22m does seem a little excessive, as he is still relatively unproven.

Nick Gubbins and Steve Eskinazi revelled in an overdue catch-up as Middlesex’s young batsmen shone against Lancashire at Lord’s

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Lord's28-Jun-2016
ScorecardNick Gubbins registered his first double century•Getty ImagesToday was about a tale of Nick Gubbins and Stevie Eskinazi – two who have made their way up the youth ranks at Middlesex together and spent the best part of their Tuesday creating the sorts of memories that best friends never tire of reliving. Gubbins will no doubt lead the reminiscing: a double hundred to savour as he led his side out of Lancashire’s huge first innings shadow. But Eskinazi, as he did today, will interject with his side of the story – an accomplished maiden first class century in his second match in the format.Together, they put on 208 in 361 balls for the third wicket, their time in the middle a welcome treat for Middlesex and Gubbins: “It’s probably the most time I’ve spent with Eski since he got a girlfriend. It was nice that he took time out of his day to spend it with me.”Ah, Gubbins, the proto-Strauss starting to enhance his own name. For many Middlesex fans, the Gubbins-Strauss comparison is tiresome. While the similarities are evident and valid – Radley College alumni, a carbon copy game square of the wicket, identical slack jaw smile and general clumsiness – the annoyance for them is that some use the comparison to extrapolate what Gubbins might achieve rather than lauding what he is achieving right now.At 22 years of age, he has a Division One double hundred at Lord’s. That’s now two centuries and, at the time of walking off when bad light stopped play after tea, 570 runs in his first full season of Championship cricket. Only Sam Robson has enjoyed a more fruitful red ball summer than him. In case you were wondering, Strauss was 34 when he made it past 200 for the first time.His time at the crease is approaching eight hours, having begun this innings 12 overs before lunch on day two. Starting again on 71 on the third morning, he made the most of Kyle Jarvis’ pace on the ball to drive across a fast outfield. He waited for the bad balls, sure, but he also scored off the good deliveries, too: soft hands guiding any balls that left him to third man and firm wrists pushing anything at him into midwicket and mid on. It was only when he went from 89 to 95 in one strike that trepidation entered his game.Scores in the nineties hang over any batsmen: each a sizeable nugget in your conscience that reminds of you of opportunities missed. Comparable to the person at the bar you couldn’t summon the courage to talk to or that spare ticket you fobbed off to what turned out to be the gig of a lifetime. Or that time you were on a flat one at Lord’s and failed to make it count. And Gubbins had three of them before breaching three figures for the first time against Somerset in his previous match at Lord’s. He very nearly added a fourth.On 96 and looking to cut into a vacant backward point, he edged Jordan Clark to Steven Croft, only for the Lancashire skipper to shell what would have been a smart, diving take to his left. After some calming words from Eskinazi, he decided to get there in singles.There was no such hesitancy in the 190s which he admitted were “a bit of a blur”, aided by a nick through third man and then a powerful pull shot off Jarvis which pinged off the advertising boards of the Grandstand. When Eskinazi was asked what his hundred felt like, he used up most of his time lauding the feat of Gubbins’ double.When they weren’t singing each other’s praises, they were joshing – Gubbins scoffing at Eskinazi’s assertion that he was “as British as my friend Nick Gubbins”; Eskinazi at Gubbins’ insistence that the slog sweep for six to take him to three figures was “pretty rogue”.At lunch, Eskinazi, on 91, had an inbox full of encouragement from his friends and family. As joke, he messaged his brother to ask whether or not he should sweep the leg-spinner, Matt Parkinson, for six to bring up his 100. “Absolutely not, not a chance, please don’t!” came the reply from brother, mum, dad, three uncles and two cousins. When he eventually departed for 106, edging Kyle Jarvis to Tom Smith at second slip, came the follow-up texts: “You absolutely cowboy!”This is Eskinazi’s fourth year at the club and is three years away from qualifying fully for England. Born in Johannesburg, raised in Western Australia where he turned out for the state’s Under-17 and 19 sides, while also spending 10 years in England as a kid (his mother was born here). As a wicket-keeper batsman, his first team opportunities had been limited, but he was never far from the lips of the Middlesex members.Like most diehard county fans, any lament of an underperforming first XI brings a stream of 2nd XI names that should be given a chance to do better. In the last few years, Adam Rossington and Andy Balbirnie were names that have echoed around the ground or off the metal finished bar of the Tavern pub: players who have wiped the floor with 2nd XI attacks but whose opportunities further up were limited. Both have moved on. Last season, “Stevie Eskinazi” began to make an appearance as words of “outstanding knocks for the 2s” or “big runs for Stanmore” spread like fantasy folklore. On this day, you saw it for yourself.He could not have asked for a better pitch for only his third first-class knock. Even so, every defensive shot came out of the middle, as he lined up behind every full or short ball. Near the end of the morning session, Lancashire looked to prey on any nerves he might have while Eskinazi was on his maiden first class voyage in the nineties. Parkinson bowled around the wicket into the right-armers footmarks at the Pavilion End, with a two slips and a leg slip for company. He ignored it all, leaving a handful of deliveries across him and pushing the ball out in front before waiting for his mate to go for lunch.Like all Bromance movies, there is a key message here: Middlesex’s investment in youth is starting to pay dividends. While previously it had been senior men steered the team out of trouble, here were two 22-year-olds doing so with all the comfort of a long overdue catch-up.In keeping, Lancashire looked very much like patrons unable to get on with their own plans over the raucous bonhomie on the next table. But rather than lose their will and ask to be moved, they got on with matters. A mini-collapse of 42 for 3 with the new ball brought them some relief.A fourth Lord’s stalemate is in the offing. For all the revelry of the regulars, Lancashire can take solace from the fact that they don’t come here often.

Benny Howell took his wicket tally in the NatWest T20 Blast South Group to 23 as Gloucestershire made sure of finishing top with a four-wicket victory over Middlesex at Bristol

ECB Reporters Network29-Jul-2016
ScorecardLiam Norwell narrowly fails to run out Steve Eskinazi•Getty ImagesBenny Howell took his wicket tally in the NatWest T20 Blast South Group to 23 as Gloucestershire made sure of finishing top with a four-wicket victory over Middlesex at Bristol.The competition’s leading wicket-taker claimed 3 for 18 from his four overs to help restrict the visitors to 156 for 5 after winning the toss. John Simpson top scored with 40 not out, while spinners Tom Smith and Graeme van Buuren both bowled tightly.In reply, Gloucestershire reached 162 for 6 with three balls to spare, Jack Taylor seeing them home with an explosive 44 off 23 balls, including 4 sixes, after Ian Cockbain had contributed 42.Some of the edge was taken off the game by the fact that both sides were already sure of quarter-final places, in Gloucestershire’s case with home advantage. But it still produced a thrilling finish.Gloucs look to Grieshaber

Gloucestershire skipper Michael Klinger admitted Gl;oucestershire are short on wicketkeeping cover after they drew Durham in the last eight.
“Durham creates a problem for us in terms of a wicketkeeper because Gareth Roderick and Chris Dent are injured and we won’t be able to play Phil Mustard, who is on loan to us from our quarter-final opponents.
“It is something we will overcome. Young Pat Grieshaber did well for us behind the stumps in our Royal London Cup win over Sussex at Cheltenham and showed he can bat as well in that game.”

Middlesex made a promising start to their innings as Nick Gubbins and Stevie Eskinazi scored 52 off the first five overs before Gubbins, on 29, having hit 3 sixes, skied a catch to on-loan wicketkeeper Phil Mustard off Andrew Tye.James Franklin fell cheaply against his old club, stumped in Howell’s first over. But it was the all-rounder’s second over that proved most damaging as he had Eskinazi caught at short third-man for 29 and George Bailey lbw for one three balls later.The Middlesex innings got bogged down against Howell, typically effective with his pace-off-the-ball seamers, and the two Gloucestershire spinners, who shared seven overs at a cost of just 36 runs.Simpson and Ryan Higgins did their best to pick up the pace in the closing overs, while Toby Roland-Jones hit a four and a six off the last, sent down by Tye. But the Middlesex score still looked below par.Gloucestershire made a brisk start in reply, Michael Klinger and Hamish Marshall taking the score to 31 in the third over before Marshall, on 16, was run out attempting a second to third-man and failing to beat Roland-Jones’ throw to the keeper.That brought together two of the leading run-makers in the competition, Klinger and Cockbain, who soon overtook his skipper. An out-of-sorts Klinger was dropped on ten by Nathan Sowter at deep cover off Harris before falling for 13, caught trying to reverse sweep the relieved Sowter.Mustard was quickly bowled by Franklin and when Roland-Jones struck twice in the 15th over, having Cockbain caught at cover and bowling Howell as he advanced down the track, Gloucestershire looked to be in trouble at 101 for five.Taylor hit the first six of the innings as 14 came off the 17th over, bowled by Harris, and van Buuren followed up with a maximum off Ollie Rayner before falling next ball.With 24 needed from the last two overs, Taylor blasted successive sixes off Roland-Jones and nine were required as Steve Finn prepared to bowl the last six deliveries.The first was a no-balled bouncer costing two extras. Taylor missed the next one and smacked the next to mid-wicket where the diving Sowter failed to gather and let the ball slip through for a boundary.The scores were level when Finn was no-balled again for a bouncer and Taylor cut the next delivery for six over cover to end the game.

Ange Postecoglou's Celtic side host St Mirren at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon as they attempt to bounce back from a defeat in the Old Firm last weekend.

The Hoops were beaten 3-0 last time out and will be hoping for a strong reaction on their own turf today to put that loss behind them as quickly as possible.

They come up against a side that has gone four games without a win, losing three of those, and this is an excellent opportunity for Celtic to return to winning ways.

To do that, the head coach could make some changes to his starting XI after a number of players failed to perform in the defeat at Ibrox.

Will David Turnbull start against St Mirren?

Postecoglou should finally unleash attacking midfielder David Turnbull from the start in the middle of the park as his creativity could help to unlock the opposition's defence.

Reo Hatate, Callum McGregor, and Matt O'Riley produced one key pass between them last weekend and the ex-Motherwell man – who has created 34 chances in six starts (24 appearances) in the Premiership – could provide more invention in his passing.

His last start for the club came on the 18th of March against Hibernian and the former Motherwell sensation registered two assists in that match, which highlights the level of quality he can provide when given an opportunity to play meaningful minutes.

The 23-year-old, who Postecoglou once hailed as "outstanding", has also terrorised St Mirren in the past. He has scored seven career goals – three more than against any other team – in 11 matches and has some great memories of facing them in the past.

At the start of the 2021/22 campaign, Turnbull recorded a perfect WhoScored rating of 10 as he scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over the Saints.

This shows that the Scotland international has the quality to provide a huge goal threat to go along with his creativity, whilst also having a history of being able to step up in games against today's opposition.

The £16k-per-week maestro has assisted six goals and created four 'big chances' in six Premiership starts this term. This comes after he racked up 3.2 key passes per game and eight 'big chances' created in total in 20 starts in the division in 2021/22.

Turnbull has proven himself to be an excellent performer at Premiership level in terms of what he offers in the final third, both with his goalscoring contributions and his creativity, and that is why the ace should be unleashed from the start today after the Old Firm midfield offered very little.

Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements after becoming entangled in another Premier League relegation battle this season and now a new potential transfer target has been approached by the club.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Ryan Kent?

According to TEAMtalk, Everton have held talks with Rangers winger Ryan Kent about signing him this smmer.

As per the report, the Toffees will need to compete with a number of clubs including Burnley, Sheffield United, Leeds United and Bournemouth who are all also keen to snap up the services of the Scottish Premiership's free agent.

Why do Everton need Ryan Kent?

There is no doubt that improving and adding quality to the Everton forward line should be the highest priority for the powerbrokers at Goodison Park this summer.

Only Wolverhampton Wanderers have scored fewer Premier League goals (31) than the Toffees this season (33), which has been a testament to their poor performances in the final third and a heavy contributor to their struggles.

Indeed, the Merseysiders' unstable situation in the top flight will spark two very different recruitment strategies this summer depending on their fate sealed on the final day, however, the opportunity to secure the services of Ryan Kent for free would be a great boost in bolstering their attacking threat no matter the outcome.

Over 29 league appearances, the £18k-per-week versatile forward – who was dubbed "sensational" by Steven Gerrard – has scored three goals, registered eight assists and created a whopping nine big chances.

On his day he is truly "unplayable" – as per Sky's Andrew Dickson – having averaged 2.1 shots on goal, 2.2 key passes and 1.9 successful dribbles per game, proving he is a huge attacking presence for Rangers.

Not only that, Kent has proven he is capable of winning possession in dangerous areas of the pitch with 5.3 duels and 1.3 tackles won per match too, which is something that Everton have sorely missed since the departure of Anthony Gordon in the winter transfer window.

Indeed, the Newcastle winger proved himself to be a hard worker defensively during his days at Goodison Park, ranking in the best 1% of positionally similar players in Europe's top five leagues for tackles per 90 minutes.

Whilst Dwight McNeil has been effective since the arrival of his former Burnley boss, notably scoring twice in the rout over Brighton, having that balance of quality on both sides of the centre-forward would be massively advantageous to Dyche in his pursuit to improve performances and consistency in front of goal.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Everton to secure the services of Kent on a free transfer this summer as he could completely transform their attacking threat next season and finally replace Gordon in the wider attacking positions.