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According to the Evening Standard, Everton are in pole position to sign Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck on a free transfer this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the England international is out of contract at the Emirates Stadium and the Gunners will not be renewing his deal; he was given a send off in the club’s last home game in the 1-1 draw with Brighton.

Welbeck hasn’t featured since November 8th after breaking his ankle in a Europa League tie against Sporting Lisbon, which was a shame given the form he was in before that incident – the former Manchester United striker had hit five goals before his injury.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

A number of other clubs are interested in signing the 28-year-old, such as Crystal Palace, West Ham, Newcastle and Wolves, but it is the Toffees who reportedly lead the race for his signature.

Everton should steer clear of Walcott 2.0

Everton’s Director of Football Marcel Brands said as recently as last month that: “The players we brought in last year were all under 25 so we don’t want to invest big money in players who are older.

“Everton is a club that also has to sell players so it is necessary to get younger players to invest in. That’s why we invested in young players last summer. [Lucas] Digne was 24, [Yerry] Mina 23, Richarlison 21; so we look to players in the age group 20-25/26.”

Those quotes came as part of an article from the Guardian, in which it was revealed that the £110,000-a-week flop Theo Walcott’s future at Goodison Park could be in doubt – the 30-year-old, formerly of Arsenal, was a woeful signing.

So, if that is the case, why are Everton reportedly willing to offer the 28-year-old Welbeck a contract worth more than the £100,000-a-week he is currently earning with Arsenal?

Brands has covered himself in glory with the shrewd captures of young talent such as Richarlison and Lucas Digne, both of whom are excellent performers, will only get better and will also only increase in value.

Welbeck, on the other hand, would represent the complete opposite of that transfer strategy.

He is closer to 30 than he is 25, and his availability comes with a lot of risk attached given his injury problems over the years prior to his ankle break.

This would be a foolish move for the Toffees and one that goes against what they are trying to achieve.

Welbeck is another Walcottesque disaster waiting to happen.

Great news for Celtic fans as Leigh Griffiths backs himself to flourish under Neil Lennon’s management after overcoming health issues.

Time to rejoice: the mighty Griffiths is making his return to Scottish football.

The striker has sadly been missing since December after taking a break from the sport to address some personal issues.

But the fan favourite has recently returned to proceedings and is apparently doing everything he can to get back into shape for the start of the next campaign as Celtic look to build on last year’s success.

Griffiths is keen to add to his already whopping 104-goal tally for the Hoops by helping the club get their hands on nine-in-a-row.

He said to Celtic TV (via The Sun): “Is the hunger still as strong as ever? It’s probably more so now.

“From where I’ve been in December to now, it’s night and day.

“Hopefully when I pull that jersey back on and step onto the pitch I’ll be firing in all cylinders.

“It’s been a tough few months, double training sessions every day. I’m on the home straight now and not long to go before pre-season.

“I’m hoping to come back a lot fitter than the previous start to the campaign.

“Being in the gym near enough every day gives me that platform to get fitter and when we come back on the 17th I’ll be raring to go.”

It’s great stuff, it really is.

While we wouldn’t necessarily say the club have been detrimentally missing Griffiths this year – given just how well they have performed in the domestic competitions – there are definitely some things he could improve in the squad.

Not least giving Celtic a bit more firepower in Europe, the only arena they are yet to dominate.

With just one recognised quality striker in the squad now, Odsonne Edouard, since the departed Timothy Weah returns to Paris this month, Griffiths is needed back now more than ever.

He needs it, the fans want it to happen and the rest of Scottish football are surely cowering.

Celtic fans, how excited are you for the return? Do you feel like you could have achieved more with the Griffiths at your disposal? Let us know in the comments below…

Celtic are apparently targeting veteran Premier League defender Phil Jagielka to potentially plug holes in a defence that conceded 12 goals on the club’s way out of the Europa League.

The 36-year-old centre-back left Goodison Park earlier this week – but has no intention of hanging up his boots just yet, according to The Sun.

The Scottish Champions, who will be chasing their ninth consecutive title next term, will follow up a botched attempt to secure his services in January with a new offer this summer, and we can’t help but think the move makes sense.

England veteran Phil Jagielka has represented the Three Lions on 40 occasions throughout his career, and despite only appearing seven times in the Premier League this season – the lowest number in his 12-year stint with the Toffees – his experience at the top level of football would be invaluable for any club looking to bolster their defence.

And this is especially the case for Celtic having recently waved goodbye to their former defender Dedryck Boyata, who committed his future to Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin in May, leaving behind Kristoffer Ajer, 21, and Jozo Simunovic, 24, as the clubs two most experienced defenders, with just 36 appearances between them this season.

Furthermore, as much as Celtic thrive off domestic success (and why wouldn’t they, they’ve won the treble treble), we can’t help but think the quality of Jagielka would somewhat improve the club’s dire performances in Europe (the one place they haven’t conquered), which have seen the Hoops progress no further than the Round of 32 in a major competition since 2008.

Jagielka to Celtic gets the thumbs up from us, get to work Neil Lennon!

Celtic fans, would you like to see Jagielka playing for your club? Do you think his experience would help the squad going forwards? Let us know in the comments below…

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With the incredible success Liverpool have had after paying a world-record sum to bring Virgil van Dijk to the club, it’s little surprise rivals are now attempting to do the same and spend big-money on their own centre-backs.

Recent reports have suggested that Manchester United are considering making a move for Leicester defender Harry Maguire, with claims that the Foxes were demanding in excess of the £75m Liverpool paid for van Dijk.

Now, in an update from the Evening Standard, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have seemingly not been put off by Leicester’s huge valuation of around £90m and are hopeful of striking a deal for less than £80m.

The news was met with shock by United fans on Twitter, who felt Maguire was worth nowhere near the amount being quoted for him.

Could Harry Maguire be on his way to Old Trafford? Check out the video below to see why it would make so much sense…

Some felt that the England international would arguably be worth less than half that, and instead suggested the club turn their attentions elsewhere and pursue a move for Napoli’s commanding centre-half Kalidou Koulibaly.

Indeed, a few supporters of the Old Trafford side even urged Solskjaer to place his faith in the club’s academy products with 21-year-old Axel Tuanzebe amongst those they wanted to be given a chance.

Check out some of the stunned reaction of United fans below:

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According to Football League World, Everton are keen on Hull City forward Jarrod Bowen, whilst Southampton are also said to be keeping an eye on the attacker.

Bowen starred for the Tigers last season, netting 22 games in 46 Championship games to build on his encouraging 2017/18 campaign, in which he found the back of the net 14 times.

Check out a fan’s outrageous call for England to take a leaf of out cricket and rugby’s book after a limp Nations League performance in the video below…

The 22-year-old was arguably Hull’s standout performer last season due to the sheer amount of goals he netted – he was their top scorer – and one would assume that they would be gutted to lose the former Hereford United man given his importance to the side.

Intriguingly, the report from Football League World states that Bowen will ‘definitely’ get his move away from the KCOM Stadium this summer, and that an unnamed Premier League side have already had a bid rejected.

He would almost certainly add a much more direct approach to the Toffees’ right side of attack over Theo Walcott, so should the Merseysiders make a move for Hull’s No.20?

Football FanCast’s writers have their say…

Matt Dawson 

“If there’s a chance that Bowen is available this summer then Everton must do all they can to convince him to join. He was one of the best players in the Championship last season which is evident in the fact he netted an impressive 22 times. Most of those came from playing as an inside forward on the right of midfield and it’s that area of the pitch where definite improvement is required. A move for the Hull man could spell the end for Theo Walcott. He was pretty terrible in 2018/19, scoring just five times, and therefore they could do with bringing someone in who knows where the goal is. That was once Walcott, but his days are surely numbered.”

Ben Goodwin

“Bowen is exactly the type of signing Everton should be making in my opinion. For too long the Toffees have splashed out on expensive flops from foreign leagues like Davy Klaassen and Cenk Tosun, yet most of the Toffees’ most iconic players over the last decade or so are homegrown (looking at you Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman and Phil Jagielka). Bowen’s tally of 22 Championship goals is stunning from a young winger and at 22 he is the prime age to make the almighty step up to the top flight.”

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Charles Jones

“Jarrod Bowen would be a fantastic signing for Everton this summer in my opinion. Leicester City struck gold in the Championship last season in signing James Maddison, and Everton could very well be set to repeat that trick here. For my money, Bowen was the best player in the division last season, and his 22 goal-haul goes to show how brilliant he has been. This signing would significantly boost Everton’s attack and it would alleviate their need to sign a new striker this summer. Marco Silva should be doing everything he can to sign the Hull man.”

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It’s finally official – Juan Mata has signed a new contract with Manchester United that will see him prolong his stay at Old Trafford until June 2021.

The midfielder and the club both confirmed it and it has already found its way onto social media as Mata posted an

/By5dq1FIKHk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram snap to celebrate this huge deal. Of course, club stars and his teammates were quick to congratulate him with a sea of replies below the image.

Mata has been a part of the red side of Manchester since January 2014 when he joined from Chelsea. The Spanish midfielder has managed 45 goals and 37 assists in 218 appearances for the Red Devils. It’s safe to say that his teammates were thrilled with this news.

Last season, Mata was also a big part of his coach’s plans. He managed fewer appearances with 22 but compensated with a good return of three goals and four assists.

This contract is a big sign of faith and goodwill from the club since by the time June 2021 arrives, Mata will already be 34 years old. But you know what they say – form is temporary, class is permanent.

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July edges ever nearer, and soon the Premier League’s 20 clubs will start pre-season training as they prepare for the new campaign. Mauricio Pochettino, like his counterparts in England’s top tier, will be hoping to have his squad ready as soon as possible. Today’s Spurs transfer roundup includes an update in the pursuit of a Spanish international, a deal struck for an 18-year-old winger and the potential end of a nightmare for one of the club’s strikers.

Ceballos price set

According to AS, Real Madrid have set the price for their 22-year-old midfielder Dani Ceballos. Los Merengues are reportedly willing to listen to offers of €50m (£44.7m) for the Spurs target who is currently at the U21 European Championships.

Clarke deal close to complete

The Sun is reporting that Jack Clarke will soon complete his transfer to Tottenham from Leeds. Spurs will apparently pay £8.5m for the player, plus add-ons. Clarke played 25 games for the Whites last season, scoring two goals.

Anderlecht have eyes on Janssen

Vincent Janssen is attracting interest from Anderlecht according to Het Laatste Nieuws. The 25-year-old Dutch striker has not had the best of time of in North London – managing just six goals in 42 appearances – but a move to the Belgian League to play under Vincent Kompany could revive his career.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham Hotspur want to sign both Ryan and Steven Sessegnon from Fulham this summer in the same deal, per the Daily Mail.

What’s the word?

Spurs have already completed two signings this summer, acquiring Jack Clarke from Leeds United and Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon.

The latter has become the club’s record signing after the French club confirmed that Spurs paid €60m (£53.8m) for the midfielder, with added bonuses that could total €10m (£8.9m).

Yet it appears that they are not done yet, with the Mail reporting that the Sessegnon brothers have been targeted and Spurs have discussed including Steven in the deal for his more famous brother Ryan.

Ryan, who is 19, has made a total of 120 appearances for Fulham, including 38 in all competitions last season; he scored twice and registered six assists. He can play at left back and on the left wing.

Steven, who is the same age, has made just four senior appearances for the Cottagers and can play across the back four.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Complicating the deal

The Guardian have previously claimed that the first-team star wants to play under Mauricio Pochettino and has already told Fulham that he will not be renewing his contract, which expires next summer.

It should be a simple piece of business, then, for Spurs to bring him to north London.

Yet adding Steven into the equation only muddies the waters. His brother has had precious little first-team exposure and has yet to make his Premier League debut.

It makes little sense for Spurs to attempt to buy both, really, unless Ryan is a major fan of nepotism.

Otherwise, one feels that negotiations could be strained by the fact that they are attempting to snatch away two youngsters from the same club, instead of focusing their efforts on the seemingly superior Sessegnon.

Manchester United are to table a £30million offer for Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff this summer, according to The Times.

The Red Devils are preparing to go all out for the Newcastle prospect this summer as it looks all the more likely they’ll lose Paul Pogba and will test the Magpies’ resolve with an initial £30million offer.

Newcastle recently lost fan favourite Rafael Benitez, having failed to agree terms with the Spaniard over a new deal, and have already sold one key player in Ayoze Perez, with the industrious Spaniard joining Leicester City in a £30million deal at the start of July. And The Times believe there’s every chance Longstaff could leave for the same amount, should it be offered.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to rethink his options if Newcastle demand any higher than the already inflated current asking price, for a selection of reasons. Longstaff, as promising as he may be, only has nine Premier League appearances under his belt and is therefore relatively untested compared to the man he’s touted to replace, Paul Pogba – who’s now played 95 times at the highest level in England.

According to WhoScored, on average Longstaff produced 32.6 passes per game last season at a success rate of 80.9% and scored just once. While Pogba made 59.1 passes per game, respectively, at a success rate of 82.8% and added 13 goals and 9 assists to his collection (topping the leader board at Old Trafford). There’s a certainly a lot of making up to do if the Englishman makes that step up this summer.

Simply put, we haven’t seen enough from Longstaff to even include him in the same sentence as Paul Pogba, one of the world’s leading talents. To blindly spend £30million – which is a lot of money even in the modern inflated Premier League market – would be a major and unnecessary risk on the part of Ed Woodward; both in an economic and footballing sense.

Smart decisions need to be made from this point onward.

Manchester United fans, what do you think about the Longstaff deal? Can he replace Pogba? Is he worth £30million? Let us know in the comments below…

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Lots of Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was reported that a £25m bid had been submitted for Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney.

The Gunners saw a £15m bid rejected for the Scotland international’s services earlier in the window, but have now returned with an improved offer.

Check out 5 reasons why Arsenal need Wilfried Zaha in the video below…

If the deal goes through, it would make the 22-year-old the most expensive player in Scottish football, surpassing the £19.7m it took from Lyon to sign Moussa Dembele from Celtic last summer.

The 5 foot 10 left-back is currently out injured with Osteitis pubis, an inflammation of the pubis symphysis joint, but that hasn’t stopped the north Londoners from upping their bid for him.

Napoli are also said to be interested in landing the Scotsman, but Arsenal are the ones who have made the next move in the race to secure his services.

Let’s see how the Arsenal supporters on Twitter reacted to the news of a fresh bid…