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Marcel Brands faces a fraught challenge to sign Carlo Ancelotti’s “very talented” transfer target, SSC Napoli’s highly sought-after midfielder Fabian Ruiz.

What’s the word?

According to TodoFichajes, Ancelotti intends to rediscover Everton’s early season form with a January raid on Napoli in hopes of reuniting with another of his former players in Fabian, after witnessing the successful adaptations of Allan and James Rodriguez to the Premier League.

Ancelotti was awash with praise for Fabian during his time at the San Paolo Stadium and has even reportedly contacted the Spaniard to discuss a potential move to Goodison Park, which the 24-year-old is not thought to have been opposed to.

Fabian is considered an untouchable aspect of Gennaro Gattuso’s plans in Naples, yet he remains a winter target for Everton after rejecting offers to renew his contract as the 8-cap international considers exploring a new challenge just two-and-a-half-years on from leaving Real Betis.

Everton could face a strong line of competition for his signature, however, as La Liga giants FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid all hold a strong interest in Fabian, who the Express claimed was also an option for Liverpool, Manchester United and Bayern Munich this summer, but they all faced a staggering £74million asking price.

Jurgen Klopp had been keen to pip the growing swarm of interested parties before ultimately signing Thiago Alcantara, with Fabian’s Napoli future becoming increasingly uncertain after his agent Alvaro Torres confirmed that the Betis product was reluctant to discuss a new contract after a muddled campaign which saw Gattuso replace Ancelotti at the helm.

Fabian enjoyed the best days of his career so far under Ancelotti, scoring eight goals and penning five assists in 59 appearances across all competitions. He has since netted three and assisted five in 36 games under Gattuso, who has relied on the 6 ft 2 maestro to start all six possible Serie A fixtures thus far this term.

Brands’ fraught challenge

The level of interest in Fabian’s services and Napoli’s expected asking price would make any move by Everton this January a fraught challenge for their Director of Football Brands to overcome, especially as the Italian outfit have no urgent need to sell.

Fabian is under contract at the San Paolo through to the summer of 2023 and Napoli will be well-aware that the clutch of clubs keen on his services will ensure that their valuation remains high far into his current deal.

But in a boost for Everton, TodoFichajes do claim that the Toffees are the most likely destination for the 24-year-old, as the Merseyside outfit can improve his current salary and present an ambitious sporting project as they strive to secure European football.

Ancelotti’s past relationship with the central midfielder can also play a key role in advancing the Blues’ standing, with the Italian a keen admirer having noted in 2019 via Napoli’s official website: “Fabian can play various roles and must certainly grow in many aspects. He is young and very talented.

“He must have fewer breaks and must gradually be inserted into the heart of the team. Compared to Marek [Hamsik], he has a different vision of the game but certainly greater penetration.”

Fabian responded to Ancelotti’s comments by recording his most creative Serie A campaign last season with six assists in 33 games, and he is currently averaging 1.5 key balls and 1.5 shots per match this term as he registers 86.2 touches, 67.2 accurate passes, 4.5 duels won and 0.8 successful dribbles (83%), per SofaScore.

With Ancelotti keen and Fabian seemingly open to a move to Goodison Park, it only remains to be seen if Brands can unearth the funds needed to complete a raid on Napoli this winter.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti is urging Everton to sign a “magnificent player” this winter.

Carlo Ancelotti is putting Jonjoe Kenny’s Everton future in doubt with a rumoured pursuit of Middlesbrough’s in-demand defender Djed Spence.

What’s the word?

According to TEAMtalk, Boro are facing an increasing battle to retain Spence’s services beyond the January market, with the attacking right-back’s form under Neil Warnock said to have impressed an array of Premier League sides.

Warnock has called on the former Fulham trainee – who departed Craven Cottage for the Riverside in 2018 – to start six of his nine Championship appearances this season, in which the 20-year-old has struck one goal and provided an average 0.4 accurate crosses a game.

Former Middlesbrough boss Jonathan Woodgate awarded the London-born defender his first-team breakthrough mid-way through last season, making his second-tier debut in a 1-0 win over Charlton Athletic and ending the campaign as the North East outfit’s prefered option.

Spence’s progress since Warnock’s appointment earlier in the year has seen Everton, along with Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers begin carrying out regular checks on his development ahead of a potential England Under 21s call-up.

Warnock is often full of praise for the £1.8m-rated talent, claiming in July that he considers Spence to be of the same type as Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

“If you look at one or two of the full-backs that are around now – the lad at Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and the lad at Manchester United from Palace – they are all the same type as Djed,” he said, via quotes by The Northern Echo.

“He does have enormous ability, and when you’ve got ability like that it’s criminal if you don’t get to the very top. But as I said to him in that first couple of weeks, he’ll only have himself to blame if he doesn’t get to the very top.

“He has quite a few things to brush up on at the minute, and I’m sure he will try. He’s a very good trainer and works hard.”

With Spence’s stock increasingly on the rise and Middlesbrough seemingly becoming progressively more accepting of a January transfer, it remains to be seen if Everton step in to win the emerging race.

Kenny’s future in doubt

Any move by Everton to sign Spence could come at the expense of Toffees product Kenny, who made his Premier League season debut against Newcastle on Sunday in place of the injured Seamus Coleman.

Ancelotti has previously stated that he has a lot of confidence in the former England U21 international, but moving for Spence would go against those claims as the 23-year-old would find himself with greater competition for the role of eventually succeeding Coleman.

Kenny, 23, has long been seen as the one to take over the right-back spot at Goodison Park once the Blues captain hangs up his boots, with Sam Allardyce noting in 2017 that the Liverpool-born ace belongs in the Premier League.

“He’s been a huge bonus for filling in that position,” said Allardyce, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo. “He proved that before I came, and he’s proven that to me in my short time because he doesn’t look out of place.”

Spence, meanwhile, has shown his attacking nature in the Championship this season with a heavy number of his 36.2 touches per game coming in the opponent’s half, where he plays 9.2 of his 12.1 accurate passes, while winning 3.4 total duels, recording 1.1 tackles and offering 0.4 key balls plus 0.3 shots, per SofaScore.

Kenny managed to register 61 touches against Newcastle before being replaced in the 76th-minute, but could only deliver one accurate cross from six attempts, lost possession 13 times, made two tackles and one clearance while recording most of his time in Toon territory.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands can build Everton’s dream unit with a gem who Carlo Ancelotti calls “one of the best”.

A number of Manchester City fans have been reacting to the latest report that Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly was ‘quite certain’ that he would move to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

City had been consistently linked with a potential move for Koulibaly throughout the summer transfer window, but Pep Guardiola’s side were unable to meet Napoli’s asking price for the 29-year-old, so the centre-back ended up remaining with the Italian club, as per Sky Sports.

City had already brought in Nathan Ake in a £40 million deal from Bournemouth, and they opted to move for Benfica’s Ruben Dias instead of Koulibaly, signing the 23-year-old in a deal worth around £65 million, with Nicolas Otamendi moving in the opposite direction.

However, according to the latest report from Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Koulibaly was confident of making a move to City during the transfer window. That was before Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis set an €80 million (£72.2 million) price tag, which seemingly put City off the move.

Some City fans have been saying that the blame for the transfer failing to get over the line should be directed at De Laurentiis, while others pointed out that Dias was a better option anyway due to the difference in age between the pair.

City fans react to emerging reports over Koulibaly

City fans, would Koulibaly have been a better signing than Dias? Let us know your thoughts below!

Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer has heaped praise on Brighton and Hove Albion’s teenage wing-back Tariq Lamptey after his impressive start to the season.

The England under-21 international has burst on to the scene in recent months, starting in the opening day defeat to Chelsea before being included against Newcastle United at the weekend.

The defender originally began his career with Chelsea before moving to Brighton, for whom he signed back in January.

Shearer, who scored a record total of 260 goals in the division for Newcastle and Blackburn, regularly selects his Team of the Week for the Premier League’s official website.

Picking Lamptey in his XI for Premier League matchday 2, Shearer gave a brief comment on the youngster’s performances to justify his inclusion.

“The teenager only played for an hour but that hour was outstanding. He was a constant threat with his pace and nearly scored a deserved goal. A brilliant future lies ahead.”

The 19-year-old impressed as he played a part in Brighton’s 3-0 win over Shearer’s former club Newcastle United at the weekend, winning five duels, making four interceptions and winning the penalty which led to Neal Maupay’s opening goal at St James’ Park.

Brighton were defeated on the opening day of the season but a superb victory over Newcastle United has got them up and running; and in Lamptey they have seemingly found a real gem.

The youngster has bags of potential, and with the benefit of regular first team action with the Seagulls since the restart of football in June, the future could hold something special for him.

Do you think Lamptey can go and become a big player in the Premier League? Let us know your views in the comments section below…

Harry Kane and Heung-min Son will understandably take the plaudits after Tottenham Hotspur’s emphatic 5-2 victory over Southampton.

The former got four assists and a goal, while the latter scored four times throughout the match, which says enough about just how impressive their respective performances were.

However, Jose Mourinho, and Spurs fans, can also be pleased with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s display in midfield, as he came up against his former club.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

He was hit with a tough challenge from Oriol Romeu fairly early on, but this did not deter the Denmark international from putting in a solid performance.

The 25-year-old won four of the six aerial duels that he competed in, as well as winning one tackle, completing one interception and one clearance.

In addition to his defensive and combative involvements, Hojbjerg showed quality with the ball at his feet, completing 83% of the passes that he attempted, as well as completing both of his dribbles.

He was also able to see plenty of the ball, holding 6% of the game’s overall possession, a number that was only exceeded by Harry Winks among his fellow Spurs players.

Having seen his side collectively struggle during the first half, after losing against Everton, Mourinho will be feeling particularly pleased with the eventual scoreline.

The way that they went about securing the one-sided result will make this feel even better for the Portuguese tactician.

He can also add the fact that one of his summer signings put in a highly impressive performance to his positives from the day.

After enduring a disappointing debut campaign with Tottenham, this summer feels like a potentially huge one for Ryan Sessegnon.

The 20-year-old featured just 12 times for Spurs last season, and there were even suggestions that clubs were keen to lure him away. But following a report from The Athletic that Jose Mourinho had rejected a loan offer from Barcelona, and that he is ready to unleash him this year, Sessegnon took to the field against Ipswich on Saturday and showcased just what he can do.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

The Lilywhites ran out comfortable 3-0 winners against the League One side, and it was Sessegnon who got Spurs off and running, collecting a fine ball from Dele Alli, before cutting on to his weaker right foot and firing past the Ipswich goalkeeper.

And after the game, Spurs fans took to Twitter to share their reactions about Sessegnon’s performance.

A couple of supporters simply insisted that there is a lot more to come from the former Fulham youngster, and that the “sky is the limit”.

One Spurs fan even suggested that if Mourinho has a brain, Sessegnon will actually be starting for the side come the start of the new campaign next month.

At just 20, it’s difficult to expect Sessegnon to just hit the ground running and start showing world-class potential.

Having been one of the breakout prospects in recent years at Fulham, the starlet arrived at Tottenham as a much smaller fish, in a much bigger pond.

But with a season now under his belt, this could be the year for him to really kick on and show why Spurs spent big-money to bring him in last summer.

Marcelo Bielsa has previously been touted as the best coach in the world, but despite this, he’s never really managed a truly elite European club.

Yes, he’s been at some top-class outfits such as Marseille, Lazio and Athletic Bilbao, but these aren’t teams that are competing for the Champions League year in, year out.

You’d think that someone of his stature would have had a number of top jobs, but instead, he’s spent the last two years managing in the Championship.

Unfortunately for Leeds, he’s seemingly caught the eye of one of football’s biggest stars.

What’s the story then?

The Sun are reporting that Lionel Messi wants Bielsa to be the next Barcelona manager.

Of course, a player wanting something isn’t quite the same as the club being interested, but it’s certainly fair to say that Messi isn’t in the same boat as most players.

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As much as the Argentine hates the notion that he runs Barcelona, he has more sway than most players could ever dream of, with a director getting sacked for making negative comments about him.

One insider spoke about Messi’s sway at the club stating: “Messi has unspoken veto power over most player transfers, coach appointments or major tactical decision.”

If the £500k-a-week star wants Bielsa, the board may just have a look into that possibility, and with his Leeds contract being up, he is technically available.

Impossible to turn down

As much as Bielsa seems to love Leeds, you can’t help but feel that it’d be impossible for him to turn down Barcelona if they came calling.

The 65-year-old may never get another chance to manage a club of that calibre, and after completing his primary goal of getting the Whites promoted, it’d be understandable if he felt it was time to close this chapter of his career.

We’re due to hear about the gaffer signing a new deal at Elland Road sooner rather than later, but if Barcelona do come in for him, that could put the cat amongst the pigeons.

The Daily Record has suggested that Glasgow Rangers’ Steven Gerrard could make a move for out-of-contract winger Jordon Ibe.

The 24-year-old recently left Bournemouth after his deal at Dean Court ran out, and he would now be available on a free transfer. The newspaper has acknowledged that Ibe has been linked with a move to Celtic (The Sunday Mirror, 28/06, p74) but has suggested that, given his previous associations with Liverpool, he could be a player that Gerrard could have his eye on.

Ibe’s time with the Cherries was far from successful. The south-coast side spent £15m on his services, despite him scoring just four times in 58 matches with the Reds. And that record didn’t exactly get better with Bournemouth, with him scoring just four times in 95 matches for the Premier League side.

There must be something to his game, though, if he is able to play almost 60 matches for one of England’s biggest clubs, and a further 95 for a side also in the country’s top flight. It is clear that he is yet to match his potential, but at the age of just 24 he has the time to rejuvenate himself.

Before he left the Cherries, he was on £38,000 a week, and so the Gers would likely need to negotiate a smaller salary. Still, the lack of a transfer fee would make it a more interesting deal, and Gerrard could certainly do with a new right-winger after the departure of Sheyi Ojo, who has returned to Liverpool after his loan spell.

As such, this is indeed a deal that the 54-time Scottish champions should consider if the opportunity arises.

Let us know what you think below!

The SFA have confirmed that the Scottish transfer window will be open from July 14 to October 5, giving Glasgow Rangers both a boost and a blow in equal measure.

The pandemic has thrown the football calendar into chaos, with leagues either ending prematurely, as in Scotland, or being suspended and subsequently extended until the end of July, as is the case with the Premier League.

It had been unclear as to how long the transfer window would be open but now the SPFL have confirmed that it will be open from July 14 until October 5, which equates to 12 weeks or three months.

This is both a boost and a blow to the Ibrox outfit. From a positive point of view, this means that the ‘Gers have plenty of time to complete the deals they need to strengthen their squad, with some deals needing plenty of time to be completed, especially in this current climate.

On the other hand, though, it could damage their hopes of holding onto a certain Alfredo Morelos. The striker has been linked with a move away from the blue side of Glasgow over the past few weeks and months, with Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and, more recently, Everton said to be interested. With a Transfermarkt value of £10.8m, he would likely bring in a substantial fee, but Steven Gerrard will want to keep his top scorer from 2019/20 as he plans for the next campaign.

Either way, it promises to be an important window for the ‘Gers. It is up to Ross Wilson and co to give Gerrard the best possible chance of success.

‘Gers fans, are you happy with the dates for the Scottish transfer window? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

Name: Rhian Brewster

Club: Liverpool

Date of Birth: 1 April 2000

Position: Centre-forward

Rhian Brewster – His career so far

Rhian Brewster is one of the Liverpool youngsters who are currently out on loan in search for better opportunities and a more stable path towards developing properly. The 20-year-old centre-forward is now plying his trade at Swansea City but the early signs do point towards him having a big career if he can continue progressing the same way.

His Liverpool journey, however, started when he was a 15-year-old boy as he joined the Scousers from Chelsea and rapidly progressed through their ranks. Both his debuts at the U18 and U23 levels were marked with success and he even bagged a goal in a 3-0 win vs Ipswich Town in the Premier League Cup on January 22, 2017 for the latter squad.

Spells with both teams ended up being quite thrilling for the youngster and he managed to record five goals and four assists in just 11 games for the U18s and even more impressively, 13 goals and ten assists across a total of 28 matches for the U23s. It should also be noted that he was a part of Liverpool’s UEFA U19 team, rattling the inside of the net two times in six appearances.

Interestingly enough, Brewster really didn’t have to wait long for his first encounters with the senior squad as he was named in their matchday squad for the first time, aged just 17, in a home Premier League game with Crystal Palace in April 2017.

Still, injuries and other obstacles stood in the way of his progress and he only managed to tally three senior appearances since, once in the FA Cup against Everton and two times the EFL Cup, all in 2019/20.

But it should also be noted that he was on the bench for both Liverpool’s historic wins over Barcelona at Anfield and against Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Champions League when the Reds conquered Europe.

Following those three appearances for the seniors, Brewster was sent out on loan to Swansea where he can currently boast with four goals in 11 appearances.

Transfer latest

At the very moment, we’re still waiting for any kind of Liverpool news on Brewster’s loan deal which is set to expire in the coming summer. But the changes to the market caused by the recent outside events could, of course, make things much more complicated.

But the latest transfer rumours do indicate that the likes of Leeds United are interested in taking the 20-year-old forward on loan as well but they were actually warned against that by their former player, Danny Mills.

After his exit to Swansea, Brewster talked at length about the transfer news that confirmed his departure, saying that he had to go out on loan in order to get more minutes and ensure he keeps developing.

At the moment, those are all the transfer rumours surrounding the young forward and it remains to be seen what the future holds for him in these unprecedented times.

Player profile

One of Brewster’s biggest assets is definitely his sheer versatility. Even though he is a centre-forward by trade, he’s been used both in wider and deeper areas throughout his career, according to the games Transfermarkt have in their database.

His heatmap suggests the same thing – typically the centre-forwards will mostly be prioritising the area inside the opposition’s box but Brewster drifts wide on both flanks and interacts with his teammates all over the final third.

This is done both instinctively as a part of his player profile but also as a tactical way of confusing the opposition by constantly swapping places with some of the other forwards and midfielders, making the task of marking them that much more difficult.

Even though he does have an eye for goal, he averages just 1.86 shots per game with 44.4% accuracy so that means there’s still some room for improvement there. Similarly, he can sometimes be brushed off the ball far too easily and adding more muscle could be a good idea for the youngster in the near future.

So far, no Liverpool news suggests he’ll have a major role in the team upon his return but maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep developing elsewhere until he’s ready for such a huge step-up.

The talent is certainly there.