Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri has revealed that the club are closing in on the appointment of a new manager.

The Toffees have been without a permanent leader since Ronald Koeman was sacked just over one month ago.

Under-23s coach David Unsworth has been in temporary charge of the first team since then, but has overseen just one victory in six matches in all competitions.

On Thursday night, the team suffered more disappointment as they were heavily beaten 5-1 by Atalanta on home soil in the Europa League.

Sam Allardyce recently ruled himself out of the running for the permanent position, while Marco Silva’s current club Watford have rejected approaches from the Merseyside outfit.

Moshiri, though, has indicated that the fans may not have to wait much longer for an appointment to be made.

The businessman told talkSPORT that the Merseyside outfit are “close” to bringing in a new coach, that “stabilising” the club was the first priority.

As expected, Everton fans have been giving their thoughts on the latest development via social media.

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West Ham United are experiencing a miserable run in the Premier League.The club currently sit in the relegation zone, three points from safety after 15 games.Since David Moyes took over from Slaven Bilic last month, results have been dire.The Scotsman is yet to oversee a win having recorded one draw and three defeats, the most recent being a 2-1 loss to Manchester City.What is encouraging, though, is that the Hammers put up a fight against the unbeaten league leaders.Angelo Ogbonna caused a scare for City as he opened the scoring at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.In the second half, the hosts bounced back with an equaliser from Nicolas Otamendi.With seven minutes left on the clock, it looked as though West Ham were going to take an important point, but David Silva managed to find a winner for City.During the game, British actor and TV host James Corden, who is a lifelong West Ham fan, tweeted his feelings on what was unfolding.Following the disappointment, Ogbonna decided to reach out to the famous supporter on Twitter.

It is looking increasingly likely that Sofiane Boufal will be on his way out of Southampton in the coming days and weeks having been left out of the squad for the pre-season tour to China, and manager Mark Hughes may well be lining up potential replacements.

The Morocco international’s future was always in doubt when Hughes excluded him from first-team training and all matchday squads following an altercation between him and the attacker during and following the 3-2 defeat against Chelsea at St Mary’s back in April – especially when the Welshman was given the job on a full-time basis.

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The 24-year-old may well be on his way back to France given his success with Lille there previously, and despite already signing Mohamed Elyounoussi, the Saints boss may well look to bring another wide player to the south coast outfit.

One player that should have caught his attention at the 2018 World Cup is Krasnodar’s Viktor Claesson, who scored 12 goals and provided a further eight assists in 34 appearances in all competitions for the Russian club last term.

Able to play on either wing, as a No.10 or even as a centre-forward, the £7.2m-rated attacker showcased his defensive abilities in his nation’s win against Switzerland on Tuesday that set up a quarter-final tie with England, making four clearances and six interceptions, while he made two key passes in the final third, too.

If Hughes is looking for a player who can bring creativity and a goal threat to his team while proving to be effective from a defensive point of view as well to replace Boufal, there are likely to be few better options available in the summer market than Claesson.

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Everton fans here in the Tavern are looking forward the new campaign with Marco Silva in charge. The Portuguese boss didn’t enjoy the best of times at Vicarage Road, but he has already shown his ambition on the transfer front. 

The Toffees will have their sights set firmly on securing a European spot in the next campaign after a rather sloppy campaign last time out.

Although, the next few weeks before the seasons starts will shape the Toffees’ campaign, with interest possibly filtering in for star players and room for improvement in attacking areas.

So, many of our local Evertonians are beginning to feel concerned about what the near future may hold for their side, as preparation will be key when it comes to challenging the big guns in the fight for a European place.

Without further ado, here’s TWO things that could cause for a pandemonium…

Jordan Pickford has been England’s standout performer at the World Cup thus far as he continues to carry the whole nation on his shoulders.

However, Bayern Munich were linked with the goalkeeper earlier on in the window and he could receive a whole heap of interest when he returns home after his performances in Russia.

Therefore, many of our local residents are extremely worried about the situation as he could opt to move to a much bigger club this summer, which would leave Everton in a huge heap of bother.

Emil Forsberg carried his fine domestic form through with him into the World Cup in Russia as he helped Sweden reach the quarter-final stage of the competition.

Indeed, Everton have been linked with the highly-rated midfielder in recent times and could look to swoop in for his services this summer. But, with Arsenal also interested in signing him, they could lose out on a much-needed attacking addition which could be the difference between making it into Europe and finishing in the bottom half.

Croatia’s run to the World Cup final saw them display the kind of bloody-minded desire that Jose Mourinho would love to see more of at Manchester United.

Inspired by Luka Modric, England’s semi-final conquerors had no shortage of guile but three consecutive knockout matches went into extra-time, which required incredible depths of character and fitness to get through successfully.

It would appear that unlikely run has caught Mourinho’s attention in the transfer market with reports swirling that he has rekindled his interest in Ivan Perisic and that his international team-mate Ante Rebic has also moved onto United’s radar.

It is generally not a good idea to buy on the basis of a World Cup; the sample size is too small and successful players are generally in an environment where they feel very comfortable – a move to a new club and country is notoriously tougher to navigate.

With that in mind, we asked United fans whether they would rather have Anthony Martial or new target Rebic and it’s clear that they would prefer to keep hold of the Frenchman, as you can see from the full poll standings below…

According to a recent report from Mundo Deportivo, Liverpool have made a move to bring Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen to Anfield. The 29-year-old has been on the peripheries at the Spanish giants since his move to the Nou Camp back in 2016, what with the Netherlands international mustering just 21 senior appearances for the Catalans, only two of which coming in La Liga.

Yet Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are reportedly keen on the Dutchman in a bid to replace the awful Loris Karius, and while he would be an upgrade on the German, £10.8 million-rated Kasper Schmeichel (as per Transfermarkt) would be an even better one.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while 29-year-old Cillessen earned his move to Barca after a fine few years at Ajax, he simply hasn’t played enough football in the last couple of years to suggest that he can be the man to help Klopp’s side over 50 games this time round.

And given in only three of his last seven seasons has the Netherlands ace been his respective club’s number one shot-stopper, it’s difficult to see how he can maintain the level required over the course of a campaign were he to move to Anfield.

Yes, it’s clear that Cillessen would indeed be an upgrade on Karius, but to finally end their glaring issue in the goalkeeping ranks, they’d be better served going after an even better upgrade in Leicester City’s Schmeichel.

The 31-year-old has proven to be one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League in the last few years in helping the Foxes win the title and indeed stave off relegation, with it arguable that his efforts in their season after winning the league were more impressive than their title-winning campaign.

The Denmark international, who excelled once again during this summer’s World Cup as his country reached the last 16, kept 15 clean sheets as Claudio Ranieri’s men won the Premier League back in the 2015/16 campaign, and while the majority of his teammates saw their level dip the season after, Schmeichel maintained his to keep them in the division.

And with eight clean sheets for Claude Puel’s side last term to inspire them to a ninth place finish, alongside an impressive World Cup campaign for his country, the 31-year-old appears to be the ideal man to take the number one jersey away from Karius at Anfield.

Thus, while Cillessen would be an upgrade on the German, they should forget about him as 31-year-old Schmeichel would be an even better upgrade on the awful 25-year-old.

Liverpool fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Loads of Tottenham fans have been reacting to the latest transfer news, as reports in France claim PSG could make a shock swoop for Jan Vertonghen.

According to La Parisien, new PSG boss Thomas Tuchel wants to play three at the back this season, and is a long-term admirer of Vertonghen.

Spurs fans can certainly attest to the fact that the Belgian is just as solid in a back three as he is in a more conventional back four, so it’s perhaps no surprise there is interest given his form in the last couple of seasons.

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With all the talk of Toby Alderweireld potentially leaving it would be quite the turn of events if it was in fact Vertonghen that leaves the club, with fans already growing frustrated by the lack of transfer activity.

Vertonghen, valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, is an excellent defenders that does all the simple things perfectly, and Daniel Levy and Mauricio Pochettino would have one hell of a job replacing him, but at 31 could it be worth cashing in for big money?

Most of the fans don’t think so, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

According to reports in The Express on July 24, Rangers are lining up a bid to sign Bolton Wanderers centre-back Mark Beevers, and Leeds United must hijack any move.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Express report that Gers boss Steven Gerrard sent out a scout to watch the 28-year-old in action last weekend, with him possibly being a cheaper option than Millwall’s Jake Cooper given he is going into the final year of his contract with the Lancashire outfit.

The Express report that despite the fact that the former Liverpool and England captain has already strengthened his backline ahead of the new campaign as he attempts to snatch the Scottish Premiership title away from Celtic, he is still keen to add a left-sided centre-half to his squad.

Meanwhile, following another disappointing 2017/18 campaign and the return of Matthew Pennington to Everton following a loan spell, the Yorkshire outfit have been left with just three senior centre-backs – Pontus Jansson, Liam Cooper and Conor O’Shaughnessy, the latter of whom is only 22 himself.

Why should Leeds sign Beevers?

Well, the Whites need an upgrade on captain Cooper if they are to really make a tilt at promotion this term, and the best option appears to be close to home in the form of Beevers.

The 28-year-old, who is also reported to be a target for Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, showed his defensive qualities for the Trotters during the 2017/18 campaign, and according to WhoScored.com he won 239 of the 384 aerial duels he faced in 44 Championship appearances as the Lancashire outfit narrowly avoided relegation on the final day.

Meanwhile, he also made 69 interceptions, won 72 tackles and made 385 clearances, and he looks as though he would be the perfect partner for Jansson this term and could be a favourite among the fans, some of whom are backing the club to make what would be the signing of the summer.

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According to reports in The Daily Mail, Aston Villa are keen to sign Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham on loan, and their Championship rivals Leeds United must hijack any move.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Daily Mail says that Steve Bruce wants to bring the 20-year-old to Villa Park on a temporary basis, but the England U21 international would prefer to stay in the Premier League having had a spell with relegated Swansea City last term.

The tall centre-forward scored five goals in 31 league games as he couldn’t prevent the Welsh side dropping into the Championship, with four of those goals coming in his opening eight top-flight appearances.

The Daily Mail suggests that he may have to drop down to England’s second tier to try and rediscover his goalscoring touch, having netted 26 goals in 48 games for Bristol City the previous year.

Why should Leeds hijack any move?

Well, while Abraham is understood to be keen to stay within ‘The Promised Land’, if the offers aren’t there then he will need to settle on a Championship move in order to prove himself again, especially given he seems unlikely to get regular minutes under Maurizio Sarri at his parent club.

While Villa would be a good option, he would be an even better buy for their Yorkshire opponents, whose fans on Twitter want them to sign a 24-year-old star to replace Ronaldo Vieira, in what is sure to be another exciting promotion race this term.

The 20-year-old has shown his goalscoring prowess at this level before, and if the Whites added him to their squad in addition to Patrick Bamford they would have one of the best frontlines in the division, as well as their best strike partnership since Jermaine Beckford and Luciano Becchio.

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Brighton and Hove Albion announced the signing of right-back Martin Montoya from Valencia on transfer deadline day and sent their fans wild with excitement for the season ahead.

The 27-year-old made 25 appearances in La Liga last season and provided four assists after joining on a free transfer from Barcelona in the summer of 2016. Montoya came through the La Masia academy at Barcelona and made 67 appearances for the first team, winning the Champions League in 2014/15 and six other trophies with the club.

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The Brighton new boy can also play left-back and becomes boss Chris Hughton’s 13th signing of the summer window. The Seagulls have also broken their transfer record to secure Iranian winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

Brighton fans on Twitter were hugely excited with the capture of the experienced Spaniard and were looking forward to their opening game with Watford on Saturday. Check out some of their best tweets below.