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Everton are in desperate need of striker reinforcements this summer, and now a reliable source has made a claim on a potential transfer target that could be the perfect signing for the club before the transfer window closes.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Everton could be “actively pursuing” Espanyol’s star striker Raul de Tomas.

Speaking to Football FanCast, O’Rourke said:

“Everton’s need for a striker is pretty clear to see, with the injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and also losing Richarlison, they are pretty short of attacking options.

“Everton definitely need to bring a new striker in before the transfer window closes and de Tomas could be one of the targets they are actively pursuing.”

He’s a DCL upgrade

It is no secret that the desperation for a striker signing at Goodison Park is growing every single day, but what if they could kill two birds with one stone and not only sign somebody to fill in for Calvert-Lewin but also a striker who can push him for his position in the Toffees starting team?

De Tomas has been capturing the attention of Premier League giants including Arsenal over the summer following his impressive performances in La Liga with his current club Espanyol.

Over 34 league appearances last season, the €35m (£29.5m) talent who was dubbed an “animal” by journalist Marcos de Vicente, scored 17 goals, delivered three assists and created two big chances, while taking 3.1 shots and winning 4.5 duels per game, as well as being successful in completing 65% of his dribble attempts.

The Spanish striker’s talent didn’t go unnoticed by his national team manager, with Luis Enrique finally giving De Tomas his international debut with Spain in November last year, and he clearly impressed his coach as he has since earned three more caps playing most recently in the UEFA Nations League tournament.

It wouldn’t be fair to compare Calvert-Lewin’s last season to De Tomas as the Toffees striker was injured for the large majority, but in the 2020/21 season when he tallied up 33 appearances, it is still clear that the Espanyol striker would be an upgrade.

The 26-year-old scored more goals (17 v 16), had more shots on goal (86 v 72), delivered more assists (3 v 0), completed more passes (604 v 464) and was more successful in his take-ons (69.4 v 44.9), according to Squawka’s comparison matrix.

Thus, compared to the Toffees’ current leading striker, he is evidently more creative and is capable of beating his man on a regular basis, demonstrating that he offers a more variant threat in the final third.

With that being said, the signing of de Tomas would be a fantastic piece of business if Everton could pull it off over the remaining weeks of the transfer window as it could give Frank Lampard two quality strikers to compete for goals at Goodison Park.

Following the departure of Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal this summer, much was made about who Manchester City would bring in as the Ukrainian’s replacement.

Despite being a natural right-back, Joao Cancelo has been Pep Guardiola’s first-choice at left-back for some time now, with Zinchenko filling in there on occasion last term.

Guardiola needed a back-up to the Portugal international on the left-hand side and the Citizens were linked with a host of names such as Borna Sosa, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Raphael Guerreiro after they missed out on Marc Cucurella to Chelsea.

Eventually, Guardiola brought in Sergio Gomez from Anderlecht, but reports have suggested that he could leave on loan once the manager has had time to assess the 21-year-old.

However, should Gomez leave on loan and Cancelo get injured, Guardiola would still have one more trick up his sleeve in the form of Josh Wilson-Esbrand.

The 19-year-old academy graduate was a regular in pre-season for City and has been name-checked by Guardiola a number of times when discussing defensive options.

After an impressive performance in the 1-0 win against Bayern Munich in pre-season, the 51-year-old was full of praise for the teenage defender, saying: “He’s aggressive to win the duels and with the ball is so clever, he has a good 1 v 1 defender and doesn’t feel the pressure with the ball.

“Today was an example of how our back four were pressed but didn’t lose much of the ball. He did a really good game. If we can control his injuries, we will have a full back for many years.”

The fact that Wilson-Esbrand is comfortable in possession and ‘clever’ with the ball immediately suggests that he could perform a similar role to the attack-minded Cancelo in the future.

The England under-20 international managed just 14 appearances in Premier League 2 last season due to the aforementioned injury issues but has clearly impressed, starting on the bench in each of City’s games so far this season.

His only senior appearance came in the 6-1 win against Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup last term, so he will be hoping for more appearances in cup competitions in the current campaign.

While we are unlikely to see Wilson-Esbrand usurp Cancelo at left-back anytime soon, the Englishman clearly has a bright future and is highly rated at the Etihad Stadium, so fans may be hoping to see a lot more of him this season.

Considering that Kyle Walker will turn 33 during the campaign, we could see Cancelo revert to right-back once the ex-Spurs defender leaves City, which could open the door for Wilson-Esbrand to take over from the former Juventus ace on the left-hand side of defence.

Nottingham Forest have made contact regarding the availability of Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, according to a report in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Falling out of favour

The centre-back made his breakthrough into Thomas Tuchel’s first team last season, clocking up 20 Premier League appearances, but the recent arrivals of Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella have pushed him down the pecking order.

It’s been reported that the Blues are willing to let the 23-year-old leave on loan this summer, and following a fresh update, it sounds as if he won’t be short of potential suitors, with attention being drawn from the City Ground.

The Latest: Forest make Chalobah enquiry

90min report that Forest have ‘contacted’ Chalobah’s representatives over a potential move, and would be ‘interested’ in signing him if he enters the market.

The Reds are set to face stiff competition for his services though, with Leeds, Everton, Southampton, Inter Milan and Roma also name-checked.

It’s claimed that a permanent exit from Stamford Bridge would be ‘unlikely’ as a result of him still having four years left on his contract.

The Verdict: Niakhate replacement

Moussa Niakhate has now been ruled out of action with injury for a few months, so it makes sense that Steve Cooper is looking for a central defensive replacement, and Chalobah has all the qualities to be a rock at the heart of the boss’ backline.

The 6 foot 2 colossus, dubbed a ‘monster’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, averaged an impressive 90.6% pass success rate for Chelsea last season, alongside making 2.1 clearances and two tackles per top-flight game, via WhoScored.

The Reds have already signed Dean Henderson on loan from Manchester United, and Chalobah could be the next to follow in his footsteps and make the temporary move from a Premier League giant.

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a move for Barcelona forward Memphis Depay, with the Dutchman still facing an uncertain future at Camp Nou.

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Magpies and Manchester United have both shown ‘concrete interest’ in signing the 28-year-old, amid the recent collapse of his move to Juventus.

The report suggests that such interest had led the Netherlands international to stick to his €9m (£7.6m) per year wage demands during negotiations with the Serie A giants, with the Old Lady unwilling to finance the deal having failed to offload Adrien Rabiot to the Red Devils.

Further reports from Spain have indicated that the 80-cap sensation has offers on the table from ‘several Premier League clubs’, and it wouldn’t appear too much of a stretch to suggest that Eddie Howe’s side could be among the potential suitors.

Imagine him and Isak

Depay has become one of the most notable victims of the financial turmoil which has engulfed the Catalan giants, with the La Liga club seemingly desperate to move him on in order to free up space on their already sizeable wage bill.

Despite only joining on a free transfer from Lyon last summer, the former PSV Eindhoven gem appears surplus to requirements following the arrival of Bayern Munich marksman Robert Lewandowski, with Xavi already having a wealth of attacking talent at his disposal.

That the £31.5m-rated man is the one who could give way is something of a shock, though, with the versatile forward having impressed in his time at the club thus far, despite struggling with injuries last term.

The £169k-per-week talent recorded a respectable haul of 12 goals in just 28 league games during the 2021/22 campaign – only 20 of which came from the start – while he netted in the recent friendly against Manchester City.

The “terrific” gem – as dubbed by Patrick Vieira – has proven to be a potent threat in the final third throughout his career, scoring 76 goals and providing 56 assists in 178 matches during his time in France.

While his underwhelming previous stint at Old Trafford is a rare black mark on an otherwise impressive CV, the playmaker had recorded 79 goal contributions in just 124 games during his spell in Netherlands prior to joining the Red Devils.

His prospective arrival at St James’ Park could bolster a forward line which has already been strengthened by the signing of Swedish sensation Alexander Isak, with the 22-year-old joining on a £59m deal from Real Sociedad earlier this week.

Having previously walked away from a deal for the 6 foot 4 menace, Howe and co had a late change of heart and opted to splash the cash on the impressive youngster, with fresh injury concerns regarding Callum Wilson no doubt a factor in that decision.

The former Borussia Dortmund man scored 44 goals in 132 appearances during his time in Spain, notably netting 17 top-flight goals in 34 appearances during the 2020/21 campaign.

Having his imposing presence in attack flanked by Depay is a hugely mouthwatering prospect, and it’s easy to image the torment that the pair could inflict on Premier League defences, such is their obvious attacking threat.

Sky Sports journalist and North East reporter Keith Downie has today revealed a shock update coming out of Newcastle United involving Loris Karius.

The Lowdown: Darlow injury

Downie reported this morning that Karl Darlow has picked up an ankle injury in training, meaning that the St. James’ Park outfit only have two fit senior goalkeepers available in Nick Pope and Mark Gillespie.

Martin Dubravka was allowed to leave on loan to Manchester United in the transfer window, and so Eddie Howe has been left a little short for players he can call upon in between the sticks.

The Latest: Karius inbound

Taking to Twitter, Downie has revealed that free agent Karius is ‘on the verge’ of signing for the North East club after Darlow’s latest injury setback, adding that he is already in Newcastle for a medical:

“Newcastle are on the verge of signing former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius following an ankle injury to Karl Darlow in training yesterday. Karius is a free agent & already in Newcastle for a medical ahead of short-term move.”

The Verdict: Shock

It will come as a shock to the Toon Army that they are about to sign Karius, even though the window has closed.

Of course, clubs can still sign free agents outside of the transfer window, and Karius is currently without a club after last playing for Union Berlin in Germany.

But Tyneside supporters will remember him most from his disastrous spell at Liverpool, where he made two howlers that cost his team the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid back in 2018, and also lost his starting place in his first season at Anfield.

Nonetheless, Karius at least brings Premier League experience, and so could provide sufficient cover to Pope until Darlow returns from his injury.

When Leeds United brought 19-year-old Illan Meslier to the club on a season-long loan deal back in the summer of 2019, it is unlikely that any of the Elland Road faithful would have predicted that the French U21 international would be the Whites’ first-choice goalkeeper by the end of the 2019/20 Championship campaign.

However, after Kiko Casilla received an eight-match ban after being found guilty of racially abusing Charlton Athletic loanee Jonathan Leko in March of 2020, Marcelo Bielsa was forced to deploy the youngster between the sticks over what was a crucial run of fixtures in Leeds’ push to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League.

And, after keeping five clean sheets and conceding just five goals over the eight games in which Casilla was unavailable – form that led to Victor Orta paying FC Lorient £5m in order to make the shot-stopper’s loan deal a permanent move – the now-22-year-old has been a near ever-present fixture in the Leeds’ starting XI ever since.

Rather remarkably, despite his tender age, the £43.5m-rated goalkeeper excelled over his 35 Premier League appearances in his debut top-flight campaign, keeping an astonishing 11 clean sheets and making an average of 4.0 saves per game – the joint fifth-most and the second-most in the league respectively that season.

These returns saw the French starlet – who Fabrizio Romano claimed is “untouchable” at Leeds – average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.13, not only ranking him as the Whites’ third-best performer in the league but also as the joint 33rd-best player in the division as a whole in 2021/22.

It was a similar story for the £22k-per-week shot-stopper over his 38 league fixtures last time out, as, despite Leeds shipping a total of 79 goals in their disappointing 2022/23 Premier League campaign, Meslier still managed to keep five clean sheets and make an average of 3.8 saves per game – the most of any goalkeeper in the division last term.

These metrics not only saw the 22-year-old average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.87 – ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s sixth-best performer in the league – but also saw the Frenchman attract the interest of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City last summer – although, with Phil Hay claiming it would take an offer of £50m+ in order to purchase the shot-stopper, no official offers appeared to be submitted to the Whites.

However, considering the quite evident upward trajectory Meslier is on, it would not be surprising if, following another solid season in the Premier League, Victor Orta does start fielding offers of around the £50m mark – a 900% increase on the fee the Spanish director of football paid for the youngster just two years ago – for the Frenchman next summer.

And, whether or not the club decide to cash in on the ‘keeper, one thing is clear – both Orta and Andrea Radrizzani stuck gold when bringing Meslier to Elland Road back in 2020, as the former Lorient starlet has not only made an exceptionally impressive addition to the Whites’ first-team, but he could also be the source of a substantial payday in the not too distant future.

When Leeds United parted with £11m in order to make Jack Harrison’s temporary stay at Elland Road a permanent move in the summer of 2021, many of the Elland Road faithful were well aware that Victor Orta had sealed the Whites an absolute steal.

Indeed, after the club confirmed their acquisition of the Manchester City winger on Twitter, hundreds of supporters flocked to share their delight at the news, with one stating their belief that the deal was “daylight robbery,” while another dubbed the former England U21 international’s signing a “bargain.”

And, considering the fact that the £25.2m-rated talent has already scored 29 goals and registered 25 assists over 172 appearances for Leeds – albeit with many of these goal contributions coming before the forward was made a permanent member of the Whites first team squad – it is not difficult to understand why supporters felt this way.

Indeed, following his signing last summer, the 25-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign in front of goal last season, scoring eight goals – including a last-minute winner against Brentford that all but secured Leeds’ top-flight status – over his 35 Premier League fixtures, with his performances reportedly catching the eye of both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.

However, with Orta reported to be demanding a figure of more than £60m in order to part with the former New York City starlet, Harrison remained at Elland Road upon the closure of the summer transfer window on September 1 – with Jesse Marsch’s side now believed to be eager to tie the £15k-per-week sensation down to a new deal in LS11 in order to fend off future interest.

And, considering his emphatic start to the 2022/23 campaign, it is no wonder the Whites are hoping to keep hold of the player who Hunter Godson dubbed “unbelievable” for as long as they can, with Harrison having already bagged one goal, registered three assists and created three big chances over his six Premier League fixtures so far this season.

These returns have seen the winger average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.22, not only ranking him as Leeds’ second-best performer in the league but also as the 36th-best player in the top flight of English football as a whole in the current campaign.

As such, considering his remarkable returns, coupled with the fact the Whites currently value the 25-year-old at a price 445% more than the £11m they paid for him last summer, it is clear to see that Orta very much hit the jackpot when bringing Harrison to Elland Road.

Liverpool’s interest in Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo is ‘long-standing’, according to journalist Ben Jacobs, with a future move to Anfield possible.

The Lowdown: Caicedo linked with Liverpool

The 20-year-old is already a key performer for the Seagulls, starting each of their Premier League games so far this term and looking like a hugely exciting prospect.

With Liverpool on the lookout for new players in the middle of the park, Caicedo is one player who has been linked with coming in and aiding Jurgen Klopp’s rebuild.

For now, the youngster is content at Brighton, but a move away from the Amex Stadium could easily materialise in the near future.

The Latest: Ben Jacobs on Caicedo’s future

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Jacobs confirmed Liverpool’s interest in Caicedo, adding that a decision will likely be made by the player after the World Cup.

In a succession of tweets, the journalist stated:

“Liverpool’s interest in Moises Caicedo is long-standing dating back to his time at Independiente del Valle. The challenge back then was a complicated representation situation with a number agencies (including Kancha and PSM) claiming to act on his behalf.

“Although the fee Brighton eventually paid was low (£4.5million) the agent fees were high. That put off Liverpool and Manchester United, too. Told Caicedo is now very relaxed about his future and will reassess after the World Cup.

“Offers are expected in January with several Premier League clubs keeping tabs on situation including #LFC and #CFC. Chelsea’s current midfield priority is Ajax’s Edson Alvarez but it remains to seen whether Graham Potter and Kyle Macaulay change that.”

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The Verdict: Superb long-term option

Caicedo could be exactly what Liverpool are seeking in midfield in terms of young legs, great quality and enormous long-term potential.

At just 20 years of age, the Brighton gem already looks such a dominant footballer, not only averaging 2.7 tackles per game in the Premier League this season (substantially more than anyone in the Reds’ squad) but also chipping in with one goal.

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With James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Thiago now in their 30s and Fabinho about to turn 29, fresh legs are required in Liverpool’s midfield, and Caicedo should be seen as a primary target.

Jurgen Klopp will have the opportunity to witness the youngster up close next weekend when Brighton visit Anfield, a venue where they have had some joy in recent visits.

Liverpool make the trip to London on Sunday afternoon to take on Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, and Jurgen Klopp has delivered some new injury news ahead of the clash.

What’s the latest?

The Reds manager took to his pre-match press conference to reveal that deadline day loan arrival Arthur Melo has sustained an injury and will not be available to feature against Mikel Arteta’s side this weekend.

Klopp told the media (via This Is Anfield): “There’s one new injury – Arthur in the last session before the Rangers game.

“In a normal situation, he just injured a muscle. We have to wait for further assessment to wait for how long it will be.”

Klopp should be frustrated

There is no doubt that Klopp should be frustrated with the latest injury to a midfielder in his squad, especially as the Juventus loanee was meant to come in to add depth to an already depleted position.

Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all suffered from various injury issues over the season so far, and it was the Liverpool captain’s injury blow against Newcastle United at the end of August which prompted the deadline day signing of Arthur.

Liverpool’s ongoing injury issues have been a contributor to the terrible start to the Premier League season we have seen so far from the Reds, with Klopp’s side currently ninth in the table and 11 points adrift of their upcoming opponents at the summit already.

As a result, the new injury blow to Arthur will surely annoy his manager, who still has six fixtures to plan for over the rest of the month, including a league clash against Manchester City on Sunday week and  their Champions League games against Rangers and Ajax.

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Arthur has barely been seen in action since his move to Merseyside in September, featuring for only 13 minutes in the first team against Napoli which ended in one of Liverpool’s heaviest defeats in the Champions League to date, Therefore, if Thiago, Fabinho and Henderson can remain fit and fresh for Sunday, it would likely go unnoticed that the midfielder is absent.

With that being said, Klopp must hope that his current crop of available midfielders can maintain their fitness throughout this congested month of fixtures, as losing another player in that position could be even more detrimental to Liverpool’s stop-start season.

Former Scottish Premiership striker turned pundit Frank McAvennie has urged Giovanni van Bronckhorst to drop Malik Tillman for Glasgow Rangers.

The Lowdown: Poor Anfield showing

Tillman put in a poor performance last time out in the 2-0 loss away at Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.

The attacking midfielder recorded no shots on goal or dribbles, made just three accurate passes and only managed a mere 18 touches of the ball in total throughout the entire game (SofaScore).

He was heavily criticised for his work rate in the match, and so there are question marks over his form going into their clash at home to St. Mirren in the league on Saturday afternoon.

The Latest: Van Bronckhorst ‘has to drop’ Tillman

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie has claimed that Van Bronckhorst ‘has to drop’ Tillman ahead of their next fixture, and suggested that there may be an agreement with Bayern Munich that he has to play a certain number of games, which he dubbed ‘ridiculous’:

“He is not having the best of times at the moment.

“But there might be something in his agreement that he has got to play, which I think is ridiculous. If that is there the manager has to try and get it out of the contract because he has to drop him.

“Gio has got to be able to say, ‘you’re not playing well, you’re not playing’.“

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The Verdict: Take out of the firing line

Following Tuesday’s poor performance, Van Bronckhorst should be looking to take Tillman out of the firing line.

There is a lot of pressure to perform having come from a club like Bayern, and while he showed signs of early promise, with three goal contributions in August, he has only managed one assist since then (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, Tillman has only missed one match in both the league and Champions League combined so far this season, and so Saturday could be the best time to give him a rest.