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According to Le10 Sport, Everton have approached Paris Saint-Germain over a move for Belgium international Thomas Meunier.

Meunier will see his current deal with PSG expire in summer 2020, so his future with the French champions is certainly in doubt at the moment.

Right-back has proved to be one of the big problem positions at Everton so far this season, with neither Seamus Coleman or Jonjoe Kenny particularly convincing in the No.2 slot.

According to Le10Sport, Everton have actually already made contact with PSG to discuss a summer swoop for the 6ft 3in ace.

The Merseyside club’s supporters have been on social media reacting to the news and it would be fair to say that they are struggling to agree on the defender.

Indeed, whilst some believe that Meunier would be a good signing, others feel that Mason Holgate – currently on loan at West Bromwich Albion – would be the better option in the long run.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Tottenham Hotspur are set to revisit their previous interest in Adama Traore this summer…

What’s the word?

The stocky winger swapped Wolverhampton Wanderers for his former club Barcelona during the January transfer window, rejecting Spurs in the process, but as the 26-year-old is only on loan, he’s a player that the north Londoners remain interested in.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport (via Sport Witness), the Catalan giants are unable to fork out his €30m (£25m) option to buy this summer due to the club’s finances, though they remain hopeful of some sort of player swap deal involving Francisco Trincao, who is currently on loan in the other direction.

At the current time, this seems unlikely to happen, making Traore potentially available again ahead of next season. Antonio Conte and co retain their interest and will hold out to see what situation emerges over the coming months.

Bergwijn in danger

Forgotten Lilywhites man Steven Bergwijn should be hugely concerned by these developments, as a move for any new winger would surely push him closer to the exit door as he’s already slipped down the pecking order.

Dejan Kulusevski’s arrival on January deadline day has seen the Dutch winger further limited to game time. He has played only 486 minutes in the Premier League and 811 minutes overall this season, in which just 337 minutes have been under Conte.

Eredivisie champions Ajax have regularly been linked with a move for the 24-year-old outcast, so if Traore were to walk through the door at Hotspur Way, then you’d imagine Bergwijn – who cost £25m in January 2020 – would quickly become expendable.

It would be something of a major upgrade, too, though.

Across 76 appearances, the £18m-rated winger has only scored seven goals and laid on ten assists, as per Transfermarkt. Those are hardly inspiring numbers for an attacking player in the Premier League and whilst Traore’s returns aren’t much better, it’s the eye test that clinches it.

Built like a brick wall, the Spaniard has been lauded as “unplayable” by Premier League-winning head coach Jurgen Klopp and a “monster” by Southampton forward Che Adams.

Traore is also capable of playing centrally up front, on the other flank and at right wing-back, ticking plenty more boxes than Bergwijn, so he could be of much greater use, especially if the 26-year-old’s natural role is being taken up by someone like Kulusevski.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs would have to splash out £25m to sign Traore, although that is around his current estimated value of £25.2m, as per Transfermarkt.

Either way, this sustained interest in the Wolves loanee certainly spells trouble for Bergwijn heading into 2022/23.

AND in other news, Spurs leading race to sign £42m-rated “special talent”, could be Conte’s next Martinez…

After falling to a crushing 1-0 defeat against Queens Park Rangers in their latest Championship match due to an 87th-minute winner from former Baggies striker Charlie Austin, West Brom are back in action this afternoon with a home clash against Peterborough United. 

With Ismael revealing in his recent press conference that Kean Bryan and Robert Snodgrass will be unavailable for the match, while Sam Johnstone and Alex Mowatt will reportedly be back next week, here’s how we feel West Brom will line up for today’s clash against Posh. We anticipate four changes from the team which started in the midweek defeat in west London. 

In goal, with no Johnstone, it seems likely that David Button will keep his place in the team on this occasion for another attempt at keeping a clean sheet. 

In a back three, with Cedric Kipre and Kyle Bartley set to return, we can see both of them starting alongside Matt Clarke. Darnell Furlong and Adam Reach, who is currently picking up £23k-per-week according to Salary Sport, drop out as a result. 

For the wing-back positions, we think Conor Townsend will start on the left, moving from the centre of defence, with Taylor Gardner-Hickman on the right. 

In midfield between those two, with no Alex Mowatt, it seems likely that Ismael will stick with club captain Jake Livermore alongside Jayson Molumby. 

For the front three, Karlan Grant put in a good shift against QPR, so we think he’ll keep his place in the team on the left, while Grady Diangana comes in on the right to replace Callum Robinson. 

Finally, Ismael could give Daryl Dike, who has previously been described as a “special” player by his former Orlando City teammate Nani, his first start in a West Brom shirt after the 21-year-old joined the club earlier this month and played 31 minutes against QPR off the substitutes’ bench. Matt Phillips is the man to drop out for the American.

Whether or not Ismael goes with the starting XI that we have suggested, this is still a great chance for the Baggies to claim three points and climb a step closer to the automatic promotion places, given Peterborough’s struggles in the league this season. 

In other news: Sky Sports pundit drops worrying WBA January claim, it’d be a “huge blow” for Ismael

A significant Rangers transfer update has emerged regarding Scott Arfield’s future at Ibrox… 

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, Turkish duo Hatayspor and Alanyaspor are both in talks over a deal to sign the midfielder this month.

The report claims that negotiations are ongoing between all parties, with both Turkish clubs willing to offer a small fee to the Gers instead of him leaving on a free transfer in the summer once his contract expires.

Fans will be delighted

Rangers fans will surely be delighted with this news, as it offers the club the perfect opportunity to part ways with the veteran midfielder.

Whilst Arfield is a useful player to call upon, he is out of contract in the summer and the Gers now have two clubs willing to offer fees to sign him this month. This could increase Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s own spending power to go out and add further players to his own squad, without majorly weakening his preferred XI.

The Gers have already strengthened their options in the middle of the park this month. James Sands has arrived on an 18-month loan from New York City FC, and he could scoop up all the minutes that Arfield would accrue in the second half of the campaign.

Sands averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.91 and won 1.5 tackles per game in the MLS last year and could slot in as one of the holding midfield players at Ibrox. This would then free up Aribo or Glen Kamara to play further forward in Arfield’s role, or it could allow someone like Ianis Hagi to get minutes in the number 10 berth.

This season, the Canada international has produced only two goals in 13 league games for the club, averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.78. In that time, he has missed a whopping five ‘big chances’ to score and only created 0.6 chances per game, whilst also losing 65% of his duels, suggesting that the time is right for him to be moved on as his performances have left plenty to be desired.

Therefore, Rangers fans may well be buzzing with the interest in Arfield, along with the news that negotiations are ongoing over a potential deal for him to leave this month. His exit in January would avoid the club missing out on a transfer fee if he left for nothing at the end of the season, and it appears to be the best possible solution for parties involved.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Hagi: Rangers could find new creative maestro in £1.2m-rated gem with 31 G/A…

Alex Crook has now dropped some Newcastle United transfer news involving Eddie Nketiah.

The Lowdown: Closing in?

Reliable journalist Luke Edwards reported for The Daily Telegraph earlier this week that the St. James’ Park faithful were closing in on the signing of Nketiah before the January transfer window shuts.

However, there then seemed to have been no further movement on that potential deal, and instead reports emerged of Crystal Palace having bids rejected for the Arsenal attacker.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium are running out of time if they want to bring in another striker after signing Chris Wood from Burnley, and Crook has delivered some bad news on the Nketiah front.

The Latest: Unlikely

As per talkSPORT journalist Crook, a deal to bring Nketiah to the North East before the deadline is now ‘unlikely’:

“Believe Nketiah is unlikely as well.

“Always felt odd AFC letting him go with their lack of numbers up front.”

The Verdict: Shame

It would be a shame for the Tyneside outfit to lose out on Nketiah, as he would offer Eddie Howe another solid attacking option for their relegation battle.

He is a player that the former AFC Bournemouth manager is known to like, and so there is no doubt that the boss would be eager to work with him and help him fulfil his true potential.

Described as someone who has an ‘incredible work-rate’, ‘pace’ and a ‘smell for goals’ by his coach Mikel Arteta (Sportskeeda), Nketiah possesses not just the quality but the hunger needed to keep the Magpies up, and with just six months remaining on his current contract at the Emirates Stadium, they could have potentially got him for cheap.

Nonetheless, it seems as if the Toon will now have to focus on other targets if they want to bring in another forward before the deadline.

In other news, find out who talks are ongoing for NUFC to sign here!

With the January transfer window opening in a matter of days, Everton could do with splashing the cash and bringing some new players in given how they’ve only managed to win one of their 11 previous Premier League games.

However, one piece of business that the Merseyside club should be doing would be to get rid of one of their current players – Lucas Digne.

The left-back was left out of the squad for Everton’s 2-1 win over Arsenal at Goodison Park earlier this month as a result of a reported falling out with manager Rafa Benitez behind the scenes.

Digne hasn’t appeared for Everton since playing the full 90 minutes in their 4-1 home defeat against Liverpool.

Prior to his falling out with Benitez, the 28-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £110k-per-week according to Salary Sport, had played in all but one of Everton’s Premier League games, donning the captain’s armband on three occasions, showing how important he is to the team. That’s despite being slammed by commentator Andy Hinchcliffe for having a “nightmare” period in their 3-0 defeat against Aston Villa.

Everton signed Digne from Barcelona back in August 2018 in a deal worth a reported fee of £18m. Since then, the defender, who is currently valued at £31.5m according to Transfermarkt, has made 127 appearances for the Toffees across all competitions, scoring six goals and providing 20 assists in the process.

That said, looking ahead to January, Everton must bite the bullet with Digne and get him out of the club if his relationship with Benitez is beyond repair, which would be a shame to see him throw his career at Goodison Park away.

However, with Everton reportedly close to securing a deal for Dynamo Kyiv left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko for a fee of £17.9m, this could spell the end of the Frenchman’s time at the club anyway, especially with Ben Godfrey playing in the left-back position in recent weeks.

With the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United and Leicester City reportedly interested in signing the full-back, there’s every possibility that Everton could be facing him in the Premier League at some point this season after being such a regular for them at the start of the campaign.

In other news: James 2.0: Moshiri could spark fury at Everton with swoop for “lazy” £380k-p/w flop – opinion

Everton are reportedly one of several clubs who are keen to sign Manchester United’s wantaway star Jesse Lingard, with Rafael Benitez keen to bolster his attacking options.

What’s the story?

According to The Telegraph, the highly-rated 28-year-old is set to depart Old Trafford after entering the final year of his current contract and turning down the offer of a new deal.

The report claims that the Toffees are one of several clubs who are keen to secure Lingard’s services next summer when he becomes a free agent, although Newcastle United, West Ham United and Serie A giants AC Milan are also believed to be in the running to sign the creative talent over the coming months.

Imagine him and Demarai Gray

After struggling to get back to his best following the 2018 World Cup, a short-term loan move to West Ham back in January reinvigorated the £19.8m-rated maestro’s career.

In just 16 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, Lingard scored nine goals and provided a further five assists for his teammates, playing a pivotal part as David Moyes’ charges finished in a very impressive sixth position.

However, his exploits for the east Londoners failed to translate into regular game-time for his boyhood club under former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the opening weeks of the current campaign.

So far this season, Lingard has started just one game in all competitions but has managed to find the back of the net twice in just 63 minutes of top-flight action.

Following the 28-year-old’s return to form, England manager Gareth Southgate described the 32-cap gem as “immense”, and there’s little doubt that he would have the ability to improve Benitez’s struggling charges.

A move to Goodison Park would see Lingard link up with compatriot Demarai Gray, who has already provided five goal contributions throughout 2021/22 following his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen.

The intelligent, pacey and skillful duo would strike fear into any Premier League defence should Everton’s director of football Marcel Brands secure Lingard’s signature, and it’s a partnership that you’d imagine the club’s supporters would love to see.

In other news… Everton could secure Benitez’s next Hamsik in 18y/o prodigy with “exciting potential”

Brazilian outlet UOL have provided a fresh update on Barcelona’s attempts to sign Leeds United star Raphinha this summer.

The Lowdown: Second bid for Raphinha…

Raphinha has been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp following his fine campaign in 2021/22, with the 25-year-old the top of the charts at Elland Road for goals, assists and chances created. [BBC]

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According to Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona are readying a second bid worth an initial €40m (£33.9m) with various add-ons.

The Whites star will be available for just €25m (£20.9m) in the summer should the club suffer relegation, with Barcelona fully aware of that potential release clause.

The Latest: Deco jets out

UOL columnist Bruno Andrade dropped an update on Raphinha on Monday afternoon, revealing that his agent, Deco, flew out to Barcelona over the weekend to progress discussions.

They added that the former Portugal midfielder was expected for talks on Tuesday as they look to thrash out a possible contract with the Catalan giants until June 2027.

The Verdict: Leeds hold the cards…

Leeds aren’t expected to enter talks with Barcelona over a possible deal until the summer due to their Premier League position.

Jesse Marsch’s side have picked up seven crucial points in their last three games, leaving them eight clear of the relegation zone. All their focus will be on guaranteeing a third successive season of Premier League football, which could also give them control over a possible exit for Raphinha.

They will be able to demand way more than the £20.9m relegation release clause if they stay up, and a possible big-money fee that they may receive could fund plenty of summer arrivals ahead of Marsch’s first season in charge at Elland Road.

In other news: ‘Bad news from Elland Road…’ – Big Leeds injury update emerges on Joe Gelhardt

Wolves have been boosted in their quest to re-sign Matt Doherty this month, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming that Tottenham want to sell the defender.

The Lowdown: Doherty tipped to make Wolves return

The right-back was a great servant for the Old Gold for a lengthy period before his exit in 2020, making 302 appearances in total and helping them return to the Premier League.

Doherty has failed to kick on at Spurs, though, and he has been linked with a return to Molineux numerous times in recent weeks ahead of a potential January move.

A new update further suggests that it is a possibility, with the 30-year-old seemingly edging closer to the exit door in north London.

The Latest: Romano offers Wolves hope over Doherty

On Tuesday, Romano took to Twitter to confirm that Doherty is one of several players who Tottenham are happy to get rid of this month, acting as a boost for Wolves as they reportedly hope to bring the Irishman back to Molineux.

The journalist provided the following 12-word update: “Spurs still working to sell players – like Ndombele, Doherty, Bergwijn or Dele.”

The Verdict: Positives outweigh the negatives

Doherty’s possible return may not be universally popular because of his decision to leave in the first place, but it could be a strong piece of business by Wolves. The Republic of Ireland international could come in and add depth to Bruno Lage’s squad, battling with the often-maligned Nelson Semedo for minutes and allowing for more rotation.

Doherty has been hailed as ‘absolutely superb’ by ex-England right-back Danny Mills in the past and he still has enough years left in him at the top to enjoy a fruitful second spell at Molineux. His tally of 28 goals and 41 assists during his first stint in the Black Country speaks volumes about the quality he can offer going forward.

Given how Lage’s side have been far from prolific this season, adding a play who can offer such a viable attacking threat makes this a move well worth exploring, and it’s a bonus to hear that Spurs are eager to offload the Irishman.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly still keen on signing one player in January. Find out who it is here.

Sunderland are back in League One action tonight with a home clash against Morecambe, who are currently 15 places and 17 points below the Black Cats in the league table. 

Their previous league game saw Sunderland take an early lead against Oxford United through Leon Dajaku, only for the away side to equalise before halftime with Johnson’s side then unable to find a winner in the second half, ending with 1-1 draw.

Given the significant gap between Sunderland and tonight’s opponents, Johnson and everyone else at the club will definitely be hoping that they can pick up a win and get closer to the top of the table.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Johnson could pick to be in his starting XI on this occasion, one player that started the match against Oxford that should not be in the team on this occasion is Lynden Gooch.

Despite managing to provide an assist in their 2-1 win over Cambridge United last month, the American’s performance against Oxford left a lot to be desired.

With 78 touches of the ball in total, Gooch only managed to complete 19 of the 37 passes he attempted, misplacing five crosses and ten long balls, losing possession on 28 occasions in total.

As well as his wastefulness on the ball, he didn’t have much of an impact in an attacking sense either with just one key pass and one shot at goal which was off target.

Labelled as an “emotive” player in the past by Johnson, this performance was anything but that and ultimately earned the attacker an uninspiring overall match rating of 6.6/10, making him one of the lowest-rated players on the day according to SofaScore.

With this in mind, perhaps it could be time for Johnson to bring Gooch’s run in the team to an end on this occasion to give his side the best chance of securing a win.

However, with the plethora of injury issues that Sunderland have at the moment, Johnson could be forced into having to stick with Gooch, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £5k-per-week according to Salary Sport, for the time being.

If this turns out to be the case and Gooch does start tonight, he’ll have to make sure he puts in a better and more impactful performance to make sure Sunderland don’t slip up and come away without a win.

In other news: Johnson must seal Sunderland swoop for “aggressive” £1.8m-rated beast – opinion