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Everton's awful financial situation has been well documented in recent months, with the club being hit with an eight-point deduction during the current campaign for breaching the Premier League's PSR rules.

Whilst boss Sean Dyche has done a sensational job in leading the Toffees clear of any relegation threats by securing survival with three games to spare despite the deduction, the off-the-field issues have overshadowed his excellent work.

The former Burnley manager has instilled a brilliant defensive foundation, that has made his side tough to break down and doing so on a shoestring budget as the club tries to avoid any further sanctions.

During his time at Goodison Park, Dyche has spent less than £100m, with the Toffees relying on selling key players before any potential new additions.

In recent times, Richarlison and Anthony Gordon have departed the club, for fees of £60m and £45m, respectively – huge figures in the club's battle to undo multiple awful signings from the last decade.

The club have made their fair share of awful signings, with one in particular costing a hefty fee, before departing the club for free just five years after his move to Merseyside.

Yannick Bolasie's stats at Everton

After forking £25m for his signature, winger Yannick Bolasie arrived at Goodison with high hopes of transforming the Toffees' attack under boss Ronald Koeman.

However, the move would be a disaster for everyone involved, with the DR Congo attacker failing to justify any of his hefty price tag during his time at the club.

Bolasie started all 13 of the Toffees' opening Premier League fixtures, before suffering an ACL tear that would rule him out of action for 12 months.

The former Crystal Palace was a shadow of his former self after his injury, only managing to make 32 appearances for the club in his two seasons as a first-team member.

In a bid to regain his form, he was sent on various loan spells to the likes of Aston Villa, Anderlecht and Sporting CP, but only managed ten goals over his three stints away from Goodison.

The attacker would subsequently leave the club at the end of the 2020/21 season upon the expiration of his deal on Merseyside, ending his five-year stint at the club.

Despite his horrid luck with injuries, the club made the right call by offloading the winger, with his huge wages bleeding the club dry for many years, putting the club into a mess financially.

Yannick Bolasie's wage at Everton

During his time with the Toffees, the 34-year-old pocketed £71k-per-week, as per Salary Sport, with the misfiring winger receiving full pay despite missing a year with injury.

It's unclear how much of his wage the club were paying during his respective loan moves away from Goodison but during his two campaigns alone on Merseyside, the former Palace attacker bagged himself nearly £7.3m in wages alone.

When combining his extortionate wages with his £25m fee, Bolasie cost the club £32.3m – over £1m per appearance after only featuring 32 times in the blue of Everton.

The "disaster" signing, as described by former boss Sam Allardyce, was once a promising addition, but it's unfortunate that an injury ruined his time at the club.

It's unfair to blame the club's current financial situation on the Congolese attacker, but his huge weekly wage and transfer fee have certainly played a part in Everton's recent setbacks.

Everton were bled dry by Allardyce flop who pocketed £11m in wages

He proved himself to be a huge waste of money.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 20, 2024

Some West Ham United chiefs have told chairman David Sullivan to part company with manager David Moyes at the end of the season, as a few believe it is possible to bring in an "unbelievable" replacement for the Scotsman.

Moyes contract expiring as West Ham face difficult decision

Moyes will undoubtedly go down as a Hammers legend for what he has already achieved since taking over for a second stint as head coach in 2019/2020.

West Ham table out-of-window £13 million bid with transfer stance clear

The east Londoners are moving very early.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 16, 2024

The 60-year-old arrived at West Ham again when they were in the thick of a relegation battle again four years ago, with Moyes guiding them to safety and later doing the unthinkable.

Since that campaign, they've enjoyed three successive seasons in Europe after surprisingly high league finishes and won their first major trophy since the 1980s last year as they beat Fiorentina to win the Conference League final.

Moyes has overseen the most successful era of West Ham's recent history and deserves enormous credit for the job he's done. However, it hasn't all been rosy over the last 12 months or so. The east Londoners' league form has been questionable at points, finishing 14th last campaign, and there are some complaints from supporters over their side's pragmatic style of play.

The former Everton manager's contract expires very soon, specifically on June 30, and West Ham are set to make a decision on official Moyes' future at the end of the season. West Ham have been doing some groundwork on a replacement for Moyes, and have been linked with a few interesting names like Graham Potter, Paulo Fonseca and even Thomas Tuchel.

West Ham chiefs urge Moyes sack as they hold Tuchel belief

According to HITC and journalist Graeme Bailey, a number of West Ham chiefs have urged Sullivan to sack Moyes, and some believe ambitiously appointing Tuchel is genuinely possible after he departs Bayern Munich.

While feelings behind the scenes are made clear, hiring a big name like Tuchel would certainly turn many heads, as the Champions League-winning tactician would be considered an elite Moyes replacement.

Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell has even called Tuchel an "unbelievable" coach.

"[Tuchel's continuity] can only be a good thing. As players we have full confidence in the manager – we know we’re not going to get a better manager here. I’m not just saying it. He’s an unbelievable manager in all aspects and I think he has a lot of trust in us as well," Chilwell said.

"This is Chelsea, we want to win the big trophies. And of course, we're positive going into this season, like we are every season. We've got a strong team. Hopefully, we can add to that strength with some good players. We've got a great manager. New ownership. A great training ground. Good backroom staff. So everything's in place to have a good season."

The European transfer window closes Friday, and the 22-year-old American is the subject of a big-money move to the North London club

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• Tottenham agree $33M fee for USMNT's Cardoso
• Deal is for future transfer
• Unknown if Spurs will trigger before window deadline

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Johnny Cardoso could be bound for the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur reportedly agreeing a transfer fee with Real Betis for the U.S. national team midfielder. Spurs are prepared to pay $33M for the 22-year-old, according to GIVEMESPORT.

  The agreement, however, is a prearranged fee for a future transfer. It's unknown when or if the North London club will trigger the agreement.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Johnny has been linked with top clubs from all over Europe this summer, including La Liga giants Barcelona.

  The U.S. international represented his nation at Copa America 2024, where he featured in two of their three Group Stage matches at the tournament. In total, he has 15 caps for the USMNT, and is widely-seen as one of the most important dual-national recruits from the Gregg Berhalter era, as he was born in New jersey to Brazilian parents, and grew up in the South America.

  His meteoric rise in 2024 has caught the attention of the footballing world, with Spurs now the latest suitor.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  AC Milan were also a rumored destination for Johnny this summer. The Rossoneri were in the market for a midfielder, and if the move were to have come to fruition, he would have been the third American at the club alongside Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JOHNNY?

  It remains to be seen if Spurs sign a deal with Betis for the 22-year-old before the end of the European transfer window.

Everton have lined up three medicals at Finch Farm today as Farhad Moshiri aims to provide Sean Dyche with some reinforcement ahead of the remaining months of the campaign.

What’s the latest?

Dyche has landed on Merseyside with a huge task on his hands as the Toffees face yet another relegation battle in the remaining 18 games of the 2022/23 campaign.

And up to now, no new faces have come through the doors at Goodison Park with the only arrivals at Everton being two loanees who’ve returned from their respective deals.

However, it seems as if the Premier League strugglers are pushing today to get some deals done and provide Dyche with the best opportunity to keep them in the top flight.

Indeed, speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Jacque Talbot has heard the Toffees have lined up a trio of medicals with just hours remaining in the window:

“I’ve heard they’ve got three medicals lined up today. I believe it will be Sulemana from Rennes. I’m not sure on the other names, but that’s what I heard. There are three medicals booked in at Everton today as Sean Dyche tries to pull them out of the relegation zone.”

Looking to make some moves

It is worth mentioning since Talbot spoke to GiveMeSport, it seems as if Everton may have already been handed a possible transfer blow in the race for Kamaldeen Sulemana.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Rennes winger has decided to join Southampton over Everton with the two clubs having found an agreement for a transfer.

This will feel like a huge blow for the Toffees who will be missing out on a player who they clearly feel could have brought them a boost in the fight against relegation.

And it will come as a double-blow for Everton who are now expected to miss out on the player to one of their relegation rivals with Southampton side the only team below Dyche’s men in the table.

Losing out on the player to Southampton will not only feel like a blow in their hopes of survival but also in the sense of where Everton are now as a club in missing out on players to smaller clubs like the Saints.

With all of this in mind, there will be a hope Everton do not stumble across any further issues with the other two medicals which are believed to be scheduled at Finch Farm.

Insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that David Moyes may potentially be interested in taking over at Everton as their new manager.

What’s the word?

Over the weekend, the Toffees travelled away to West Ham United and lost 2-0. This ended up being the final nail in the coffin for Frank Lampard who was sacked after the defeat.

However, the Hammers manager is also under pressure and he may well have been the one to have been fired had the Toffees picked up all the points instead.

For now, though, Moyes remains in charge but there is a belief that he could be targeted by Everton to replace Lampard amid his own uncertain future in east London.

While talking about all this on The West Ham Way podcast on Monday, Ex suggested that some recent comments may hint at the Irons boss being up for a switch.

Indeed, after the game, Moyes said: “It was a difficult day for me as I’m really keen that Everton get away from their position. I had a great time there. I wanted to celebrate as we needed a win but behind it all I have a lot of feelings for Frank and for Everton.”

In response, Ex said: “Now, for me, that’s a little bit of a strange thing to say.”

He continued: “It almost felt like he was saying, to me, ‘I really like Everton, by the way, Frank, I’m not going for your job, I like you too, but I really like Everton too’.

“So it’s an interesting one to keep an eye on because there has been some speculation that Everton could make a move to replace Frank Lampard with David Moyes.

“Now, if that happens, or if they at least make the move, that’s a very interesting situation to be in.”

Time for a return?

Of course, Moyes will likely have a lot of fondness for Everton. After all, he spent over a decade with the Merseyside club, overseeing 518 games.

Interestingly enough, in terms of points gained per game, as things stand he has earned 0.01 less at West Ham than he did with the Toffees (with 1.53 compared to 1.54), showing that he has performed consistently at both teams.

However, Moyes left Everton in 2013 and so ten years would have passed by the time we reach the summer. An awful lot has changed in that period and it remains to be seen if he would still be a good fit.

What’s more, he hasn’t even been sacked by West Ham yet and so it may be more realistic for the Toffees to chase someone more available such as Sean Dyche or Marcelo Bielsa.

Leeds United have already bolstered both their attack and defence this January, but it is clear with the persistent links to the likes of Azzedine Ounahi that they are not finished.

Whites director of football Victor Orta remains on the lookout for another midfielder to add to the side, adding depth and quality across all areas of the pitch as they look to distance themselves from the relegation battle.

Whilst they are two points from bottom, they are also only two wins away from 12th in the table too, such is the tightness and unpredictability of the Premier League this season.

It is a league that will be decided upon fine margins, and therefore they must not hesitate if a viable option comes available on the market.

Therefore, the suggestion they could move for Lens’ Seko Fofana is one they should welcome and actively explore.

Boasting a reported €40m (£35m) price tag, the Whites have already shown that they are willing to spend big this window as they smashed their record transfer with a move for Georginio Rutter.

Whilst striker was a position of utmost importance, a physical machine such as the Ivory Coast international could be the final piece to complete their midfield.

The 27-year-old could form a remarkable partnership in the engine room alongside the workmanlike Tyler Adams, who would offer Fofana the creative license to flex his offensive muscles.

This season has seen the Ivory Coast enforcer record eight goal contributions, as he has dominated games with his all-around exceptional ability.

Whilst ranking in the top 3% for total shots when compared with other midfielders around Europe, he also ranks in the top 3% for dribbles completed. When he is in full flow with the ball at his feet, Fofana becomes near unstoppable, via FBref.

This is supplemented by the claims of journalist Said Amdaa, who once labelled him:

“Unplayable in midfield with monster activity. Recoverer/scorer. Very reliable, the captain”.

To pair this with the defensive exploits of Adams, who this season has averaged 4.2 tackles per 90 alongside an 83% pass accuracy, would be a stroke of genius, would outlining the USA international as a calming presence beside the all-action Fofana.

It could be a match made in heaven for manager Jesse Marsch, who is surely seeking that final addition to cap off a wonderful transfer window.

Chelsea will travel to Manchester City to wage battle at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with sights set on earning payback and advancing to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Sky Blues defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Thursday night, stretching the gulf between the two teams to even greater proportions, but Blues manager Graham Potter will be convinced that he can galvanise his side towards victory, despite the barrage of injuries.

Indeed, Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic were both withdrawn from duty in the first half against Pep Guardiola’s destructive outfit, and the squad has truly been scraped down to the bare bones, with a host of further first-team stars sidelined.

Regardless, a winning mentality is embedded within Chelsea’s very core, illustrated by the whole gamut of major honours since the turn of the millennia – including two Champions League and five Premier League triumphs – and the chances of cup victory need only a glance back to last season, where the Blues lost on penalties in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup to Liverpool, to know that this is a dogged and tenacious team that strives for silverware at every opportunity.

Here is how Football FanCast expects Chelsea boss Potter to field his starting line-up against Guardiola’s Man City in the FA Cup on Sunday, with four changes from the team that lost earlier in the week …

Predicted line-up: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Koulibaly, Cucurella; Jorginho, Kovacic, Zakaria; Ziyech, Aubameyang, Chukwuemeka.

With Edouard Mendy recently having surgery on a broken finger, Kepa Arrizabalaga is expected to deputise between the sticks for the cup encounter.

The full-backs will remain the same, with captain Cesar Azpilicueta and £60m left-back Marc Cucurella continuing to maraud up and down the defensive flanks, while the “Rolls-Royce” that is Thiago Silva – as dubbed by Joe Cole – will be replaced by Trevor Chalobah as Kalidou Koulibaly’s centre-back partner.

A slight change, instilling more composure and authority into the centre of the park, will mean Jorginho recalls his spot in the stead of the injury-stricken Sterling, while Juventus loanee Denis Zakaria is expected to continue his all-encompassing role after dazzling against the forthcoming opponents earlier in the week.

19-year-old prospect Carney Chukwuemeka entered the fray for Pulisic in the first half against Man City and dazzled in his leg flanker role, recording a Chelsea match-best rating of 7.10, hitting the post and proving to be a constant menace against the opposing backline.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be offered another shot as the offensive focal point after losing his spot to Kai Havertz, the Gabonese veteran has not scored in seven matches for the Blues, and will be desperate to make an impact on Sunday.

Manchester City are interested in West Ham United star Declan Rice stemming back to reports from October 2022 and his potential arrival at the Etihad could allow Pep Guardiola to get rid of summer flop Kalvin Phillips.

According to ExWHUEmployee (via Caught Offside), West Ham are still keen on the England international having failed to sign him from Leeds United in the summer.

He said: “Kalvin Phillips is someone that West Ham, David Moyes especially, 100% rates. I know categorically, factually, that we spoke about signing him in the summer and in January before that, that we really, really wanted [him].

“I get the feeling that patience is running thin with him and I’ve always said that it wouldn’t surprise me if Man City were to offer Phillips in exchange for Rice at the end of the season.”

This could be an ideal opportunity for Guardiola to get rid of a player who has failed to start a single game in Manchester City colours since his £45m switch in 2022, while also bringing in one of the world’s most exciting midfield talents.

Phillips has endured a number of injury problems since signing his £150k-per-week contract at the Etihad but was still deemed fit enough to travel to the World Cup in Qatar, but returned “overweight” in the words of his manager, and hasn’t featured since.

£150m-valued Rice, meanwhile, is desperate to play in the Champions League and looks unlikely to achieve that dream at the London Stadium, given that the Hammers are currently embroiled in a relegation battle after a shocking start to the season.

If we compare Rice’s stats from last season to Phillips’ stats from the same campaign, it seems clear that the 23-year-old would be a big upgrade at the Etihad.

Rice averaged a 7.10 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Premier League, compared to his England teammate’s measly 6.45 average rating.

He also averaged more interceptions (1.8 vs 1.2), key passes (0.7 vs 0.5) and dribbles per game (1.4 vs 0.4), which suggests that he is a far better all-round package in midfield.

Fabrizio Romano has previously described Rice as “untouchable” in the transfer window but the Hammers captain’s reluctance to sign a new deal, as well as the Irons’ interest in Phillips, could just give City the edge in any potential deal for the England star this year.

Crystal Palace will ‘absolutely’ prioritise signing a new right-back in January, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Squad transformation

The Premier League welcomed Patrick Vieira to the dugout 18 months ago, and since then, he has considerably changed the age of the squad, allowing multiple senior players like Gary Cahill and Andros Townsend to depart and replacing them with youngsters.

The Eagles, however, only have Joel Ward (33) and Nathaniel Clyne (31) at their disposal in that right-back position, so there’s a strong chance that the club will target strengthening this area in the upcoming winter market.

The Latest: Taylor’s prediction

Asked by GiveMeSport whether Palace will be looking at right-back options ahead of the New Year, Taylor said:

“Yeah, absolutely. I think Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward have done a really good job this season sort of locking that position down.

“Nathan Ferguson’s had a really tough time with injury, but if you look at Palace’s team, it’s an area you would probably pinpoint as one that needs a little bit of TLC.”

The Verdict: Is it Wan-Bissaka time?

Palace are reportedly hopeful of completing a deal for Aaron Wan-Bissaka next month, but given his recent record, we feel that the club shouldn’t pursue him any further.

The former Selhurst Park favourite has only made one league start at Manchester United this season so would likely need time to get up to full speed, not to mention that he only produced four assists during his previous spell in the capital.

Vieira needs to go for a player who is ready and raring to go and that can make an impact at both ends of the pitch, but who that could be yet remains to be seen.

Leeds United slipped to a third successive Premier League loss with defeat at home to Manchester City on Wednesday evening, with the visitors running out 3-1 winners courtesy of a typically clinical double from Erling Haaland.

While it may be hard to contend with a figure who now has 20 goals to his name in just 14 league appearances this season, the Elland Road outfit were no doubt architects of their own downfall at times, having conceded just moments before half-time after being exploited on the counter.

Pep Guardiola’s men were then gifted the opportunity to extend that lead after the break as Liam Cooper’s under-hit pass sparked a City breakaway, with the aforementioned Haaland duly converting following unselfish play from Jack Grealish.

The away side then bagged a third soon after to all but confirm the win, with a late strike from Pascal Struijk proving nothing more than a mere consolation as Jesse Marsch’s men were unable to mount what would have been a remarkable comeback.

On what was a frustrating night for the Whites, captain Cooper was a particular villain due to his shaky display in the backline, with the 31-year-old having won just three of his six total duels, while also recording a measly 5.5 match rating, as per Sofascore.

Although the Scotland international’s ‘horror pass’ – as described by Leeds Live’s Beren Cross – may have been the most obvious blunder for the hosts, the centre-back was not the only one among his teammates to have wilted against the champions.

Summer signing Marc Roca was especially underwhelming in his midfield berth, with the Spaniard appearing to struggle amid the absence of the suspended Tyler Adams in the centre of the park.

The former Bayern Munich man was particularly ‘wasteful’ against the Etihad outfit – as per 90min’s Michael Graham – having squandered possession on 18 occasions after regularly handing the ball back to the opposition.

That ensured that the 26-year-old recorded a pass accuracy of just 75% from his 57 touches in total, having also won just four of his ten ground duels and been dribbled past on two occasions as a marker of his struggles defensively.

That limp showing ultimately saw Roca record a match rating of just 6.1, as per Sofascore, with that figure the joint-second worst of any Leeds player on the day, illustrating just how ineffectual he truly was.

While the strength of the opposition may well have been a factor, it is hard to overlook what was a worryingly nervy display from the one-time Espanyol man last night, as he simply failed his manager.