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Many Everton fans have been left buzzing as some news emerged involving Richarlison.

The Goodison Park faithful tweeted a few images of the former Watford ace, confirming he is ‘back in full training’, in what has of course come as a mighty relief to a lot of Merseyside club supporters.

Given that Rafa Benitez has been dealt a double blow with the latest injury news on both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, it is certainly positive to hear of Richarlison’s return.

The Brazil international has been such a not yet scored for his new club.

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Everton fans on Richarlison news

These Blues were left buzzing as Richarlison’s return was revealed on Twitter, with a few EFC supporters claiming that it is ‘good news’:

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @JMarleyWrites

“Good news from Everton. Inject it”

Credit: @mannie_efc

“Finally some good news”

Credit: @EFC_Eve

“At last, some good injury news!”

Credit: @BlueAndy81

“Proper sight for sore eyes that!”

Credit: @RockfallDCUO

“The league is shaking right now”

Credit: @RicharlisonR9

In other news, find out what transfer news has Evertonians fuming here!

Crystal Palace have made young forward Rob Street available for loan for the second half of the season, as per Football Insider.

The lowdown

The 20-year-old ‘target man’, in the words of The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam, has made 31 appearances for Palace’s under-23 side and bagged 13 goals. He penned his first professional deal with the Eagles in the summer of 2020.

He spent the second half of last season with National League outfit Torquay United, but only made one start and five appearances overall.

The latest

According to Football Insider, Palace envisage Street as part of their first team going forward, but a source from the south London club told the publication that, for now, the priority is getting him regular games at senior level.

In order to accomplish that goal, they are looking to loan him out, and ‘several EFL clubs’ have already lodged enquiries.

The verdict

Another loan move, this time to a club in the Football League, looks the right step for Street.

He is clearly highly regarded at Palace, deservedly so given his under-23 exploits, and one of his coaches has even compared him to a young Ian Wright, who went on to rack up more than a century of Premier League goals.

However, it seems they don’t quite think he’s ready to feature for Patrick Vieira’s side just yet. He was named on the bench twice in the early part of the season, but he is still awaiting a full Eagles debut. The right loan move will hopefully prove a springboard towards that landmark being ticked off in 2022.

In other news, many Eagles fans flocked to this recent dressing room revelation

Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips could the subject of a transfer offer from Manchester United following the appointment of Erik ten Hag as manager. 

That’s according to Paul Hirst and Pol Ballus for The Times.

The lowdown

Phillips has come through the academy at Leeds United and established himself as a key figure, reaching 228 appearances for the club at the age of 26 and bagging 14 goals.

His £38,000-per-week contract – hardly impressive wages given his impact as a now England superstar – is due to expire at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Transfermarkt rate Phillips as the most valuable player at Elland Road with an estimated value of £45million, £4.5million more than winger Raphinha.

It could be the most lucrative sale in Leeds’ history, eclipsing Rio Ferdinand’s £41.4million move to Old Trafford in 2002.

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The latest

Hirst tweeted on Friday morning that Man. United had granted Ten Hag a ‘£120m budget to save’ the ‘broken’ Red Devils.

In the attached story for The Times, published late on Thursday evening, he and Ballus write that Phillips is ‘viewed as a possible alternative’ to West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.

Man. United have apparently been ‘put off’ by The Hammers’ £150million demands, with Phillips a cheaper plan B.

The verdict

It would certainly hurt to lose Phillips, who has been dubbed ‘phenomenal’ and ‘extraordinary’ by former England boss Fabio Capello and was named men’s player of the year for his country in 2021.

Leeds could reinvest the funds, but the problem is that he’s not the only star attracting interest.

Transfer insider Dean Jones says that ‘big clubs’ are also eyeing Raphinha ahead of the summer transfer window.

Losing both in one summer could be destabilising for the club ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in Yorkshire, so don’t be surprised to see them dig in and resist offers for at least one of the players.

In other news, this Leeds man’s loan spell is now a disaster. 

Everton have confirmed that they have sacked their manager Rafa Benitez this afternoon after just six months in charge.

The Spaniard conceded his tenth defeat in the Premier League yesterday when the side lost to bottom of the league, Norwich City, and already names are being thrown into the hat for the next manager to take on the challenge at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

Sky Sports journalist, Ben Ransom, has named three managers that are speculated to take over at the club live from the Everton training ground this afternoon, with Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Roberto Martinez all being named as potential suitors.

Ransom spoke live on Sky Sports News on Sunday to speculate on the favourite successors;

“Obviously, Wayne Rooney has been linked straight away, given the relative success he’s managing to have at Derby.”

“Frank Lampard, out of work, his name is always mentioned when a Premier League job comes around.”

“I know that, here at Everton, there are still a lot of admirers for Roberto Martinez, he was in the frame when Benitez was given this job in the summer.”

Everton released a statement this afternoon confirming that a permanent replacement will be made in due course.

Fans will be buzzing

It’s safe to say fans will be buzzing that Benitez has been sacked with immediate effect, with protests planned, banners flown and even attempts to get to the manager in the dugout all being displayed by the Toffees fans over the course of this season.

Rooney is a clear fan favourite for the job, with many fans taking to social media to share their thoughts on appointing the Derby manager, one fan commented:

“This was always going to end in tears, I think the next @Everton manager should be the man who’s worked wonders @dcfcofficial in difficult circumstances and is a bonafide Toffees legend, the one and only @WayneRooney.”

Whoever takes over has a challenge on their hands to change the direction Everton have been heading in this season so far, with the club only picking up only five points from a possible 30 in their last 10 games under the Spaniard.

As a result, they are currently six points shy of the relegation zone, with a huge U-turn needed immediately for the club to have their season saved, so there will be big pressure to make an instant impact for the new manager.

Rooney lacks experience but he has already shown at Derby that he’s capable of reviving a club in troubled waters. With the Rams, he is providing them with a hope of Championship survival despite a haul of 21 points being deducted.

They are now off the bottom, however, on a five-match unbeaten streak. He has worked wonders and it would take something similar to wake the Toffees from their slumber. Perhaps he is the man to do so, therefore.

In other news: Doucoure wanted by Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid

Taking to Twitter, journalist Pete O’Rourke has broken a Sunday morning West Ham transfer development involving Brighton forward Leandro Trossard.

The Lowdown: West Ham attacker hunt…

Manager David Moyes is on the look-out for a new forward as the final hours of January loom, with the Hammers having until 11pm on Monday to finally bring an attacker through the door at Rush Green.

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They are apparently in talks for Reims ace Hugo Ekitike and have been very recently linked with a few others out of France, including Senegal international Bamba Dieng or Marseille.

However, breaking news this morning, O’Rourke says they’ve now made a ‘shock’ approach.

The Latest: West Ham make Trossard approach…

According to his sources, West Ham have ‘made a shock enquiry’ for Seagulls attacker Trossard as Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman seemingly cast their net of targets wider and wider.

“Understand West Ham have made a shock enquiry for Brighton attacker Leandro Trossard.” he explained on Twitter.

The Verdict: Right move?

The Belgium international, currently in the prime of his career, has only scored 14 goals over his 87 Premier League appearances at the Amex since signing from KRC Genk in 2019.

Numbers like these don’t exactly point to a prolific option in the forward positions and we believe other targets, like the much younger Ekitike, should be made a priority over the 27-year-old.

Valued at around £15.3m by Transfermarkt, it is very debatable whether West Ham should be matching a figure in and around that amount for Trossard.

In other news: ExWHUemployee: West Ham working on last-ditch agreement to sign ‘amazing’ £18 million-valued attacker, find out more here.

For Celtic, this has already been a long arduous season. We’re only in December but it’s been full of immense drama.

The Hoops were dumped out of the Champions League in the qualifying stages and then conceded 19 in just six matches following their entrance to the Europa League. Being knocked out of that competition was a huge disappointment but the biggest frustration has come domestically.

Although the Bhoys have won the Scottish Cup, they are considerably off the pace in the SPFL and are in danger of losing their grip on the league crown.

It would now be a great surprise if it went any other way but Rangers’. Fortunately, they have a January transfer window to try and solve their woes. Naturally, the position they’ll look to strengthen in is defensively.

Celtic have shipped nine more goals than their arch-rivals despite playing three fewer games but one of the players linked with the club has been Philadelphia Union centre-back Mark McKenzie.

He’s one of the rising stars in MLS but Nick Hammond and Lennon could save themselves millions with one simple trick in the immediate future.

That’s to play Nir Bitton on a more regular basis. The Israeli has received vast waves of criticism during his stay at Parkhead, something that Brendan Rodgers described as “incredible” when he was still in Glasgow.

Yet, in a season where the likes of Shane Duffy and Christopher Jullien have provided drama at every corner, Bitton was safe as houses against Hamilton on Boxing Day.

He won a colossal seven aerial duels, taking his tally for the season to a massive 33 from just ten outings. It’s an almighty statistic but where he stood out above others a few days ago was in terms of reading the play.

Jullien and Duffy were at sixes and sevens throughout the Scottish Cup final but Bitton registered four interceptions versus Hamilton, producing the type of solid performance that Lennon needs to see more of.

If the Israel international manages more displays like this, it may just dissuade Hammond from entering the transfer market for a new defender.

All eyes are on Lennon and the hierarchy now.

AND in other news, Celtic must swoop for “extraordinary” colossus, he’s BETTER than Barkas…

Celtic have been dealt a major injury blow regarding Carl Starfelt ahead of their upcoming Europa League clash.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by Sky Sports, the centre-back has been ruled out of both Thursday evening’s trip to Ferencvaros TC and Sunday’s visit to Dundee due to a hamstring injury picked up in the 0-0 draw with Livingston last weekend.

Speaking about the 26-year-old’s injury, Ange Postecoglou said: “We lost Carl Starfelt in the last game and similar sort of timeline to Tommy [Rogic] I suppose, we are hoping he will be back after the international break, but he will definitely miss these two games.

“It is always a blow when you lose players to injury. To be fair to Carl, he has played every game since he got here and it’s not surprising that he has something like this happen.

“We would have loved to have rotated him earlier, but we tried to build some cohesion, consistency in the back four and we didn’t want to chop and change too much because we had to at the start of the season.”

Postecoglou will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Starfelt has been since his £4.5m move to Parkhead this summer, in addition to the fact that Celtic simply must defeat Ferencvaros if they are to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Europa League, the confirmation that the centre-back will not be available for selection on Thursday is sure to have left Postecoglou gutted.

Indeed, over his 11 Scottish Premiership appearances this season, the £2.7m-rated defender has helped his side keep five clean sheets and has chipped in with one goal, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 3.7 clearances and winning 6.3 duels per game.

These returns have seen the Sweden international average a SofaScore match rating of 7.23, ranking him as the Hoops’ fourth-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football of players still in Postecoglou’s first-team squad.

Furthermore, the centre-back has also been in impressive form over his three Europa League appearances for the Bhoys, helping his side keep one clean sheet, in addition to making an average of 1.3 interceptions, one tackle, 1.7 clearances and winning 3.7 duels per fixture – with these returns seeing the 26-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.90.

As such, the fact that Celtic will be without Starfelt on Thursday evening will undoubtedly dent the Hoops’ chances of leaving Hungary with all three points in a fixture that could well prove to be season-defining for Postecoglou and his side.

In other news: Ange must unleash “aggressive” rarely-seen 20 y/o gem, could solve a huge Celtic issue

As per football.london reporter Tom Clark, an update has emerged on West Ham United’s plans for Burnley defender James Tarkowski in January.

The Lowdown: Tarkowski targeted…

The 29-year-old, according to reports, is one of a handful of central defenders being targeted by manager David Moyes as he seeks to solve an emergency following injuries to both Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna.

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Tarkowski is also out of contract at Turf Moor next year, meaning he could leave at the end of 2021/2022 for free unless Burnley opt to sell on the cheap in January.

This has alerted West Ham with Moyes in particular thought to be a long term admirer of the Clarets mainstay.

The Latest: Journalist shares update…

As per Clark, some news has emerged on West Ham’s transfer plans, with the club and by extension head of recruitment Rob Newman now ‘contemplating a £5m bid’ for his services next month.

While Burnley are unlikely to accept this offer, it is believed that a ‘deal is thought to be possible’ if the right offer arrives for Tarkowski.

The Verdict: Get it done?

As West Ham also weigh moves for both Nathan Ake and Nathaniel Phillips as alternative targets, we believe either of this duo would come as better options than Tarkowski – despite Sean Dyche calling him ‘superb’.

Phillips, just 24-years-old, has already signalled his openness to leave Liverpool and could be available for as little as £10 million – a bargain price for someone who averaged more Premier League clearances per 90 than anyone in Jurgen Klopp’s side last season (WhoScored).

Ake, meanwhile, is just two years older than Phillips and has played more often for Man City under Pep Guardiola so far this season – with the Spaniard calling him ‘intelligent’, ‘concentrated’ and a ‘joy to have’ (mancity.com).

The Netherlands international can also play at left-back and in front of the defence alongside his natural position as a centre-half.

Tarkowski, meanwhile, doesn’t command much sell-on value and is approaching the twilight phase of his career – so we believe he should only be prioritised if Burnley opt to accept a very cheap fee.

In other news: ‘We are back’, ‘What I wanted to hear’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘best news’ has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Newcastle United are facing a major injury worry over Joe Willock ahead of their Premier League clash against Wolves on Friday night.

What’s the story?

Writing on Twitter, journalist Craig Hope revealed: “Joe Willock a doubt for Friday’s visit of Wolves with a knee injury, opening door for Bruno’s first home start. Also understand Kieran Trippier will miss Wolves & Leicester but there remains hope he’ll be back this month.”

Worrying news for Howe

While seeing Willock complete the full 90 minutes against Spurs may have offered some hope that the injury he sustained was nothing too serious, Hope’s update is certainly a worrying one for the Magpies boss.

Speaking later in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Howe delivered a further update on Willock’s condition.

He said: “Joe Willock has had a slight knee problem for a couple of weeks. He’s become a bit more aware of it in training so it’s something we need to stay on top of. We’ll make a late call on him. We don’t think it’s anything serious.”

Despite not seeing Willock hit the heady heights of last season, when he scored eight goals in just 14 Premier League games for the club following his loan move to St James’ Park, the England youth international still offers that box-to-box presence and dynamism from midfield.

The 5-1 defeat to Spurs last time out just raised a sliver of doubt over whether the Magpies have well and truly escaped from the relegation battle this season, especially with Burnley’s seismic 3-2 victory over Everton on Wednesday night.

The result in Lancashire has meant both Burnley and Everton are just seven and six points behind the Magpies respectively, having also played a game less than the Tyneside club too.

Injuries at this stage of the season, and with so much on the line too, can be incredibly taxing for managers, and for Howe, being without one of his key first-team options in midfield in Willock is something that will worry him ahead of tomorrow night.

AND in other news, Wood upgrade: PIF will be having NUFC nightmares after missing out on £20m “cult hero”…

Leeds United finally return to competitive action this evening as they head to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side did not have a game over the weekend after they were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round by West Ham United, whilst last time out in this competition, they tasted defeat to Newcastle United.

So the 66-year-old boss will be looking to see some sort of reaction down in the Midlands tonight.

The Yorkshire giants have often struggled in the final third this campaign and that’s largely been due to the absence of last season’s top goalscorer Patrick Bamford, who remains missing through injury.

Without him, the Argentinian has tried an array of options, ranging from youth striker Joe Gelhardt – who Football FanCast have backed to earn a start against Steven Gerrard’s side – to playing a winger out of position like Daniel James.

Well, it’s the latter that he must not do at Villa Park this evening.

The Welshman, who joined in a club-record £30m deal in the summer, has hugely underwhelmed since his move from Manchester United. They must’ve been more than happy to cash in at that absurd figure.

James ranks outside of Bielsa’s top ten best-performing players in the Premier League this season, averaging a seasonal WhoScored rating of 6.54 – only one player who has started 15 or more games has managed worse (Diego Llorente, 6.49).

That is rather telling in itself but the 24-year-old winger has only delivered two goals and one assist.

There are seven more players that are averaging more key passes per game than the summer signing (0.8 per game), whilst his average of two shots per game has not correlated into goals whatsoever.

Ex-Premier League striker turned pundit Darren Bent once summed James up well.

“The only thing about Dan James at times, for me, he’s a little bit headless,” he told Football Insider back in November 2020 – when he was still at Old Trafford.

“He’s shown great potential, when he first went to United he played really well, scored a few goals but at times he for me he’s fouled or he shoots sometimes when he should pass it, he’ll pass when he should shoot.”

That’s just not what you need from someone expected to lead the line and it’s not as if he has the right physical attributes, at 5 foot 7, to truly fill Bamford’s shoes.

Then elsewhere, the £16.2m-rated wide man clearly not cutting it either, as evident by his paltry returns.

As such, it’s time for Bielsa to be ruthless in his team selection and he can do so by axing the lightweight James against Villa this evening.

AND in other news, Bielsa could have a new Pontus Jansson in Leeds’ 18 y/o “massive talent” who’s shades of VvD…