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Ipswich Town are continuing to ramp up their transfer business ahead of their Premier League opening day clash against Liverpool on Saturday, and are closing in on a pair of new midfielders.

Ipswich's impressive business to date

After securing back-to-back promotions there has understandably been significant squad turnover at Portman Road this summer. Their most important business was to renew the contract of manager Kieran McKenna, who had been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Brighton before penning a new deal in East Anglia earlier in the transfer window.

On the pitch, the Tractor Boys have shelled out £60m on five new faces, with last season's hero Omari Hutchinson the pick of the transfers after he arrived from Chelsea for a club record £20m.

They have also added Hull City defender Jacob Greaves to the heart of their defence, while they raided relegated Burnley to bring Arijanet Muric to Portman Road in a deal worth around £8m and added veteran Conor Townsend to their side from West Bromwich Albion.

Imagine him & Davis: Ipswich keen on signing "great" new defender

This potential new Ipswich Town signing could shine next to Leif Davis.

By
Kelan Sarson

Aug 15, 2024

Ben Johnson also arrived on a free transfer after his contract with West Ham United expired, while they bolstered their frontline with the arrival of Liam Delap from Manchester City, in a move that set them back a further £15m.

Now, they are closing in on signing on a loan deal to sign Napoli midfielder Jens Cajuste, who had previously been linked with a move to join fellow Premier League side Brentford, only for that move to collapse and the Tractor Boys to pounce. They are also now on the brink of another midfield addition too.

Ipswich ready for statement signing

That comes amid widespread reports that the Portman Road have beaten several other Premier League sides to the loan signing of 31-cap England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who is set to leave Manchester City this summer.

The 28-year-old midfielder has endured a torrid time since his move to the Etihad from Leeds United, spending the second half of last season on loan with West Ham United and dropping out of Gareth Southgate's England squad as a result of poor form.

Though David Moyes urged fans to stay with the "excellent" midfielder at the London Stadium, Phillips managed just three starts and a total of 319 minutes across ten appearances.

"Kalvin Phillips is a really good player, an international player, an excellent footballer and I do believe we can still make something out of the time we’ve got left with him here", Moyes explained before opting to withdraw him from the firing line in the final games of the season.

Despite still having four years left to run on his £150,000 a week deal with the Premier League champions, he was always likely to leave the club this summer at least on loan, and Ipswich are set to benefit.

As per the East Anglian Daily Times, the midfielder is now travelling to Suffolk for his medical after the club agreed a one year loan deal with Manchester City, though the deal includes no option or obligation to buy Phillips at the end of his loan spell.

A move to Portman Road will see Phillips reunite with Leif Davis, with the pair having been together at Leeds United. It will also represent a statement signing for Ipswich as they look to secure Premier League survival.

A "top class" Rangers player who Jurgen Klopp has spoken of his admiration for has been linked with a late loan move away from Ibrox this summer.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers are running out of time to do any fresh transfer business in the current transfer window, although Philippe Clement may already be content with the squad that he has built in recent months. A host of new faces have arrived, providing him with the additional depth that was needed to close the gap on Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, but further additions still can't be ruled out.

Rangers have been backed to make a late swoop for Fiorentina winger Josip Brekalo, providing Clement with an extra wide option, having scored seven goals in Serie A during his time at Torino back in 2021/22. Tiago Gouveia is another winger who has been linked with a summer switch to Ibrox before the end of the week, with the 23-year-old currently plying trade at Benfica.

There is still some hope of the Gers completing the signing of young Norwich City striker Abu Kamara, with the attacking ace even described as "unplayable" by Colby Bishop in the past.

At the other end of the pitch, Troyes centre-back Jackson Porozo had reportedly been the subject of contact from Rangers, but their chances of snapping him have been and gone, with the demands "not suitable". Now, another outgoing piece of Gers transfer business has been mooted.

"Top class" Rangers player could depart

According to a new update from Football Insider, Rangers youngster Leon King is wanted by League Two side Salford City this summer, with a loan move mooted and the Gers "open" to him leaving".

It is stated that the "highly-rated centre-back" has "tumbled down the pecking order" at Ibrox of late, so a temporary move elsewhere could be best for the 20-year-old's development.

A loan move away for King sounds like the ideal option at this point in his career, considering he isn't seen as a key player by Clement currently, as the report alludes to. The young defender is a talent, though, and could benefit from a spell in the English game, honing his trade and growing as a footballer in the process.

None other than legendary former Liverpool manager Klopp spoke of his admiration for him after a Champions League meeting back in 2022, while Rory Wilson has said of him:

"Leon and Alex are both top class and you can see the quality they both have. Leon just takes everything in his stride. "He's a top player who handles it brilliantly."

Prso 2.0: Rangers could make late move for exciting £34k-p/w star

Rangers need another one or two signings to bolster their squad before the window closes

By
Ross Kilvington

Aug 27, 2024

King could benefit from a season at Salford, assuming a move does go through, before returning to Rangers this time next year with more experience, pushing for more regular starts in the process. He has already made 37 appearances for the club, showing that he can hold his own, and it is now a case of finding another gear and reaching his undoubted potential.

Wrexham moved into second place in the League One table and just one point behind leaders Birmingham City thanks to a late win over Wigan.

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• Wrexham beat Wigan 2-1 at home
• Took lead through Ryan Barnett
• Super-sub Fletcher grabs late winner

• TELL ME MORE

  Wrexham found it tough going in a first half devoid of clear-cut chances for either side. Wigan’s pressing made life difficult for the hosts and their best chances came from set-pieces. Both Paul Mullin and James McClean had opportunities but failed to test Sam Tickle in the Wigan goal.

  Wigan came out flying after half-time and hit the woodwork within minutes of the restart. Dale Taylor went for goal but was denied by the woodwork, and there was more misery for Wigan as Jensen Weir somehow managed to blaze the follow-up over the bar.

  The chance seemed to spark the hosts into life and they took the lead on the hour. A surging run from Ryan Barnett ended with the Wrexham winger firing a left-footed shot past Tickle with the help of a slight deflection. Barnett then produced more danger with a cross for Lewis Brunt that should have made it 2-0 to Wrexham, however, the defender put his effort just over the bar and Wigan escaped.

  It looked like being a pivotal moment in the game as the visitors levelled within minutes. Silko Thomas' floated cross in from the left was headed firmly past goalkeeper Mark Howard by Joe Hugill to make it 1-1 in the 79th minute.

  Yet there was still time for more drama at the SToK Racecourse as Wrexham grabbed a dramatic late winner through substitute Fletcher. The striker did superbly to control a cross from James McClean and fire home a stoppage-time winner that sends the hosts second.

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  THE MVP

  Barnett deserves plenty of credit for his performance but there's no doubt that Fletchertakes all the plaudits after coming off the bench to score a simply brilliant winner for Wrexhamon a day where Phil Parkinson's side looked set to drop costly points in the promotion race. Yet Fletcher's goal ensured they took full advantage of promotion rivals Wycombe and Birmingham dropping points. A simply invaluable contribution from the sub.

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  THE BIG LOSERS

  Wrexham made hard work of Wigan on a day when both Mullin and Palmer failed to fire. The duo had sights of goal during the game but never really looked like scoring and it was little surprise to see them both hooked after 70 minutes with Wrexham only holding a narrow advantage. It was a decision that worked out well too for manager Phil Parkinson, as Fletcher arrived to save the day.

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• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  Wrexham are back in League One action on New Year's Day with a clash against Barnsley at Oakwell.

After failing to round their summer off with another forward, West Ham United are already reportedly preparing a fresh bid to solve that problem in the January transfer window.

West Ham transfer news

The Hammers were one of the busiest sides in the summer window, welcoming the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo, and ended their summer by signing Carlos Soler from Paris Saint-Germain in an initial loan deal. The midfielder arrived to cap off an impressive few months at the London Stadium that saw West Ham lay down a marker in the transfer market.

Soler told West Ham's official website after putting pen to paper: "I am really excited to be here as a West Ham player. It has always been a dream of mine to play in the Premier League, and to be doing it in London with a club like West Ham is an incredible feeling.

"I can’t wait to feel the support of the fans, who I have already heard so much about from conversations with people who know the club, like my good friend Pablo Fornals. I am excited about meeting my new teammates and giving my all for this club in the best league in the world."

West Ham failed in late offer for "sensational" ex-Lopetegui star pre-deadline

The Hammers opened talks and submitted a proposal to the player.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 31, 2024

However, even after the deadline, the east London club have continued to steal the headlines on the transfer front. According to The Sunday Mirror (via West Ham Zone), West Ham are preparing a fresh bid to sign Jhon Duran in the January transfer window, having failed to secure his signature and meet his £40m valuation in a summer-long saga.

West Ham know all about Duran quality

It always seemed likely that Duran would have a say on the opening day as West Ham hosted Aston Villa, it was just a case of for which side. As it turns out, of course, it was the Villans who benefited when Unai Emery introduced the forward from the bench before watching on as he netted the winning goal at the London Stadium.

Given how he's started the season, Emery may not be too keen to show Duran the exit, especially to Premier League rivals West Ham, but it remains to be seen whether the Spaniard will have little choice but to bid farewell to his forward.

Emery was full of praise for Duran last season, saying via BBC Sport: "He is very young – 20 year old. His potential, it is impossible to predict how far he is going to get.

"I believe in him. It is different football in Colombia. Tactically, the football is very different in the Premier League. We are working with him a lot. I know he is going to score, get chances and use his power."

Phil Parkinson was stunned as Wrexham lost 2-1 to Barnsley, despite an impressive second half, in what is a bitter blow to their promotion hopes.

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• Wrexham were beaten 2-1 by Barnsley
• Parkinson was shocked by the result
• A fine 2nd half performance for nothing

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham's pursuit of promotion suffered a significant setback as Phil Parkinson's side fell to a narrow defeat to Barnsley at Oakwell. The hosts, who are pushing hard for a play-off spot, capitalised on a strong start, racing to a 2-0 lead within the first 24 minutes. Wrexham struggled to find their rhythm early on, with Parkinson expressing frustration over the ease with which the Tykes took the lead.

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  WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Reflecting on the first half, Parkinson said: "I think the first half started well, we controlled the first 11 minutes and out of nowhere, the lad has come inside on his right foot which we knew and we're disappointed with that. Obviously goals give you a lift but even then, I felt comfortable that we'd regain control and out of nowhere they've scored the second."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham came out of the break with renewed determination and completely dominated the second half. Their relentless pressure paid off when Max Cleworth pulled a goal back in the 80th minute. The visitors created several chances, with shots cleared off the line and headers narrowly missing the target.

  "How we haven't got something out of that game I'll never know," said Parkinson.

  "We had things cleared off the line and we had headers from five yards not gone in the back of the net. We completely dominated the second half and it was an outstanding effort from the lads to get back in the game. I had belief in the boys at half time that we'd get back in the game and when you analyse the key moments, we deserved at least a point. Some of the football was really good in difficult conditions and the lads have given us absolutely everything. They've emptied the tank to try and get back in the game but we haven't been able to do it.

  "We gave them a leg up in that first half with the first goal but the way the lads responded was very good and we just couldn't get the equaliser. Honestly, I was thinking we were going to win 3-2. I wasn't thinking about a draw, I thought we'd go and win the game 3-2."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham won’t have much time to dwell on the loss, as they face another tough test against Peterborough on Saturday.

West Ham United have been approached over signing a free agent who featured for his country at Euro 2024, as they also close in on a Bosman deal for ex-Sheffield United stalwart John Egan.

West Ham "getting close" to signing Egan after Matip decision

The Hammers are believed to be dipping into the free market for a fourth-choice senior central defender, coming after both Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma departed the London Stadium on loan deals to Real Sociedad and Al-Oroubah respectively.

West Ham preparing bid for summer target who just broke Hammers' hearts

They could yet get their man…

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Sep 1, 2024

Manager Julen Lopetegui now has summer signings Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Greek international Konstantinos Mavropanos as his only centre-back options, so technical director Tim Steidten and the West Ham recruitment team are apparently eager to bring in an extra body.

Earlier this week, West Ham opened talks with both Egan and Matip to resolve the issue, as backed by reliable Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

Egan departed Sheffield United in the summer after six seasons at Bramall Lane, where he made a total of 208 league appearances, while Matip left Liverpool following eight years at Anfield.

However, as reported by club insider ExWHUemployee, West Ham are close to bringing in Egan on a free, after moving on from Matip due to his unreliable fitness record. While West Ham had real concerns over signing Matip, it is believed that Egan will play in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Dagenham and Redbridge, which will act as a trial for the centre-back.

“It appears that John Egan is getting close to signing for the club,” reported Ex on The West Ham Way

.

“There was some concerns over Joel Matip’s fitness and whether he would be the appropriate back up option. That transfer seemed to have a number of obstacles ahead of it to get the deal done although it isn’t completely ruled out yet.

“The friendly is thought to be tomorrow [Thursday] against Dagenham and Redbridge. The club hasn’t fully made a decision on whether they will go ahead with the signing but they are giving the Irish international a chance to prove he is the man with a deal likely to be offered afterwards.”

With the Republic of Ireland international seemingly on the cusp of joining West Ham, if all goes to plan, Steidten and co have apparently been offered another free agent behind-the-scenes.

West Ham offered chance to sign Yusuf Yazici on free transfer

As per HITC, that man is former Lille star Yusuf Yazici, who actually featured for Turkey at the Euros this summer. The 45-cap international played a role in Lille's surprise Ligue 1 title win back in 2021, where he managed seven goals and four assists in 32 top flight appearances that year.

HITC claim West Ham have been contacted and offered the chance to sign Yazici, following his exit from Lille in June, as have a host of other Premier League clubs. It is unclear whether Lopetegui's side are willing to entertain this approach, but it might be worth considering.

The 27-year-old, still yet to hit his prime, boasts 64 goals and 39 assists across his career to date – with former Arsenal and Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil once tipping him for greatness.

“I really like Trabzonspor duo Yusuf Yazici and Abdulkadir Omur, they are incredible talents,” Ozil told Hurriyet in 2018.

“Yusuf Yazici is an amazing No 10. We have a lot of similarities and I myself in him. His left foot, his position, his close passing and calmness on the ball. We will see Yusuf at a big European club in the near future.”

Liverpool are facing a defensive injury crisis with Joe Gomez forced off during the rout of West Ham on Sunday.

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• Gomez picked up a hamstring injury
• Quansah was introduced as a substitute
• Reds coach Slot provided an update on Gomez

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  During Liverpool’s commanding 5-0 victory, Gomez sustained a hamstring injury that forced him off the field just before half-time. That comes as Liverpool’s first-choice centre-back Ibrahima Konate remains unavailable, having been sidelined since November. Gomez had formed a consistent partnership with Virgil van Dijk in Liverpool’s last six league games, stepping in for the injured Frenchman.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Against West Ham, Jarell Quansah was the only central defender available on the bench. The youngster, who last started a Premier League match on the opening day of the season, now finds himself in a crucial role. Quansah was subbed off at the break in that game at Ipswich, highlighting his lack of regular first-team experience.

• WHAT SLOT SAID

  After Sunday's match, Slot provided an update on Gomez and said: "You saw today an injury of Joe Gomez. In a sprint, then we all know it’s a hamstring and we all know it’s going take a while before he is back. I don’t know how long but he will be out for quite a bit. These situations can happen in a season.”

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  WHEN WILL KONATE RETURN?

  Despite the concerning state of Liverpool’s defence, there is a glimmer of hope. Ahead of the West Ham game, Slot hinted at the possibility of Konate making his return in time for Liverpool’s highly-anticipated clash with Manchester United on January 5.

  “They (Konate and Conor Bradley) will not be back for West Ham United, but then there is a week in between (before the game against Manchester United) so let’s see how close they are then,” Slot said, via the club’s website.

Harry Kane emerged as the difference-maker as his penalty sank Borussia Monchengladbach to ensure a slender 1-0 win for Bayern Munich on Saturday.

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• Bayern snatch gritty win against Monchengladbach
• Kane scored to ensure the three points
• Bavarians maintain a four-point lead over Leverkusen

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  TELL ME MORE

  Vincent Kompany's men looked rusty in their first 45 minutes of Bundesliga action in 2025 as they returned after a brief winter break. They enjoyed most of the possession and kept probing at goal, but a decisive final ball to unlock a gritty Monchengladbach defence remained elusive.

  Although Thomas Muller found himself in a one-on-one situation with Moritz Nicolas, the forward could only hit straight at the goalkeeper from close range. In the 37th minute, Bayern players surrounded referee Felix Zwayer for a handball on Ko Itakura after the defender raised his hands to save his face from getting hit, but the official immediately turned down their appeals.

  After the break, the hosts came out with more ambition and instead of just being reactive, Monchengladbach took the game to their more illustrious opponents. In the 56th minute, Tim Kleindienst found himself unmarked inside the box, but the striker failed to hit the target after connecting to a cross.

  Kompany reacted to the scare quickly, bringing on Kingsley Coman in place of Muller. The substitute had an immediate impact as he sent in a cross towards Michael Olise near the far post, but the former Crystal Palace was pushed from behind by Lukas Ullrich as he tried to control the ball, resulting in a penalty. Kane stepped up from 12 yards and calmly slotted the ball past the keeper to ease the nerves on Bayern bench.

  It was a crucial three points for the leaders as it helped them restore the four-point lead over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, after Xabi Alonso's men cut it down to just one after winning against Borussia Dortmund on Friday.

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  THE MVP

  Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Kane was a rather anonymous figure in attack until the decisive moment when he put Bayern in front from the spot. The Bavarians were struggling to create goal scoring opportunities but the England skipper ensured that he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to score and ensure an important victory away from home.

• THE BIG LOSER

  Monchengladbach were doing a fine job after the restart but Ullrich's brain fade moment proved to be costly as it handed Bayern a golden opportunity to get their noses in front. After taking the lead, there was no looking back for the record champions as they saw out the game to seal the three points.

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• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  After a winning start to 2025, Bayern will be back in action against Hoffenheim on next Wednesday.

Celtic’s board showed their faith in manager Brendan Rodgers during the recent summer transfer window with the money that they spent on incoming signings.

The Hoops agreed a club-record fee of £11m to sign central midfielder Arne Engels from Bundesliga side Augsburg to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

A new centre-forward was also needed, after Hyeon-gyu Oh’s permanent move to Genk, and the club splashed the cash to re-sign Adam Idah for Rodgers.

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland international made a big impact in the final third during his loan spell in Glasgow during the second half of last season, with eight goals in five Scottish Premiership starts.

That convinced the Hoops to agree a deal worth a reported £9.5m, £8.5m of which is guaranteed, which could make him the second most expensive addition in the club’s history behind the £11m for Engels, if those add-ons are achieved.

Despite the big money spent on the 6 foot 3 marksman, Kyogo Furuhashi has once again started the season as Celtic’s first-choice centre-forward.

Kyogo Furuhashi's form under Brendan Rodgers

The Japan international plundered an exceptional 27 goals in 31 starts in the Premiership during the 2022/23 campaign under Ange Postecoglou, prior to Rodgers’ return last summer.

He had showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis in the Scottish top-flight and the Northern Irish boss may have been excited about what they could achieve together at Parkhead.

Unfortunately, Kyogo’s form fell off significantly under Rodgers and he has failed to replicate his performances from the 2022/23 season since then.

As you can see in the table above, the Japanese forward could not hit more than 20 goals in the 2023/24 campaign, after his sublime exploits the previous year.

It was not down to the quality of chances that were created for him, however, as Kyogo missed eight more ‘big chances’ along the way to scoring 13 fewer goals.

Despite his struggles last term, and the signing of Idah, the 29-year-old forward has started the current campaign as the first-choice number nine.

Kyogo scored his first goal of the season against Rangers, with a clever finish from distance past Jack Butland, and has produced one goal and one assist in four games in all competitions so far.

One former Celtic player, who was sold by Rodgers last year, who is currently outscoring the Japan international this season is Swiss flop Albian Ajeti.

Celtic's Albian Ajeti nightmare

In the summer of 2020, then-Hoops manager Neil Lennon swooped to sign the Switzerland international from Premier League side West Ham United.

The Scottish giants splashed out a fee of £5m to sign the striker, who took a wage cut on his £60k-per-week salary, on a four-year contract at Parkhead.

Ajeti had failed to provide a single goal or assist in 12 appearances for the Hammers in all competitions during his time in England, but that did not put Lennon or Celtic off spending £5m on the 23-year-old.

The young attacker was given plenty of opportunities to shine by the Hoops boss in his first season, with 30 appearances in all competitions during the 2020/21 campaign.

Ajeti produced an unremarkable return of six goals and four assists in those 30 outings, as he failed to live up to his £5m price tag and did not do enough to convince Ange Postecoglou, who arrived at the end of that term, that he was good enough to feature regularly.

The Australian boss only handed him 17 appearances during the 2021/22 season and the Swiss forward managed three goals and one assist in that time.

Postecoglou then sent him out on loan to Sturm Graz, where he produced four goals and one assist in 23 matches, before Rodgers arrived last summer and opted to cash in on the striker.

In September 2023, Turkish side Gaziantep swooped in to sign the centre-forward for a reported fee of £500k – a sizeable loss on the £5m Celtic paid for him.

What happened to Albian Ajeti

The now-27-year-old striker currently plays for Swiss giants Basel in his home country after a relatively short spell with Gaziantep in Turkey.

Ajeti scored one goal in five matches for the Super Lig outfit before being allowed to join Basel on a free transfer at the start of February this year.

The £5m Celtic flop endured a rough start to his second stint with the Swiss side, scoring one goal in six matches in the second half of last season, but has started the current campaign on fire.

In fact, Ajeti is currently outscoring Kyogo Furuhashi at league level and in all competitions with his impressive start to the season for Basel.

The Switzerland international has finally hit his stride as both a scorer and a creator of goals after a difficult few years at West Ham, Celtic, and Gaziantep.

As you can see in the table above, Ajeti has scored three more goals and missed five fewer ‘big chances’ than Kyogo at league level this season.

He has also created five more ‘big chances’ and registered three two more assists, which shows that the forward has been more of an asset to his team as a creative threat in the centre-forward position.

Along with his outstanding performances in the Super League, Ajeti produced two goals and one assist in one Swiss Cup outing last month, which means that the striker has racked up six goals and four assists in seven matches in all competitions.

Studying at 30: What happened to Celtic flop who was "Rolls Royce material"

The former Hoops titan has not played professional football since 2022.

2

By
Dan Emery

Sep 10, 2024

It will now be interesting to see how Kyogo and Ajeti compare by the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and if the ex-Celtic flop can continue his fine form.

Everton chiefs are making an urgent attempt to keep their key stars at the club, and have now tabled a new contract offer to do just that, it has been revealed.

Everton struggling so far

So far, Everton are yet to record a win this season in the Premier League. After being beaten by both Tottenham and Brighton in their opening two games, they have thrown away 2-0 leads in both of their most recent games to fall to 3-2 defeats, a worrying trend for Sean Dyche’s side.

Talks held: Everton nearly hired a “genius” in 2023, they got Dyche instead

The Blues have started the season in wretched form…

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 20, 2024

To make matters worse, they exited the Carabao Cup via penalties at the hands of Southampton, ensuring that there is a toxic atmosphere engulfing Goodison Park in the early weeks of the season. But they may have been handed a much-needed piece of good news.

Everton star offered new contract

Now, it has emerged that Everton are in talks to extend the contract of star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin amid interest from across Europe. The striker is down to the final months of his £100,000 a week deal at Goodison Park, meaning that he can discuss terms over a free transfer abroad from January should he wish to.

He was the subject of interest from Newcastle United over the summer, but no deal materialised for the England international, and the 27-year-old remains a key part of the Toffees set up, having had a hand in three of their four goals so far this season and starting all four games.

His form towards the end of last season was also strong, with Dyche keen on one particularly “excellent” outing against Liverpool.

“I thought he was excellent,” Dyche said. “His physical performance was outstanding, He’s not quite over it [illness] but we hope it settles down a bit.”

Though he has suffered a tough period with injuries, his fitness and form will be a key part of keeping the Toffees out of relegation trouble as they look for their first points of the season. And TEAMTalk report that a new deal is on the table at Everton should Calvert-Lewin wish to take it up.

They claim that “Everton are pushing on with contract talks and those are now ongoing”, while “a contract offer has been placed” on the table for the Everton star should he be keen to remain on Merseyside, while the Toffees are hoping “they can stop the Englishman from leaving the club for nothing” as he is currently set to do.

It is added that Calvert-Lewin “loves Everton” and has never looked to force his way out, but his contract situation could see him leave for nothing at the end of the current campaign as it stands.

After a poor start to the season, a breakthrough in contract talks for one of their stars could be just the boost that the Toffees need as they look to string a run of results together to drag themselves away from the relegation zone.