Chelsea are set to receive £5 million from Real Madrid thanks to Eden Hazard, despite the Belgian confirming his retirement back in October.
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Belgian joined Real Madrid in 2019
Retired in October at age 32
But Los Blancos contract still valid
WHAT HAPPENED?
As reported by The Telegraph, Los Blancos' qualification for this year's Champions League final has triggered another add-on in the deal which saw Hazard leave Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2019. While the 33-year-old and Real mutually agreed to terminate the five-year contract early, the terms remain valid – much to the delight of those at Stamford Bridge.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Like many clubs, Chelsea are aiming to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules, so the extra money from Real will be very much appreciated. The Blues received a reported £88m (€102m/$111m) up front for Hazard and the rest of the money involved in the huge £130m (€151m/$164m) deal was through achievable performance-based bonuses.
DID YOU KNOW?
Hazard's decision to retire at age 32 came after a difficult spell at Real, with injuries ravaging the end of his career. The ex-Lille winger featured in just 54 La Liga matches during his time at the club.
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WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
The news of a fresh injection of cash from the Hazard transfer will be more welcome news for Chelsea as they enjoy their best spell of the season. Mauricio Pochettino's side have won their last three Premier League matches and are up to seventh in the table. Wins against Brighton and Bournemouth in their final two games could see them finish as high as fifth – although that does depend on Tottenham losing to Sheffield United on the final day.
The 2023/24 Premier League campaign is now at the halfway stage. However, internationals are upon us once more as the league takes a prolonged break.
The latest edition of the Africa Cup of Nations is now just a matter of days away. This will see a number of teams part ways with some of their players in the middle of their campaign as they jet off to represent their respective countries, as Ivory Coast hosts the next instalment of the tournament.
And with the squads confirmed ahead of the 2023 AFCON, Football FanCast has taken a look at exactly who could be missing over the next few weeks.
AFCON 2023: Draw, location, dates, times, where to watch & more
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is on the way. Here’s everything you need to know about the competition as the draw is made.
ByAlex Caple Oct 13, 2023 Arsenal – 1 player Mohamed Elneny (Egypt)
mohamed-elneny-transfer-arsenal-mikel-arteta
Arsenal are set to lose Mohamed Elneny as he attempts to help Egypt to another AFCON crown.
The Pharaohs haven’t won since securing a third successive title in 2010 and have lost two of the previous three finals – with Elneny scoring in their 2-1 defeat to Cameroon in 2017.
While Thomas Partey was expected to also be missing for the Gunners, his injury issues meant that he was left out of the Ghana squad to continue his recovery in north London.
Aston Villa – 1 player Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso)
Aston Villa's Bertrand Traore represents Burkina Faso.
Much like the north London side, Villa could find themselves getting off lightly from the AFCON tournament with just one absentee.
Bertrand Traore has been named in Burkina Faso’s squad. As with Elneny at Arsenal, this is not a player who has a huge influence on the starting XI, having only played nine minutes in the Premier League so far this term, so is unlikely to leave a dent in Unai Emery’s plans.
The Cherries will lose Dango Ouatarra, who represents Burkina Faso alongside the likes of Bertrand Traore and Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba.
Ouattara enjoyed a significant moment in Bournemouth’s 2022/23 campaign when he scored the winning goal away to Tottenham Hotspur. He hasn’t exactly hit those heights so far this term, but has played a key role filling in at left-back in recent games under Andoni Iraola.
Iraola will also be without Antoine Semenyo, with the right-winger being selected to represent Ghana. Semenyo has played a significant role in the Bournemouth side this season, with 16 appearances, three goals and two assists in the Premier League alone (via Transfermarkt).
Thomas Frank is set to lose two players to AFCON, with Frank Onyeka selected in the Nigeria squad.
The 25-year-old has yet to be a prominent feature in Frank’s side since the start of the season, so his absence may not prove to be a huge blow for the Bees.
And while the injured Bryan Mbeumo will be missing for Cameroon, fellow Brentford attacker Yoane Wissa will be representing DR Congo in Ivory Coast.
Having been grouped with World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, Bees fans may be hoping an early exit is on the cards for Wissa’s nation.
Brighton & Hove Albion – 1 player Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast)
After being handed a number of injury setbacks recently, Roberto De Zerbi will be delighted that his side will not be heavily affected by the tournament, with just one player heading off to represent his country.
That player is Simon Adingra, who has played a considerable role in the Italian’s side thus far, having racked up 17 appearances in the Premier League already (via Transfermarkt).
However, Adingra is one of those players who has recently been added to the Brighton injury list after missing their last two games against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
Nevertheless, he may be missing for longer than intended if hosts Ivory Coast go deep into the tournament.
Chelsea – 1 player Nicolas Jackson (Senegal)
Chelsea will only see their squad reduced by one player over January as a result of the Africa Cup of Nations, but it will be a significant blow for Mauricio Pochettino.
Indeed, the Argentine will be without his joint-top scorer as Nicolas Jackson leads the Chelsea scoring charts alongside Cole Palmer with a return of eight goals in his 23 appearances.
It has been a turbulent campaign for Chelsea thus far, but the Blues have recently found some consistent form, so a loss like Jackson is the last thing Pochettino will have wanted.
Crystal Palace – 1 player Jordan Ayew (Ghana)
Jordan Ayew
Roy Hodgson’s side will be hit with an attacking absentee over the AFCON tournament, and it could prove a huge omission from the manager’s starting XI.
Indeed, the Eagles will be without Jordan Ayew, who has made 18 starts in the Premier League alone this season, where he has been able to provide a solid return of seven goal contributions.
Everton – 1 player Idrissa Gueye (Senegal)
Idrissa Gueye represents Senegal.
After a tricky start to the campaign for Sean Dyche’s men, the last thing the manager will want to think about is the prospect of losing some of his starting players to mid-season international duty.
However, that is exactly what the Merseysiders face in January with Idrissa Gueye available to represent Senegal. Perhaps thankfully, Abdoulaye Doucoure had declared he would not make himself available for selection for Mali, handing Dyche some respite.
Everton may be in a position of relative safety amid their ten-point deduction, though they head into the tournament in 17th place after losing their last three league games.
Until the summer’s deadline day, the Cottagers could have gotten away with minimal damage to their squad ahead of the tournament.
However, Alex Iwobi’s call-up means Marco Silva’s side will lose the midfielder as he looks to rack up some more caps for Nigeria, along with compatriot Calvin Bassey.
The Super Eagles drew the tournament hosts, Ivory Coast, which means Iwobi and co will be coming up against the likes of former Premier League star Nicolas Pepe and ex-Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie.
Elsewhere, Milan loanee Fode Ballo-Toure is among Senegal’s contingent, making Fulham one of the most-affected teams in the English top flight.
How the game played out Having spent the majority of the match in front, Chittagong Vikings almost paid for the lack of a killer instinct as Shakib Al Hasan helped Dhaka Dynamites to nearly pull off an unlikely victory. Robbie Frylinck spared Vikings the blushes in a dramatic final over cameo to seal victory with a ball to spare.Thanks to Cameron Delport’s fiery 30 off 12 balls to kickstart the Vikings chase, the required run rate was down to a run a ball by the 10-over mark. But the Vikings middle order showed no sense of urgency as just three boundaries were struck over the next nine overs. Entering the final over with 16 needed to win, a single put Frylinck on strike for the second ball, and he proceeded to smash three sixes in the next four balls to deny the Dynamites.
Turning points
Frylinck struck twice in the Powerplay, after Dynamites had chosen to bat first, getting Rony Talukdar to drag an inside edge on, before a clever change of angle to around the wicket bowled a fiery Sunil Narine two overs later
Abu Jayed stunted the Dynamites’ recovery with a double-wicket maiden in the ninth over, claiming Heino Kuhn and Darwish Rasooli
Dynamites had stabilized at 95 for 4 in the 15th over, with both Shakib Al Hasan and Nurul Hasan well-set, before Cameron Delport removed both in the space of five balls. Andre Russell holed out two balls into the following over.
Frylinck bookended the match after his great start with the ball by snuffing out the Dynamites with his trio of sixes to clinch the chase.Star of the day Frylinck outshined Shakib Al Hasan at the last moment. Shakib seemed to be rallying the Dynamites to a win when he bowled a wicket-maiden in the 17th over of the Vikings chase to cap off a spell of 4 for 16 to go with a top-score of 34 in the first innings. But Frylinck’s pair of wickets, paired with his unbeaten 25 off 10 balls, reduced Shakib’s performance to a footnote.The big miss Arguably Shakib’s ability to hit the stumps to bowl Nayeem Hasan. Frylinck had only been dismissed once in four innings, scoring 88 runs entering the match, and Vikings arguably committed a strategic blunder, sending Nayeem in at No. 7, ahead of Frylinck. Had Nayeem stayed at the crease a bit longer, Frylinck might not have had enough time to rescue the Vikings.Where the teams stand Vikings drew level with Dynamites at the top of the table with 10 points. While Dynamites have a vastly superior net run rate advantage, Vikings have an extra match in hand.
O sábado do futebol será agitado por grandes campeonatos. Aqui no Brasil, duas partidas abrem a 30ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. São elas Fluminense x Sport, no Nilton Santos, e Vasco x Coritiba, em São Januário.
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FLU NA LIBERTADORES? ACESSE A TABELA ATUALIZADA DO BRASILEIRÃO
Jogos da Série B, Série C e Série D também terão transmissão, além da Premier League, Serie A da Itália, entre outros campeonatos pelo mundo.
Confira abaixo os confrontos do dia e a programação de transmissão
9h30- Wolverhampton x West Bromwich Premier League Onde assistir: ESPN Brasil
12h – Leeds United x Brighton Premier League Onde assistir: DAZN 12h – West Ham x Burnley Premier League Onde assistir: Fox Sports
14h – Torino x Spezia Serie A Onde assistir: Band e EI Plus
14h30 – Fulham x Chelsea Premier League Onde assistir: ESPN Brasil
16h30 – CSA x Avaí Série B Onde assistir:SporTV e Premiere
17h – Leicester x Southampton Premier League Onde assistir: ESPN Brasil
17h – Ypiranga x Paysandu Série C Onde assistir: DAZN
17h – Remo x Londrina Série C Onde assistir: DAZN
19h – Fluminense x Sport Brasileirão Onde assistir: Premiere 19h – Juventude x Cruzeiro Série B Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere
20h30 – Defensa y Justicia x Coquimbo Unido Copa Sul-Americana Onde assistir: Conmebol TV
21h – Vasco x Coritiba Brasileirão Onde assistir: Premiere
21h – Oeste x Confianca Série B Onde assistir: Premiere
كشفت تقارير صحفية أن المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، آرني سلوت، تواصل مع أحد النجوم المرتبطين بخطوة الرحيل عن النادي الإنجليزي، لحثه على البقاء كونه عنصرًا بالغ الأهمية بالنسبة للمشروع المستقبلي.
ويرتبط أكثر من لاعب بخطوة الرحيل عن صفوف ليفربول، في موسم الانتقالات.
ولم يبرم ليفربول أي صفقة حتى الآن، في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية لهذا العام، تحت قيادة المدرب الجديد آرني سلوت الذي جاء لخلافة يورجن كلوب.
ومن ضمن اللاعبين المرتبطين بالرحيل هناك داروين نونيز، الذي تعرض لانتقادات عديدة بسبب تذبذب أدائه وإهداره العديد من الفرص السهلة.
ورغم ذلك، فإن آرني سلوت يؤمن بـ داروين نونيز وقدرته في الهجوم، حيث يتطلع إلى إبقائه في ملعب “الأنفيلد”.
وذكرت صحيفة “ميرور” الإنجليزية أن آرني سلوت تواصل بالفعل مع اللاعب الأوروجواياني لإخباره بأنه يريده أن يكون رجل المشروع في ثورة ليفربول المقبلة.
وأوضحت أن سلوت يدرك أن نونيز عانى من خيبة أمل تحت قيادة المدرب السابق يورجن كلوب، خاصة الموسم الماضي.
وأفادت إنه نتيجة لذلك، كان أحد أول قراراته بعد وصوله إلى ليفربول هو الاتصال بـ نونيز أثناء استعداداته لكوبا أمريكا، حيث أكد له أنه حدده كلاعب قادر على لعب دور مهم وحيوي.
وأشارت إلى أن نونيز سيكون حاسمًا بالنسبة لـ سلوت، في خطته الخاصة بالضغط الهجومي، وكان صاحب الـ25 عامًا سعيدًا لسماع أن مدربه الجديد يدرك ما يمكن أن يقدمه لـ ليفربول.
While India are still looking to nail down middle-order spots, the captain indicated he wouldn’t chop and change too much during the course of the Asia Cup
Shashank Kishore17-Sep-2018India want to fix on their middle order as soon as possible. That’s the sense one got from Rohit Sharma’s pre-match media interaction in Dubai on Monday, ahead of India’s opening game against Hong Kong. It’s not yet a race against time – they will also have the five ODIs at home against West Indies next month to try a few combinations – but Rohit wasn’t thinking so far ahead.”It is not settled, we all know about it, because there’s been a lot of guys who have played at that position,” he said. “Going forward we want everything to be settled, but it gives an opportunity to the guys to come and play the cricket they like to play and seal the spot. Nos. 3 [for this tournament], 4, 6 are all up for grabs. All these guys are eyeing that. Obviously, we want to give as many chances as possible to the guys to make sure the No.4 and 6 spot is sealed. As a team we’re very much looking forward to that. I am sure all those guys who are eyeing that spot are hungry and want to grab that position.”Given the stifling competition, Rohit also wanted his players to feel a sense of security, which he hoped to provide by allowing in-form players continuity, instead of chopping and changing in the name of experimentation.”I wouldn’t say it is a concern, but if you look at the future, as a captain or player, you want your team to be settled and even the guys who are eyeing that spot want to be settled,” he said. “Nobody likes to be dropped and brought back into the squad. We want everyone to be feeling safe and settled, so that they can play freely. Right now looking at all the guys who are eyeing that spot, mentally they look fresh and are raring to go. I guess they’re just a performance away from making their claim for that particular spot.”Virat Kohli’s unavailability means the team management will have an opportunity to audition more than three players. With Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit likely to open, KL Rahul is set to slot in at No. 3. The No. 4 slot, however, has been subject to musical chairs in recent times. Suresh Raina’s failures in England have opened the door for Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey and Dinesh Karthik to nail it down for themselves.On Monday, the team management was clearly mindful of preserving players and not exposing them to potentially three straight days in the heat and humidity prevalent in the UAE right now, but the focus on those auditioning for key slots was visible. Rahul and Karthik batted among the first set of batsmen, before Rayudu had a hit. All of them enjoyed a decent time in the nets against a battery of four back-up bowlers – Mayank Markande, Siddarth Kaul, Prasidh Krishna and Shahbaz Nadeem.Karthik featured in just one ODI in England and lost his form in the Tests, eventually losing his place to Rishabh Pant. Rayudu, meanwhile, was in the squad for the England ODIs but had to miss out because of a failed yo-yo test. After becoming eligible for selection last month, he hit form for India A in the quadrangular series at home.There’s every chance two among these three will be looked at for the No. 4 spot. Among those auditioning for the role, Pandey was the only one not considered for the England ODIs, but he has forced his way back in after tallying 306 runs in his last four innings without being dismissed while leading India B to a quadrangular series title last month. Outside of these three, the selectors have the option of also looking at Shreyas Iyer and Ajinkya Rahane, who is set to turn out as the Mumbai captain in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the domestic 50-over competition.Kedar Jadhav, meanwhile, is looked at as a finisher at No. 6. His handy offspin delivered with a low, slingy arm is an added advantage. Given the nature of surfaces so far in Dubai – slow turn and plenty of grip – there’s every chance India will look at a third spin option in the XI.On the bowling front, India could field a debutant. Jasprit Bumrah hardly bowled at the nets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar was just bowling off a few paces. Khaleel Ahmed and Shardul Thakur however, bowled at full intensity.Khaleel, in particular, has been talked about for a while for the pace and hard lengths he hits with his left-arm variety. Apart from calling him into the nets, the team management has fielded him on India A tours all season to give him a taste of top-flight cricket.”I am quite excited about Khaleel,” he said. “Of course he’s a great variation to squad. Also, he generates quite a bit of pace. He’s young, quite talented, and can swing the ball as well at the same time. I am looking forward to him playing and doing well for the country. From whatever I’ve seen of him, he can get batsmen into trouble. I can surely say that. He’s got a great skillset, it’s just a matter of going out there and doing it. Of course, he has not played a game so he’ll be quite nervous but again he’s got all the tools that are required to play at the highest level.”
كشفت تقارير صحفية بريطانية، عن موقف نادي آرسنال الإنجليزي من رحيل لاعبه إميل سميث رو، خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.
سميث رو لم يعد يشارك بصفة أساسية خلال الموسم الماضي مع آرسنال، مما جعله هدفًا لعدد من الأندية في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
فولهام وكريستال بالاس أبرز الفرق التي ترغب في ضم اللاعب صاحب الـ23 عامًا، لكن آرسنال رفض عرضاً من الأول بقيمة 30 مليون جنيه إسترليني.
كريستال بالاس يستعد لتقديم 35 مليون جنيه إسترليني بالإضافة إلى المكافآت، لحسم صفقة سميث رو، لكن حسب ما أفادت صحيفة “جارديان” البريطانية، فإن آرسنال لم يحسم بعد موقفه بشكل نهائي من رحيل اللاعب.
ويواجه آرسنال قرارًا صعبًا بشأن بيع سميث رو حيث أظهر لاعب الوسط الكثير من الإمكانات منذ ظهوره مع الفريق الأول في عام 2018 لكنه كافح لكي يثبت نفسه لـ ميكيل أرتيتا الموسم الماضي.
لكن على الرغم من قلة دقائق مشاركته مع أرسنال، أفادت الصحيفة الريطانية، أن أرتيتا لا يريد رؤية سميث رو يرحل عن الجانرز هذا الصيف.
سميث رو في الموسم الماضي شارك في 14 مباراة فقط، خاصة بسبب الإصابات التي كان يعاني منها، وبدأ 3 مباريات فقط، وعلى مدار الموسمين الماضيين لعب مجموع دقائق 508 دقائق فقط في الدوري.
ويتطلع اللاعب للمشاركة بشكل أساسي، مما قد يجعله يحاول إقناع المدرب الإسباني، كما أن ذلك من شأنه أن ينعش خزائن آرسنال، الذي يبحث في الميركاتو عن صفقات يدعم من خلالها خطوطه، للمنافسة الموسم المقبل على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الذي خسره في الموسمين الماضيين.
Glasgow Rangers ran out of patience with Michael Beale, and he was relieved of his duties just ten months into his reign at the Ibrox side.
His sacking didn’t come as a surprise, as the 43-year-old led the Gers to just eight wins across their opening 14 matches in all competitions while failing to qualify for the Champions League along with slipping to an underwhelming Old Firm defeat against Celtic.
With a plethora of names linked with the vacant role, Philippe Clement was announced as the new boss recently and his calm, yet no nonsense approach appears to be an ideal fit for the club, especially with a solid debut win under his belt.
Hibernian were swept aside in Glasgow on the weekend 4-0 and the performance was a marked improvement from what the supporters were used to from Beale, who failed to inspire much confidence with a distinct lack of playing style or tactical identity.
AS Monaco's former managerPhilippe Clement.
Clement will need to work with the current group of players for now, and he certainly seemed to get a tune out of them against the Easter Road side, but will this continue?
Some of Beale’s summer arrivals have yet to light up Ibrox so far, with Cyriel Dessers scoring just four goals across 16 matches and has failed to live up to his £4.5m price tag.
Sam Lammers is also another name who has yet to showcase his true talents in Scotland, despite costing £3m from Serie A side Atalanta in the summer.
A fresh start could be just what these two players require in order to hit the ground running and the next few matches will be crucial with regard to how effective they can be under Clement.
How has Sam Lammers performed at Rangers this season?
Following the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Beale saw the likes of Ryan Kent, Scott Arfield and Alfredo Morelos depart Ibrox due to their contracts expiring and the need for attacking replacements was paramount during the summer.
Lammers became one of his first signings and while he had featured mainly as a centre-forward for Atalanta, Eintracht Frankfurt and Feyenoord in the past, Beale sought to drop him slightly deeper – as a number 10 ideally – in order to bring the best out of his technical ability.
The Dutchman had scored only six goals in all competitions across the previous three seasons and this record hardly boosted the mood of the Ibrox faithful surrounding his move, but with a summer rebuild in progress, trust was placed in Beale.
Fast-forward a few months and this trust appears to have been misplaced as Lammers has struggled to cope with the demands of playing for the Light Blues.
The 26-year-old has played 17 matches since the start of the season, yet has managed to score just once, while grabbing a solitary assist and this is not the form you would associate with a player who cost £3m to sign.
The former QPR boss made some questionable decisions in the transfer market and while his summer arrivals have come under various degrees of scrutiny, some of the players he sold could have made a bigger impact than Lammers.
Antonio Colak appears to be enjoying a new lease of life away from the Gers at Parma, and he could have still offered something that Lammers and Dessers have struggled with so far – goals.
How much did Rangers sell Antonio Colak for?
The Croatian striker joined the club under Giovanni van Bronckhorst and enjoyed a stellar spell under the former Feyenoord coach, scoring 14 goals before the season was halted due to the 2022 World Cup.
Van Bronckhorst stated that Colak was “experienced” while journalist Josh Bunting even claimed that the frontman “has everything” following his excellent start.
While rather limited in terms of speed and mobility, Colak was always in the right place at the right time and this clinical nature prevented Rangers from performing worse than they did.
Following Van Bronckhorst’s sacking in November last year, the 30-year-old failed to fit into Beale’s system while scoring just another four goals for the club, and it appeared as though he could be on his way out after just one season in Glasgow.
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1.2
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Rangers ultimately accepted a bid of £2.5m from the Italian outfit and this represented a solid profit on the £1.8m that the Light Blues shelled out on him just a year prior.
What happened to Antonio Colak?
In truth, an offer of £2.5m was too good to turn down for a player who has now turned 30, yet the Light Blues have missed his ruthlessness in front of goal during the first few months of the season.
Colak has played nine games for Parma so far this term and has managed to score three goals in Serie B as he aims to lead the club back to Serie A.
The former PAOK striker currently sits third across the Parma squad for goals in the second tier, while also ranking fourth for shots per game (1.2) and third for scoring frequency (a goal every 101 minutes) which indicates that he is enjoying a solid start to life in Italy.
His goal tally means he has outscored Lammers this season and while the Dutchman has recorded 3.2 shots per game, showing a willingness to get on the scoresheet, the fact he ranks in a lowly eighth position in the squad for scoring frequency (a goal every 564 minutes) suggests that he is far from being a reliable option in the final third.
Former Rangers striker Antonio Colak.
Colak didn’t stand much of a chance with Beale still being in charge of the Light Blues and a move seems to have revitalised the player as he approaches the twilight years of his career.
There is no doubt that he is outscoring Lammers, however, and his knack for finding the back of the net from close range may have given the Gers a better start to the current season.
If he continues his current form, the Ibrox side could look back and regret letting him move on, especially as he may have shone in Clement’s tactical system.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing though and the onus now is for Lammers to vastly improve and begin to demonstrate his considerable talents to the supporters.
Everton are keeping close tabs on a new centre-back as they weigh up a move, but they aren’t the only club who are hoping to bring him to the Premier League in January.
Everton transfer updates
Sean Dyche currently has James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, Jarrad Branthwaite and Ben Godfrey as his four natural options at the heart of the defensive backline, but with the former pair both being 30 years of age, the boss will soon need to enter the market to find long-term replacements.
If the Toffees are able to successfully complete their takeover, which would see the 777 Partners Group at the helm, the manager is likely to receive better financial backing which means he can be competitive when pursuing transfer targets, and he’s set to need a lot of cash to secure this one in particular.
At the Deutsche Bank Park, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Willian Pacho only arrived from Royal Antwerp this summer, but he's already established himself as Dino Toppmoller’s overall best-performing player with a match rating of 6.98 (WhoScored – Eintracht Frankfurt statistics).
Therefore, Ecuador’s international has brought himself onto the radar of the Goodison Park side, but with two other top-flight clubs also keen, the 22-year-old is expected to be the subject of a transfer tug of war, whether that be at the start of next year or later in the summer.
Willian Pacho to Everton news
According to TEAMtalk, who have shared a transfer update on Willian Pacho, Everton, Crystal Palace and West Ham are all monitoring the progress of the defender, who has thrived since his switch to Germany:
“A trio of English clubs are tracking Willian Pacho of Eintracht Frankfurt to see whether he lives up to the hype as one of the Bundesliga’s next breakout stars. At this early stage of his career in Germany it is understood Crystal Palace, Everton and West Ham have an eye on his big breakthrough.
"While Frankfurt will be in no mood to let Pacho leave soon, there is already talk that a player signed for £8million from Royal Antwerp holds a value closer to £35million.”
Ecuador defender Willian Pacho.
How good is Willian Pacho?
According to football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Pacho is a “top-class” defender and he provides an excellent physical presence, which he’s proven by averaging 3.3 clearances and 2.6 aerial wins per league game so far this season (WhoScored – Pacho statistics).
Standing at 6 foot 1, the left-footed colossus also loves to get stuck into challenges and gain back possession, as he’s won ten out of his 19 tackles made since the start of the term which is the joint-highest success rate throughout his squad (FBRef – Eintracht Frankfurt statistics).
Furthermore, Pacho already knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured five trophies across all age ranges since first bursting onto the professional scene (Transfermarkt – Pacho statistics), so he would be able to pass his winning mentality onto the Everton squad.
Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale has come under pressure after his team were beaten 3-1 by Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
The Light Blues have now lost three of their opening seven league games of the 2023/24 campaign and are already seven points adrift of their rivals at the top of the table.
The Glasgow Times claimed that the head coach has lost the support of the fans at Ibrox and that it may not be long before the Gers opt to part ways if their fortunes do not turn around quickly.
Journalist Graham Spiers also predicted after the defeat that the ex-Aston Villa assistant would be sacked due to the "hapless" football on display from his side this season.
The concerns regarding Beale's future should lead to questions over his initial appointment by former sporting director Ross Wilson in the first place, as the English tactician was brought in to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Who could have replaced van Bronckhorst at Rangers?
The Daily Record named Australian head coach Kevin Muscat as one of the potential options to replace the Dutch boss during the break for the 2022 World Cup last year.
Rangers head coach Michael Beale.
Beale, who eventually took on the job, was another name on the list and Wilson's decision to go with him over the Yokohama F. M. chief turned out to be his final blunder before moving on to Nottingham Forest in April of this year.
Muscat, who was recently linked with a move to Ibrox to replace the ex-Queens Park Rangers manager, could have been a better appointment for the Light Blues due to his track record of success in the dugout.
How many trophies has Kevin Muscat won?
The 50-year-old coach has won a league title in Japan with Yokohama and in Australia with Melbourne Victory, alongside a Japanese Super Cup trophy, as per Transfermarkt, throughout his career so far.
He has proven himself to be capable of managing a team to titles and trophies, which is something that Beale has yet to prove in his managerial tenures to date.
The current Rangers boss has not won a single piece of silverware in his career as a head coach and there is little evidence to suggest that he will collect one any time soon.
Yokohama F. Marinos manager Kevin Muscat.
Whereas, Muscat, who predominantly deploys a 4-3-3 formation, would have come in to replace van Bronckhorst with the potential to win trophies for the Scottish giants, given his track record as a coach in Japan and Australia.
The "fiery" manager – as he was dubbed by Sydney FC coach Steve Corica – was recently described as an "evolving" manager who plays good football by analyst Petar Petrov.
He was also hailed as "perfect" for the Rangers job by Petrov due to his character and ability to coach an attacking style, which suggests that his Light Blues team would not have been as 'hapless' as Beale's has been.
Therefore, going for the 43-year-old instead of Muscat has turned out to be Wilson's final blunder for the Scottish side. It may now be one that he looks back on with regret when he remembers the end of his tenure at Ibrox.