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Everton are reportedly in a race with a number of other clubs in the Premier League to sign Takehiro Tomiyasu in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Tomiyasu impresses

Tomiyasu has had somewhat of a breakthrough season for Bologna in the Serie A, winning no fewer than 5.4 of his duels per game while also averaging 3.3 clearances, 1.7 interceptions and 1.5 tackles per match (Sofascore).

It is no surprise to see so many teams interested in signing the Japan international, who at just 22 years of age, certainly has the potential to become one of the world’s best.

The Latest: Everton eye Tomiyasu

As per Il Resto Del Carlino, the Goodison Park faithful are currently monitoring Tomiyasu along with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, while Atalanta are also thought to be interested in his signature.

Spurs are reportedly the favourites having already made a bid, although that has been rejected, and so the Merseyside club still have a chance of signing him.

The Verdict: Sign

Tomiyasu can play as a central defender as well as a right-back, and his versatility is a quality that would be so useful to new manager Rafa Benitez in his squad ahead of the 2021/22 season.

Described as a ‘giant’ by Italian media back in February, Tomiyasu has a six-foot-two frame, which means that he can prove useful in both boxes, and so would be a handy player to have in the English top flight, where the intensity and physicality of the league is well-known.

Currently rated at £18m by Transfermarkt, he would likely not break the bank for the Toffees, and so signing him up certainly seems to be a smart move.

In other news, find out what transfer update has Blues buzzing here!

Both Crystal Palace and Norwich City have been linked with a move for FC Koln defender Sebastiaan Bornauw recently.

And, according to Bild, the Bundesliga side are looking to receive at least €15m (£13m) for the centre-back’s services this summer.

The 22-year-old, who has two caps for Belgium, was a regular in Germany last season. He made 24 league appearances and scored his only goal of the campaign in a 1-0 win over Schalke on the final weekend.

Wolfsburg are also keen on signing Bornauw, so should the Eagles wish to bring the defender to London, they may need to act relatively fast, despite not having a manager in place.

Palace have three senior central defenders out of contract in a matter of weeks at this moment in time in Scott Dann, Gary Cahill and Mamadou Sakho.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the asking price for the Palace target on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.

This is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with one describing it as ‘positive news’.

“We have to make this happen”Credit: @matthew_poole30″Please do it”Credit: @Kikoojap3″Positive news”Credit: @CPFCMax9″Give it to me”Credit: @Kevbartleyy”That would be great for #CPFC. That would be so important after Sakho is no longer there!”Credit: @VK_FCA1907″Without a manager, these are not real links. Agents spreading news.”Credit: @PalaceScout

In other news: Eagles keen on Chelsea defender, find out more here. 

Southampton fans appear eager to see Dan N’Lundulu leave the club this summer after he was linked with a move to French club Amiens.

The Saints have a busy summer ahead of them as they aim to prepare for the new campaign. They will be looking for considerable improvements on their previous term – while they did reach an F.A Cup semi-final, they could only manage a 15th-place finish in the Premier League table and looked in danger of relegation for part of the term.

There are likely to be plenty of outgoings as well as incomings and, according to @AmiensSCUnited, the Ligue 1 outfit are interested in signing 22-year-old N’Lundulu. The forward has made 16 appearances for the south-coast outfit, but he has scored just one goal (Transfermarkt).

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it seems the Southampton fans would be happy to see him leave. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the N’Lundulu news below

“I wouldn’t mind letting him go for the right price if it means we have more chances in the transfer market.”

Credit: @bfgfox

“If permanent and decent money then let him go.”

Credit: @HackedOffStuart

“Not up to it, bye”

Credit: @stgranty1

“Pls”

Credit: @dazstevnson1953

“His first touch should take him over the channel”

Credit: @saintstevo85

“Always runs round like a headless chicken. Get rid of”

Credit: @learnonskype

In other news, Southampton lead the race for this striker.

Many Everton fans have been left to bemoan a transfer update from Fabrizio Romano on Max Aarons.

Replying to a Toffees supporter when asked if the Norwich City ace was going to Goodison Park, the Italian football journalist and transfer guru claimed: ‘No chance’.

Just last month, Romano had stated that the Merseyside club were ‘leading the race’ to sign Aarons, and that advanced talks were ‘progressing’.

It has left several Blues wondering what has happened between then and now, as it looks as if they will have to start pursuing other targets in the right-back area.

Playing in all but one game for the Canaries in the EFL Championship in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), Aarons was certainly a key player in getting them promoted back up to the Premier League, and at just 21 years of age, the Englishman would have been an ideal long-term successor to 32-year-old Seamus Coleman.

Everton fans on Aarons transfer update

These EFC fans were left to bemoan the transfer update as it was shared on Twitter:

“I’VE SEEN IT AND I’M SAD”

Credit: @PaigeyEFC

“Our season is over before it even started”

Credit: @whoisparadox

“Noooooooooooooo”

Credit: @efcowen1

“Sigh”

Credit: @SP0RTSEDlTS

“Pain.”

Credit: @LiamAnderson66

“Another joke Everton should have wrapped up months ago, end up going to Tottenham this kid”

Credit: @CallumCarroll

In other news, find out which player Toffees are pleading to sign here!

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith could sign the club’s new Dion Dublin in Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have linked Dean Smith’s side with a move for the £50k-a-week earning striker in this upcoming summer transfer window, and there has now been an update on the club’s pursuit.

According to Football Insider, while Abraham is on the list of striking targets the club has, Smith is not actually fully convinced by the England international.

The report adds that “the manager does not regard Abraham as a top-quality finisher”, while the £40m Chelsea are apparently demanding is also said to be likely out of reach for Villa.

Shades of Dublin

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 3, Abraham is an inch taller than Dublin, and just like the former Villa striker, is a real “handful” up front.

In fact, speaking after he watched him score against Swansea back in the Championship, Smith himself said: “Tammy is a handful and he knows better than me that he should have been walking away with the match ball tonight. But he scored the winning goal, he’s a hell of a talent. Tammy put in a hell of a shift up front on his own and proved he is a fine player.”

Called the “real deal” by another former Villa boss in Tim Sherwood, Abraham’s previous experience in working with Smith would likely see him hit the ground running at Villa Park, and he could bring the kind of physicality and power that Dublin brought to the table.

As per Sofascore, he is very much someone who does his best work in the penalty area given his heat-map, while he won an impressive 56% of his duels in the air last season in the Premier League – to put that in context, another Villa former player, Christian Benteke who’s renowned for his heading, only won marginally more with 57%.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/aston-villa-dean-smith-transfer-window-premier-league-villa-park-emi-buendia-gregg-evans-gossip-rumours-update-news” title=”Read the latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

Villa fans still have fond memories of Dublin’s time at the club, and they could see real shades of the now 52-year-old in Abraham.

Meanwhile, Villa could land a bargain Buendia alternative in this “special” star…

West Ham United secured a vitally important 3-1 victory against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Wednesday night as they come teasingly close to European qualification, but a number of Irons supporters weren’t impressed with one man – midfielder Pablo Fornals.

David Moyes’ side, helped by the fact Tottenham Hotspur dropped points at home to Aston Villa, are now just one point away from confirming sixth place and earning a spot in the Europa League group stage for 2021/2022 (BBC).

Ending the campaign in that position would also secure West Ham’s highest league finish since 1999 and the Hammers are now very close to doing so as they set their sights on the last game of the season against Southampton.

It wasn’t an easy ride in the opening stages against West Brom with Matheus Pereira gifting the home side a 1-0 lead after Declan Rice’s missed spot kick.

However, the Irons displayed character and eventually came back to seal a 3-1 win – courtesy of strikes from Tomas Soucek, Angelo Ogbonna and Michail Antonio.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-rumours-and-gossip-two-electric-boogaloo-copy/” title=”West Ham updates” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

One man who didn’t seem to impress supporters, however, was Fornals – and it’s clear to see why judging by his SofaScore statistics from the encounter.

The lowest-rated player for West Ham (6.2), Fornals also missed a big chance, failed to complete any of his dribble attempts and conceded possession a whopping 17 times (SofaScore).

The Spaniard also lost the vast majority of his ground duels, winning just 2/10, with one Irons supporter on social media calling him a ‘liability’.

Find a flavour of their verdicts on the 25-year-old down below.

West Ham fans blast Fornals

“Sell Fornals not even joking”

Credit: @sksndnxjccjdjdn

“Please get Fornals off he’s a liability”

Credit: @marksjones70

“Genuinely think Fornals is one of the worst players I’ve ever seen.”

Credit: @AaronT1987

“Fornals has been absolutely shocking”

Credit: @westhamonline5

“Fornals’ end product is actually terrible”

Credit: @BenRowe39422353

“What is Fornals actually good at? Bloke is stealing a living”

Credit: @billy_grimmel

“Fornals has been dreadful tonight”

Credit: @thorpe9214

“Fornals has been awful tonight”

Credit: @marksims94

In other news: West Ham fans flock to this teasing ExWHUemployee claim, find out more here.

Reliable reporter Alan Nixon has provided an update on Celtic’s pursuit of Eddie Howe on social media.

The Hoops have been linked with the former Bournemouth boss for what seems like forever now, and despite Howe reportedly verbally agreeing on becoming Neil Lennon’s long-term successor at the beginning of April, a deal is yet to be announced.

Reports previously suggested the 43-year-old was having second thoughts, however, recent stories have now claimed he is finalising his backroom staff ahead of a Parkhead switch.

Nixon, who writes for The Sun, was asked if he had any more information on the situation on Friday evening.

He reiterated that some of Howe’s wanted coaching staff will be busy at Bournemouth, before ending with a telling five-word claim – ‘Celtic seem prepared for that’.

“Said last Sunday that his coaching staff will be busy at Bournemouth for a few weeks yet… it could be a wait… but Celtic seem prepared for that.”

Transfer Tavern take

Nixon’s comment here seems to be the clearest indicator yet that the Howe deal should eventually happen, with the Hoops ‘prepared’ to bide their time to get a deal over the line.

To us, that could be a risk. It seems as if Howe wants a few coaching members from the Cherries, however, should they earn promotion to the Premier League through the playoffs, it could be harder to get them out of their respective deals.

Should that be the case and a deal for Howe break down, that may leave the Hoops in a worrying position ahead of the 2021/22 season.

There have been plenty of rumours that Odsonne Edouard and Kris Ajer could depart Glasgow this summer, perhaps even Ryan Christie too, via The Daily Record. If those moves happen without a new manager in place, the club could find themselves scrambling around for a replacements who may not even fit the new boss’ desires.

In other news: Manager of European giants talks to Celtic star about summer move, find out more here. 

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has exclusively told Football FanCast that he wants to see teenage sensation Carney Chukwuemeka given first-team opportunities moving forward.

The 17-year-old midfielder, who’s a target for both Manchester United and City, has been on the bench for Villa twice this season, although he’s yet to make his senior debut.

Chukwuemeka was an unused substitute against both Leicester and Manchester City having caught Dean Smith’s eye following some impressive performances in the FA Youth Cup.

He followed up his brace against Burton with a hat-trick against Newcastle, and has also gained valuable experience by playing 90 minutes on two occasions in the EFL Trophy earlier this season.

Despite the first-team’s victory at Everton on Saturday, Smith’s team are likely to fall short in their bid for European football, with the gap to seventh-placed Liverpool currently six points.

And Hendrie wants Chukwuemeka, who’s scored seven times and provided five assists in 22 outings this term, to be given some minutes in Villa’s five remaining Premier League matches.

He told Football FanCast:

“I kind of go off the fans’ views – I know he’s been scoring goals in the Under-18s. When someone is scoring goals, they’ve showed they’re a massive threat, it does attract football clubs and when you’re getting Manchester City and United hovering around the vicinity and are trying to take the young players away.

“This is where I feel if he’s that good we need to see him filtered through to the first team especially at this stage of the season.

“We’ve seen the likes of Louie Barry, who I felt would have had more of a chance this season, and I would put him in that category. I’d like to see more of him playing, because if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.”

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes the scenes in Glasgow last week will hurt Rangers’ ability to attract sponsorship.

The Lowdown: Some trouble during 55 celebrations

Last weekend was one of celebration for the Gers – their 4-0 win over Aberdeen meant they completed an unbeaten Premiership season (BBC), and the players also finally received the trophy at Ibrox.

Although the celebrations were mainly peaceful, there were some disturbing scenes in George Square as supporters scuffled – 20 people were arrested (firstpost.com).

The Latest: Maguire worried about impact on Gers

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire has revealed his fear that this could damage the Gers’ ability to attract new sponsorship deals. He explained:

“Rangers want to promote themselves as a much broader brand off the back of winning the Premiership, especially if they get into the group stages of the Champions League.

“Anything which is indicative of intolerance and bigotry is going to scare potential sponsors and commercial partners.

“They’ll ask if they want to be associated with such small-minded views. This ought to have been a fantastic celebration. The social distancing issues were a further concern.

“To hijack what should be a fantastic achievement for them, to use it as a vehicle for some people to put across their poisonous views, it’s counterproductive.

“The people should realise they have an opportunity to be ambassadors for Rangers.”

The Verdict: Better image needed

The coming season promises to be an important one for Rangers. While winning their first trophy in 10 years will increase the number of possibilities for the 55-time Scottish champions to bring in money at the board room level, participation in the group stages of the Champions League will also make them a very attractive proposition. In 2020, the Gers brought in £9.8m in commercial income (cfbfootball.com) – there is room to grow.

The last thing they need is to be associated with images of their supporters causing trouble. In this case, it was a minority, but some fans do need reminding that their own actions can hurt their club. Hopefully, in the future, they heed that message.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this article.

Kevin Campbell has claimed that Adam Armstrong would be a good signing for West Ham United as a back-up striker to Michail Antonio.

Football Insider have recently revealed that Everton have set their sights on signing the Blackburn Rovers star, a player who the Hammers also have their eye on, according to the East London club insiders Claret and Hugh.

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell thinks that Armstrong would offer something different to Antonio and would be a sufficient back-up to the former Nottingham Forest ace given the problems that he has had with injuries:

“Antonio has been a warrior for West Ham but when you play at the top end of that pitch you take the buffeting.

“All the rough stuff happens to you. It wears on the body and he’s been really unfortunate with injury.

“Antonio is always going to be the main man but they need another quality striker that can step in when he’s injured.

“Armstrong would be a quality addition and he would offer something different to Antonio.”

West Ham should sign Armstrong

David Moyes’ team certainly need to sign a forward in the summer transfer window as cover for Antonio, and Armstrong would definitely fit the bill.

The former Newcastle United man has scored no fewer than 20 times and supplied a further three assists in 37 matches in total across all competitions so far in the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt), highlighting that he clearly knows where the goal is.

The 24-year-old also has the added weapon of ‘explosive pace’ as his boss Tony Mowbray pointed out in November, and so the Irons would not lose the kind of explosiveness that Antonio offers if Armstrong is playing instead of him.

Nonetheless, the Englishman could be an ideal signing for WHUFC in the summer.

In other news, find out who Hammers want as a potential ‘Noble replacement’ here!