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It is reportedly considered a “matter of time” before Real Madrid sign a marquee star, with club president Florentino Perez prepared to open “serious” talks.

Real Madrid eyeing new centre-back and midfielder

The Galacticos have a quality but aging squad right now, not to mention one depleted in some key areas.

Real Madrid considering talks to sign £46m Tottenham star alongside Romero

The Galacticos have yet another Spurs player on their radar.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 3, 2024

The likes of Luka Modric (39) and Toni Kroos (34) are well into their twilight years at the Bernabeu, and this has prompted reports that Perez could soon take to the transfer market in search of heirs for his midfield legends.

It is believed that Real are keeping tabs on Villarreal star Alex Baena as a possible replacement for Modric in particular, with the Spain international currently starring for his Yellow Submarine side and available for the value of his £51 million release clause.

Villarreal (home)

October 5

Celta Vigo (away)

October 19

Borussia Dortmund (home)

October 22

Barcelona (home)

October 26

Valencia (away)

November 2

Meanwhile, there is also the matter of bringing in a world-class central defender to shore up Carlo Ancelotti’s backline. Currently, Real have four senior options in that area – Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Eder Militao and Jesus Vallejo.

The quartet boast serious quality, but Alaba’s ACL injury and the fact Rudiger also isn’t getting any younger means that a new centre-back is needed sooner rather than later.

Real could look to the Premier League in this regard. Indeed, reports have claimed that Perez is interested in William Saliba, with suggestions even emerging this week that Real could open talks for Micky van de Ven instead of the heavily linked Cristian Romero.

Going back to midfield, Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz is set to be a hot commodity next year following his excellent performances under Xabi Alonso at club level and for Germany on the international stage.

Real Madrid expected to sign Wirtz as Perez plans "serious" talks

As per reports from Spain, sources in Germany believe that it is a matter of time before Real sign Wirtz, with Perez prepared to open “serious” talks over a deal for the £110 million playmaker.

The Whites are eager to rejuvenate their options in the middle of the park, so much so that they’re ready to pursue a move for Wirtz, who already boasts four goals in the Bundesliga and two in the Champions League over seven appearances across the competitions this season. The 21-year-old is clearly a player of dazzling ability, but it will not be an easy deal for Perez and co to orchestrate.

“Incredible. I’ve watched him three times this year now and he’s blown me away every time,” former England international Joe Cole told TNT Sports earlier this year.

“He’s got a South American flair with a German efficiency about him. We’ve all heard of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, and Musiala. This lad will be new to the British viewers. Let me tell you, he is every bit as talented as those players. He could go on to be anything.”

Manchester United’s recent uptick in form was halted by Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace over the weekend, as despite having the chances, Erik ten Hag’s side simply couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.

However, unlike some of the draws last season, there shouldn’t be too much panic over the result, as the fact that the Red Devils were creating chances to begin with is an encouraging sign.

That said, with the club set to kick off their Europa League campaign against FC Twente tonight, Ten Hag should make some changes to his lineup, including one that could result in those chances being put in the back of the net.

Why Ten Hag should drop Zirkzee

So, one of the players who should miss out on the starting lineup later today is former Bologna ace Joshua Zirkzee.

Now, in his short United career so far, the Dutchman has both impressed and frustrated fans, as, on the one hand, he’s shown some brilliant technical ability in attack and helped create a number of chances for his teammates, but on the other, he’s also snatched at and missed a fair few created for him.

It’s this duality in his game that led to the Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst awarding him a 6/10 for his display against Palace on Saturday, considering he played two key passes but missed a big chance himself in his 61 minutes of action; it’s a rating that seems entirely fair.

Now, there is certainly an argument to be made that the 23-year-old’s creativity outweighs his lack of ruthlessness, but Ten Hag needs a number nine who’s going to finish his chances, especially in this new Europa League format in which missteps at this stage can lead to more games down the line.

Overall, it appears Zirkzee will play an important role for United this season, but due to his workload and underwhelming finishing, he should be dropped for tonight’s game.

Why Rasmus Hojlund should start

Yes, it should probably come as no surprise that, with Zirkzee dropping to the bench, it should be Rasmus Hojlund who comes in to make his first start of the season.

The Danish marksman has been sidelined with a hamstring problem since late July, but now he’s seemingly fit again, Ten Hag has to get him involved in the first team and up to speed as soon as possible, and tonight’s home game represents the perfect opportunity to do so.

The former Atalanta ace endured a mixed start to life at the Theatre of Dreams last season, with his first Premier League goal not coming until Boxing Day, but considering the pressure on his shoulders from that £72m price tag and the fact he’s still only 21 years old, he looked impressive.

For example, in his 43 appearances for the Red Devils, the “exceptional talent”, as dubbed by Harry Maguire, scored 16 goals and provided two assists, meaning in his debut campaign for arguably the biggest club in England, he averaged a goal involvement every 2.38 games.

Moreover, his underlying numbers were also encouraging; according to Understat, the København-born gem scored his ten league goals from an expected goals figure of 9.34, lending credence to the idea of him being a clinical finisher.

Appearances

43

Goals

16

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.41

Ultimately, Zirkzee hasn’t done too much wrong in a United shirt this season, but he is not a cold-blooded goalscorer. In contrast, Hojlund has shown a lot of promise in his time at the club, so he needs to start tonight to get him fit and firing for the next league fixture on the weekend.

"Phenomenal" 3-5-2 manager liked by Ratcliffe to replace Ten Hag at Man Utd

Potential Erik ten Hag replacements continue to be linked.

ByHenry Jackson Sep 24, 2024

West Bromwich Albion supporters would have been worrying going into this new Championship season that there wasn’t enough firepower in the striker positions at the club, with Brandon Thomas-Asante jumping ship to Coventry City weakening the Baggies up top.

Now, however, those concerns have very much dissipated with the emergence of Josh Maja as the main leading man in attack for Carlos Corberan’s table toppers, after he managed to bounce back from an injury-ravaged first campaign at the Hawthorns.

Corberan will just hope those injury demons don’t come back to haunt the former Sunderland man moving forward, who was on the scoresheet yet again for the West Midlands side last weekend versus Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle.

Maja's start to the season

Amazingly, the goal-shy 25-year-old who only picked up one Championship goal from 12 games last campaign now has six to his name this season from as many league clashes, as second-tier defences begin to be scared stiff by the clinical nature of the Baggies number nine.

He only needed 26 touches of the ball against the visitors from Devon to tap home the winner, after new summer recruit Uros Racic put it on a plate for the 5 foot 11 forward to win the tight clash deep into the second 45 minutes.

West Brom will just be delighted that their patient approach with Maja’s injury issues has now paid off, with the promotion hopefuls needing to exercise a similar calmness with striker Daryl Dike soon, who is now back training himself after a long time out in the Hawthorns treatment room.

Whilst Corberan’s men have undoubtedly won with Maja in the here and now, there’s a botched deal from four years ago that will still bother those at the Baggies, with the striker in question – that was once very much on West Brom’s radar – now worth an unbelievable £40m.

When West Brom missed out on Ivan Toney

In conversation on talkSPORT earlier this year, Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Luke Dowling revealed how West Brom turned down the chance to sign then EFL sharp shooter Ivan Toney in 2020 for just £10m, with Brighton and Hove Albion and Celtic also interested at the time.

Dowling said: “We did have a conversation with them about the great Ivan Toney which in hindsight you look back. You’d look back now and say you’d pay it all day long [£10m fee].

“What we thought at the time, we’d just got promoted to the Premier League and we weren’t brave enough to take a player from League One. Is he going to score us the goals to keep us in the league? It wasn’t the right time.”

He more than showed that he could handle the pressures of the top-flight when moving onto Brentford though, after a goal laden few campaigns in Cambridgeshire, with a mightily impressive 72 strikes notched up in total for the Bees across 141 games.

Whilst Toney managed to improve more and more under Thomas Frank’s guidance – with the Brentford manager even labelling the senior England international as “remarkable” last year when discussing his rise with the club – West Brom struggled in the Premier League to be a threat in attack after missing out on the deadly finisher and were relegated straight back to the second tier at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

1. Matheus Pereira

10

2. Callum Robinson

5

3. Kyle Bartley

3

4. Mbaye Diange

3

5. Semi Ajayi

2

West Brom would only manage to have one player on their roster hit double digits during that term in the form of Baggies favourite Matheus Pereira, as Toney fired home a ridiculous 33 goals in the division below to further add insult to injury.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

The former Peterborough man would then go on to be a wanted figure by the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea among other Premier League suitors, with his predicted price tag once coming in at an eye-watering £70m according to reports.

He would leave eventually depart West London for a lesser £40m, as Saudi Arabia came calling in the form of Al-Ahli this summer, where Toney continues to show off his clinical prowess in-front of goal with a brace on his debut in the Middle East.

West Brom would have loved to have been one club Toney played for on the way to his path to stardom, but they just weren’t prepared to gamble.

Of course, not every punt does pay off like this, as Corberan’s side now just focus on winning promotion back to the Premier League, to then perhaps be more risky in the transfer market.

West Brom could axe star who earns more than Maja & Johnston combined

Carlos Corberan could look to move on this forgotten West Bromwich Albion man soon.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 23, 2024

Arsenal have held extensive internal talks over signing an £86 million starlet for manager Mikel Arteta, and the player already has multiple connections to the Gunners.

Arsenal already making transfer plans for 2025

It was a productive summer transfer window for sporting director Edu Gaspar and the club's recruitment team, who managed to spend under £100 million on five key new additions at the Emirates.

How many games Odegaard could now miss for Arsenal after ankle injury news

The Norwegian may be absent for a long while.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 11, 2024

David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Neto and Raheem Sterling all put pen to paper on moves to Arsenal, much to the delight of Arteta, who has also been unlucky regarding their fitness.

Merino is set to be sidelined for nearly two months, after the Spaniard fractured his shoulder in training, while Calafiori is also a doubt for Arsenal's looming north London derby after suffering a freak injury away on international duty with Italy.

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

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There is a silver lining in the form of Sterling, who is expected to make his Premier League debut for the Gunners against Tottenham this weekend after signing from Chelsea on loan.

Merino and Rice's absences, and potentially that of club captain Martin Odegaard, means Arteta could drop Kai Havertz into midfield and play Sterling as false-nine away to Spurs.

As Arsenal's head coach plans how best to set up his team ahead of crucial encounters in the next few weeks, Edu and the club's transfer team continue to devise plans on how to strengthen Arteta's ranks over the next 12 months.

Former Juventus star Adrien Rabiot has even reached out to Arsenal as the free agent attempts to find a new club, according to reports, and it is believed the title hopefuls already have certain players on the transfer agenda for 2025.

Arsenal could make a push for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko next summer and have already been in contact with the Bundesliga side over a possible deal. Meanwhile, it is also believed that Arsenal are considering a pre-contract offer for Alphonso Davies, who is free to discuss summer switches to foreign sides as early as January with his contract expiring next year.

Arsenal hold extensive internal talks over Ajax's Jorrel Hato

According to The Athletic, Ajax starlet Jorrel Hato is also being mentioned as a target from within the club. It is believed Arsenal have held extensive internal talks over potentially signing Hato, who has been tipped to cost suitors around £86 million, such is the player's real potential.

The 18-year-old started 33 Eredivisie games for Ajax last season and is widely regarded as one of the Netherlands' most exciting up-and-coming talents. Hato's best friend at Ajax, young goalkeeper Tommy Setford, joined Arsenal in the summer, and the teenage centre-back is also a real admirer of Jurrien Timber.

“Coaches told me that I always needed to look up to Virgil van Dijk, but when I played in the under-18s, I always looked up to Jurrien Timber,” said Hato, via The Athletic.

“I played with him for six months before he left, and I learned so much from him. When I came into the first team, he was my mentor. I love his playing style, his calmness on the ball. And he is just a great defender in defending terms.”

An update has emerged on Manchester United and their plans to add a central defender to their squad in the summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Benjamin Pavard to Manchester United?

According to FootballTransfers, the Red Devils have turned their attention to Bayern Munich stopper Benjamin Pavard ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that the Premier League side are looking at alternative options to Napoli’s Kim Min-jae, who is said to be on his way to Bavaria, with Erik ten Hag now eyeing the Bundesliga monster.

It states that the German outfit are set to demand a fee of at least €30m (£26m) for the French international, although it remains to be seen whether the English outfit are willing to match that figure or not.

Where would Benjamin Pavard fit in at Manchester United?

The very versatile former Stuttgart enforcer played the majority of his matches at centre-back for Bayern last term and his arrival could spell trouble for Raphael Varane next season.

Pavard is a right-sided player, who can also be deployed as a full-back and could partner the left-footed Lisandro Martinez at Old Trafford as part of a rather balanced-looking back four.

Varane averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.85 across 24 Premier League outings in the 2022/23 campaign as he contributed with one tackle and 0.5 interceptions per game.

The ex-Real Madrid star, who also won 64% of his duels, did not rank among the top ten performers for United for tackles or interceptions per match, whilst he also placed 13th overall in the team when it came to his Sofascore rating.

The Bayern titan, meanwhile, made 2.3 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per Bundesliga outing, along with a duel success rate of 67%, and no player in ten Hag’s squad made as many, which suggests that the 27-year-old machine could be an outstanding addition to the defence.

Pavard's average Sofascore rating of 7.36 across 30 league matches was only bettered at Old Trafford by Bruno Fernandes' rating of 7.56. This illustrates how impressive the French tank's displays were for the German champions and why United must swoop for him this summer.

Once described as "underrated" by current Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel, the Frenchman is also an exceptional ball-playing defender who could provide Ten Hag with an upgrade on Varane in possession.

The £83k-per-week talent has averaged 7.59 progressive passes per 90 across the last 365 days, which ranks among the top 1% of players in his position across Europe's top five divisions.

Meanwhile, the current United centre-back has averaged 3.23 per 90 over the last 365 days and is in the 52nd percentile, which suggests that he is a fairly average player at progressing the play with the ball at his feet.

Therefore, the signing of Pavard would be bad news for Varane as his international colleague could provide more quality on and off the ball as a central defender, which could leave the 30-year-old colossus out of the starting XI on the right side of the backline.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to bolster their squad following the appointment of Brendan Rodgers as their new head coach.

What’s the latest on Marco Tilio to Celtic?

According to the Daily Record, the Hoops are closing in on a deal to sign Melbourne City winger Marco Tilio ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that the Glasgow-based side have agreed a fee with the A-League outfit and they will now discuss personal terms with the player and organise a medical in the hope of making him the second signing of the summer, following on from Odin Thiago Holm's arrival from Valerenga.

This comes after the Daily Mail reported that head of recruitment Mark Lawwell used his relationship with the City Group to target the Australian, with the Scottish giants now pursuing his signature.

Would Marco Tilio be a good signing for Celtic?

The 21-year-old ace could be a terrific addition to Rodgers’ squad as the young forward has the potential to be a big upgrade on current Hoops wide man Daizen Maeda.

In the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership campaign, the Japan international averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.78 across 35 matches and contributed in the final third with eight goals and five assists, whilst he also missed 11 ‘big chances’.

The Celtic winger created 0.8 chances per game for his teammates – which placed him 15th in the squad – something that does not suggest the 25-year-old was a regular source of creativity for Ange Postecoglou.

Tilio, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.02 across 29 A-League outings, showing that the young ace has the potential to perform at a higher level week-in-week-out, and chipped in with ten goals and five assists.

The Melbourne dynamo produced 1.1 key passes per match for his fellow attackers and only missed seven ‘big chances’ himself, indicating that he would provide more creativity than the current Hoops attacker.

Their respective goal returns, and conversion rate of 'big chances', also suggest that Tilio has the quality to be more ruthless in front of goal.

Maeda was certainly wasteful with the opportunities he had in the Premiership with the forward missing more 'big chances' than he scored goals. Therefore, signing the Australia international could improve the goal output of the team from the wide positions.

With Tilio once being described as a "playmaker" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, he could well be a big upgrade on the Japanese frontman in the final third and, as a result, be an exceptional signing for Rodgers this summer.

Manchester United are readying a £45m offer to sign Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford this summer, according to reports.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news involving Pickford?

It looks set to be a busy few months off the pitch at Old Trafford ahead of Erik ten Hag’s second season in charge, with a potential takeover the hot topic of conversation.

A number of incomings and outgoings may also materialise, with Ten Hag seemingly after a new goalkeeper. That’s because David de Gea is on course to become a free agent next month, should he not sign a new Manchester United contract, whereas Dean Henderson is being linked with a permanent move to Nottingham Forest.

If both players depart, United may be left with just Tom Heaton as their only senior option, with the 37-year-old’s contract expiring next year.

One target appears to be current England number one Pickford, who shares the same agency as Red Devils defender Luke Shaw.

According to The Daily Star, Man United are preparing a £45m transfer offer for Pickford. The report states that the £100k-per-week goalkeeper is Ten Hag’s top shot-stopper target and that Everton may have to look into a sale to balance their books.

Are there any other goalkeepers Man United have been linked with?

Pickford, once hailed as a "monster" by journalist Joe Crann, has plenty of Premier League and international experience, turning out 248 times in the top flight and winning 53 caps for the Three Lions, and he may not be the only England international to sign for United, with a bid already made for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount.

However, he isn’t the only option Man United have to bolster their goalkeeping ranks, with Inter Milan’s Andre Onana another the Red Devils are eyeing. The Cameroon international previously worked under Ten Hag at Ajax, and recent reports have said that Man United are in pole position to sign Onana, valued at £50m after Chelsea pulled out of the race.

Another rumoured target is FC Porto’s Diogo Costa, who has a £64m release clause in his contract. Man United are reportedly willing to get a deal done, so it seems as if one of the three could be on their way to Manchester.

It will also be interesting to see if De Gea remains at Old Trafford for the 2023/24 season, and if he does, he may well have some real competition on his hands with either Pickford, Onana or Costa possibly rivalling him as first choice.

Liverpool will make their priorities clearer 'in the next few days' at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp looks to bring in midfield reinforcements this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What midfielders have Liverpool been linked with?

According to FootballTransfers, Borussia Monchengladbach ace Manu Kone remains high on Liverpool's shortlist at Anfield as their hunt for midfield signings intensifies.

The report states that Liverpool may have to pay up to €40 million (£34.1 million) to land the enforcer and talks are said to have taken place between his current employers and the Reds.

As per The Athletic, Liverpool are also believed to have held 'positive discussions' with Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, though the German giants are reluctant to let go of the 21-year-old in the transfer window.

Journalist Jacque Talbot has revealed that Liverpool are keen on Khephren Thuram and issued an update on their pursuit on Twitter, stating: "Told Nice are in talks with Liverpool over the potential fee for Khephren Thuram but there is a fear that the French outfit may look to draw out a number of other interested clubs in purchasing the Reds’ number one target."

Liverpool have already completed one midfield signing in the form of Alexis Mac Allister, who has arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion for an initial fee of £35 million, as per Sky Sports.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has stated that Liverpool's intentions over who they may turn to next to feature in their engine room moving forward will start to become clearer shortly.

Jones said: “I think it's an example of when clubs have to have a wide field of options and decide which one they're closing in on.

“They’re not going to sign all three of those, but after getting Mac Allister through the door, they'll still sign at least one more midfielder.

“It will probably be one of those two [Thuram and Kone] or Gravenberch. I think it should become clear in the next few days.”

Have Liverpool targeted any other midfielders this window?

Liverpool have targeted a whole host of midfielders as they look to replace the departed trio of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who have all left the club under freedom of contract.

According to Football Insider, Fulham anchorman Joao Palhinha is a target for the Reds, though they will need to pay a fee of around £50 million to tempt the Cottagers into selling him.

The Daily Mail report that Southampton ace James Ward-Prowse has also cropped up on the radar at Anfield following his current employers' relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.

In a different Football Insider scoop, Ward-Prowse's teammate Romeo Lavia has been identified as another potential incoming; however, Liverpool are keen not to be dragged into a drawn out pursuit for the 19-year-old this summer.

Real Madrid have put Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane atop their list of potential Karim Benzema replacements.

With just a year left on his current deal, Harry Kane has attracted the attention of Europe’s biggest clubs, but it is perhaps Europe’s biggest that will end up taking him away from north London.

What’s the latest on Harry Kane?

According to Spanish Football expert Guillem Balague, Real Madrid have made Kane their new priority to replace the departing Karim Benzema.

The news comes on the back of the recent announcement that the club’s all-time leading goalscorer has left the club for a lucrative deal in the Saudi Pro League.

Before the Frenchman departed from the Spanish capital, the most likely destination for England’s record goalscorer looked like it would be Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United.

However, the new vacancy in Real’s attack has turned everything on its head.

The prospect of playing under Carlo Ancelotti and for a team that has made winning the Champions League a habit might prove too much to turn down for Kane.

What are the stumbling blocks?

The most significant barrier to this deal being completed is undoubtedly the hefty price tag that Daniel Levy has placed on his star man reported to be a minimum of £100m.

This is in spite of the fact that the 6ft striker only has a year left on his deal, and according to Balague, this figure is something ‘Real would be reluctant to pay.’

Then there is the much-publicised desire from the player himself to break Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal record of 260 goals, only 47 more than Kane’s current tally.

Would Harry Kane improve Real Madrid?

The Walthamstow-born forward has been an integral part of every Spurs side he has played in and quickly established himself as one of the first names on an England team sheet.

He certainly has the approval of Pep Guardiola, who only this year described him as ‘one of the best strikers I have ever seen in my life.’

With praise like that, it shouldn’t be surprising to find out that according to WhoScored, Kane has averaged a rating of 7.51 throughout his 38 games in the Premier League this season.

Those 38 games have seen him rack up 33 goal involvements in a dysfunctional Spurs side.

In contrast, Benzema, the man he would be replacing in the Spanish capital, could only reach 22 goal involvements in LaLiga this term.

The underlying numbers are there as well. According to FBref, the Spurs man ranks in the top 10% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive passes and the top 14% for non-penalty goals per 90.

If Florentino Perez and Daniel Levy can figure out a way to make this deal work, Harry Kane could well end his career with a whole host of trophies in Madrid.

Everton are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements this summer to avoid another Premier League relegation scrap and now an update has emerged on a potential new transfer target.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Brennan Johnson?

According to The Daily Mail, Everton are one of the Premier League clubs keen to sign Nottingham Forest ace Brennan Johnson this summer.

As per the report, the Toffees are competing with West Ham United to secure the young winger's services ahead of next season and it is claimed that the Tricky Trees value Johnson at no less than £40m.

Will Brennan Johnson sign for Everton this summer?

There is no doubt that Sean Dyche will be keen to bolster his forward line after a real struggle to compete and retain their top-flight status this season, with an Abdoulaye Doucuoure goal in the last 33 minutes of the season saving the club from the drop.

Everton has seen their attacking threat significantly weakened over the last 12 months with Richarlison departing last summer and Anthony Gordon making a shock exit in the January transfer window, whilst Dominic Calvert-Lewin has continued to struggle with injury issues throughout the campaign.

As a result, no other club in the entire Premier League scored fewer goals this season (34) over 38 fixtures clearly demonstrating how uninspiring and unreliable Dyche's attacking options have been, so the signing of Johnson could be the perfect chance to improve goal contributions and even secure an upgrade on Gordon.

Over 38 league appearances, the 22-year-old talent – hailed a "great finisher" by Steve Cooper – scored eight times, registered three assists and created four big chances, as well as averaging 1.4 shots on goal per game, proving that he could be a great attacking asset to Everton next season.

Not only that, when you compare Johnson's output to his positional peer Gordon over this season for their respective clubs, the Welsh winger has comfortably outperformed the Newcastle United ace in many attacking attributes.

That includes goal-creating actions per 90 (0.34 v 0.06), progressive carries (88 v 48), goals per shots on target (0.13 v 0.12) and goal contributions in total (11 v 4).

Considering Nottingham Forest were one of Everton's closest competitors in the relegation fight this season, it would be interesting to see whether the Trentside club would be willing to sell their homegrown prodigy to a rival that could strengthen with the services of Johnson next season.

Having said that, it would be a no-brainer for Dyche to secure a deal for Johnson should the opportunity arise, as he is not only showing huge potential as a threat in front of goal but has the Premier League experience needed to make an instant impact at Goodison Park next season.