Juventus could refresh problematic area of squad with the addition of Ferran Torres

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to the new report coming from Corriere dello Sport, Juventus are planning on bidding for Valencia’s youngster Ferran Torres as they are looking to add more young players into their squad. Interestingly, the 19-year-old, who has also been linked with Premier League side Liverpool in recent weeks, could actually solve the problem they have with their ageing flanks.

What’s the word, then?

Torres is one of the players the Bianconeri have been scouting for a while.

As per the same source the last time they’ve seen him in action was during his international display vs Macedonia, and they seem to like what the youngster has to offer.

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Of course, with his release clause set to €100m (£86m), he might not be a cheap option for the Italian giants.

That is especially apparent considering that both Liverpool and Barcelona have been prowling around the Spanish winger themselves, according to SportBild (via SportWitness) and Juventus might face some stern competition along the way.

But looking at what the talent can do and what the Bianconeri actually need, he might be worth the hassle after all.

Refreshing the squad

We’ve already discussed how targeting players like Tahith Chong would not really be beneficial for Juventus as they need to maximise their veterans’ last years at the top in order to finally make that push for European glory.

But this case is a bit different even though we’re talking about players of similar age who play in similar positions.

Torres is very much one of the next big things in the world of football and more developed than his Manchester United counterpart.

At the age of just 19, he has already played a total of 67 games for Valencia, bagging five goals and five assists in the process, and was the only Spanish player to be named in the 20-player shortlist for the Golden Boy award.

But even if we go beyond that, Juventus have an ageing problem with their flanks.

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo – when he plays there – Douglas Costa and Juan Cuadrado are not getting any younger and Marko Pjaca and Federico Bernardeschi are not really of the calibre to successfully take over the mantle, at least not yet.

Torres is young but already has what it takes to play at the top level, which was evident from his stint with Valencia so far, and even has Champions League experience, scoring once in the two games he’s played in Europe in 2019/20.

His price tag and the competition by Liverpool and Barcelona might make it more difficult for Sarri to land his target, but he’s very much worth the trouble.

Which is exactly why the interest from the Reds, or the Blaugrana for that matter, doesn’t really come as a surprise.

Jurgen Klopp’s troops have an abundance of attacking firepower in their Mane – Firmino – Salah forward line, but even though it’s fairly early to make any big assumptions Torres very much looks like a player capable of providing competition – and perhaps even taking over the mantle – should he rock up at Anfield.

Despite their strength they don’t have a plethora of options or depth in attack, with the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Adam Lallana and Divock Origi the main back-up players should one of the brilliant trio of starting XI regulars miss out.

And with Torres’ rapid development and big-stage experience already in the bag he could be a welcoming addition to their squad, even at this point in his career, as his profile seems to match Klopp’s requirements – at least if we compare him to his current wingers who both possess pace and the finishing product.

On paper, Liverpool just might be an even better choice than Turin for a surname the fans will have fond memories of having seen Fernando score 81 goals in 142 games for them previously, but we’ll have to wait and see who ends up sealing the deal should the Reds and Juve both make their move.

O’Neil could now bench Larsen and unleash Wolves’ "lightning" star

Wolverhampton Wanderers face yet another difficult task in the Premier League this weekend as they seek their first three points of the season.

Gary O’Neil’s men have been given a poor draw when it comes to fixtures, taking on Arsenal, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and now Liverpool in the opening six games.

If they can somehow come away from the clash against the Anfield side with a point or better, then the Old Gold can start to look forward in a more positive way.

O’Neil could make a few changes for the clash, with Jorgen Strand Larsen potentially dropping to the bench this weekend.

Jorgen Strand Larsen’s game in numbers vs Villa

The on-loan striker has scored just once for the Molineux side but was given the task of leading the line against Villa last weekend.

Despite taking the lead, Wolves suffered a 3-1 loss, but Larsen didn’t play too badly. During the match, he attempted two shots, won four of his six aerial duels and lost possession just twice – albeit while touching the ball on just 12 occasions.

All he needs now is to turn these performances into goals, then his confidence will soon begin to soar.

For the Liverpool clash, however, could O’Neil mix things up slightly and choose someone who has already found the back of the net for the club this term?

Goncalo Guedes has already netted three times since returning from a loan spell at Villarreal, although they have come in the EFL Cup.

Why Goncalo Guedes should be unleashed by O’Neil

The manager has unleashed the Portuguese gem in both cup games so far. Along with his three goals, he has also created a big chance, averaged 1.5 key passes per game and has taken four shots per match, underlining how impressive he has been in front of goal.

The £27m signing from Valencia in 2022 hasn’t exactly enjoyed the best of times in the Midlands, yet it looks as though O’Neil is set to give him a chance to showcase his talents this term.

Goncalo Guedes

Journalist Andy Brassell lavished praise on the player when he was signed, saying: “For Wolves I think Guedes will be absolutely fantastic, they need that little bit of extra bang up front, maybe they could be in a bit of trouble if they’re not scoring goals.

“He’s someone who can play as a striker or as a winger, lightning quick, on his day as good as it gets.”

The key for Guedes now is to ensure he delivers decent performances in the Premier League when called upon.

His display against Brighton in the cup could well see him secure a start against Liverpool, but he will need to back this up.

Goals

1

Assists

0

Key passes

2

Total shots

4

Touches

32

Possession lost

12

Wolves aren’t quite in trouble, yet. But they will need to pick up points soon, otherwise O’Neil could come under some pressure.

Their fixtures have been tough, no doubt about it, but this is a team that beat Chelsea twice and Manchester City last term. The next few weeks could be interesting indeed.

Wolves wanted to sign "unplayable" star for £21m, now he's worth £103m

Wolves wanted “super” striker, who’s now worth five times the amount

ByConnor Holden Sep 27, 2024

Sold for just £750k, Spurs flop has seen his value rise 1900% after leaving

Although last season may not have gone entirely according to plan, and this year hasn't exactly started perfectly either, you cannot deny that Tottenham Hotspur are now one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the Premier League.

The arrival of Ange Postecoglou last summer has completely transformed the way the team approaches matches. Instead of boring their fans to tears like they did at times under their three previous managers, they now attack with gusto at every opportunity.

Now, does this sometimes result in the other side scoring a goal? Yes, often. However, it's become crystal clear over the last year or so that the Australian will not be changing his ways just because a pundit who hasn't played for 30 years thinks he's being naive.

That said, for as talented as some of the Lilywhites' attackers are, they can sometimes be rather wasteful in front of goal. Of the players at the club last season, all but Son Heung-min were outperformed by a youngster sold by Daniel Levy and Co, whose valuation has since soared 166%.

Spurs' attackers in 23/24

So, let's start with Son Heung-min, who was Spurs' most effective attacker by quite some way last season.

Spurs striker Heung-min Son

Despite being constantly moved between the left-wing and centre-forward positions, the South Korean superstar still racked up a seriously impressive haul of 17 goals and ten assists in just 36 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.33 games.

Behind the captain, and by quite some way at that, we have Richarlison, who managed to somewhat make up for his dismal debut campaign with the club by scoring 12 goals – including a screamer against his old side – and providing four assists in 31 matches, equating to a goal involvement on average every 1.93 games.

Just behind the Brazilian, we have a summer signing in Brennan Johnson, who joined the Lilywhites from Nottingham Forest for a hefty fee of around £47.5m.

The Welshman started the season slowly and, as a result, caught some flak from pundits and fans alike. However, he eventually got to grips with Postecoglou's system and ended the campaign with five goals and ten assists in 34 appearances, which equates to a reasonable average of a goal involvement every 2.26 games.

Brennan Johnson for Tottenham

Now, while Johnson nor Richarlison were on a level comparable to Son, they both contributed to the North Londoners' attack reasonably well and could be set to take another step forward this year, but a former Spurs youngster sold just a couple of years ago is now back in the top-flight, and he comfortably outperformed the pair of them in 23/24.

Jack Clarke's 23/24

Yes, the player in question is Jack Clarke, who, after being signed by Tottenham for around £8.5m in 2019, spent the next few years on fairly mediocre loan spells with Leeds United, Queens Park Rangers, and Stoke City before spending six months with Sunderland in the latter half of the 21/22 season, who then snapped him up in July 2022.

Sunderland winger Jack Clarke

Now, there is some confusion as to how much the Black Cats paid for the York-born dynamo, but it seems that he was sold for just £750k. However, the North Londoners did insert a hefty sell-on clause that would have netted them a not insignificant amount of money when Ipswich Town splashed an initial £15m on Clarke this summer.

The fee paid by the Tractor Boys means that the Englishman's value has shot up 1900% since Spurs sold him, and while that sounds like a lot, it's quite justified.

For example, in just 42 appearances last season, the "unplayable" ace, as dubbed by pundit Alan Clarke, scored 15 goals and provided four assists, meaning that he averaged a goal involvement every 2.21 games from left midfield and left wing, which would have made him the second most productive player at Spurs.

Appearances

42

36

31

34

Goals

15

17

12

5

Assists

4

10

4

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.45

0.75

0.51

0.44

Now, the caveat here is that his level of opposition in the second tier is obviously inferior, but the difference isn't as significant as it once was, and while he might not have been able to produce the same numbers in the Premier League, the thought of him playing under Postecoglou is an exciting one.

Ultimately, considering the money they received from his move to Ipswich and the difficulty he had breaking into the first team, Spurs may well have made the correct decision when they sold him two years ago, but should he kick on in Norfolk this season, Levy could have some explaining to do.

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£120k-per-week ace could still leave Tottenham "in the coming days"

A high-earning member of the Tottenham squad could make a high-profile exit from N17 "in the coming days", despite the 11pm transfer window cut-off on Friday.

Spurs spend £113 million on four senior summer signings

With the UK transfer window now shut, Spurs can look back on their summer business with real pride, having shored up a variety of key areas for manager Ange Postecoglou as the Australian seeks to build upon last season's fifth-placed finish.

£60m Tottenham star set to miss Newcastle with Solanke after injury blow

He’ll be a real miss for Postecoglou.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 31, 2024

The Lilywhites spent around £113 million on four senior summer arrivals. Timo Werner came in on a season-long loan, with the German originally only meant to stay until the end of last season, while English sensation Archie Gray, striker Dominic Solanke and winger Wilson Odobert also put pen to paper on moves to Spurs.

Some reports also suggest that Tottenham were offered a late summer chance to sign Josh Brownhill from Burnley, but the move didn't come to fruition as technical director Johan Lange and co appear satisfied with their dealings.

Teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall and South Korean wonderkid Min-hyeok Yang also agreed transfers to Tottenham, but the former's deal was sorted back on January deadline day and the latter isn't currently in the squad – given he'll properly link up with Postecoglou in January 2025 as he spends the next few months out on loan at Gangwon.

Timo Werner

RB Leipzig (loan)

Dominic Solanke

Bournemouth

Archie Gray

Leeds

Wilson Odobert

Burnley

Lucas Bergvall

Djurgarden

Min-hyeok Yang

Gangwon FC

The north Londoners also did very well to ship out deadwood and trim Postecoglou's bloated squad of unwanted fringe players. Giovani Lo Celso sealed a deadline-day switch back to Real Betis in La Liga, joining Tanguy Ndombele, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga, Alejo Veliz, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Rodon, Emerson Royal, Oliver Skipp, Ashley Phillips and Dane Scarlett in leaving Tottenham – either permanently or on loan elsewhere.

One player who couldn't leave before the deadline, regardless of much speculation throughout the window, was left-back Sergio Reguilon.

Sergio Reguilon could still leave Tottenham "in the coming days"

The £120,000-per-week defender isn't in Postecoglou's first team plans this term, with Manchester United displaying an interest in Reguilon during the transfer window, among others, but a deal couldn't quite come to fruition for him.

Serge Reguilon in action for Tottenham.

Football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold, taking to X, now claims that Reguilon could still quit Spurs "in the coming days", as a host of transfer windows across Europe remain open, like the Dutch, Portuguese, Belgian – with Saudi sides still able to sign players too.

The 27-year-old, signed from Real Madrid back in 2020, will be eager to find a new home and finally restart his career away from Spurs on a permanent basis.

Tottenham Reach Second Agreement Alongside James Maddison

Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement in principle with Clement Lenglet over a three-year contract, according to reports from Spain.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Tottenham are now edging closer towards completing a deal for James Maddison, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reporting contracts and documents are set to be completed in the next 24 hours, before the move will finally be made official.

It is not only attacking areas in which Ange Postecoglou is looking to strengthen, with several new defenders also being considered, including Tosin Adarabioyo, Edmond Tapsoba, Micky van de Ven, and at least one other.

As well as looking at options from elsewhere, Postecoglou is also keen to bring Barca loanee Lenglet back to the club on a permanent basis, and there has now been an update on Spurs' pursuit of the defender.

According to reports from Spain (via Sport Witness), Tottenham remain in continuous contacts with the La Liga club over a deal for the Frenchman, and there has been some progress made on the player's side in recent days.

Spurs have now reached an agreement in principle with the 28-year-old over a three-year deal, meaning the only obstacle remaining is agreeing a fee with Barcelona, who are keen to get him off the wage bill.

A transfer fee of €10m (£8.6m) is currently being considered, with the Lilywhites aware of Barca's desire to sell the defender, and unwilling to overspend.

Is Clement Lenglet joining Tottenham?

At this stage, it seems very likely the France international will complete a switch to north London, considering his current club are so eager to get rid of him, and there is evidence he could be a solid addition to Postecoglou's squad.

Hailed as a "brilliant" talent by members of the media, the former Sevilla man put in some promising performances on loan last season, capping off the campaign with a 7.1 Sofascore rating against Leeds United, after making 13 clearances, the most of any player.

clement-lenglet-tottenham-hotspur-transfer-gossip-postecoglou-barcelona-dier

The £145k-per-week defender did struggle at times, however, putting in a particularly disappointing performance in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United in April, winning just one of the eight duels he contested.

A fee of £8.6m is hardly going to break the bank for Tottenham, so Lenglet is certainly worth bringing back to the club as a depth option, but Postecoglou will be hoping the centre-back can become more consistent in his second season in the Premier League.

Liverpool Can Add To Key Area With £15k p/w Ace In Window

Liverpool were reportedly keen on Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Max Kilman earlier this year and journalist Dean Jones thinks he is 'one of the best options' from the Premier League as Jurgen Klopp eyes defensive reinforcements.

What's the latest transfer news involving Max Kilman?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT back in March, journalist Ben Jacobs indicated that Liverpool had been 'very impressed' with Wolves defender Kilman and were interested in bringing him to Anfield, stating:

"With Kilman, Liverpool have looked at him, Spurs have looked at him. I don't think Wolves want to lose Kilman, but it might be the right time for him to make a move. A series of Premier League clubs on the centre-back's trail are very impressed by him."

Former Liverpool icon turned pundit Jamie Carragher praised Kilman for his defensive work in the same month, speaking on Sky Sports quoted by HITC, saying: “Max Kilman at the back for Wolves, an ever-present for Wolves all season. He’s no-frills at centre back; he just gets on with his job and very rarely makes mistakes, hence why he’s an automatic pick no matter who the manager is."

In more recent times, The Mirror report that Tottenham Hotspur are keen on signing Kilman this summer as their new boss Ange Postecoglou targets squad improvements following his arrival in north London.

The Athletic claim that West Ham United are interested in Kilman alongside Spurs and could be willing to shell out around £30 million to land the £15k-a-week ace.

In an interview with Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Kilman would be 'one of the best' players available in his position from the Premier League should Liverpool choose to pounce this summer.

Jones told FFC when asked if he'd be a good signing: "It could be, obviously, if Liverpool want to shop within the Premier League for players that aren't going to take much time to adapt to the situation, then Max Killman is one of the best options you're going to find."

Would Max Kilman be a good signing for Liverpool?

Kilman is a cultured left-footed central defender with an education in futsal and would be a smart piece of business from Klopp that would add composure and steel to the Reds' backline.

In 2022/23, the – "outstanding" according to some in the media – 26-year-old was almost ever-present for Wolves and racked up 41 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

max-kilman-tottenham-hotspur-transfer-news-opinion-premier-league

According to WhoScored, Kilman was also switched on when presented with moments of danger from the opposition and completed 4.4 clearances per game on average in the Premier League.

FBRef show that Kilman also excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of blocks, successfully managing 1.91 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the fifth percentile for this metric.

Looking forward, Liverpool could do a lot worse than turning to Kilman as they look to build ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Celtic: £12k-p/w Star Could Be Rodgers’ Next Tielemans

Celtic did not waste much time in finding their replacement for Ange Postecoglou as they officially confirmed the appointment of Brendan Rodgers on a three-year deal earlier this week.

The Hoops had been on the lookout for a new head coach after the Australian chief opted to ditch Parkhead for a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Dermot Desmond has persuaded the ex-Leicester City boss to take the job and he is now in his second spell with the club, after winning seven domestic trophies at Paradise between 2016 and 2019,

The club are reportedly set to hand him a stunning £30m to work with in the transfer market but the Nothern Irish tactician already has a number of quality players at his disposal, chiefly Reo Hatate.

How has Reo Hatate performed at Celtic?

Rodgers worked with some terrific players during his time with the Foxes in England and could already have his next version of Youri Tielemans in Reo Hatate, who is one of the current stars of Celtic's midfield.

The Japan international is an excellent number eight who can make an impact in and out of possession and the 25-year-old could now thrive under the new boss, who was able to get the best out of Tielemans at the King Power.

Only Scott Sinclair (238) has played more matches for the manager than the now-Aston Villa ace (184) throughout his career, illustrating how much trust he placed in the 26-year-old.

The pinnacle of their time together, arguably, came when the Belgian rifled in a screamer from 25 yards to win the FA Cup against Chelsea in 2021.

Tielemans was a consistently excellent performer for Rodgers in the Premier League, as well as in cup competitions, and enjoyed a terrific campaign during their last full season together in 21/22.

Former Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 across 32 league outings and contributed with six goals and 1.2 key passes per game. The Foxes maestro also showcased his defensive ability with three tackles and interceptions per match and a 51% duel success rate for the side.

Hatate, who has been hailed as "all action" by ex-Scotland defender Alan Hutton, is also a midfielder who puts himself about on and off the ball.

The 25-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.23 across 32 Scottish Premiership matches and chipped in with six goals and 1.3 key passes per outing, whilst the Japanese hero also won 57% of his duels and made 1.5 tackles and interceptions per clash.

These statistics suggest that the pair are similar midfielders, with both able to hold their own in physical contests and have the quality in possession to score goals and create chances.

Indeed, Rodgers may not need to use any of his £30m budget to bring his next Tielemans to Celtic as he already has one in the form of the £12k-per-week menace.

Reliable Journalist Reveals Latest On Jassim’s Man United Takeover

Manchester United are still waiting for an official takeover to go through despite plenty of rumblings on Monday night, according to an update this morning from reliable journalist Ben Jacobs.

What is the latest on the takeover at Manchester United?

The proceedings that would see a new owner take the reins at Old Trafford have dragged on and on over the last few months, with the bidding process whittled down now to just two prospective buyers.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani is one, with the Qatar-backed group looking to try and seal a complete takeover of the club. They launched a fresh bid not too long ago that would see them own potentially all 100% of the Red Devils, whilst also wiping out any debts that the club currently have. As yet though, it appears as though nothing has materialised in response to that offer.

The other interested party is billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is trying to buy stakes in the club alongside his INEOS Group. They too have looked like they could win the battle to take over at points, with Ratcliffe at one point emerging as the preferred option for the Glazers. It would allow them to retain a stake in United too, with INEOS planning only to buy a majority rather than the entirety of the Red Devils.

The bidding process though has continued to rumble on though and there is no deal officially confirmed yet. A decision on exclusivity is expected soon but that too has yet to be sorted out.

Manchester United co-ownerAvramGlazer

Last night though, it appeared as though there may finally have been a breakthrough over new ownership, with the club's share prices soaring in reaction to rumours from a Qatari news source that the deal was effectively agreed with Sheikh Jassim's team.

However, according to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs on Tuesday morning, no deal is done as of yet. He revealed that nobody has been deemed as "successful" yet and no further update is expected within "the next few days".

Jacobs said: "Lots of speculation on the MUFC sale process, and an out-of-hours stock price surge reacting to that. But as of last night no group had been informed they are successful. Not expecting anything public or groundbreaking in the next few days. If that changes will update you."

Why do Man United fans want the Glazers out?

The club is, of course, currently run by the American Glazer family, with United supporters continually venting their frustrations at the way in which they have handled the club ever since their hostile takeover, which even had fans trying to block the deal.

While the owners have helped turn the club into a commercial juggernaut, they continuously use club profits for their own good, taking profits out rather than injecting cash in, all while straggling the club with huge debts and leaving Old Trafford to rot.

There have been protests at Premier League games this campaign over their perceived mismanagement of the Red Devils and things reached a head when they were revealed as one of the faces of the proposed Super League in 2021.

United fans will be hoping for a resolution to their ownership issues soon and will be hoping that this latest rise in stock prices eventually leads to a final decision over who will be taking over at Old Trafford.

Crystal Palace: Eagles eye "wonderkid" as Zaha replacement

Despite ending the season without the stress of a relegation fight, Crystal Palace are heading into the summer transfer window in a shroud of uncertainty.

The primary cause of this uncertainty is the future of club legend and talisman Wilfried Zaha.

The Ivorian international's contract with the South London club expires next month, and there seems to be no indication that he will sign the new £200,000 a week contract he's been offered, per The Athletic.

However, there is some good news in the shape of a potential replacement, Matheus Franca.

What's the latest on Matheus Franca?

According to Matt Woosnam of The Athletic, the 19-year-old forward from Brazilian outfit Flamengo is a 'distinct possibility as a replacement' for club legend.

The club has been monitoring the young striker for most of the season, and from what they have seen so far, they are 'keen.'

So keen, in fact, that Douglas Freedman, the club's sporting director, has travelled to Brazil to watch the exciting prospect, per Woosnam.

The Eagles might want to act quickly if they want to get this deal done as according to transfers expert, Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle United already offered €16m (£14m) for the youngster in January.

However, the new price to secure the services of the "quality" Brazilian, as once hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is reportedly higher at €20m (£17m)

Would Matheus Franca be a good signing for Crystal Palace?

Despite being only 19-years-old, Franca has already played 27 games of senior football in his home country.

According to WhoScored, across those 27 games, he has averaged a rating of 6.62.

That may not be the most impressive rating, but it is important to remember that he is still an incredibly raw talent and should only improve as he gets more experience.

His underlying numbers, however, are quite impressive and paint a picture of an all-action pressing forward.

Flamengo midfielder Matheus Franca.

According to FBref, the young attacker sits in the top 1% for successful take-ons, interceptions and progressive passes received per 90 compared to players in his position within their definition of the 'next best eight' leagues in world football.

He also sits in the top 3% for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90.

If we compare his expected non-penalty goals and assists per 90 to the man he could replace, Zaha, he looks even better coming in at 0.45 compared to the Palace man's 0.30.

Whilst it is important to remember that there is a smaller sample size for the Rio de Janeiro-born forward, and he plays in a weaker league, it does show promise.

Should South London's biggest club get this deal done, it could prove to be an excellent decision a few years down the line.

However, if there is an expectation that the 6-foot prospect can come straight into the Premier League and replace one of the club's greatest-ever players, disappointment might follow.

Everton Eyeing "Terrible" £35m Defender Booed By His Fans

Everton are plotting a surprise summer swoop to sign Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, according to reports.

Is Harry Maguire leaving Man United?

The Red Devils centre-back first made the move to Old Trafford from at the time Premier League rivals Leicester City back in 2019 and he’s since gone on to record a total of 175 appearances, not to mention that he even became such an integral member of the squad that he was handed the captain’s armband.

The England international still has another two years to run on his contract, but last season he fell significantly out of favour under Erik Ten Hag, having made just eight starts in the top-flight, so could be looking to secure a move elsewhere to a club where he knows he will receive sufficient game time.

Following the departures of Conor Coady and Yerry Mina at the heart of the defence, Sean Dyche will need to enter the market for backline reinforcements during the upcoming window to get his number of options back up, and the 30-year-old appears to have been highlighted as an ideal target at Goodison Park.

Are Everton signing Maguire?

According to Football Transfers, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are all “interested” in striking a deal for Maguire ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Man United have put the defender “up for sale” and it’s believed that the veteran himself also “wants to leave”.

The M16 outfit have been planning his exit for “several months” and have placed a £35m price tag on his head, a fee which they are “determined to receive” in order to make a sale worthwhile.

The 6 foot 4 colossus is hoping to leave the building in search of “regular” football to make sure that he is able to maintain his place on the international stage and remain in Gareth Southgate’s thoughts for England’s upcoming Euro 2024 tournament.

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire.

Should Farhad Moshiri move for Maguire?

Everton might have thought that with Maguire sharing the same agent, Triple S Sports, as James Garner, that they may have had a chance of using a familiar representative to reach an agreement, but the centre-back had a horrid last season so Farhad Moshiri should steer well clear of a summer swoop.

The World Cup participant ranked as Ten Hag’s 18th worst-performing defensive player out of 25 squad members during the previous term, averaging just 0.5 tackles per top-flight game, not to mention that he had no impact at the opposite end of the pitch having posted zero goals or assists across all competitions.

United’s “terrible” captain, as slammed by journalist Josh Bunting, also earns £190k-per-week so is likely to have extreme salary demands which the Toffees couldn’t afford – Jordan Pickford is only on £125k-per-week and he is the highest earner on Merseyside, via Capology.

Maguire has previously been booed by his own supporters during one of the Red Devils’ pre-season tours for his poor level of performances and this toxicity being created with the fanbase is something that the boss could do without, so he certainly isn’t a player that should be being targeted in the weeks and months ahead.

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