According to reports by ESPN FC, Everton are one of three Premier League clubs interested in making a move for Mo Salah’s Egypt teammate Mahmoud Hassan this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, ESPN FC reports that the Toffees, along with top flight rivals Burnley and Leicester City, are all interested in the Anderlecht attacker, who has impressed during a loan spell with Turkish side Kasimpasa this season.

ESPN FC says that a scout from the Merseyside outfit has watched the 23-year-old in action, and they are now considering making a summer move for the forward, who will play alongside Salah for Egypt at the World Cup next month.

How well has Hassan done this season?

The attacker, who is nicknamed “Trezeguet” after former France international David, has scored 14 goals and provided a further five assists in 31 appearances in all competitions for Kasimpasa, catching the attentions of potential suitors.

As well as the impact he has proved he can make in the final third, stats-based website WhoScored.com also lists one of his main strengths as his defensive contribution, as he isn’t afraid to track back to help his team.

In addition to that, he loves dribbling at his opponents and has successfully completed 93 of the 186 he has attempted in 29 Super Lig outings during the current campaign.

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Would he be a good signing for Everton?

It’s difficult to say.

While Hassan has clearly done well in Turkey this season, the Merseyside outfit can’t simply think that he will make a similar impact to the one Salah has this term, because it doesn’t work like that.

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With Yannick Bolasie, Theo Walcott, Nikola Vlasic, Ademola Lookman – whose fate would surely be sealed if Hassan did arrive seeing as Sam Allardyce has said he could leave this summer – and Henry Onyekuru already in their ranks, it is difficult to see why the Toffees need another player that primarily plays from the wing, or another one with no Premier League experience considering the struggles of Davy Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez.

That said, Cenk Tosun has proven to be a big hit having arrived from Turkey, and Hassan may also have the potential to be a success and become a fans’ favourite.

According to L’Equipe, Villarreal have launched a £14m offer for Angers forward Karl Toko Ekambi, who has recently been strongly linked with Newcastle United.

What’s the story?

Newcastle are one of three Premier League clubs believed to be interested in Ekambi, with Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion also said to be monitoring the striker.

Ekambi has scored 17 times in 35 Ligue 1 appearances for Angers during the 2017-18 campaign, and is being widely tipped to move on at the end of the season.

Newcastle were reportedly in a strong position, but according to L’Equipe, La Liga outfit Villarreal have made a £14m offer for the centre-forward as they look to steal a march.

The same report claims that Angers value Ekambi in the region of £22m, but the fact that Villarreal have made the first move could sway the Cameroon international.

What happens now?

Well, nothing at this precise moment with the transfer window not opening until next month. Clubs are already making moves, however, and Villarreal are seemingly not hanging around.

Ekambi, who is valued at £11m by transfermarkt.co.uk, still has two years left to run on his contract with Angers, but it would be a surprise if he did not move on this summer.

The Ligue 1 outfit are well within their rights to demand more than £20m for the in-form striker, and it remains to be seen whether Villarreal up their bid.

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Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez is still unsure what type of transfer budget he will have this summer, and that uncertainty could well cost the Premier League club.

One thing is for certain, the 25-year-old is an extremely talented striker, and there will be a number of teams sniffing around over the next couple of months.

According to reports, Leeds’ attempts to sign Kyle Bartley will be severely hindered if Swansea get relegated, and fans are not happy about it.

The absence of the departed Kyle Bartley and the injured Luke Ayling was devastating to Leeds’ defence this season, and fans were delighted this week when Ayling said he would convince the Swansea man to return to the club.

Bartley spent a year on loan at Elland Road, but returned to Swansea last summer where he has played just five times in the league this season.

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The 26 year-old was a popular figure at Leeds and has been strongly linked with a return, but the report from the Yorkshire Evening Post claims that return is less likely if the Swans go down.

Carlos Carvalhal’s side lost 1-0 to Southampton on Tuesday night, meaning they now need to win their final match and hope Huddersfield do not pick up another point.

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The Swans are likely to want to keep Bartley if they go down, and most fans are begging the club to show some intent and sign him anyway, while a few others are weighing up other options.

Either way, some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Everton fans are bashing Wayne Rooney, after a report claimed the veteran striker is disappointed by the club’s willingness to let him leave.

According to Paul Joyce of the Times, Wayne Rooney is hurt by Everton’s willingness to let him join MLS side D.C. United this summer, but he will speak to the new manager before making any decision.

Rooney returned to his boyhood club on a free transfer last summer, but after a solid start his first season back on Merseyside faltered after Christmas.

The 32 year-old was ill over the Christmas period, and hasn’t registered a single goal or assist in 2018, after grabbing ten Premier League goals before the illness.

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The arrival of Sam Allardyce saw a change in position for the veteran, as he moved back into midfield alongside the likes of Tom Davies and Idrissa Gueye.

While there’s no question he still has ability, the Manchester United legend simply doesn’t have the pace and energy to play in a Premier League midfield, and he did take some flak for his performances towards the end of the season.

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Fans are clearly annoyed by his feelings towards the exit links, saying if he wanted respect he should have come back sooner.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

There is certainly no love lost between local rivals Manchester City and Manchester United, particularly now that the former have become a powerhouse in English football.

United dominated the game for decades under Sir Alex Ferguson, but the tide changed following the Scotsman’s retirement in 2013, and now City are the ones on top.

Not only have the two clubs been battling it out on the pitch, they have been at it in the transfer market, as well.

In January, City’s pursuit of Alexis Sanchez ended in disappointment as he opted to join the Red Devils in a late dramatic twist.

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It seems as though United will gazump another of City’s deals as Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Jose Mourinho’s club have agreed a £43.7m fee with Shakhtar Donetsk for midfielder Fred.

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In January, the blue half of Manchester were linked to the Brazilian, who is valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, but most of the fans think that the club are more interested in securing the services of Jorginho from Napoli.

According to club insider EXWHUEmployee, West Ham United are interested in signing West Bromwich Albion duo Salomon Rondon and Craig Dawson in this summer’s transfer window.

Rondon has been linked with a number of clubs since West Brom’s relegation from the Premier League was confirmed, and West Ham are believed to be very much in the hunt.

Dawson is also believed to be attracting a lot of interest, and it would not be a surprise to see the centre-back pitch up in the Premier League once again.

Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest in Rondon, who scored 10 times for West Brom last term despite their troubles.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”253217″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch The FM18 Two Minute Challenge Pellegrini at West Ham”]

Dawson, meanwhile, has more than proved himself at Premier League level over the last few years.

The West Ham fans have been reacting to the claims that their club could move for the former Premier League duo in this summer’s transfer window.

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And it would be fair to say that a number have differing opinions. One thing is for sure though, if West Ham do not snap the pair up then another Premier League club will.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the West Ham supporters can be seen below:

Aleksandar Kolarov left Manchester City last year, but he remains loved by the supporters.

The left-back, who can also play in central defence, spent seven years at the North-West outfit before dropping down the pecking order under manager Pep Guardiola.

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Kolarov, who has won seven trophies including two Premier League titles in his professional career, moved to Roma last year.

The 32-year-old remains a prominent figure in the Serbia dressing room, and he is currently with his nation in Russia for the World Cup.

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On Sunday, the left-back put in a man-of-the-match display to help Serbia earn a 1-0 victory over Group E opponents Costa Rica.

Kolarov scored the only goal of the fixture as he struck from a free kick, which he bent around the wall and into the top corner.

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Unsurprisingly, City fans stood up and took notice of their former player, and some even called for the reigning English champions to bring him back.

Others just reminisced about Kolarov’s time at the club.

Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.

Liverpool are in need of a new goalkeeper, but Bayer Leverkusen’s Bernd Leno should not be among the contenders.

What’s the word?

Ever since Loris Karius made some costly mistakes during the Reds’ Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid, rumours have been rife that the club are hunting for a new keeper.

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It is safe to say that having Karius and Simon Mignolet as number one and two will not inspire a successful Premier League title bid.

Arsenal also seem to be looking for a new shot-stopper as Petr Cech is reaching the latter stages of his career.

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On Wednesday, Sky Sports reported that the Gunners were in advanced talks with Leverkusen over the signing of Leno.

Why should Liverpool stay out of it?

Leno is by no means a poor goalkeeper, but he would not be a significant upgrade on Karius due to his susceptibility to mistakes.

The German has swift reflexes when it comes to shots at his goal, but he is too tentative at times when it comes to making quick decisions.

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The goalkeeping situation is the weakest area on the pitch for Liverpool right now, and if they are going to spend money on a new figure, he needs to be world class.

At the moment it seems that the Merseyside outfit are not prepared to overpay for a big name, but the alternative is finding someone who is not an improvement on what they already have.

Manchester City have talent all over the field, and one of their star players of the season was goalkeeper Ederson.

The Brazilian joined the North-West outfit from Benfica last year and firmly cemented his place as number one.

It is highly unlikely that manager Pep Guardiola will be looking for a new keeper to take Ederson’s place, but the club could do with a fresh back-up.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255859″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Man City’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Premier League season”]

Claudio Bravo did not cover himself in glory during his first season at City as he made a handful of costly mistakes.

On Wednesday, The Telegraph reported that City have an interest in West Bromwich Albion keeper Ben Foster.

How far will England get in Russia? Tell us now and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

The publication also stated that the 35-year-old, along with teammate Craig Dawson, are set to be fined for refusing to attend the Baggies’ pre-season tour to Portugal.

In April, Foster confirmed that he intended to stay at West Brom, but this latest news suggests otherwise.

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Some City fans are keen on the idea of the shot-stopper moving to the Etihad, while others are uncertain.

A round-up of the fourth day’s action from the ninth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff06-Dec-2009

Group A

A 580-run stand for the second wicket, a first-class record, between Water and Power Development Authority’s Rafatullah Mohmand and Aamer Sajjad was the highlight of their tame draw against Sui Southern Gas Corporation at the Sheikupura Stadium. Rafatullah, who almost made it to the national squad in 2006, went on to a career-best unbeaten 302 while Sajjad fell 11 short of a triple century as the pair bettered the existing mark of 576 between Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama against India in Colombo. They easily overhauled SSGC’s first-innings total of 466 as WAPDA finished on 671 for 2, picking up three points.Rafatullah, 33, was in the news earlier this year when the ICC barred him from the World cup Qualifiers after he was deemed to have not satisfied the rules to represent Afghanistan. He has now set his sights on making the Pakistan national team. “What happened earlier is behind me and I hope that this triple hundred will help me revive my career as I want to play for Pakistan at the international level,” he told AFP. PCB chairman Ijaz Butt congratulated the pair on their achievement.Habib Bank Limited stretched their lead at the top of the group to 12 points with a five-wicket win over Pakistan Customs at the Diamond Club ground. It wasn’t all smooth for HBL after starting the day 90 runs short of the target; they lost two wickets for the addition of 26 runs, and three more wickets fell before reaching the 143 they needed to win. Both opener Shan Masood and first-innings hero Humayun Farhat made 38 to steer HBL home.Second-placed Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited slipped up, getting no points in their draw against Pakistan International Airlines at Jinnah Stadium. They had slipped to a perilous 133 for 7, an overall lead of 70, but were saved by a 85 from No. 7 Raza Ali Dar. He added 57 for the eighth wicket with Imran Ali and 67 for the ninth with Rizwan Akbar to set PIA an almost impossible target of 210 in little more than a session. Opener Agha Sabir’s 66 took PIA to 119 for 2 in 27 overs before the match was called off.

Group A

It was a draw at the Gaddafi Stadium as well, but a far more exciting one as Khan Research Laboratories came within two wickets of winning against Lahore Shalimar. On a day in which only 81 overs were played, opener Abid Ali (53) and Sohail Idrees (79) resisted for Lahore, but the rest of the top order flopped to keep KRL’s hopes of a victory alive. It required a 50-minute unbeaten 34 from No. 9 Mohammad Saeed, who swung two fours and two sixes despite the need for caution towards the end of the game, to deny KRL the win. Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali was the most effective of the KRL bowlers, collecting the second five-wicket haul of his career.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited pulled off a six-wicket win over Karachi Whites at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex to move into joint fourth position. Karachi started the day at 209 for 3 – a lead of 45 – and lost regular wickets to fold for 338 with left-arm spinner Zohaib Khan taking five wickets. Karachi’s batsmen used up 46.2 overs on the final day in setting ZTBL a target of 174, with less than half the day remaining. Powered by opener Inam-ul-Haq’s 66-ball 72, including five fours and four sixes, ZTBL knocked off the runs in 34.1 overs.

Group B

Nasrullah Khan took 5 for 70 to bowl Islamabad to a 37-run win against Sialkot on a closely-contested final day at the Jinnah Stadium. The day began with Islamabad struggling on 145 for 7 in their second innings and they were soon dismissed for 155, setting Sialkot 255 for victory. Faisal Rasheed was the best Sialkot bowler, taking 5 for 45. Islamabad’s defence, however, got off to a terrific start when their new-ball bowlers, Rauf Akbar and Nasrullah, each dismissed an opener for a duck. Sialkot went for 1 for 2 to 34 for 4 before Mohammad Ayub began to steady the innings with an aggressive half-century. Nasrullah, however, cut through the middle order and wickets fell at regular intervals as Sialkot were dismissed for 217.Faisalabad’s bowling attack dismissed Rawalpindi for 163 in 50 overs during the chase to complete a 181-run victory at the Iqbal Stadium. Defending a target of 345, Ijax Ahmed jnr took 4 for 57 while Ahmed Hayat claimed 3 for 24. Zahid Mansoor’s 37 was the top score for Rawalpindi during a disappointing second innings, which suffered from a lack of partnerships. Earlier in the day, Faisalabad’s lower order rallied to extend their total from 69 for 5 to 202. No. 10 Hayat struck five sixes during his innings of 47 off 39 balls.Lahore Ravi‘s bowlers finished the job they’d started on the third day, skittling Abbottabad cheaply in the second innings, and gave their batsmen enough time to chase down a modest target on the final day in Muridke. Abbottabad began the day on 103 for 7 and were soon shot out for 161, leaving Lahore Ravi a target of only 186. The chase suffered a jolt when Lahore Ravi lost their second and third wickets with the score on 70 but Asif Khan’s half-century and Mohammad Asim’s unbeaten 45 ensured victory by five wickets.Peshawar were always going to struggle to avoid a thrashing on the fourth day and they were dismissed for 197 in the second innings, giving Multan victory by an innings and 124 runs at the Multan Cricket Ground. Peshawar resumed on 147 for 5, still trailing by 174 runs, and Zulfiqar Babar ran through the lower order, finishing with figures of 6 for 37.Group A

Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Habib Bank Limited	9	7	1	0	1	0	60
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited	8	6	1	0	1	0	48
National Bank of Pakistan	8	4	2	0	2	0	42
Pakistan International Airlines	8	3	2	0	3	0	36
Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited	8	4	2	0	2	0	36
Water and Power Development Authority	9	3	1	0	5	0	33
Karachi Whites	8	2	5	0	1	0	21
Khan Research Laboratories	8	1	3	0	4	0	12
Sui Southern Gas Corporation	8	1	3	0	4	0	12
Pakistan Customs	8	1	7	0	0	0	9
Lahore Shalimar	8	0	5	0	3	0	0

Group B

Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Karachi Blues	8	6	1	0	1	0	57
Sialkot	8	4	1	0	3	0	39
Islamabad	8	4	2	0	2	0	36
Multan	8	4	2	0	2	0	36
Rawalpindi	8	4	2	0	2	0	36
Faisalabad	9	2	2	0	5	0	27
Lahore Ravi	8	2	2	0	4	0	21
Abbottabad	8	1	5	0	2	0	15
Hyderabad (Pakistan)	8	1	4	0	3	0	15
Quetta	8	2	5	0	1	0	15
Peshawar	9	1	5	0	3	0	9