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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

Back in the summer, League Two side Newport County announced the signing of Charlton academy graduate Taylor Maloney on a season-long loan deal, much to the manager Michael Flynn’s delight.

“I’m delighted to get the signing of Taylor over the line. Taylor is highly rated at Charlton, he’s energetic and can create but also does the other side of the game very well, going from box to box and doing the dirty work.”

As of now, the 20-year-old – who has made ten first-team appearances for Charlton – was struggling for game time with the Wales-based side.

Maloney has registered just one start in League Two under Flynn, but surely made the Newport boss and the manager of his parent club Lee Bowyer sit up and take notice with a stunning performance last time out.

The midfielder netted a hat-trick in the comprehensive 7-4 win over Cheltenham in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday evening, his first ever goals in senior football.

Without getting ahead of ourselves, one hat-trick in the EFL Trophy won’t have Bowyer on the phone to Flynn desperately trying to recall Maloney, although it could be presumed that the youngster’s showing will have given the Addicks boss some food for thought.

It takes a special kind of player to find the back of the net from midfield, one who can time his runs to arrive late in the box and get on the end of things – just take a look at Conor Gallagher and the way he has scored his five league goals so far in almost Frank Lampard-esque fashion.

Actually, forget Lampard. The way Flynn describes Maloney as “energetic”, as well as “creative” and able to do the “dirty work” reminds us of a certain Bowyer in his playing days.

The 42-year-old scored 79 goals from midfield throughout his playing career, while also being known as a tough-tackling, box-to-box presence.

Having been with the south Londoners since U14 level, one would assume that those at The Valley are aware of what Maloney is and isn’t good at already – however, his first real eye-catching display in senior football must have made Bowyer sit up and start thinking.

Whilst Everton fans will be pleased to finally see a conclusion on its way regarding their long-lasting takeover saga, The Friedkin Group haven’t exactly won over the fans of AS Roma in worrying signs for those on Merseyside.

Roma protests provide new concern for Everton

The Friedkin Group confirmed that they reached an agreement over the purchase of Everton, before a spokesperson told the club’s official website: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement to become custodians of this iconic football club. We are focused on securing the necessary approvals to complete the transaction.

“We look forward to providing stability to the club, and sharing our vision for its future, including the completion of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.”

Everton fans shouldn’t be too quick to celebrate just yet, however. According to Forza Roma, fans in Rome have quickly highlighted some causes for concern, recently protesting against the Friedkin Group by filling Rome with posters after the new Everton owners sacked club legend Daniele De Rossi recently.

Not just Ndiaye: Everton ace who lost the ball 15x showed he's undroppable

Everton were so close to picking up their first three points of the Premier League season away at Leicester City.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 22, 2024

The Italian’s exit has since led to the resignation of CEO Lina Souloukou and could also lead to the departure of sporting director Florent Ghisolfi, according to Get Italian Football News, with the club’s leading recruitment figure expected to follow Souloukou out the door.

De Rossi’s sacking should particularly concern Sean Dyche, especially with replacements such as Gareth Southgate already linked with stepping in for the Burnley boss amid Everton’s disappointing start to the Premier League campaign.

Friedkin Group must get Everton fans onside

Friedkin simply must learn from their mistakes at Roma and instantly get the fans onside at Goodison Park. Like those in Rome, the Goodison Park faithful can be as ruthless as any, meaning that any hasty decisions similar to De Rossi’s sacking should be avoided unless seen as imperative. What’s more, if the Americans have struggled at the Serie A club, then Everton will be a new and tougher challenge entirely.

The Toffees have earned just one point in five Premier League games in a crash course towards relegation as things stand. Their recent trend of losing hold of two-goal leads should be a particular concern for Dyche, who has seen both Bournemouth and Aston Villa snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in recent weeks.

The first task for Friedkin must be to simply ensure that Everton’s finances are stable and in a position to avoid any further Financial Fair Play punishment. The last thing that Dyche needs is for his side to face yet another point deduction as they look to maintain their Premier League place in the battle to survive once again.

Well, the positives from last night’s game were that Arsenal picked up a point away from home in their Champions League opener and maintained a clean sheet in the process.

The negative, however, was the game itself, as Mikel Arteta’s side and Atalanta played out what might just have been the most mind-numbingly boring game of the season thus far, with David Raya’s double save the only saving grace.

Now, a large part of why it was so dull was the incredible defending from the North Londoners, and on that front, there can be no complaints, but in other areas of the pitch, there were some big underperformers, including one who took fewer touches than Raya and was just as bad as Thomas Partey.

Partey's game in numbers

After starting in the North London Derby on Sunday and putting in what can only be described as an adequate performance, Partey was tasked with starting last night’s clash alongside Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.

Now, a match away to the Europa League champions and Coppa Italia runners-up from last season is no small task.

However, even with that caveat, the Ghanaian looked totally off the pace and struggled to have a steady impact on the match, and when he did do something impactful, he gave away a penalty, for which Raya bailed him out.

It might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by GOAL’s Tom Manston, who gave him just a 5/10 at full-time, writing that the experienced international was ‘overrun at times’ and ‘clumsy.’

This appraisal of the 31-year-old’s performance is backed up by his statistics, as in his 58 minutes of action, he racked up a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.09, took just 39 touches, maintained a passing accuracy of only 79%, didn’t play any key passes, missed one big chance lost three of five duels, lost the ball eight times, made one tackle, was dribbled past once and gave away the penalty.

Minutes

58′

Expected Goals

0.06

Expected Assists

0.03

Touches

39

Passing Accuracy

27/34 (79%)

Key Passes

0

Big Chances Missed

1

Lost Possession

8

Duels (Won)

5 (2)

Tackles

1

Dribbled Past

1

Penalties Conceded

1

In all, it was a fairly terrible showing from Partey, and as he replaced him in the second half, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Jorginho start ahead of him at the weekend. Yet, one of his teammates was at least equally poor on the night.

Gabriel Jesus' game in numbers

Yes, unfortunately for the Brazilian forward, it was Gabriel Jesus who was one of the other notably poor performers last night.

The former Manchester City ace made his first start this season in Bergamo, potentially looking to make a statement ahead of the top-of-the-table clash on the weekend, and while he did, it probably wasn’t the one he was hoping to make.

Chances were hard to come by for the 27-year-old, but he didn’t help the situation either by looking uncomfortable on the ball, taking heavy touches and failing to fasten his own goalscoring chances.

Unsurprisingly, Manston wasn’t impressed with the São Paulo-born ace either, describing him as ‘rusty’ and giving him a 3/10 on the night, and while that sounds harsh, it’s an opinion once again backed up by the forward’s statistics.

For example, in his 58 minutes on the pitch, he didn’t even register an expected goals number as he didn’t take a single shot, his expected assists figure was just 0.09, he failed in his only dribble attempt, took just 32 touches – 14 fewer than Raya – lost five of seven duels and was offside three times.

Minutes

58′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Expected Goals

0.00

Expected Assist

0.09

Shots

0

Touches

32

Dribbles (Successful)

1 (0)

Duels (Won)

7 (2)

Offside

3

Ultimately, while most of the midfield and forward line put in underwhelming performances last night, Partey and Jesus were particularly disappointing and, as such, should be nowhere near the starting lineup on Sunday.

Wilshere thought Arsenal ace was the next Saka, then he left for £0

The incredible talent might have made an impact this season.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 18, 2024

Everton supporters would be forgiven for carrying a sense of dread into their forthcoming Premier League fixture against Aston Villa, but there’s reason for optimism.

Three August defeats to start the campaign off did little to placate the anxiety surrounding Goodison Park at the moment, but Jarrad Branthwaite has yet to kick a ball as he recovers from injury and Sean Dyche’s side played well against Bournemouth two weeks ago, albeit capitulating late on.

Unai Emery’s Villa will present a stern test indeed, but Everton won their last trip to Villa Park (in the Carabao Cup last year) and will be headset to rectify their poor start.

Everton team news

Branthwaite, sadly, doesn’t look like he’s going to be fit for this one, but Michael Keane did well in his absence last time out, before that late-stage horrorshow.

Summer signing Orel Mangala could feature in central midfield, but the Blues’ defensive issues have been compounded by Seamus Coleman’s injury sustained against England during the international break. The veteran right-back is a major doubt with a feared Achilles-related injury, and Nathan Patterson is not yet ready to make his return.

Thus, Everton have a problem on the right side of their backline, and might need to think outside the box.

How Dyche could solve Everton's right-back issue

Let’s be candid, Ashley Young would enter the throes of despair if placed at right-back. He’s as experienced as they come, but the 39-year-old might have a tough task in containing the electric attack of Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey, and co.

Roman Dixon is an exciting teenage talent but he might struggle on such an occasion at a fiery Villa Park.

What Everton need is an alternative solution. With Patterson and Coleman expected to be sidelined, Dyche could turn his attention to James Garner, who is ordinarily a centre-midfielder but has played in right midfield for the Toffees and has been considered on the right side of defence by the club in the past.

He has the right kind of style. Garner is an athletic and dynamic player, and he ranked among the top 16% of midfielders in the Premier League last season for interceptions per 90 (1.35), as per FBref.

The 23-year-old missed Everton’s opening fixtures in the top flight this term but returned as an unused substitute during the defeat against Bournemouth. He did play during the Carabao Cup victory over Doncaster Rovers and further showcased his defensive merit and athleticism, recovering eight loose balls and winning 60% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Defensive midfield

130

21

9

Central midfield

54

2

10

Right midfield

11

0

1

Attacking midfield

9

2

2

Left midfield

2

0

0

Centre-back

2

0

0

He’s tactically adaptable and drifted out to the right often last season. In the Premier League, across his 37 matches, Garner averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, winning 57% of his duels.

Defensively sound, the ace has also been praised for his “phenomenal” ball-playing ability by pundit Trevor Sinclair. He’s the complete package, and might just be the perfect option to slip into the right side of defence.

This is why Dyche should unleash him in this new role to deal with Coleman’s absence for their Premier League clash this weekend.

Everton struck gold by selling Goodison star who's now worth £32m less

He was a menace for the Toffees.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 13, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in a move for Fulham defender, Tosin Adarabioyo, as manager Ange Postecoglou seeks to strengthen his centre-back ranks this summer.

What's the latest on Adarabioyo to Tottenham?

According to respected insider Alasdair Gold, writing on Twitter, the north Londoners are seemingly keeping tabs on the 25-year-old amid their search for a new central defender: "Understand Tosin Adarabioyo remains high on Spurs' list of potential central defender moves this summer after some extensive scouting last season."

In his attached piece for football.london, Gold went on to add that the Lilywhites are 'weighing up' a move for the 6 foot 5 sensation after monitoring his progress over an extended period of time, albeit with a raft of clubs across Europe also interested in the one-time Manchester City asset.

The piece adds that the former England youth international is being considered alongside the likes of Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven in the quest to bolster the backline, although Adarabioyo is likely to prove a cheaper option as he has just 12 months remaining on his current deal.

Should Tottenham sign Adarabioyo?

As Gold's report noted, it is Bayer Leverkusen star, Tapsoba who is Ange Postecoglou's 'main central defensive target' at present, although the signing of Adarabioyo – who made 25 Premier League appearances last season – could represent a dream alternative having already proven himself in English football.

The towering asset has seemingly been tipped for big things ever since emerging through the youth ranks at the Etihad, with City boss Pep Guardiola having said of his talents back in 2016: "He is fast, strong in the air, and has the quality to look forward behind the line for the next pass."

Also dubbed "immense" by former boss Tony Mowbray during his loan spell at Blackburn Rovers in the 2019/20 campaign Adarabioyo was particularly impressive for the Cottagers last season amid their return to the top-flight, with his 6.89 average match rating the sixth-highest among his teammates.

The Manchester native offers a real dominant presence in the heart of the defence having won 69% of his aerial duels in 2022/23, with that a far better record than what Tapsoba achieved during his 33 Bundesliga outings (56%).

While the latter man is particularly adept at playing out from the back – as he ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for progressive passes at an average of 5.76 per 90 – Adarabioyo is no slouch in that regard, having averaged only slightly lower at 4.10 per 90 across the last 365 days.

With the Fulham man clearly comfortable on the ball as well as being an imposing asset defensively, he could offer an all-round package to Postecoglou and co, hence why the £40k-per-week menace could represent a possible bargain alternative to Tapsoba this summer.

West Ham United target Yunus Musah would be open to moving to the London Stadium this summer, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest transfer news involving Yunus Musah?

According to CBS Sports, Valencia midfielder Musah has emerged as a target for West Ham United as they ponder options to replace club captain Declan Rice this summer, who looks to be on his way out of the London Stadium.

The report states that Musah has several clubs from the Premier League following his trail in the off-season; however, the Hammers have shown the most concrete interest in the United States international.

One outlet in Spain claim that the £24k-a-week ace could be available for around €25 million (£21.4 million) as Valencia look to cash in on one of their prize assets, who has plenty of admiration from other clubs.

In 2022/23, the New York City-born enforcer made 37 appearances in all competitions for Valencia, registering two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Musah has recently been involved in lifting silverware at international level and helped the United States national team to achieve their second successive Concacaf Nations League title following a 2-0 victory over Canada in Las Vegas, as per 90min.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that Musah – who has been hailed a "warrior" by some in the media – may relish the opportunity to move to West Ham United this summer, though he doesn't believe he would be an automatic starter in east London.

Brown told FFC: "I think he's he's potentially a really good player. You may not expect him to play every week for West Ham because I think they will sign two midfielders this summer if and when Declan Rice goes and Musah would be possibly competing with two or three players to get in that team, but it's the lure of the Premier League and I do think he'd be interested if West Ham were to move for him."

What other midfielders have West Ham United been linked with?

West Ham United have been linked with several midfielders as David Moyes looks to build on their Europa Conference League triumph in 2022/23.

Football Insider claim that Southampton stalwart James Ward-Prowse is among their preferred targets this summer, while Tottenham Hotspur also retain an interest in the England international.

As per The Guardian, Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha is on their radar at the London Stadium and has emerged as an alternative to Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez, who is closing in on a move to Borussia Dortmund.

Takvim via Hammers News claim that West Ham United could go back in for Galatasaray attacking midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo this window following missing out on his signature in January, signifying that plenty of incomings could be in store for the Hammers in the next few months.

An update has emerged on Everton and their plans to bolster their attacking options in the summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Moussa Dembele to Everton?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Toffees are one of a number of sides eyeing up French centre-forward Moussa Dembele ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The reporter revealed:

"Moussa Dembélé has been approached by several clubs after leaving OL as free agent. #transfers Understand Everton and Galatasaray are both informed on conditions of the deal, while Saudi clubs are also keeping tabs on Moussa situation."

The £52k-per-week marksman's contract with Lyon in Ligue 1 expires at the end of this month and this means that the former Celtic ace will be available for a bargain free transfer move.

What would Dembele's arrival mean for Dominic Calvert-Lewin?

Sean Dyche beating off interest from Galatasaray and teams in Saudi Arabia to secure a deal for the 6-foot finisher would be terrible news for current Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as it could diminish his game time next term.

The England international endured a difficult campaign in the Premier League in 2022/23 and his recent form in front of goal does not suggest that his position is nailed down in the team for 2023/24.

He found the back of the net twice in 17 appearances – 15 starts – and this came after the 26-year-old plundered five goals in 15 starts in the 2021/22 top-flight.

This means that the Finch Farm dud has scored once every 4.29 starts over the last two seasons in the division, which is far from a prolific return and perhaps one of the reasons the Toffees have found themselves in back-to-back relegation battles.

Dembele, on the other hand, scored 24 goals in 33 starts in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 Ligue 1 campaigns combined for Lyon, which works out as one strike every 1.38 starts on average.

The Frenchman also created six 'big chances' for his teammates in that time and could provide a similar level of creativity to Calvert-Lewin, who produced five in the Premier League in the same period.

Dembele, who was once hailed as "powerful" by former Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers, could offer far more potency at the top end of the pitch based on their respective goalscoring records in recent seasons, which could lead to Dyche having a reliable number nine in the top-flight next season.

This could then leave Calvert-Lewin in a difficult situation as the soon-to-be free agent could come in and take his place in the starting XI, which would result in the Englishman being a bench warmer unless he is able to win his position back by drastically turning his form around.

Tottenham Hotspur have "emerged" as "surprise" contenders to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher after Ange Postcoglou's transfer meeting with chairman Daniel Levy, according to reports.

Who could join Spurs this summer?

Following a disappointing 2022/2023 Premier League campaign, one which ended trophy-less and without European football qualification, this summer comes as a crucial one.

Spurs could be set for a major overhaul with many players being tipped for the potential axe, including Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Harry Winks (The Telegraph).

Dier and Dejan Kulusevski are also still to convince Postecoglou, as per recent claims, with Levy believed to be targeting an array of signings for key areas of the squad.

Long-serving number one goalkeeper Hugo Lloris could be replaced this summer, with Brentford's David Raya believed to be of serious interest at Spurs. Meanwhile, the north Londoners are thought to be pursuing the likes of James Maddison and a star central defender after Postecoglou's approval.

Now, according to football.london and journalist Lee Wilmot, Tottenham are also targeting Gallagher from Chelsea. Indeed, it is now believed that he could join Spurs, after they "emerge as surprise contenders" for his signing.

The Lilywhites apparently hold an interest after Postecoglou held talks with Levy last week, with transfer priorities discussed and Gallagher finding his way on to their shortlist of targets.

Postecoglou favours a three-man midfield, with two of them being attacking players, and Gallagher may well fit the bill alongside other targets like Maddison.

Who is Conor Gallagher?

The 23-year-old was a regular for Chelsea last season but his best performances perhaps came on loan at Crystal Palace over the 2021/2022 season.

As per WhoScored, he racked up 11 goal contributions in 33 starts for the Eagles last season, standing out as one of their best-performing players.

Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, commenting on his form back then, was effusive in his praise for the talented playmaker.

"His development is extraordinary and outstanding," said Tuchel.

“He was a pleasure to coach in pre-season – he has so much positive energy, so much energy in general and so much work-rate to give that he can of course be a big help and a big influence.”

Arsenal legend and BBC pundit Ian Wright has had to deny allegations of being arrested after scammers used AI to create false images of him.

Was Ian Wright arrested?

The Match of the Day presenter has become a well-loved TV personality within the world of football since retiring – having been an adored player, too.

After all, he netted a whopping 185 goals in 288 appearances for the Gunners which was a club record until it was eventually beaten by Thierry Henry.

He also spent time in his career with other former clubs such as Crystal Palace, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Celtic and Burnley.

In recent times, he’s cemented his status as an all-round lovely guy by showing his class as a strong and vocal advocate for women’s football, and recently slammed the broadcasting issues ahead of the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – with Fifa threatening a blackout because of low offers for the broadcast rights from the biggest European footballing countries.

With all that in mind, it must have come as a shock to some when images emerged online of him supposedly being arrested. Some friends of Wright’s were so stunned, he has since revealed people were calling him about it.

Well, in a new video shared on his Twitter account, he’s now clarified that it’s all a strange scam where people “superimposed” him into an odd situation.

Wright explained: “Listen, I’m getting so many calls. People think I’ve been arrested. They’ve superimposed me with handcuffs. Look at me [laughs] this is a scam! People are scamming you.

“I ain’t been arrested. I’ve not done anything to get arrested. Foolishness! Watch these people scamming you!”

He also shared some of the fake photos.

It’s certainly a bizarre story and perhaps a little worrying that some of his friends did seem to be convinced by AI that these images were actually real.

However, it’s good to see that Wright has responded in typical style, laughing it all off with a smile on his face.

The presenter recently made history with Shaun Wright-Phillips, becoming the first father and son punditry team to appear on Match of the Day.

So don’t worry, we’re far more likely to see him appear on TV in the future than in a prison cell.

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has stunned fans by scoring a brilliant goal after just 13 seconds before then scoring another volley in the second half.

What is the quickest-ever FA Cup final goal?

Meeting at Wembley in the FA Cup final, Pep Guardiola and co faced bitter rivals Manchester United with both aiming for a double.

Indeed, City have already won the Premier League and also have a Champions League final to come.

The Red Devils, on the other hand, have already lifted silverware at Wembley this season after beating Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final.

With so much on the line, both teams would have been raring to go but all of Erik ten Hag’s pre-game plans would have had to have been reassessed after just a matter of seconds.

Indeed, after a long ball upfield was nodded to the edge of his own box by Victor Lindelof, Gundogan volleyed the ball into the back of the net.

Incredibly, this moment of magic was the fastest goal in an FA Cup final. What’s more, it’s the first scored in the opening minute of the competition final since Louis Saha netted for Everton against Chelsea in 2009.

Supporters were blown away by Gundogan’s quality – as he netted another fine volley after United had equalised – and here are the best reactions on Twitter…

Supporters just couldn’t believe it.

Here’s his second goal.