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Former Tottenham Hotspur hero Graham Roberts believes that Ivan Toney would be a good signing for the club this summer.

Toney has enjoyed a fantastic season at Brentford as the club have won promotion to the Premier League via winning the Championship play-offs.

The striker scored at Wembley against Swansea City and ended the campaign with 33 goals and 10 assists in the second-tier, with 17 of those coming in 2021 alone.

It remains to be seen if he would be allowed to leave Brentford, given that he has a contract until 2025, and he is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt.

Roberts believes that Spurs need to cast their net wider than they are currently as they look to bring reinforcements into the squad, and start looking down the leagues.

Indeed, he has cited the example of Ollie Watkins, who joined Aston Villa from Brentford and made England’s provisional squad for the European Championships, having scored 14 Premier League goals last term.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “There’s players out there. What about Toney at Brentford? Watkins has done it, do you not think Toney can do it? But they don’t want to look that low, but he’s a Premier League player now.

“That’s what you’ve got to do, you’ve got to look at the lower-leagues, there are good players there. But the spine of your team has to be the best so you have to pay the best and everything else falls into place.”

Celtic enjoyed a comfortable afternoon in the Premiership as they strolled to a routine 2-0 win on Sunday to send them six points clear at the top of the table.

Kyogo Furuhashsi opened the scoring in the first half and then Jota, who set up the first goal, sealed the three points with an 87th-minute strike.

The Hoops dominated the match as they ended the game with 74% of the ball and 22 efforts on goal, with Ross County fortunate that they only conceded twice.

Whilst Jota scored and assisted a goal in the match, the real star of the show for Ange Postecoglou was central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers.

It is easy to point at the attackers and praise them for scoring the goals to win the match but all of their work is built on the back of a strong platform. The solid defence allows the likes of Jota and Kyogo to go and do what they want to do without worrying about constantly needing to drop deep to win the ball back – allowing the opposition to press up on them.

Carter-Vickers was outstanding in central defence as he stood strong at the back and was reliable in possession. He played a major role in Celtic’s dominance throughout the game and the forwards should be thanking him for making their lives easier.

As per SofaScore, he won 85.7% (6/7) of his individual duels and made five clearances, one interception and one block to help his side to a clean sheet. This shows that he was superb defensively as he won the vast majority of his battles with Ross County players and did not allow himself to be beaten by the opposition – keeping them away from Joe Hart’s goal.

On the ball, he completed 85% of his passes from 62 touches and created one chance from centre-back. He is not expected to do anything special in possession from his position but Postecoglou will be delighted with his assuredness on the ball.

The £20k-per-week defender continues to impress at the heart of the defence and fans will surely be wanting to see him back at Parkhead next season on a permanent basis.

In the Premiership this season, the on-loan Tottenham man has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.36 across 29 matches. Celtic have kept 16 clean sheets in those games and the latest one came with the help of his sublime display against Ross County on Sunday.

AND in other news, Source: Celtic on course to seal “immense” summer signing, Ange will be buzzing…

Lots of Everton fans have been fuming over the performance of Richarlison in their 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday night.

Carlo Ancelotti saw his team lose yet another game at Goodison Park as Anwar El Ghazi scored a late winner after Dominic Calvert-Lewin had equalised from a corner, with Ollie Watkins giving Dean Smith’s team the lead early on after pouncing on a defensive error from Mason Holgate.

Nonetheless, Richarlison struggled to make an impact on the match, losing out on six of his 10 duels as well as recording fewer touches than Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (Sofascore).

The former Watford star also lost possession of the ball on 13 separate occasions, the fourth-most out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch (Sofascore).

Everton fans on Richarlison display

These Toffees supporters blasted his performance on Twitter, with one going as far as to claim that the Brazil international was ‘abysmal’:

“Richarlison is so clumsy it’s not funny, Gomes seems to be constantly moving in slow motion. #Takes #EFC #coyb”

Credit: @footyanalysis

“Everton still not good enough to play the way Carlo wants to play and not good enough to carry passengers. Richarlison needs to be dropped. Holgate can’t play centre half. Gomes needs dropping permanently #EFC”

Credit: @dazzler1878

“#Richarlison is so frustrating at times. Easy ball on to Sigi and doesn’t put his head up #efc”

Credit: @sicurrie

“Coleman. Holgate. Richarlison. Iwobi. Gomes. Any one of them could and should be taken off here, been dreadful. #EVEAVL”

Credit: @northernharto

“Richarlison needs to be dropped. He offers nothing as a creative force.”

Credit: @AlexOBr82171506

“Richarlison was and has been abysmal. So has most of the team including Sigurdsson but Richarlison as been equally dreadful.”

Credit: @JMoran1982

In other news, find out whose display against Villa was also slammed by numerous Everton fans.

The Athletic’s Crystal Palace reporter Matt Woosnam believes it’s a great decision that Joel Ward has signed a new contract with the club.

Ward has signed a two-year contract extension which will take him up to the summer of 2023 at Selhurst Park and told Palace TV: “I’m delighted. I think it’s great to have committed the future to the club.”

Palace are under new leadership with Patrick Vieira appointed as the club’s new manager this summer, and he has looked to assemble his side already. This is because along with the new contract for Ward, Palace have made four summer signings with Michael Olise, Jacob Montes, Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen all joining Crystal Palace.

On the new contract for Ward, Woosnam told Football FanCast: “Joel Ward has obviously signed and that’s been announced by Palace and I think that’s a great decision in the end.”

Ward has been a terrific servant for Crystal Palace as he has been with the club nine years and played 273 times for the club, scoring five goals and creating eleven more.

Whilst operating as a right-back mostly, Ward has also played on the side of defence at left-back, as well as appearing as a centre-back on a couple of occasions in the past.

Under new management and with new faces arriving at the football club, Crystal Palace will be hoping that they can improve on last season’s 14th place this upcoming campaign.

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge has revealed that Mauricio Pochettino wanted to sign Anthony Martial from Manchester United during his time in charge at Tottenham Hotspur.

The France international has been linked with a move to Spurs in recent weeks.

Martial endured a mixed season last term, making just 22 Premier League appearances and scoring four goals, while also laying on six assists, and he is yet to really make his mark in a red shirt.

It seems an unlikely deal for Spurs to do as he has a contract until 2024 and is valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt.

And Bridge has now confirmed that Pochettino wanted to bring him in when he was at Spurs, although he was unable to strike an agreement with United to bring him to north London.

Bridge said: “It’s funny about him because I know Pochettino wanted him for a long, long, long, long time.”

In total, Martial has made 258 appearances for United, scoring 78 goals and registering 50 assists, while he has also won 27 caps for France, scoring once.

Pochettino, of course, is now at PSG in Ligue 1.

Everton are reportedly the main contenders to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Kvaratskhelia catching the eye

Kvaratskhelia is certainly a player that is quickly catching the eye of many clubs around Europe – he was heavily linked with Leeds last month.

The Rubin Kazan winger is very good with the ball at his feet, so much so that his playing style has even been compared to Lionel Messi, which is certainly something that the Goodison Park faithful can be excited about.

The Latest: Everton main contenders

As per Soccer.ru, Kvaratskhelia does not want to move to Zenit St. Petersburg, and the Merseyside club are currently the main contenders to sign him, although Napoli and AC Milan could also join the race from previous interest.

Nonetheless, a top winger is something that Carlo Ancelotti will surely be looking at in the window, and Kvaratskhelia certainly fits the bill.

The Verdict: Everton must sign Kvaratskhelia

If the Toffees want to climb up the table in the Premier League for next season, then Kvaratskhelia, who is currently valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, could well be the difference in the hunt to qualify for European qualification if they fall short this campaign.

The Georgia international has scored four goals and made a further eight assists in 23 games in total over all competitions in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), which is a good return for a wide player, and at just 20 years of age, he will only get better.

Nonetheless, Kvaratskhelia is a player that the Blues should not be passing up on, with several top sides in Europe clearly impressed by his quick feet and sky-high potential.

In other news, find out what European Super League update has got EFC fans talking here!

Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has revealed that passport and pandemic issues have prevented new signing Fashion Sakala from joining up with the squad so far.

The Lowdown: Gers sign Sakala

The striker was the Gers’ first signing of the summer as he arrived from Belgian outfit Oostende on a free transfer (rangers.co.uk).

However, he is yet to start pre-season training with the Scottish champions, and Gerrard has now provided an update on the 24-year-old.

The Latest: Sakala issues arise

Discussing the current status of his squad, Gerrard said (via Glasgow Live):

“We need to add to it, so we’re actively working hard to bring some good players in alongside the recruitment already done in Jack (Simpson), Scott (Wright), Nnamdi (Ofoborh) and Fashion Sakala will join us in the coming days.

“We’ve got some passport and Covid issues to get through first but he’s very excited to join us as well.”

The Verdict: Sort it out soon

With the Gers now having started pre-season, this will no doubt be inconvenient for Gerrard. It is surprising that this situation has arisen – the Gers confirmed the free transfer signing of Sakala on May 4, two months ago today, so he has had plenty of time to get to Glasgow and get ready for the season.

There could be plenty more pressure and expectation on the £3.6m-valued Zambia international (Transfermarkt) next term given that Alfredo Morelos could be on the way out of the door – he continues to be linked with a move to Porto (Antena 1). As such, the Ibrox outfit must look to sort out these problems as soon as possible.

In other news, this Rangers man has received a four-game ban.

Out of sorts, out of the team and still out of England reckoning. Dele Alli could be feeling a sense of deja vu at Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Had Jose Mourinho remained in charge in north London, then there was always going to be a chance that the 25-year-old had moved onto pastures new but after the Portuguese’s sacking, he was given a new lease of life under new manager Nuno Santo.

And after starting their opening six league games, it certainly looked as if the England midfielder was going to be an influential figure under the 47-year-old.

However, he was a half-time casualty during their embarrassing defeat to arch-rivals Arsenal in the north London derby several weeks ago and has not featured since.

In his absence, Spurs have won back-to-back matches, ending a run of three straight heavy defeats with him in the side.

The £27m-rated star was restricted to only 1,355 minutes across all competitions last season, in which just 617 were in the Premier League as Mourinho did not favour him whatsoever – hardly a surprise after dubbing him “lazy” in more colourful terms during training, as seen in their ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries.

Football Insider even reported in September that Spurs were considering selling him, with sources claiming that he is ‘difficult to manage behind the scenes’ and is an ‘inconsistent trainer.’

Alli was a player known for bringing goals and creativity from midfield and at just 25, he should be continuing to elevate his game heading into the peak years of his career.

Back in 2016/17, the 6 foot 2 dynamo provided 18 goals and seven assists in one Premier League season alone. By comparison, he has delivered only nine goals and five assists since the start of the 2019/20 season, as per WhoScored.

His old form earned serious comparisons to the likes of Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard but after clinching 37 caps, he has not been called up by Gareth Southgate in over two years – his last appearance coming in the UEFA Nations League third-placed playoff in June 2019.

Lilywhites legend Darren Anderton described Alli as a “freak of a talent” who is “a real joy to watch” after that lucrative goalscoring campaign, yet we’ve not seen such returns in a long, long time.

Nuno’s recent decision to axe him from his regular starting XI must be a major cause for concern for Alli, even more so as the side appear to be winning without him and Tanguy Ndombele’s recent form certainly makes his chances of breaking back in even more difficult.

Heading into the winter transfer window and beyond, the 25-year-old star may well be fighting for his future in N17.

AND in other news, Paratici could land Nuno’s next Neves in Spurs swoop for £18.9m-rated “special player”…

Many Everton fans have been left flocking to some transfer news on Andrea Belotti.

As per transfer specialist Alfonso Leocadio, the striker is now being ‘heavily considered’ by the Goodison Park faithful, as well as a number of other clubs in Europe.

He wants to leave Torino and will be a free agent next summer, giving the Merseyside club a good chance of securing his signature.

With Salomon Rondon not firing at the moment, the Toffees need another striker to help out Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Belotti is a proven goalscorer.

The Italy international has no fewer than 163 senior career goals in total for both club and country combined, and is still just 27 years of age.

However, the fact that he has only managed to score one goal this season has seemingly put off some Blues, and he has no prior experience of playing in English football.

Everton fans on Belotti transfer news

These EFC supporters gave some mixed reactions to the transfer news as it was shared on Twitter:

“I’ll take that”

Credit: @CalumDMoore

“Love this. Everton should be giving Martial a look too if Luis Diaz deal is completely off the table”

Credit: @EvertoninLA

“Yes please”

Credit: @MattyHughes10

“Not a fan”

Credit: @BobbyW1878

“Do Everton ever learn? One in three-ish goalscorer at best apart from one season years ago. Want to sign young hungry players and build a team for the future. “Free” and paying him huge loyalty bonuses and massive weekly salary. No thanks”

Credit: @toffeepjc

“Nope”

Credit: @adamm1878

In other news, find out which big name Everton are leading the race to sign here!

Queens Park Rangers are interested in a deal to bring Kai Garande to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that Mark Warburton’s team are lining up a deal for the Charlton Athletic left-back, with the Rs believed to be keen on strengthening their U23 side ahead of next season.

The report continues by stating that the 18-year-old is set to train with the Rs this week, with developments regarding the youngster’s contract at The Valley meaning that he would be available on a free transfer this summer.

Finally, it is claimed that QPR are not the only side interested in a move for the defender, with competition for the highly-rated player’s signing expected.

Warburton surely buzzing

While Garande is yet to make a professional appearance for Charlton, considering the significant amount of noise regarding the player’s potential, the fact that QPR appear to be leading the race for his signature this summer is sure to have left Warburton buzzing.

Indeed, Charlton’s U18s head coach Anthony Hayes appears to believe that the 18-year-old has a fantastic future in the game, as can be seen from his comments when discussing Garande in an interview with Benjy Nurick last year:

“Kai signed at U14, left-back, very good left foot, loves to get forward, and definitely is a threat when he joins in with the attacking side of things.

“He’s got a good left foot so he’s very capable of delivering, not only from dead balls but crosses, beating players 1v1. He’s got a trick to go past people and a good left foot and he does enjoy the attacking side of the game as many modern full-backs tend to do.

“He’s an intelligent boy, Kai. He’s a thinker. He does grasp that defensive side of it. The pride he’s now showing in his 1v1 defensive situations as well as improving his footwork is something he wants to ensure is a real strength of his.

“He’s a good kid. He’s a bit of a quiet assassin! You never really hear him, but he’s always involved in some light-hearted fun. He’s got a lovely personality, he’s very easy to speak to, and he’s a thoughtful kid. He thinks about the game.”

As such, it would indeed appear that, if QPR do indeed go on to win the race for the left-back this summer, Warburton could well have something of a star in the making on his hands.

And, although it may take a little while for fans of the club to see Garande in action for the first team, the fact that the Rs are not only searching for immediate improvements to their starting XI this summer, but also considering the long-term future of the side, is certainly something that should delight the QPR faithful.

In other news: Imagine him & Austin: Bhatia must seal QPR swoop for “unplayable” £2.7m-rated machine