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Rafa Benitez led his Everton team to a point at Old Trafford as the Toffees held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Anthony Martial gave United the lead in the first half with an assured finish inside the box after Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina were dragged inside, with Andros Townsend failing to provide cover for the former.

Excellent play from Demarai Gray created space for Aboulaye Doucoure in the middle and he then threaded the ball through for Townsend to clinically convert the equaliser.

Whilst Townsend may grab the headlines with his Old Trafford strike, Rafa Benitez’s unsung hero was Godfrey at right-back.

The ex-Norwich man is a central defender by trade but did not look out of place at right-back as he impressed in Manchester. He was strong defensively and composed on the ball, almost setting up a late winner for Everton in the second half.

Godfrey controlled the ball 25 yards out and prodded a clever ball through to Tom Davies in acres of space inside the United penalty area, only for the midfielder to pass to an offside Yerry Mina instead of making use of the time he had to get a shot away himself. The 23-year-old had the time to set himself and take a free shot at David de Gea’s goal, which could have resulted in an assist for Godfrey.

Defensively, Godrey was a rock for Everton. As per SofaScore, he won eight duels during the game, including five of his seven attempted ground duels. He also made six clearances and four tackles, whilst only being dribbled past once in the entire match.

This shows how strong he was at the back for the Toffees. You could question his positioning on the Martial goal, although he was trying to prevent Bruno Fernandes from doing damage and did not have any support from his winger, which made it a difficult situation for him to handle.

Aside from that incident, however, he was almost flawless. Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo came on in the second half and Godfrey did not give a sniff to either of them, particularly Sancho on his flank, as he was able to stay solid throughout the 90 minutes.

Never mind Townsend, the 23-year-old defender was the real hero for Everton today. Benitez will surely be delighted with his display and hoping that he can maintain this standard for the rest of the campaign, whether he is playing at centre-back or right-back.

AND in other news, “Let the fans down numerous times” – Exclusive: Michael Ball drops major Everton verdict…

Paul Robinson has offered his thoughts on Leeds’ pursuit of Wolves forward Adama Traore.

What’s the talk?

Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson has admitted that he would love to see Marcelo Bielsa’s side sign Adama Traore from fellow Premier League side Wolves this summer. Leeds and Spurs are both reportedly interested in signing the forward, who is said to be valued at around £45m by his current club.

Robinson told MOTLeeds: 

“That’s good money. He’s a good player, I rate him.

“He’s not the finished article yet but he’s a lot more polished than when he left Middlesbrough. He was a bit rough around the edges, his final ball wasn’t there and it was just his raw pace and power.

“Now, he’s combined that with intelligence and delivery of the ball final with goals.

“He’s a player that I’ve admired for the last couple of seasons because he’s really come on. I’d love to see him at Leeds.”

Imagine him and Raphinha

Victor Orta must work hard to secure a deal for Traore in the coming weeks, with Robinson outlining why he would be an excellent signing for the club.

He still has room for growth and development, but already has the pace, power, and quality to make an impact in the Premier League. The Leeds chief could form a terrifying attacking line-up by adding Traore to the club’s wing options alongside Raphinha.

Traore has provided six goals and 11 assists in the past two seasons for Wolves in the top-flight, showing that he has been able to add end product to his all around play. To highlight these qualities, Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp previously hailed Traore as unplayable. He said: “He is unplayable in moments, it’s unbelievable. What a player – it’s not only him but he’s so good.”

He only managed two assists in the Premier League last term but averaged 1.5 key passes per game – more than the 1.3 he averaged the previous year when he registered nine assists. This could be linked to Raul Jimenez’s injury, with the Mexican scoring 17 goals in the 2019/20 season before only playing 10 times the following season due to his unfortunate head collision.

Therefore, it may have been his teammates at fault for his unimpressive assist total. He could fare better at Leeds, with the likes of Raphinha, Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison alongside him – who managed 31 goals between them.

Raphinha racked up six goals and nine assists for the Whites in the Premier League, whilst averaging 2.1 key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game. Traore, meanwhile, averaged 1.5 key passes and a mouth-watering 4.1 dribbles completed per game.

This shows how effective the pair are at running at defenders and creating chances for their teammates in the top-flight. So, imagine both of them in the same team, sprinting at opposition players with the ball and getting supporters off their seats in anticipation of a moment of magic. It could be terrifying for opposition teams.

AND in other news, Leeds receive transfer boost in chase for “wholehearted” beast, fans will be buzzing…

As Liverpool’s top two goalscorers in the Premier League so far this season, it’s safe to say that Sadio Mane (7) and Mohamed Salah (11) have been two of the Merseyside club’s most important players in this campaign.

Unfortunately for the Reds, the prolific duo will be unavailable to play in January when they join their respective countries to play in the upcoming AFCON tournament.

While this definitely will be a big problem for Jurgen Klopp’s side, they have one player at the Merseyside club that could well be a suitable temporary replacement for the star wingers when January comes around.

17-year-old winger Kaide Gordon joined Liverpool back in February from Championship side Derby County.

Since then, the teenager, who is currently valued at £900k according to Transfermarkt, has made eight appearances for Liverpool’s U18 side, racking up six goals and providing three assists in that time.

The attacker, who has been described as having a “bit of magic in him” by fellow Liverpool youngster Tom Clayton, has also made four appearances for Liverpool’s U23 side, scoring three times and supplying one assist in the process, highlighting his attacking prowess at such a young age.

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Gordon made his senior debut for the Reds in their 3-0 win over Norwich City in the Carabao Cup where he played the full 90 minutes before being included on the substitutes bench in their recent 4-0 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League.

Taking all of this into account and the fact that Liverpool will be without Mane and Salah for a period in January, Klopp should definitely consider giving Gordon the chance to shine in the Premier League. Should he impress, then he will be more than suitable to fill in for the senior duo over the winter.

If Gordon does get the chance to play regularly at some point this season and manages to demonstrate what an attacking talent he is, the teen could well prove to be a valuable asset for Liverpool as they bid to keep themselves in the title race.

In other news: Big blow: Klopp dealt injury setback that is sure to leave Liverpool fans gutted – opinion

Everton have been going through a rough patch with injuries recently, with star striker Dominic Calvert Lewin side-lined since the beginning of the season.

Rafa Benitez’s side currently sit 11th in the Premier League after a bad run of form winning just four games so far this season.

There is no doubt that the large list of injuries has had an adverse effect on the Toffees, but Rafa Benitez will be thrilled that they seem to be on the other side of their crisis, with Richarlison and Yerry Mina already back in training ahead of the return of the Premier League.

Everton have been suffering defensive frustrations, leaking cheap goals, and at the other end of the pitch, not scoring enough to edge the three points needed, both Richarlison and Mina will be the perfect solutions for those issues going forward, but face huge competition in a number of difficult fixtures before Christmas.

The Blues will face Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City in the next few weeks and will be hoping to pick up points to tackle their tight top half of the table challenge.

One highly anticipated, long-awaited return that Rafa will be hoping to revive Everton’s season by unleashing £40.5m rated, Dominic Calvert Lewin.

The Everton frontman is renowned for his passion and performances in big games, of which Everton have plenty to come, there is no doubt the return of the forward would be a massive boost for the side, reigniting the confident attacking threat and dominance that the side are crying out for.

The 24-year-old striker was only tipped to be out of action for 2 or 3 weeks when he sustained an injury in August and has missed ten games so far following a setback in his rehabilitation.

Calvert Lewin spoke on Sky Sport’s Monday Night Football recently and discussed his injury woes.

He said: “It’s been so frustrating to start the season with three goals in three games and be sidelined.

“The hardest part is the mental part, to see the lads play and not have an impact. I love scoring goals and that’s what keeps me going in my rehab. It’s difficult.

“Being a player I want to play every game. To watch it, it’s difficult when results don’t go your way and you can’t help.”

However, the target man who was once dubbed a “nightmare” by teammate Richarlison, is supposed to be back in action over the next few weeks and even made comments over the weekend suggesting he could possibly be back for the upcoming Merseyside derby on the 1st of December, which will be a huge relief to Everton fans.

Rafa Benitez will be looking forward to implementing his best players back into his side and hopefully establishing a good run of form to climb the table with the Toffees before the turn of the year. The player who bagged 21 times last term will undoubtedly help revive their fortunes.

In other news: Everton given a boost with return of Yerry Mina

Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld is edging closer to completing a move to Qatari side Al-Duhail, according to a recent report from The Telegraph.

The Belgium international has been with the club since 2015, and has made 236 appearances in total for the London-based side, having previously been on the books with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.

That includes making 35 appearances for Spurs last season, as they finished seventh in the Premier League table. But it’s set to be a summer of change at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with experienced players potentially heading for the exit door, to make way for new signings.

With Spurs edging closer to a deal to sign Atalanta defender Cristian Romero, Alderweireld would likely have been pushed down the pecking order in Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, so he’s seemingly set to depart instead.

The Telegraph claim that a deal is worth £13million, but is dependent on whether personal terms are agreed between Alderweireld and the Qatari club in the near future.

The defender stands at 6ft 1in tall, and reportedly earns £150,000 per-week according to Salary Sport, and Spurs’ supporters will be hoping that those wages can be reinvested wisely in the near future.

Spurs are set to take on Manchester City in their opening league match of the 2021/22 league campaign, and plenty of Spurs supporters took to social media to react to the news that Alderweireld will not be involved, with many being impressed that the club are set to receive £13million for him this summer.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from Twitter below….

Spurs fans react

“Wow we kept it quiet too, hopefully some others sales are close.”

Credit: @domsougly

“Woah, sweet deal if true.”

Credit: @spursman_foreve

“He was our best defender last year!”

Credit: @PoliticalGraham

“If we manage to make profit on a 33 year old fair play.”

Credit: @jacob_baum_

“13 mill. Damm we acc got a good deal.”

Credit: @k7rd_tohn

“13 mill is useful you know but why did it have to be the only competent defender we currently own?”

Credit: @frank_morrish

“Paratici is the greatest thing to happen for spurs oh my days.”

Credit: @reallynotsrs

“Paratici beautiful man.”

Credit: @abhicoys

Leeds United could be facing late transfer misery over Cagliari’s Nahitan Nandez as a fresh twist emerges in their pursuit of the midfielder.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks had suggested that Marcelo Bielsa is eyeing up a summer move for the 25-year-old, with Italian publication La Nuova Sardegna even claiming that the Whites were ready to pay the €36m (£31m) release clause in order to bring him to Elland Road.

However, Il Giorno has now claimed (via Cagliari News 24) that Serie A giants Inter have joined the fray to sign Nandez, and that their offer could include the the likes of Radja Nainggolan and Andrea Pinamonti in a deal.

The report added that Inter will not give up on his signing.

Marcelo Bielsa will be livid

After reports emerged last year that Leeds were keen on signing Nandez, it’s clear that the Uruguayan has been a real key target for Bielsa as the manager looks to beef up his central midfield positions.

Connor Clancy, editor-in-chief at Forza Italian Football, has previously raved about what Nandez could bring to the table at Leeds, telling This Is Futbol: “Anywhere Bielsa wants to play him, he’d do a job. I like him a lot. I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”

Given the fact that he had a release clause in his contract, Leeds knew exactly what they needed to do if they were serious about signing him, rather than delaying or wasting time over potentially haggling a fee.

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Now that they’ve left it so long to do so means that rival clubs can swoop in at the last moment, and that appears to be the case with Inter now arriving on the scene.

It’s exactly why Bielsa must be livid that one of his main targets – who he had reportedly insisted on signing this summer – could fall through the club’s grasp.

It would be a major blow to the Leeds manager were Nandez to move somewhere other than Elland Road this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds must sign this player Bielsa loves…

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer believes the Owls could sign winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing in the future if they do not end up signing him now.

Mendez-Laing is currently a free agent after leaving Middlesbrough and has been linked with a move to Wednesday. According to The Star, the Yorkshire club have considered a swoop for the 29-year-old.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire Live journalist Dom Howson (via Football League World) claims Mendez-Laing is a player manager Darren Moore specifically likes.

Considering that, Palmer can see Wednesday easily moving for the Englishman later on in the season should they decide against bringing him to Hillsborough now.

“I think it [signing Mendez-Laing in the future] could be a possibility,” the ex-Wednesday player told TT. “He’s a free agent, so I think if Darren Moore really wanted to get him in now, I’m sure he could do because he’s available on a free.

“But he’s somebody I know Darren admires, so maybe that’s one he’ll look at down the line.”

Whatever happens with Mendez-Laing, it has been a really positive transfer window for Wednesday, who have brought in a whole host of new players following their relegation from the Championship.

With those additions, the Owls will be hoping that they can make a swift return to the second tier of English football.

Leeds United have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Hertha Berlin forward Matheus Cunha.

What’s the story?

The Whites have been linked with a move for the 22-year-old throughout this summer as Marcelo Bielsa looks to strengthen his first-team squad ahead of the upcoming campaign.

And Leeds may be encouraged to make a formal offer for Cunha following some intriguing comments made by Hertha’s newly-appointed sporting director Fredi Bobic.

“If he wants to move on, it will only happen if the price is right,” Bobic revealed in an interview with BuliNews. “It’s simple: either you commit completely and dig in – or you bring up something else that makes sense.

“I had the feeling that the agent thought that was great. That was a clear statement, he can deal with that. And it’s not like there are 20 clubs lining up right now.”

Bielsa will be buzzing

Although Bobic appeared to be relatively content with how the talks with Cunha’s agent had gone, he refused to rule out an imminent exit and suggested the Brazilian can depart the capital club for the right price.

Previously, reports have claimed Hertha will demand £26 million for their prized asset over the coming months after he enjoyed a stellar 2020/21 campaign.

Despite the continued struggles of the Bundesliga outfit, Cunha bagged eight goals and provided a further eight assists in just 28 appearances last season, catching the eye of several sides.

His standout displays saw former Hertha manager Bruno Labbadia dub the South American wizard as “something special”, and it’s easy to undersand why Bielsa is reportedly keen to bring Cunha to West Yorkshire.

The Samba star’s versatility has seen him play on the left-hand-side, as a number 10 and even up-front, making him an ideal fit for Leeds’ fluid system.

Lining up alongside the likes of Raphinha, Jack Harrison and Patrick Bamford next season would make for a daunting prospect for any Premier League defence, and it’s a forward line that every Leeds fan is surely desperate to see.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Raphinha: Leeds can form dream duo in “phenomenal” EURO 2020 sensation 

Following Sunderland’s demise in the play-off semi-finals on Saturday, Lee Johnson will now be turning his attention to building a team capable of going on to secure promotion from League One next season.

With a large number of the Black Cats’ first team playing squad being out of contract this summer – including the likes of Lee Burge, Luke O’Nien, Conor McLaughlin, Denver Hume, Callum McFadzean, Max Power, Grant Leadbitter, Chris Maguire, Aiden McGeady and Charlie Wyke – Johnson and Kristjaan Speakman appear to have a busy transfer window ahead of them in rebuilding the Sunderland squad.

However, one player who it would seem essential for the pair to bring back to the Stadium of Light prior to next season is not mentioned above – Rangers loanee Jordan Jones.

Having joined Sunderland on a temporary deal back in January, the 26-year-old winger impressed over his 20 League One appearances for Johnson’s side, scoring three goals, registering four assists and creating two big chances for his teammates.

Furthermore, Jones also took an average of 1.6 shots and made 1.9 key passes per game, with these metrics culminating in a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.08 – ranking him as the club’s fifth-best performer in the third tier.

With it being reported back in February that Jones would be keen on a switch to England permanently this summer, as well as Rangers thought to be willing to discuss a deal regarding the winger for a fee of around £600,000, the door would very much appear to be wide open for Johnson to make a move for the Northern Ireland international.

However, whether or not Sunderland’s failure to secure promotion to the Championship has an impact on Jones’ decision over a return to the Stadium of Light remains unclear at present, but this should not stop the Black Cats doing all they can to secure the services of one of their stand out players this season – one whom Kris Boyd claimed is a “nightmare” for defenders to play against.

In other news: Kyril Louis-Dreyfus could be on the verge of making his biggest Sunderland mistake yet – opinion

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans to bring three players to St. James’ Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

90min reporter Graeme Bailey has revealed the three deals that PIF are plotting to complete heading into the upcoming transfer window as they look to bolster their squad for 2022/23.

Bailey Tweeted: “Newcastle United are ready to press ahead with the transfer plans they set in motion in January, and will look to finalise deals for Hugo Ekitike, Matt Targett and Jesse Lingard.”

Eddie Howe will be on cloud nine

The Magpies head coach will be left on cloud nine by this update as all three players would be excellent signings for the club.

Firstly, Targett would be a sensible, excellent, permanent signing for the Toon. He is a reliable, proven, Premier League performer who has been solid for Newcastle since joining on loan in January.

In the top-flight this season, he has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 6.92 across 29 starts, which shows that he can deliver on a regular basis from left-back in the division.

Secondly, Lingard has the potential to be an exciting addition to the team. He has found game time hard to come by at Manchester United this season but caught the eye on loan at West Ham last term as he scored nine goals and provided four assists in 16 league outings.

This shows that he has the quality to be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch. The only question mark would be over whether he can sustain that over the course of an entire campaign as he caught fire in a six-month spell at the London Stadium.

Finally, Ekitike would be a phenomenal signing for now and for the future. He has produced nine goals and two assists in 14 Ligue 1 starts for Stade Reims and this suggests that he would be able to have an immediate impact on the team if he can adjust to English football.

However, he also has the scope to develop and improve over time at the age of 19. He has the majority of his career left ahead of him and that means he is a player the club can nurture over the course of a number of years, making him a good signing and investment at the same time.

Therefore, Howe will be on cloud nine if PIF can get all three of these deals over the line as they would all be fantastic additions in their own right.

AND in other news, Keith Downie drops exciting £50m Newcastle transfer claim that’ll delight supporters…