Reports in Portugal suggest Everton have moved into pole position to sign William Carvalho this summer.

What’s the story?

Portuguese outlet Record claimed this morning that Everton were once again hunting Carvalho, and A Bola have now added fuel to the fire by suggesting the Toffees will battle Monaco for his signature.

According to A Bola, Silva wants to reunite with the tough tackling midfielder, after the pair worked together during his time in charge of Sporting CP.

Carvalho, who is expected to star for Portugal at this summer’s World Cup, has been linked with a move to West Ham, but the arrival of Silva could tilt the scales in the Toffees’ favour.

The 26 year-old would be a powerful addition to the Toffee’s lacklustre midfield.

Perfect move to Merseyside?

Carvalho, valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, was one of the standout performers in Portugal’s incredible Euro 2016 win, and has been constantly linked with moves to the Premier League ever since.

The giant defensive midfielder gives you exactly what it says on the tin, averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per game this season.

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Everton have had their fair share of problems this year, but the overriding weaknesses came from midfield, where only Idrissa Gueye could really claim to have had a decent season, and the Senegalese international doesn’t exactly excel with the ball at his feet.

Carvalho would give the Toffees excellent defensive cover, but also provides more going forward than the current options at Goodison, completing over 60 passes per game this season at an impressive 89 per cent completion rate.

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Across 24 league appearances this season, he averages an impressive 4.3 successful long balls per match, and he’s got good feet for a big man too, averaging nearly two successful dribbles per game.

The midfielder is in contract with Sporting CP until 2020, but it is thought a bid in the region of £30m would be enough to secure his services.

So, Everton fans, do you think Silva is right to go after Carvalho? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

According to Italian media outlet Tuttomercatoweb, West Ham United are closing in on the signing of Lazio winger Felipe Anderson for a fee of €30m (around £26.5m), which could rise to €38m (around £33.5m) in add-ons, and Newcastle United should be watching developments closely.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Irons boss Manuel Pellegrini is clearly keen to significantly boost his newly-inherited squad to ensure they are challenging in the top-half of the Premier League next season, and he wants some marquee signings in at the London Stadium to help him achieve that.

The east London outfit appear to be closing in on the Brazilian, with Tuttomercato saying that his agent Kia Joorabchian, who also brokered the deal that took Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez to the club previously, has held positive meetings with Lazio and agreed a €3.5m-a-year (around £60,000-a-week) contract with West Ham.

The winger will provide some much-needed pace and skill on the flanks, and he will likely be competing with Michail Antonio, who earns £70,000-a-week according to the Daily Mail, for a spot in the starting XI on the right-hand side, although equally his arrival could throw the future of the 28-year-old former Southampton and Reading man into doubt.

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Why should Newcastle be monitoring the situation?

Well, Magpies manager Rafa Benitez is determined to strengthen his squad this summer in order to ensure they build upon their impressive 10th-place finish on their return to the Premier League last season, and he may well want to add some more players to the core of his team with top flight experience.

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Antonio would certainly bring that, along with plenty of power and pace, and he would provide some real quality to the Newcastle frontline – as well as some much-needed competition for the likes of Matt Ritchie, Jacob Murphy and Christian Atsu.

The England international is also versatile and capable of playing on either wing, as a wing-back and as a centre-forward, and that is something that should certainly appeal to Benitez and the club, who could see Jonjo Shelvey walk out and Chancel Mbemba revitalised if a £30m deal goes through this summer.

Leeds fans have been debating a possible summer swoop for Jonathan Kodjia, and the overwhelming majority of fans want to bring the towering striker to Elland Road.

Aston Villa could be forced to sell several of their prized assets this summer, with the club on the brink of administration.

Their most valuable player is certainly Jack Grealish, who looks destined for a big money move to the Premier League, but Leeds fans have been eyeing up a few potential bargains of their own.

Leeds won’t be the only Championship club sniffing around if Villa do indeed have a fire sale to stave off their financial troubles, but fans would love a swoop for Kodjia.

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The Ivory Coast international scored 19 league goals in consecutive seasons with Bristol City and Villa, but had a torrid time with injuries last season, scoring just once in nine Championship starts.

The 28 year-old, valued at £8.1m by Transfermarkt, certainly knows where the back of the net is, and will be hungry to prove himself again after such a poor spell with injuries.

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Leeds fans are clearly hoping potential new manager Marcelo Bielsa takes a punt on the big number nine, as a whopping 81 per cent said they should swoop this summer.

You can find the full poll results down below…

Leeds fans have been reacting to this morning’s appointment of Marcelo Bielsa, and they’re already planning for promotion.

2017-18 was a long, miserable season for Leeds fans. What started out as a possible playoff push quickly spiralled out of control after Christmas, eventually costing two managers their jobs.

Paul Heckingbottom’s tenure was particularly infuriating for fans, as the ex-Barnsley’s lack of experience unfortunately shone through.

Owner Andrea Radrizzani certainly can’t be criticised for not learning from his mistakes though, as he has opted for one of the most experienced managers around this time.

The club officially unveiled Bielsa as their new manager on Friday morning, and fans are absolutely buzzing about the news.

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After suffering through plenty of torrid performances and results in recent years, fans are now finally feeling optimistic about the future.

Bielsa is best known for his trademark 3-3-3-1 formation, which allows rapid transitions from defence to attack.

The enigmatic Argentine is also known to have a short fuse, and lasted just two days as Lazio manager back in 2016 before quitting.

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Either way, fireworks and storylines are guaranteed at Elland Road this season, and fans can’t wait for the Bielsa era to begin.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Liverpool fans are enjoying Timo Werner’s performances at the World Cup for Germany and are eager to make a move to sign him from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig.

The 22-year-old has started both of Germany’s games so far in the group stages, part of the side that netted a dramatic winner against Sweden on Saturday night that gives them a chance of qualifying for the knock-out stages.

The attacker has yet to find the back of the net himself, and indeed missed a good chance against the Swedes, but has been a constant attacking outlet for his side throughout the tournament so far.

At club level he’s been a fierce goalscorer. Last season he netted 21 goals in all competitions for RB Leipzig.

Liverpool fans have been impressed and believe that working under compatriot Jurgen Klopp could improve his game even more.

They took to Twitter in the wake of Saturday’s match to share their thoughts on his potential signing…

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Liverpool fans in the Transfer Tavern are loving watching Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold in action for England at the 2018 World Cup.

The Liverpool captain has been immense for the Three Lions helping his nation pick up victories in their opening group games against Tunisia and Panama. Henderson was rested against Belgium with Alexander-Arnold given a chance to impress, and the youngster grabbed his opportunity with both hands. Our punters are hoping their good form continues in the round of 16 fixture against Colombia.

Back on Merseyside, Naby Keita and Fabinho both officially became Liverpool players with Keita taking the historic number 8 jersey previously worn by club legend, Steven Gerrard. Our regulars are excited to see the duo in action but are disappointed with the latest set of reports. According to the Times, Liverpool haven’t reinstated their interest in Lyon’s Nabil Fekir.

Jurgen Klopp is still on the search for attacking reinforcements and should turn his attention to the Bundesliga. The perfect signing could be Bayer Leverkusen – Julian Brandt. Valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, the German played just 19 minutes of football at the World Cup as Germany were knocked out at the group stages.

The 22-year-old is extremely quick and technically gifted. His versatility will appeal to Klopp as the youngster can play right across the forward line or as a number 10, providing much-needed cover to Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. He netted nine goals and created three in the Bundesliga last season and the time is right to move to the Premier League.

Klopp has a reputation for developing young players into world-class stars and Brandt is approaching the prime age for development. The former Wolfsburg man should follow in the footsteps of Leroy Sane and move to England.

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Liverpool fans, thoughts?

Kevin Pietersen has said his forced break from international cricket due to an Achilles injury had refreshed him at a time when he was beginning to fall “out of love with the game”

Cricinfo staff30-Oct-2009Kevin Pietersen, the England batsman, has said that his forced break from international cricket due to an Achilles injury had refreshed him at a time when he was beginning to fall “out of love with the game”.”The big thing is the mental rest,” Pietersen told the . “This year has been one of the toughest of my career, with the captaincy debacle in January plus the injury. My Achilles won’t hamper me any more and I definitely feel fresh mentally. I’ll be starting off really enjoying myself — and this year I haven’t particularly enjoyed playing cricket because I was in pain and because of what happened in January. It’s been a tough thing for me.””I believe everything happens for a reason and these three months have happened to refresh me and knowing that I was sort of falling out of love with the game, it was a symbol or a sign for me to refresh and recharge my batteries.”Pietersen last played for England in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s after which he had surgery on his Achilles. He then missed the following seven-ODI series against Australia, the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa and the inaugural Champions League Twenty20, where he would have played for the Bangalore Royal Challengers.England’s next assignment is a tour of South Africa, which begins in the first week of November. Pietersen is expected to travel to South Africa on November 9 or 10 and, if fit, his comeback match could be the warm-up fixture against South Africa A in Potchefstroom on November 17.”I can’t wait,” he said. “I haven’t been at my best since India last year. Preparation is what I bank on and preparation has definitely been hampered because of external thoughts. These last three months have cleared my brain and my thoughts.”

Jacques Kallis’s participation in this Test was in such doubt last week that South Africa packed him off to an oxygen chamber to hasten his recovery from a rib fracture

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller16-Dec-2009Close South Africa 262 for 4 (Kallis 112*, Duminy 38*) v England

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJacques Kallis was unstoppable as England rued bowling first at Centurion•Getty Images

Jacques Kallis’s participation in this Test was in such doubt last week that South Africa packed him off to an oxygen chamber to hasten his recovery from a rib fracture. The success of his treatment was plain for all to see on the opening day at Centurion, as he produced a brilliant unbeaten 112 to asphyxiate England’s ambitions in the rarefied Highveld atmosphere.In a performance buttressed by solid contributions from Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy, South Africa reached the close of a classic Test-match day on 262 for 4, a healthy return that left Andrew Strauss ruing his decision to bowl first on a green-tinged wicket. There could be no legislating, however, for the class of Kallis, who consigned his shaky form in last year’s tour of England to history to produce his 32nd century in 132 Test appearances.His recent experiences in the IPL have transformed Kallis’s mindset to such an extent that he is even unleashed as an initiative-seizing opener in limited-overs internationals. But nothing rouses him quite like the opportunity to drop anchor and bat all day, and for 203 deliveries he was the epitome of insuperable – just as he had been on England’s last tour of South Africa in 2004-05, when he top-scored for the hosts with 625 runs in five matches.In the course of his masterclass, Kallis had just two significant moments of alarm – the first from his very first delivery when Graham Onions induced a low edge through the cordon, and then again six overs before the close, when Stuart Broad, armed with the new ball, induced a streaky top-edge that flew wide of fine leg to secure his century in an improbably undignified manner.In between whiles, however, he paced his performance to perfection – bedding in when the sting went out of the attack; cashing in when the part-timers, Paul Collingwood and Jonathan Trott were handed exploratory spells; and counterattacking with premeditated effectiveness to knock Graeme Swann off his stride, after England’s offspinner had struck with his second delivery of the match to remove Prince for 45. Just when Swann believed he was turning the screw, Kallis dropped to one knee to put him back in his box with a six and a four through midwicket.Regardless of that indignity, Swann was the stand-out performer for England. Both of his dismissals were straight out of the textbook, with sharp turn and bounce accounting for Prince at slip and de Villiers at short leg in the last over before tea. It added up to the impression that Strauss had been suckered by the lurid nature of the Centurion wicket – to such an extent that he shelved his pre-series plan to hand a debut to the allrounder Luke Wright, and instead turned to the extra batting insurance in Ian Bell.In mitigation, Strauss was also let down to varying degrees by his three-pronged seam attack. England were given a flying start when Graeme Smith was strangled down the leg side for a duck by Broad’s third delivery of the morning, but instead of building on his good fortune, Broad quickly reverted to his back-of-a-length default setting. After an injury-plagued fortnight, James Anderson could not locate his rhythm despite two promising new-ball spells, and though Onions showed the way with a toiling wicket-to-wicket line that accounted for Hashim Amla (19), he succumbed to a calf strain midway through the final session and was limited to 14 overs in the day.To compound England’s frustrations, they also squandered both of their umpiring review opportunities during a foreboding afternoon session in which de Villiers and Kallis added 66 in 20 overs to push South Africa into the ascendancy. In the morning session, Prince had successfully overturned an lbw appeal from Onions when he had made just 19, and England were unable to redress the balance.Strauss had steadfastly (and correctly) refused to be drawn on three earlier occasions, but his resolve cracked twice in quick succession – first when Anderson ducked an inswinger off an inside-edge and into Kallis’s pads, and then when Swann and Prior were convinced that de Villiers had under-edged an attempted slog-sweep. With no HotSpot available to the third umpire, however, that decision was never likely to be overturned, and Strauss was rightly left kicking himself afterwards.As the afternoon wore on and Kallis’s bat grew broader with every delivery, Duminy settled into a tempo to match his senior partner, and was unbeaten on 38 from 103 deliveries at the close, with four fours and a two-stepped driven six off Swann to his name. South Africa’s measured tempo means that England remain very much in contention, especially with a still-new ball in their possession. But Kallis’s intent knows no bounds. Curiously, he has never yet managed a double-century in Tests. The time, he will feel, is nigh to put that right.

Marcus North says he has never taken his spot for granted but does not believe the third Test in Hobart will decide his immediate international future

Cricinfo staff10-Jan-2010Marcus North says he has never taken his spot for granted but does not believe the third Test in Hobart will decide his immediate international future. North has scratched 20 runs in the series against Pakistan and is the most vulnerable in the order following Michael Hussey’s return to form.”Look, I don’t feel like this is a disaster,” North told the Sunday Herald Sun. “I’ve missed out the last two Tests. If I was feeling uncomfortable with my game, I’d be going out and seeking some advice from people. But I’m honestly feeling good. I know I can get a result next week.”North, the No. 6, has posted 8, 10 and 2 against Pakistan to follow his collection of 166 against West Indies in three Tests, which included two half-centuries. One of the major problems for North, who has three hundreds during his 12 Tests, is that he either scores heavily or fails early. He has been dismissed for less than 20 in 13 of his 20 innings, leaving him vulnerable if the selectors want to keep Phillip Hughes in the XI for Hobart if Simon Katich recovers from his elbow injury.”I haven’t lost my confidence,” North said ahead of Thursday’s final Test. “Why shouldn’t I be going into this Test feeling positive? It’s taken me 10 years to play for Australia, I’ve been part of this great team for a year and I’ve just been in an amazing Test win for my country. Obviously, I want more runs, but I’m living my dream and I want to keep it going for as long as possible.”I feel I’m hitting the ball really well in the nets. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to stay out there long enough to build an innings and get that big score. It wasn’t long ago that I hit 68 against the West Indies in Perth and two games later people are asking questions about me. I know I’ve got to start contributing and getting some runs. Hopefully, it starts this week.”

The ICC has asked Cricket Australia for a report into the breach of security that allowed a spectator to rush onto the field and tackle Khalid Latif

Osman Samiuddin01-Feb-2010The ICC has asked Cricket Australia for a detailed report into the breach of security that allowed a spectator to rush onto the field during Australia’s fifth ODI against Pakistan in Perth on Sunday and tackle to the ground Pakistan opener Khalid Latif.The incident occurred in the 46th over as Australia were coming to the end of a tense run-chase. Latif was brought down from behind, but emerged unscathed; the spectator has been charged with assault
and given a life ban from the ground.”Obviously the ICC is very disappointed by the incident,” an ICC spokesperson told Cricinfo. “There has been a clear security breach. We have asked CA to send us a detailed report on the incident before we can make any comment.”Given the ICC’s zero tolerance for such breaches, the matter is being viewed with some concern and it is possible it could be brought up at the ICC executive board meeting, due to take place in Dubai from February 9-11.Condemnation has come in from every quarter over the incident; WACA chief executive Graeme Wood has called for his state government to increase fines for pitch invaders; Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, said he would’ve considered taking his players off the field if it had happened to them.The PCB has also contacted the ICC over the incident. “We have decided to inform the ICC about it,” Nadeem Sarwar, PCB’s media manager, told Cricinfo. “Cricket Australia has also sent us a letter regarding the incident.”