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When Carlo Ancelotti left Everton, they were losing one of the most decorated coaches in world football.

The Italian is a proven winner who has lifted major trophies in Germany, England and Spain. Ancelotti is also a manager who’s had the privilege of coaching some of the finest footballers to grace the modern game.

Therefore, to even have him at Goodison Park in the first place was a considerable coup for Farhad Moshiri.

As the hierarchy contemplate replacements, they will need to consider more proven winners.

Rafa Benitez, a Champions League winner with Liverpool, has been contacted, while Manuel Pellegrini is also an option. The Chilean is another coach with a background of success, guiding Manchester City to the Premier League title in 2013/14.

A fresh name in the hat to become Everton’s new manager is one of the most successful around. In this instance, we’re talking about Turkey’s answer to Pep Guardiola – Fatih Terim.

According to Fotospor, Everton have made an offer to the 67-year-old in a bid to bring him to England. Moshiri ordered Marcel Brands to speak with Terim and a meeting has taken place behind the scenes as the club step up their chase for Ancelotti’s successor.

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Dubbed the “Emperor” in his home country, the veteran has only ever had two spells outside of Turkey, with Fiorentina and Milan.

That said, he’s enjoyed an enormous amount of success throughout the years. When it comes to winning titles on a regular basis, there are few better around Europe.

Terim impressively won the UEFA Cup with Galatasaray at the turn of the millennium and has gone on to win the top flight of Turkish football with the same club on eight different occasions. He has three Turkish Cups to his name and also reached the semi-finals of the European Championship in 2008 when he led his home nation.

His record is fabulous, but whether he’d be able to impress in English football remains to be seen.

As we all know by now, the Premier League is a different beast to many leagues around the world. The money and expectations are huge but Terim has achieved above expectations in the past – that UEFA Cup win and European Championship run tell a fascinating story.

There might more eye-catching candidates in the form of David Moyes and Christophe Galtier, but Terim certainly isn’t a bad option for Everton to consider.

AND in other news, Everton to make their move for “special” 47 y/o manager, it’ll upset Kenwright…

Leicester City are set to open talks with Youri Tielemans over a new contract at the King Power Stadium, and Brendan Rodgers will surely be delighted at the prospect of the midfielder extending his stay.

The 24-year-old hit a stunning strike over the weekend to seal a historic FA Cup final win for the Foxes against Chelsea, and the Midlands outfit are set to reward the Belgium international with improved terms.

According to the Daily Mail, Leicester are planning on significantly increasing Tielemans’ wages, making him one of the club’s top-earning players alongside Jamie Vardy and Kasper Schmeichel.

The former Monaco man has been crucial to the Foxes’ success this season, starting 35 of Leicester’s 36 Premier League games, scoring six goals and providing four assists in the process. His exploits have helped the 2015/16 champions to break into the top four once again, and a place in the 2021/22 edition of the Champions League is well within their grasp.

As the Foxes continue to assert themselves at the top end of the table and disturb the established ‘Big Six,’ keeping hold of their best assets will be critical to their continued progression.

Tielemans’ impressive 7.09 WhoScored rating illustrates his importance to Leicester and his quality was further highlighted by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola after an impressive display against the Cityzens earlier in the campaign.

“Tielemans is a top, top-class player. I remember when I arrived, my first season, and Vincent Kompany started speaking about him when he was in the national team for Belgium, how good he was in that period. Vincent, as always, he was right,” recalled the Spaniard.

Building on their incredible FA Cup triumph will now be the main focus of Rodgers and everyone at Leicester, and the importance of Tielemans in those plans cannot be downplayed.

His 1.3 key passes, 82.6 touches and 2.1 tackles per game (SofaScore) this season showcase how the Anderlecht academy graduate is at the centre of everything his team does, and if Tielemans puts pen to paper on this proposed new contract, then it could be the start of an exciting new chapter for Leicester.

In other news…Forget Tielemans: “Colossal” Leicester gem who won 78% of his duels was Rodgers’ FA Cup star – opinion

After seeing him shine out on loan last season, Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa must finally look to unleash Alfie McCalmont in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old was in impressive form for Oldham Athletic in League Two, scoring ten goals in 41 games in all competitions, and providing a further five assists too, being a key reason behind why they avoided relegation to non-league.

After seeing him make waves at Boundary Park, former Leeds man Noel Whelan waxed lyrical about the midfielder, saying: “He is a player that is immensely talented and he will do very well for Oldham. The way he plays the game is very intelligent.

“This is not a loan with a view to a permanent move from Leeds, this is a learning process. You have to be mentally tough to go out on loan, especially in League Two because it is more direct and robust compared to what you would get in the Premier League and Championship. He will be learning a lot about his game.”

And, speaking after he saw the 21-year-old put pen to paper on a new long-term deal to stay at Elland Road, Whelan insisted that Bielsa should be looking to utilise him more often.

He said: “A very good player, great on the ball and a good football mind. He is one that is learning his trade from watching Kalvin and being in and around that first-team setup.

“It is important that these young lads are integrated. It is vital for their progression and to give them confidence to step in when needed because there will be injuries and suspensions. Use them – that is why you have an academy and youth policy.”

A season away at Oldham, where he’s had regular football and developed into a real goal-scoring midfielder, will stand the youngster in good stead and will give Bielsa another option in the middle of the park.

And given he has already been involved in Bielsa’s set-up, he could go onto make a real impression and potentially even partner Phillips in the engine room and give Leeds that vital source of goals from central midfield – compare to McCalmont’s ten, the best a midfielder for the Whites managed was the four Mateusz Klich netted.

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The Leeds starlet may feel that next season offers him the perfect opportunity to show Bielsa that he’s deserving of a chance in the first-team.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa is eyeing this Raphinha-like star…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Bundesliga expert Daniel Pinder believes Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic is very similar to Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Kalajdzic has been a revelation in the Bundesliga this season, ranking among the top scorers in the division.

The 6 ft 7 forward is now being linked with a move to the Premier League, with Everton just one club said to be interested in his services.

According to Italian outlet Tutto Juve, the Toffees and Newcastle United are both keen on the player, while Juventus are his admirers from Italy.

For Pinder, Kalajdzic is an individual who could bring a lot to Goodison Park and shares some similarities with Calvert-Lewin.

When asked whether the two could play alongside each other, the editor-in-chief at Get German Football News told FFC:

“I think they’re quite similar in terms of goal threat, but Kalajdzic can drop deep and play as a central attacking midfielder or as a false nine, so he can offer a lot to Everton.”

As well as Everton and Newcastle, West Ham are also said to be interested in the Austria international’s signature.

It means the Merseyside club could have a real battle on their hands should Kalajdzic decide he wants to move to England, especially if West Ham manage to qualify for the Champions League.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy must look to offload Serge Aurier this summer amid interest in his signature.

In the past few days, several clubs have emerged as a potential destination for the divisive £18m-rated right-back.

According to RMC Sport (via Get French Football News), Spurs are keen to move him on for around €10m (£9m), with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid keeping tabs on his situation, whilst Foot Mercato have surprisingly claimed that even Real Madrid have enquired about a move.

If he leaves for that sort of money, then Levy would have lost around £14m on the Ivorian in the four years that he has been at the club, having originally joined from PSG for around £23m in August 2017.

Aurier will enter the final year of his current £120,000-per-week contract at the end of the season but, even if he had several years to go, Spurs should be seeking to push him out the door at all costs.

Saturday’s defeat to Leeds United was another small reminder that he costs the north London giants more than helps them, and perhaps it’s now a step too far to rely on him for much longer.

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During the game, former Lilywhites player Jamie O’Hara, now a pundit at talkSPORT, blasted the 28-year-old for his performance. “Aurier is just an absolute liability,” the 34-year-old wrote on Twitter just half an hour into the match.

That comment is merely just one of many we’ve seen in recent weeks, and perhaps throughout the entire time that Aurier has been a regular for Spurs.

After their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City only two weeks ago, Sky Sports analyst Jamie Carragher piled into the 66-cap Ivory Coast international (via talkSPORT) and said: “Aurier is maybe one of the biggest liabilities in Premier League football and is a player who would possibly put you off management with the amount of crazy decisions he makes.”

Despite all of these scathing verdicts of the right-back, he has still started 19 times in the Premier League this season and even usurped Matt Doherty to be Jose Mourinho’s, and now Ryan Mason’s, first-choice option in the role.

However, with defensive mistakes being the defining theme of Spurs’ turbulent season, it would be wise for Levy to cash in on the 28-year-old before the next manager arrives to give him one less headache to worry about.

If any bids come in for Aurier, then Spurs must take what they can get for him.

AND in other news, Levy could repeat his fatal Hoddle mistake if Spurs appoint “intelligent” 40 y/o…

Charlton Athletic can move into the League One play-off zone with a win this afternoon, but standing in their way is fellow promotion-chasers Sunderland as the two go head-to-head at the Stadium of Light.

The Addicks’ second Easter clash was postponed, so they head into this one on the back of a 1-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers last time out, whilst the Black Cats drew with Peterborough United in a top-of-the-table clash.

This will be Nigel Adkins’ third game in charge since taking the helm following the departure of Lee Bowyer last month. But what sort of XI could he name today?

Here’s the XI we’re predicting…

There could be as many as three changes for the trip to the northeast.

Much of the back four that kept a clean sheet against Rovers should remain, barring one alteration at right-back as the vastly experienced Chris Gunter comes back in over 29-year-old Adam Matthews.

The 31-year-old could be needed in a fixture of this magnitude, so he’ll start alongside skipper Jason Pearce and Ryan Innis in the middle, with Ben Purrington continuing at left-back.

All in front of Ben Amos between the sticks.

In midfield, usual stalwarts Jake Forster-Caskey and Darren Pratley will surely remain, though Andrew Shinnie could start alongside them in the engine room, meaning Alex Gilbey faces the axe.

Further up the pitch, we’re predicting Addicks top goalscorer Chuks Aneke to return to the starting XI, possibly on the left flank as Preston loanee Jayden Stockley continues through the middle in the absence of Conor Washington.

The 27-year-old dynamo replaces Diallang Jaiyesimi, whilst Ian Maatsen, a full-back by trade, could remain on the right wing after scoring his first senior goal in the role against Doncaster.

AND in other news, Charlton may have ideal Stockley successor in 21 y/o gem who has “energy and power”…

Make no mistake about it, Leeds United’s 2-1 triumph against Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon was one of their greatest results of the modern era.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been involved in some eye-catching games against the Premier League’s elite this season, including the reverse fixture at Elland Road which ended 1-1.

After initially taking the lead through Stuart Dallas, and then seeing Liam Cooper sent off in controversial fashion, the Whites managed to seal all three points in the dying moments of the game thanks to their Northern Irish ace.

While Dallas will no doubt take the headlines for his match-winning brace, spare a thought for Gjanni Alioski, who put in a superb shift at left-back.

Ahead of the game, there were serious doubts about just how well he would do coming up against Pep Guardiola’s much-vaunted City side, and even here on Football FanCast, there were calls for him to be dropped from the starting line-up.

However, to his immense credit, the £15,000-a-week earning stuck to his task diligently and produced the kind of impressive display which will have sent Bielsa huge message about whether he could still be a decent performer at this level. His contract at Elland Road comes to an end this summer, and reports have even suggested that Turkish giants Galatasaray have him offered him a deal.

Alioski was at his best today, showing some defensive discipline to try and handle City’s outstanding right-flank of Ferran Torres and Joao Cancelo – the latter being one of the top full-backs of this season with two goals and five assists to his name.

Stopping them was no easy task, but Alioski was strong in the tackle and didn’t take too many unnecessary risks with the ball. As per Sofascore, his tally of three tackles were the second-most of any Leeds player on the day, while his five clearances were the highest bar none.

The left-back didn’t shirk any of the 50/50s either, winning nine of his 17 total duels – that figure was the highest of any player on both sides.

Alioski was also crucial in Dallas’ winner of course, providing a superb pass for the 29-year-old to run onto and fire home past Ederson in the City net.

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While one game certainly doesn’t make a player, Alioski’s superb performance away at the Premier League’s runaway leaders has surely given Bielsa some food for thought about his future at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Leeds could reach a new level by signing this Premier League star…

West Ham will strive to bounce back from defeat at Manchester United and put the pressure on Chelsea with a London derby victory over Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

The Irons can move level with the Blues in fourth place in the Premier League with a win over Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, as the Stamford Bridge natives host Sheffield United in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Arsenal’s trip to the London Stadium marks West Ham’s game in hand over Thomas Tuchel’s outfit, who presently sit in the last of the Champions League qualifying places and with a superior goal difference to the Hammers.

However, David Moyes is facing a number of injury concerns approaching the international break. With that in mind, here’s a potential line-up which the claret and blue side could field against Arsenal…

Moyes opted to field a five-man defence against Manchester United last time out, with academy product Ben Johnson recalled to occupy the left-back spot beside Aaron Cresswell, Issa Diop, Craig Dawson and Vladimir Coufal.

The 21-year-old fared reasonably well, although was hauled off alongside Mark Noble early in the second half to allow the Irons to go more aggressive with the introduction of Manuel Lanzini and Said Benrahma.

Lanzini was a bright spark from the off and just what West Ham lacked without Jesse Lingard, and will expect to join the Red Devils loanee in the starting line-up against Arsenal as a reward for his promising contribution.

Lingard could not feature at Old Trafford due to the terms of the Irons’ loan agreement, but is in contention for a recall this weekend in search of a fifth goal or third assist since moving to the London Stadium in the winter market.

Noble had very little impact on proceedings against Manchester United as the £50,000-per-week veteran made only his fourth start of the Premier League term, and was often overrun in the engine room with the Red Devils’ pace too much for the 33-year-old to handle.

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With Arsenal boasting a number of quick players and Arteta’s tactics seeing the Emirates Stadium natives move the ball around more than most top-flight sides, Moyes will be expected to drop Noble and Johnson for a return to a 4-2-3-1 formation on Sunday.

A return to the system utilised for 13 of West Ham’s 28 Premier League fixtures this season will further be expected to see Jarrod Bowen return to the wing after being deployed at centre-forward beside Michail Antonio last week.

Moyes will be unable to call on the likes of Pablo Fornals (groin) and Angelo Ogbonna (ankle) against the Gunners due to injuries, having noted on Friday that West Ham will have the same group of players available to him which faced Manchester United.

“We’ve got just about everybody the same [as last week],” Moyes said. “Pablo Fornals is improving, and, on the injury front, Angelo Ogbonna is closing in and getting much closer to fitness but he’s a wee bit away.

“Arthur Masuaku and Andriy Yarmolenko are both getting much closer, as well, so hopefully, it won’t be too long until we’re back to a full squad.”

Two changes to be expected from last week, then.

AND in other news, a West Ham winter target is set to be available for £17m this summer…

Plenty of Aston Villa supporters have been giving their thoughts on Dean Smith’s recent comments regarding the club’s plans for the summer transfer window.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash with Fulham, the manager admitted he hasn’t spoken with the board about spending big this summer.

The club spent more than £88m during the current campaign, with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Bertrand Traore, Emiliano Martinez, Matty Cash and Morgan Sanson all arriving in the Midlands in eight-figure deals.

Recent reports have suggested that the club will look to bring in at least one more winger and another centre-forward to challenge Watkins ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

However, Smith kept his cards close to his chest regarding the club’s upcoming transfer market plans. Asked if he has held conversations over another spending spree, as reported by Birmingham Live, the 50-year-old said:

“No, not really. We haven’t spoken about spending big. We’re in a good place at the moment with our squad. We feel that we’ve got a really healthy squad as I said last season.

“If there’s areas and players we find out there that are good value for money then we’ll look to go and bring them in.

“But, we feel we’ve got a good squad at the moment knowing that we don’t need to add too much to.”

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared Birmingham Live’s report regarding Smith’s comments on social media on Friday evening.

Here is what these fans had to say in reply, and some are not happy with the Villa boss.

“Very very worrying if he thinks we are in a good place – deluded”

Credit: @GHIECO2

“Very worrying comments if true. I think taking Jack out the side for the last 6 games proves him wrong here. He also said you forget how good Jack is when he hasn’t trained for a while. What does that say about the quality of the rest?”

Credit: @MTrezzy1981

“If this is true we don’t invest in better quality we won’t move forward. It’s quite simple”

Credit: @Peachy1223

“Dear Mr Smith. If you believe you have a good squad with good options, can you explain please your total reluctance to rotate players and use substitutes? Thanks. x”

Credit: @bozzystuff

“If his expectations are to be in Europe next year, we need several big buys and that includes cover for Grealish when he’s injured.”

Credit: @Martin10041965

“He’s answered that in the same vein as the Jack G return date There is no way on earth we won’t speculate to accumulate this summer”

Credit: @nicknackjames1

In other news: £55k-a-week Villa star not in Smith’s plans, find out more here. 

Marcel Brands hit gold with Everton’s deal to sign defender Ben Godfrey from Norwich City, with Tottenham Hotspur now reported to have been left incensed after missing out.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, some senior Spurs executives have launched an inquest to see what lessons can be learned from missing out on signing Godfrey in October.

The centre-back moved to Goodison Park for £20m after a year in the Premier League with the Canaries, in which he helped Daniel Farke’s side keep two clean sheets in 30 games as the Carrow Road natives were relegated back to the Championship.

Everton are thought to have faced the greatest competition from newly-promoted Fulham in their quest to sign Godfrey, despite the 23-year-old being a player about whom Tottenham had first enquired more than a year before.

Spurs are claimed to have contacted Norwich to discuss Godfrey’s availability ahead of the January 2020 transfer window after discussions over a summer 2019 deal fell through, at which point they were made aware of the Canaries’ £20m-25m valuation.

It is not suggested that the north London outfit returned in the off-season with a new approach, but questions are now being asked as to why Jose Mourinho’s side did not push the Toffees harder before Godfrey penned a five-year deal at Goodison Park.

The England under-21 international has featured in all but three possible games since joining the Blues, having twice been rested and benched once due to a hamstring injury, while starting 22 of his 23 appearances across all competitions.

A Brands masterclass

As well as being a regular across the Everton backline since joining the Toffees, Godfrey has earned more than his fair share of admirers having established himself comfortably against competition from Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate for a central defensive role.

No admirer appears to come bigger than Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti, who Football Insider note considers the £77,000-per-week enforcer to be his best central defender and the one with the most potential.

His performances at full-back after stepping in to replace Lucas Digne following the French ace undergoing surgery on an ankle ligament injury earlier in the season have also garnered rave reviews from former Toffees defender David Weir.

“He’s really stepped up to the plate. We all knew he was a good player when Everton signed him and had high hopes, but he’s exceeded those expectations by the level of his performance, both in central defence and also in full-backs as well,” Weir told Football Pass last month.

Godfrey’s displays in the Everton backline so far this season have returned a higher average number of successful tackles per Premier League game (1.58) than Mina (1) and Keane (0.72), along with a greater haul of ground duels won (2.47 to 1.58 and 0.96), plus more interceptions (1.21) than Mina (1.11), per SofaScore.

The York City product establishing himself so well as Ancelotti’s favoured option will go down as a masterclass by Everton’s Director of Football Brands, who – along with his team – was responsible for bringing Godfrey to Merseyside.

“He has surprised me because I didn’t know him so well,” Ancelotti said of Godfrey, via quotes in the Liverpool Echo last month. “The signing from the club, from our scouts has been good. He has been able to adapt very quickly to different positions.”

AND in other news, Everton can sign a £13.5m-rated brute Carlo Ancelotti thinks is “excellent” for free…