Three points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic with a game in hand in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers will hope to see their January arrivals continue to pay dividends, before potentially turning one arrival permanent this summer.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers enjoyed a busy January transfer window, welcoming Fabio Silva on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Mohamed Diomande on loan from Nordsjaelland and Oscar Cortes on loan from Lens to boost Philippe Clement's attacking options. The Scottish giants were, of course, handed a blow in the form of Abdallah Sima's lengthy injury, creating the need for a player of Cortes' calibre.

After putting pen to paper on the loan move, Cortes told the club's official website: “I am very honoured and privileged to be signing for Rangers. I have heard a lot about the history and tradition of Rangers, and I have had positive conversations with the manager who said I can help the team reach their goals this season.

"I am really excited to join up with my teammates and hopefully exciting the fans with my style of play.”

The winger has certainly impressed so far and could yet stay put at Ibrox. Jonny McFarlane has claimed that Rangers will sign Cortes on a permanent deal this summer.

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The journalist described the Colombian as someone he feels can become a "right good player", telling the Rangers Review Morning Briefing: "Cortes I thought was terrific the other night, he’s been really good since he signed.

"I know he’s only had about 120 minutes, it’s not an awful lot to make a full judgement but I really like his work-rate. I really like his determination to hit the byline. I think he’s going to be a right good player. I think Rangers will sign him.”

"Terrific" Cortes can replace the injured Sima

Whilst Sima's stats show that his injury will be a major blow for Rangers in the comings weeks, it has at least handed Cortes the chance to become the star of the show. Sima managed an impressive 15 goals and two assists in all competitions before his injury left a gaping hole in Clement's attack.

Cortes' seven goal involvements prior to his Ibrox arrival showed plenty of promise and now he can kick on in Scotland. As McFarlane stated, the winger's work rate has one of his standout traits and that should start to be rewarded with an increasing output before he potentially earns a deserved permanent switch from Lens.

The Scottish Premiership title race could be tighter than ever as the games come thick and fast. From silverware being nothing more than a pipe dream under Michael Beale, Rangers have mounted the ultimate comeback since the arrival of Clement – a comeback that could be completed by lifting the ultimate prize come May.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo tenta resolver o futuro de Federico Barrandeguy. Fora dos planos do treinador Marcelo Chamusca, o lateral-direito não recebeu interesse formal de nenhum clube até agora. Por isto, o Alvinegro ofereceu, nos últimos dias, um acordo para rescindir o vínculo do defensor, mas o uruguaio recusou.

O LANCE! apurou que o jogador deu uma resposta negativa para a diretoria do Botafogo por acreditar que ainda pode agregar ao elenco e querer mais tempo de jogo. Barrandeguy quer recuperar espaço no plantel do clube de General Severiano.

Assim como fez com Salomon Kalou recentemente, o Botafogo buscou um acordo financeiro baseado no tempo de contrato restante de Barrandeguy e uma solução para o uruguaio ficar livre no mercado, o que não foi aceito.

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No sentido do interesse de outros clubes, o caminho também não avançou. O uruguaio recebeu sondagens de equipes da América do Sul, mas nada concreto chegou aos empresário ou ao Botafogo.

Federico Barrandeguy sequer foi relacionado por Marcelo Chamusca para jogos da temporada 2021 e, fora dos planos do Alvinegro, este é um dos principais motivos para o clube buscar uma solução a curto prazo envolvendo a situação contratual dele. Existe a possibilidade de haver uma nova renegociação nos próximos dias.

Ao todo, o defensor uruguaio soma 23 partidas disputadas pelo Alvinegro, sem nenhum gol marcado.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Harry Brook scored centuries before the Yorkshire attack made early inroads

David Hopps at Headingley14-Jul-2019

Harry Brook’s helped his side hold on•Getty Images

If this proves to be the day that Somerset’s Championship challenge first showed signs of weakening at least they can console themselves that not everybody will have noticed. But the diehards will know, those with their mind set more on Headingley than England’s presence in a World Cup final, and what they witnessed was a contender for Somerset’s worst day of the season.Somerset have a 15-point buffer over Essex, in second place, but that would be wiped out if they lose against Yorkshire at Headingley while Essex overcome Warwickshire at Chelmsford. They are in quite a pickle – 76 for 4 was no sort of response at all to Yorkshire’s 520, a total that owed much to Gary Ballance’s settling hundred on the opening day, a mood extended on the second day because of hundreds for Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Harry Brook, only the second of his Championship career, and a maverick and highly-effective 72 from 81 balls from Keshav Maharaj.Yorkshire had not made 500 in a Championship innings at Headingley for three years when Adam Lyth, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Plunkett hit hundreds against Hampshire. Two of that trio were playing in a World Cup final; Lyth spent the latter part of the day at slip wondering what the score was.Somerset started their reply immediately after tea and were soon under significantly more pressure at 49 for 4 in the 19th over with all four batsmen failing to reach double figures.Matt Fisher swung the ball to have Somerset’s captain Tom Abell caught at third slip by Brook before Duanne Olivier, denied the new ball for the third innings in succession, rid Yorkshire of Azhar Ali at second slip and then had George Bartlett caught at mid-on, pulling. Sandwiched in between Olivier’s wickets, fellow South African Maharaj struck with only his fourth ball when he had Tom Banton caught behind.Brook is playing only his second game back in Yorkshire’s team having been dropped for four games following a poor start to the summer at the top of their order in the Championship. He indicated that he preferred to bat in the middle order, but found himself in the 2nd XI as Yorkshire drafted in Will Fraine rather than promote Kohler-Cadmore to the top of the order, a decision that has been vindicated by Fraine’s promising start to his career.Here, on a good batting pitch, he came in at No. 6 behind the nightwatchman Josh Shaw and reached his century off 127 balls with 11 fours shortly before being last man out on the cusp of tea as he holed out to long-off against Abell’s medium pacers.He played the subordinate role in an eighth-wicket stand of 105 in 20 overs with Maharaj. Then with only the last man, Olivier, for company, he spent nearly 10 overs shunning singles before he finally worked Abell through point for his hundred.

Despite trailing 1-0 at half-time thanks to a stunner from Jefferson Lerma, a brilliant second-half performance from Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea side secured a 13th consecutive Premier League victory over Crystal Palace.

The victory, which was the Blues' first in the league since the 1-0 win against Fulham on January 13th, lifts them back into the top half, just a couple of points adrift of Eddie Howe's Newcastle United in 7th.

After such a drought without claiming all three points, the Selhurst Park win will boost Pochettino's side – a much-needed one ahead of a huge clash with title contenders Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.

Two players, in particular, will be full of confidence ahead of the trip to the Etihad, with Conor Gallagher netting twice against his former club and £107m man Enzo Fernández completing the comeback with a brilliant late finish.

Conor Gallagher's game vs Palace in numbers

Since operating further forward in a number 10-like role, Gallagher has been instrumental for Chelsea – with last night another example of the quality the 24-year-old possesses.

In the victory at Selhurst Park last night, the former Palace loanee scored with his only attempts on target with his two goals proving to be the difference in a game that lacked quality for long spells.

With Gallagher playing slightly more advanced, it allowed him to be more forward-thinking, playing three key passes whilst also attempting three dribbles into forward areas.

Despite his slightly more advanced role, the Cobham Academy graduate impressed out of possession – winning four ground duels and two interceptions as he helped see out a hard-fought victory for the Blues.

However, despite his match-winning double, Gallagher couldn't quite reach the levels of his teammate Fernández, who impressed once again under the guidance of Pochettino.

Enzo Fernández's game vs Palace in numbers

With a price tag of £107m forever over Enzo's head, he must demonstrate his quality on the pitch to avoid being labelled as a "flop" by the British media.

Last night's performance against Roy Hodgson's side was one of his best in recent weeks, with the Argentinian having 144 touches during the encounter – double that of teammate Gallagher who only managed 72.

The duo of Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are very talented on the ball, with the former completing a whopping 110 passes out of the 130 he attempted – the most of anyone in the match and at a completion rate of 85%.

Compare that to double-scoring Gallagher, who only managed 38 passes with Fernandez completing nearly three times as many passes as the Englishman during the game.

His brilliant display wasn't just in possession, but also without, as the former Benfica midfielder won seven duels – a tally only bettered by defender Malo Gusto. The box-to-box midfielder also won three tackles as he played a pivotal role in transitional play for Pochettino's side.

His goal in stoppage time at the end of the second half topped off what was a classy display from the youngster, with the World Cup-winning Argentine starting to demonstrate his quality in the Premier League on a regular basis.

Middlesbrough forward Morgan Rogers has been the top priority for Aston Villa and their manager Unai Emery this month, and while the player himself has expressed excitement at the idea of making the move, it's descended into something of a saga.

On Monday, it emerged that Villa had been unsuccessful with a third offer for the winger as Boro held firm in their asking price. Michael Carrick's side communicated their demands at the outset and have simply been waiting for the Premier League club to meet them. Rogers had told the club he wanted the transfer, but there was still "work to do", more than a week on from the previous bid. At long last, though, it appears a decisive breakthrough has been made.

Villa finally reach Rogers agreement

Now, according to journalist Keith Downie at Sky Sports, Villa have agreed a fee to sign Rogers from Middlesbrough. It will be a package worth up to £16m when add-ons are included, making him the second-most expensive Premier League addition of the month behind Spurs' Radu Dragusin (£27m).

Boro will regard this as "very good business", especially given that they only paid £1m to sign him last summer, but the main emotion for Villa will be relief. Rogers is now due to undergo a medical "in [the] next 24 hours" with a view to completing the transfer before Thursday's deadline.

Villa complete perfect window but concerns linger

Assuming all goes to plan from here, Emery will be delighted with what Villa have done this month, because they've addressed both of the positions where he felt the squad was light. The manager wanted another right-back to compete with Matty Cash, and Red Star Belgrade's Kosta Nedeljkovic will be able to do that when he arrives in the summer.

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He was also after another body on the flanks after walking away from a summer move for Jack Harrison, and Rogers will fit that bill while also offering him an additional central option too. The only concern for Villa is that they've now committed to another considerable outlay when they were already coming under increasing pressure to balance the books.

Moussa Diaby

£47m

Pau Torres

£28m

Kosta Nedeljkovic

£6.4m

Nicolo Zaniolo

Loan

Clement Lenglet

Loan

Youri Tielemans

Free

Villa will need to sell players before the end of June to comply with the league's Profit and Sustainability Rules, and that could see them lose Jacob Ramsey, although Emery regards an exit for Jhon Duran as preferable. We'll see whether the signing of Rogers prompts any late departures, or whether Villa wait until the summer to address the issue.

تحدث هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة في مؤتمر صحفي قبل مباراة فريقه أمام ديبورتيفو ألافيس في الدوري الإسباني.

ويلتقي برشلونة غدًا الأحد مع ألافيس ضمن مباريات الجولة التاسعة لبطولة الدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

وقال فليك: “نحن في غاية التركيز، إنها مباراة مهمة للغاية أن ندخل الشوط الأول بانتصار، نريد ثلاث نقاط أخرى”.

وعن حارس المرمى تشيزني، أضاف: “قال إنه يريد إنهاء مسيرته، لكنه في حالة جيدة جدًا، من الجيد أن يكون لديه خبرته وجودته، عندما تحدثت معه، انبهرت”.

وواصل: “إنه شخص ودود وأخبرني أنه كذلك، سينضم إليّ بمجرد أن أحتاج إليه وسيساهم، وهو يتمتع بشخصية كبيرة، لكنه لن يشارك ضد ألافيس لأنه يحتاج إلى الوقت”.

وأشار: “أعتقد أن اللعب لبرشلونة سيكون تجربة رائعة بالنسبة له، إذا كانت لديه أي شكوك، لكان قد قال لا، سنرى كيف ستسير الأمور، وكيف ستسير الأمور في التدريبات، لدينا الوقت للتدريب معه”.

اقرأ أيضًا | قائمة برشلونة لمباراة ألافيس في الدوري الإسباني

وإذا كان تحدث مع دي لا فوينتي مدرب إسبانيا بشأن حماية لاعبي برشلونة خلال فترة التوقف الدولي، رد: “لا، حينما قلت ذلك عن فيرمين لوبيز، فلأن حالته كانت خاصة، دي لا فوينتي أيضًا يحس بالمسؤولية تجاه اللاعبين وهو يريد الأفضل لهم”.

وإذا كان قلقًا بشأن فترة التوقف الدولي، أوضح: “لا، إنه شيء لا يمكنني تغييره، سنرى ما سيحدث بعد فترة الاستراحة، وسيتعين علينا التكيف مع ما هو موجود واتخاذ القرارات”.

وأكمل: “أعتقد أن اللاعبين الذين يتم استدعاؤهم لمنتخباتهم الوطنية يشعرون بذلك كشرف وهذا يوضح مدى جودتهم”.

وعن مدى أهمية مباراة الغد، أردف: “في المرة الأخيرة التي فزنا فيها كان شعورًا جيدًا للغاية، دخول فترة التوقف الدولي بعد الفوز وتحقيق 3 نقاط أخرى سيكون الأفضل، لا أريد حتى التفكير في السيناريو المعاكس، فأنا أنظر بإيجابية إلى مباراة الغد”.

وسُئل هل مدرب الحراس دي لافوينتي أثر على قرار ضم تشيزني أم ليفاندوفسكي، وأجاب فليك: “كان لدي لا فوينتي تأثير أكبر من ليفاندوفسكي في توقيعه”.

وعن برشلونة وما يهم في مباراة الغد، أشار: “سيكون من المهم أيضًا عدم ارتكاب العديد من الأخطاء كما حدث أمام أوساسونا، للسيطرة على الكرة، ويجب أن نحصل أيضًا على الفرص، ونأمل أن نسجل الأهداف”.

وبشأن غضب ليفاندوفسكي ولامين يامال، أستطرد: “هذا طبيعي، جميع اللاعبين يريدون اللعب لمدة 90 دقيقة، لكن الأمور كانت كما كانت ويجب إجراء تغييرات، لقد اتخذت هذا القرار، وعليهم قبوله وهم يقبلونه”.

وواصل: “لامين، في الشوط الثاني، لم يفعل ذلك، لا يملك نفس القدر من الاستحواذ، لكن سلوكه إيجابي للغاية وسيثبت ذلك مرة أخرى غدًا”.

وحول حارس المرمى إيناكي بينيا ووصول تشيزني، رد: “نحن سعداء بوجود اللاعب، أعتقد أن تشيزني سيساعده كثيرًا، سيكون لدينا المزيد من الخيارات وأنا ممتن جدًا للنادي”.

وسُئل فليك عن أكثر ما يخافه بشأن ألافيس؟، وأتم: “عليك أن تتقبل خصمك وعليك أن تعرف ما تتوقعه منه، ستكون مباراة شديدة الحماس ونعلم أن ذلك لن يكون مفاجأة، يجب أن نركز منذ الدقيقة الأولى حتى النهاية”.

Manchester United have been run into the ground over the past decade or so, with their transfer strategy clearly unsuccessful for the most part.

This has been particularly apparent since the arrival of Erik ten Hag, with most of the club's top earners being signed in the last 18 months.

However, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe now at the helm, he’s looking to make United a title challenger once again, and that has already begun behind the scenes.

Omar Berrada has joined the club from Manchester City, and he will be tasked with keeping the players salaries below a reported £300k-per-week.

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That said, let’s take a look at a player who does just fit into that category but has cost the club plenty of money since arriving in the summer.

Mason Mount’s salary at Man Utd

It seemed as though Mason Mount was destined to spend his entire career at Chelsea, the club he developed at, but last summer, Ten Hag wanted to bring the midfielder to Old Trafford, despite playing just 13 games in 2023.

The 25-year-old joined Man United in a deal worth around £60m, and he was even handed the number seven shirt, with United’s football director John Murtough stating:

“Mason himself is a world-class player but he also has the ability to improve the players around him through his game intelligence and tactical awareness. We were particularly impressed by his strong desire to join United, and his thirst for further success, as we push to drive up our performance levels next season and beyond.”

Mount’s contract runs until June 2028 and to secure his services, he will earn a gross base salary of £13.3m per season. Therefore, the former Blues star still has a staggering £65m of earnings left on his contract.

This equates to £250k-per-week on average without bonuses, which clearly means he’s already cost the club millions.

What Mount earns compared to Garnacho

The wage of a player is completely irrelevant if the performances on the field justify the cost, but Mount’s early start to life in Manchester has been a disaster, with injuries making him miss 24 matches already.

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This means that he’s only played eight Premier League matches since joining the club, with only half of them being starts.

During those matches, the “invisible” player, as per sports broadcaster Arlo White, failed to register a goal contribution and was clearly getting up to speed.

However, when you compare his weekly wage and statistics to Alejandro Garnacho, for example, United are most definitely being bled dry by Mount so far.

Wage per-week

£250k

£50k

Matches

8

24

Goals

0

5

Assists

0

3

Big chances created

0

5

Key passes

0.6

1.5

The Argentine has been one of United’s top performers this season, scoring five times and providing three assists in the league while also beating him on every single attacking statistic. But as you can see, Mount earns five times more than the young prospect, underlining that at United, success on the field doesn't always correlate with player earnings.

Signing Mount for such a large fee and making him the joint-fourth highest earner after he endured a season of multiple injury setbacks seems like a mistake in hindsight, and the club is truly feeling the effects of his absence.

But who knows? The 5-foot-11 artist still has plenty of time to live up to his potential and become a key player for the Red Devils, but his first campaign at the club will be one to forget.

Turkey's Samet Akaydin scored a calamitous own goal against Portugal after his no-look back pass rolled by stranded goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Comical own goal put Portugal two goals ahead
• Akaydin & Bayindir both left red-faced
• Man Utd goalkeeper needlessly raced out to engage

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Not long after Bernardo Silva's 21st-minute opener for Portugal, an unaware Akaydin inexplicably passed the ball back towards goal, just when Manchester United stopper Bayindir had come to clear the danger. Despite a last-ditch effort to stop the ball rolling into the net from the Red Devils man, Portugal doubled their lead in the 28th minute.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It was a nightmare scenario for Turkey. Having secured an impressive 3-1 victory against Georgia last time out, they were gifting opportunities and goals to Portugal in their second game. Indeed, following this comical own goal, they also allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to race through and square unchallenged to Bruno Fernandes to make it 3-0 and game over.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Portugal round off their Euro 2024 group stage campaign against Georgia on Wednesday night, whereas Turkey take on the winless Czechs at the same time to decide who heads into the knockout stages of the competition.

Glasgow Rangers perhaps delivered their finest victory of the season over the weekend as they dismantled an in-form Hearts side who had taken 28 points across their previous ten matches.

Not only did the Light Blues register another confidence-boosting win, but they scored five against the Gorgie outfit without reply, and it piled the pressure on Celtic ahead of their clash against Motherwell on Sunday.

They ended up securing a late win, but the Parkhead side were far from their best and Rangers now have the momentum for the first time in a while.

Much has been said about the recruitment of both teams over the previous few years, but Philippe Clement’s three January signings all scored against Hearts and this injection of freshness might just prove to be the difference in the chase for the Premiership crown.

One incoming in particular has already made such a positive impact that there is no doubt he could become one of the finest players in the squad over the next few years; Mohamed Diomande.

How much Mohamed Diomande cost Rangers

Prior to Christmas, Clement had to endure an injury crisis that deep at the club that he was forced to play Dujon Sterling – a natural full-back – in the heart of the midfield in a major domestic cup final, and it gave him an idea of just how much the squad needed to be bolstered.

Having added Fabio Silva to his side in the winter window, it looked as though the Belgian manager was going to focus on further strengthening his attacking options, but he pulled off a major surprise with a move for Diomande.

The Ivorian midfielder had starred for Danish side FC Nordsjaelland during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, ranking in the top five among his teammates for big chances created and interceptions per game in the Superliga, and it looked as though Clement had secured a talented young maestro.

The 22-year-old was signed on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy for a fee in excess of £4.3m, and it looked like a wise move for the Gers.

"I am really pleased to have been able to add Mohamed to our squad, and I am excited to see what he can bring to our team," beamed Clement after the announcement that he had signed.

"In our conversations and what I have seen of him as a player, I believe he will be a real asset to us, not only in what remains of this season, but in the seasons to come also.”

After just five matches, this statement from the manager is already coming true.

Mohamed Diomande's season in numbers

The midfielder was given just 16 minutes of action in his first two league matches, but between those games, he started in the 2-0 Scottish Cup win over Ayr United at Ibrox and gave the supporters a demonstration of his talents.

This earned him a first Premiership start against St Johnstone last weekend, and he certainly delivered a wonderful display when it was needed most.

Against the Saints, he opened the scoring with a fantastic low drive just before the interval, along with making two key passes, succeeding with 100% of his dribble attempts and winning every single one of the ground duels he contested.

Mohamed Diomande in the Premiership for Rangers

Games

4

Goals

2

Key passes per game

1

Successful dribbles per game

0.8 (100% success rate)

Balls recovered per game

2.8

Via Sofaascore

This showed that not only can he be a threat going forward, but he also won't be bullied off the ball easily and can chip in from a defensive viewpoint, which could be crucial in tight matches between now and the end of the season.

Diomande was given another start against Hearts on Saturday, and he scored his second goal in a week to open the scoring once again, and it set the tone for a dominant display from Rangers.

Furthermore, he also won all of his ground duels while completing 86% of his passes, and it was another solid showing from the new boy.

His performances may certainly keep Nicolas Raskin out of the team, but could he even be better than the Belgian gem?

How Diomande compares to Nicolas Raskin

Following the win over Hearts, Rangers Review journalist Chris Jack hailed the signing and said that the call from Clement has certainly “paid off so far” with regard to bringing him to Ibrox last month.

Raskin has plenty of talent, yet fitness has disrupted his campaign so far during 2023/24. He has missed 18 games due to a couple of injury problems and failed to really build any momentum.

The midfielder has scored just one goal in 20 appearances, while Diomande has two in just five games, demonstrating his positive instant impact.

The Ivorian has also registered more key passes per game (1 vs 0.8) than Raskin and succeeded with more successful dribbles per game (0.8 vs 0.6), showing that he certainly possesses a greater attacking threat than his fellow teammate.

Clement needed a player to come in last month and make an immediate impact, and Diomande has done just that, which could be the boost the Gers need to get over the finishing line.

The onus is now on the manager and his side to continue winning and putting in solid performances to fend off Celtic, while also potentially going far in the Europa League, although this would be a bonus.

Signing Diomande for just over £4.3m is already beginning to look like a major steal and if he continues to maintain his impressive start to life at the club, then he will become one of the first names in the starting XI as the season reaches its crescendo.

Could he be the driving force which sees the Light Blues end a three-year wait for the league title? Only time will tell.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has dropped a double Everton exit update ahead of the summer transfer window, with "huge fees" potentially seeing them leave.

Everton transfer news

The Blues continue to battle for their survival in the Premier League this season, with Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Manchester City a predictable result, but still another loss that doesn't help their current situation. They are still one point adrift of safety, sitting 18th in the table, so there is understandable concern.

Should Everton head to the Championship for the first time this summer, it is clear that a number of key players could move on, possibly refusing to ply their trade in the second tier of English football. The likes of Jordan Pickford, Jarrad Branthwaite, Amadou Onana and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are just a few examples, and it would be hard to begrudge them a move away.

On the flip side, incoming transfer business could be expected, regardless of whether Everton have been relegated or not, and they have been linked with a move for Brighton midfielder Jakub Moder, ultimately missing out on signing him during the January window. Their interest could potentially return at the end of the season, however, so it could be one to watch.

Onana and Branthwaite could leave Everton

According to a fresh update from Football Insider's O'Rourke, Everton could sell both Onana and Branthwaite for "huge fees" this summer.

"Everton duo Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite are in line to be sold in the summer, sources have told Football Insider. The Toffees need to raise funds amid their financial woes, and the pair have emerged as the obvious candidates for the club to sell. The club remain in financial turmoil amid their fight to remain in the Premier League, their pending takeover by 777 Partners and their 10-point deduction for breaching Profit and Sustainability rules in November.

"Both Branthwaite and Onana have been the subject of widespread interest in recent months following their standout displays this season and are expected to fetch “huge fees”, sources say."

Losing both Onana and Branthwaite would be a massive blow for Everton, considering they are not only among the most important players at the club currently, but also youngsters who could only get better in the coming years.

It is easy to see their heads being turned by switches over better teams, sadly, and as mentioned, if Sean Dyche's side fail to beat the drop come May, it is impossible to see either staying put.

Onana has been linked with a move to Newcastle United, the Magpies are reportedly in pole position to seal a £60m move for him, while Branthwaite is thought to be a big target for Manchester United, with the Red Devils seeing him as a long-term option at the heart of their defence. One report has even claimed that Everton could want as much as £75m for his signature.

The only positive would be the "huge fees" that O'Rourke mentions, with Everton understandably demanding big money for two of their prized assets, meaning the club could use the funds to rebuild their squad, hopefully seeing it pay off for the better in the long run.

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All this does is highlight the Blues' current financial plight, however, and in an ideal world, they wouldn't have to entertain the idea of selling two stars.