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Michael O’Neill’s Stoke City side are interested in bringing Taiwo Awoniyi to the Bet365 Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Goal, who claim that Liverpool have held talks with Stoke, along with West Bromwich Albion and Fulham, regarding a potential summer transfer of the 23-year-old.

Goal also report that the Reds have previously rejected a £5m offer from Anderlecht for the centre-forward, with Jurgen Klopp’s side believed to value the Nigeria U23 international at around £8m.

O’Neill would love him

Having joined Liverpool back in 2015, Awoniyi has spent the last six years on a series of European loans away from Merseyside due to the striker failing to achieve a UK work permit.

The latest of these temporary deals saw the £4.05m-rated man spend the season with Union Berlin, where the youngster has impressed for Urs Fischer’s side.

Over his 20 Bundesliga appearances thus far, Awoniyi has scored five goals, registered two assists and created one big chance for his teammates, with his returns helping Union to be in with a real shout of qualifying for the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League via a seventh-place league finish – despite a hamstring injury suffered back in February ruling the youngster out for a number of weeks of the club’s campaign.

However, with Goal now reporting that the 23-year-old has now gained a permit that would allow him to play his football in the UK, it is claimed that Liverpool would be open to allowing the forward to leave the club on a permeant basis.

This has opened the door for Stoke, and, if John Coates and Peter Coates can go on to land the signing of Awoniyi – whom Mergim Vojvoda claimed is an “excellent player with great qualities” – this summer, it would easily be seen as something of a coup for the Potters, as well as a signing that O’Neill would love.

With experience from the top flight of German football, as well as the benefit of having trained under a wide range of European coaches for a number of years, it would appear as if Awoniyi has the potential to truly flourish in the Championship, with his potential addition to the Stoke side bringing with it the real chance of a push up the second tier table next season.

Everton will never rue the day that Oumar Niasse departed Goodison Park for the final time, as the striker seals his long-awaited return to the game with a move to Huddersfield Town.

The Championship side announced the capture of Niasse on Friday, with the forward moving to the John Smith’s Stadium on a deal running until the end of the current season.

Huddersfield sit 18th in the second tier during the March international break and hold a seven-point margin to the relegation places after winning just two of their last 15 league games.

Everton released Niasse at the end of his contract last June, marking the stop point to a tepid four-year tenure at Goodison Park for the former Lokomotiv Moscow striker, who was signed by Roberto Martinez for £13.5m.

Niasse spent 273 days as a free agent, having rejected offers to return to the game following his release in favour of continuing in England to remain close to his family.

“A big part of our recruitment process focuses on the character of the players we’re bringing in and we’ve spoken with Oumar and his representatives over a fair period of time,” Huddersfield Town’s Head of Football Operations Leigh Bromby said.

“We’ve had very positive conversations throughout and it’s clear he will be a good fit within our group. He’s had plenty of offers since leaving Everton, but he was keen to stay in England and, ideally, in the north so he is close to his family.

“His pedigree speaks for itself, having played in top divisions, in European competitions and commanded huge transfer fees. However, his character is just as impressive. He’s a very positive guy and is determined to show everyone what he is capable of.”

Niasse will now continue working with the Huddersfield first team to rebuild his fitness, having begun training with the Terriers before signing a short-term deal.

Niasse will hope that his return to the game will present opportunities to earn a longer-term contract at the John Smith’s Stadium and show Everton why they were wrong to release him at the end of his contract last summer.

However, it is extremely unlikely that the Toffees will ever be expected to rue the day that the 30-year-old left Goodison Park for the final time, having proven to be an expensive flop in the years which followed Martinez sanctioning his arrival.

It took until the end of April 2016 for Niasse to earn his first start in royal blue following five substitute appearances from a possible 10 games across all competitions, and the arrival of Ronald Koeman that summer triggered the derailment of his Merseyside career.

Koeman told Niasse after one 45-minute appearance in pre-season that he was not wanted at the club and instructed the striker to train with the under-23s, before sending the former Senegal international out on loan the following January.

The move to Hull City helped Niasse earn a second chance under Koeman the following season, only for the appointment of Sam Allardyce to see his chances be reduced once again and the subsequent hiring of Marco Silva put an exit in sight.

Niasse would only make seven appearances across all competitions in 18 months under Silva and just one of those in the starting line-up, before playing a mere 18 minutes under Carlo Ancelotti in the final months of his £55,000-per-week contract.

Four managers passing on Niasse after Martinez was fired just went to show the struggles the striker had at adapting to the demands of the Premier League and English football, and why he left Everton with just nine goals in 42 games – of which he only started 13 – to his name.

The 30-year-old is now at a club in Huddersfield where the head coach is seemingly prepared to back him, with Carlos Corberan lauding the “dynamic” forward as he brings a hard-working mentality, a will to press the opponent and the ability to attack spaces to the Championship.

Those traits were all too rarely on show at Goodison Park, making his release a must last summer and why Everton will never be expected to rue the day that he walked away.

AND in other news, Everton dodged a £13m bullet in a “remarkable” talent as the hype falls silent…

In a recent interview, Noel Whelan criticised the players of Tottenham Hotspur in giving his backing to Jose Mourinho’s style of football.

Having been on a decent run of form heading into the North London Derby last weekend, winning three consecutive Premier League fixtures for the first time since November, Tottenham’s lacklustre performance in the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal reignited debate regarding Mourinho’s future at the club.

However, speaking recently to Football Insider, former Premier League forward Whelan stated his belief that it is the Tottenham players who are to blame for their disappointing performance against the Gunners, rather than their 58-year-old manager.

He said: “I don’t think it’s Mourinho, it’s the players. There are attacking players out there. That’s not a defensive side that’s gone there for a draw. There are very attacking players that can win matches on their own.

“They started off really slow. They got the goal that should have been the breakthrough, the starting point. That should have been when they kicked into overdrive and stepped up the gears and really took the game to Arsenal. But it was Arsenal who were controlling and dictating the game. I don’t think they did enough to go out and win that game. I think the right team won on the day.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Indeed, with Mourinho putting out a more attacking starting XI than the side which had started the 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace a week before the Arsenal clash – with Tanguy Ndombele replacing Harry Winks – it would seem as if, on the surface, the Spurs manager did not plan for his team to have just one shot in the first half of the derby, or six in total over the course of the 90 minutes.

However, while Mourinho’s team selection may have been attacking on paper, there is no guarantee that the Portuguese boss did not instruct his players to play in a defensive manner; and considering that The Telegraph reported that a number of Spurs players believe “they are being stifled” by Mourinho’s style of football, this would not appear to be an overly outlandish thought.

In other news: Tottenham have been sent a warning over Harry Kane – find out more here!

Former Tottenham Hotspur captain Graham Roberts has told The Transfer Tavern that he believes that the club are for sale at the right price.

Football Insider reported last week that the club’s owner, Joe Lewis, is lining up a huge sale that would see the club valued at over £1bn.

They reported that there was interest from a buyer who would have taken a 50% stake of the club, paying £800m to do so, but the deal ultimately fell through.

Lewis is 84 and is said to be actively looking for a buyer, having seen Spurs spend over £1bn to build a world-class new stadium.

And Roberts is unsurprised by the development, with Spurs seemingly primed for a wealthy investor to pick them up.

Indeed, the UEFA Cup winner believes that there are plenty of legs in the story, with almost every Premier League club, including Liverpool and Manchester United, available for the right price.

He told TT: “I would think that has a lot of legs to it. Every football club is for sale, isn’t it, it all depends on how much.

“I read in the paper this week that somebody had offered the club, Daniel Levy, £800 million for 50% of the club and he said no.

“When you’ve got a billion pound stadium, I would think the club’s got to be worth £2.5bn, so they’re not going to take £800m for 50%.

“I would think every club is up for sale, Liverpool’s up for sale, Man United, if the right person comes along.”

Inter Miami are MLS Cup “favourites because of Lionel Messi”, says David Beckham’s former LA Galaxy team-mate Robbie Keane.

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• Herons boast star-studded squad
• Argentine icon a talismanic presence
• Expected to compete on multiple fronts

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Herons collected a first major trophy in 2023 as eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi inspired them to Leagues Cup glory within weeks of his arrival in the United States. An untimely injury prevented him from steering the Florida-based outfit into the play-offs.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi is expected to push Inter Miami into contention for silverware on multiple fronts in 2024, with domestic and continental honours there to be chased down by the most-decorated player of all-time. He will not have things all his own way, with the Galaxy and a number of other ambitious outfits determined to block his path, but the Argentine icon will take some stopping.

• WHAT KEANE SAID ABOUT MLS

  Three-time MLS Cup winner Keane admits as much, with the Irishman telling : “I’ll be watching MLS this season, as I always do. It was a big part of my career, being there five-and-a-half years and winning three championships, so I always look out for LA Galaxy. They haven’t had the best time in the last couple of years and with the history of the club they should be always fighting for the play-offs and the chance to win the MLS Cup. We know how difficult that league can be, but I hope they can hit a bit of form and get to the play-offs this season. You’d have to say Inter Miami are the favourites because of Messi. He’s a top player, and you look at the players that they’ve brought in, with the Barcelona guys coming back and Luis Suarez now there as well, it will be interesting to see. They’ve definitely got every chance to win the MLS Cup, no question about it.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI & INTER MIAMI?

  Inter Miami are off to a winning start in 2024, having overcome Real Salt Lake in their season opener, and will be in California on Sunday – with the potential for more A-list guests in Hollywood – when they line up against the Galaxy.

Arsenal will be fuming after leaked VAR audio seemingly reveals why Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes swerved a red card against the Gunners.

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• Controversial VAR decisions in Newcastle-Arsenal clash
• Leaked audio sheds light on Guimaraes incident
• Conversation will anger Gunners

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Premier League fixture between Arsenal and Newcastle was littered with several controversial decisions, as Anthony Gordon’s winner went through three different VAR checks and Guimaraes and Kai Havertz escaped red. The Brazilian caught Jorginho on the head very late with his arm, while Havertz lunged at Sean Longstaff. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) released the full conversation before the Gordon goal after a Premier League panel ruled thatthe decision to let the goal stand was the correct one.

  While the VAR conversations regarding the Guimaraes and Havertz's red cards were kept under wraps a leak via the ‘leakedlineups’ Instagram account has brought the conversation in the TV room into light.

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• WHAT VAR OFFICIALS SAID

  VAR Andy Madley and assistant VAR Stuart Burt are allegedly heard analysing Guimaraes' potential red after on-pitch referee Stuart Atwell admits that he ‘has not seen’ the incident.

  Madley begins: "I’m just going to check potential serious foul play. He goes into the player… so he lifts his arm up because he’s going into the defender, for me.

  "Just have a look at this for me Stu (AVAR) as well mate. So he sees the player, he puts his arm up and there’s a glancing blow on the side of his head but for me, that’s not used as a weapon. That’s not violent conduct. Are you happy with that as well?"

  Burt responds by concurring with Madley: "Yeah, it’s not nice but I don’t think it’s any more than a yellow card mate."

  Madley then concluded the conversation and added: "Yeah, it doesn’t reach the threshold. Stuart (Attwell – referee) it’s check complete, check complete."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Independent Key Match Incidents Panel ruled that both Guimaraes and Havertz should have been sent off. While there was a 3-2 split decision against Guimaraes, they were unanimous that the German forward should have been given his marching orders. Moreover, PGMOL chief Howard Webb also admitted that both red cards were missed.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL AND NEWCASTLE UNITED?

  The Gunners will be back in action on November 25 against Brentford at Gtech Stadium, whereas, Eddie Howe will lead his side against Chelsea on the same day at St. James' Park.

Bayern Munich have reportedly set a price-tag on Real Madrid-target Alphonso Davies and are also lining up a replacement for the full-back.

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• Bayern meet with Davies' agent
• Left-back demanding a steep hike in wages
• Madrid reportedly have verbal agreement

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , a clandestine meeting took place in Munich between Davies' advisor Nick Huoseh and Bayern's sports director Christoph Freund to discuss the player's future, which now hangs in the balance.

  Davies, 23, currently under contract until 2025, is pressing for a substantial salary increase if he has to sign an early and long-term contract extension. However, Bayern are seemingly reluctant to meet his demands as they are not entirely impressed with his recent performances. Davies is currently sidelined due to a muscle injury but is expected to return to the squad for the upcoming fixture against Freiburg.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Should Davies deny to sign a contract extension, Bayern are prepared to offload him in the summer transfer window. The report mentions that the Bayern hierarchy anticipates Davies' departure and are already preparing for an impending exit of the defender.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Meanwhile, discussions between Real Madrid and Davies' management have been ongoing for months. It is understood that negotiations are progressing smoothly regarding the financial package and there should be no issues with agreeing to a deal.

  However, the stumbling block remains the transfer fee. Real Madrid are reportedly willing to offer a total package of €40 million (£34m/$43m) to €50m (£43m/$54m), with an initial bid of around €35m (£30m/$38m) expected. Bayern believe that Los Blancos will do everything to pay the minimum as the player will have just one year left in his contract in the summer of 2024.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  As the situation unfolds, all eyes turn to Max Eberl, who is set to assume the role of sports director on Monday. Eberl faces the arduous task of navigating this intricate negotiation swiftly. In the background, it is believed that Bayern have already shortlisted a potential successor to Davies, with Theo Hernandez from AC Milan emerging as the frontrunner.

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has been withdrawn from the England squad after an assessment on his shoulder injury.

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• Bellingham missed last two Real games
• Assessed by England medical team
• Sent back to Spain to continue rehab

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bellingham reported for England duty at the start of the week despite missing Real Madrid's last two games because of the issue. However, after an assessment from the Three Lions' medical team the decision has been taken for the 20-year-old to continue his rehabilitation back in Spain.

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  England have also confirmed that Levi Colwill has been sent home, with the Chelsea defender also struggling with a shoulder problem that kept him out of the 4-4 Premier League draw against Manchester City at the weekend. Colwill and Bellingham will both be unavailable when England come up against Malta and North Macedonia in their final two Euro 2024 qualifying games over the next week.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Gareth Southgate does still have a near-full strength squad to choose from for the clash with Malta at Wembley on Friday, with England's spot at Euro 2024 already confirmed, but there will be two late additions. Manchester United star Marcus Rashford and Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips have been granted permission to join their team-mates slightly later in the week while they attend to "personal matters".

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JUDE BELLINGHAM?

  Real Madrid will hope that Bellingham can step up his recovery after being granted permission to leave the England camp. The former Borussia Dortmund man has been an instant hit since his mega-money move to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, scoring 13 goals in his first 14 appearances. Carlo Ancelotti's side are currently sitting second in La Liga behind surprise package Girona, and will be back in action against Cadiz on November 26.

Marcel Brands should avoid launching a summer swoop for Everton to sign Yeferson Soteldo, despite the Venezuelan stating that he’s open to leaving Santos.

What’s the word?

While speaking with FIFA’s official website, Soteldo admitted he dreams of one day playing in the Premier League and that he feels ready to take that step.

Soteldo joined Santos from Chilean side Huachipato in January 2019 and has scored 17 goals while providing 15 assists in 81 appearances across all competitions to date. His performances earned him a new contract at the start of the year, one that runs until December 2023.

Penning a new deal at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium may further drive up President Jose Carlos Peres’ asking price, having valued the diminutive 5 ft 3 star at €35m (£30m) last year following approaches from Inter Milan, Everton and a host of clubs from Spain.

Soteldo has also become a regular in his national side as they strive to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, with 19 outings to his name while still captaining the Venezuela U23s side.

The 23-year-old intends to do all he can to help his country make it to Qatar next year, which would mark the nation’s first-ever appearance at a FIFA World Cup finals.

“It’s a clear goal and something that’s on my wish list, so I’ll give everything possible to make it happen,” he said. “But I’ve learned not to get obsessed about things, otherwise I’d go crazy and wouldn’t be able to make a career from football.”

A career Soteldo hopes will one day include a spell in England, adding: “Today, I can say that I’m ready to take it to the next level, although I feel good here at Santos. We’ll see after the Copa America. I’ve always liked the English league.”

Should Everton sign Soteldo?

While Santos President Peres claimed Everton were interested in a move for Soteldo, who he lauds for his “sensational skills”, Brands should avoid seeing the winger’s recent declaration as justification to launch a move to sign the dual-footed maestro this summer.

Soteldo may have admirers across the globe but the 23-year-old is yet to offer any real consistency in his output, having been involved in 15 goals (nine scored, six assisted) in his maiden Serie A season before contributing to nine (four scored, five assisted) in 2020.

At 23, Soteldo is also older than what most of Santos’ top prospects traditionally have been when they have sealed moves to Europe, with Neymar joining FC Barcelona at 21 and Rodrygo sealing a €45m (£40m) move to Real Madrid in 2019 at 18 years of age.

Los Blancos were not afraid to get the chequebook out for Rodrygo – a player President Florentino Perez described as “one of the great prodigies” – after he struck nine goals and five assists in 41 Brazilian Serie A games to quickly establish himself as “one of the big emerging stars of Brazilian football”.

And while Rodrygo is now a regular first-team player at the Santiago Bernabeu, there are just as many misses when it comes to expensive South American imports with Gabriel Barbosa starting just one of his 10 appearances for Inter Milan before joining Flamengo.

The Nerazzurri had paid Santos €25m (£21.5m) after Barcelona passed on their first refusal to sign for the forward in 2016, but would only spend one of his three-and-a-half-years as an Inter player actually at the San Siro.

Soteldo’s first two years with Santos are pointing more to him being a second Barbosa than a Rodrygo, which would place the Venezuelan on course to be Everton’s new Yannick Bolasie if ever signed.

The Toffees paid £25m to bring Bolasie to Goodison Park in 2016 after establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s best on the ball at Crystal Palace.

But the DR Congo international would only offer two goals and four assists in 32 games in royal blue and is now set to leave as a free agent once his £75,000-per-week contract expires in the summer.

Signing Soteldo would, in our opinion, result in a similar outcome.

AND in other news, Everton face a £33.5m asking price to sign a sought-after 24-year-old talent…

Ross Wilson has seemingly handed Steven Gerrard a huge boost at Rangers after Galatasaray were reportedly priced out of a summer move for Joe Aribo, which should see the Nigerian midfielder stay at Ibrox next season.

According to Turkish news outlet Fotaspor, Faith Terim’s side had been keen on signing the former Charlton Athletic man this summer but will now move on to other targets after being quoted a price of no less than €10m (£8.6m).

It is no surprise that Rangers are desperate to keep hold of the 24-year-old, who has been a mainstay in Gerrard’s side since arriving on a free transfer from Charlton in 2019.

He has gone on to make 91 appearances for the Teddy Bears, in which he has contributed 17 goals and 15 assists, whilst he has also become a regular for the Super Eagles, earning seven caps for his country.

Aribo was a mainstay for Rangers this season and was a key factor in their impressive title win, making 26 appearances in the Premiership, scoring six goals and contributing four assists, earning a superb 7.40 average rating from WhoScored for his performances.

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This would rank him as the joint-second best player with Ryan Kent in Gerrard’s side this season, which emphasises just how important he is at Ibrox, and he will no doubt be vital again next season as the Gers prepare for Champions League football and look to retain their title.

His performances for Nigeria earned him the praise of former Super Eagles star Victor Ikpeba in 2019, as he said:

“He’s such a wonderful player and I am delighted to see him play quality football for Nigeria. Joe Aribo is an exceptional player and he has shown the Super Eagles technical adviser, Gernot Rohr that he is ready to claim a regular shirt.”

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Aribo is only 24 and therefore has plenty of time still to develop at Rangers, so Gerrard will be delighted that sporting director Ross Wilson was able to deal with Galatasaray’s reported interest in him, and it is a huge boost for the 40-year-old manager that the midfielder will likely remain at Ibrox this summer.

And, in other news… Gerrard heading for major Rangers disaster with “outstanding” beast, he could leave Ibrox