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Journalist Rob Guest has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur director Fabio Paratici personally approached Arnaut Danjuma to praise him after scoring on his debut.

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, the winger arrived at Spurs on loan for the season, signing from Villarreal despite having been very close to joining Everton instead.

And the 25-year-old has spent little time settling into his new environment as he scored in his first appearance for Tottenham as the club claimed a FA Cup victory.

Indeed, playing away at Preston North End, a brace from Son Heung-min gave Spurs a comfortable lead before Danjuma came off the bench to net a third on his debut.

After the game, Guest noted that sporting director Paratici took the time to put an arm around the shoulder of the goalscorer, to presumably praise the loanee for his immediate contribution.

In an article for football.london, he explained: “Managing director of football Fabio Paratici was watching on behind the goal as a handful of players, including Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ben Davies, went through some runs. Once those involved had finished and made their way back towards the tunnel, Paratici shared a brief moment with Danjuma as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders and said a few words to him.

“The Italian will undoubtedly have been praising his new signing after marking his Tottenham debut in the best way possible. Bolstering Tottenham’s attack going into the business end of the season, the arrival of Danjuma could turn out to be a very shrewd deal for the Lilywhites.”

Instant impact

As mentioned before, Danjuma had been very close to joining the Toffees instead – he even completed a medical with the Premier League rival – so Paratici might have enjoyed getting this deal done more than most due to the dramatic nature of the move.

And Spurs are already reaping the rewards of getting the loan sorted with Danjuma netting just 16 minutes after coming on off the bench to make his debut for the club. In that period, he only managed to touch the ball three times, but he sure made one of those touches count.

Of course, one of the advantages to signing the 25-year-old is that he is familiar with English football – having scored 17 goals in 52 outings with Bournemouth – and so Antonio Conte and co will be hoping this immediate impact is a sign of things to come over the coming months.

It hasn’t been a good few weeks for Paratici, who could be banned from football for a period of time due to his past involvement with Juventus, but he’ll be delighted to see one of his new signings coming good at Spurs.

Everton suffered their 11th defeat of the season in their Premier League clash with West Ham United yesterday and now Frank Lampard could be set to lose his job at Goodison Park.

What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, Everton are preparing to sack the former Chelsea boss following the 2-0 defeat at the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

As per the report, Lampard’s position was already under major threat ahead of the clash with David Moyes’ struggling side and the club’s hierarchy had already met on Friday to discuss the manager’s future at the club and possible scenarios to follow.

Moshiri could save their season

Despite Farhad Moshiri’s fractured relationship with the Goodison Park faithful, the majority stakeholder now has another opportunity to make things right by appointing a manager who can retain Everton’s Premier League status, with the club one of the only sides to never be relegated from the top flight since it was established in 1992.

The Toffees are currently 19th in the table after collecting just 15 points out of a possible 60 and tallying up just three wins, something that must drastically improve instantly to comfortably survive this season.

Lampard currently has a dreadful 17.39% win record, collecting just 0.78 points per game over 23 fixtures so far this term and has been prematurely knocked out of both the League Cup and FA Cup in the last few months.

One manager who has been continuously linked with the challenging role on Merseyside is former Burnley boss Sean Dyche who has been out of action since being sacked by the recently relegated side in April last year after a decade of service at Turf Moor.

The 51-year-old manager took Burnley from the Championship to a Premier League-established side during his tenure – finishing seventh in their second season in the top tier, which is an impressive achievement.

Over 258 Premier League games managed, Dyche – who was hailed “incredible” by none other than Pep Guardiola – picked up points in 140 games recording 72 wins and 68 draws.

Indeed, the out-of-work manager did find himself battling relegation with Burnley on a number of occasions during their six-season stint in the Premier League, however, quickly became renowned for his expertise in grinding out results and ultimately saving the club time and time again from the drop, despite having limitations on reinvestment and quality in his team.

With that being said, it remains to be seen whether the powerbrokers at Goodison Park will sack Lampard ahead of their next clash with Arsenal in just under two weeks’ time, however, if they are intending to move on it would be advantageous to get a manager like Dyche in now to give them as much time as possible to turn things around.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will no doubt be primarily concerned with ensuring that success continues in the short-term at Parkhead, although the 57-year-old may also have a keen desire to build a foundation for long-term glory, with the addition of promising, up-and-coming talents set to help towards that goal.

According to the Daily Record live blog (13 January, 17:30; via Video Celts), the Old Firm outfit could well have identified one such asset for the future in the form of Cliftonville sensation Sean Moore, with the Hoops said to have joined a number of Premier League clubs in the race for the teenager’s signature.

The 17-year-old – who is attracting particular interest from Newcastle United at present – has enjoyed a sparkling start to life at senior level, with the Northern Irish starlet having already scored three goals and provided two assists in 21 games in all competitions this season.

That is a rather impressive return for a player still in the infancy of his first-team career, with such form having even led to reports that the Republic of Ireland could look to tempt the Belfast native into switching his international allegiance.

The eye-catching winger is clearly a player who’s generating a lot of fuss at present, with former Cliftonville chairman Jim Boyce having only since fuelled the fire by notably comparing Moore to the late, great footballing icon that was George Best.

He stated of the 17-year-old: “Watching him reminds me of a young George Best who draws attention. This lad could prove to be another special talent, like players like George Best have, he has so much natural talent and potential.

“He is a confident player and shows little fear. He’s a great prospect and I’m excited to see how his career develops.

“He’s doing things I haven’t seen a 17-year-old do in many years. I have absolutely no doubt that the boy has cross-channel material and an international future.”

That glowing endorsement will likely have piqued the interest of those back in Glasgow, and it’s undoubtedly hefty praise for young Moore to have been compared to arguably one of the finest talents of his era.

Best was once lauded by another legendary former Manchester United team-mate in Bobby Charlton, who said: “At the time when [Best] first got in the team, no one had seen his like before: someone who was so small and tough, who would go into tackles, but also had the ability to turn people inside out and beat anyone he liked. George was as good as anyone you will see; he used to embarrass players time and time again.”

Best had emerged as something of a superstar both on and off the pitch after breaking through at Old Trafford as a teenager. He memorably announced himself on the world stage with his stunning double in the European Cup quarter-final clash with Benfica in 1966, before helping the Red Devils to finally secure the trophy two years later.

A truly mesmeric genius who could simply bamboozle the opposition with his innate speed and trickery, Best is a figure who is etched into both United and footballing folklore, having been described by Sir Alex Ferguson as “the greatest talent our football ever produced – easily.”

Being able to emulate such a “unique” figure – as described by Ferguson – may well prove a hard ask for the Cliftonville sensation, although such a comparison bodes well for the sparkling talent that Celtic could have on their hands if they can win the race for Moore in the coming months.

Manchester City reportedly hold an interest in Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, and the England international could form a superb partnership with Phil Foden in Pep Guardiola’s side.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the Premier League champions have a long-standing interest in the 21-year-old and could be given the green light to sign him, should he fail to agree a new contract with the Gunners, as his current deal at the Emirates Stadium is set to expire in 2024.

Mikel Arteta’s side are understandably keen to tie him down for the long-term future and would be extremely reticent to sell him to their main title rivals this season, but they may be forced to cash in if a new contract cannot be agreed upon.

Imagine him and Foden

Like Foden, Saka was one of the stars for England at the World Cup as they reached the quarter-finals in Qatar.

WhoScored ranked the Arsenal man as the top performer in Gareth Southgate’s squad as he scored three goals in four appearances, averaging a superb 7.68 rating for his performances.

He has also enjoyed an incredible start to the season for the Gunners and has been one of the main reasons behind their rise to the top of the Premier League table, contributing four goals and six assists in 14 appearances and averaging a superb 7.35 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Danny Murphy was full of praise for Saka and Arsenal team-mate Gabriel Martinelli on Match of the Day 2 after they tormented Liverpool’s defence in their 3-2 triumph over Jurgen Klopp’s side earlier in the season.

The BBC pundit said of the Gunners duo: “The two young lads playing left and right for them would be giving any defences in Europe or world football a problem. Great players can force teams into mistakes.

“They’re relentless. They’re so direct and so full of confidence at the moment.”

The prospect of having Saka and Foden (Premier League Young Player of the Season for the last two campaigns) on either wing in a Manchester City shirt for potentially the next decade is surely an exciting one for Guardiola, as they are clearly both extremely talented youngsters who are already capable of dominating on the world stage.

Therefore, Txiki Begiristain should do all that he can to try and bring Saka to the Etihad Stadium in 2023.

Chelsea have held their fair share of transfer-related misfortune, Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Salah and Romelu Lukaku are three salient names that spring to mind when considering the contingent that could have been at Stamford Bridge.

Although Lukaku was re-signed years later, in 2021, for a club-record fee of £97.5m, one of the most rueful deals in the minds of the Blues hierarchy will remain named as Kylian Mbappe for years to come. 

The Athletic recently lifted the lid on the story, stating that in 2011 the paperwork was signed for a 12-year-old French boy to attend a four-day trial with the west London giants with a view toward a scholarship deal, only for that French boy’s mother to demand a contract offered on the spot, which Chelsea refused.

That boy went on to become Paris Saint-Germain’s Mbappe, World Cup winner and global football revelation, and Chelsea will be left shaking their heads at allowing such a potential star to slip through their fingers, although to have acquiesced to Mbappe’s mother’s demands of an instant contract would be something rejected by youth academies across the globe, on a regular basis. 

Regardless, Mbappe is now a one-time World Cup winner, currently awaiting the semi-finals in Qatar, and a forward of devastating ability, unparalleled in many regards by most strikers on the globe.

As per FBref, the 23-year-old “alien” – as dubbed by Polish opposition Piotr Zielinski – ranks within the top 10% for every offensive and pass-centred metric the site has to offer, perching in the top percentile for non-penalty goals, touches in the opposing penalty area and progressive passes received.

He has gone from strength to strength, becoming one of the most frightening and quickest footballers in the world.

The staggering £827k-per-week star has been incredible in Qatar, with Sofascore reporting that the 64-cap Frenchman has recorded an average rating of 7.64 thus far, with two matches still to play.

His five goals and two assists have been vital to the nation, and his presence has consolidated the claim that he might be the best player in the world at present. 

And with 4.4 shots per game, and 1.8 key passes, it’s clear to see he is striving to break away from any competitors on the planet and cementing himself as the cream of the crop. 

At club level, Mbappe has been equally as impressive, with the £172m-rated talent scoring 19 goals and assisting a further five across 20 appearances this term.

In fact, his 190 goals and 93 assists in just 237 outings for PSG has been nothing short of remarkable, and Chelsea will indeed rue the day that he evaded their interest; while the Blues haven’t exactly been short of success, bringing the enigmatic ace through their ranks could have had immense benefits, both on and off the football pitch.

Indeed, it was a nightmare not to seal that eventuality with his global prowess only going from strength to strength. He is a true elite footballer.

The January transfer window is fast approaching and Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte may be in the market to improve his squad heading into the second half of the season.

Spurs are currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table and the Italian head coach could bolster his side in an attempt to ensure that Champions League football is secured for another campaign.

However, he may also be on the lookout for signing for the future by snapping up young gems who could improve the starting XI in the long term.

The Sunday Mirror (via Glasgow Live) have claimed that Spurs sent scouts to watch Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Oscar Gloukh in action earlier this year and the club must now swoop for him in the January window.

Conte could land Tottenham their next version of world-class midfield talent Luka Modric by sealing a deal to sign the 18-year-old playmaker.

Spurs signed the Croatian international from Dinamo Zagreb in the summer of 2008 and the gem went on to score 17 goals and assist 26 in 160 matches for the club before signing for Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The mercurial magician has gone on to play 454 times for the La Liga outfit in all competitions, winning the Champions League five times and being crowned the best player in the world by winning the Ballon d’Or in 2018.

Modric is a central midfielder, who can also play in the no.10 role; one that can dictate the play with his immense ability on the ball and has the quality to make contributions in the final third – scoring 36 goals and providing 74 assists for Real Madrid to date.

Gloukh could be the next generational talent in the middle of the park to be unearthed by Tottenham as he has shown great promise in his short career to date.

Israeli journalist Nisim Haliva previously described him as a “mega talent”, whilst reporter Raphael Gellar hailed him as “the most exciting talent since Manor Solomon” in Israel.

This is backed up by his seven goals and five assists in 27 matches for Tel Aviv’s first-team despite only turning 18 in April of this year, whilst he has also scored once in two caps for his country.

Gloukh is making a huge impact at senior level, with four goals and five assists in 12 league appearances this season, at an incredibly young age and Spurs must now take a gamble on the teenager to see if they can develop him into being Modric 2.0 at the club.

Like the Croatian superstar, the Israel international can play as a no.8 or no.10 in midfield and has shown that he has the technical quality to be a difference-maker in the final third, although it is now down to him to prove that he can do it consistently at the very top level in order to replicate the ex-Tottenham man’s success.

Everton will be desperate to make it three games in a row unbeaten this evening as they host a resurgent Leicester City who have won two of their last three matches.

Despite a poor start to their Premier League campaign, two convincing wins over Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers and a fine display despite the defeat to Manchester City underline the improvement from Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Frank Lampard admitted in his pre-match press conference that this was arguably the cleanest bill of health the Toffees have boasted since his arrival at the club in January, and he will have a near-full squad from which to select for this game under the Goodison Park floodlights.

With that in mind, the 44-year-old is unlikely make wholesale changes to the side which earned a draw at Fulham last weekend, with just two alterations expected.

Jordan Pickford, who earned the highest SofaScore rating of anyone on the pitch that evening, will be hoping to continue his fine form with the World Cup approaching.

Whilst Vitaly Mykolenko will continue at left-back, Lampard confirmed that Nathan Patterson is available should he be deemed fit. A 26-minute substitute appearance at Craven Cottage signals the youngster’s likely availability to start today, and it will be a delight for Evertonians to see such an “amazing player”- as his international team-mate Che Adams labelled him – return to the side.

Conor Coady and James Tarkowski shall remain at the heart of the defence, propping up a team with the Premier League’s fourth-best defensive record going into this weekend’s fixtures.

Also unlikely to change is the midfield trio, although James Garner is pushing for a start given his stellar recent cameos, earning a 7.0 Sofascore rating after coming on against Fulham last week.

Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gueye and Alex Iwobi will likely be crucial to any success that Everton might have today, especially to neutralise the threat of James Maddison, who already has six league goals to his name this term.

Demarai Gray was the Toffees’ bright spark in an otherwise dull offensive unit against the Cottagers, but Anthony Gordon could drop out for Dwight McNeil in order to freshen things up. The 21-year-old completed just 10 passes in 86 tepid minutes of action in the draw at Fulham, so he could miss out today.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin will again lead the line as he battles to regain full fitness after recording more minutes under his belt over the last few weeks.

Everton predicted XI: Pickford, Mykolenko, Coady, Tarkowski, Patterson, Onana, Gueye, Iwobi, Gray, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin.

Liverpool journalist James Pearce has reacted to Jordan Henderson’s ‘brilliant’ assist during the Champions League game vs Ajax on Wednesday night, hailing the captain’s performance in Amsterdam.

The Lowdown: Victory in Amsterdam

The Reds were the visitors at the Johan Cruyff Arena in midweek and secured a comfortable 3-0 victory thanks to Mohamed Salah’s opener minutes before the break, followed by two second-half goals in quick succession from Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott.

One of the most notable moments though was the pass from the Premier League club’s captain into Salah to break the deadlock, which came as a surprise given an initial slow start to the game.

The Latest: Pearce’s reaction

Taking to Twitter, Pearce praised Henderson for his vision to create something in the final third after a quiet opening period. He wrote:

“Out of nowhere Liverpool lead. What a pass from Henderson. Brilliant with the outside of his right boot and Salah provides a quality finish.”

Pearce took to social media again on Thursday morning to praise the skipper: “Been a tough few months for the long-serving captain but he shone on the side of Klopp’s diamond.”

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The Verdict: Sign of things to come

Liverpool have made a hugely underwhelming start to the top-flight season, but their European performances have been encouraging, which could be a sign of things to come.

On the back of a shock 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, it was vital that Jurgen Klopp’s side responded with a strong display, which they did, and have now secured themselves a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

The Anfield outfit need to take this form and transfer it to the Premier League to string a run of results together should they want any chance of securing a top-four finish come the end of the campaign.

West Bromwich Albion have been linked with plenty of talent over the years, many of whom might have changed their status as a club seemingly perennially struggling to remain in the Premier League.

It is easy to speculate how big of an impact some of these names might have had, such as Virgil van Dijk for example, but arguably their biggest blunder was not signing Luka Modric when they had the chance in 2007.

The Croatian maestro, who has gone on to captain his country to a World Cup final and win a Ballon d’Or, has announced himself as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation.

Reportedly, the season before he would make his move from Dinamo Zagreb to Tottenham Hotspur, he was instead ready to make the switch to the Hawthorns.

The move depended solely on whether Tony Mowbray could steer his side to promotion, which unfortunately Derby County prevented in the play-off final. Jeremy Peace, the owner at the time, reportedly had a fine relationship with the Croatian club, but could not tempt them or Modric to transfer without Premier League football.

Whilst they would earn promotion the season following, they had already missed out on their target. He moved to Spurs for £15m, and just four years later make his £30m switch to Real Madrid, where he has since won five Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles.

His pass mastery and incredible longevity mean that even today he remains one of the Europe’s best, as he ranks in the top 5% for progressive passes, and the top 2% for assists per 90.

There are arguably few better on the planet who could thread a ball through like the 37-year-old and had he moved to the Baggies, he could’ve been “magic” in their midfield to promote them a year early and sustain them for the foreseeable future.

He has featured 445 times for Los Blancos, scoring 33 and assisting 73 from his deep midfield role. For country, he shoulders more of the offensive burden, however, as he has 23 goals and 24 assists during his 154 caps.

To think that his career truly took off in north London, it will always remain a great ‘what if?’ story with regard to whether Modric would have made a switch to the Midlands, and just how sensational he could’ve been for them.

If you were born on Merseyside, you’re probably either an Everton fan or a Liverpool supporter, but do you know which celebrities and other sports stars across the world wear Blue scarves instead of Red?

Frank Lampard saw his team grab their first win of the Premier League season in a 1-0 victory against West Ham United at Goodison Park in front of their own fans.

Neal Maupay grabbed his first goal for the club since joining from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer, while Evertonians will be hoping that Dominic Calvert-Lewin can join the Frenchman for a run of games together in the attack after the international break.

But while you are waiting for the Toffees to return to your TV screen, why not try out our Everton Celebrity Fan Quiz! All you have to do is tell us if you think the celebrities in question are a Blue or if we’ve made it up…