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Everton have been linked with plenty of big names since they were taken over by Iranian billionaire Farhad Moshiri.

Unsurprisingly, few have gone through given their lack of progression as a club, despite the huge money invested.

However, one that very nearly materialised was Kalidou Koulibaly, formerly of Napoli.

The Senegalese centre-back has constantly been linked with moves to the Premier League throughout his career, with this summer finally seeing him move to Chelsea.

Back in 2016, following the £47.5m sale of John Stones to Manchester City, Moshiri revealed that he had tried to sign the defender that same summer. He noted: “We tried to buy Koulibaly and they wanted £60m.”

Instead, he opted for Ashley Williams on a £12m deal. He will certainly be left red-faced now, given their respective career paths.

CIES Football Observatory still rates the Chelsea man at €35m (£31m), despite being 31 years old and he has started life in England well, giving credence to the claim that he would have starred had Moshiri forked out the money back in 2016.

Garth Crooks named him in his team of the week just a month ago and claimed he stepped in just as they needed “someone a little bit special” to replace the outbound Antonio Rudiger.

In his first five Premier League games, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.04, and despite Thomas Tuchel’s poor start to the season and subsequent sacking, he had impressed at the back.

He has averaged 2.0 tackles, 3.0 clearances and 1.4 interceptions per game, whilst also ranking in the top 2% of defenders across Europe’s top five leagues for dribbles completed, outlining his ability to progress the team as well as quell opposition attacks.

Since making the move to England, he has quickly shown the Toffees just what they missed out on.

The fact that he has managed to dominate given his seniority suggests that if Everton had bought him when Moshiri claimed they were interested, he would’ve announced himself as one of the league’s best defenders and likely propelled the Iranian’s club to greater heights. It was certainly a mistake to prefer the cheaper Williams instead.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny claims that it would be ‘huge’ for Newcastle United if Miguel Almiron were to reach double figures for goals this season.

The Lowdown: Goal of the season?

Almiron, who has been ‘disrespected’ in the words of some media members, scored a wonderful brace in the St. James’ Park outfit’s 4-1 win away at Fulham over the weekend, with his first goal, a volley from an acute angle, dubbed a potential Goal of the Season (GOTS) contender on BBC’s Match of the Day by Tyneside legend Alan Shearer.

Speaking to the media after the game, Eddie Howe described the Paraguay international as a player who can do ‘magical things‘, and he is really starting to show that with goals like the one at Craven Cottage.

The Latest: Kenny on Almiron goal

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny, 44, gave his reaction to Almiron’s goal, calling it ‘amazing’, and claimed that it would be ‘huge’ for the North East club if he could reach double figures between now and the end of the season:

“Amazing goal, two more for him. 10 goals in a season can be worth a couple of places at the end of the year.

“Almiron scored a load of goals in pre-season, I remember talking about it. So many players have gone to another level under Eddie Howe and we were thinking Almiron would be the next one.

“Maybe it doesn’t look like he has improved that much but he scored once last season. I think he went 30-odd games without scoring.

“Now he has three in eight this year. With the confidence it looks like he has, there is no reason he can’t get 10 or more goals this season.

“That would be huge for Newcastle because Wilson will get double figures if he is fit, you think Isak will too.

“So to have another player up there, more goals, more wins. It’s what you need when you are a team who wants to be where Newcastle want to be.

“Everyone needs to be contributing in a big way.”

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The Verdict: On course

Even though Almiron has never reached double figures in terms of goals in a season since he moved to the Magpies, he is well on course to this term, with three in his opening eight matches in the top flight (Transfermarkt).

Given Callum Wilson’s injury problems, and the fact that attackers Alexander Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin have also picked up injuries in recent weeks, the likes of Almiron need to step up with their goal output while others are not on the pitch.

Nonetheless, the 28-year-old has been a revelation so far this campaign, and goals like his opening one against Fulham should give him the confidence to score more in the next set of fixtures.

Journalist Mark Carruthers has shared his thoughts on a letter from Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan to mark one year since the takeover.

The Lowdown: Takeover letter

To mark the one-year anniversary of the takeover at St. James’ Park today, Al-Rumayyan wrote an open letter to supporters on Thursday evening, which has been shared by the North East club’s official Twitter page.

In the letter, the chairman reminisces over the first game after the takeover was completed, and informed supporters that while there is still ‘a long way to go’, each season remains a building block towards their objective of challenging for trophies on a domestic level, and eventually in Europe.

He signs off by saying that the supporters and the wider community are an ‘incredible motivation’ for the owners, as they look to achieve their long-term goals together.

The Latest: Carruthers reacts

Taking to Twitter after the letter was shared, Carruthers claimed that it is a statement that ‘should excite NUFC supporters’, adding that the club now has ‘undoubted potential’, after a long time without much structure or expertise under the previous ownership of Mike Ashley:

“Jokes aside, this is a statement that should excite #NUFC supporters. For the first time in a long time, there is a structure and expertise being put in place that can help the club realise its undoubted potential. The return of drive and ambition has been a long-time coming!”

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The Verdict: Exciting

These are certainly exciting times for Magpies supporters, as emphasised in the letter from Al-Rumayyan.

The new owners clearly have the ambition to get the club to the very top, and while it may take a few seasons or more to reach those heights, the journey is one that supporters should enjoy.

Nonetheless, they have already shown their ambition by spending big in the last two transfer windows, spending a club-record fee on striker Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad and bringing in the likes of Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon in January (Transfermarkt).

More money will be expected to be splashed over the next year or so, which should really help Eddie Howe’s side push up the Premier League table.

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Matheus Nunes is ‘where he wants to be’ at Wolverhampton Wanderers and that the team’s early-season struggles will not have an impact on his long-term career.

The Lowdown: Nunes at Wolves

In August, it was revealed that the Old Gold had broken their club-record transfer fee with the arrival of the 24-year-old from Sporting Lisbon in a £42.2m deal.

Since arriving at Molineux in mid-August, the Portugal midfielder has featured in Wolves’ starting XI in every match in the Premier League.

However, after a poor run of form at the start of the campaign saw manager Bruno Lage relieved of his duties at the start of this month, the Midlanderss sit just above the relegation zone in 17th place.

The Latest: Jones’ claim

Amid claims from one of his former coaches that Nunes won’t be at Molineux for long,  Jones believes that the player will stand by his decision to join Wolves despite their disappointing start to the Premier League season.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the journalist said of the 24-year-old: “I don’t think this move is going to do him any harm.

“He’s landed in the Premier League, where he wants to be. He has started well and if things don’t go to plan with Wolves, his individual showings will still ensure his career has a big projection.”

The Verdict: Huge talent

When looking at Nunes’ underlying figures , it is easy to see why Wolves were so quick to break their previous transfer record with the purchase of the Portuguese midfielder.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s major leagues over the past year, the 24-year-old ranked in the 99th percentile for dribbles completed, the 96th percentile for progressive passes received, the 88th percentile for assists and the 86th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area.

Dubbed ‘superb’ by journalist Josh Bunting, the arrival of Nunes at Molineux was a signal of huge intent by Wolves.

Therefore, the Black Country faithful will surely be hoping to enjoy his talents for years to come.

Newcastle United host Frank Lampard’s Everton side at St. James’ Park tonight as they attempt to get back to winning ways in the Premier League.

The Magpies are currently sitting sixth in the table and they could end the night in fifth if results go their way, although they are four points short of Chelsea in the final Champions League spot.

Eddie Howe’s men come into the match off the back of a 0-0 draw away at Manchester United in the top-flight on Sunday, after winning their two games prior to that.

They now have the chance to taste victory again as they face the Toffees, who are one point off the relegation zone and have only won twice in the division.

How many changes will the manager make from the goalless encounter at Old Trafford? Here is Football FanCast’s predicted XI for the game…

We are predicting that Howe will make three changes to his team, with Matt Targett, Elliot Anderson, and Joe Willock replacing Dan Burn, Jacob Murphy, and Sean Longstaff.

Firstly, Targett could come in at left-back to offer more of a threat on the overlap than the ex-Brighton titan. The £19k-per-week centre-back, Burn, has provided 0.3 key passes per start in the Premier League this term, whereas the former Aston Villa dynamo has created 1.75 chances per start so far.

Therefore, Howe could improve the attacking output of his team by making this change and that is why the summer signing could be reinstated on the left.

In the middle of the park, we are predicting that Willock will be brought back into the team after being on the bench against Manchester United. He has started nine of the club’s ten league matches so far this season and Howe could bring the midfielder, who he claimed is “desperate” to score, back in after resting him at Old Trafford.

Finally, Anderson could finally be unleashed from the start. He has made five substitute appearances in the top flight and the head coach may now decide to hand him his full debut in the Premier League.

Jacob Murphy and Ryan Fraser have both struggled out on the left side, with one goal and zero assists in six starts between them, and Allan Saint-Maximin remains out injured. This means that the door could be open for the Scotland youth international to be given his chance to prove that he belongs at this level.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a blow to their top four hopes on Wednesday evening, with Manchester United running out 2-0 winners at Old Trafford – a result that saw the Red Devils close the gap on third-placed Spurs to just four points.

A win against Erik ten Hag’s outfit would have moved Tottenham ahead of Manchester City in second and to within a point of the current league leaders Arsenal, however, after turning one of their worst collective displays of the season, Antonio Conte’s side are now very much back in the top four race, rather than one for the title.

Having said this, while it is true that the vast majority of the Italian’s starting XI had an evening to forget in Manchester, there were nevertheless a couple of bright sparks for the 53-year-old manager, with both Hugo Lloris and Ben Davies impressing.

Indeed, were it not for Lloris’ eight saves between the Spurs’ sticks, the result could have made much worse reading for the north London side, although, it was arguably Davies’ display at the back that was the most eye-catching of the night.

Over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the centre-back was undoubtedly the most solid of Tottenham’s defensive trio, making two interceptions, one tackle, one clearance and blocking two shots, as well as winning two duels – while the Wales international was also incredibly unlucky to see Fred’s attempt at goal deflect in off his leg.

The £17.5m-rated talent was also one of Conte’s most impressive players in possession of the ball, enjoying 64 touches, making two key passes, attempting nine long balls – two of which found their man – completing one cross and creating his side’s only big chance of the night.

These metrics saw the 29-year-old earn a very respectable SofaScore match rating of 7.0, ranking him as Spurs’ second-best outfielder to feature in the match.

As such, while Lloris was undoubtedly very impressive on Wednesday evening, it will perhaps be the performance of Davies that pleased Conte most against the Red Devils, as the £80k-per-week Welshman was certainly one of Tottenham’s brightest sparks at Old Trafford.

Everton have reportedly enquired about the availability of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani and the Frenchman could be the man to end Frank Lampard’s striker nightmare at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

According to RMC Sport, Everton have already approached the Bundesliga side about the possibility of signing the 24-year-old forward but the report claims that he sees his future at a more ‘upscale’ club.

Considering the likes of Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are also credited with an interest, it may be tough to convince him that Goodison Park is the right destination for his career this month, especially as Frankfurt are still playing in the Champions League this season.

Ahead of the World Cup, Kolo Muani was valued at €50m (£44m) but after his goal in the semi-final against Morocco, before a strong appearance from the bench in the final against Argentina, the report claims that Frankfurt want to make him their biggest ever sale, so value him at €60m (£53m).

That price could also increase further if the former Nantes man continues to perform in Germany’s top flight this season, as he already boasts an impressive five goals and nine assists in just 14 appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a superb average rating of 7.25.

Could he end Lampard’s striking nightmare?

Considering Demarai Gray and Anthony Gordon are Everton’s top scorers in the Premier League this season with just three goals to their name, it seems clear that a new striker is needed if the Toffees have any hopes of arresting their woeful recent form and maintaining their Premier League status.

Main striker options Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Neal Maupay have two goals and no assists between them, which suggests that Kolo Muani could be a big upgrade in terms of both goal-scoring and bringing others into play, given his impressive assist record so far this campaign.

With no win since October, it seems difficult to predict where Everton’s next three points come from and quality additions in the final third, such as Kolo Muani, are desperately needed if they are to get out of relegation trouble this season.

Indeed, Eintracht board member for sport Markus Krösche, summed up perfectly why he’d be able to fix Everton’s problems.

He was full of praise for the striker’s ability and what he offers at The Waldstadion a week ago. saying: “Randal Kolo Muani brings attributes that we need for our game. He’s fast, robust and a very good finisher. He’s also tactically versatile and can play in several different systems, which will give us even more flexibility next season.”

We certainly saw that at the World Cup where the Frenchman shone despite a limited role. Possessing the ability to turn up when it matters, he scored a vital goal in the semi-finals versus Morocco before combining well with Kylian Mbappe against Argentina in the final as Les Bleus turned the game around in the dying embers.

While it will undoubtedly be tough and expensive to sign the France international this month, he looks to have all the attributes needed to be a success in the Premier League, and he could be the difference between top-flight and Championship football for the Toffees next season, so Lampard should do everything he can to sign him.

Sunderland’s U21 side were beaten comfortably on Monday night as they were hammered 3-1 by Southampton in division two of Premier League 2.

Results are largely irrelevant at youth level in terms of the development of the players as the overall goal is for them to make the breakthrough into the first team, which they can do without being part of a successful youth team.

One positive to take away from the loss to the Saints was that 21-year-old right-back Niall Huggins started the match and played the full 90 minutes – his third appearance for the U21s in 2022 after recovering from a fractured back.

His last competitive outing for Sunderland came in a 5-0 win over Cheltenham in September 2021 and he has now returned to first-team training after just over a year away from the senior group.

Huggins played three games for the U21s as part of his rehabilitation and he is now closing in on being able to make a return for Tony Mowbray’s team, with the youngster now enjoying his first chance to impress the manager as Lee Johnson was in charge when he was last available for selection.

Mowbray could now strike gold by unearthing the starlet’s full potential as he showed great promise prior to his injury nightmare over the past year.

Indeed ex-Black Cats boss Johnson hailed the youngster’s talents after bringing him in from Leeds United last year, saying:

“Niall is an interesting player and tactically he’s very versatile – he is also very good physically in terms of his speed and acceleration and he’s a good dribbler, whether that’s playing left back or right back.

“He’s a bright kid and he’s had a very good education at Leeds, but now it’s the right time for him to step into that first-team environment. Niall is another one that we have added to our stable of quality young players, so we are very happy to have him and we’re looking forward to working with him.”

The £3.9k-per-week warrior, who was dubbed a “stunning” signing by journalist Josh Bunting, offered a taste of what he is capable of in a 2-0 win over Wigan in the EFL Cup last season. He recorded a SofaScore rating of 7.3 as he won five of his six individual duels and created two chances, registering one assist, in the match as he showcased his competitive nature and his ability on the ball.

Huggins, who is an international for Wales at youth level, was a regular for Leeds’ U21s prior to his move to the Stadium of Light as he played 17 Premier League 2 matches, scoring twice, in the 2020/21 campaign.

His performances for the Whites were good enough to convince Kristjaan Speakman and Johnson to sign him and the gem’s display against Wigan could be a sign of what is to come from him under Mowbray now that he has recovered from his injury.

Therefore, the Black Cats boss could strike gold by giving Huggins, who has plenty of time left to develop at the age of 21, opportunities to impress in the Championship, helping the youngster fulfil his undoubted potential and become a valuable member of the first-team squad.

Alex McLeish might not be the most glamorous Glasgow Rangers manager there has ever been, but his trophy-laden spell should ensure that he goes down in the Ibrox annals as one of the club’s greatest managers.

McLeish enjoyed some success in the transfer window during his four-and-a-half-year spell as Rangers boss, luring big names such as Dado Prso and Jean-Alain Boumsong to the club.

However, it was the signing of a little-known Spanish forward called Nacho Novo on whom the Scot really struck gold.

He cost just £450k from Dundee in 2004, even turning down arch-rivals Celtic to join the Light Blues, which meant he was loved by the Ibrox faithful from the very beginning.

His first season proved to be a massive success, scoring the goal which secured the club’s 51st league title while also netting in the League Cup final victory over Motherwell.

The next few seasons saw the Ibrox side fail to win any trophies, despite Novo scoring regularly, but it wasn’t until Walter Smith began his second stint as manager in January 2007 that the club looked like winning silverware again.

Novo was part of the side which won a double of some sort in his final two seasons with the Gers in 2008/09 and 2009/10 and he eventually ended up scoring 71 times in 255 appearances, a solid return for a natural right winger.

The player was a big-game sensation, having scored in two winning cup finals for the club, also netting six times against Celtic during his six seasons at Ibrox.

He may not have been the most talented member of the squad, but he more than made up for that with his boundless energy and never-say-die attitude which served him so well under Smith and McLeish.

£450k might sound like a lot for a player from Dundee, especially back in 2004, yet it turned into one of the best signings that Rangers made so far this century.

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch may have to make a ruthless call in January.

After signing no fewer than three new midfield options in the form of Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson, the chances of long-serving stalwart Adam Forshaw making the American’s starting XI again are becoming slimmer by the week.

Not at least because he’s on the treatment table yet again.

And according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, the 31-year-old could be on his way out after the Qatar World Cup – speaking to Football FanCast, he said:

“I think it’s tough for Forshaw to get into that side.

“There’s so much competition in the midfield engine room right now. You’ve got the summer signings of Roca, Adams and Aaronson in there as well. I think Leeds are now well-stocked in that midfield department.

“So it’s probably looking unlikely that Adam Forshaw will get many first-team opportunities for the club going forward. And he’s out of contract in the summer as well.”

Indeed, it would make sense for the Whites to cash in on the former Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic man, even if for a nominal fee as at least they’d be getting some sort of return for a player that can leave for nothing in a little over six months time.

Forshaw has been a fantastic servant for the club since joining from the northeast in 2018. A lot of that time has been spent on the sidelines, with the £20k-per-week enforcer missing as many as 77 matches through injury but he has never let the team down when featuring on the pitch.

It would be a merciless but necessary decision given he’s among the key leadership group considered by Marsch and has made just three substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, on top of only 17 starts last term.

“Adam’s an important player for us. He’s a big leader for us. He helped set up [a] couple of goals with some of the plays he made. He’s a very reliable leader and player for us. No question,” claimed the 49-year-old back in July.

For the sake of the player and his career, it would be best for Marsch and co to find him a new club in January, considering the evidence above and the fact that Leeds will only lose him for nothing come the summer.

AND in other news, “Superb” Leeds talent who lost the ball 11x hit his stride for the World Cup vs Spurs…