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Everton spent £27 million on Cenk Tosun in January but the Turkey international has failed to live up to expectations so far for the Toffees and the club would be wise to seek a new first choice striker as soon as possible.

One player Marco Silva may wish to target is Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi. The 25-year-old is currently on loan with Valencia in La Liga and is probably unlikely to have a long term future at Stamford Bridge given how he struggled for game time with the Blues when he arrived at the club. 

Everton ought to offer the Belgium international a second chance to prove his worth in the Premier League.

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Batshuayi has shown in previous spells with Borussia Dortmund and Marseille that he can be utterly clinical in front of goal. The striker’s goals would be very welcome at Goodison Park and given his relative youth, Batshuayi could be a player who Everton fans come to love for years to come.

Many of the Toffees faithful certainly like the idea of Batshuayi turning out for their team. When we asked if they thought the club should pursue the Chelsea man’s signature, 85% said yes. See the full results below.

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Arsenal have started to find their feet under Unai Emery but their run of nine wins in a row across all competitions has had to be put on the back burner for the international break.

It gives fans the opportunity to see how their players perform in the international break and supporters were given a special treat on Thursday evening as Reiss Nelson made his debut for England’s U21 side.

Currently impressing on loan in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim, Nelson started his U21 campaign in spectacular form by scoring and providing an assist in a 7-0 drubbing of Andorra.

The young talent took to social media after the match to celebrate the victory and was quickly met with a wealth of support from Arsenal fans who believe he will go on to become a star for the Gunners in the coming years.

We have gathered some of the best reactions from social media below.

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Swansea City boss Graham Potter should make a move for Chelsea starlet Callum Hudson-Odoi to bolster his attacking options in January and propel his side up the table.

What’s the situation?

Swansea currently sit in 11th place in the Championship with 17 points after 12 games that have come from four wins and five draws following their relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season.

Potter took over from Carlos Carvalhal in the summer and immediately began shipping out the old guard and replacing them with a young squad that is full of talent.

However, despite their reasonable start to the campaign the Swans have lacked a cutting edge and have only netted 12 times in the league, and Hudson-Odoi could be the perfect player to eradicate the issue.

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Creativity and flair

Before this season began many were backing the 17-year-old to break into Chelsea’s starting line-up after his hugely impressive performances in pre-season. It hasn’t quite gone to plan for the youngster though and his only first-team appearance came in the Community Shield loss to Manchester City.

With five appearances under his belt at such a young age it’s clear that Chelsea think Hudson-Odoi could go on to great things but his current path into the XI is blocked by a huge amount of expensive talent, and he must leave on loan in January in order to improve.

The England U19 international is mainly regarded as a tricky winger but he can also play centrally and would provide the Swans with a huge amount of creativity and flair, but also perhaps more of a cutting edge than some of Potter’s current options.

So, Swansea fans, would you back a move for Hudson-Odoi in January or would the lack of experience worry you? Have your say by voting in the poll below.

According to Spanish website Okdiario, European giants Barcelona are lining up Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino as a replacement for Luis Suárez at the Camp Nou. 

The Uruguayan is now 31, and the club will start looking for a successor, and Firmino seems to be their number one target.

These rumours intensified recently when current Barca star and former Red Philippe Coutinho said that the Catalan club should target his compatriot.

The Reds have seen a number of their big players leave over the past few years, with Coutinho and Suárez both heading to the Spanish giants, however, if these current rumours come to fruition, it may be the final nail in the coffin for Liverpool.

Jürgen Klopp will have players to replace Firmino, with the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Dominic Solanke springing to mind, but it will be very hard to replace the skill set that the Brazilian has.

The former Hoffenheim forward’s strength and power is fundamental in allowing star wingers Mo Salah and Sadio Mané to flourish at the club. The Egyptian would be the first to admit that his heroic 2017/18 season would not have happened without his striker. Firmino has the ability to win the ball and retain it, meaning his wingers can be unleashed.

While he may not get the goals to match other strikers in the Premier League such as Harry Kane and Sergio Agüero, he has attributes that make him a totally different player to them, but just as important to The Reds.

If Firmino does go, it may also set a precedent to other members of the team that Liverpool sell all their best players. This could trigger a chain reaction, with other huge stars also moving on as well. Klopp will be desperate to keep hold of his centre-forward, and may be scared of the consequences if he doesn’t.

Marco Silva secured a coup for the club in the summer transfer window as Andre Gomes arrived at Goodison Park from Barcelona in a season-long loan deal, but injury problems have forced the Toffees faithful to bide their time before watching him in action.

Gomes’ long-awaited debut finally arrived against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon as he was handed a starting berth in central midfield alongside Idrissa Gueye.

A finely balanced partnership which saw Gueye providing the brawn and Gomes providing the brains in midfield, the Portugal international impressed without setting the world alight on his debut.

Neat touches and strong hints of classy ball-playing quality characterised his performance and hinted that he could become a key player under Silva this season.

Following his debut performance, Marco Silva spoke to Everton TV (via Goal) and suggested that the summer recruit could add a new dimension to the Toffees attacking play in the final-third .

“He has quality on the ball and understands the game. He is enjoying playing for us and training every day.

“I know he will improve… he has to improve his physical condition and get to know his team-mates better.

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“It is a case now of looking forward with him and the other players in that position. We have to improve our build-up and play a little bit faster and Andre will help us with that.”

Whilst Everton have shown glimpses of intensity in their attacking play, particularly when Gylfi Sigurdsson has been at his scintillating best, they have lacked a cutting edge at times which Gomes is well placed to provide.

A natural ball-playing midfielder by trade, Gomes has the ability to inject a level of craft and guile into Everton’s transition from midfield to attack, and Silva’s latest admission suggests that he has every faith in him to do just that.

Time will tell whether Gomes can blossom into the excellent talent he was widely tipped to become when he earned a switch to the Catalan giants in 2016 but, under a manager of Silva’s expertise and within a club of Everton’s standing, he has an excellent opportunity to silence his doubters in Spain.

Everton fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Striker Odsonne Edouard spent last season on loan with Celtic, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists in 29 appearances as the Bhoys went on to complete their famous double treble of domestic competitions.

The young Frenchman clearly impressed Brendan Rodgers too, as the Celtic boss made Edouard’s move from Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain permanent in this summer’s transfer window for a club-record fee of £9m.

Towards the end of the window, his signing took on even more significance as his compatriot Moussa Dembele left Parkhead for Lyon having scored 51 goals in 94 games during his three seasons with the Hoops.

This left Celtic with Leigh Griffiths, Edouard and youngster Michael Johnston as options upfront, but it is Edouard who Rodgers must now build his team around.

This season, the 20-year-old has often been shunted out to the left wing, but he should now be considered the main striker at the club having already netted eight goals in 18 games so far in this campaign.

Edouard is the perfect man to replace Dembele as Celtic’s talisman. He has the pace and power needed to stretch defences and his impressive numbers prove that he is a natural finisher. At an international level, the former PSG man has five goals in 13 games for the French U19 side and was a key member of the successful European U17 Championship team in 2015, when he won the Golden Player and top goalscorer awards after netting a hat-trick in the final against Germany.

If Rodgers wants to emulate the success of his previous two seasons, he must stick with Edouard up front and play with wingers and central-midfielders who can get the best out of his style of play.

Fan favourite Griffiths has been a fantastic servant for Celtic since his move from Wolves in 2014 and earlier this season he netted his 100th goal for the club. However, it is time to move on from the Scottish international at Parkhead and bring in Edouard as first choice.

So, Celtic fans, we want to know how many goals you think Edouard will get this season in all competitions if he remains injury free. Have your say by voting in the poll below.

According to a recent report from The Sunday Mirror (via HITC), there is much Premier League interest in Leeds United striker Kemar Roofe. The 25-year-old made the move to Elland Road back in 2016 after impressing at Oxford United, and he has since taken it up another level to become one of the hottest properties outside of the English top-flight.

And reports suggest that Crystal Palace, Southampton, and Wolves are keen on the ex-West Brom star such has been his great form for Marcelo Bielsa’s side this term, but such is the position Leeds are in under the Argentine, it would be absolutely nonsensical for Roofe to leave the club in January.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, it has been some time since there was this much excitement and optimism around Elland Road regarding the prospect of their team returning to the Premier League, what with the Whites sat top of the Championship after 16 games of the season.

And much of that can be put down to the excellent goal-scoring exploits of striker Roofe, who has netted seven times in ten Championship appearances for the Yorkshire giants so far this term to comfortably sit as the club’s top goal-scorer.

In fact, the 25-year-old’s importance to the team was perhaps felt most when he wasn’t in it due to injury between September and October, what with Bielsa’s men playing six league games in his absence, in which time they only won two and scored just eight goals – compare that to six wins and 20 goals scored in his ten appearances this term.

As such, it’s plainly obvious that Roofe will be vital to what success Leeds have in the second half of the campaign, and given the position they are in in the Championship, alongside the somewhat precarious position of some of the clubs reportedly keen on his services, it wouldn’t make any sense were he to leave in January.

This appears to be as good a chance as Leeds have had in many a year to return to the Premier League, as although they have twice in the last two years been in a similar position at this stage of the campaign, things feel different under Bielsa given the style of football they are playing, alongside how good several of the players are performing, not just a select few.

Add in the fact that both Southampton and Palace have made sluggish starts to the Premier League season, and Wolves’ bubble has somewhat burst in recent weeks, and it’s plausible that Leeds could well leapfrog one or more of those sides by returning to the top-flight next term – thus, a move to the Premier League in January could actually result in a return to the Championship a few months later.

Yes, there is still a long way to go in the season and Leeds are far from certain for promotion, but the club appears to be in great hands at present under Bielsa, and Roofe himself looks set to play his part in what could turn out to be something very special indeed – why would he want to leave that come the New Year?

As such, leaving Leeds in January wouldn’t make much sense at all for the 25-year-old.

Leeds fans… what do you think? Let us know!

The general consensus is that Unai Emery has transformed the Gunners into a much better side since arriving in the summer, with a handful of individual improvements to note. 

Perhaps the most radical transformation has been the form of Alex Iwobi. A player who appeared tentative, ineffective and restricted under Arsene Wenger, the Nigeria international is now playing with an infectious swagger which suggests his confidence has grown exponentially since the Spaniard took charge.

But it’s not only the clear shift in Iwobi’s self-belief which has impressed fans and pundits alike, his end-product has dramatically improved.

From just 5 Premier League starts Iwobi has managed to provide 1 goal and 3 assists, and he has played incisive through balls in the build up to a handful of other Arsenal strikes so far this season.

It’s a dramatic improvement which will do wonders for Emery’s standing amongst the Gunners faithful, but there is reason to believe that Iwobi may yet be forced to pursue his career away from the Emirates Stadium.

Indeed, Reiss Nelson’s form in the Bundesliga suggests that Arsenal have a phenomenal talent who is simply waiting to be unleashed in the Premier League, and a recent admission from Emery suggests that he could yet return to north London before the end of the season.

When asked about the possibility of cutting Nelson’s loan spell short, Emery said (via Goal): “At the moment we don’t speak about that.”

Whether or not Nelson does indeed return in January will naturally depend on whether Arsenal are suffering from any major injury concerns when the window reopens for business but, looking ahead to his scheduled return next summer, Iwobi and Emery will be forced to have a serious discussion about the future.

After all, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has ensured that Iwobi is far from a guaranteed starter, but that is bound to frustrate the 22-year-old as he bids to establish himself in the Premier League.

Add Nelson into the equation and it’s clear that Arsenal are stacked for talent in attacking midfield, and his presence may well force Iwobi to pursue his career elsewhere if Emery is unable to guarantee him regular first-team football.

It’s not a scenario which the Arsenal supporters will envisage with any great enthusiasm, but ultimately Iwobi will have to put the best interests of his career above everything else and, if he wants first-team football, he may need to begin a new chapter in order to realise that aim.

Arsenal fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

According to The Sun, Everton are lining up a deal to bring Man United defender Chris Smalling to Goodison Park at the end of the season. 

The England defender’s contract is due to expire in June, and The Toffees look keen to pounce, given that their defence could be seriously depleted come next season.

While Smalling would be a great addition to the squad; a player that brings a vast amount of experience, and silverware, Everton should look closer to home in securing their future.

Kurt Zouma is currently on loan at Goodison Park from Chelsea, and is having a respectable season so far. Nothing particularly flashy, nothing particularly bad. But what the Frenchman does have over Smalling is a lot of potential.

At the age of 28, it is hard to know if Smalling has reached his peak. On the other hand, Zouma is only 24, and many people already know what a talent he is. He would most likely be playing under Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge this season if it were not for a horrific ACL injury a couple of seasons ago which waylaid his progress.

Everton is the platform to find his supreme form again, but could also be the club that could entice him to stay. The Toffees were able to do the same with former Chelsea man Romelu Lukaku, and there is no harm in trying again.

What is most important is that Marco Silva signed Zouma, so it is clearly a player that he wanted, and has plans for. It is up to Chairman Bill Kenwright and the Everton board to make this a permanent move.

Ahead of Rangers’ clash at home to Livingston tomorrow, photos have emerged on the club’s Twitter account of Borna Barisic back in light training.

The Croatian defender, who made the move to Ibrox back in the summer from Croatian outfit NK Osijek, suffered a calf injury which has kept him out of action since the end of September, and he has been recovering ever since.

This comes just days after Steven Gerrard told RangersTV that Barisic was ‘very close’ to a return and also said he would be in the squad in the next two or three games, with it now a possibility that the left back could return when the Light Blues, currently sat third in the Scottish Premiership table, host Gary Holt’s Livingston, who held league leaders Celtic to a 0-0 draw last time out.

Unsurprisingly, this recent Auchenhowie boost has stimulated quite a reaction from many Rangers fans on Twitter, with some actually unable to recognise Barisic as a result of his new haircut…

While several other Gers fans did display their affection for the man they have missed since his injury back in October…

Rangers fans… what do you think? Let us know!