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West Bromwich Albion continue their long-running search for a replacement for Steve Bruce, who was relieved of his duties over ten days ago now.

With their search, it is clear that owner Lai Guochuan is stuck in two minds with where to take his football club now, having failed miserably with his previous appointment.

He can either continue backing experience over excitement, in the hopes the pragmatism might return them to the Premier League, or he can take a risk on a young up-and-coming manager and rely on their new methods and the talent within the squad to reach his goals.

Whilst the likes of Chris Wilder or Sean Dyche might seem attractive and safe proposals, he must now surely take the plunge with someone like Rob Edwards, who has earned huge praise during his short career in management and is among the mooted candidates.

Having most recently been sacked by Watford, it was at Forest Green Rovers where his true talents shone through.

Also, the renowned ruthlessness of the Hornets’ ownership means that the 39-year-old does not leave with his stock any lower.

Journalist Josh Bunting even labelled him a “good aspiring coach” before this season, outlining the “smart” business he was undertaking.

He took over the Rovers and led them to a promotion charge, where they blew away their competition in League Two to take home the title.

This achievement saw him named the EFL Manager of the Season for his division, and saw him lauded for his fresh methods that helped a side struggling in and around the playoffs to silverware.

His comments regarding how he runs his clubs should be promising for a club that has one of the better squads in the Championship. He said:

“We try to keep things simple by putting players in their best positions and basing the team around what the lads are good at doing. 

“We don’t need to put square pegs in round holes when everyone is fit. We just want them to be good at what they do.”

Clearly, he wants to get the best out of what is already at a club, and with his modern approach to the game, he could be the man to get them playing an attractive brand that can propel them up the table.

After the miserable tenure of Bruce, Edwards could now get the Hawthorns rocking again with a string of good results.

Everton have made a number of bizarre transfer deals in recent times, although arguably one of the most head-scratching was the addition of promising Switzerland international Shani Tarashaj, with the playmaker having simply not been given a chance to impress during his four-and-a-half-year stay at Goodison Park.

The Toffees had moved to sign the 5 foot 9 menace from Grasshoppers back in January 2016, securing the signing for a reported fee of around £3m, before loaning the then-youngster back to his former club until the end of the season in order to complete his national service.

Speaking at the time, Roberto Martinez had waxed lyrical about the quality of the Merseysiders’ new addition, describing the forward as an “enormous young talent” and tipping him to have a “great future” in the game.

There was no doubt excitement at the club as the talented ace ended that 2015/16 season with 12 goals and four assists in all competitions for the Zurich outfit, having also been selected as part of Switzerland’s squad for Euro 2016, albeit while making just a solitary substitute appearance in the competition.

Despite that obvious promise, the player’s chances of making an impact upon his eventual move to England were instantly inhibited by the sacking of the aforementioned Martinez, with the Spaniard’s successor Ronald Koeman seemingly not taking a liking to the new arrival.

The former wonderkid would go on to spend much of the next few seasons out on loan having been unable to force his way into the first-team plans with the Premier League side, joining Eintracht Frankfurt in 2016, before a later stint back in his homeland with former club Grasshoppers, as well as with Dutch side FC Emmen.

The five-cap ace was ultimately released by the Goodison outfit in the summer of 2020 with a year still to run on his existing deal – having seen his time in the Netherlands brought to a premature end – leaving the club after failing to ever make a senior appearance despite his lengthy stay in English football, with his only outings coming for the club’s U21 side.

After a stint without a club, Tarashaj was snapped up by FC Zurich in January 2021, although after scoring once in just 12 games he has since called time on his career, doing so earlier this month at the age of just 27 having been cruelly hampered by injury of late.

That is no doubt a sad end to a career that had started so brightly, with it something of a shame that he was never afforded the opportunity to shine during his anonymous stint with Everton.

Sunderland’s long wait for a return to the Championship ended this year as they won promotion out of League One at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

The Black Cats spent four, long, years in the third tier of English football and finally made their way back to the second division as they beat Wycombe in the play-off final.

Kristjaan Speakman’s work in the transfer market played a part in their success as he brought in a number of talented and young players to bolster Lee Johnson’s squad in the summer of 2021.

One player the Black Cats landed a dream deal for was English defender Dennis Cirkin, who signed from Premier League side Tottenham on a three-year contract.

Johnson hailed the club’s work to snap him up at the time, telling the club’s website: “To get a player of Dennis’ quality at 19 speaks wonders in terms of what we’re trying to do because he is a top talent and he’s very highly regarded within the game. We have been really happy with the signings we have made so far and we will bank this one, but we will continue our work quietly and efficiently to try and get a couple more over the line.”

The gem quickly established himself as a regular in the Sunderland team and ended up playing 37 times in League One for Johnson and Alex Neil combined.

£1.08m.

This term, Cirkin has played eight games in the Championship and all of his 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game and won 56% of his individual duels, showing off his quality – defensively – at this level as Josh Bunting recently hailed him a “standout” in the team.

At the time of writing (20/09/22), Transfermarkt valued the former Spurs man at £1.8m. This means that his value has rocketed up by 67% in just three months, which illustrates how impressive he has been since arriving at the Stadium of Light in 2021.

Therefore, Sunderland landed a dream deal by signing Cirkin last summer as he has been integral to their success on the pitch and the youngster is growing in value, which makes him a great asset for the club to have now and in the future.

Everton are reportedly looking to sign former West Bromwich Albion attacker Matheus Pereira before the summer transfer window closes.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Sunday Mirror (via TEAMtalk), the Toffees are keen on bringing the Brazilian back to England in the coming days.

They claim that the Toffees have even made an enquiry to sound out a possible deal.

Lampard needs him

Having played in 34 games for his current club, Al Hilal, last season, the Brazilian only scored three goals but managed to provide a whopping 15 assists along the way.

This shows how dangerous he can be in an attacking sense when it comes to scoring or creating goals for his teammates.

In 77 appearances for West Brom, the 26-year-old found the net 20 times and delivered 26 assists, showing he is more than capable of adapting to the rigours of English football.

Indeed, the 2020/21 season was a superb one for Pereira. In the Premier League with West Brom, he ended the campaign with more goals (11), assists (6), shots at goal (61) and key passes (57) than any other player at the club, highlighting how capable he is of being a consistent attacking threat in the top division.

Described by Micah Richards as a player who is “always looking forward at every opportunity”, the pundit also claimed that Pereira is “an absolute delight to watch.” That should provide fans with a great deal of excitement at what he could bring to Goodison Park.

Only four clubs have produced fewer goal-creating actions than Everton (4) so far in the league this season, so adding a player like Pereira to their ranks could be just what Frank Lampard needs to see his side become a deadlier attacking outfit.

During that aforementioned campaign in the top flight, Pereira showed why he could help in this facet of the game, ranking in the top 34% of players in his position in the Premier League for shot-creating actions and in the best 5% for through balls.

The versatility he has in being able to play across numerous midfield and attacking positions would also make him a very useful figure for the Toffees and Lampard.

Thus, having already proved how effective he can be in the Premier League, securing a late deal for the attacker with 57 career goals should be a no-brainer for the hierarchy at Goodison Park.

If the Merseyside club are able to bring the former West Brom star back to England, this would certainly see them end the summer transfer window on a high note.

Everton remain interested in Benfica striker sensation Goncalo Ramos, but one of their rival suitors is about to make the first move.

The Lowdown: Ramos is hot property

Ramos has become one of the hottest properties on the market for Premier League sides, linked with the likes of the Toffees, Leeds and Newcastle.

It’s no surprise there is so much interest in his services, with a breakthrough campaign in 2021/22 yielding eight goals and four assists in 46 appearances for the Eagles.

He has started the current campaign in even better form, bagging four goals and three assists in just four games, including a Champions League qualifying hat-trick against FC Midtjylland.

The Latest: Everton need to act fast

According to Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Notícias, via Sport Witness, Newcastle are about to make the first official move to win the race for Ramos.

Eddie Howe’s side are expected to bid over €40m, with Everton, Leeds, Southampton and Wolves watching intently.

In a possible boost for the Toffees however, the report says Benfica ‘may not be able to keep’ the 21 year-old and it’s ‘very possible’ a transfer happens in the final days of the window even despite his €120m (£100m) release clause.

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The Verdict: Get it done

Ramos looks like an immense talent. North East broadcaster Andy Sixsmith, commenting on the links to Newcastle recently, said the youngster is ‘brilliant in the air, a real clever finisher & a proper grafter up front’, traits that may remind Everton fans of a certain Brazilian.

And it’s not just Richarlison who needs replacing, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injuries becoming a real problem for Frank Lampard – the England international missed 42 games with seven different injuries in his career to date.

Ramos meanwhile has missed just four games in his professional career – two from his only ever injury and two for a positive Covid-19 test – so looks to have the durability and fitness to match his impressive list of attributes.

Jumping into the mix to try and beat Newcastle to his signing looks like a no brainer for Lampard and Kevin Thelwell.

Leeds United have only occasionally signed players from fellow English clubs over the past few transfer windows, with most of their new recruits coming from overseas.

One player who was brought in from another Premier League club, though, is Dan James, who arrived from Manchester United last summer for a reported fee of £25m.

In 32 league appearances throughout his debut season at Elland Road, the Welshman ended up scoring just four goals and delivering four assists along the way.

Bearing in mind how Leeds only scored 42 goals in the league last term, leaving just four other teams with fewer, the Whites could use the remainder of the summer transfer window to add some extra firepower to Jesse Marsch’s squad.

One man who has been mentioned with a move to Leeds and who could help them in that department and potentially be an upgrade on James is Watford winger Ismaila Sarr.

The Hornets signed the winger from French club Rennes for a reported fee of £40m three years ago.

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To compare his previous season with James’, the Watford star racked up a higher percentage for shots on target than the Wales international, also recording a greater number of successful dribbles and a higher distance in terms of carrying the ball towards the opponents’ goal.

Even though James played 12 more league games than Sarr, the latter only delivered one fewer cross than the Leeds winger, which just goes to show how much of a consistent attacking threat the Senegalese wizard is, and can be for the Whites if he comes to Elland Road.

Hailed as a “scary” player by Ben Foster in terms of his attacking ability, the Watford winger certainly has the credentials to be a useful asset for Leeds and provide them with a greater threat in front of goal throughout the new season.

Despite having a steep reported price tag of £40m, it could be worth making an approach to Watford to see if they would be willing to cash in on their attacking star and allow him to return to the Premier League over the next few weeks.

If Leeds are able to secure Sarr’s signature, it would not only top off what has been an impressive summer window from the Whites, but also provide them with what would appear to be an upgrade on James.

Liverpool journalist James Pearce has reacted to midfielder Stefan Bajcetic being handed a new long-term contract with the Premier League side.

The Lowdown: Bajcetic profiled

The 17-year-old arrived at Anfield in February 2021 before signing his first professional deal in November of last year.

The maestro was given his chance to shine during pre-season, featuring in five of the club’s six games, with his performances impressing Jurgen Klopp to the extent that he was named as a substitute for the Reds’ curtain-raiser against Fulham last weekend.

The Latest: Pearce’s praise

Taking to Twitter, Pearce heaped praise on Bajcetic and insisted that a fresh deal is nothing less than he deserves. He wrote:

“Young LFC midfielder Stefan Bajcetic’s eye-catching progress rewarded with a new long-term contract on improved terms.”

Expanding in his column for The Athletic, the reporter wrote that the teenager has made ‘outstanding’ developments since putting pen to paper on his first senior deal last year.

Fellow youngster Harvey Elliott has also penned a new deal with the Reds, extending his stay until

The Verdict: Fully deserved

Bajcetic being offered a new deal at Liverpool seems fully deserved, given the positive impression he’s made in the club’s youth squad.

The Spaniard was naturally a centre-back but managed to score two goals and provide one assist in just nine games for the Reds U18s, via Transfermarkt, and has since progressed into playing more of a number six role in the middle of the park.

This kind of versatility makes him an exciting young prospect and someone who will hopefully go on to become a future face of the Liverpool first team in years to come.

Aston Villa have been handed a boost in their pursuit of one mooted transfer target this week…

What’s the word?

Earlier in the month, the Midlands outfit were linked with a move for Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake, with 90min (via Caught Offside) claiming that Villa were among several top-flight teams interested in a move.

It now appears as if they have been given the green light to secure his signature.

According to Football Insider, the Premier League champions have told him that he’s free to leave for the right price, two years after his £40m arrival from AFC Bournemouth.

Newcastle United and Chelsea are also keen on the Dutchman.

Another centre-back needed?

One of Steven Gerrard’s biggest issues at Villa Park last season was in his backline, having inherited the squad from Dean Smith back in November. He managed to steer them away from the relegation zone to finish in 14th place but he’ll be wanting more this season.

The former Rangers boss has already taken steps to improve defensively, signing quite the coup in Diego Carlos from Sevilla. However, just the one addition may not be enough when you consider the fact that both Ezri Konsa and Kourtney Hause are currently injured.

Villa have been linked to several centre-backs in recent weeks, including Liverpool star Joe Gomez but reports suggest that he is set to sign a new contract at Anfield, leaving him an unlikely option for the club.

Ake, though, is evidently available and could be an interesting solution.

“Nathan is a quality defender,” claimed Citizens director of football Txiki Begiristain upon signing him.

“He was a leader during his time at Bournemouth, and I am so pleased we’ve managed to bring him here. He’s strong and quick, and we feel he has the technical and intellectual attributes needed to excel in Pep’s setup.”

Indeed, over the course of his career, the Netherlands international has proven to be a very reliable colossus at the back – as per WhoScored, he’s won an average of 2.1 aerial duels, 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game, whilst also excelling with the ball at his feet, managing an 84.8% passing accuracy.

Meanwhile, statistical website FBref liken him most to some proven Premier League options, such as Joel Matip, Harry Maguire, Ruben Dias and John Stones.

Also lauded for being an “amazing player” by former Cherries teammate Steve Cook, it’s clear that Ake would add a lot to Gerrard’s defence heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

Now that sporting director Johan Lange has been given the green light to make his move, it would be silly not to. His current market valuation of £25m by CIES Football Observatory surely makes him an affordable option indeed.

AND in other news, Villa could find their next Coutinho as NSWE plot offer for £175k-p/w “maverick”…

Nottingham Forest have been linked with a move for Dean Henderson this summer, and a reliable source has now given an update on the club’s progress on signing the player.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed a promising update on Forest’s pursuit of the Manchester United goalkeeper this summer.

Romano tweeted: “Dean Henderson deal will be signed and announced in the next days by Man United – no issues, it has been approved by ten Hag. Loan move to Nottingham Forest until June 2023, huge move for NFFC.”

“Deal won’t include any buy option clause, as reported last week.”

Supporters will be excited

The seemingly imminent signing of Henderson will surely be warmly welcomed by Forest supporters and fill them with excitement, especially whilst Brice Samba’s future continues to hang in the balance.

The Daily Mail reported last week that the Congolese stopper has rejected a new contract with the club despite being offered double his current wages, as the 28-year-old would prefer to move back to France this summer.

In terms of Forest’s recruitment of Henderson, it would be a major coup for Cooper to have a player who has Premier League experience (49 games), so it could be a blessing in disguise that Samba is reluctant to commit his future at the club.

The 25-year-old has struggled to make his mark at Old Trafford with David de Gea in great form for the Red Devils, which has led to Henderson requesting a move away in recent months to find the opportunity to play regular first-team football.

The £16.2m-rated Englishman only made five appearances in all competitions last season, but has proven in the past on loan at Sheffield United, and indeed for his current club, that he has the attributes of a great goalkeeper.

In the 2020/21 season, he impressively kept 13 clean sheets in 26 appearances for Manchester United as they finished second under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and reached the Europa League final.

He also played a massive part in Sheffield United’s promotion into the Premier League in 2019, ever-present as the Blades conceded the fewest goals in the Championship, proving that he can be a huge asset when he is given the opportunity to play consistently.

Henderson’s influence in the team this summer would put Forest in a great position to maintain their top-flight status if he can emulate the levels that he previously reached when given the chance to play regularly.

AND in other news: Journalist delivers big “offer” claim that’ll leave Cooper scrambling

Manchester United reportedly have a “nice envelope” for recruitment summer.

What’s the word?

That is according to TopMercato.com, who state that the club is “currently having difficulty concluding its files”, with the report mentioning the targets of Marco Asensio, Arnaut Danjuma and Darwin Nunez as players whose proposed transfers “seem to be in trouble.”

TopMercato added that Frenkie de Jong is Erik ten Hag’s priority at United, and a report from Manchester Evening News give fresh hope of one signing.

The Manchester-based outlet have an understanding that the Red Devils are keeping tabs on Danjuma, with the Dutchman’s recent admission adding some momentum.

The 25-year-old told Sky Sports, via Manchester Evening News: “There’s definitely unfinished business for me in England. The reason why I joined Bournemouth originally was for me to play Premier League football. I think how big the league is and it’s seen as the best league in the world for many of us.”

Forget De Jong

With headway slowly being made in the chase for De Jong, United should learn to compartmentalise like the rest of Europe’s elite clubs and give further attention to 25-year-old Danjuma.

The former Bournemouth man has had a stellar campaign with Villarreal, notching 16 goals this season means he has now scored 67 goals over the course of his career.

Listed as ‘both footed’ by Fotmob, Danjuma is a technical winger who would suit the style of Ten Hag, with the Villarreal star perhaps the key to attacking transitions for the 52-year-old due to his direct style of play.

Statistically similar players to the Netherlands international include the likes of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe, as per FBRef; and with an average of 0.61 goals per match, it’s easy to see why.

Danjuma represents a high-potential purchase for United, and if Ten Hag decides on an attacker, the former Bournemouth ace could well be the man to provide the spark which the Red Devils need in the final third.

In other news: Romano issues Man Utd twist on £31.5m-rated brute, Ten Hag needs him