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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.

Wolves look unlikely to have a new manager in the dugout for their game against Nottingham Forest at the weekend after being dealt another setback in their search for a Bruno Lage replacement.

What’s the word?

It was suggested that, after a move for Julen Lopetegui fell through, the Old Gold could turn towards former Olympiacos manager Pedro Martins, with reports from Portugal claiming that they were already in negotiations.

However, Express and Star journalist Liam Keen has now contradicted that and claimed that a move for Martins is not on the cards, which could prove to be yet another setback for the Molineux outfit.

He said: “Pedro Martins is not currently of interest to Wolves.”

A mistake from Wolves?

It is surprising that Martins is not being considered, as the 52-year-old boasted an impressive record at Olympiacos before his summer sacking, winning three titles during his time in Greece.

This led Greek journalist Lianos Kostas to compliment the “immense success” Martins had in his spell at the Karaiskaki Stadium before his exit this summer, which came after a shock defeat to Maccabi Haifa in Champions League qualifying.

Martins oversaw some impressive results in Europe with Olympiacos, memorably defeating Arsenal on two occasions, first knocking them out of the Europa League in 2020, before winning again at the Emirates in March 2021.

The Portuguese manager could have been a good fit at Molineux and has been tipped to be a success in the Premier League by Wolves winger Daniel Podence, who starred under him in Greece.

He said: “He is a humble man, simple and easily accessible.

“Of course he is ready. Although Olympiacos is as big a club as most Premier League clubs. The quality here will not be a problem for him and will have good results.”

Indeed, the forward was a revelation thanks to Martins, scoring 13 and assisting 14 under his tutelage. That happens to be the highest volume of goal contributions he has managed under a single manager, meaning Wolves’ fortunes and that of Podence, could improve significantly if he arrives in the Midlands.

Therefore, it is somewhat surprising that Wolves seemingly aren’t interested in appointing Martins, and this decision will only limit their options further, which is surely a mistake when you consider their desperate current situation.

The Old Gold need a new manager to come in as soon as possible, as the results so far this season suggest that they are definitely in a relegation scrap. Thus, they must surely have a better option up their sleeve if they are not considering an experienced title-winner such as Martins. For now, however, it looks like an error in judgement from Fosun.

Newcastle United journalist Andrew Musgrove says that the club’s reported interest in James Maddison is understandable in light of his form for Leicester City.

The lowdown

The Athletic’s George Caulkin stated last month that Newcastle will try to sign the 25-year-old in January ‘if the right deal is there for them’. The Magpies made two bids during the summer transfer window, the second of which was worth £40m, but both were rejected.

Caulkin added that the Englishman has been ‘talking about a new deal at Leicester’, but it’s ‘difficult’ to say whether he will extend given that the Foxes are in a ‘complete state of flux’.

Maddison scored twice on Monday night as Brendan Rodgers’ side beat Nottingham Forest 4-0 to move off the bottom of the Premier League at their opponents’ expense.

The latest

Musgrove wrote on Twitter that the red-hot Maddison is justifying Newcastle’s interest and that the midfielder could force his way into England’s World Cup squad.

He tweeted: “James Maddison on fire. You can see why #NUFC want him. Will be asking questions of Gareth Southgate’s selection choices too.”

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The verdict

It wasn’t just Maddison’s goals – one a deflected effort from the edge of the box and the other a free-kick – which made his performance on Monday night so good.

He also created two big chances, registered an assist for Patson Daka, completed 43 out of his 47 passes (91%), drew two fouls and made four tackles and interceptions. It was enough to earn a dazzling SofaScore rating of 9.4/10, by some distance the highest on the night.

Musgrove wasn’t the only journalist to rave about him, with Josh Bunting calling it a ‘monster of a performance’ and Ben Jacobs billing it a ‘masterclass’.

It continues a magnificent run of form, with Maddison’s tally of 14 Premier League goal involvements since 11 May bettered only by Erling Haaland, and explains why PIF and Newcastle don’t look set to give up on trying to lure him any time soon.

Arsenal remain interested in a deal to bring Dusan Vlahovic to The Emirates in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that, after missing out on a £70m move for the centre-forward to Juventus back in January, Mikel Arteta would be happy to offer the 22-year-old a route out of the debt-ridden Serie A side this winter.

However, the report goes on to state that, despite reports in Italy suggesting that the Serbia international could be looking for a route out of the Allianz Stadium, sources close to the player have now revealed that this is not currently the case.

As cited by 90min, a source said: “He is not moving, he is playing well himself and he is fully focused on his game. He has been with Juventus for less than 12 months and is not looking to move.”

“More complete than Haaland”

While it very much appears as if Vlahovic himself is not overly open to a January move away from Italy, considering Juve’s recently revealed financial difficulties, should Arsenal present the Bianconeri with an offer they simply cannot afford to refuse, there would still appear a chance of the Gunners getting a deal over the line for the 22-year-old this winter.

And, considering the extraordinary returns Vlahovic has produced over his five seasons in Italy, should the opportunity arise, it would seem extremely advisable for Arteta and Edu to do everything in their power to bring the Serbian sensation to north London when the winter window opens in January.

Indeed, over his 108 appearances during a three-and-a-half-year spell at AFC Fiorentina, the £89m-rated hitman scored an incredible 49 goals and registered a further eight assists – averaging a direct goal contribution every 124 minutes of football played for the Viola.

It has been a similar story for the £224k-per-week talent over his six Serie A fixtures for Juventus this season, with the 22-year-old having already bagged four goals, as well as taken an average of 3.5 shots – 1.2 of which have hit the target – and made 0.8 key passes per game.

These metrics have seen the 15-cap international average a remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.22, not only ranking him as Massimiliano Allegri’s best performer in the league but also as the joint 27th-best player in the Italian top flight as a whole so far in 2022/23.

As a result of his phenomenal goalscoring returns, Vlahovic has quite understandably drawn a considerable amount of praise, with the Serbian FA president, Nenad Bjekovic, going as far as to claim that the 22-year-old is a better striker than Manchester City goal-machine Erling Haaland.

In comments cited by GOAL back in July, Bjekovic said: “Vlahovic is better and more complete than Haaland. The Norwegian has devastating power, but Dusan is not inferior: there is also very little difference in their height.

“But the Juventus forward’s variety and style of play is better. Manchester City and Juventus paid more or less the same fee, including commissions, to sign the two this year from Borussia Dortmund and Fiorentina.”

As such, should Arsenal be successful in a potential move for the player who Giorgio Chiellini dubbed “unbelievable” this winter, Arteta could well have unearthed his very own Haaland-esque talent at The Emirates – something that is sure to be an incredibly tantalising prospect for the Spaniard and supporters of the Gunners alike.

Rangers have been offered the chance to sign ex-Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley by his agent, according to Football Scotland deputy editor Mark Hendry.

The Lowdown: Chelsea exit

On Monday it was announced the 28-year-old had mutually agreed with Chelsea to leave the club and become a free agent.

The midfielder joined the west London giants in 2018 in a deal worth £15m and went on to make 100 appearances for the Blues.

In recent seasons, Barkley fell down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, which led to a loan move to Aston Villa for the 2020/21 Premier League season.

However, after failing to secure a permanent move elsewhere, the former England international saw very little game time under Thomas Tuchel last season.

The Latest: Hendry’s news

After rumours emerged linking Barkley with a move to the Scottish Premiership, Hendry has now revealed that the player’s agent has actually contacted the Gers directly.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist said: “Ross Barkley’s name has been put to Rangers as his agent looks to find ex-Chelsea man new club.”

In the adjacent article, Football Scotland report that the 28-year-old’s name has come up in discussions after his agent lodged his player in with the Ibrox recruitment team.

The Verdict: Great signing

Despite not playing much under Tuchel at Chelsea, the Blues boss has been full of praise for the former Everton man when he has been awarded minutes at Stamford Bridge.

After Barkley featured in the last game of the 2021/22 Premier League season, Tuchel claimed: “He behaved so well throughout the season and got a lot of difficult decisions against him, so I’m happy he could show his quality.

“He was excellent in the no.10, very dangerous, involved in every dangerous attack when he came on, so I’m happy when he scored.”

Having bagged 46 goals and 41 assists in 320 games, the former Premier League man has a wealth of experience playing at the top level, and there is certainly talent there despite his flailing form.

His arrival at the Ibrox would thus add a senior figure to the Gers’ squad whom the youngsters can learn from, whilst providing Giovanni van Bronckhorst with a naturally gifted goal-threat from midfield.

It could be a great signing for Rangers.

Fulham are plotting a late swoop to land a Premier League rival’s target…

What’s the word?

According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Nottingham Forest could falter in their pursuit of Brighton and Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay.

Despite the Reds having seemingly finalised the deal, both the Cottagers and Everton are now considering pushing to seal his signature late on.

Writing on Twitter, Crook claimed that there “could be a late twist in Neal Maupay’s move from BHAFC to NFFC with both EFC and Fulham pushing for the Frenchman”. 

Imagine him and Mitrovic

With the season starting off relatively well for Marco Silva’s side, it has already become clear that they will rely heavily on the goals of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Serbian bagged an astounding 43 Championship goals last season in just 44 games, smashing the record for the most goals in that division in a 46-match campaign, and bringing in Maupay alongside him could quickly form one of the better strike partnerships in the top flight.

To place the hulking 27-year-old beside the 5 foot 8 Frenchman could see the latter latch on to Mitrovic’s flick-ons, as the Serbian won just over 50% of his aerial duels last season.

Conversely, Maupay could thread through some astute passes his potential strike partner, with his 77.8% pass success rate ranking him in the top 13% for strikers among Europe’s five biggest leagues over the past 12 months.

Dubbed “exceptional” by journalist Andy Naylor, the Brighton marksman can also be proficient in front of goal, as highlighted by his eight Premier League strikes last season, while his lethal touch in front of goal earned the 26-year-old the praise of being a “brilliant finisher” by journalist Joe Chapman.

Adding another proven goalscorer at this level to Fulham’s ranks could go a long way towards ensuring that they will not be dragged towards a relegation battle this season. Maupay has featured 102 times in the Premier League across his career, scoring 26 goals and setting up a further eight.

Also, the symbiotic partnership that he would likely form with Mitrovic could be one of the most feared in the league for opposition centre-backs, so Silva should swoop quickly to ensure that this idea can become a reality.

Leeds United have been linked with a move for Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga in the last 24 hours.

The Lowdown: Tanganga profiled

The 23-year-old is primarily a centre-back who can also line out at right-back.

Valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, the Englishman has made 43 senior appearances for Spurs after progressing through their academy, 19 of which came last season.

He’s under contract in north London until 2025 but reportedly wants to leave the club in search of more game time.

The Latest: Leeds linked with Tanganga

Tuttomercatoweb shared a transfer update regarding Tanganga on Monday evening following links of a move to AC Milan.

They said that, ‘in the last few hours’, Leeds have joined the race for the defender alongside Everton and Newcastle.

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The Verdict: Avoid?

It appears as if Victor Orta has looked into a move for Tanganga following the impressive 3-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday, although a move for the defender doesn’t appear to be necessary at this moment in time.

Jesse Marsch has plenty of options at centre-back and right-back, but you could say that left-back is an area where the club are somewhat light with Junior Firpo still sidelined.

Tanganga, who BBC pundit Alan Shearer labelled ‘magnificent’, has only played at left-back on four occasions, and with a new forward also required at Elland Road before the 1 September deadline, it could be wise for Leeds to look elsewhere for new arrivals in the final few days of the transfer window.

West Ham United are ‘hopeful’ they will complete their deal to sign Burnley star Maxwel Cornet, reports Graeme Bailey of 90min.

The Lowdown: Hammers in full preparation…

The Hammers are in full preparation for the 2022/2023 Premier League season and face a tough opening weekend match at home to English champions Manchester City.

David Moyes’ side go into the match having made four major summer signings in Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Alphonse Areola and Gianluca Scamacca with reports suggesting there could be more.

Amadou Onana (Lille) and Filip Kostic (Eintracht Frankfurt) are targets with Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski also linked.

Alongside this trio, talks are apparently happening for Clarets star Cornet, with ExWHUemployee reporting on Friday morning that a fee has been agreed at the player’s £17.5m release clause.

The Latest: Bailey shares promising Cornet update…

Bailey has also shared his own promising update, and it seems to back up the claims from popular insider Ex.

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Writing for 90min, Bailey says West Ham are now ‘hopeful’ of getting the deal wrapped up and confirms talks have taken place over a fee.

The Verdict: Get it over the line…

A standout for the Clarets at points last season, Cornet really marked himself as Burnley’s most consistent attacking threat – finishing 21/22 as their top goal scorer domestically whilst racking up their joint-highest rate of attempts at goal per 90 (WhoScored).

Members of the media, like Islington Gazette reporter Josh Bunting, also raved over the 25-year-old at points during their relegation campaign last year – even calling Cornet a ‘cheat code’ (Twitter).

He’s also been lauded for his ‘top class’ movement by Bunting with it being clear that the former Lyon star possesses many enticing attributes as a player.

Everton have been linked with a move for free agent Jesse Lingard this summer, and now a new update has emerged on the player’s future.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Everton remain interested in the former Manchester United star’s services this summer.

In a more detailed report from the Daily Mail, Lingard continues to weigh up his options with a £10m-per-year offer tabled by a Saudi Arabian club and talks held with MLS teams last week, as well as a number of Premier League clubs vying for the signature of the player.

Lampard’s very own Odegaard

It is no secret that Frank Lampard is keen to bolster and improve his squad following a relegation scrap in the Premier League last season and Lingard could certainly add some much-needed quality to the team if Everton can seal a deal this summer.

The Manchester United academy graduate spent a decade at Old Trafford scoring 35 goals and delivering 21 assists, but with his game time dwindling at the club, he joined West Ham United on a six-month loan in the second half of the 2020/21 season – proving his worth to the football world and former manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer.

Over 16 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, Lingard – who was hailed “infectious” by Andy Cole – scored nine goals, delivered four assists and created six big chances, as well as making an average of 1.1 key passes, hitting the target with 1.4 shots and winning 3.4 duels per game.

Lampard could even land his very own Martin Odegaard with the signing of Lingard ahead of next season, as the Arsenal star was named as the most comparable player to the former Red Devil last season.

Despite Odegaard making more appearances (36) and offering more goal contributions (11), Lingard outperformed his position peer with a better shot-on-target accuracy (75%), better pass completion rate (85.2%) and was more successful in his dribble intercepting tackles (66.7%).

With that being said, the signing of Lingard would be a major coup for Lampard as he sets out to improve the creativity and performances in his Everton team and the 30-year-old could definitely have a positive influence on that.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals big transfer development that’ll have Everton supporters livid 

Nottingham Forest are reportedly ‘in contact’ to sign Bayern Munich youngster Omar Richards, according to reputable reporter Florian Plettenberg. 

The lowdown: Mercurial talent

Signed by the Bundesliga giants from Reading on a free transfer in 2021 (BBC), Richards had made great strides in domestic football prior to heading to Germany.

The 24-year-old left-back made 104 appearances for the Berkshire outfit and was an England Under-21 international before earning a gigantic switch to a European superpower.

Now it appears as though London-born Richards could be about to return to England and Forest have initiated the potential move…

The latest: ‘In contact…’

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Plettenberg has claimed that Nottingham Forest have made steps towards signing Richards this summer.

He stated: “X News Omar #Richards: Nottingham is working hard on a transfer! Both clubs are in contact. Bayern is keen to let him go. Transfer fee probably around €10-12m. But: No total agreement so far and the player has to say YES first. Further talks are planned. #NFFC @SkySportDE”

The verdict: Do the deal

Valued at £6.3m and under contract in Germany until 2025 (Transfermarkt), signing Richards for the mooted fee would be a superb piece of business from the City Ground hierarchy.

Predominantly operating as a conventional left-back, the Englishman – who was hailed as an ‘interesting talent’ by football writer Sam Jones – can also play in more advanced positions and would therefore be ideally suited to operate in Steve Cooper’s system which relies heavily on the impact of wing-backs in attacking situations.

Despite being on the periphery of the squad in Munich for the most part playing second fiddle to the supremely talented Alphonso Davies, Richards still managed 17 appearances across all competitions last season, and has gained invaluable experience at the top level including UEFA Champions League action.

Sharing closely matched stylistic traits with Brighton star Marc Cucurella, Barcelona sensation Sergino Dest and Bayern teammate Davies (Fbref), the Reds would be landing a prodigious talent at a relatively low fee should this deal come to fruition.