Earlier this week, HITC suggested that Everton could look to sign Lazio centre-back Stefan de Vrij this summer.
However, reports on Friday in Gazzetta dello Sport say that the Dutchman – who is said to be refusing to extend his deal that runs out in 2018 – could choose to stay in Serie A and move to Inter Milan instead.
Having worked with de Vrij before during the duo’s time together at Feyenoord, Koeman knows the defender well and his stats from the current Serie A season suggest that Toffees boss Ronald Koeman should go all out to bring the 25-year-old to Goodison Park this summer.
And he has good reason to.
With Phil Jagielka perhaps on his way out of Goodison Park this summer and Ashley Williams 32 years of age, Koeman needs one, or possibly two centre-backs this summer.
His stats during the current season for the Serie A giants are impressive and will mean that he will be in-demand should he choose to leave the Italian capital this summer.
But if Everton want to compete with the big clubs now, they have to show that ambition in the transfer market in order to attract players such like De Vrij.
In 21 appearances in Serie A this term, the 25-year-old has made 90 clearances and 51 interceptions, while he has also shown how strong he is in the air by winning 36 aerial duels.
The Dutch defender can tackle too – he has made 34 successful challenges – but it is ability on the ball that will have perhaps impressed Koeman the most.
De Vrij has completed seven out of seven take-ons and has a passing accuracy of 85%, which suggest he could also finally be the long-term replacement for John Stones.
Everton need a top class new centre-back this summer and if Koeman can use his relationship with the player, and the club can offer him a suitable financial deal, he could just make an eye-catching move to Merseyside.
Tottenham legend and BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has been full of praise for Chelsea defender David Luiz after naming him in his Premier League team of the weekend.
Eyebrows were raised when he re-joined the club from Paris Saint-Germain for £34m during the summer transfer window, but he has played a key role in their defence this term as they close in on the top flight title.
The Brazilian has been a reliable performer in the back three that Antonio Conte has deployed since a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in October, and he put in another standout showing in the his side’s latest 3-1 win against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
The 29-year-old’s raking 40-yard pass found Victor Moses, with Adam Smith eventually putting the ball in the back of his own net for the opening goal.
While he can make an impact from an attacking point of view, it is his defensive improvement from his previous spell at Stamford Bridge that is particularly notable and Crooks has been impressed.
He told BBC Sport: “What a wonderful ball from David Luiz to Victor Moses. It resulted in Diego Costa’s superb turn and Chelsea’s fortuitous opening goal.
“This is a defender with so much ability he can do that and much more.
“If Chelsea are serious about winning the Champions League next season, they must do whatever it takes to keep Luiz.”
The Blues will look to move a step closer to winning the Premier League title when they come up against Manchester United and former manager Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford on Sunday, but they will have to end the Red Devils’ 21-match unbeaten run in the top flight if they are to take all three points.
Former Sunderland player and current talkSPORT presenter Micky Gray believes that Newcastle United should “absolutely” try to sign Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge this summer.
The 27-year-old has been hampered by injuries this season, which has restricted him to just five starts in the Premier League under manager Jurgen Klopp.
Injuries have always been a problem for the England international, but this season in particular he has suffered numerous setbacks.
Due to his regular unavailability and the fact that he has dropped down the pecking order, questions have been raised over his long-term future at Anfield.
The Guardian recently suggested that Sturridge has already played his final game for the Reds as a hip injury is expected to keep him sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.
Now that Newcastle have earned their way back into the Premier League thanks to a 4-1 triumph over Preston North End on Monday night, Gray thinks that Sturridge is worth buying, despite his injury record.
He said on talkSPORT:
“Newcastle would snap your hands off right now for somebody like Daniel Sturridge. He is a goalscorer who is going to get you 15, 20 goals a season.
“They might only get 25 to 30 games out of him at a push but those 15, 20 goals will keep you in the Premier League for another season. They should absolutely go and get him.”
Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes that Everton striker Romelu Lukaku is on similar par with Diego Costa in terms of quality.
The Belgian international has been hitting headlines for numerous reasons this season, one of which is the fact that he is the Premier League’s top scorer with 24 goals.
The other is linked to rumours that he could leave the Toffees this season as he is yet to sign a new contract at Goodison Park.
Costa, who is seven short of Lukaku’s goal tally, started the campaign strongly, but he has struggled to find the back of the net of late having scored just once in his last seven outings.
The Telegraph recently reported that the Everton man is keen on returning to Chelsea this summer, three years after he departed Stamford Bridge to join the Toffees.
Hasselbaink, who spent four years of his playing career with the Blues, believes that Lukaku would be a good replacement for Costa, whose own future seems to be up in the air.
The former Queens Park Rangers boss told Sky Sports:
“I think he has matured that’s for sure, but if you compare Costa and Lukaku they’re very similar. If you compare him to [Harry] Kane they are totally different. The way that Chelsea are playing, he is, along with [Alvaro] Morata, the player you are going to look at to take over from Costa.
“Is he [Lukaku] as good as Costa? I think they are very close. They are very similar, he’s not as temperamental but he does lead the line and I think he is still going to become better.”
According to reports in Italian media outlet Il Mattino, Everton are ready to reignite their interest in signing Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly this season.
The Toffees were linked with a move for the Senegal international last summer but a move failed to materialise, but Ronald Koeman is set to try again to bring the 25-year-old to Goodison Park this summer.
The Dutchman is keen to bring in at least one new centre-back with Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams getting no younger and Ramiro Funes Mori picking up a knee injury while on international duty with Argentina in March, and he potentially has a big transfer war chest to work with as owner Farhad Moshiri looks to push the club on to the next level.
The Serie A star was also the subject of a £47m bid from Premier League leaders Chelsea last summer, and they could also revive their interest at the end of the campaign.
Here are four reasons Everton must go all out to sign Koulibaly this summer…
He would strengthen the defence
Despite the fact that Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams are good Premier League defenders, there is no doubt that if Koulibaly came to Goodison Park that he would be a step up on the duo.
Koeman knows he needs more cover at the heart of the defence with young Matthew Pennington having to feature there in recent times because of injuries and suspensions, and the powerful Senegal international would certainly prove to be a strong addition to the backline having won 52 aerial duels in 24 Serie A appearances this term.
It would be a statement of intent
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The 25-year-old has been linked with Chelsea in the past and having impressed for Napoli in Serie A and the Champions League, it would be a huge statement of intent if Everton were able to lure the centre-back to Goodison Park.
The Toffees are keen to compete for the Champions League spots next season – which they look likely to miss out on this term – and even though the Senegal international could cost around £50m, it is a price the club must pay if Koeman wants his side to improve.
He is comfortable on the ball
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We already know that Koeman prefers the centre-backs in his team to be comfortable on the ball and willing to pass it out from the back – as shown when the club brought Ashley Williams to the club last summer from Swansea City.
Koulibaly certainly matches this requirement too with a 90% passing accuracy from more than 1,600 passes in 24 Serie A appearances for Napoli this term, with 84% of those total attempts having been played forward.
He is a more realistic target than Van Dijk
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While Everton may feel that Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk is a realistic target this summer because Koeman brought him to St Mary’s in 2015 when he was in charge on the south coast, it still seems unlikely that they could lure the 25-year-old to Goodison Park.
The Netherlands international is likely to have interest from a number of the top clubs in the Premier League – including Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – and the Toffees shouldn’t waste their time chasing a defender they probably won’t sign which could cause them to miss out on a deal for the more attainable Koulibaly.
Southampton manager Claude Puel has been under a heap of pressure in the closing months of the season as his side limp towards the final game of their campaign.
It has been a mixed first season in the Premier League for the French manager, despite guiding the Saints to the EFL Cup Final as well as lining up a probably top half finish, all after losing the talents of Sadio Mane, Victor Wanyama and Graziano Pelle, fans are still upset with the brand of football on show.
Unlike his predecessors, Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, Puel has opted for a more tentative and conservative approach, which has resulted in the Saints being far less productive in front of goal, bagging 41 with two games to go before the end of the season compared to 59 in the previous campaign.
The former Nice boss will be hoping that, having broken their duck and scoring two at Middlesbrough, his side can add to their tally for the season when they host Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United at St. Mary’s on Monday night.
Puel has been speaking in his usual rather confusing manner ahead of the mid-week clash and, whilst there was little to talk about from his press conference, fans remain divided over his future…
According to reports in The Sun, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is reportedly ready to let defender Kurt Zouma leave the club on loan this summer, and there are a number of interested parties.
What’s the word, then?
Well, with David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta already established as the first choice three-man defence and with Nathan Ake and the returning Andreas Christensen there to challenge them, Conte obviously feels that there won’t be much game time for Zouma at Stamford Bridge next season.
The Italian is also said to be looking at bringing in a new centre-back over the summer as well and he has been heavily linked with a move for Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk.
That would push Zouma even further down the pecking order and Conte will want him to go out and get regular football next term instead.
Who’s interested?
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According to France Football, Zouma has already been offered to Marseille while Nice are also said to be interested in bringing the 22-year-old back to his home country.
Elsewhere, Inter Milan and Valencia are also said to be keen and there is likely to be some Premier League sides looking at him too following his previous successes for Chelsea in the top flight.
Why is it a move important for both parties?
Having suffered a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury, Zouma needs games to get back to the form he was showing in the 2015/16 season – especially if he is to stay in contention for a place in Didier Deschamps’ France 2018 World Cup squad.
He played just 13 in all competitions this season and understandably looked a little rusty on the pitch.
For Chelsea, it means that the centre-back can get regular football to see if he can fight his way back into the first team in the future, or whether he will need to be sold on.
What’s the verdict, then?
Well, it seems like a good move for all of the parties involved and there will be a hope that with regular games, Zouma can return to the potential he was showing not so long ago.
Chelsea are monitoring Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez after they failed to land Dries Mertens from Napoli, reports the London Evening Standard.
What’s the word?
Antonio Conte is believed to be keen to strengthen his attacking options this summer as his team attempt to cope with Premier League and Champions League demands.
At the end of May, Mahrez released a statement revealing that he has informed Leicester that he wants to move on to another club.
Chelsea have already been linked to the Algerian’s signature, which is believed to be valued at £50m by his club.
Since announcing his intention to leave the King Power Stadium, the transfer speculation around Mahrez has gone quiet, but the London Evening Standard claims that Chelsea have reignited their interest.
The publication states that Conte initially wanted Mertens, but the Belgium international opted to stay at Napoli by signing a new contract last month.
Is Mahrez good enough for Chelsea?
He certainly could be. The 26-year-old was a pivotal figure in Leicester’s shock title-winning campaign.
Mahrez scored 17 league goals and created 11 assists in 37 top-flight appearances, but like many of his teammates, he failed to recreate his form in the 2016-17 season.
Under Claudio Ranieri and then Craig Shakespeare, the winger found the back of the net just six times and created three goals in 36 league outings.
With a star-studded team like Chelsea’s, Mahrez could thrive, but he may not be first choice as both Pedro and Willian were interchangeable on the right side of the attack last season.
Is he worth £50m?
Now, this where the problem lies. Considering today’s market, most top players in their position do carry enormous price tags.
However, Mahrez failed to maintain the form that earned him the 2015-16 PFA Player of the Year award.
If he had matched his attacking statistics or bettered them last season, then a figure in the £50m range may not be seen as steep.
As it stands, the Algerian is not worth the staggering amount, but the fact that he has three years remaining on his contract, Leicester are in a relatively good negotiating position.
As reported by Finnish outlet Ilta-Sanomat, Rangers are closing in on a deal for HJK Helsinki striker Alfredo Morelos.
What’s the story?
Rangers haven’t been slow with their player recruitment in the close season but it seems they are on the hunt for more talent in their quest to build a squad worthy of competing for the Scottish Premiership.
One player on their radar is Colombian Morelos, according to Ilta-Sanomat. They say the Light Blues are closing in on a deal with the in-form striker this summer, a move that would be sure to excite Rangers fans given his scoring record over the last season.
Red hot
Morelos has scored a fantastic 21 goals in his last 25 matches for the club, including four in UEFA Europa League qualifying, a process that Pedro Caixinha is set to take his team into early this summer.
Bringing this kind of firepower to the club could be massive, especially when you consider he may be available for a relatively cheap fee. Transfermarkt rate the striker at £510,000, well within Rangers’ reach.
At just 20 years of age, he has plenty of room to improve too and if they can harness his potential and get him performing in Glasgow the way he is in Helsinki then he could be the man to fire them to success next season.
Manchester United are not exactly short of quality in the goalkeeping department, with number one David de Gea widely regarded as one of the best stoppers in world football.
Number two Sergio Romero, meanwhile, had an impressive 2016-17 campaign as he featured in every match en route to the Europa League final.
Joel Pereira, however, was handed his Premier League debut on the final weekend of last season, and there is a lot of excitement surrounding the 21-year-old.
Man United boss Jose Mourinho has previously spoken glowingly about his fellow Portuguese’s potential, with the goalkeeper impressing during a loan spell at Belenenses in the first half of last season, before returning to Old Trafford.
It appears that the Man United supporters are also extremely excited about Pereira, who turned 21 on Wednesday.
Indeed, there were some fans that suggested that the Portugal Under-21 international has what it takes to eventually replace De Gea as Man United’s number one.