Newcastle United dazzled last weekend when dismantling a woeful Sheffield United side at Bramall Lane 8-0, but it was the stoical showing against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup that will have really set the fans alight as they dream of new levels of success this season.

Having fallen to Manchester United at the final stage of the competition last term, Eddie Howe's side have a chance for redemption as they await a trip to Old Trafford in the fourth round of this edition, having just defeated Manchester City with a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

It has extended a run of matches without conceding a goal – now four games strong across all competitions – that includes successive Premier League wins and an away draw at the San Siro against AC Milan, where the Magpies have started their return to Champions League football after two decades away.

Despite decimating Aston Villa 5-1 in August, on the opening weekend of the league season, with an incisive and unforgiving showing of attacking intent, Newcastle failed to overcome the daunting subsequent run of Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion, losing all three, thrown into the depths of the division and leaving rivals jesting at their expense.

But now, despite a bit of tardiness in clicking into gear, Newcastle look to have done so and done so with aplomb; cohesive and confident, sights are set on achieving success across all four fronts this season, and there is a high chance of doing so.

While £55m summer signing Sandro Tonali continues to flatter to deceive after joining from AC Milan, with the Daily Mail's Craig Hope stating that the Italy international was "wasteful on the ball" against Pep Guardiola's side, Newcastle are growing as a team, and fans must remember to urge caution.

Anthony Gordon certainly didn't impress over the latter phase of the 2022/23 season after joining from Everton for £45m in January, but now, he's an integral member of this thriving Tyneside outfit and an "outstanding" star this term, as was said by Jamie Carragher last week.

Against City, the 22-year-old was once again at the centre of the success after coming on at half time.

How did Anthony Gordon perform vs Manchester City?

Gordon endured a testing start to his Toon career as he scored just once – on the final game of the season, against Chelsea – before the summer, not quite making the resounding introduction to life at St. James' Park as he would have hoped after such a lofty fee.

After a starring pre-season that included winning Player of the Tournament with England U21s as he won the European Championship, the one-time Preston North End loanee is now making the increments to his game as he cements a regular starting berth on Newcastle's wing.

This season, Gordon has already scored two goals and supplied two assists from five starting appearances in the Premier League, and as the Magpies struggled against City's suffocating style on Wednesday night, his introduction at the break indeed paid dividends.

Hailed for his "untouchable" presence by one analytical writer, Gordon entered the fold and played a key role in turning the tide, making two tackles, one clearance, taking a shot on target and winning two duels, as per Sofascore.

It's also worth noting that the £60k-per-week phenom ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles per 90, as per FBref, illustrating the energy and application that prompted Howe to forge ahead with a bid in the first place.

Lauded for injecting 'pace and intensity immediately after coming on' by Newcastle World's Jordan Cronin, Gordon is proving to be an invaluable member of this Magpies team, and while he faded after being shifted centrally in the latter phase of the contest, he has shaken off the criticism of his past substandard showings.

While Gordon's performance was good, and a reflection of the role he has played this season, it was Tino Livramento who truly shone on the night, with the former Southampton and Chelsea full-back proving his worth and then some with a stunning display.

How good is Tino Livramento?

Signing from Southampton for an initial £32m in the summer, having spent the lion's share of last season out injured as the Saints suffered relegation from the Premier League, Livramento was handed his first start against the Sky Blues.

Waxing over Livramento's performance, The Times' Henry Winter said this: "Tino Livramento man of the match imo. Superb in subduing Jack Grealish. Calm, concentrated, mobile, fearless."

The winner of Chelsea's Academy Player of the Season in 2021, Livramento grasped his first start with both hands, shining down the right flank in a display that will be most pleasing to the Newcastle hierarchy, who have found a worthy successor to Kieran Trippier's position.

As per Sofascore, the 20-year-old recorded an impressive match score of 7.5, incredibly making eight tackles (including one last man tackle), winning 11 of 18 contested duels, completing 93% of his passes, succeeding with a dribble and losing possession only eight times.

It was truly an incredible performance, with the star rightfully bestowed the Player of the Match award after such an influential showing, and with Newcastle indeed still competing in every competition, his presence will surely be instrumental over the coming months.

Heralded for his "outstanding" performance and "match-winning" tackle to deny Nunes in the dying embers by Hope, Livramento's early performance certainly bodes well for his future success on Tyneside, and while he is young and inexperienced, Howe has clearly landed a prodigious talent capable of making the right-back role his own and then some over the coming years. Until then, however, perhaps a role on the left could be forged, proving a more attacking outlet than Dan Burn.

He has played on the left-hand side just once in his career, although boasts a goal and an assist. Promising signs indeed.

This level of depth is certainly a testament to the burgeoning of Newcastle's squad over the past few years, not only talented but suffused with players worthy of the badge.

Things are on the up for Arsenal, as Mikel Arteta has his sights set on securing the club their first Premier League title since 2004 after falling short last season.

The Spaniard has unearthed the next generation of heroes at the Emirates, nurturing his young squad to become some of the best on show in Europe with Champions League football restored.

Returning to the class of Europe’s elite was a high point for the Gunners in the 2022/23 campaign, however the vast signs of progression within the team were overcast by missing out on the league title by five points.

All in all, Arsenal have taken a turn for the better after a testing few years at the club, where players have come and gone without hitting the heights that have been met by Arteta’s stars of today.

The north Londoners underwent a spell of mediocrity by their standards, highlighted by their change in the trajectory of activity in the transfer market, with Arsenal now looking like the place to be rather than a place to end up.

There were many transfers that epitomised the lack of pull at times at the Emirates, with one notably being an absolute fail as Arsenal hoped to make one club's trash their treasure.

When did Arsenal sign Petr Cech?

In the summer of 2015, it was announced that Arsenal had agreed a deal to sign Chelsea legend Petr Cech from the Blues.

The goalkeeper, who signed at 33 years old, had spent 11 years at Stamford Bridge and had won most domestic accolades available during his tenure.

It wasn’t the first time that the Blues had exchanged business with Arsenal, as Cech joined a host of players that had made the move from west to north London, a list that now sits at eight players long.

Players that have directly moved from Chelsea to Arsenal

William Gallas

2006

Lassana Diarra

2007

Yossi Benayoun

2011

Petr Cech

2015

David Luiz

2019

Willian

2020

Jorginho

2023

Kai Havertz

2023

From the Champions League to four Premier League titles, Cech arrived at Arsenal as one of the most decorated players in England, but his £10m arrival was a sign of the difference in outlook between the Blues and the Gunners.

The 6 foot 5 shot stopper had run his course at the Bridge, and his time was up as Chelsea saw Thibaut Courtois as their number one, handing their rivals their leftovers to attempt to make something good from it.

How good was Petr Cech?

Having secured 494 appearances for the west Londoners, the Czech Republic international had managed to keep a phenomenal 228 clean sheets throughout his time with the Blues.

Cech conceded just 393 goals during his 11 seasons at the club, an impeccable feat for a goalkeeper who was consistently regarded as one of the best in Europe, supported by his four Golden Glove wins in the Premier League.

The consistency of Cech’s level of performance was made even more remarkable by the fact his career was almost cut short in 2006, suffering an injury that could have cost more than his time as a player.

In a match up against Reading, the legendary shot-stopped was involved in a costly collision, seeing him suffer a life-threatening skull fracture, which resulted in him having two metal plates fitted into his skull during emergency surgery.

Three months later, the keeper returned to training sporting a protective skull cap that became a trademark in the Premier League and a badge of bravery and resilience to continue playing the sport.

From his heroics at the 2012 Champions League final, handing Chelsea their first win of the prestigious prize, to his impeccable reliability between the sticks for over a decade, Cech was wished well as he endeavoured on a new challenge in north London.

While the 124-cap international will forever be remembered as one of the best to play in the Premier League, his time at Arsenal was far from the glitz and glamour of his time at Stamford Bridge.

How did Petr Cech perform at Arsenal?

Arsenal were aware that they’d signed a Chelsea veteran in 33-year-old Cech, however the limited version of the goalkeeper they had purchased was a shell of the colossus that charmed the Blues.

To put into perspective just how poor the Premier League legend’s time was in north London, he kept just 54 clean sheets in 139 appearances for the Gunners, conceding 158 goals in that time.

Considering that Cech had conceded 101 goals fewer than his total number of appearances for Chelsea, it was new territory for him to be so exposed between the posts, as Arsenal quickly realised they hadn’t signed the hero that had previously been on show in England.

Petr Cech's career record at Arsenal and Chelsea

Arsenal

Chelsea

Appearances

139

494

Clean Sheets

54

228

Goals conceded

158

393

Figures via Transfermarkt

In a wider perspective, prior to his move to the Emirates, the most goals the keeper had conceded in a Premier League season was the 39 he let in during the 2011/12 campaign.

His worst record was quickly updated in north London, as he saw 48 goals go past him in the 2017/18 campaign at the Emirates, signalling the drop off in his game and the challenges he was presented with in Arsene Wenger’s side.

Once described as being “terrible with his feet” and even “worse with his hands” by media network Men in Blazers, Cech’s reputation at Arsenal was far from his at Chelsea as it became increasingly obvious that the keeper was nearing expiration.

On the back of his high-conceding tally in 2017/18, the shot-stopper – who was also dubbed "terrible" at one stage by journalist Phil McNulty – fell down the pecking order to Bernd Leno, who was signed in the summer of 2018, all but confirming the end of his playing career.

In 2019, Cech retired from football, and returned to west London to be named Chelsea’s Technical and Performance Advisor, with his heart firmly at Stamford Bridge after his woeful spell at Arsenal.

How much did Petr Cech cost Arsenal?

Despite arriving at the Emirates past his prime, the Gunners handed the then 33-year-old a salary that matched the one he’d received at Chelsea.

Picking up £100k-per-week during his first two seasons at Arsenal, his salary was boosted to £110k-per-week in his final two campaigns, taking his total earnings in north London to almost £22m, via Capology.

What is Petr Cech doing now?

Cech’s time as Technical and Performance Advisor ended in 2022, as the scene higher up at the club changed dramatically when Todd Boehly took the hot seat.

After dedicating his life to sport, it wasn’t an option for the goalkeeper to hang up his boots to adhere to his business duties, as he instead opted to pick up his skates and play ice hockey.

In 2019, Cech joined division two NIHL side Guildford Phoenix, where he assumed the role of goaltender and subsequently added to his career accolades by winning the treble with the Phoenix in 2021/22.

This summer, the 41-year-old joined Oxford City Stars, where he was this month commended for his performances and handed man of the match for making 62 saves from 64 shots in a game, via the Daily Mail.

From Premier League hero, to Arsenal zero, to ice hockey sensation, Cech has lived the highest of highs in his sporting career, with plenty of time for the decorated shot-stopper to widen his achievements on the ice.

أكد أحمد شوبير، حارس مرمى الأهلي الأسبق والإعلامي الحالي، أنه سيتخذ كافة الاجراءات القانونية ضد كل من زج باسمه في واقعة الراحل أحمد رفعت لاعب مودرن سبورت.

وكان أحمد رفعت قد تعرض لوعكة صحية شديدة، خلال مباراة مودرن سبورت والاتحاد السكندري، في 11 مارس الماضي، خلال شهر رمضان المعظم، وسقط اللاعب مغشيًا عليه في تلك المباراة، ونُقل إثر ذلك إلى المستشفى حيث ظل بها عدة أيام تحت الرعاية الطبية الدقيقة لمتابعة حالته السيئة.

وعانى أحمد رفعت من توقف عضلة القلب والتي جعلته في حاجة إلى تواجده في العناية المركزة لفترة من الوقت، قبل أن تتحسن حالته ويغادرها إلى غرفة عادية، وتحسنت حالته بعد ذلك وغادر المستشفى، ولكنه تعرض لانتكاسة جديدة، حيث أصدر نادي مودرن سبورت بيانًا مفجعًا أعلن من خلاله وفاة اللاعب عن عمر ناهز 31 عامًا.

وقال شوبير في تصريحات عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم: “أول مرة سأتحدث بشكل شخصي، أنا لا أحب أن أتحدث في برنامجي عن أمور شخصية، لأن البرنامج ملك للمستمع، لكني مُضطر”.

وتابع: “خلال الـ 48 ساعة الماضية كنت أستمع وأرى منشورات وفيديوهات كثيرة جدًا، وأنا بطبعي لا أحب الدفاع عن نفسي لأنني لست في موضع اتهام، عن ماذا أدافع ولا يوجد شيء”.

طالع أيضًا | أشرف صبحي: بدء التحقيق بشأن وفاة أحمد رفعت.. وعلى رابطة الأندية الاستعداد للموسم الاستثنائي

وأضاف: “جمعت كل ما قيل عني، المهم منها وليس التافه، لأنني لن أستطيع أن أنساق وراء الحملات المجنونة والمسعورة، هناك إجراءات قانونية لا بد أن تتُخذ ضد كل من تحدث عني، ليس أمامنا غير القضاء المصري العادل، ليكون الفيصل بيني وبين أي بني آدم”.

وأردف: “هذا مهم وضروري، ممكن رجل يعرف أن يتحدث بشكل جيد ويقول كلمتين يضحكم بهم على الناس، أو ممكن رجل دمعته قريبة ويبكي، أو مذيع لديه مآرب وأمور في ذهني أريد من خلالها أن أوصل رسالة معينة، أو كاتب يأخذ الموضوع من ناحية الانتماء للزمالك أو الأهلي، أو شخص بلا ضمير، كل هذا موجود”.

واستكمل: “أنا أقوم بتجميع كل هذا وأمامي أمرين، الأول هو قضاء مصر العادل، لأن لا بد أن نقف جميعًا أمام القضاء وكلنا نُحاسب والمُخطئ يأخذ عقابه، هذا حق الله، الأمر الثاني وعند الله تجتمع الخصوم، لكني مُصمم على ظهور الحقيقة بوضوح وهذا حدث”.

واختتم: “آسف جدًا.. والله العظيم ليس من طبعي أن أخلط العام بالخاص، ولكن كثيرون طلبوا مني أن أرد، وكله سيأتي في آوانه وقريبًا جدًا”.

To say it has been a turbulent time at Rangers as of late would be an understatement. Following the Gers' poor start to the season, which included a Champions League thrashing at the hands of PSV Eindhoven and a disappointing Old Firm derby defeat against Celtic, Michael Beale was relieved of his duties. This allowed for the arrival of Philippe Clement, who now has the task of turning things around at Ibrox.

The former AS Monaco manager's first task must be to put an end to the negative noise surrounding his side, turning morale around and defeats into victories in the process. One thing that will not have helped towards achieving that task are the comments recently made by Nicolas Raskin.

What did Nicolas Raskin say?

The latest Raskin transfer news has been initiated by the player himself, who commented on his future ambitions. And whilst the chaos of Rangers' poor start continues to unfold at Ibrox, such comments will only add fuel to the flames burning the Gers' slowly fading title chances in the Scottish Premiership.

Raskin told La Tribune, via Football Scotland: "I am now at 98 games for Standard, surely it would be nice to one day round that 100 mark there. One day I want to play in the Premier League, but I don’t put pressure on myself. I have a plan in my head, Rangers is just a stage in that. Rangers was the best choice at that time to realise my plan."

Reacting to the news, Frank McAvennie slammed Raskin, telling Football Insider: "You cannot say that, the fans will not accept it, shut your mouth. Rangers are not anybody’s stepping stone. He has got to start doing it on the pitch before he starts mouthing off because if you can’t do it in Scotland then you are certainly not going to do it down in England.

"Prove on the pitch that you are better than what you think you are, show the fans that you care about them and the club and then the fans will be behind you. If you are not doing it on the pitch then it is just stupid, the clubs in England are not going to want you if you are not doing it in Scotland.“

How has Nicolas Raskin performed this season?

When it comes to Raskin's stats, he has certainly been one of the consistent features for Rangers this season, starting in all but two games in the Scottish Premiership. With the Gers struggling, however, that stat may not reflect too well on the 22-year-old, who has one assist in 11 appearances in all competitions so far in the current campaign.

His recent comments won't exactly please new boss Clement, either. The recent arrival will have plenty of important decisions to make, and the less negative headlines surrounding his players, the better, making Raskin's words all the more frustrating. From now on, the midfielder may look to get his talking done on the pitch, rather than causing controversy away from it, perhaps avoiding the wrath of McAvennie and other media members in the process.

On Sunday Rohit Sharma made his fifth hundred in T20 cricket, the most by an Asian batsman, his unbeaten 100 helping India seal a 2-1 series win against England.It was also Rohit’s third century in T20Is – New Zealand batsman Colin Munro is the only other player with as many. Rohit could have achieved the feat a week earlier, but fell short by three runs in the first match of India’s UK trip, against Ireland in Malahide.How does he do it? Dinesh Karthik, Rohit’s India team-mate, tried to find out in a video chat after the victory in Bristol.On holding the record for the most T20I centuries, with MunroIt feels good to win the series first, that was the only thing that was playing in my mind. We lost the last game, and it was a decider. The only thing I was thinking was about how we can pull off this victory as a unit. Personal, individual milestones will happen along the way, but I was not at all thinking about all of that. It was important that once I got off to a good start, I was only thinking about how we can finish off the game. That was the only thing that was playing in my mind because it was an important game for us to win and build those partnerships in the middle.On the difference between the 97 against Ireland and the Bristol centuryToday was different circumstance only because we were chasing. As a batting group we’ve always spoken that there has to be one set batsman batting through the innings. And it was my responsibility today. The other day [first T20I at Old Trafford] it was KL Rahul who got a beautiful hundred. So it was my day today to make sure today I finish off the game. In Ireland it was all about making as many runs as possible because we were batting first. So I went for the shot, missed it, got out. Was a little disappointed.Which of the three T20I hundreds is the most special?It’s difficult, Dinesh. Because you also know how important these hundreds are. I’ve only got three hundreds. It is not like I have got a lot more where I can pick. In the past, people have asked me about my three double-hundreds [in ODIs]. I’ve never picked one because all were very different and came at different times. As a cricketer it is so tough to pick one hundred you score, because every hundred is important.Only man to score three ODI double-hundreds and three T20I hundreds. Should his nickname, Hitman, be changed?I kind of like Hitman a lot, goes well with my name as well.

Katie George and Lauren Winfield will boost the strength of the squad from 14 to 16 after England’s opening T20 on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2018

England have made only one change to the women’s ODI squad that faced South Africa, by replacing wicketkeeper-batsman Lauren Winfield with left-arm quick Tash Farrant for the opener of the T20 tri-series on June 20. Winfield will, however, join the squad of 14 along with Katie George for the double-header on June 23, when the hosts take on South Africa and New Zealand. Allrounder Georgia Elwiss, who last played a T20 international in 2016, was also picked in the squad after playing two ODIs against South Africa.Katherine Brunt, Laura Marsh and Sarah Taylor, who didn’t travel for the T20I tri-series in India in March, also returned. Brunt had missed those T20s because of a back injury and returned for the ODIs against South Africa to take six wickets, the second-most in the series. Taylor was left out of the India tour as part of management of her anxiety condition and she scored a century in the second ODI at Hove, in their 69-run win.The players to be left out after the India tour were Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Alex Hartley, Bryony Smith and Fran Wilson. While Cross hasn’t played international cricket since 2016, Hartely was dropped from the ODI squad too recently. Interestingly, Smith put in impressive performances recently – two consecutive half-centuries against the Aboriginal Women, a century and five-for against Essex, and another half-century for Surrey – and was still left out.”In selecting this squad, we’ve had the opportunity to consider our England Women’s Senior Academy fixtures against South Africa and New Zealand and it’s heartening to see so much competition for places,” coach Mark Robinson said.”We saw some excellent individual performances in those games – Sophia Dunkley hit 91 against New Zealand, Emma Lamb and Freya Davies have bowled well and Bryony Smith made an outstanding 92 yesterday against South Africa.”There’s a growing number of players beginning to make cases for selection which is a reflection of the depth that’s starting to emerge and that’s exciting.”Squad: Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Tash Farrant, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones (wk), Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole, Nat Sciver, Sarah Taylor (wk), Danni Wyatt

But World Cup and Test priorities may mean T20 chances remain limited for England batsman

George Dobell11-Jul-2018Joe Root remains confident he can carve out a future as a T20 player despite being dropped from the England side.Root, England’s Test captain, was the man to make way from the England T20I team in Bristol on Sunday once the return of Ben Stokes was confirmed, but insists he has no fears that his career in that format could be over.”I’m fully confident in the ability I have in that format,” Root said. “I’ve proven in the past that I can perform in T20 cricket. I don’t see it as a closed door for me at all. I’ve got to make sure I keep putting the work in and those limited opportunities I do get, keep trying to perform, keep my name as current as I can in that format.”I don’t have any fears about it. I want to see us being as complete a side as possible in all three competitions, but I want to be a part of them.”Part of Root’s problem is that, as a key part of England’s Test and ODI side, he has little time to appear in the domestic T20 leagues that might provide him with greater experience. But while he accepts that is an issue, he is adamant that his priority remains England’s fortunes in the 2019 World Cup and Test cricket.”It would be nice [to play in various domestic T20 tournaments],” Root said. “You see guys come back from those tournaments with a huge amount of experience and a rounded way of looking at the game; a different take on certain aspects.”Until there’s a really good block for me to go and play T20 cricket somewhere in a domestic tournament, it’s going to be hard for me to get a string of games together and really put that case across. If something fits into place, fantastic, but if not, I’ll find a way. I feel like I’m an experienced enough player now at international cricket to be able to do that.”Ultimately it’s got to fit around playing for England. The priorities at the minute have got to be that white-ball World Cup next year and as Test captain, we’ve got some big series coming up and the Ashes next summer.”So whether it’s making sure I get enough rest, or if there are international games throughout those tournaments, I’m going to have to miss out. Playing for England comes first.”

When Arsenal signed an electric teenage winger in 2006, the paper mill was working overtime. He was just 16, but Arsene Wenger had seen enough of this player at Southampton to warrant spending a record sum on a teenager: with a £5m down payment that looked to rise to £12m. That player was, of course, Theo Walcott.

After subsequently receiving his first England call-up under Sven Goran Eriksson, and even going to the 2006 World Cup – Walcott embarked on a fruitful 12-year stay at the Emirates. Despite a number of injuries, the rapid wide man was synonymous with so many great moments in the red half of north London before things slowly ran their course.

The player admitted in 2018 that "it was time to move on" and looked to pastures new.

How much did Everton spend on Theo Walcott?

Everton proved to be the destination for a 28-year-old Walcott in the January transfer window. Sam Allardyce was a big fan and had clearly sold the club to Walcott brilliantly – taking advantage of the player's desire for a new challenge.

Wenger on the other hand, had to reluctantly let his loyal man leave – as he simply couldn't guarantee him game time. It was a World Cup year when a place in the England World Cup squad might've been at stake, after all.

Walcott joined the Toffees for £20m in a three-and-a-half-year deal that was widely believed to rejuvenate his slightly stagnated career. He said of the move:

"It was sad but it's exciting at the same time and I want to reignite my career and push Everton to win things as they have done before. The manager is very hungry and it's just what I need. I've had a couple of chats with him and straightaway I felt that hunger and that desire that he wanted from me."

Following a honeymoon period where Walcott got a debut assist for Oumar Niasse, and then bagged a brace in the following game against Leicester, things sadly started to take a turn.

Allardyce departed Goodison Park after his 18-month contract ended, and an unfortunate string of injuries sidelined Walcott. Both of these aspects took a big hit on his development at the club.

How much was Theo Walcott worth at the end?

While at Everton, Walcott registered 85 appearances in all competitions and scored just 11 goals. These weren't exactly numbers that inspired this career rebuild or international involvement that he had hoped for. As said though, his injuries were a big dampener on his Merseyside spell.

Between 2018 and 2021, he missed 11 matches due to injuries – which by itself doesn't sound too bad. Yet, the Premier League is the highest level in the world. Losing out on a run of games, especially when fighting for a starting place for club and country, can be detrimental.

In even worse terms, Walcott's injuries in blue led to him missing 112 days of action, a figure that is slightly more worrisome. Where he could've partaken in training, he was absent. This led to reduced game time and eventually a loan to Southampton in 2020.

After this initial loan with his boyhood club, Walcott departed Everton for St. Mary's for free. Ultimately, when he retired in 2023 he left behind a great career but his spell in Merseyside was little to write home about. Perhaps it could be argued that it was a mistake to even bring him in at the time. After all, a player of his age was never going to have great resale value.

Indeed, in terms of his transfer value – it had stooped from that £20m Everton sum, down to a meagre £1m as the 34-year-old retired after leaving a relegated Southampton.

Everton are hoping to offer one of their first-team squad members a new contract, according to what one reliable journalist has heard from Goodison Park.

What's the latest transfer news at Everton?

According to TEAMtalk, Sean Dyche has set his sights on signing Shakhtar Donetsk defender Mykola Matviyenko in January, but he is set to face stiff competition when it comes to securing his services from Premier League rivals West Ham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sheffield United who are also interested in a swoop.

Alongside him, Sevilla forward Adnan Januzaj and Manchester United’s Harry Maguire have also been linked with moves at the start of the new year, and whilst there is plenty of work going on to bring fresh faces in, it appears that Goodison chiefs are also keen to focus on the contract situations of players who are already on Merseyside.

One of those that they have turned their attention towards is Jarrad Branthwaite who, after returning to the club following two loans at Blackburn Rovers and most recently PSV Eindhoven, has established himself as the boss’ overall second best-performing player so far this season with a WhoScored match rating of 6.98.

Over the summer, England’s youth international was the subject of a surprise enquiry from Erik ten Hag’s side at Old Trafford, but a deal failed to come to fruition before the deadline, likely as a result of his £25m price tag, so following the previous attention, the centre-back is wanted to commit his future in L4.

Is Jarrad Branthwaite signing a new contract at Everton?

Taking to X, The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland revealed that Everton are set to table Branthwaite an improved contract which would see him extend his stay at Goodison Park. He wrote:

“'He’s got everything to go to the very top'. Jarrad Branthwaite is starting to fulfil his vast potential. Yet to be dribbled past this season & fifth in PL for both interceptions + recoveries. 2 years + 1 left but Everton keen to tie him to [a] new deal.”

How tall is Jarrad Branthwaite?

Standing at a staggering 6 foot 5, Branthwaite provides an excellent physical presence at the heart of the backline, and he’s been a rock so far this season having averaged 4.3 clearances and three aerial wins per top-flight game for Everton, via WhoScored, which Dyche will love to see.

The Carlisle-born talent, who pockets £15k-per-week, is also capable of making a positive impact at the opposite end of the pitch having posted nine involvements (seven goals and two assists) in 88 appearances since the start of his career, which has seen him hailed a “terrific” footballer by his former manager Steven Pressley.

Furthermore, whilst the 21-year-old’s natural role is at centre-back, he even has the versatility to play out wide at left-back, so this is another attribute that will no doubt be attractive to the boss and one that makes him a fantastic option to keep in the building, therefore, the hierarchy need to do everything they can to fend off interest and get him to put pen to paper.

Feyenoord manager Arne Slot has responded to speculation that he could replace Thomas Tuchel as Bayern Munich boss.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Arne Slot linked with Bayern job
• Bayern looking for Tuchel replacement
• Dutchman reacts to media speculation

• getty images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayern announced last month that they would be parting ways with Tuchel and the highly-touted Dutchman has been linked with the soon-to-be vacant post of head coach at the Bundesliga side. Slot has now responded to the links with a hilarious answer.

Advertisement

• WHAT SLOT SAID

  When talking to the media, Slot was asked about being on Bayern's list, he responded [via Fabrizio Romano]: “I really can't answer that, but it's nice that I'm on a list!”

• (C)Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Bavarian side have made Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso their main target to take over next season but his signing may prove difficult with Liverpool also linked closely. Therefore, they are also thought to be looking at other options including Zinedine Zidane.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR SLOT?

  The Dutchman will have his focus trained on Feyenoord for the time being as the club is currently fighting an uphill battle against PSV to win the Eredivisie. They will next be in action when they take on Heracles on Sunday, March 10.