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Any chances Everton had of signing Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma on a permanent basis this summer have surely ended following news of the west London outfit’s two-window transfer ban from FIFA, but it could be good news for Yerry Mina.

What’s the word, then?

Well, it was announced on Friday that the Blues won’t be able to bring any new players to Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2020 for breaching rules in relation to youth players, which will have a big impact on their squad.

Zouma was sent out on a season-long loan deal to Goodison Park last summer as he looked for more regular football following his return from a serious injury, and he has certainly got it after striking up a strong partnership with Michael Keane at the heart of the defence, making 23 Premier League appearances.

Even if the Merseyside outfit were considering an attempt to bring the 24-year-old north permanently, those hopes are surely over given Maurizio Sarri’s men’s struggles recently and the fact that the soon-to-be out of contract Gary Cahill and David Luiz are getting no younger.

Good news for Mina?

It certainly is.

The Colombia international would have been expected to hit the ground running when he signed in a big-money deal from Barcelona following his impressive showing for his country at the 2018 World Cup, but he simply hasn’t got going yet.

Injuries have played a part but the 24-year-old hasn’t looked convincing or dominant when he has been on the pitch, and Keane and Zouma are clearly Marco Silva’s preferred partnership right now even if the latter was dismissed against Watford.

Without the France international next term though if Chelsea choose to keep him, the South American would have the perfect opportunity to finally kick-start his Everton career.

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester City supporters have been left excited as an update emerges on their striker plans for January – and it involves Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.

A world class centre-forward was heavily courted by manager Pep Guardiola and sporting director Txiki Begiristain in the summer window with bids lodged for Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane.

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They were unsuccessful in their signing attempts, however, with Guardiola having to cope with makeshift options once again after the departure of club legend Sergio Aguero.

High-flying City are top of the Premier League with only Liverpool scoring more top flight goals so far (premierleague.com), testament to Guardiola’s tactical improvisation as he makes use of a plethora of his attacking midfield talent.

It is believed that the Sky Blues will still target a striker for January though with news now emerging on their pursuit of Vlahovic.

According to La Repubblica, via Firenze Viola, Man City are in the ‘front row’ to sign La Viola’s star man as they enter pole position.

As well as this, Guardiola personally believes he can be the ‘perfect’ striker for his side as City ‘pushes’ for his signing in January.

City fans erupt…

Given the 21-year-old has drawn comparisons to fellow target Erling Haaland whilst netting a brilliant 15 goals in just 17 Serie A appearances so far, it’s little wonder Sky Blues are thrilled.

Still at a really young age, Vlahovic has set the Italian top flight alight with his dazzling form and could only get better – with there being the added incentive of real sell-on potential.

Here’s how City supporters reacted to what one fan called a ‘big’ transfer update down below:

“Just Vlahovic or Haaland, that’s all I want”

Credit: @SxrgioSZN

“OH MY GOD”

Credit: @vlahovicszn

“Big Wwwwwww”

Credit: @jadzein12

“don’t gas me”

Credit: @kunsologist

“YES YES YES”

Credit: @Jacob4rmstrong

“Perfect. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. Okay”

Credit: @King__kb

“Get my boy in Jan”

Credit: @orannie2

“Finally.”

Credit: @Mantus_G

In other news: ‘Siuuuu’, ‘Finally’…Man City fans also went wild after a ‘perfect’ £59.3m development, find out more here.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is reportedly seeking a reunion with Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara in January, with the 41-year-old apparently a “big fan” of the Finland international.

What’s the story?

The Rangers star was managed by Gerrard at Ibrox up until last month and the Englishman is reportedly keen to bring the 26-year-old down to England. This comes after Aston Villa were linked with a move for Rangers winger Ryan Kent.

Kamara, who has been capped by his native Finland 40 times, has apparently been on Villa’s radar for some time, with the possibility of a £6m bid being weighed up back in August before Gerrard’s arrival.

Despite being valued by Transfermarkt at £5.4m, it seems likely that Villa would have to pay well over that figure to secure the 26-year-old’s services, with the Daily Record reporting that the midfielder could cost £15m given that his contract at Ibrox doesn’t expire until 2025.

Furthermore, Kamara has stated in the past that “it would be a dream” to play in the English top-flight, suggesting that it wouldn’t prove a tricky task to lure him to the West Midlands, should Villa be happy to pay Rangers’ asking price.

Kamara would add needed depth

With Steven Gerrard preferring a three-man midfield in a 4-3-3 setup, the Villans could do with extra numbers in the midfielder department as back-up.

It appears as though the 41-year-old has a preferred trio with Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and Marvelous Nakamba starting the last three Premier League games together. The more they play together, the harder it would be for someone to break into that partnership.

However, Villa seem light on reserves should one of those three pick up an injury or suspension, with Jacob Ramsey the only other player to have started in central midfield under the Englishman.

According to SofaScore, the 26-year-old has a 90% pass completion rate in the Scottish Premiership this term, averaging 1.4 key passes per game, showing the outstanding attributes he could add to Gerrard’s midfield.

Reports have suggested that Villa plan to invest this coming window and, although links with big-money superstars are exciting, Johan Lange will have to add depth to the squad and a move for a player such as Kamara, who has been previously dubbed “fantastic” by Gerrard would certainly provide more options.

Everton youngster Anthony Gordon ‘wants to remain’ at the Toffees ‘for as long as he possibly can’, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Gordon’s performances for Everton

The winger made his debut for the Toffees during the 2019/20 season; but it has been during the current campaign that he has risen to prominence within the Everton squad.

The 21-year-old has made 24 appearances in the Premier League this season and has been labelled as one of the few brightest sparks in a struggling Everton team, plundering three goals and three assists.

His importance to Frank Lampard’s side has been illustrated by his underlying statistics as a winger – among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, he has ranked in the 99th percentile for tackles, the 97th percentile for blocks and the 93rd percentile for pressures (via FB Ref).

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The Latest: Jones’ claim on Gordon

Transfer insider Jones has revealed that Gordon hopes to remain with his boyhood club for a very long time, despite Everton’s current battle for Premier League survival.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the reporter claimed: “From everything that I can gather from speaking to people, he wants to remain at that club for as long as he possibly can. And so, I’ll be very surprised if Everton tried to cash in on him, that’s not the route to go down right now.”

The Verdict: Depends on their PL finish

Everton currently sit 17th in the Premier League table, just three points ahead of the relegation zone. As a result, a plethora of rumours have arisen linking the Merseyside club’s star players with moves away from Goodison Park.

If the Toffees fail to remain in the top flight, we could see the likes of Gordon being sold to another Premier League club in a bid to generate much-needed funds for the Toffees, who are already operating within limited Financial Fair Play parameters.

However, if Lampard can keep Everton up, Gordon should definitely be playing in a Blues shirt next season, particularly if he is keen on staying at the club for the foreseeable future.

In other news: Everton are reportedly willing to sell this first-team stalwart

An update has emerged on Rangers and their transfer plans to pursue a new forward in the January window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, the Gers have been keeping tabs on young Millwall striker Zak Lovelace as they track his progress with the English Championship side.

The report claims that the 15-year-old is also the subject of interest from Premier League clubs Leicester and Brighton.

The next Patterson

Giovanni van Bronckhorst could find the next Nathan Patterson for Rangers by securing a deal to sign Lovelace this month.

The 15-year-old has already made his senior debut for Millwall in the English second tier and has been called up by England at under-16 level, showing that he is a young player with plenty of potential.

Lions manager Gary Rowett heaped praise on him after the youngster made his Championship bow, saying: “I thought it was going to be one of those moments where the ball isn’t out of play and there’s a 15-year-old stood on the sidelines ready to make his debut. I was actually quite thankful they had a shot that missed, just because it allowed us to get him on. He had a big, big smile on his face and was desperate to get out there.

“We could have taken the easy route and put a senior player on there because we had Smudge [Matt Smith] left on the bench. But I just felt it was a game where we needed a bit of mobility at the end to stop them getting out.

“Young Zak makes a 50-yard sprint to try and stop them. He showed great appetite. He’s going to have a big career ahead of him, I’m sure.”

He is said to have scored more than 20 goals for the club’s youth teams and this suggests that he has performed well enough for Millwall’s academy to earn himself a first-team chance.

Therefore, he could be an exciting prospect to come in who could be viewed as a player with the scope to go on and make an impact for Van Bronckhorst’s side in the future, much like Patterson did under Steven Gerrard and the Dutchman.

Rangers recently sold the 20-year-old to Everton for a club-record transfer fee after he came through the academy process and made 27 first-team appearances whilst being capped six times by Scotland during his time at Ibrox. Lovelace could come in and replicate that success, given what he has already achieved at such a young age, and the Gers must ensure that they snap him up this month.

AND in other news, “I’d expect”: Expert delivers exciting Rangers claim that’ll leave Ibrox fans buzzing…

A claim has been made on Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo, regarding a potential contract extension at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has suggested that the ex-Charlton man is not eager to put pen to paper on fresh terms with the Glasgow giants.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Rangers might have a big decision on their hands in the summer because he’s only got 18 months left on his current deal and it seems he’s in no rush to sign a new deal.”

Gutted

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst could be set for his biggest disaster yet with this update as it points towards an Ibrox exit for Aribo in the not-too-distance future. If he is unwilling to sign a new contract then it could leave the Gers in a place where they need to cash in on him instead of allowing him to leave for nothing.

Transfermarkt value Aribo at £9m and, if that is an accurate estimation of his worth, Rangers could miss out on a hefty payday if they do not sell him in one of the next two windows. If they do not cash in and he continues to avoid fresh terms then he could sign a pre-contract deal with a club outside of Scotland in 12 months and they would get nothing in return for his services.

In both of these scenarios, however, is the worrying prospect of losing Aribo from the squad. Fans will be gutted at the thought of him leaving the club as he has been in stunning form for the Gers since the start of last season in the Premiership.

Last season, the Nigeria international scored seven times and provided four assists in 31 league outings. He averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.13 as he showed that he can perform consistently to a high level in the division.

Aribo has upped his game this term, with an average SofaScore rating of 7.20 in 20 Premiership matches. The midfielder has already racked up six goals and three assists, providing quality end product from an advanced midfield role under Steven Gerrard and van Bronckhorst.

This is why Rangers fans will be dejected by the news and why it would be a disaster for the club to lose him, whether it comes now or in one of the next two transfer windows. Ross Wilson must work his socks off with van Bronckhorst to convince him to put pen to paper on a new deal to ensure he remains in Glasgow in the long term.

AND in other news, GVB makes January enquiry to sign £2.1m “conductor”, Rangers fans surely buzzing…

Joe Rodon is reportedly open to leaving Tottenham Hotspur on loan in January in search of more regular game-time, according to Football London’s Alasdair Gold. 

The lowdown

The Wales defender has struggled for Premier League minutes under successive managers. He only featured once under Nuno Espirito Santo in the top flight and wasn’t even in Antonio Conte’s matchday squad for Sunday’s postponed fixture at Burnley. Virtually all of his football this season has come in the Europa Conference League.

Rodon, who is valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, played just 12 top-flight matches under Jose Mourinho and Ryan Mason in his first season in north London in 2020/21, four of which were as a substitute.

The latest

According to Gold, writing for Football London, Rodon is apparently becoming frustrated by his lack of opportunities this season and is willing to temporarily go elsewhere when the January transfer window opens in order to get more time on the pitch.

The report added that a lot could depend on whether Spurs sign another centre-back, particularly if Cristian Romero’s injury layoff turns out to be a long-term one.

The verdict

Rodon may get his wish given that Spurs have been linked with a host of certain backs in recent weeks, including Stefan de Vrij, Matthijs de Ligt and James Tarkowski.

The 24-year-old Welshman has arguably been unfortunate not to feature more regularly after making an ‘outstanding’ impression last term, in the eyes of former Tottenham and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

If Spurs do invest heavily in mid-season, potentially pushing him further down the pecking order, his long-term prospects at the club might well be in doubt.

In other news, read this journalist’s intriguing De Vrij claim.

Swedish side IFK Goteborg have made an enquiry for Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas, Anthony Joseph reports.

The Lowdown: Breakdown with the Blades

Barkas appears to be surplus to requirements at Celtic Park and could become the second shot-stopper to leave the club this month after Conor Hazard.

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The Greece international has featured just twice under Ange Postecoglou and was recently linked with a move to Sheffield United.

However, talks broke down between the two clubs due to Celtic’s demands over a loan move, with the Blades going on to sign Adam Davies instead.

The Latest: Joseph’s post

Joseph took to Twitter on Friday afternoon to share a fresh update on Barkas and a possible late exit.

He revealed details of Goteborg’s enquiry and admitted that Celtic are open to offers for the 6 foot 4 colossus.

“IFK Goteborg have made a loan enquiry for Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas.

“It’s understood the Swedish club would need Celtic to pay for the bulk of his wages, if the move was to go ahead.

“The Hoops are open to offers for the Greece international.”

The Verdict: Time to go

Barkas, thought to be on £9,000-a-week, has featured in just two Scottish Premiership matchday squads all season. He clearly isn’t fancied by Postecoglou, so moving him out on loan for the remainder of the campaign could be a good idea.

Allowing him to play regular football could then help the club when it comes to selling him permanently, with Barkas still under contract in Glasgow until 2024.

Celtic may not recoup the £4.5m they spent on the 27-year-old, with his Transfermarkt valuation dropping to just £1.35m, but a solid second half of the season in Sweden may benefit all involved.

In other news: In the coming days – Celtic now eye ‘very clever’ teenager who could go out on loan – journalist.

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford’s latest injury is something of a “mystery”…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to reliable LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross, who provided supporters with a fresh update on the striker’s situation during a recent Q&A.

He said:

“Bamford remains something of a mystery after [Marcelo] Bielsa’s doubtful comments on the striker being back for the Villa game.”

The 28-year-old talisman has missed 17 of their last 18 league matches with a string of problems and it doesn’t seem likely of making a return against Aston Villa in the Premier League next week.

Before the break, the Whites boss expressed his doubts over Bamford featuring down at Villa Park on Wednesday.

“I have my doubts. I’m not sure,” he said (via BirminghamLive). It’s not just about being able to count on him, it’s that he arrives in conditions to develop his game.

“A player who’s gone so long without playing, it opens up a question mark, after he is healthy, [about] how long he needs to show his regularity.”

Worrying news

This will come as a huge cause for concern for many around west Yorkshire as Leeds have really missed his presence in the final third, having finished last season as their top goalscorer on 17 goals.

To make matters worse, Raphinha – who has scored more than anyone in his absence this term – limped off during Brazil’s win over Paraguay late on Tuesday night after opening the scoring.

In the six appearances that Bamford has made in the Premier League this term, he’s proven to be a big influence, scoring twice and also laying on a further two assists but he has played only 22 minutes since mid-September.

The Yorkshire giants are in a fairly comfortable position, sitting seven points clear of the relegation zone, but things can quickly change in this division and many of the sides below them hold games in hand.

Only six teams have scored fewer goals than Leeds this season, four of which are below them in the table. A worrying trend as they rank inside the top five for shots per game (14). That suggests they cannot convert their chances and that’ll be no surprise as they do not have a senior striker fit to slot them home.

The likes of Daniel James, Tyler Roberts and Jack Harrison have all been deployed up front in his absence, to not much success, especially the former two.

So the absence of the man who Liverpool’s title-winning head coach Jurgen Klopp once dubbed an “exceptional player” is certainly a big blow for United heading into their return to action.

Cross’ claim only adds further doubt on whether we will see Bamford back on the pitch anytime soon and that surely will leave many supporters fuming heading into a vital run of games.

AND in other news, Bielsa made a huge January transfer howler at Leeds over £22.5m-rated “special talent” – opinion

Everton will travel to the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon to take on West Ham as they return to action after the international break, and Frank Lampard will be hoping that his side can come back from the break ready to tackle their relegation battle, especially after the news of an important boost to the squad.

What’s the word?

The Toffees manager took to his pre-match press conference to give a new update on the recovery of Fabian Delph, who was notably missing from Finch Farm this week after returning to full training with his team-mates at the beginning of the international break.

Lampard told the press: “Fabian Delph, we are hoping is another week or so. But it has been a slightly complicated injury. But again, it will be a big plus to have him back in the squad because in that area, it is an area we do have some issues. That’s where we are at.”

Lampard will be buzzing

It’s no secret that the former Chelsea boss has a huge task on his hands in the remaining weeks of the season, with just ten games to go and his team only three points clear of the relegation zone, and Everton still face tough fixtures against Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Every point counts for the Toffees at this stage, and having an experienced player like Fabian Delph back in the squad will surely leave Lampard buzzing, who mentioned the availability issues in midfield with Allan out for the next three games following a red card in the win over Newcastle United before the break.

The 32-year-old Englishman has only made six appearances in the current Premier League campaign due to numerous injury issues, with a shoulder injury sidelining him at the beginning of this season for eight games, and then a thigh injury sustained in training further setting him back in January.

Despite Delph’s lack of game-time, Lampard will be buzzing to have such an experienced player back in the side and available for selection if he is needed over the remaining fixtures. Even if he is just there to be used as an impact substitute, his presence will give the Everton boss another useful option to deploy in his midfield.

In other news: Everton handed massive boost ahead of West Ham clash; Lampard will be ecstatic