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Everton will host Manchester United in an important clash at Goodison Park this afternoon, and Frank Lampard must do everything he can to keep his team’s relegation fate in their hands by taking all three points from today.

Conceding their third consecutive defeat this afternoon could send the Toffees into the bottom three by the conclusion of the weekend if Burnley defeat Norwich City at Carrow Road on Sunday.

Despite the pressure mounting, Everton have received a triple boost as both Allan and Michael Keane return from suspension for the match today and Seamus Coleman is also available following a bout of illness which has ruled him out of the last two games.

Having these three experienced players available for selection again will definitely be a relief to Lampard as they take on a difficult challenge against Ralf Rangnick’s side in the early kick-off.

The injury table is unchanged for the fixture, with Yerry Mina, Nathan Patterson and Andros Townsend still unavailable, whilst Man United loanee Donny Van de Beek is ineligible for the fixture against his parent club.

With that in mind, this is how Football FanCast expect Everton to line up against their opponents at Goodison Park today…

Predicted XI: Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Godfrey, Kenny; Doucoure, Allan, Iwobi; Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin, Gordon

We predict that the Everton boss will make three changes to the team which lost to Burnley on Wednesday night, playing a 4-3-3 formation against the Red Devils.

We expect to see two changes in the back four to accommodate the return of Keane and Coleman, with Kenny moving into the left-back role to replace Vitaliy Mykolenko. That sees the captain resume duties at right-back, while Keane will be restored to the centre-back partnership alongside Ben Godfrey, taking the place of Jarrad Branthwaite.

One player we predict to be axed from the team today is Mason Holgate, who was labelled “poor” by Paul Robinson and endured a shocking performance against Burnley this week. The 25-year-old makes way for Allan to return following his three-game suspension.

The £120k-p/w Brazilian, who was hailed as “vital” by BT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher, has been a crucial component in Everton’s midfield this season, starting in the defensive role in all of their victories this season, so it is a no-brainer that he makes an instant return to the team this afternoon.

Lampard must capitalise on the advantage of playing at home for this fixture, especially given the Toffees’ dreadful away record, and will be hoping that the team can salvage one of their few remaining chances to secure safety in the Premier League for next season.

In other news: Lampard drops injury update ahead of today, it’s great news for Everton

Speaking to Wett Freunde, reputable Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur will pursue a deal for Internazionale striker Lautaro Martinez in the summer transfer window. 

The lowdown: Plenty of suitors…

Unsurprisingly, the potential availability of the 23-year-old has caused a stir across the continent as Atletico Madrid, Arsenal and Liverpool have all previously been linked with a move.

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Spurs have also been regularly tipped to swoop for the dynamic Argentinian frontman, who boasts an impressive 111 career goals for club and country.

As the transfer window looms, Martinez is once again being indexed with a possible exit from the San Siro.

The latest: North London bound?

Di Marzio has told the German outlet that the Lilywhites will ‘go after’ the 37-cap Argentina star.

It’s also stated that Tottenham ‘wanted him’ last summer amidst speculation linking Martinez away from Italy and could reignite interest in order to ‘plan for the future’ without Harry Kane.

The journalist describes both Spurs and Atletico Madrid as the ‘perfect destinations’ for the Inter star, who currently earns £180,000 per week (Wage Indicator).

The verdict: A no-brainer

Having already worked with Antonio Conte, scoring 40 times and providing 19 assists whilst lifting the Serie A title under the Italian manager, Martinez is the ideal candidate to bolster the attacking deportment at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Enjoying another stellar campaign with 16 goals and two assists in 39 appearances across all competitions (Transfermarkt), the Argentine frontman is certainly operating at the very peak of his powers.

As for replacing Kane, we feel a move for the £63million valued star should instead be viewed as a method of offering support and indeed an alternative option.

Predominantly operating alongside a more physical strike partner in the shape of Eden Dzeko and previously Romelu Lukaku, Martinez would have no problems forging a partnership with the England captain, who already links up so effectively with Son Heung-min.

In other news: Paratici eyeing move for EFL starlet, find out more here

Wolves are interested in signing young Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile in the January transfer window, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Badiashile an exciting prospect

The 20-year-old has emerged as an exciting player in Ligue 1, making nine starts in the league and enjoying a pass completion rate of 88.5%. He has also averaged 4.3 aerial duel wins per game in the Europa League this season, which is more than any Wolves player has managed in the Premier League.

Badiashile appears to be a man in demand, and Molineux could potentially be his next destination.

The Latest: Wolves linked with move

According to Sky Sports News [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], Wolves are interested in making a move for the Frenchman, as Bruno Lage looks for centre-back reinforcements.

The £25.2m-rated defender’s current Monaco deal expires in the summer of 2024.

The Verdict: Ideal centre-back alternative

Central defence does look like one area where an addition would be welcome at Wolves this month, with too much reliance on the availability of Max Kilman, Conor Coady and Romain Saiss. Indeed, the latter is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Willy Boly would invariably be a strong backup for the trio but he continues to be plagued by medical issues, highlighting the need for a new signing at centre-back.

At 20, Badiashile would be considered a long-term acquisition who could fill in when required this season before hopefully growing into a key figure at Molineux over the next few years.

In other news, Wolves have been handed a potential transfer blow. Read more here.

Leeds United are in line for an encouraging injury boost ahead of this weekend’s clash with Newcastle United…

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, the Yorkshire outfit are likely to have three first-team attackers available for selection ahead of Saturday’s league encounter at Elland Road.

“Better news – Joe Gelhardt could be back at the weekend, as could Tyler Roberts. Rodrigo also sounds like he’s come through his appearance at West Ham without a problem,” he tweeted.

The Whites head into the weekend on the back of an impressive 3-2 victory over West Ham United but there was cause for concern looking at the bench as the returning Spaniard was the only senior professional from nine substitutes.

Big boost

That is how bad the injury situation has been at Thorp Arch over the last few months and it shows no signs of easing up, with Patrick Bamford’s continued absence.

The England international has missed 16 of their last 17 league games with ankle and hamstring injuries and it appears he is still not available to feature against the Magpies after missing last weekend’s win.

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In his absence, Bielsa has had to turn to a number of different options, largely the likes of Daniel James and Jack Harrison playing out of position to fill the void.

So the fact the club’s young academy striker Gelhardt is available is certainly encouraging to see. He has one goal and two assists in the Premier League from only two starts, so he’s more than capable at this level.

Roberts is an experienced option to have too.

If these two return alongside a fit Rodrigo, it will alleviate some of the worry facing Bielsa ahead of kick-off – after all, he still is missing key midfielder Kalvin Phillips, skipper Liam Cooper and many others.

Therefore, the Argentine will surely feel a little more relieved this weekend.

AND in other news, “What I have been told”: Journo drops huge Leeds transfer claim, Bielsa will be fuming…

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Manchester City are interested in signing West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice in the upcoming summer transfer window. 

The lowdown: Contract rebel

The 23-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence for both club and country in the last 18 months and has been the centre of heightened speculation regarding a possible move away.

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Following a report from The Guardian confirming that Rice had recently rejected a third contract offer from West Ham, a summer switch looks increasingly likely for the former Chelsea academy starlet.

Now it appears that Pep Guardiola could be about to make a beeline for the London-born midfielder…

The latest: Mail makes claim…

As per the report from the Daily Mail, City are believed to be ‘ready to launch’ a move for the 29-cap England man.

As well as this, ‘City bosses have made it clear they can go after Rice’ as Eastlands officials set their sights on him – even after they’ve already ‘agreed’ a deal for Borussia Dortmund star Erling Braut Haaland.

Amidst strong interest from rivals Manchester United, the report claims that the Citizens have asked West Ham to ‘keep them informed’ regarding any developments on Rice.

Unsurprisingly the over £100million valuation is billed as a ‘sticking point’ in any attempt to bring the man once hailed as ‘exceptional’ by Guardiola to Eastlands.

The verdict: At all costs

Whilst it would almost certainly shatter the £105.7million record expenditure spent on Jack Grealish in the summer of 2021, signing Rice would be a superb piece of business at almost any price.

Capable of operating as a conventional defensive midfielder and as a centre-back, the Englishman should be viewed as the ideal candidate to replace departing Sky Blues stalwart Fernandinho by director of football Txiki Begiristain.

In other news: Pep falls out with ‘world class’ Man City star behind-the-scenes, he could now leave…find out more here.

Newcastle United enjoyed a fantastic January transfer window as they made a number of key additions to Eddie Howe’s squad.

PIF brought in Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, Matt Targett and Chris Wood and they have all played a part in the club’s revival in the second half of the season.

The Magpies are now 14 points clear of the bottom three and look set for another campaign in the Premier League, with central defender Burn playing a huge role in their recent success.

He joined from Brighton in January and has averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 7.01 in the top-flight this season for the Toon and the Seagulls combined.

Forget Dan Burn

Whilst the giant Englishman has been an excellent addition to the team, the Magpies now have the chance to sign a player who will make the fans quickly forget about him.

German outlet Bild recently reported that Newcastle are interested in signing Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka, who is valued at £24m (€28m).

The French tank can be the club’s new defensive leader and be an upgrade on Burn or play alongside him as he has proven his quality in Germany this year.

Frankfurt boss Adi Hutter previously showered the gem with praise, saying: “I honestly have to say that I was surprised by his development. Evan has developed phenomenally. He’s very attentive in the analysis of his own game. He’s very modest and always takes a lot on board.”

The centre-back has also received applause from former Frankfurt player Alexander Schur as he claimed the Frenchman “shows no nerves” and “plays with great authority.” 

In the Bundesliga this season, Ndicka has averaged a fantastic SofaScore rating of 7.14. He has made an impressive 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game and won 60% of his duels, showing that he has been putting in consistent performances and dominating opposition attackers throughout the campaign.

Ndicka also ranks higher than Burn for progressive passes, progressive carries, dribbles completed and pass completion per 90 mins over the last 365 days. This means that the Frankfurt man would be an upgrade on the current Toon star in terms of what he offers in possession, whilst his statistics in the Bundesliga in comparison to Burn’s in the Premier League suggest that his all-round displays would also be better.

Therefore, Howe can land a new defensive leader for Newcastle by bringing him to the club this summer. He has shown that he has the quality to be a major player at St. James’ Park and he has the potential to improve further at the age of 22, which means that he would be a sublime signing for now and for the future.

AND in other news, Bid planned: Howe must seal NUFC deal for £30m “monster” whose “simplicity is genius”…

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According to renowned journalist Alan Nixon on his official Twitter account, reported Southampton target Che Adams is available before the deadline, as long as a club is willing to pay £12m for his services.

What’s the word, then?

Well, a report in The Mirror at the weekend said that Saints are keen to bring the Birmingham City attacker to St Mary’s before the transfer window slams shut on Thursday night, and have already tabled an £8m bid for the 22-year-old.

However, The Mirror also reported that the Blues had rebuffed the approach, but were expecting the Premier League club to try again for the impressive attacker, who has scored 15 league goals for the Championship outfit this season, as per Transfermarkt.

The latest of those came in the 3-3 draw with Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday night, when he cut in from the left on his right foot before bending an effort into the far corner of the goal from outside the box.

Will Saints pay £12m?

It seems a lot depends on whether they can sell Charlie Austin, whom they are said to be demanding £10m for, also according to Nixon on Twitter, before the deadline.

For the second game running the former QPR striker missed out on the 18-man squad when Saints hosted Crystal Palace at St Mary’s on Wednesday night, and it appears as though his future lies away from the south coast outfit if a deal is right for all parties.

They may well be trying to raise the funds to buy Adams by offloading the 29-year-old, but there has been no progress on that to date with just hours of the window remaining.

Given the pace and strength the Birmingham man has in his locker – as well as the fact he can play out wide or through the middle – he appears to be a perfect fit to succeed under Ralph Hasenhuttl at Southampton.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

An update has emerged on Rangers dud Jack Simpson, regarding his future at Ibrox under Gio van Bronckhorst…

What’s the talk?

According to the Scottish Sun, English Championship side Middlesbrough are preparing a swoop for the Gers defender, with Chris Wilder said to be a fan of his.

The report claims that van Bronckhorst will allow the centre-back to leave the club in the January transfer window and Boro are hoping to snap him up.

Time’s up

Simpson’s time in Glasgow appears to be up and the Dutch head coach must ruthlessly axe him this month. Although Middlesbrough are said to be keen on a loan deal for him, a permanent solution could also work for the Gers as he has struggled to make his mark in Scotland.

Danilho Doekhi and John Souttar have both been touted with moves to the club and that could lessen Simpson’s chances of being able to come back in the summer and win his place in the team.

The potential incoming pair could replace Connor Goldson, with Nikola Katic to return from his loan and Filip Helander due to return from injury in the coming months, leaving the ex-Bournemouth defender in a difficult and vulnerable position.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must axe him on a permanent basis as his time is up. He has not featured in a single match since Steven Gerrard left the club and was dubbed a ‘weak link’ earlier in the season.

Former Scotland international Frank McAvennie criticised the central defender and suggested that he could be targeted by teams, saying:

“It depends on the opposition. They have a big game on Sunday against Hibs. That’s a massive game, absolutely massive.

“Hibs are on fire and they really know what they are doing. They will fancy their chances. They know Simpson is the weak link. You expect he will start with the Goldson issue.

“He’s not had a great time of it so far, he barely played last season. We’ll see what happens but I expect Boyle will run rings around him.”

The £900k-rated liability has only played 11 times for Rangers since joining in January 2020 and this suggests that he is not a serious first-team contender.

He was sparsely used under Gerrard and is yet to play a single match under the new management team, which shows that two managers in a row have not rated him highly enough to give him regular minutes, which is why he must now be brutally axed from the club.

AND in other news, Deal considered: Rangers must seal swoop for 105 G/A predator who won’t cost a penny…

Noel Whelan has been left shocked by what he has now heard coming from Newcastle United regarding Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Lowdown: £50m price tag

As per The Daily Mail, the St James’ Park club are now willing to entertain offers of around £50m for the 25-year-old once the season ends.

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It has also been reported that the Magpies could look at Moussa Diaby as a potential replacement for the Frenchman, along with Leandro Trossard and Brennan Johnson.

The Latest: Whelan shocked by Saint-Maximin latest

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan – who regularly used to feature as a pundit for the BBC – has been left shocked by the news that the Newcastle board could sell Saint-Maximin for £50m, claiming that it would be a ‘ridiculous’ piece of business.

He said: “Look, I mean you can accept it. But if you’re going to go out there and get somebody with the same quality and love from the fans, firstly, they’ve got to earn that love, which Saint-Maximin has done.

“Secondly, he has put in the performances and been a talisman for a number of years now. £50million is not going to buy you a player of that quality, I don’t believe.

“Then you’d have the backlash from the fans. I’m very sure that they won’t see this as a positive. This is not what they expect after the consortium’s takeover of Newcastle.

“They thought they’d be spending £50million, not bringing in £50million by selling one of their best players.

“Saint-Maximin, for me, is one of these players that’s just unsellable right now to Newcastle, on many fronts. Shirt sales, fanbase and what he brings out there on the field.

“I’m sorry, but I just feel that’d be ridiculous business by Newcastle’s board.”

The Verdict: Hard to replace

As Whelan says, the Newcastle board could scoop a healthy £50m for Saint-Maximin in the summer, but the Frenchman would be very hard to replace.

He has been a mainstay in the team all season, with five goals and three assists in the Premier League so far (Transfermarkt).

Moreover, he currently ranks as the Magpies’ second-best performer in the top flight, and no team-mate comes close to his six man-of-the-match awards (WhoScored).

The 25-year-old also averages more shots and dribbles per game than any of his team-mates, so £50m may not even be enough to replace the quality that he possesses and his overall importance to Eddie Howe’s team.

In other news, find out which three stars PIF are now targeting this summer

Tottenham Hotspur may have advanced into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup for the second successive season but the form of Harry Kane is surely a major cause for concern.

It was another game in which the out-of-sorts England international completely misfired as his struggles continued in Spurs’ win over Premier League rivals West Ham United on Wednesday evening.

On the back of Euro 2020 heartbreak with the Three Lions and an intense transfer saga that linked him with a move to champions Manchester City, the 28-year-old has found life very tough since returning late for pre-season training.

Indeed, Kane has scored just twice from 14 appearances in the English top-flight all season. Meanwhile, six of his nine goals in all competitions have come against minnows in the Europa Conference League, which is hardly inspiring.

You could forgive manager Antonio Conte if he’s left with nightmares after yet another disappointing outing. He must find out how to get the English talisman firing on all cylinders and that’s simply yet to happen since his arrival last month.

Kane lasted the entire 90 minutes on Wednesday, where he managed only one shot on target.

His 40 touches of the ball not only saw him lose possession 13 times (once every three touches) but it was also the second-lowest of any Spurs outfield player, meaning he evidently struggled to garner much of an influence on the game.

And when he was involved, he was wasteful, as seen by him losing the ball so frequently. Furthermore, he made only 20 passes at an accuracy rate of 77%, as per SofaScore.

Elsewhere, the £108m-rated forward was weak against the Hammers’ backline, winning just 28% of his 14 duels, whilst he was dribbled past on two occasions.

Both football.london reporter Alasdair Gold and the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick were in agreement over Kane’s performance in their post-game columns.

‘Still nowhere near his best,’ wrote Gold, with Kilpatrick added: ‘Tested Alphonse Areola early on but otherwise had no chances of note as his finishing slump continued.’

It was another game without a goal and another weak and ponderous showing. Conte must be hugely worried by Kane’s disastrous form and it’s surely only a matter of time before something is done about it.

AND in other news, Spurs plan fresh transfer talks as inside source drops major January update, fans will surely love this one…