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    Real Madrid flop Isco ‘keen’ on Everton transfer as January sale on cards and ace wants to play for Ancelotti again

    EVERTON are reportedly in the hunt to sign Isco and reunite the midfielder with old boss Carlo Ancelotti.
    The Spaniard won a Champions League and Copa del Rey title when the Toffees boss coached Real Madrid, but has fallen out of favour under Zinedine Zidane.

    Isco is reportedly available for a January loan switchCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    With just two starts all season, neither of which lasted longer than an hour, the 28-year-old is thought to be available for a January switch.
    According to the Mirror, Isco fancies reuniting with Ancelotti and former team-mate James Rodriguez at Everton.
    Madrid are reportedly happy to send the midfielder out on loan in January, with an £18million obligation to buy.
    However, any potential buyer would have to pay his £120,000-a-week wages in full, it is said.

    Competition could come from Juventus with the Serie A giants linked with a swap deal.
    Reports in Italy suggest Real are thinking of offering Isco plus winger Vinicius in a bid for Paulo Dybala.

    Isco leaving Real would end a seven-year spell with the LaLiga side, with two league titles and four Champions League crowns won in the Spanish capital.
    But his relationship with coach Zidane has been subject to much speculation.

    Named on the bench for last month’s Clasico, the playmaker was heard joking about his boss in the stands before the game.
    Movistar TV cameras picked up Isco regaling to team-mates: “If [Zidane] has to take me off, he takes me off in the 50th or 60th minute, sometimes at half-time.
    “If he has to bring me on, he brings me on in the 80th minute.”
    Zidane subbed Isco off at half-time of Real’s defeat to Cadiz earlier in the campaign, but defended his player after the game.

    He said: “There’s always going to be criticism, even when we win.
    “Isco is a decisive player, he’s always shown that and I have no doubt in my mind.
    “We want to change things and we will, Isco just like everyone else. I have no doubt about it.”

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    Sergio Romero and wife fuming with Man Utd after rejecting Everton’s £2m loan transfer and offer to pay entire wages

    MANCHESTER UNITED goalkeeper Sergio Romero is reportedly fuming with the club after they blocked a potential move to Everton.
    The Toffees were keen to bring in the Argentine shot-stopper on loan to provide competition for Jordan Pickford, but the Red Devils rejected their approach.

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    Sergio Romero and his wife are angry that Manchester United didn’t allow him to join EvertonCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    Romero – who has just one year left on his contract at Old Trafford – has fallen down the pecking order following Dean Henderson’s return.

    And the 33-year-old is understood to have been desperate to compete for regular first team football having not featured in the Premier League since the 2017-18 season.
    According to The Athletic, Everton had a £2million loan offer turned down for the ex-Samporia star.
    The Merseyside outfit were even prepared to cover his £100,000-a-week wages, but United are seeking £8m in order to get Romero off their books.

    His failed transfer has away has angered Romero, with the shot-stopper also furious having not been told he would be omitted from United’s Champions League squad.
    Lee Grant was included instead as the club’s third-choice – showing further proof he has no future at the Theatre of Dreams.
    Having been part of the squad since 2015, Romero’s wife Eliana slammed United on Instagram last week stating he deserves more respect.
    She wrote: “Sergio Romero worked hard for his club.

    Romero’s wife Eliana slammed United for rejecting Everton’s bid

    “Last trophy they won, they lifted it with him.
    “He helped the team reach four finals/semi-finals and then he was on the bench, only to lose them all.
    “It is time for them to return the opportunity and let him go. RESPECT FOR ONCE!!!! [sic].”
    ESPN have stated that even United players have expressed their disappointment to the way their team-mate has been treated.
    A move to the MLS could still be on the horizon with a number of clubs believed to be keen on signing him ahead of their October 29 deadline.

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    Bournemouth want Joshua King transfer bid from Everton after snubbing £13m West Ham offer

    BOURNEMOUTH hope that Everton will make a late move for Joshua King — after rejecting West Ham’s £13million bid.
    The Cherries are fuming that David Moyes’ side have held talks with King, 28, without agreeing a fee for the Norwegian ace.

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    Bournemouth want Everton to bid for Joshua KingCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    West Ham could yet increase their offer, with Bournemouth holding out for closer to £17m even though King is into the last year of his contract.
    The Cherries are also anticipating interest from Everton, who are keen to bolster their forward line before Friday’s cut-off for trades between Premier League and EFL clubs.
    King remains determined to leave the South Coast after Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship.

    The former Manchester United youngster has scored 48 Premier League goals since joining Bournemouth from Blackburn in a bargain £1m deal in 2015.
    King has been the subject of previous top-flight interest in recent transfer windows.
    His old club United failed in their attempts to re-sign him back in January with the Cherries rejecting a bid late in that window. 
    And King issued a come-and-get-me plea to the Red Devils in September.

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    How the PL’s best transfer XI for this summer could look

    Premier League new boys West Brom are also in the mix and held talks with Bournemouth regarding a potential transfer to the Midlands.
    The move comes after Baggies boss Slaven Bilic pleaded with his board to solve his striker crisis.
    The Croatian failed to land Huddersfield’s Karlan Grant and saw Hal Robson-Kanu have surgery on a broken arm earlier this month.

    West Brom in talks with Bournemouth over £10m Josh King transfer after Bilic pleads with board to solve striker crisis More

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    Theo Walcott says he will ‘probably cry’ in first game after rejoining Southampton on loan on transfer deadline day

    THEO WALCOTT has admitted he will “probably cry” when he makes his second debut for Southampton.
    The former England winger first signed for the Saints aged 11 and returns on a deadline-day loan deal from Everton, 14 years after leaving the club.

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    Theo Walcott re-signed for Southampton on MondayCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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    The ex-England star returns to his first club on loanCredit: Action Images – Reuters

    On Monday night, his return was confirmed on a season-long loan deal.
    Carlo Ancelotti had only handed the 31-year-old two outings this season and the Toffees’ rapid start to the season suggested further opportunities would be limited.
    Southampton have taken the chance to add some extra experience to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s frontline.

    Speaking after Southampton confirmed the deal, Walcott admitted to feeling the emotion of the moment.
    He told the club website: “I had a few opportunities from other clubs, but as soon as Southampton came in for me, it’s part of me and has made me into the player I am. It’s in my heart.
    “I will probably cry, I bet, when I first play, and it means so much. All the people that made it happen, I can’t thank them enough. Honestly, I’m so pleased.
    “I was seriously lost for words when Southampton came on the table, and for me it was such an easy decision.

    “To get the chance to work with the manager as well and these young players that are coming through, I feel like I’ve made the right choice.”

    At 16 years and 143 days, Walcott became the club’s youngest-ever player when making his debut in August 2005.
    The Berkshire-educated winger made 22 appearances for Saints before Arsenal snapped him up for an initial £5million, only six months after his debut.
    That encouraged England boss Sven Goran Eriksson to make the bold, if ultimately unsuccessful move, of bringing Walcott to the 2006 World Cup.
    After over a decade and two FA Cup wins at Arsenal, the winger left for Everton and he scored 11 goals in 85 games at Goodison Park.
    And he will hope to make his second debut against Chelsea on October 17, with a St Mary’s return against Everton a week later.
    Southampton boss Hasenhuttl said: “There is a lot of history between this club and Theo, so I know how special this will be for him and for our supporters.

    “But what is most important to me is that we have signed a player who can help our squad and give us another strong option in our attack.
    “Theo is someone who has all the qualities to fit well into our team and our style of play, and I know from speaking to him that he understands what we want and that he is excited to be a part of what we are doing here.
    “His experience and influence will also be important for our young players. The idea is not to block their development, but for this to make it faster. From this professional they can learn and grow as players for the future of our club.”

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    Fulham join Everton in transfer race for Barcelona star Jean-Clair Todibo as Koeman looks to make room for Eric Garcia

    FULHAM have entered the race for Barcelona centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, according to reports.
    Todibo, 20, has also been linked with a move to Everton before the transfer window closes on October 5.

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    Fulham have joined Everton in the race to sign Barcelona defender Jean-Clair TodiboCredit: Getty – Contributor

    But transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports Fulham could have stolen lead on the Toffees by offering to buy the young Frenchman from cash-strapped Barcelona.
    So far Everton have only offered the Catalan giants a loan deal with an option to buy Todibo for £16million at the end of the season.
    Barca are hoping to sell the versatile defender this summer to fund a move for Manchester City’s Eric Garcia.
    The 19-year-old has just one year left on his current deal at the Etihad and the Blaugrana are hoping to capitalise on the situation with a cut-price offer.

    Todibo joined Barcelona in January 2019 and spent the second half of last season on loan at Schalke, making ten appearances in total for David Wagner’s side.
    With Barcelona keen to push through a permanent exit for the former Toulouse man, a move to Craven Cottage may just need the go-ahead from Todibo himself.
    Fulham are also waiting to confirm the arrival of Brazilian centre-back Marlon from Italian side Sassuolo, who also spent time on Barcelona’s books.
    Though they maintain an interest in Todibo, Everton are prioritising a move for Chelsea centre-back Fikayo Tomori.

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    Injuries have left Everton with only two senior options at centre-back in Yerry Mina and Michael Keane, and Carlo Ancelotti is desperate to add to his ranks before the end of the window.
    Tomori, 22, looked to be heading out on loan this summer but doubts over Antonio Rudiger’s future at the club have led to a rethink.
    Rudiger was left out of the Blues’ matchday squad for their 2-0 loss to Liverpool last weekend, as well as their Carabao Cup win over Barnsley in midweek.
    And he was missing again for the trip to West Brom on Saturday night.

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    Everton wanted £80m for Man Utd target Dominic Calvert-Lewin BEFORE his hat-trick heroics

    EVERTON slapped an £80million price tag on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
    And that was BEFORE he became the youngest English ace to score a hat-trick for the club in Saturday’s 5-2 win over West Brom.

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    Dominic Calvert-Lewin bagged a hat-trick against West BromCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    It is also why Manchester United backed off in their pursuit of the striker, 23.
    SunSport revealed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer targeted Calvert-Lewin in this summer’s window.
    But when United made an inquiry about the player, who cost only £1.5m from Sheffield United four years ago, they were stunned by the Goodison valuation.
    It will also make Chelsea and Manchester City think twice about swooping.

    Calvert-Lewin is tipped to be included in England boss Gareth Southgate’s squad for next month’s triple-header with Wales, Belgium and Denmark.
    The first treble of his career means he has scored 12 goals in the 23 games since Carlo Ancelotti took over Everton last December.
    After the game, delighted Calvert-Lewis said: “The manager is on me every day about one-touch finishes and being in the box – being in the right areas to put the ball in the back of the net.
    “It’s nice to know what I’m working on in training is coming off on the pitch.

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    Carlo Ancelotti backed Calvert-Lewin to reach the topCredit: EPA

    “That’s the biggest reward – my first hat-trick in professional football and in the end a good team performance.”
    At the time Ancelotti said: “I think he is going to be at the top in England and in Europe.”
    Calvert-Lewin was given a new five-year deal in March.

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    Juventus ‘contact Everton over Moise Kean loan transfer return’ but Toffees only want to sell 20-year-old forward

    JUVENTUS are reportedly interested in bringing Moise Kean back to Turin after a disappointing spell at Everton.
    The Toffees paid £25million to sign the striker last year, but his first season in England did not go to plan.

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    Moise Kean scored in Everton’s midweek win over Salford in the Carabao CupCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    According to Goal, the Serie A champions are chasing a loan deal for Kean, 20.
    However, Everton are said to prefer an outright sale and will demand an obligation to buy if he leaves on loan.
    Carlo Ancelotti has asserted that the Italian will be a first-team player for Everton this season.

    After only scoring twice in 2019/20, Kean netted in his side’s beating of Salford in the week having come off the bench against Tottenham.
    And Ancelotti believes the youngster will compete with Dominic Calvert-Lewin for his lone striker role.
    The Everton boss, 61, told reporters: “I know that for a striker it’s important to score. Not for me, it’s important to have a good performance.
    “I think he played a good game, he was involved in a lot of offensive situations, he scored the penalty. But I don’t know how he felt after the penalty.

    “Honestly he had a good performance in my opinion, he could have scored before.

    “But Moise Kean is a player that we count for the season, this is for sure. As central strikers we have Dominic who’s doing well, and we have him.”
    Juventus are undergoing something of a squad revamp this summer, flogging aging stars Blaise Matuidi, Miralem Pjanic and Gonzalo Higuain.
    Edin Dzeko is set to arrive from Roma in the coming days to provide a foil to Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala.
    Piedmont-born Kean joined the Old Lady at the age of ten and became the club’s youngest-ever debutant in November 2016.
    Despite netting six consecutive goals for club and country in the spring of last year, he was allowed to leave for the Premier League.

    The move was quickly criticised by Kean’s father, who felt he was too young to leave Italy.
    Biorou Jean told Centro Suono Sport last year: “Sending my son to England was a mistake, because he’s still too young.
    “He’s not feeling good at Everton, I didn’t like this transfer.
    “I hope he can come back to Italy as soon as possible, I hope he goes to Rome, but the important thing is that he comes back here.”

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    James Rodriguez has one of ‘best left feet ever’ and Everton move under Ancelotti is perfect fit, claims Berbatov

    JAMES RODRIGUEZ has one of the best left feet EVER — and that comes from a man who was team-mates with Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale.
    Dimitar Berbatov played with the new Everton star at Monaco in 2014 and saw first-hand the Colombian at the peak of his powers.

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    James Rodriguez has signed for Everton to again link up with Carlo AncelottiCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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    Dimitar Berbatov and James Rodriguez were team-mates at MonacoCredit: AFP – Getty

    The ex-Manchester United striker was stunned by Rodriguez’s ability during their six months together at the French giants.
    His scintillating form saw him earn a £63million switch to Real Madrid after a stunning World Cup where he won the Golden Boot.
    Six years on and Rodriguez’s once feared reputation has diminished. But Berba believes his move to Everton — who finished last season in 12th — could rekindle a fizzling career because of his relationship with Carlo Ancelotti.

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    Berbatov lauded Rodriguez’s left-footCredit: Getty – Contributor
    Former Tottenham ace Berbatov said: “His left foot is magic, one of the best left feet ever, honestly.
    “I wasn’t surprised he went to Everton. Sometimes you need to take one step back to step forward.
    “He didn’t play much at Real Madrid and he now needs a place to go where he will know that he is going to be a starter.
    “It can bring his confidence back. It was the same situation that I was in, in my last year with United.

    “I didn’t play as much as I wanted, so I wanted to go somewhere else, to Fulham with Martin Jol.

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    Colombian Rodriguez burst onto the scene thanks to a thunderbolt in the 2014 World Cup against UruguayCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    “I knew the team were going to start me. I needed to bring my confidence back.
    “He’s going to Ancelotti and he worked with him at another three clubs. They have a connection. For him that will hopefully will be a great move.
    “The moment you know the manager is going to trust you, it doesn’t matter if you make a mistake.
    “You’re going to bring everything you have and you’re going to succeed.”
    Rodriguez, 29, was touted as one of the best players in the world after his six-goal heroics in Brazil.
    And Berbatov, a Betfair Ambassador, reckons a £22m move to Everton can help bring back the confidence that made him a global superstar.

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    Rodriguez worked with Ancelotti at Real MadridCredit: AFP

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    Ancelotti (left) brought Rodriguez to Bayern MunichCredit: Splash News
    He added: “Players are always going to have that confidence but if you don’t play for so long, you start questioning yourself. ‘Am I good enough? Why am I not playing?’.
    “This can be a really bad thing for you. The more you step on to the pitch again, the more you start playing better.
    “I would like to see him get back to his World Cup form but let’s not forget football is not an individual sport. He’s got another ten players on the pitch with him — every player depends on the players around them.
    “He has that magic left foot that he can be the difference when the team needs him. He is coming from a different league and hopefully he can find it easy to adjust.
    “The Premier League is demanding but when you know that you have the complete trust of the manager, you’re going to be free to play.
    “I think he has got the attributes to flourish in the league but it might take him one, two, three games to get used to the rhythm.
    “I think that he can be OK. I’m going to enjoy how he plays.”

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    Berbatov has also revealed his love for Amazon’s new Tottenham documentary — and wants United to follow suit.
    He added: “United have to do one, for sure. They need to have a deal like this sooner or later — it would be great for people to watch.
    “For fans of when I was there, to watch Ronaldo, Rooney, Giggsy, Scholes training and talking with each other, the winning and losing . . . That’s great TV.
    “And in Leverkusen, when we lost the three finals, it would be great TV.
    “We had crisis meetings, fighting, good times, bad times, losing the three finals . . . that would be great TV to watch for the drama.”
    For more from Betfair Ambassador Dimitar Berbatov, head to www.betfair.com/berbatov

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