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Everton could have put any and all transfer interest in Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha in the rear-view mirror, but the Goodison Park natives will now be rueing their failure to sign Fiorentina’s dynamic dribbler Gaetano Castrovilli this summer.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Gazzetta dello Sport, Castrovilli has revealed that he is now eying a new contract with his Serie A side that he hopes will run until 2025 after catching the attention of several European clubs this summer.

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti was said to have been one of the many admirers to have coveted the midfielder’s acquisition in the transfer market, per Calciomercato, but was informed along with Inter Milan, Juventus and unnamed Bundesliga outfits that he had been deemed unsellable following a three-goal, two-assist campaign in the Italian top-flight.

Fiorentina’s opposition to a deal eased somewhat as the window progressed with FC Inter News later claiming Castrovilli could fetch between €40m (£36m) and €50million (£45.1m), with RB Leipzig, SSC Napoli and Tottenham Hotspur now sniffing around the creator whom Inter were very hot to.

But no deal was ever made and Castrovilli clearly has no ill-feeling to the failure, having now stated that he wishes to impress his manager Giuseppe Iachini and take Fiorentina into Europe.

“My dream is to play in Europe with Fiorentina,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “It’s nice that the top clubs have shown appreciation, but I only think of the Viola.

“Can I renew [my contract] until 2025? I’d like to. I’m fine in Florence, Fiorentina is like a family for me, so if the opportunity arises, I would certainly be happy [to stay].”

Forget Zaha

Everton could have forgotten all about their long-standing interest in Crystal Palace forward Zaha had Director of Football Marcel Brands orchestrated a deal to bring Castrovilli to the Premier League this summer.

The Toffees were touted to renew their efforts to sign Zaha by The Mirror in July following two failed bids in 2019, with Ancelotti backed as a big admirer of the Ivorian speedster whom Marco Silva refused to pay the Eagles’ £100m asking price for last year.

Blues hero Louis Saha continued to laud the potential of Zaha at Goodison Park in August, telling the Football Index podcast via The Express: “Zaha is a player who is capable of playing everywhere, he’s such a good player.

“If you want to improve your game, the foundations are there at Everton for you to achieve this. When I joined Everton, I found players and staff around me who had a desire to win trophies and improve the club’s infrastructure. Zaha would feel the same way if he joined Everton.”

Castrovilli would have been the better purchase, though, and Brands will be rueing not being able to add the 23-year-old to Ancelotti’s squad after he began the 2020/21 season with four goals and one assist in five Serie A appearances.

The 6-foot midfielder is also averaging 4.4 ground duels won (47%), 0.4 accurate crosses (100%), 1.6 shots, 0.6 key balls, 2.0 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 0.8 clearances a match in the Italian top-flight, per SofaScore, showing the level of skill he could have brought to Goodison Park.

His efforts in the centre of the pitch also led Football Whispers to laud his dynamic ability last season, having attempted an average of 4.48 take-ons per 90, of which he completed 3.38. Only four players in the Serie A were more successful than the one-time Italy international, who ranked tenth for attempts.

Now, Everton will likely watch on as Castrovilli takes his game to another level in years to come, knowing they missed an absolute gem in the 23-year-old midfielder who makes the left-hand side of the pitch his playground.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands can repeat his summer masterclass by landing an Everton-linked £76k-p/w powerhouse.

Shane Duffy hasn’t been living up to expectations since he joined Celtic during the summer window. Despite contributing two goals and one assist, his defensive performances haven’t been up to scratch, particularly of late.

According to Sofascore, his last five appearances for the Hoops have been below the 6.6 rating mark, which is very disappointing for a player of Duffy’s calibre. His most recent display for the Republic of Ireland also left a lot to be desired, shipping three goals to international rivals England.

It’s fair to say that his chances of securing a permanent deal with Celtic are slim after his recent performances. Unlike fellow loanee Mohamed Elyounoussi, who the club will surely be bending over backwards to sign.

Duffy has disappointed Bielsa

Duffy was particularly lacklustre against Sparta Prague, a match the Bhoys lost 4-1 on home soil. The centre-back lost possession 13 times and was dribbled past once, he also failed to complete seven of his 11 attempted long balls (via Sofascore). This was seemingly the reason behind Lennon’s decision to drop the 28-year-old in their most recent match against Motherwell.

Curiously, Celtic went on to deliver a convincing 4-1 win over their Premiership opposition, banking a much-needed three points as they chase down Rangers.

The Hoops released long-time serving centre-back Jozo Simunovic over the summer, which is a decision that fans didn’t take lightly. Many are wishing they still had the Croatia international in the ranks as opposed to signing Duffy on loan. Having lost the fans and seemingly the manager’s faith, the Brighton man is making a right mess of his chance with Celtic.

The £40,000 per week disappointment is now starting to make Nick Hammond’s decision to release Simunovic look foolish, as it looks like they will be back in the market for yet another centre-back once Duffy returns to the Premier League.

In other news, Celtic must not shy away from Southampton asking price for Moi Elyounoussi…

What on earth has happened to Celtic?

Over the last decade, they have been the dominant force in Scottish football. They have swept teams away with ease and battered their rivals Rangers.

Yet, in 2020/21, nothing has gone according to plan.

Neil Lennon’s side have won just two of their last ten outings and after an embarrassing defeat to Ross County, he is now feeling the pressure more than ever.

Therefore, a game against Italian giants AC Milan has come at exactly the wrong time for the Hoops.

Celtic face them in the Europa League on Thursday night, a competition they’ve already been knocked out of. Though, who can we expect to play?

Well, we’re tipping three changes to be made.

In goal, we think that Vasilis Barkas will continue ahead of Scott Bain despite shipping two in the cup last weekend.

Lennon decided to switch things up and with a 3-5-2 formation, something we reckon he’ll continue to test versus Milan.

That means that Diego Laxalt and Jeremie Frimpong will play as the wing-backs. Frimpong missed out through suspension against Ross County but because of his athletic qualities, we think he’ll come back into the side.

Shane Duffy and Christopher Jullien are doubts so the defence comprises of Kristoffer Ajer, Nir Bitton and Hatem Elhamed.

The biggest change is no Scott Brown. At the age of 35 and in poor form, he could probably do with a rest in the middle of the park. Thus, a dynamic triumvirate will operate in those areas. Olivier Ntcham has the capabilities to act as the box-to-box midfielder so they shouldn’t lose any defensive attributes by leaving Brown on the bench.

A final change is up front where we’re suggesting that Patryk Klimala partners Odsonne Edouard in the attack.

Albian Ajeti extended his run without a goal to nine games last weekend so should have to settle for a place among the substitutes. Klimala deserves his chance.

In other news, Celtic missed the chance to sign their next Arzani…

Wolves have had a topsy-turvy few weeks heading into the festive period and now just require a sense of stability.

However, with yet another transfer window on the horizon, that could be anything but the case.

What’s the word?

Nuno Santo’s men are switching formations at the moment and experiencing mixed results.

They drew with Southampton and beat Arsenal with a four-man backline, but then lost to Liverpool and Aston Villa.

Though, after moving back to a three-man defence, they beat Chelsea 2-1. What they could do with now is potentially a few more bodies to enable that four-man defence to thrive.

One player they were linked with towards the back end of November was Jorge Mendes client Renato Sanches.

The 23-year-old who currently plays for Lille was catching the eye of Wolves and now they’ve been handed a boost in their pursuit of the Portuguese.

That’s because according to Get French Football News, his club are in dire straits financially with debts racking up close to €200m (£179.7).

Thus, the report suggests that the idea of Sanches leaving Lille has not been excluded. An English club supposedly bid €70m (£62.9m) for his services last summer.

According to Transfermarkt, the midfielder is rated at just £18m at the moment.

A phenomenal player

Sanches had a terrible stint on loan at Swansea in the Premier League during the 2017/18 season. He started nine times and failed to contribute to a single goal.

However, his football has come on leaps and bounds since, especially in the last two years.

After signing for Lille, he has been supremely effective in a box-to-box midfield role, contributing to four goals in 19 appearances last term. This season he has scored only once, but his overall game has been excellent.

Described as someone with “the strength of a WWE heavyweight” by the Bundesliga website, he possesses qualities to his game that few in Wolves’ midfield have.

For instance, he’d bring a greater ball carrying ability to the middle of the park. He has amassed 2.1 dribbles per game in Ligue 1, a tally that usurps Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Leander Dendoncker.

The first two players have only achieved dribble rates of 0.2 and 0.1 respectively this season – he would clearly be a superb signing if they can secure him for a reasonable price.

Sanches is the real deal.

In other news, Move over Moutinho: Wolves artist with 94 touches will have left Nuno jumping for joy…

After arriving in a big-money deal in the summer transfer window, it’s safe to say Bertrand Traore has had a mixed start to life at Aston Villa.

The Burkina Faso international failed to score in the Premier League until earlier this month, but it was no surprise that following his haul of two goals and one assist in his last two games, that Dean Smith opted to start him from the off away at Chelsea.

And whilst Villa secured an impressive 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, it was no thanks to Traore, who played a huge role in Chelsea’s opener, and then offered little of note going forward.

The winger looked all at sea at having to track back with Chelsea’s full-back, and it was no surprise that the Blues scored from his side, when Ben Chilwell’s pin-point cross was headed home by Olivier Giroud.

And writing for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece gave Traore the lowest match rating for any Villa player on the night, explaining: “Couldn’t handle Ben Chilwell at all. The England left-back really fancied his chances to get forward and did so at will, crossing into the box relentlessly which was the source of Chelsea’s first goal.

“Traore was lackadaisical defensively and left Cash fighting a two-man battle on his own knowing he already had Pulisic to content with.”

As per Sofascore, he lost possession a mammoth 18 times over the course of the game, before eventually being replaced by Keinan Davis in the closing stages of the contest.

He also managed just 15 total passes, whilst none of his three attempted crosses found their mark either. With Trezeguet waiting in the wings, and the likes of Ross Barkley and Jacob Ramsey ready to stake their claims for a starting spot, Smith surely can’t be having performances like the one Traore put in on Monday.

It may be a touch ruthless, but the Villa must may need to consider dropping Traore against Manchester United.

It’s now been close to a year since Stewart Donald first claimed he’d look to sell Sunderland but we’re not really any closer to reaching a conclusion.

It was reported last month that the Oxford-born businessman had agreed a deal with Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus but evidently, it’s not been wrapped up yet.

Another interested party is Rich Energy CEO, William Storey.

The former Haas F1 investor has been very outspoken about his desires to buy the football club and after a long-winded interview with The Chronicle, it appears as though he’s already got plans in place for what he’d do at the Stadium of Light.

You have to credit it him because it genuinely looks as though he’s got Sunderland’s best interests at heart. However, all of his words and planning could be thrown out the window if it’s Dreyfus who ends up with the keys to the Stadium of Light.

One strategy Storey wants to implement if he walks through the door is something that falls into recruitment. He admitted last weekend that he wants to bring as many as five players currently at Premier League clubs to the north-east.

Of course, they won’t be established individuals but instead players under the age of 23 that reside in academy sides. Now, this may not sound like the smartest of ideas on paper given their relative inexperience but when it comes to the financial side of things, it’s incredibly cunning.

Sunderland are currently restricted by the EFL’s new salary cap – something the club voted against before it was introduced – and thus, they won’t be able to do too much in the January window.

However, as Storey concludes, these younger players are on smaller wages and would be easier to bring to the Mackems.

If Sunderland aren’t going to sell Aiden McGeady – someone on £31k-per-week – they will need all the financial help they can get. Of course, Storey would bring new investment with him but that’s not going to stop the club from crossing the line in terms of the salary restrictions.

The Black Cats may need to get rid of a few players but it is evident Storey knows the context of the club and how they can get around it.

“Academy players are on much lower money, that’s number one. The average Academy player in the Premier League wouldn’t be breaking the salary cap,” he stated.

It’s very shrewd and Sunderland could well give themselves a giant push towards promotion if they implement this successfully.

AND in other news, Sunderland can find another Semenyo if they swoop for gem with “lots of pace”…

Manchester United have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Dayot Upamecano after RB Leipzig chief Oliver Mintzlaff paved the way for a potential move to Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

Upamecano finds himself on the Red Devils’ radar as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seeks to bolster his options at the back.

Mintzlaff told Bild: “We have a squad that is very broad in terms of quality.

“So we will sell top performers again if it makes financial sense and we can cope with it from a sporting point of view.

“When I think of Werner, [Matheus] Cunha, [Naby] Keita or [Diego] Demme, we’ve already made a lot of money and still made progress in terms of the sporting side.

“Overall, we have invested a lot in our team, no question about that. But look: the current squad had a market value of less than €250 million when the individual players made their debut.”

However, it’s unlikely Upamencano will be sold in January as Leipzig are currently embroiled in a Bundesliga battle with defending champions Bayern Munich, but a summer exit could be on the cards instead. Bringing in the youngster could mean an Old Trafford exit for either Victor Lindelof or Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

Spells trouble for Victor Lindelof

It’s fair to say that United have suffered their fair share of defensive meltdowns this season which will have, no doubt, caused Solskjaer a few sleepless nights. Lindelof has been dropped in favour of the injury-prone Eric Bailly after some questionable performances and United haven’t kept a clean sheet in the league since the 1-0 win at home to Wolves.

Speaking after the 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, Rio Ferdinand was effusive in his praise for Upamecano, telling BT Sport as per The Independent: “Upamecano was the best player tonight, he was formidable on the pitch.

“But they were all defending for their lives.

“They matched up with Atletico. You need heart and desire and they all showed that especially late on in the game.”

His fellow pundit Jermain Jenas joined in, adding that there was “no point” in Atletico striker Diego Costa being on the pitch as Upamecano largely dominated proceedings from start to finish.

“It looks so easy to him the game. He looks like he is playing with his mates and that’s when you know you’ve got a good player.”

Last season, Solskjaer’s side enjoyed their first top four finish since the 2017-18 season but shipped more goals (36) than Premier League rivals Manchester City and Liverpool with Lindelof in the back four.

They have already conceded 24 goals this season so far as their defensive struggles have continued despite only being halfway through the campaign.

The 22-year-old centre-back has been a colossal at the back for Leipzig, scoring one goal in 14 top-flight appearances, whilst he is averaging 1.1 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 2.2 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

With just over two years left to run on his current contract and valued at £54m via Transfermarkt, Ed Woodward could land an absolute gem with an eye for the future by bringing Upamecano to Old Trafford in the summer.

There’s no doubt United will continue to keep a close eye on his contract situation over the course of the January transfer window.

AND in other news, Man Utd’s Jesse Lingard produced one of his worst performances in the FA Cup…

Speaking to the press (via football.london) before his side’s trip to Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has refused to rule out a first team comeback for big name summer signing Gareth Bale – dropping the teasing two-word hint ‘let’s wait’ as murmurs grow over his lack of playing time. 

Bale is currently at the forefront of heavy debate, with the Welshman barely being utilised by Mourinho and Spurs since his return from a small injury picked up against Stoke City in the Carabao Cup.

Jose refuses to rule out Bale comeback

Reports were especially intensified in mid-week, as Mourinho snubbed the inclusion of Bale off the bench against Fulham and instead opted for the likes of Erik Lamela and Carlos Vinicius.

This comes amid reports Spurs could opt not to extend his loan deal and send him back to Madrid, with calls from the media urging Mourinho to at least play the 31-year-old and give him a chance to rediscover his best form.

In a two-word hint, he refused to rule out the possibility of him featuring against Sheffield United in a first team comeback for Spurs – simply stating ‘let’s wait’ when asked if Bale would be handed a chance tomorrow or more over the coming weeks.

Transfer Tavern take

Time will tell whether Bale does get given the opportunity by Mourinho, but if no first team comeback beckons, more questions will be asked about his future.

In other news: This Sky Sports pundit has been wowed by a ‘shining light for Spurs’, find out more here.

According to The Sun, former Glasgow Rangers wonderkid Billy Gilmour could leave Chelsea on loan in the January transfer window, and the Ibrox giants should swoop in having been linked with him by The Scottish Sun last month.

What’s the word?

Speaking to reporters at the time, the then-Blues boss Frank Lampard said on Sunday: “At the moment, he won’t go on loan but we will keep it open until the end of the month.”

However, as we all know by now, a lot can change between now and the end of the transfer window, as Lampard has subsequently been sacked by Chelsea and looks set to be replaced by Thomas Tuchel.

Ross Wilson could in fact capitalise on the situation to sign Gilmour on a temporary basis before the transfer market closes this week for the rest of the season as Rangers may look to use Lampard’s sacking to their advantage.

Better than Bongani Zungu?

Bongani Zungu’s struggles at Rangers look set to continue after the Bafana-Bafana midfielder made yet another substitute appearance under Steven Gerrard against Ross County; this being his tenth of the season so far.

Despite his age, it’s fair to say that Gilmour would be an immediate upgrade on Zungu, who has struggled to make much of an impact at Ibrox – since his arrival last year, the 28-year-old is barely averaging 0.1 tackles per game, via WhoScored. For context, the teenager is currently averaging more tackles (at least one) per match in the Premier League and commits fewer fouls than Zungu.

The comparisons don’t stop there, either, as he has made more attacking contributions as well, averaging at least one shot and one key pass per game in the Champions League as well as successfully completing at least one dribble per match.

Lampard was effusive in his praise for his former charge, even going so far as to dub him “outstanding” for his impressive display against Luton in the FA Cup in his last game in charge of the club at Stamford Bridge.

Gerrard arguably needs another backup option for the seasoned veteran Steven Davis and Gilmour’s youthful exuberance could be a fine fit for the 54-time Scottish champions.

Snapping up a player of his untapped potential to play second-fiddle to Davis would be a shrewd bit of business by the board. Whether or not they will be able to complete a deal before the transfer window shuts its doors at the end of the week is another matter altogether.

AND in other news, Rangers made right decision sending Glenn Middleton out on loan…

The Athletic’s Derby County correspondent Ryan Conway participated in a discussion thread with Derby fans ahead of the Rams’ Championship clash with Rotherham United on Wednesday evening.

In this thread, the journalist was asked about the latest news concerning Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan’s ongoing takeover attempt.

The Derby County takeover saga

This takeover received the EFL’s approval in November and two expected dates of completion for the deal have been muted, one in December and one in January, both of which have passed without the deal getting done.

Complications surrounding the takeover resulted in the Rams failing to pay some players’ wages for December on time, which in turn led to Derby being handed a transfer embargo for a portion of the January window.

Conway’s claim on the latest Rams takeover news

In response to this Rams fan who asked him for takeover news, Conway declared that: “It speaks volumes that nobody even bothered to ask about it in the last presser. I think even the journalists are starting to all believe it won’t happen now and think it’s a waste of time asking. The same answers get repeated.”

He went on to explain, with how long the deal has been dragging on for, that if there were a positive update, the club would make it known.

Transfer Tavern take

So, it may be fair to say that the journalist’s takeover comments certainly aren’t promising about the possibility that this deal will actually get over the line.

Perhaps that’s not a massive surprise, given that the takeover has failed to meet its expected date of completion twice and Sheikh Khaled has led failed takeover attempts of clubs like Liverpool and Newcastle United in the past.

The longer this deal drags on, as Conway indicated, the more likely it looks that Derby will join those two Premier League clubs as English sides who this Abu Dhabi royal family member has failed to take over.

In other news, many Derby fans were fuming over Duane Holmes’ departure.