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Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements this summer following a troubling Premier League campaign and now reports are emerging that the club could be set to reunite with a former star.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in James Rodriguez?

According to journalist Christian Martin, Everton are one of the clubs interested in securing the services of former Olympiacos attacker James Rodriguez, who is currently a free agent.

Whilst speaking on the El Futbolero Youtube channel, Martin claimed:

"The English clubs have the money, the greats of Scotland too. No one would be deprived of at least evaluating the possibility of repatriating James to the UK. From our sources, the inquiries have been, through intermediaries, by Crystal Palace, by Bournemouth, by Everton itself."

Will Everton reunite with James Rodriguez?

There is no doubt that big changes need to be made at Goodison Park ahead of next season, especially if they do manage to retain their Premier League status over their remaining fixtures.

Sean Dyche will surely be keen to strengthen many areas of the squad but could be restricted to a tight budget due to financial concerns surrounding the club at present, which could put limitations on how the manager executes his business during the summer transfer window.

It is fair to say that Everton have had no qualms about reuniting with players of the past and Idrissa Gana Gueye has been the latest to return to the blue side of Merseyside in a move from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

Now Dyche could spark another reunion at Goodison with a swoop for Rodriguez, a player who never really hit the ground running in his first stint but could now be given a second chance.

The 31-year-old – once hailed a "joy to watch" by talkSPORT's Adrian Durham – was shown the door during Rafa Benitez's tenure when a move to the Middle East was sanctioned in 2021 and, despite his struggles, Everton haven't been better off for it with consecutive relegation battles following his exit.

Rodriguez joined Olympiacos in the summer of 2022 and, over 20 league appearances this season, tallied up five goals, registered six assists, created five big chances and successfully completed 80% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 2.1 shots on goal, two key passes and 64.9 touches per game, proving that he is still a huge attacking threat.

One of Everton's biggest issues has been their inability to score goals, lacking both creativity and big chances in front of goal, which has heavily contributed to their struggle to comfortably compete in the Premier League.

However, the "magic" Rodriguez – as dubbed by sports writer Paul Brown – could potentially improve their fortunes should he return this summer.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if the Everton hierarchy takes a chance on the 90-cap Colombia international, as the opportunity to snap up his services for free will be hard to ignore amidst their financial worries.

Bayern Munich want Chelsea to make an offer for Sadio Mane this summer, according to an update from reliable journalist Christian Falk.

Could Mane leave Bayern this summer?

The Senegalese opted to leave Liverpool at the end of last season, enjoying a fresh challenge at Bayern while he was still in the peak years of his career. His time in Germany has not gone to play so far, however, with a combination of injuries, patchy form and disciplinary matters holding him back.

Mane had been limited to 17 starts in the Bundesliga (before their match against Werder Bremen yesterday) and his tally of over 12 goals in over 30 appearances, in all competitions, is a solid but unspectacular return. The 31-year-old was also suspended and fined recently after a clash with teammate Leroy Sane, and manager Thomas Tuchel could potentially be happy to offload him at the end of the season.

That's certainly looking increasingly likely at the moment and Chelsea are one of the clubs who have been linked with snapping him up this summer, as the Blues look for attacking reinforcements.

Are Chelsea going to bid for Mane?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Falk claimed that while there is no strong interest in Mane yet, Bayern are eyeing an offer from Chelsea for his services:

"After his issue with Leroy Sané, Mané now has problems with his team-mates, and furthermore, his level of performance has disappointed Thomas Tuchel.

"Bayern are hoping for an offer from Chelsea – offers from Premier League clubs are welcome in Munich – but there are no seriously interested parties at this stage. Any potential interest from Newcastle doesn’t appeal to Mane either."

There is no doubting Mane's pedigree as a footballer, considering he won the Champions League and Premier League at Liverpool, among numerous other trophies, and has been hailed as "world-class" by Jurgen Klopp in the past. That being said, he doesn't quite look like the force he once was, which is only natural at 31, so Chelsea would be wise to look at bringing in a younger alternative instead, such as Victor Osimhen or Lautaro Martinez.

If the Blues did snap up the £306,000-a-week Senegal legend, he could still have a big impact, having scored 111 goals and registered 47 assists in the Premier League, but there is the threat that they spend big on a player who isn't the absolutely elite footballer he used to be during his Liverpool days, when he was so devastating alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

It looks set to be a summer of change for Manchester United with manager Erik ten Hag seemingly plotting to move on a host of first-team assets ahead of next season, in order for the Dutchman to continue his squad rebuild at Old Trafford.

One man who appears to be a certainty to move on to pastures new is long-serving dud, Phil Jones, with the former Blackburn Rovers man – who arrived in Manchester on a £16m deal back in 2011 – having just a matter of months remaining on his existing deal at the club.

As The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell revealed earlier this week, the former England international is yet to complete a full training session since the former Ajax boss arrived at the club, having been so "unfortunate" with injuries in recent years.

The 31-year-old has not been included in United's Premier League squad and is not set to be handed a look in any time soon, despite the loss of both Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane to their own injury woes of late.

The £75k-per-week man's slide down the pecking order was laid bare during the club's Carabao Cup final triumph back in February, with the experienced asset having been part of Sky Sports' pre-match coverage, rather than earning a place in the matchday squad.

That fall from grace represents a real decline for a player who was once tipped to be the Red Devils' "best ever player" by Sir Alex Ferguson, with it somewhat bizarre that the peripheral figure has not been moved on even sooner, having made just six league appearances since the start of the 2019/20 campaign.

While by his own admission, the 27-cap brute has endured a "tough time" of it of late, Jones can still look back fondly on his positive start to life at the club, having notably played his part in United's most recent title success, back in 2013.

That winner's medal is something which teammate Harry Maguire – who has also been tipped for a departure this summer – is unlikely to get his hands on any time soon.

Is Maguire worse than Jones?

It could well be said that it would be Jones who could leave the club with a greater legacy as a result of his part in that title triumph, having made 17 league appearances in the 2012/13 campaign.

Maguire, by contrast, only swooped his first piece of silverware as a result of the League Cup success earlier this season, albeit while only featuring off the bench in the showpiece victory against Newcastle United.

Although the 30-year-old still has time to add to his tally with Ten Hag's men still in the FA Cup and League Cup, supporters would no doubt have been expecting more from the England international following his £80m arrival from Leicester City just under four years ago.

Not that the Sheffield native is to blame for that price tag – nor is Jones to blame for being handed a new long-term deal in 2019 – although such a high-profile signing would have been expected to lead a side toward a title charge.

Equally, while with the case of Jones – who was branded a "very good player" by former boss Jose Mourinho – the struggling dud has largely been impacted by his injury woes, it is Maguire's on-field performances that have drawn notable criticism, having been described as "woeful" by pundit Lianne Sanderson earlier in the campaign.

Club legend Rio Ferdinand also suggested that the former Foxes man should feel "embarrassed" after arguably being outshone by Jones when the injury-prone defender made a rare outing against Wolverhampton Wanderers last season in his place, with the latter man having impressed despite his lack of action prior to that defeat at Old Trafford.

As Ferdinand noted, supporters were notably "singing his name" when the Preston-born rock left the field following that 1-0 loss, with there perhaps a sense of sympathy toward Jones for the repeated injury woes that he has had to endure, having "kept trying" to get fit – as per Whitwell.

As Ferguson's ultimately failed prediction showcased, the ageing talent was at one stage a hugely bright prospect at Old Trafford, with repeated setbacks having ensured that the 5 foot 11 man never managed to reach that early potential.

In the case of Maguire, supporters are likely to be less forgiving of a player who is captain of the club and who remains the most expensive defender of all time.

Of course, neither man can be deemed a successful signing, in truth, although Jones' title glory will ensure he leaves behind a legacy that it looks as if Maguire will be unable to match, particularly should the £190k-per-week skipper follow his compatriot out the door this summer.

Liverpool are in desperate need of reinforcements in midfield this summer and now a reliable source has revealed a new update on a potential transfer target this summer.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Nicolo Barella?

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool have short-listed several midfielders with Inter Milan ace Nicolo Barella named.

Plettenberg tweeted: "News LFC: Still on the shortlist and being discussed with Klopp confirmed: Rice, Caicedo, Barella, Gravenberch and Nunes.

"Klopp 100% involved in the decision not to buy Bellingham. Decision was taken with the owners."

Will Liverpool sign Nicolo Barella?

There is no doubt that the recent reports claiming Liverpool are no longer interested in Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Bellingham will be a huge blow for the Anfield faithful after months of mounting speculation surrounding the player's potential move to Merseyside.

However, when considering the £130m fee attached to the England midfielder and the multiple issues Liverpool have faced this season, it makes sense that the powerbrokers at Anfield are keen to secure the services of multiple players to significantly improve the performances instead of putting all of their eggs in one basket.

Indeed, there are not many young prospects in the world more exciting than Bellingham, however, the signing of Barella could provide Klopp with a midfielder who has a wealth of experience in a similar role and a player he is already a huge fan of.

Ahead of Liverpool's clash with Inter Milan in the Champions League last season, the German coach took to his press conference to lavish praise on a player who could cost £65m:

"He's a really good player, a really good player and I like him a lot. He has all the things you want from a midfield player: he is aggressive, he is technical, he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. That's a top-class player."

When comparing Bellingham's output to the 25-year-old Italian this season so far, Barella has outperformed his positional peer in several attributes, most notably goals and assists (11 v 8) and shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (4.12 v 4.07).

Interestingly, the Italian has received more progressive passes (143 v 113), as well as possessing a better take-on success rate (62.7% v 55.1%), proving that he is a complete midfielder who can both win possession and consistently impact the attacking threat.

Simply, Barella can be a huge game-changer from the centre of the pitch, which he proved again last night in Inter's Champions League clash with Benfica, scoring the opening goal to give his team the lead in their two-leg challenge to win a spot in the semi-final of the prestigious European competition.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Barella has the quality to significantly improve the midfield at Anfield, however, it would take something special for Liverpool to snap up his services should they fail to qualify for Champions League football next season.

Rangers are reportedly confident that they could pip a number of Premier League clubs to the signing of Burnley youngster Jack McEvilly.

How good is McEvilly?

The Gers will hopefully embark on a busy summer transfer window later this year, as they look to make significant reinforcements in the market. Once again, they look set to fall short in the Scottish Premiership title race and more quality is ultimately required, in order to close the gap on Celtic.

One player who has been linked with a move to Ibrox is McEvilly, who is making a name for himself at Burnley, standing out as one of their most exciting youth team products. The centre-back is even touted as one of the best young players in his position in England, with many clubs likely to eye up a move for him at the end of the season.

It doesn't look as though Rangers' interest is going away any time soon, following a fresh update, as they look to seal the signing of the 16-year-old.

Could teenager join Rangers?

According to Football Insider, the Gers are "confident they have an advantage over Premier League clubs" in the battle to acquire McEvilly's signature. They and Celtic are both thought to have "registered their interest in a potential deal this summer" and they have an advantage because "Scottish clubs only have to pay a maximum £300,000 compensation for out-of-contract players."

In comparison, Premier League teams could have to spend millions on someone like McEvilly, due to there being "no cap on development costs and what they have to pay."

Newcastle, Manchester United, Everton, Crystal Palace and Brighton are all mentioned as potential suitors in the report, but it looks as though the talented Burnley defender could be Ibrox-bound.

While McEvilly clearly wouldn't come in as a key first-team signing by Michael Beale, it is essential that Rangers continue to plan for the future and don't simply focus on the here and now. They need to be in a position where they are a force for many years to come and the centre-back could be exactly what they are looking for, in that respect.

He could come in as a youth team player to begin with, or even be loaned out at some point, before maturing over time and eventually becoming a key figure at the heart of the Gers' defence, as he looks to match the hype.

Manchester United remain interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong during the summer transfer window, according to a new update.

The Lowdown: De Jong a constant target

The Dutchman has found himself endlessly linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent times, whether it be last summer or again in January, with the two teams even agreeing an initial fee of €75million (£63million) before the start of this season.

De Jong has remained loyal to Barcelona to date, however, refusing to move after that agreement was met and proving to be a key player for them so far this season, starting 19 La Liga matches in total.

The United rumours are refusing to go away, though, with Pete O’Rourke sharing the latest ahead of this summer’s window.

The Latest: Ten Hag’s first choice

According to Football Insider‘s O’Rourke, the Red Devils ‘remain keen’ on acquiring De Jong’s services this summer.

They are planning to ‘reignite their interest’ in the Barca man, whose current contract expires in 2026, with the Catalans ‘aware they will have to sell to help manage their financial problems’.

Erik ten Hag wants a new striker first but also a new central midfielder, and De Jong is his ‘first choice’.

The Verdict: Perfect summer addition?

De Jong could be absolutely perfect for United this summer, adding both class and energy to the midfield at a time when a younger signing is needed in that area.

The 25-year-old is superb on the ball, enjoying an incredible 90.5% pass completion rate in La Liga this season, but he also averaged 2.4 tackles per game for the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup, showing his tenacity on the defensive side.

De Jong could be the perfect foil for Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, proving to be a box-to-box link man, and he would also represent a younger option than both, as well as Christian Eriksen.

He was described as both ‘spectacular’ and ‘one of the best midfielders in the world’ by Xavi over the weekend, which further highlights his brilliance, and the arrival of the Dutchman along with a marquee striker signing could be massive for Ten Hag’s future.

Liverpool supporters are understandably downcast after a stark decline in form and performance this season has left Jurgen Klopp’s outfit scraping for top four after years of competing for major silverware across multiple fronts.

Indeed, the German manager has won it all on Merseyside, notably gleaning the Premier League and Champions League and completing the domestic cup double last season.

But progress has been hindered this season and the club languish nine points outside the top four, also out of both domestic cup competitions and facing an insurmountable task in the second leg of their Champions League tie against Real Madrid after falling to a chastening 5-2 defeat at Anfield in the first match.

With all affiliated with the club desperate for a ray of sunshine, attention must be turned to precocious teenage starlet Ben Doak, who is brimming with quality and starting to demonstrate that he could cement a prominent role in Klopp’s system over the coming years.

Who is Ben Doak?

Last weekend, Doak inspired Liverpool U21s to an emphatic 7-1 victory over Leicester U21s, scoring twice and playing a pivotal role in two further strikes.

Hailed as “the pick of the bunch” by journalist Keifer MacDonald, the former Celtic prodigy is starting to confirm his stature as the Merseyside club’s most exciting young talent.

A right winger by trade, the young Scot might find it hard to usurp the established and brilliant Mohamed Salah, but the distinguished star’s occupation of the position must be greeted with warm acceptance by the 17-year-old, who could serve as the perfect understudy to the Egyptian and absorb the fruits of his labour as he moulds and refines his own arsenal.

Salah has scored a remarkable 175 goals and provided 72 assists for the Reds since his £34m arrival from AS Roma, renowned as one of the world’s leading forwards and valued at £59m by Football Transfers, but given Doak’s exemplary start and numbers at youth level, there is no reason why he cannot emulate the prowess of his superlative senior peer.

Having scored ten goals and served eight assists from just 19 matches in a youth capacity this season, Doak is inches away from earning a shot in the senior set-up, and if Liverpool decide to utilise him next season – having already made five displays this term – or even loan him out to provide him regular minutes, there is high hope that he will glimmer among his peers.

Writing in his column for Liverpool’s website, academy coach Jay Spearing waxed lyrical about the three-cap Scotland U21 international’s progress, saying: “Ben was in our team at the start of the season and he was absolutely flying. He has made rapid progress and he is a great kid.

“He works so hard, and he has got a great mentality. That drive and desire the boy has, it’s no surprise to us he has done so well. Fingers crossed, he can keep it going and keep getting better because the lad has a lot of ability.”

Still yet to break into adulthood, Doak is swiftly asserting himself as one of the most prodigious talents Merseyside has seen in a long time, and should he continue his development and dazzle with consistently prolific and powerful performances, there is no reason why he cannot forge a successful career under Klopp’s wing.

And with a prowess and assurance that belies his tender age, he might even earn a few more opportunities to impress among the senior crop this term, perhaps sparking from youthful life into the squad and guiding the team toward prominence once more.

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery swooped to make two additions to bolster his playing squad during last month’s January transfer window.

The Villans boss worked with Johan Lange to snap up Jhon Duran and Alex Moreno on permanent deals from Chicago Fire and Real Betis respectively, to improve their options at the top end of the pitch and at left-back.

It remains to be seen whether or not either of them will be a success in the Premier League and it will be interesting to see if they can avoid becoming the latest in a growing line of top-flight flops for the club since they returned to the division in 2019.

Dean Smith, who was sacked in November 2021, led the side back to the top table by winning the play-offs in 2018/19 and splashed the cash in his first summer in charge.

The English boss brought in the likes of Tyrone Mings, Wesley, Matt Targett, Douglas Luiz, and Trezeguet, among others, to head into the 2019/20 Premier League campaign.

One of the signings from that summer that the now-out-of-work manager endured a blunder with was defensive midfielder Marvelous Nakamba.

Where is Marvelous Nakamba now?

The Zimbabwe international arrived at Villa Park from Belgian giants Club Brugge for a fee in the region of £11m and is currently plying his trade in the second tier of English football with Luton Town.

He joined the Hatters at the end of last month on loan until the end of the campaign after failing to make a single appearance in Villa’s first-team during the first half of the season.

Luton boss Rob Edwards recently described the midfielder as a “Duracell battery” and the gem has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.80 across his three Championship appearances so far, winning 66% of his duels and making an eye-catching 5.0 tackles and interceptions per match.

Nakamba appears to have found his level after struggling badly in the Premier League following his big-money move from Belgium in the summer of 2019.

In his first campaign in England, the now-29-year-old was handed plenty of opportunities to prove his worth as Smith played the enforcer in 29 top-flight matches – 19 of which were starts.

However, an average Sofascore rating of 6.67 – placing him 18th in the squad – in 19/20 shows that the battler did not grasp his chance and failed to deliver consistently impressive displays in comparison to his teammates.

The midfielder then went on to start just 19 Premier League games in the following two seasons before his exclusion from the side in 2022/23 under Steven Gerrard and then Emery, which led to the decision to send him down a division to the Championship.

Therefore, Smith endured a Villa blunder by swooping to sign Nakamba for £11m as the flop has not become a consistent performer, or even selection, for the club and is now playing in the second division despite only turning 29 in January.

After their short break from Premier League football, Everton return to action today as they host league leaders Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta brings his Gunners side to Goodison Park hoping to continue their push for the title, whilst Sean Dyche takes charge of his first game for the relegation-threatened club.

The former Burnley boss will recognise the mammoth task which sits in front of him but he could remain unfazed in the face of such quality, having taken some big scalps during his time in charge of the Clarets.

Typically boasting a strict 4-4-2 philosophy, it is easy to imagine what formation Dyche will employ. The question is what personnel will occupy the various roles, as this squad have let down plenty of managers before him.

With just under a week having passed since he took the job, he will hope to have imparted enough of his wisdom to them to give Everton a fighting chance.

With that in mind, here’s the starting XI that Football FanCast is predicting for the Toffees today:

Dyche is expected to make just one change from the side which whimpered to defeat against West Ham United last time out in a 3-4-1-2 setup, but will employ the aforementioned formation.

Jordan Pickford remains at the club despite speculation linking him with an exit throughout January, and he is literally the first name on the team sheet at the moment. He will surely play a huge role if the Merseyside outfit are to escape the drop this year. 

Reverting to a back four, Seamus Coleman and Vitaliy Mykolenko will occupy the full-back spots whilst Conor Coady retains his place in the team. He will partner former Dyche favourite James Tarkowski, which will see Yerry Mina dropped.

With Coady and Tarkowski almost ever-present, it seems likely that the new Everton boss will persist with those two as his centre-back partnership. In turn, the Colombian may be the fall guy, despite being hailed as a “monster” in the past by Michael Ball.

The flat-four in midfield to protect the unit behind them will also see another of Dyche’s former players employed, with Dwight McNeil expected to feature more heavily now that Anthony Gordon has been sold.

Once dubbed a “promising talent” by Stephen Warnock, a run in the team could see the 22-year-old once again find the form which has seen him lauded in the past during this time at Burnley and convinced Frank Lampard to sign him for £20m last summer.

Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye will hold down the midfield engine room, with Alex Iwobi moving into a wide role.

That leaves a strike partnership of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Demarai Gray, with the latter scoring from a centre-forward role against Manchester City a few weeks ago. He will likely be asked to feed off the potential chaos brought about by his compatriot’s physical presence.

One of West Bromwich Albion’s most exciting talents is being linked with a move away from The Hawthorns, in what could prove to be a repeat of the situation which saw Nathan Ferguson depart in 2020.

According to Football Insider, both Wolves and QPR are eyeing a move for Ethan Ingram, whose future with the Baggies is in doubt as he has just 18 months left on contract at the club.

The 19-year-old is yet to make his league debut for Albion but is highly regarded at West Brom, as he is already an England U20 international.

Ingram has featured twice in the Carabao Cup for the Baggies, making his senior debut against Arsenal in 2021 before a 45-minute appearance against Derby County under Steve Bruce earlier in the season.

However, his lack of appearances under incumbent manager Carlos Corberan could see him seek pastures new, especially if his impressive form with the U21s continues to go unrewarded.

In 41 appearances for that age group, Ingram has provided one goal and nine assists, featuring as a right-back, centre-back and right midfielder, which emphasises his ability and versatility.

While his lack of game-time under Corberan is understandable given the Baggies’ superb form since the Spaniard’s arrival in October, he should be given assurances over his playing time if West Brom want to avoid losing yet another talented youngster.

In 2020, Ferguson completed a move to Crystal Palace on a free transfer, which later went to a tribunal. He had forced his way into the first team at West Brom, making 21 appearances in total and contributing one goal and one assist.

This contract dispute came just a few months after Palace had agreed to an £8m deal for the young defender, only for a January 2020 move to be called off due to an injury issue which was flagged in the medical.

While his time at Selhurst Park has been something of a nightmare due to constant injury problems, it was still seen as a big blow for West Brom at the time to lose such a promising academy graduate for a minimal transfer fee.

Therefore, unless Corberan starts giving Ingram more playing time, or a new contract, it would perhaps not be a surprise to see another teenage prodigy depart The Hawthorns for chickenfeed in the near future.