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As per the club’s official website, Championship side Stoke City completed a Deadline Day move to sign striker Sam Vokes. The 29-year-old had been playing his football at Premier League outfit Burnley and had done so since leaving Wolves back in 2012, although struggles for regular football under Clarets manager Sean Dyche earlier this season called his future at Turf Moor into question.

And it was Nathan Jones’ Stoke who officially sealed a deal for the Wales international on Deadline Day, with Peter Crouch going the other way, and given the Potters’ struggles for goals this term, the £5.4 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) could prove to be the man to help fire Stoke into promotion contention.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, it has proven to be a tough return to the Championship for the Staffordshire-based outfit this season given they sit 15th in the table after 29 matches, and eight points adrift of the play-off positions.

And their stuttering start ultimately cost Gary Rowett his job earlier this month to be replaced by Jones, and while the former Luton Town manager masterminded an impressive victory over Leeds United earlier this month, their familiar woes in front of goal were again evident last time out in losing 2-0 at home to Preston North End at the weekend – their fourth game in their last six in the league in which they have failed to score.

And with only 33 goals from their 29 Championship matches this term, only one side in Middlesbrough have scored fewer of those above the Potters in the table, it’s pretty clear just how much they were crying out for a striker in the last knockings of the January window.

And in Burnley’s Vokes, they may well have the man who can fire them into promotion contention in the second half of the season.

The Welshman may well have found regular starts hard to come by at Burnley in the first half of the season, starting only ten times in the Premier League, but one mustn’t forget the great level of service he gave the Clarets in his six-and-a-half year stay in Lancashire.

The 29-year-old netted 56 goals in 230 games for Dyche’s men to help establish them in the top-flight, with ten of those goals coming in their Premier League season of 2016/17 as they staved off relegation – the season before had seen Vokes bag 15 times in the Championship to help them win promotion.

Add in 20 goals in 39 league appearances in the 2013/14 season, another in which Burnley were promoted, and it’s clear just how effective the Wales international has been at second tier level over the years – he would be an asset to the vast majority of teams in the Championship.

And that seems none-more-so clearer than in a Stoke side struggling to put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis – but at just eight points adrift of the top six, and the recent win over Leeds showing their credentials, promotion isn’t out of the question just yet.

In fact, with a striker like Vokes leading the line, the 29-year-old could well prove to be the man to help fire Jones’ men up the second tier table as the season wears on.

Stoke fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Crystal Palace will be hoping to extend their unbeaten run to eight games when they host Aston Villa in the Premier League over the weekend.

The Eagles were held to a 3-3 draw against Burnley last time out as Christian Benteke’s brace was cancelled out by a resolute performance from the home side.

However, with Palace returning to their own patch on Saturday, Patrick Vieira must be brave and make the bold decision to field an attacking line-up.

Against the Clarets, Vieira opted for the hard-working Jordan Ayew on the right-hand side of his attack in the knowledge that the 30-year-old would get back diligently to do his defensive work.

The tactic worked a treat against reigning champions Manchester City a few weeks ago and it almost had the same effect at Turf Moor.

However, in order for the capital club to keep making progress and climbing the top-flight table, Vieira will need to be bold enough to drop the defensive forward in games where three points are there for the taking.

Villa may have stopped the rot with a victory in Steven Gerrard’s first game at the helm, but the Midlands outfit are still vulnerable, especially away from home.

Therefore, Vieira would be wise to drop Ayew, who hasn’t scored a Premier League goal in over a year, in favour of a more clinical attacking option.

Summer signings Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise have both made tremendous starts to their Palace careers, providing a combined six goal contributions in the opening weeks of the current campaign.

Ayew has received much criticism in recent weeks and months due to his extended drought in front of goal, including from Thierry Henry, and tomorrow’s clash could be the ideal time for the £32,500-per-week flop to take his place on the bench.

What’s more, even his international form is being criticised, with the Ghanaian’s displays being described as “worrying” by Dan Quaye.

Clearly, he has not been up to scratch this term, so Vieira must ask him to sit it out this weekend.

In other news… Palace set for big boost on “phenomenal” £55k-p/w maestro, fans will be elated

Rangers are enjoying a fantastic season in the Premiership as the Glasgow giants currently sit top of the table after 16 games.

The Gers have won 12 of those matches, drawing three and losing one, and they sit four points clear of their nearest rivals in second as it stands.

GVB magic

Despite their success on the pitch, one player who has had an underwhelming season at Ibrox so far is Scott Wright. He has struggled to nail down a regular place in the side and has found game-time hard to come by under Steven Gerrard and now Van Bronckhorst.

The Dutchman now needs to work his magic to get Wright’s season back on track and turn him into a player capable of making the difference in the Premiership, having failed to do so thus far. In the league this season, the 24-year-old has made nine appearances (three starts) and produced one goal and zero assists as a wide midfielder.

As per SofaScore, he has lost possession of the ball 64 times this season, which averages out at 7.1 times per match, and has lost 56% of his duels on the pitch, winning just 1.9 battles per game. This shows how he has been a lightweight for the Gers in the top flight with his regular loss of possession, along with his struggles with the physical side of the game.

The fact that he also has just one goal contribution in nine games adds to the disappointment of the £5.6k-per-week dud’s season so far. However, all is not lost for him as he has plenty of time on his hands to turn it around and make a name for himself in Glasgow.

At the age of 24, he has room to develop and is far from the finished article. This means that Van Bronckhorst has the opportunity to work his magic with him on the training pitch to mould him into the perfect winger for his 4-2-3-1 system.

Wright showed a glimpse of what he can do in a cameo against Dundee over the weekend. As per SofaScore, he completed two of his three attempted dribbles and won three of his four duels, although he failed to translate that into providing a key pass or a shot on goal.

This is where the 43-year-old can step in and help him in training to develop his end product and teach him how to make better decisions when he gets into good areas in the final third. If Van Bronckhorst can do that and turn him into a quality option for the Gers, it would be a terrific piece of coaching from the Dutchman.

AND in other news, “They can get”: Exciting Rangers transfer claim made which will leave fans buzzing…

Leeds United are interested in signing Torino right-back Ola Aina in the January transfer window, according to a new transfer rumour that has emerged.

The Lowdown: Aina impresses in Italy

The 25-year-old has become an established player for Torino since joining in 2019, making 13 Serie A starts already this season.

He can play anywhere across the defence or on either wing, per Whoscored, and ranks highly amongst his teammates in both interceptions and successful take-ons, showing his ability on both sides of the ball.

Aina also has 21 caps to his name for Nigeria, having initially represented England during his youth team years, making four appearances for the Under-20s.

It could be that a return to England appeals for the defender, however – he was originally at Chelsea between 2015 and 2019 – and Leeds appear to be contenders to snap him up.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Leeds eye up move

According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], ‘there is Leeds’ when it comes to those clubs showing an interest, with Torino willing to sell him if the ‘right proposal’ comes along.

Aina’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, essentially giving the Italian side two more transfer windows to sell him for a decent fee, should they want to.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-30/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Strong Ayling replacement

With Luke Ayling turning 31 later this year, it is important that Leeds plan for the long-term and bring in someone who can be his eventual replacement.

Aina could be that man, having already picked up plenty of experience in Italy but also being at an age where he can improve further as a player. Torino manager Ivan Juric has hailed his crossing ability, highlighting what he could bring to the side.

He has averaged one tackle and 1.4 interceptions per game in the league this season – Ayling has averaged 1.6 and 0.9, respectively – and he shouldn’t cost a large amount, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £4.95million.

With his contract expiring in 2023 and Leeds currently boasting plenty of depth on the right flank, perhaps this is a move we could see later in the year or next January, when Ayling will have one more season on the legs while the Italian outfit will have little choice but to offer up a bargain for Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with another player – find out who it is here.

A number of Everton fans have flocked to reports that the club are interested in appointing Tim Cahill to a senior executive role at Goodison Park.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, the Toffees legend could return to Merseyside in a senior executive role, as following Rafael Benitez’s sacking on Sunday, the board are keen on re-integrating former players who know the club well.

Cahill is currently chief sports officer at the Aspire Academy in the United Arab Emirates and is on the board at Belgian club KAS Eupen. The 42-year-old has also completed his coaching badges in a bid to return to the highest echelons of European football in a new role.

The Australian had an illustrious career with Everton; in 278 appearances for the club, the attacking midfielder scored 68 goals and produced 29 assists over an eight-year spell on Merseyside, firmly establishing himself as a hero among the Goodison Park faithful.

Everton fans gleeful over possible Cahill return

After Twitter fan feed Everton Blue Army shared the Daily Mail’s report, many supporters flocked to the comments to voice their delight at the prospective return of Cahill to the club.

Here’s what these fans said about this “great” news:

“Would love to see Everton playing football in the style this guy played the game. If he came in and stamped it on the club I’d be very happy.”

Credit: @nismoneil

“That would be great”

Credit: @LizaDurkin

“Does he still play”

Credit: @dave_rylett

“I’d have no problem with this.”

Credit: @seanrostron

“top professional in everything he has ever done.”

Credit: @_Bluran_

“Speaks a lot of sense about what the club need so it’s not as bad as what everyone makes it out to be.”

Credit: @Jay____177

In other news: These reports of another ex-Everton employee coming back to Goodison Park were not so warmly received

Everton have reportedly initiated contact with Juventus over wantaway midfielder Aaron Ramsey ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet CalcioMercato, Rafa Benitez’s charges have begun negotiations with the 30-year-old’s advisors ahead of a potential move, with Juve keen to get the player off their books.

The report states that: “The Toffees have initiated the first contact with the player’s entourage, and there is room for reaching the finish line. The Juventus club crosses its fingers and is willing to let him start at zero in the winter transfer market, cancelling his contract and therefore giving up monetizing.”

Everton could finally replace James Rodriguez

After James Rodriguez’s September switch to Qatari outfit Al-Rayyan, Everton have been left with a creative void in the middle of the park.

While the likes of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure offer running power, pace and stability, they arguably lack the imagination and guile to carve elite-level defences open on a regular basis, something Ramsey is more than capable of doing.

Throughout his 11-year stint with Arsenal, the Wales international scored 65 goals and laid on a further 65 assists in 371 appearances, winning three FA Cups along the way.

Martin Keown labelled him a “real leader” and an “outstanding technician” following a typically classy display in Europe back in 2019, but Ramsey has found life slightly tougher since departing north London later that year.

Despite being in Turin for two-and-half years now, the £9m-rated maestro has only started 25 Serie A games for the Old Lady, highlighting his peripheral role within the first-team squad.

However, Ramsey has continued to perform at an exceptional level for his nation throughout and was instrumental in Wales’ run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.

His eye-catching performances saw teammate Joe Allen dub him “world-class” after a stellar showing against Turkey in a crucial 2-0 victory at the European Championship this year, and moving to Everton could prove to be the catalyst he needs to get his career back on track.

And, in other news…Everton could discover their new Rooney by signing “first-class” 20 y/o with “no fear” 

When Jordan Pickford pulls on the England jersey he becomes arguably one of the best goalkeepers in world football, as the undisputed number one, but the same can’t be said when he pulls on his Everton shirt week in, week out.

Pickford has steered England to a semi-final of a World Cup and the final of Euro 2020, with his most famous work being his world-class performance in the penalty shoot against Colombia in 2018.

With so many notable clean sheets and famous saves for his international side, it’s a wonder why he shows inconsistency in his Everton performances.

No goalkeeper in the Premier League has made more errors leading to goals since he joined Everton in 2017, with 11 errors to his name for Everton alone, and 15 including his time at Sunderland. For England, though, the ‘keeper has zero.

There are many reasons why Jordan Pickford could be picking up errors for his club side, including a lack of confidence in his defensive line ahead of him.

Everton are well known for their constant rearrangement of their centre back pairings with nine different options selected. Meanwhile, Seamus Coleman and Mason Holgate are the only defenders to have been with Pickford at Everton since he joined four seasons ago.

For the Three Lions, the 27-year-old is much more likely to feel comfortable in his role as a sweeper-keeper as he is surrounded by ball-playing defenders who command the ball with more confidence.

There is nothing but praise from voices in football when it comes to Pickford’s international performances, and the debate surrounding the keeper always comes back to his incredible form for England.

Ex-England international, Theo Walcott, praised the £22.5m rated keeper for his mentality, telling talkSPORT;

“It’s all about clean sheets in tournament football.

“I’ve been really pleased with Jordan and he had a lot of people on his back about being too involved in the game.

“When you’ve got a goalkeeper behind you like that, it helps.

“Jordan has always been a resilient young man and dealt with pressures and I’m sure now he’s grown his hair a little bit more he’s probably not hearing as much.”

If Rafa Benitez can develop and establish a much more consistent and reliable defensive style to emulate that of the England set-up, he could extract much more from Pickford as their Premier League campaign continues and consequently, save their dodgy run of form.

In other news: Benitez must unleash Richarlison against Man City

Loads of Everton fans have been left fuming over an official post that has emerged from the Goodison Park faithful on Lucas Digne.

The Toffees have now released a statement confirming his sale to Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, but it did seem very underwhelming, with only three lines of a goodbye message and with no comments from Digne himself or those inside the Merseyside club.

The left-back made a total of 127 appearances for the Blues over the course of the last four seasons, scoring six goals and making a further 20 assists (Transfermarkt), and was a loyal servant over the years.

Thus, the statement does seem strange considering his time with them, and it is no surprise to see so many EFC supporters fuming over it.

Everton fans on Digne statement

These Evertonians were left fuming as the statement on Digne’s exit was shared on Twitter, with one Toffee even going as far as to claim that it is ‘pathetic’:

“Embarrassing to be an Evertonian these days”

Credit: @Cam_Green73

“Disgusting statement to make on the departure of a player who has captained the club on multiple occasions.”

Credit: @JamieMellor81

“Pathetic, I’ll do it for you then, thanks @LucasDigne and good luck.”

Credit: @NikolasHeyes

“No word of thanks, @Everton? Very disappointing.”

Credit: @dtaylor334

“That’s IT???!!!!…….No acknowledgment of his service??!!! You under orders, Admin?…….Poor form that, Everton. #WereBetterThanThat”

Credit: @CathyMcAlle

“Shocking statement that, The People’s Club showing it’s true colours.”

Credit: @TheEvertonEnd

In other news, find out what injury update before Norwich City has Toffees buzzing here!

Wolverhampton Wanderers are battling for the signature of highly-rated teenage goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

What’s the story?

Wolves are amongst several Premier League clubs interested in the 17-year-old according to reports, via Inside Futbol. He is currently playing in the MLS at Chicago Fire and is rated at £2.7m by Transfermarkt.

Wanderers are battling with both Southampton and Chelsea for his signature but with sanctions against the latter, it is slowly becoming a two-horse race.

The American youngster made his MLS debut in August last year where he became the youngest goalkeeper to start and keep a clean sheet in the division.

He’s been compared to Buffon and Neuer

Slonina is thought of so highly that he’s been compared to goalkeeping greats Gianluigi Buffon and Manuel Neuer. If he’s to reach those levels then he’ll have to work hard, but he’s already attracting interest from Europe at his age so it’s a good sign.

When asked about whether or not he could reach the levels of Buffon and Neuer he said “I use it as a motivation” and that he grew up “idolising” them both.

Signing his first professional deal at 14-years of age he has since excelled to become the number one at his club.

Speaking of his qualities, manager Ezra Hendrickson commented: “He’s a young player, but this kid has talent.”

His overall record for the Fire is impressive with 17 appearances and four clean sheets to his name. He plays at U20 level for his country and has even been called up to the senior national team but still hasn’t made an appearance.

Reports state that any deal done could rise to £10m which would make it the highest sale for a goalkeeper in MLS history.

Slonina’s clean sheet and save percentage so far this season is in the top 4% in his league. It’s unlikely he would compete with Wolves’ number one José Sá just yet but he is one for the future and could potentially compete for the reserve spot currently held by John Ruddy.

It’s bold to compare him to legends who are as good as Buffon and Neuer, but 17 is extremely young for a goalkeeper so this is one we will certainly be keeping an eye on for years to come.

IN other news: Wolves targeting “breathtaking” £32m-rated gem, he’s miles better than Traore – opinion…