Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye has been an important cog in the club’s machine.

The holding midfielder rarely makes the headlines, but he does his job consistently well.

Judging by recent reports, it seems that Paris Saint-Germain have noticed his ability.

According to Paris United, the French giants are considering a move for Gueye, who also goes by Gana.

The Senegal international joined Everton in 2016 following a season-long spell at Aston Villa.

This season, the midfielder has been a regular in Marco Silva’s team having started all but one of the club’s 12 Premier League fixtures.

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After the reports emerged, a handful of Everton fans discussed the validity of Paris Saint-Germain’s alleged interest on Reddit.

Comment from discussion PSG in for Gana (apparently tier 1 for PSG) :(.Comment from discussion PSG in for Gana (apparently tier 1 for PSG) :(.Comment from discussion PSG in for Gana (apparently tier 1 for PSG) :(.Comment from discussion PSG in for Gana (apparently tier 1 for PSG) :(.Comment from discussion PSG in for Gana (apparently tier 1 for PSG) :(.Comment from discussion PSG in for Gana (apparently tier 1 for PSG) :(.Comment from discussion PSG in for Gana (apparently tier 1 for PSG) :(.

Meanwhile, now that the international break is over, Everton will begin preparing for Saturday’s league match against Cardiff City at Goodison Park.

As it stands, the Merseyside outfit sit ninth in the standings, five points behind the top five.

According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen has been linked with a move to Southampton. 

The Belgian is currently at Spanish giants Barcelona, but is finding it very hard to get regular playing time with the Catalan club. Now at the age of 33, he is in the twilight years of his career and will surely want to play as much as possible.

The Saints offer the perfect destination for the centre-back to not only play, but cement himself as a fan favourite and one that will go down in the annuls of the south coast club. Southampton are currently struggling this season, sitting in the relegation zone in the Premier League, level on points with bottom placed Fulham. They have won the fewest games in the league, and look to be in disarray. They are crying out for a player like Vermaelen to join their ranks.

What the club need is an experienced head of someone like Vermaelen who can bring his experience into The Saints’ camp. The Belgian has played all over Europe and has won titles at some of the biggest clubs; he will be able to steady the ship at a team where someone of his character is needed.

Summer signing Jannik Vestergaard and 2017 signing Wesley Hoedt still have a few question marks remaining over them as to their ability to play in the Premier League. They have been proven to be far weaker than their physiques suggest, and that has been duly noted by the Southampton faithful. Vermaelen is a player with experience to come in a potentially save Southampton’s troubled season.

According to a recent report from Calcio Mercato, Everton are interested in a move for forward Thorgan Hazard. The 25-year-old currently plays his football at Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach and has done so since leaving Chelsea back in 2015, with his fine efforts for the German side this season attracting interest from the Premier League.

And that’s because Marco Silva’s Everton are reportedly keen on the Belgium international, brother of Chelsea’s Eden, which is a deal that, were they to pull off, would be statement signing for a side that would then take some serious stopping.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Toffees appear to be heading in the right direction under new manager Silva, what with his team up to sixth place in the Premier League table having won five of their last seven games, losing just once in that time.

And with the backline beginning to solidify and the front men continuing to produce the goods, the Portuguese appears to have struck the perfect balance, although one cannot help but think further reinforcements, especially in the wide areas, could help take the club even further.

While Richarlison has made a wonderful start to life at Goodison Park, and Bernard is slowly but surely building up to his best form, the same simply cannot be said of Theo Walcott, who hasn’t scored in the Premier League for the Toffees since August, and hasn’t laid on an assist since September.

But Silva appears somewhat reluctant to drop him in favour of someone like Ademola Lookman or Dominic Calvert-Lewin – if he had the option of Hazard though, the decision would be far easier.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a stellar season for Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga so far with eight goals in just 12 appearances for the club, which added to his efforts in the cup means that he has netted 11 times in just 14 games so far this term – that’s already the same as his tally from last season.

And given he didn’t net in any of his first three league appearances this season, it goes to show just how good and influential the Belgian ace has been in recent weeks – he appears to be playing the best football of his career to date.

And while he appears most comfortable down the left-hand-side, just as much of his success in the final third this season has come from the right-hand-side – that added versatility would give Silva another hugely accomplished option in the wing ranks.

Significantly, being able to sign a player like Hazard, who is tearing it up in the Bundesliga, would be a statement signing from an Everton side seeking to force their way into the top six in the coming years – they are on their way to doing so, and Hazard’s arrival would only accelerate the process further.

Thus, the Toffees would take some serious stopping were they to lure the £22.5 million-rated star (as per Transfermarkt) to Goodison Park in the near future.

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

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko has been reborn in recent weeks having been labelled as a flop during his first two years with the club.

The north London club signed the France international in a £30m deal from Newcastle United at the end of the 2016 summer transfer window, but he had failed to make his mark since then with the majority of his appearances coming from the substitutes’ bench.

The Frenchman’s first goal for the club came in his 44th outing for them against Huddersfield Town in September 2017, and Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has even admitted that he would have sold the 29-year-old if the right offer had arrived.

However, the Argentine boss will be glad that he didn’t cash in on the midfielder now as he continues to star in the centre of the park, including playing a key role in his team’s crucial 1-0 Champions League victory against Inter Milan on Wednesday.

As well as that, Sissoko has also started Tottenham’s previous six Premier League fixtures and is surely in contention to make the XI again in the north London derby against Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday.

Given he is showing he can be effective both from a defensive and attacking point of view in recent times because of the strength and his ability to break forward with the ball, we at Football FanCast think the 29-year-old is worth at least £40m.

Which team is the dominant force in London right now? Playmaker FC’s Tom Skinner has a very unpopular opinion on the matter. Check it out in the video below…

We want Spurs supporters to vote on our poll below to see how much they would value a player that still has two-and-a-half years left on his contract at.

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With Luke Ayling, Gaetano Berardi and Stuart Dallas all currently ruled out through injury, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa started teenage midfielder Jamie Shackleton in the right-back role during Saturday’s 2-1 win against Queens Park Rangers at Elland Road.

The Argentinean boss was left with few other options following the latest blow for Dallas as he joined the ever-increasing defensive injury list, and after starting there on two other occasions already this term it was the 19-year-old who got the nod against Steve McClaren’s visitors.

Shackleton would have been keen to take his opportunity to impress having only featured for 136 minutes in the Championship this term before the weekend, and he certainly did.

On the chalkboard

When Bielsa is playing a formation that incorporates four defenders he will want his full-backs to be impactful from an attacking point of view, decent defensively and in general technically efficient when they have the ball.

Ayling was the undoubted first-choice for the 63-year-old prior to the knee injury he suffered against Nottingham Forest last month, and he appears likely to be out of action until the start of 2019 at the very earliest.

With Dallas ruled out for up to six weeks too, Bielsa needed to find a solution ahead of the busy festive period, and he might have just done it.

Is Shackleton the next Ayling?

The impressive teenager may naturally be a central midfielder, but he made a big impression at right-back against QPR, earning the praise of his manager in the process.

He not only looked calm, composed and comfortable from a defensive point of view despite coming up against tough opposition in Luke Freeman, but he also made an impact in the final third for the Championship high-flyers by having one shot and making one key pass, as per WhoScored.

He also showed his skill in possession with a brilliant passing accuracy of 89.2%, to suggest that while he may have come into contention for a first-team spot as a midfielder, his long-term home could be at right-back as the next Ayling.

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to a promising update from the Liverpool academy, where 16 year-old Ki-Jana Hoever has been promoted to first-team training.

According to The Liverpool Echo, Hoever, who signed from Ajax back in August, has joined up with the first team to provide depth in defence, where Jurgen Klopp has lost three key players in the last couple of weeks.

The Dutch teenager can play both right back and centre back, and his performances in the UEFA Youth League have earned “rave reviews”, according to the report from the Echo.

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Hoever is extremely strong and quick for such a young player, but is also very comfortable on the ball, and fans suspect they may have another Joe Gomez on their hands.

Like Hoever, Gomez is comfortable at right back or centre back, and his mixture of speed, strength and reading of the game has helped him develop into a first team regular.

Hoever missed Monday’s Under-23 clash against Swansea because Klopp wanted him training with the first team at Melwood, and it could be a stroke of genius from the boss if injuries strike again during the busy festive period.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, which are filled with excitement for their newest talent…

West Ham United may be known as the Academy of Football, but on FIFA 19 there are no expectations to develop the next global superstar.

Instead, take on the London Stadium job and prepare for a club ready for instant success.

The board’s expectations

While the board would like one academy player to feature five times for the first team, they would much rather you sign a midfielder or forward who demands a crucial squad role in order to expose the brand.

Beyond the transfer window, you will be tasked with qualifying for the Europa League in your first season and later increasing the club’s worth by 20%.

The transfer kitty

The Irons’ transfer pot is heavily leaned towards the outright budget over wages, yet a tweak to further implement that is required for the 86/14% split leaves £177,105 for salaries and £54.8million to spend.

There might not be too much scope for adjusting the budget, but the base wage allowance is excessive in comparison to how many players you would be able to sign and who there is to sell.

Three players to buy

Kenny Tete

With Pablo Zabaleta nearing the end of his worthwhile professional career, and coming in at a 76 rating, the Hammers could do with a new right-back. One route to go down is Lyon’s Kenny Tete, who will set you back close to £15million, as the French side are tough negotiators.

The 22-year-old Dutchman can cement the role for years to come, however, as he develops into a fast, strong tackling full-back. His high defensive workrate will also ensure he stays anchored to the backline, preventing you from being caught out by a quick counter-attack.

Ruben Neves

West Ham pulled off what seemed like a mega coop in the summer with Jack Wilshere joining on a free transfer, but the Irons could still gain from signing another midfielder.

Wolves sensation Ruben Neves starts off with a higher rating than the east London’s clubs offerings, and can smash into the high-80s at his peak. His departure from Molineux will also meet the board’s demands for a crucial first-team addition, all for between £20m and £22million.

Sebastien Haller

Eintracht Frankfurt will look for more than £20m for the Frenchman, but are more than open to negotiating before settling on an offer in the region of £18m.

The 24-year-old would be the perfect strike partner to Marko Arnautovic, by bringing his 91 strength, 82 finishing and 82 attacking positioning to the London Stadium.

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Three players to sell

Carlos Sanchez

Following the emergence of Declan Rice and Pedro Obiang harbouring the same rating on FIFA 19, Carlos Sanchez is the first name to hit the chopping block.

The Colombian is still valued at £7.5million, the same as Obiang, but at 32 has a lot less to offer than the Spaniard, let alone the London-born teenager.

Andy Carroll

There’s a plethora of options to use at striker in east London, but when Arnautovic and Andy Carroll are both measured at 6 foot 4, then the Newcastle product has nothing unique to offer.

The former Liverpool man is also in the final year of his deal, and his departure would add a further £7.5m to the budget and £66k to the wage tank.

Robert Snodgrass

Scotland international Robert Snodgrass has proven himself to be a key figure for Manuel Pellegrini in real life, but in FIFA 19 he’s not the versatile squad option you’d love to have.

The 30-year-old would be better served on the transfer list than on the bench, as Michail Antonio is the better option as a substitute – using his pace against weary legs should Andriy Yarmolenko need a rest.

Three for the future

Declan Rice

The teenage sensation’s rise to prominence in the Premier League has been represented by EA Sports with a potential rating of 84.

Rice’s starting attributes, unfortunately, represent his base 72 rating. But, with medium-attacking and high-defensive workrates and 75 stand tackle to 71 slide, he’s a great option to utilise from the off.

Issa Diop

Summer acquisition Issa Diop stakes a claim for a starting spot alongside Fabian Balbuena, with the Paraguayan the highest rated centre-half West Ham offer.

Diop comes in at the same level as Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna, but, thanks in part to his age he carries great potential – enough to one day hit an 86 rating.

Reece Oxford

The teenage prodigy Reece Oxford is West Ham’s only serious shout for a kid to break into the first team on FIFA 19, but his base rating of 67 makes his regular inclusion questionable.

Other than 72 strength and sprint speed, the teenager has nothing amazing to fight his cause and can only reach a maximum rating of 80, either at centre-back, defensive-midfield or right-back.

Sitting in third place following their 2-1 defeat to Leicester City at the King Power yesterday, Manchester City now find themselves seven points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool in the title race.

With a long way still to go, though, Pep Guardiola has warned Jurgen Klopp’s side about the pressure that comes with being at the top.

The Breakdown

“From January, February last season people said, ‘The Premier League is over’. To live with that is not easy,” Guardiola told Sky Sports in reference to when Manchester City were leading the pack this time last year.

“One month ago people said about [the match against] Liverpool and before [then] we had three or four games. Football is that you are able to win a lot of games and you are able to lose a lot of games. When I was at Barcelona for one period I lost four games in a row.”

At this stage of the season and considering recent results, Guardiola’s comments can easily be taken for the Spaniard trying to play mind games and crank up the pressure, especially with a humongous clash against Liverpool at the Etihad fast-approaching.

And if that is what he is indeed doing, then it bodes extremely well for Liverpool, who appear to have rattled the current champions and their coach with their stunning form so far this season.

Liverpool supporters know better than most that anything can happen but, following these recent comments from a shaken Guardiola, things seem to be going even better than planned for the Reds.

Tottenham failed to a sign a single player during the summer window but should be opening their chequebook in 2019.

Spurs remain in the Premier League title race despite their recent defeat to Wolves, a feat even more commendable considering Mauricio Pochettino did not sign anyone during the summer window. While Tottenham’s performances have been brilliant thus far, new additions in the January window could provide the boost they need to catch Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the standings.

It’s difficult to improve on the Spurs starting eleven which has looked devastating at times throughout the current campaign. Instead, Pochettino should target youngsters who can still have a role in the first-team but will be considered one for the future.

The ideal target would be Marseille wonderkid – Boubacar Kamara. Valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, the 18-year-old was promoted to the first-team last year after successfully graduating from the club’s youth academy. After making a handful of appearances last season, the youngster has enjoyed a crucial role in the starting line up this season, featuring in 13 Ligue 1 games already – only three 18-year-olds have made more appearances than Kamara in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

Kamara is an excellent defender who is strong in the tackle, reads the game well, and dominates in the air. The Frenchman epitomises a modern-day defender, displaying a wonderful range of passing from the back. His abilities with the ball at his feet means Kamara has often been utilised as a defensive midfielder, meaning he would add another quality option at the heart of the Spurs midfield.

With the right guidance, Kamara could develop into a world-class defender. Given Pochettino’s excellent reputation for working with youth players – Tottenham would be the perfect home.

Tottenham fans, thoughts?

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Riyad Mahrez was on the scoresheet in Manchester City’s 7-0 win over Rotherham United in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.

The 27-year-old has now scored eight times in 29 appearances for City following a move from Leicester City in last summer’s transfer window.

Mahrez has only managed two assists in 19 Premier League appearances this season, however, which is a fairly disappointing return.

The Algeria international – on £200k a week – might have been on the scoresheet against Rotherham on Sunday, but the City fans were not pleased with him.

Indeed, many took to social media both during and after the Rotherham clash to criticise the attacker, with some claiming that the club should not have signed him.

Mahrez has perhaps fallen just below the standard expected of him, although eight goals at this stage of the campaign is still a decent enough return.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the City fans can be seen below:

Which big 6 club needs to do the most business in January? Check out what the Pl>ymaker FC squad think in the video below…