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Some Everton fans have been left fuming as the arrival of Andy Lonergan was confirmed by the Toffees.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, they have signed the goalkeeper until the end of the 2021/22 season.

This is because Joao Virginia is poised to leave the Merseyside club on a loan deal, and Harry Tyrer suffered a serious injury in training.

With Jordan Pickford in the squad, Lonergan is not likely to get much game time under Rafa Benitez, if any, and at 37 years of age, is certainly not a signing for the future and a bit uninspiring with less than two weeks of the summer window left to go.

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He is also a former Liverpool player, and so it is understandable to see so many Toffees supporters against the move.

Everton fans on Lonergan signing

These Blues fumed as news of the signing was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it is ’embarrassing’:

“Nearly as bad as me signing Adrian on FM this”

Credit: @BT_1878

“How do Everton constantly find a new way to shock you?”

Credit: @ben1878_

“Did we really just sign some random 37-year-old keeper? Where are the proper signings exactly? That improve the first team + squad. We are still desperate for a right-back more than anything”

Credit: @PeteClappo

“Sign some actual good players please”

Credit: @Everton0122

“Embarrassing”

Credit: @Emmet1878

“We are signing a player that is unlikely to even make the bench?”

Credit: @MrTeddy57464943

In other news, find out what Team News had these Evertonians talking here!

Alex McCarthy became the latest Southampton player to commit his future to the club earlier this week, although fans may not be too happy with the decision.

What’s the word?

Southampton confirmed on Wednesday that the 31-year-old had been rewarded with a new three-year contract at St Mary’s, with Ralph Hasenhuttl set to stick with the former QPR man as his first choice ahead of Fraser Forster this season.

Both McCarthy and Forster’s contracts were set to expire at the end of the current campaign and the former’s new contract paves the way for the latter to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Hasenhuttl suggested earlier this month that:

“We will definitely extend the contract of one of the two keepers, then the other one will leave. I think that, in the future, we will look to sign a new goalkeeper.”

Therefore, it looks as if Saints fans will have to wait until next summer to see a new ‘keeper arrive, with any new signing likely to replace Forster and compete with McCarthy for the starting spot in between the sticks.

However, Southampton fans may not be too happy that McCarthy was the one handed a new deal reportedly worth £50k per week, as his performances in the second half of last season were far from good enough and his two displays so far this season won’t fill fans with much confidence.

The shot-stopper, who has previously been dubbed “fantastic” by the manager, was slow off his line for two of Everton’s goals in the opening fixture whilst he was beaten by a tame effort from Mason Greenwood in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

Last season saw Southampton concede 68 top-flight goals despite having an xGA of just 58.55, which suggests that the goalkeepers must take a fair portion of the blame for their woeful defensive record.

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It also perhaps won’t fill McCarthy with confidence that Hasenhuttl is already planning on bringing a new ‘keeper in as the long-term solution in goal, so hopefully, his form doesn’t continue to suffer.

And, in other news… Forget Elyounoussi: Saints beast who played 4 key passes was Ralph’s star vs Newport

Liverpool have had a quiet summer in terms of incomings, although that could be about to change as the current transfer window draws to a conclusion.

What’s the story?

The sale of Xherdan Shaqiri to Ligue 1 outfit Lyon means that the Reds have now made a profit on players in recent months despite the £36m arrival of Ibrahima Konate, so a second summer acquisition could be on the cards.

According to the Liverpool Echo, any last-minute arrival would be a youngster who has the potential for further growth, with Ajax’s Ryan Gravenberch thought to be on the club’s wishlist. However, the report states that an overhaul of the Liverpool midfield is more likely to take place next summer, although an imminent move was not ruled out.

Michael Edwards must swoop

After graduating through Ajax’s famed youth academy, Gravenberch has gone on to cement himself in the club’s first team setup, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists in 64 appearances for his boyhood club.

The 19-year-old has won two Eredivisie titles and two Dutch Cups during his short professional career, establishing himself as one of Europe’s most promising teenagers and attracting praise from several impressed onlookers.

Former Netherlands international Wim Kieft is one of those convinced about Gravenberch’s incredible potential. Last year he stated in his De Telegraaf column: “He is the greatest talent in the Netherlands. Only 18-years-old, but the prototype of a complete player. You see him grow every week.

“If someone like this makes his debut at the highest level, the big question is whether he can keep up with the faster pace. Gravenberch picks up on that very quickly. Also, in the Champions League. When you see how, despite his height and physically, he easily turns away in the crowds and accelerates, you don’t see that much.”

The £29.7m-rated beast has become famed for his magnificent passing range, ability to drive with the ball through the middle of the pitch, and the adept use of his sizeable frame.

Despite being 6 foot 2, Gravenberch is able to turn away from his marker and slalom through opposition defenders with ease. He has got the perfect blend of natural physicality and tactical intelligence, making him an ideal signing for any top-level team.

Therefore, Liverpool’s director of football Michael Edwards must swoop for the talented teenager before the August 31 deadline.

The Anfield outfit have failed to replace Gini Wijnaldum in the midfield engine room so far, while their main domestic rivals have significantly strengthened their squads, bringing in marquee signings such as Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho and Romelu Lukaku.

In a year’s time, there’s likely to be a lengthy list of potential suitors for Gravenbach given his ability, but it’s unlikely that many clubs can afford him this late in the current window, so Liverpool need to take advantage while the ball is in their court.

In other news… Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Liverpool transfer update which will have the fans buzzing 

Celtic have been linked with a move for Watford striker Troy Deeney with just days remaining of the window, The Sunday Mirror (29/8; page 66) report.  

The Lowdown: Lennon considered bid

Celtic look set to add to their attacking ranks in the final days of the window by signing VVV-Venlo’s Georgios Giakoumakis.

However, it seems as if the Hoops have a long-standing interest in Deeney, with former manager Neil Lennon recently admitting he wanted to sign the forward during his first stint as Celtic boss.

Deeney, on £77,000-a-week at Vicarage Road, hasn’t started a game this season and it seems as if a move could be on the cards.

The Latest: Celtic linked again

Watford released a statement on Friday regarding Deeney. The Hornets revealed that the club and Deeney are in discussions over his future, with the 33-year-old into the final 12 months of his contract.

The Sunday Mirror (29/8; page 66), cited by The Boot Room, admitted that Celtic are one of the sides keen on the forward, who, according to Nigel Pearson, ‘embraces pressure’.

The Verdict: Avoid

Dominic McKay and Ange Postecoglou appear to be building for the future with seven of the club’s nine signings so far 26 years of age or under.

Should Celtic land Giakoumakis, as expected, and possibly move on Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths, who have been linked with moves away, they should still have enough without Deeney.

Giakoumakis, Kyogo Furuhashi and Albian Ajeti could be the three options in a central role, so Celtic should avoid bringing Deeney to Parkhead in the final few days.

In other news: Pundit tips ‘composed’ ace to re-join Celtic in late activity.

Choosing between Leeds United and Newcastle United would have been a difficult decision for Glen Kamara if serious offers were made during the transfer window, says ex-Whites midfielder Carlton Palmer.

According to TEAMtalk, both Premier League clubs were interested in the Rangers star, with the latter in particular having been keen.

In a boost for Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, though, Kamara remained at Ibrox as Leeds focused their attention on Dan James on deadline day while Newcastle had a 31st August to forget.

Had it come down to choosing between the two English top-flight outfits, though, Palmer is unsure which one Kamara would have opted for.

“It’s a difficult one as a player, isn’t it? It’s where you think you’re going to play the most football,” the ex-Leeds man said to FFC.

“Leeds have a settled side at the moment. I think he [Marcelo Bielsa] has his 1-11 that he relies on, that he knows he’s going to pick week in, week out, so it’s a difficult one.

“Do you go there, sit on the bench and wait for your opportunity, or do you go to a club and play?”

West Ham and Wolves were also credited with an interest in Kamara, so if he does decide to leave Scotland for England, it looks like he could have plenty of options.

And with little activity during the summer transfer window, failing to bring in Hamza Choudhury on loan from Leicester City on deadline day, Steve Bruce will probably be hoping to win the race in the future.

A Leeds United source has claimed the club’s wage bill for the season has skyrocketed to over £100million after the recent news of Patrick Bamford’s ‘big money’ deal.

The Lowdown: Big-money deals

The Whites’ output on salaries for the year ending July 2020 totalled up to £78million – a huge increase from the year before.

Leeds’ promotion to the Premier League has seen the wage bill tally up – it sat at just £31m when they were in the second tier.

With the likes of Diego Llorente and Rodrigo through the door last year, big summer signings and new contracts have led to the biggest wage bill ever seen at Elland Road.

The Latest: Top six ambitions

According to Football Insider, the wage bill for the current season will rocket past £100million after big-money contracts were handed out to Bamford and the summer incomings.

The report states that the reasoning behind the high figure comes from the vast outlay of expensive talent brought in when Leeds were promoted – Raphinha, Llorente and Rodrigo – whilst Dan James and Junior Firpo moved to the Yorkshire club on lucrative contracts this term.

Bamford’s contract news handed the striker a ‘big-money’ pay rise, a deal that will see the England international remain at the club for a further five years.

With revenues climbing since they were promoted, Andrea Radrizzani holds intentions of competing with the top-six sides and playing in European competitions.

The Verdict: Statement of intent

Radrizzani clearly isn’t messing about. With Rodrigo on £100k a week and Raphinha copping £58k a week, United’s ambition is obvious and clear to see.

Last season’s impressive ninth-placed finish was highly impressive and made people sit up and take notice. With the signings of James and Firpo, Leeds look like a serious team now and have all the tools to mount a challenge with the likes of Leicester City, Everton and Arsenal for the final European places this season.

Bamford’s first appearance for England is a good way to identify how far this club has come and they seem to be only just getting started.

In other news, the signing of this international player has been questioned by a Sky Sports pundit. Find out more here.

Liverpool will be aiming to maintain their unbeaten start to the new season when they take on Norwich City in the Carabao Cup third round this evening.

Five wins and one draw in all competitions have marked the beginning of 2021/22 for Jurgen Klopp’s charges and they have an ideal opportunity to keep that good run going.

The Canaries are yet to pick up a single point while on Premier League duties, although they did thrash second-tier side Bournemouth 6-0 in the previous round of the League Cup.

However, the Reds should have far too much for their struggling opponents, meaning Klopp is likely to rotate his relatively thin squad, handing opportunities to some rarely-seen fringe players.

One of those who could benefit from a rare start is Divock Origi. The 26-year-old made his first appearance of the campaign against AC Milan on Wednesday, reminding everyone of just how effective he can be when at the top of his game.

For the 63 minutes that the Belgium international was on the pitch, he pressed relentlessly in an encouraging outing, linked up well with his fellow forwards and provided an excellent assist for Mohamed Salah.

It was another strong display in the Champions League for Origi after he became part of Liverpool folklore after bagging a brace in the same competition against Barcelona in the 2019 semi-final before he scored to seal a 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the final.

After the Reds’ latest European victory against Milan at Anfield, Klopp hailed Origi for his standout performance, hailing his ability to play so well after an extended spell on the sidelines.

“Divock Origi… people forget so quickly in life and in football, he’s an outstanding striker,” said the German tactician in his post-match press conference (as relayed by talkSPORT).

“He did really well especially (because) for a long time he didn’t start – it’s just really difficult to get in this team, to be honest, and it makes sometimes life a bit uncomfortable.

“But he’s a great guy and I’m really happy for him that he could play like this tonight. In ten years’ time when we look back, he will be a Liverpool legend. He’s just too young right now to be seen as a Liverpool legend, so he has to play football.

“To be 100 per cent honest, I thought he would maybe leave in the summer. but the football world is a crazy place and obviously, people forgot how good he is,” Klopp concluded.

Therefore, Klopp must unleash the £10.8m-rated Origi against Norwich, allowing him to build on his impressive showing against Milan while giving Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane and Salah much-needed rests.

Salah has started every single game this season and Jota only hasn’t featured from the off against Chelsea, a game where he entered the field as a first-half substitute.

Origi has the potential to have a huge impact at Carrow Road this evening, Klopp just needs to provide him with the opportunity to do so.

And, in other news…Signed for free, sold for £19m: Edwards sealed big Liverpool masterclass in 24y/o flop 

A number of Liverpool supporters are concerned after Jurgen Klopp provided a worrying injury update on midfielder Thiago.

The Reds went top of the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, following their impressive 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at Anfield.

Klopp’s men didn’t always have things their own way, but Sadio Mane’s opener eased the nerves before strikes from Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita sealed the victory.

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It was a hugely positive afternoon, but one of the few negatives was Thiago’s second-half injury, with the Spaniard having to leave the field after a superb performance.

Speaking after the game, [via The Athletic‘s James Pearce on Twitter], Klopp confirmed that the 30-year-old has suffered a calf problem and the severity of it remains unknown.

Doctor and sports scientist, Dr Rajpal Brar, replied to Pearce, saying calf strains are ‘nothing to sneeze at’ and ‘can be really sensitive’.

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Liverpool fans react to Thiago update

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their concern about the update, with Thiago such an important player for the Reds moving forward.

“God, please don’t let it be serious”

Credit: @mr_shi2

“OH COME ON”

Credit: @JDsJustTalking

“Not signing a midfielder is going to make us pay”

Credit: @elninoamir

“Oh please god no”

Credit: @fahdlfcfe

“Pleaseeeee”

Credit: @Versatileman

“He was carried down the tunnel by two of the match day entourage. He was putting no weight on it as he left.”

Credit: @StevenHumberst2

In other news, some Liverpool fans want the Reds to sign a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has revealed that Tino Livramento was close to being sent off for Southampton against Manchester City in the teams’ 0-0 draw last Saturday.

What’s the talk?

The Saints youngster was issued a yellow card for a challenge on Raheem Sterling, with Hackett believing that the 18-year-old was given the benefit of the doubt by on-field referee Jon Moss.

Hackett told Football Insider: “It’s close to a red card. There’s no question. I would go with the on-field referee because of his position.

“Moss has given the benefit of the doubt there. He’s in an excellent position to see that challenge.

“He hasn’t overreacted. The body language of the Southampton player is not good.”

Relief

Southampton fans will surely be feeling a sense of relief after reading these comments from Hackett, which suggested that Livramento could easily have been sent off on another day, with Moss erring on the side of caution instead of brandishing a red card to the teenage defender.

Losing the youngster for three games could have been a big blow for the Saints, as he has been a crucial member of the squad so far this season. He has started all five Premier League matches since his summer move from Chelsea, ousting Kyle Walker-Peters out of his natural position.

Hasenhuttl lauded Livramento as a ‘fantastic’ player earlier this season and raved about how much he has enjoyed working with him. The Southampton manager said: “Yes, I must say I’m super happy with this guy. He shows every week how strong he is and when you play against such players like these you have to be good and one against one he is.

“He never stays, he is always going and that’s what I want from him. Physically he is a good guy, a good height for a full-back, a fantastic player. But keep it calm – don’t talk too much about him!”

This shows how quickly the 18-year-old has settled in at St Mary’s, with Hasenhuttl lavishing praise on his performances. Livramento has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.80, making two tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game from right-back.

He has been a rock in the back four and clearly caught the manager’s eye, which is why him being sent off and suspended for three games would have been frustrating for Saints supporters. In light of Hackett’s comments, they must now be feeling relieved that Moss opted against showing a red card, with Livramento available to face Wolves at the weekend.

AND in other news, Semmens disasterclass: Former Southampton beast has seen his value soar 317% since St Mary’s exit

West Ham United could look to sign Paul Onuachu in the winter transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Sport/Voetbal magazine journalist Peter t’Kint, the Irons will ramp up their interest in the Genk striker should he deliver during their Europa League meeting in a few weeks time.

He claimed:

“In a few weeks, after the international break, there will be a showdown with West Ham, we are looking forward to that with great anticipation. If Paul Onuachu also hands over his business card [to West Ham], he will be gone in January, unfortunately.

During the summer, reports emerged first linking the Premier League side to the 27-year-old Nigeria international but it was thought that the Hammers weren’t prepared to meet Genk’s £22m asking price.

Transfermarkt currently value him at £18m, so their demands to seem pretty fair.

Finally?

Rob Newman has only been at the London Stadium for a few days now but West Ham’s new head of recruitment could well be the man to finally end David Moyes’ striker nightmare.

The east Londoners searched all summer for a viable forward to provide valuable back-up to the injury-prone Michail Antonio.

Speaking to reporters about his business in the window, the Scotsman revealed (via football.london):

“We would have liked to have brought in someone who could directly replace Mich during the window. [Someone] Who could possibly help him out but we just could not find anyone.”

Onuachu may not have played outside of his home country, Denmark or Belgium but his prolific goalscoring record certainly makes for interesting reading, so he could well be worth a punt this January.

As per Transfermarkt, the 6 foot 7 giant has scored 56 goals in 81 appearances for Genk, which includes 11 in 12 appearances this campaign alone, meaning he’s bagged once every 83 minutes across all competitions.

The Irons will see his talismanic and imposing attributes first-hand very soon as they face the Belgian outfit in the Europa League group stages, where he has already found the net once.

Given his impressive record and physical stature, it’s no surprise that Onuachu has been dubbed “impossible to beat” by former FC Midtjylland teammate Alexander Scholz.

Whilst Ex-Wimbledon striker John Fashanu has previously lauded him as a “goal king.”

Newman must look to get a move for the Genk talisman over the line this January as he’ll instantly bolster Moyes’ playing squad in a key area of weakness.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops exciting behind-the-scenes Rob Newman claim…