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Former Everton star Marcus Bent believes that Duncan Ferguson should be given the chance to take the job at Goodison Park in the coming weeks.

The former striker has weighed in on the club’s hunt for a new boss following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti to Real Madrid.

Reports suggest that Everton could make a move to appoint former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, which would make him the first boss to manage both Merseyside clubs.

However, Bent, who played for Everton between 2004 and 2006, believes that Ferguson ought to be given the chance to take the reigns.

The former Everton striker was the assistant to Ancelotti and he took over as caretaker manager in 2019 following the sacking of Marco Silva, famously guiding the club to a 3-1 win over Chelsea in his first game in charge.

Bent believes that the Scot, who played for the club between 1994 and 1998, and 2000 and 2006, has his finger on the pulse at the club and is perfectly sited to replacing the Italian.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “Duncan’s been there under Ancelotti and the fans are going crazy about him going, not going crazy but obviously they were looking forward to him being there with the new stadium and stuff.

“But Duncan being behind him and knowing what he wants to achieve and wants to go forward with, I think Duncan would be amazing for the club, especially the passion and the thoughtfulness and the years that he’s been within the club. I think everyone respects him.”

Bent also believes that Everton legend Tim Cahill could come in and help Ferguson make a real mark on Merseyside.

He added: “Yes, alright, he would be a new manager, and they’re talking about Tim Cahill coming in alongside him, to back him up, who is an Australian legend, an Everton legend, he works in Dubai at the minute, learning his trade.

“It’s new, it’s free, it’s not a given with Ancelotti, Real Madrid, he’s won trophies, the money he was going to be given this year to go forward and build a team, I think Dunc would know where he was going, he would have his own dreams, his own way of going but to be schooled and be seen to be the number two behind Ancelotti, I think Dunc needs to be given a chance.”

Tottenham Hotspur remain keen on Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Atheltic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke claims that the 51-year-old coach is still a popular choice within the Spurs hierarchy, even despite him recently signing a contract extension with the Eredivisie champions.

It’s thought that he is still within reach of the North London outfit, whilst other contenders on the shortlist include Belgium boss Roberto Martinez, ex-Leipzig guru Ralf Rangnick, and Brighton’s Graham Potter.

Football Insider even believe that the former Everton and Wigan boss has held three rounds of talks with the club, too.

Better than Martinez

The 47-year-old is someone Levy should avoid like a barge pole.

As outlined by Football FanCast in this article, it could seriously hinder their chances of keeping hold of Harry Kane as he is said to have “systemic” tactical problems and has won just 30% of matches in the Premier League.

Instead, Spurs should be making a huge plot to land ten Hag, who is cut from the same cloth as Pep Guardiola.

It’s widely thought that Levy is seeking an attack-minded head coach that has a proven record in developing young players, so there cannot be a better candidate out there than the Dutchman.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-managerial-updates-transfer-news-rumours-gossip-and-more-levy-kane-enic” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, managerial gossip, transfer rumours and more!”]

Ten Hag is committed to a high-pressing, quick-passing and possession-based style of football, so it’s no surprise to see him favour the sort of 4-2-3-1 or  4-3-3 that we’ve seen under Mauricio Pochettino and many other modern managers.

Furthermore, he has overseen the progress of some big-money exits, ranging from Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona) to Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus), and continues to nurture Ajax’s next crop of talented stars with mega potential.

David Neres, Ryan Gravenberch and Lisandro Martinez are just three names to keep an eye on in the coming windows.

Since his arrival at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, he has steered the Dutch giants to two league titles and has also registered a phenomenal 74% win rate. For comparison, this far exceeds that of Jose Mourinho (52%) and Mauricio Pochettino (55%) during their respective spells in charge of Spurs.

Ten Hag has earned plenty of glowing endorsements throughout his managerial career, too.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp dubbed him “one of the most exciting coaching talents in world football,” whilst the aforementioned de Jong praised his “positive energy” and “great football vision” to the Guardian.

Also lauded as “remarkable,” ten Hag clearly has all the necessary tools to fit exactly what Levy is after in his next appointment.

If anyone is going to transform Spurs into an elite side once again, then it is surely the Ajax man from that list. Evidently, he plays attractive football and can develop just about any promising youngster into the next best thing.

The Spurs chairman must put all his eggs into the 51-year-old’s basket. He’s surely his dream manager.

AND in other news, Daniel Levy could transform Spurs with landmark double swoop…

Former Glasgow Rangers defender Alan Hutton has shared his fears over Steven Gerrard leaving the Gers for a Premier League club this summer.

The Lowdown: Gerrard linked with exit

Earlier this year, Gerrard was linked with a move to Liverpool after it was suggested Jurgen Klopp could leave the Reds (The Mirror).

While that particular link has since quietened down, both Wolves (The Athletic) and Everton are said to have been in pursuit of the Gers boss more recently.

The Latest: Hutton shares exit fears

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton has admitted he is worried Gerrard could leave the 55-time Scottish champions. He said when asked if he was worried:

“Yeah, of course. I think it will be every Rangers fan’s nightmare knowing how well he’s done.

“He’s come in, it’s taken him a few seasons to settle in but we’re seeing how good he actually is as a manager at the moment and what he can bring to the table.

“With this managerial merry-go-round that literally is happening down south, there’s going to be opportunities. It doesn’t matter who you are. You want to be working or playing at the highest level possible.

“There’s a lot of money down south. If there’s an opportunity to go to a team and rebuild a team at a high level, of course you’re going to have to think about it. It’s only natural.

“I’m worried as a Rangers fan. We know how good a job Gerrard’s done and people will be looking at him.”

The Verdict: Not yet

It seems inevitable Gerrard will leave the Gers to move some south at some point. The 41-year-old, who earns £2.5m a year at Ibrox (£48,000 a week, The Daily Express), has done a fantastic job in Glasgow, leading Rangers to their first major trophy in 10 years. However, he is a Liverpool legend and an Englishman, and will therefore always likely be interested in a move back home.

Having said that, it feels unlikely that he will leave this summer. Rangers’ Premiership title means they have qualified for the Champions League third qualifying round. A run in Europe’s premier club competition is surely too big a challenge to pass up on.

In other news, Kieran Maguire has made this Ibrox claim.

Daniel Farke’s Norwich City side are interested in a move for Angus Gunn this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Hampshire Live, who claim that Southampton are open to the possibility of parting with the £2.7m-rated goalkeeper this summer, with Norwich reported to have identified the former England U21 international as a transfer target.

Hampshire Live go on to report that Norwich are considering bringing a new ‘keeper to Carrow Road in order to provide support and to compete for a starting spot with Tim Krul, as Orjan Nyland is stalling over a contract extension due to a lack of game time at the club.

Webber must move

Having spent the season on loan at Stoke City, Gunn turned in a number of solid performances while at the Bet365 Stadium, helping his side to keep six clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.1 saves and 0.9 successful run outs per game over his 15 Championship appearances, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 6.73.

And, while this form is far from remarkable, there is easily enough evidence to make the argument that the shot-stopper – who came through the youth ranks at Norwich before moving to Manchester City – would be a good signing for Daniel Farke’s side.

Firstly is the point raised in Hampshire Live’s report regarding Orjan Nyland – with the 30-year-old goalkeeper looking set to depart City this summer without making an appearance since arriving at the club in February.

As such, Norwich simply have to bring in a ‘keeper to provide Krul with cover and competition ahead of next season – and, considering the fact that Gunn already has a decent amount of Premier League game time under his belt from his time at Southampton, he would appear a fine candidate in terms of experience in the league.

Secondly, and a rather important point when factoring in how Stuart Webber goes about his business in terms of incoming transfers, Gunn would appear to be an extremely cost-effective signing, with the ‘keeper – whom Ralph Hassenhuttl claimed has a “big future” ahead of him – likely to be available for a figure around his £2.7m Transfermarkt valuation due to being surplus to requirements at St. Mary’s.

Finally, the 25-year-old is a player who it can be assumed Daniel Farke is a big fan of, as the German manager brought Gunn the to club on loan for City’s 2017/18 Championship campaign, meaning that it should not take the £40k-per-week man long to adjust to life back at Carrow Road.

So, all in all, it would appear as if a move by Webber for the ‘keeper would be a very astute signing for the Canaries this summer, as the sporting director looks to build a squad capable of retaining their top-flight status beyond next season.

In other news: Major Norwich City development is revealed that’ll surely have fans buzzing – opinion

Mel Morris is in talks with US consortium as he looks to finally complete the sale of Derby County, according to Mirror journalist James Nursey.

The lowdown

Morris is intent on selling the club, having invested £200million of his own money during his time at Pride Park.

Derby just about stayed up on the final day of the season after a thrilling 3-3 draw with relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday, although they are yet to discover the punishment for a breach of Financial Fair Play regulations.

A points deduction could be in store, but it’s been reported that it wouldn’t be imposed until next season, meaning they won’t be relegated after the fact.

Morris has already tried in vain to sell the club to Sheikh Khaled, a cousin of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour, and to Spaniard Erik Alonso.

The latest

Nursey says there could be ‘hope on the horizon’ for the club, with negotiations underway.

The prospective American owners are said to have ‘experience in sport’, coming after Rooney begged for ‘clarity’ and said simply of a potential takeover: “It has to happen.”

The verdict

At this point, Derby fans will just be desperate for the saga to end, and for some sense of stability to be restored to their football club.

Indeed, the respite of survival may be short-lived if talks drag on into the coming months.

Their hands may be tied in the transfer market if that uncertainty persists. Throw in a points deduction and the Rams could be in serious trouble.

As Rooney states, Morris’ future at the club simply must be sorted as quickly as possible.

In other news, Rams fans want to see this man sold.  

Hold on to your hats everyone, the roadrunner himself, Mr Adama Traore, is well and truly back.

This season has been one to write off and quickly forget about from a Wolves perspective. That can be especially applied to Traore.

The Spaniard had a breakthrough campaign last year as he racked up four goals and nine assists in the top-flight.

This term, however, has been one full of a lack of end product. Until last week, the 25-year-old hadn’t scored in the Premier League since December 2019; a wretched run of 48 arduous games.

They can rue various moments in the season for their position of 12th in the table. Raul Jimenez being ruled out while he recovers from a fractured skull has not been ideal while Jonny is currently going through rehab on a second ACL in a year.

What hasn’t benefited their cause either is Traore’s woeful run.

Thankfully, the speed demon is returning to form and is quickly living up to his tag of “unplayable”, a word Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp used to describe him last term.

Traore bagged the winner against Fulham last time out and had a big say on the win over Sheffield United on Saturday evening.

It took the Old Gold a long time to break down Paul Heckingbottom’s side but everything positive came through their dazzling Spaniard.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-news-and-views-lingard-leao-jimenez-mir” title= “Read the latest Wolves news and views!”]

The winger applied the throttle for their goal, dashing down the right-hand side before laying the ball on a plate for Willian Jose. The Brazilian took the ball in his stride and fired home immaculately to finally open his account in Wolves colours.

The work from Traore was stellar. He broke free of the defence and then slid in an inch-perfect ball for his colleague.

In his last three games, he now has a goal and two assists. Compare that to his previous 35 appearances and the differences are night and day; during that run, he failed to assist or score.

He was a bull-dozer at Molineux this weekend, winning an eye-catching 13 duels. He has never been afraid of the physical side of things and that was evident against the Blades.

Traore performed two dribbles and was fouled a mighty six times by the visitors. What was most impressive, however, was his creativity.

He rolled back the clock to his performances last season by providing four key passes for his teammates, the most of any player on the pitch.

Back to his best, there is every reason to be excited about the forward again. After Pedro Neto was ruled out for six months, Nuno Santo needed Traore to stand up and be counted. He certainly did that on Saturday.

AND in other news, Wolves star who became “world-class” under Nuno sees his value rise by 250% in 4 years…

Get German Football News editor-in-chief Daniel Pinder has told Football FanCast that Arsenal should have signed Christopher Nkunku from PSG before his move to RB Leipzig, having been linked with him in April 2019 when Unai Emery was in charge.

The midfielder moved to the Bundesliga club for a fee of around €15m (£12.9m) and he has gone on to impress during his time in Germany.

Nkunku is just 23 and he can play in both central midfield and attacking midfield, and has done so well during his time at Leipzig.

In total, he has made 78 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals and registering 25 assists.

He made the same number of appearances at PSG and Pinder, a Bundesliga expert, believes that the Gunners missed out by not signing the former France U21 international, who has won six caps for his country at youth level.

Arsenal have been linked with Nkunku after to his move but it is not clear if a bid was made prior to his switch.

He has also called on the Gunners to revert to the Arsene Wenger strategy of finding players who are unheralded but with the ability to grow and improve during their Gunners careers.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “Yeah, being an Arsenal fan, I like what Arsene Wenger did, signing unknown players.

“So maybe someone like Sasa Kalajdzic, Silas Wamangituka, but even just while we’re at it, obviously they were interested in Nkunku as well and I think that’s someone Arsenal should’ve signed from PSG before Leipzig got in there.”

Brendan Rodgers reportedly has Gerard Moreno in his sights for a possible transfer to Leicester City, according to Fichajes.

As per the news outlet, the former Liverpool and Celtic boss would be interested in signing him because he is capable of playing in a front two with Jamie Vardy, aside from the sheer number of goals that he can score.

Moreno has scored no fewer than 23 goals and made a further eight assists in 32 games in total over all competitions so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), averaging just shy of a goal or an assist a match.

Playing in the UEFA Champions League is his ‘main dream’, and the East Midlands club could well offer him that next season.

Leicester should sign Moreno

It would do no harm to the Foxes at all if they were to add another striker to their squad, and Moreno could the perfect man.

The Villarreal ace, currently rated at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, clearly knows where the net is, and would certainly ease off the goal scoring burden off of both Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho.

At 29 years of age, the Spain international is in his prime years as a football player, and may favour a move to LCFC if they are able to qualify for the Champions League come the end of the campaign.

In other news, find out whose display against Manchester City was blasted here!

Many Manchester United fans have been left to fume as utdreport relayed the news that Jonathan Moss has been appointed as the referee versus Burnley.

Moss was the official when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team lost 2-0 at home to the Clarets in the 2019/20 term and has also sent Marcus Rashford off before in a game against Sean Dyche’s men (World Football), so there is certainly some bad blood between the supporters and the official going into the match on Sunday afternoon.

Nonetheless, the Red Devils will be looking to grab all three points and thus cement their place in the top four of the table in the Premier League, coming off the back of a very impressive comeback away at Tottenham Hotspur.

If Solskjaer’s men can grab another impressive result this time around, finishing in the top two could start to look like something of a formality.

Manchester United fans on Moss appointment

These MUFC fans fumed upon reading that Moss has officially been appointed on Twitter, with one fan claiming that it is ‘frustrating’:

“Oh why”

Credit: @Helle66221114

“Advantage Burnley”

Credit: @the_WISH_utd

“Why does the worst PL ref constantly officiate our games?”

Credit: @sani_atk

“That’s a game spoiled then. Absolutely useless, the worse ref I’ve ever seen in the top flight.”

Credit: @YendoleCharlie

“They’ve planned a frustrating weekend for United”

Credit: @its_wilsy

“We are done”

Credit: @ManUtdVIPer

In other news, find out whose display versus Granada was slammed here!

According to a report by Italian news outlet Il Milanista, as translated and shared by Sport Witness, West Ham United are eyeing Marseille ace Jordan Amavi – with manager David Moyes and co reportedly interested in this potential summer free agent.

West Ham eyeing Amavi

Amavi, who has suffered from a fair share of injury problems this season (Transfermarkt), resulting in little game time, hasn’t put pen to paper on an extension at the Stade Velodrome – resulting in some clubs taking note ahead of the summer window.

Il Milanista relay that as well as West Ham, Serie A giants AC Milan and Napoli are taking note – with the latter side keeping tabs after a bad injury to their left-back Faouzi Ghoulam.

The 27-year-old, who has Premier League experience with Aston Villa having played there from 2015-2017, is now on the Hammers radar – and GSB could theoretically sign him for free in the summer as his contract expires at the end of this season.

Transfer Tavern take

Despite his fitness concerns over 2020/2021, former Marseille boss Andre Villas-Boas has allegedly been quoted as calling him ‘amazing’ (HITC) for his exploits at the start of the season.

As well as this, former Premier League boss Tim Sherwood called Amavi a ‘top player’ when the duo worked together at Villa Park back in 2015 (official).

Still nearing his prime and having averaged an impressive 2.1 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per 90 in Ligue 1 over 2019/2020 when playing regularly (WhoScored), it is clear he could be a coup for the east Londoners on a free summer deal if they decide to take their interest any further.

In other news: West Ham fans flocked to this ExWHUemployee news, find out more here.