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Everton are interested in making a move for exciting Sporting Lisbon youngster Fatawu Issahaku, according to a new transfer rumour from Portugal.

The Lowdown: Issahaku a top prospect

The 18-year-old has emerged as a talented prospect at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, making three Primeira Liga appearances this season, along with playing twice in the Champions League.

Everton’s Merseyside rivals Liverpool have also been linked with a move for Issahaku in the recent past as interest emerges from across Europe.

It now looks as though the Toffees could be in the mix to snap up the teenager, who already has 13 caps to his name for Ghana and could be named in their World Cup squad.

The Latest: Everton keen on Issahaku

According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo [via Sport Witness], Everton had a representative present to Issahaku in action for Sporting against Tottenham in the Champions League a fortnight ago.

The Toffees are eyeing up the winger as ‘part of the process of detecting business opportunities’ and they have ‘joined the list’ of British clubs’ watching him. Manchester United and Liverpool are both mentioned as well.

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The Verdict: One for the future

Issahaku may not be viewed as an immediate starter by Frank Lampard if Everton sign him, but he is a huge talent with a potentially big future ahead of him.

To already be so established at international level as an 18-year-old is a testament to his quality, and he has been hailed as a ‘great talent’ by Sporting manager Ruben Amorim.

Issahaku’s current Sporting deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026, though, so Everton may not be able to get him on the cheap, while beating higher-placed Premier League clubs to his signature could also be tough for the Toffees.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has proven himself a truly astute operator in the transfer market in his Parkhead tenure thus far, with one of the 57-year-old’s most notable success stories having been that of defender, Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The USA international – who is set to feature for his country at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar – arrived in Glasgow last summer on an initial loan deal, having endured a frustrating few years prior to that following a succession of temporary moves away from parent club Tottenham Hotspur.

That late, deadline day move ultimately proved something of a masterstroke as far as the Hoops are concerned, with the impressive centre-back going on to play a vital role in the club’s title success, notably forming an “immense” partnership alongside Carl Starfelt at the heart of the backline, according to pundit Chris Sutton.

That rock-solid form – in which the Southend-born brute recorded 17 clean sheets in just 33 top-flight games – saw the one-time Bournemouth loanee unsurprisingly named in the PFA Team of the Year as a result, having made a smooth transition to life in Scotland.

Despite inevitable interest from afar – including a host of Premier League clubs – the 24-year-old ultimately agreed to sign a permanent deal with Old Firm giants in the recent window, with the club splashing out a reported fee of around £6m to prise him from Spurs.

That may have appeared a potentially hefty figure at the time – ensuring that the 6 foot 1 ace is in the top ten most expensive players in the club’s history – although that deal has subsequently gone on to appear a real bargain, with the player’s value having already risen to around £9m, as per Football Transfers.

That valuation will likely only rise even further should Carter-Vickers sparkle for his county in the coming weeks, with the £24k-per-week powerhouse having already started the current campaign in fine fettle at club level, keeping six clean sheets from his 13 Scottish Premiership outings.

What has been arguably most impressive regarding the player’s time at Paradise thus far has been his brilliance in possession, with the 11-cap titan notably averaging a 92% pass accuracy rate in the league this season, while also ranking fourth for total chance-creating carries among his teammates, showcasing his ability to initiate attacks with a surging run from deep.

That quality has been vital to Postecoglou and co of late, although as to has been the central defender’s leadership qualities, having stepped up to the mark in the absence of usual skipper, Callum McGregor, to take on the armband, with teammate David Turnbull dubbing him an “example to everyone else”.

To have gone from being unable to find a settled home during his time in north London to now being a leading figure at Celtic Park is a sign of the remarkable rise that Carter-Vickers has enjoyed over the past 12 months or so, with it no surprise to have seen his valuation rise so swiftly.

In truth, the champions simply struck gold in bringing the player to Glasgow.

West Ham United boss David Moyes will likely utilise this break in football to plot his potential moves in the upcoming January transfer window, with the World Cup expected to once again provide the stage needed for players to put themselves in the shop window.

One man who is expected to play a leading role for his country this winter is the prolific Senegalese striker, Boulaye Dia, with the 5-foot-9 marksman heading into the tournament off the back of his blistering form for his new club Salernitana.

He already boasts eight goal contributions in 14 Serie A games this season, looking to build upon his seven-goal and six-assist season for Villarreal last season.

This standout form has unsurprisingly brought about widespread transfer rumours, with the 26-year-old having been linked with Everton, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest all mentioned in various reports.

With the 19-cap star still boasting just under four years left on his £20k-per-week deal, it is the Spanish club, of whom are his parent club, that still hold all the cards.

Following the injury to Sadio Mane, the limelight is set to be shone more generously across the Senegal squad, and Dia could be the man to step up when his country needs him most.

Having proved himself a consistent goalscorer across his career, there is certainly a belief that, having scored 58 goals and assisted 12, he has the ability to back up his conviction in his own ability.

Upon first signing for the Spanish outfit, he was quoted as claiming: “I want to have continuity and improve my level on the pitch each season”, before outlining his outstanding qualities, “I can give more depth to the team, especially while running, creating spaces and opening up the pitch. I think I have different qualities to my teammates and we can complement each other.”

With Gianluca Scamacca having only scored twice in the Premier League since his summer move, and Michail Antonio not getting any younger, Dia could provide a fine foil for the Hammers frontmen.

However, should he excel like he very well could do at Qatar, the list of competition alongside the Irons could expand exponentially.

Leeds United target Bono kept a clean sheet for Morocco in their Word Cup opener with Croatia on Wednesday in what could have caught Victor Orta’s eye.

The Lowdown: Whites links

The Whites were first linked with a move for the goalkeeper back in September along with Premier League rivals West Ham.

Reports since then have suggested that Sevilla are ready to listen to offers for the 31-year-old, and his days with the La Liga side are thought to be numbered.

Bono, hailed for his ‘terrific’ saves by journalist Josh Bunting, is valued at €15m by Transfermarkt and is under contract until 2025.

He’s also been called ‘excellent’ by reporter Tanguy Le Seviller, and while it’s clear members of the media rate him, the shot stopper has backed it with a solid outing today.

The Latest: World Cup display

Morocco kicked off their World Cup campaign in Qatar against the 2018 runners-up Croatia, with Bono making his 46th appearance for the national side.

He managed to keep a clean sheet and ended with a SofaScore match rating of 7.2/10, higher than the average Morocco rating of 6.85/10. The shot-stopper made one important save, three high claims, 15 accurate passes and two clearances.

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The Verdict: Orta impressed?

You’d expect that Victor Orta will be watching every kick of the World Cup alongside making plans for the January transfer window at Elland Road.

Bono appears to be a real player of interest to Leeds chiefs, and he may have caught the eye following his solid start in Qatar.

Whether or not a move to Yorkshire materialises remains to be seen, especially as Illan Meslier remains first choice under Jesse Marsch. Joel Robles also arrived in the summer to provide some experienced back up, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Whites make their move for Bono in 2023.

Manchester City have ‘agreed to sign’ Sheffield United teenager Kylan Midwood, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Academy awards

City have plenty of exciting young players in their Etihad academy who are being coached to perfection.

The under-23s, now under-21s, claimed a second successive Premier League 2 title last season, with the Cityzens also enjoying success in the FA Youth Cup and Under-18s Premier League Cup in recent years.

Rico Lewis has become the latest academy graduate to make a name for himself at first-team level by scoring in the Champions League, and it looks as if City may soon have another exciting player on their hands in Midwood.

The Latest: Midwood agrees Man City move

Romano took to Twitter on Friday to share a transfer update from the Etihad Stadium. He said that Manchester City have ‘agreed to sign’ Midwood from Sheffield United, beating four Premier League rivals to his services.

The transfer expert labelled Midwood a ‘top talent’ and said that City ‘want to develop and sign the best young British talent and offer a pathway to first team football’.

The Verdict: Good news

An under-15 player, Midwood is regarded as ‘one of the brightest prospects in the Blades academy’, so knowing that his next destination will be the Etihad academy can only be viewed as good news for all associated with City.

He seems to be a possible future star, and hopefully he will continue to impress in Manchester in the coming years, which could result in a professional deal, duly following in the footsteps of Phil Foden and co.

Leeds United appear to have dodged a massive bullet with Sergino Dest.

The American right-back crashed out of the World Cup on Saturday as the USMNT were defeated 3-1 by one of the tournament’s favourites in the Netherlands.

Once linked with a move to Elland Road, the 22-year-old struggled to combat the threat of Louis van Gaal’s attacking options out wide, with is opposite number Daley Blind even getting on the scoresheet.

Indeed, reports suggested that the Whites were keen on the FC Barcelona ace during the most recent summer transfer window. Well, director of football Victor Orta can count his lucky stars tonight that he didn’t sign him as he would have been Junior Firpo 2.0 in west Yorkshire.

The left-back was signed from the LaLiga giants and ever since then, has struggled to make much of a positive impact. Mirror journalist David Anderson has even described him as a “liability” who has provided very little in terms of ability. consistency and leadership.

Dest very much struggled to have any influence against the Dutch – highlighted by his disastrous 5.8 rating, which was the worst of anyone on the pitch.

It’s perhaps little surprise to have seen him hooked 15 minutes from time and that won’t have just been because the Stars and Stripes needed a goal. Also per Sofascore, the former Ajax gem managed just one successful dribble from six attempts, meaning he struggled to beat Blind and the Oranje backline whenever he got forward.

Meanwhile, he also lost 80% of his duels and handed possession back to the Netherlands with 14 of his 55 touches. Not only being wasteful but being hugely ineffective for his team overall. As per American filmmaker Barry Jenkins, they had Dest “in handcuffs” and he looked like he was “in the backyard playing against his big brothers.”

Despite once described as a “big talent” by former Ajax teammate Quincy Promes, it’s a rather telling sign that he cannot get game time at AC Milan, where he is currently out on loan, having garnered only 373 minutes from nine outings so far this season.

Only three players to have started in the Serie A for the defending champions this season have a worse average WhoScored rating.

As such, Orta and Leeds dodged a bullet by not signing Dest during the summer. Rasmus Kristensen, who manager Jesse Marsch pined for instead, has been a far greater option in the role.

AND in other news, Orta could seal a “really good signing” as Leeds plot move for £25m “absolute beast”…

Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a move for Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, according to club expert John Wenham.

The Lowdown: Tottenham target Pickford

The 28-year-old has emerged as a transfer target for Antonio Conte to replace long-term servant Hugo Lloris, who is nearly 36 and approaching the twilight of his career.

Journalist Dean Jones informed GIVEMESPORT of Spurs’ interest in Pickford, and a fresh claim has come to light which seems to signify that a move could well be in the offing…

The Latest: Wenham’s comments

Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham was full of praise for the England shot-stopper, while also claiming that the player himself would likely be keen on a potential move to Tottenham.

The Spurs expert said of Pickford, whose contract at Everton expires in 18 months’ time: “Tottenham will absolutely be looking at that. I think he is a very, very good goalkeeper. He is a bit unusual, personality-wise, I wonder if that is the reason he has stayed at Everton.

“He would be an asset to have at the back behind that defence. If Tottenham decide that Lloris is done and he can go, maybe next summer, then I don’t think you can go wrong with Pickford.

“I’m sure Pickford, at some point, will look to move to a club playing in the Champions League, he doesn’t want to be in a relegation battle. He should be at a big club, fighting for trophies rather than losing 7-1 to Bournemouth on aggregate across two games in the same week.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

Despite England’s heartbreaking exit from the World Cup at the hands of France, their first-choice goalkeeper enjoyed yet another decent tournament, keeping three clean sheets in five outings.

Also lauded as ‘sensational’ for his performances at club level by journalist Jeff Wallner, the 28-year-old has been a shining light in a poor Everton team this season, deemed their third-best performer in the Premier League by SofaScore with an average match rating of 7.24.

Lloris has been a fantastic servant to Tottenham, lining out 437 times for the club over the past decade, but Pickford would appear to be the perfect heir to the Frenchman, and Conte should pursue a move for the Everton stopper at the earliest opportunity.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a potential boost in their pursuit of Youssoufa Moukoko.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, with the Italian transfer insider revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, unless Borussia Dortmund can agree a new deal with the 18-year-old centre-forward this month, English and Spanish clubs will be “ready to push” for the Germany international in the January transfer window.

This news is likely to come as a boost to Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici, as 90min reported back in November that Tottenham had sent scouts to watch the striker in action for Dortmund ahead of launching a potential bid for the teenager in the new year.

Regarding the future of Moukoko, Romano said: “Moukoko deal. BVB have still chances to extend his contract, player has great relationship with [Edin] Terzić & club – but timing is crucial, they’ve to act within December with good proposal. English & Spanish clubs ready to push in January if new deal won’t be agreed now.”

Haaland 2.0

Considering just how exciting a talent Moukoko has very much proven himself to be in recent seasons, should Dortmund fail to reach an agreement with the youngster in December, the argument that Conte and Paratici must do all they can to sign the centre-forward is an incredibly easy one to make.

Indeed, after scoring an astronomical 142 goals and registering a further 27 assists over 90 appearances for Dortmund’s U17, U19 and reserve sides – averaging a direct goal involvement every 46 minutes of football played – the 18-year-old has continued his remarkable rise upon his promotion to the senior team this term.

Over his 14 Bundesliga fixtures in the current campaign – only eight of which have come as starts – the £26m-rated wonderkid has already bagged six goals, provided four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.9 shots – 1.1 of which have hit the target – making 0.5 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £800-per-week sensation average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.89, currently ranking him as Terzić’s joint 11th-best performer in the top flight of German football – a rather remarkable feat considering the striker only turned 18 years of age back in November.

Rather unsurprisingly, these returns have seen Moukoko compared to another of Dortmund’s former wonderkid forwards, Erling Haaland, who himself took the time to praise the youngster back in November 2020, stating: “About Moukoko: I think he’s the biggest talent in the world right now. 16 years and 1 day, that’s quite amazing. He has a big career ahead of him.”

That comparison and statement is no shock when you consider the youngster’s record at youth level, with the German having scored a mind-boggling 127 goals and registered 26 assists in just 84 appearances, a record the Manchester City sensation would certainly be proud of himself.

As such, should Paratici manage to get a deal over the line for Moukoko in January, not only would the sporting director look to have landed a talent who could go on to become Spurs’ undisputed number nine for many a year to come, but he could also have unearthed the next Haaland-esque goal machine – something that is undoubtedly an extremely tantalising prospect.

Scottish champions Celtic could well be facing the prospect of losing another exciting academy asset in the near future…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, promising Hoops defender Bosun Lawal is believed to be attracting notable attention from clubs in Europe, with Italian duo Pisa and Verona named as potential suitors.

The standout interested party named in the piece is Premier League outfit Brentford, with the Bees said to be ‘monitoring’ the 19-year-old’s progress at present, ahead of the January transfer window.

The young Irishman – who has 18 months remaining on his existing deal at Parkhead – only joined the Old Firm giants from Watford during the summer of 2021.

Ajer repeat

That apparent interest from Thomas Frank’s side will seemingly have a familiar feel as far as Ange Postecoglou is concerned, with the west London outfit having poached Kristoffer Ajer from Glasgow for a fee of around £13.5m just 18 months ago.

Although the Norwegian defender was a more established figure than Lawal at the time of his departure, his exit illustrated the notable pulling power of the Premier League, with clubs south of the border having regularly come calling for the Bhoys’ brightest talents.

That has also been evident in the case of Scottish sensation, Ben Doak, with the winger having made the move to Liverpool earlier this year, with recent reports having also claimed that midfielder Ewan Otoo is of interest to clubs in England.

In the case of Lawal, the teenager’s departure would be a particularly worrying blow due to his impressive rise through the ranks of late, with the former Hornets ace having notably been named on the bench for the recent victory over Aberdeen.

That inclusion was a sign that the towering centre-back has caught the eye of Postecoglou in recent times, having also been named as part of the first-team squad for the recent Sydney Super Cup.

The “outstanding” asset – as described by ‘B’ team coach Tommy McIntyre – has notably racked up five goals and two assists in just 13 games in all competitions so far this season, proving a real goal threat from his defensive berth.

The next step will now seemingly be for Lawal to truly establish himself at senior level, with the versatile ace – who can also feature in midfield – no doubt highly thought of by those at Paradise.

As Celtic found out in the case of the aforementioned Ajer, however – as well as others – it can often prove difficult for players to turn down the temptation of joining a Premier League outfit.

Journalist Paul Brown is ‘not convinced’ by West Ham United central defender Thilo Kehrer, claiming that he ‘looks a yard off the pace’.

The Lowdown: Summer signing

Kehrer signed at the London Stadium from French giants PSG for a reported transfer fee of £10.1m plus add-ons.

Hailed as a ‘talented player’ by David Moyes upon his arrival, there were high hopes for the central defender when he signed, but his move does not seem to have worked out so far.

The Latest: Unconvincing

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Brown has claimed that he is ‘not convinced’ by Kehrer, as he ‘looks a yard off the pace’, and is not a player that Moyes can ‘trust on a regular basis’:

“I’m not convinced by him either. He looks a yard off the pace at the moment. He doesn’t seem to have adapted very well since he’s come in.

“He’s had the odd game where he’s looked okay, but I’m not sure you can trust him on a regular basis.”

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The Verdict: Needs time

Given he only arrived in the summer, Kehrer still needs time to settle in.

He has played in every minute of his 14 Premier League appearances this season, suggesting that Moyes fully trusts him, so he is clearly impressing on the training pitches and just needs to translate that onto the big stage.

Kehrer ranks as the 16th-best performer in the Hammers squad, with three central defenders all ranking higher than him in the top flight, and his poor form coincides with the team struggling in the table.

Irons supporters will just be hoping that he can find his feet quickly in the second part of the campaign.