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Marcus Bent believes that Rafael Benitez could be the man to come in and take Everton to the next level.

Everton are now three weeks into their managerial search following Carlo Ancelotti’s sudden departure, but don’t appear any closer to appointing a replacement.

Nuno Espirito Santo is still the leading candidate, but despite ongoing talks with the Portuguese, the Toffees are still considering others for the job, with Benitez amongst those.

The 61-year-old has been out of work since leaving the Chinese Super League in January due to Covid-19, and has an impressive 49% win rate as a Premier League manager having tasted success in 168 of the 340 games he’s taken charge of.

But Benitez becoming the Everton manager would certainly raise eyebrows following his affiliation with Liverpool, winning both the Champions League and FA Cup during six successful seasons at Anfield, but the idea of the Spaniard moving to the blue half of Stanley Park wouldn’t put off Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri.

Bent, too, told The Transfer Tavern that he’s open to the idea of the ex-Reds manager being chosen to take Everton forward:

“Benitez has been from club to club. He did well at Liverpool, but he’s someone that could come in and move the club forward.

“I spoke about Duncan Ferguson, Tim Cahill coming in as an assistant, I think the fans would love it, but Benitez, he’s an experienced manager who knows what he’s doing.”

West Ham United have once again been linked with a move for Olivier Giroud ahead of the upcoming transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato, there is a lot of interest in the out-of-contract Chelsea striker this summer, with teams in the Serie A and Premier League monitoring his situation. The likes of Juventus, Inter Milan, AS Roma and Lazio have been mentioned, as well as the Irons, who could battle their top-flight rivals Crystal Palace for his signature.

Giroud’s £110,000-per-week deal at Stamford Bridge expires next month, meaning he is free to find a new club unless the Champions League finalists offer him a new deal, which seems unlikely at this stage.

Perfect foil

Despite being 34, the 1.93m (6 foot 4) powerhouse ticks a lot of encouraging boxes for the Hammers.

It is abundantly clear that David Moyes is desperate for a new addition to his frontline after the club failed to replace the outgoing Sebastian Haller during the January transfer window, leaving him with an injury-prone Michail Antonio as his only senior option at centre-forward.

They have been linked with plenty of big-money signings, including Giroud’s Chelsea teammate Tammy Abraham, who could cost in excess of £40m. That’s an extraordinary amount of money and would undoubtedly take a serious wedge out of the 58-year-old’s summer budget, so Giroud is an appealing cheap and short-term fix instead.

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He also has vast experience in the game, racking up 255 appearances and 90 goals in the Premier League, as well as 107 caps for France, whilst he has won the World Cup, a Europa League and four FA Cups.

With the Irons just one point away from Europa League qualification, signing someone who has won that very competition could be rather valuable. Again, that’s another checkmark beside his name.

Of course, the French veteran is by no means a long-term fix to Moyes’ striker woes, but he is certainly still capable of delivering the goods on his day, and could either be a short-term plug or a perfect option to accompany any new addition – after all, West Ham probably need more than just one new centre-forward.

Giroud also offers something completely different to Antonio – that being his aerial threat – something about which Eden Hazard waxed lyrical in 2018.

“Olivier’s a target man, maybe the best in the world; I think so,” explained the former Chelsea star. “When he gets the ball, he can hold the ball and we can go in deep with him, so for us, it’s a pleasure to play with him.”

The 34-year-old beast, valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt, has also been lauded as “out of this world” by Glenn Hoddle, whilst his former boss Frank Lampard hailed him as “the ultimate professional.”

Furthermore, it is perhaps Gary Lineker’s past endorsement which should provide the most encouragement, as he tweeted: “Olivier Giroud is an extremely underrated player. His intelligent movement and finishing are exceptional. He’ll always score plenty of goals.”

All in all, on the above evidence, Moyes should urge a move for the free agent this summer. It won’t cost GSB a penny and Giroud would provide a bargain solution to their thin attack.

AND in other news, Hammers could be dealt Jack Wilshere 2.0 by signing £18m-rated “physical monster”…

Writing on Twitter, French journalist Loic Tanzi has lifted the lid on an emerging transfer development at West Ham United involving promising youngster Pierre Ekwah Elimby.

The Lowdown: Big summer ahead…

Following a 2020/2021 campaign which defied expectation, West Ham are now set to take to the market this summer as manager David Moyes aims to bolster his squad wherever possible.

This includes the acquisition of promising young players who can potentially break through into the senior squad and provide quality for years to come.

The Irons acquired one young starlet recently in the form of defender Frederik Alves, who signed in January, and the Dane has already been pictured training with the first team.

The Latest: Elimby ‘expected to sign with West Ham’

Now, lifting the lid on an emerging development, journalist Tanzi has dropped an enticing claim involving another eye-catching youngster in the form of Elimby.

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Indeed, as explained on social media, the 19-year-old Chelsea man is now ‘expected to sign with West Ham’ after a trial with the Hammers in recent weeks.

The colossal 6 foot 2 teenager, as a result, will join the likes of Alves on a growing list of impressive prodigies at Rush Green.

The Verdict: Coup for the Hammers…

Details of the deal or contract length are unstated by the journalist, but West Ham may be about to acquire someone with real potential.

Over the course of his trial, Elimby has made just two Premier League 2 appearances for the Hammers’ Under-23s side but that has seemingly been enough to turn heads (Transfermarkt).

In that time, the defensive midfielder even managed to notch a goal – with the versatile Frenchman also capable of slotting in at centre-back (Transfermarkt).

While this won’t be the blockbuster transfer West Ham fans want at the London Stadium, this comes as an enticing development given Elimby’s promise.

In other news: West Ham in talks to finalise agreement for 24 y/o after extensive talks, find out more here.

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, former Rangers defender Michael Ball has hailed Ryan Kent as a revelation.

Kent joined Rangers permanently from Liverpool for £7.5m back in 2019 and has gone on to help his side win the title in Scotland.

And at that price, Ball believes it was a gamble to bring the 24-year-old to Ibrox, but one that has paid off.

Kent has been fantastic this season, contributing with both goals and assists in Rangers’ path to the Scottish Premiership trophy. He also impressed the campaign prior, scoring seven times in 21 league appearances.

Speaking exclusively to TT about Rangers’ recent and future transfer activity, Ball said:

“Rangers have got to be quite clever in the market; they’ve got to take a gamble. A high percentage of their gambles have paid off.

“If you look at Ryan Kent, £7.5m, that was a lot of money for Rangers to pay at that time and, you know, he’s been an absolute revelation for them.”

Kent is now said to be attracting interest back in England, with The Sun reporting that Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa are eyeing a £15m swoop for the English winger.

This follows interest from the last summer transfer window, where Leeds had a £10m bid turned down for the player.

Rangers have reportedly made an approach for Nimes winger Zinedine Ferhat ahead of the transfer window, which could prove to be a huge boost for Steven Gerrard ahead of next season should the 28-year-old complete a move to Ibrox this summer.

Rangers were initially linked with the Algerian by French news outlet Foot Mercato earlier this month and it has now been claimed that the Ibrox outfit have made an official approach as they look to prise him away from the Ligue 1 side, who recently lost their battle against top-flight relegation.

A source has claimed [via Rangers Vital]: “I was able to approach a source at Nimes. The source at Nimes asked not to be identified (understandably) and confirmed that the report from Foot Mercato was legitimate. Rangers have definitely made an approach for Ferhat.

“However, the midfielder already has other teams in France interested in him, and according to him, Rangers will need to make a substantial offer to get him. The plus side for any team approaching is that the player’s contract will expire next season, and there is a chance Nimes is relegated to Ligue 2.”

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The 28-year-old winger has enjoyed a superb campaign in the French top flight but he was unable to save Nimes from relegation, which suggests that he will likely depart Stade des Costières this summer.

In 33 league appearances, Ferhat contributed an impressive six goals and 10 assists, helping him earn an impressive 7.21 average match rating from WhoScored.

This has been his best goalscoring season to date, with just 29 senior goals in his career. However, he has consistently shown that he is capable of getting assists, contributing 20 for Le Havre in the 2017/18 season, so he could definitely be a threat in Gerrard’s side if he moves to Ibrox.

Transfermarkt currently values Ferhat at £7.2m, which suggests that he won’t come cheap, but Gerrard will undoubtedly be looking to add players with Champions League quality to his side ahead of next season. Given that Ferhat is joint-top of the assists chart in Ligue 1 this season, despite playing in a relegated side, it seems that he would be a stellar addition at Ibrox.

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Therefore, if Ross Wilson has indeed made an official approach for him, then Gerrard could be on track to receive a huge boost to his squad in the coming weeks.

In other news… Rangers linked with 21 y/o wonderkid likened to Sadio Mane

One of Liverpool’s main summer arrivals last summer was Greek left-back Kostas Tsimikas from Olympiakos.

The 24-year-old eventually signed for the Reds for a reported £11.75m fee, penning a five-year contract in the process.

However, it could have been so different, with new reports from The Athletic revealing that current Tottenham Hotspur left-back Sergio Reguilon was on the Reds’ wishlist. Just under a year down the line, Jurgen Klopp must regret not swooping for the Spaniard instead.

Tsimikas has been barely seen in a Liverpool shirt so far having made just six appearances for the club, with just one of those coming in the Premier League.

This has led to a huge over reliance on first-choice left-back Andrew Robertson. Indeed, the Scot has only missed three matches for the Reds throughout the current campaign, his only absences coming in the domestic cup competitions.

Whilst Tsimikas has rarely been afforded opportunities and having not wholly convinced when he has been on the pitch, Reguilon has been fantastic for Tottenham.

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Rated at £22.5m, the Spaniard has made 28 appearances for the north Londoners this season, notching five assists. Interestingly, that is the same tally that current Reds defender Robertson has managed to rack up this season.

The Tottenham man’s form has certainly not gone unnoticed either, with pundit and former Premier League defender Micah Richards praising his “brilliant” performances. It therefore goes without saying that Reguilon would likely have provided far better competition at Anfield for Robertson than Tsimikas.

This would have allowed Klopp to rest the former Hull City man more regularly, which would have been hugely beneficial as the Reds continue to battle on two fronts for a top four Premier League finish and in the current edition of the Champions League.

On reflection, the Reds certainly made a blunder in signing Tsimikas over Reguilon.

AND in more news, Liverpool have been handed a huge boost in their Kylian Mbappe pursuit…

Liverpool should strengthen their forward line in the summer with the signing of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

Despite Dean Windass suggesting that the Reds could go for a “bigger name” in an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Watkins could be the perfect candidate to replace Roberto Firmino in the forward line at Anfield.

The current Villa man is currently in the midst of a fantastic debut campaign in the Premier League.

He has scored 12 goals in 31 appearances in the league this season following a big-money move from Brentford, an extremely positive return.

The 25-year-old has also managed to display his talents on regular occasion against Liverpool having netted four goals against the Reds throughout the campaign which includes a hat-trick in the infamous 7-2 defeat at Villa Park – form that has seen him labelled as “unbelievable” by Windass.

Rated at £28.8m, he could certainly then be the perfect replacement for the out-of-form Roberto Firmino.

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The Brazilian has scored just six goals in the league this season and reports from Spain suggest that Atletico Madrid are apparently contemplating a move for the current Reds’ striker.

When comparing the two forwards and their respective performances, Watkins continues to come out on top.

According to WhoScored, the Villa man contributes more shots per game with 2.6 to 2.3 whilst he also produces marginally more key passes – 1.2 to 1.1.

Meanwhile, Watkins is also an extremely potent threat in the air, winning a huge 3.9 aerial duels per game in the Premier League compared to Firmino’s paltry 0.6.

So, whilst Windass might well be expecting a more high-profile arrival for the attacking areas at Anfield, the current Villa striker certainly deserves to be amongst the Reds’ transfer targets and could be the perfect replacement for Firmino should he depart.

AND in more news, take a look at Liverpool fans’ opinions on the failed European Super League…

Marcel Brands must strive to seal a loan exit for Everton prospect Rhys Hughes this summer amid mounting Championship interest.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool Echo, several second-tier sides are eying moves to sign Hughes for the 2021/22 season following his breakthrough in Everton’s Under 23s.

The 19-year-old has proven to be a key aspect of David Unsworth’s plans this term, and earned his first call-up for Wales’ U21s during the current international break.

Everton are undecided on sanctioning a temporary move away for Hughes, and could instead look to keep the attacking midfielder at Finch Farm until the January window.

Hughes has two goals and five assists to his name over 18 appearances in the Premier League 2 this season, while starting 14 of his outings and only failing to feature once.

Unsworth has utilised the Wrexham-born playmaker as a versatile weapon in his arsenal, with the set-piece specialist given minutes across the forward line and in all midfield positions bar a holding role.

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The youngster had provided 12 assists and three goals in 42 appearances for Everton’s U18s before his promotion, while captaining Paul Tait’s side for much of the curtailed 2019/20 campaign.

Liverpool and Manchester United had displayed an interest in Hughes’ potential as a six-year-old, and he has since developed into an all-action midfielder who links the defence and attack, does not shy from a tackle and is comfortable playing with either foot.

Should Everton send Hughes out on loan?

Everton are noted to be undecided on sending Hughes out on loan at this stage as they may look to replicate the move secured by Ellis Simms, who joined Blackpool in January and has gone on to score three goals in 11 League One appearances.

But another academy graduate, Beni Baningime, has struggled since departing Merseyside and joining Derby County on loan in the winter market, having featured just twice, been left an unused substitute six times and omitted from four squads by Wayne Rooney.

Everton had hoped to send Baningime out on loan to Blackpool last summer before a deal collapsed following advanced negotiations, and he stuck around to play a key role and occasionally captain Unsworth’s U23s.

Baningime’s struggles to follow that junior role with first-team minutes at Derby should raise enough concerns at Goodison Park over holding out on sending Hughes out on loan, as he will enter the final year of his current contract in June.

Everton would be able to gain a stronger gauge of where Hughes’ talents are by sealing a loan exit as soon as possible, and discovering how far away the 19-year-old – who Unsworth claims is “very, very good” – is from a senior role under Carlo Ancelotti.

If he proves ready for the first-team, Brands can work on tieing Hughes down to a long-term deal but if he struggles, Everton will have an easy out over committing to a contract that they could otherwise live to regret.

AND in other news, a Carlo Ancelotti target once valued at £89m “would be interested” in joining Everton this summer…

Writing on Twitter, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold believes Juan Foyth possibly joining Villarreal on a permanent deal this summer could be a transfer which ‘comes back to bite Spurs’ – with the La Liga side possessing an option to sign him for around £13 million on top of the loan fee. 

Foyth has impressed under former Arsenal boss Unai Emery on the continent recently after a slow start to life in Spain, often displaying his versatility as a right-back, centre-back or defensive midfielder (football.london).

Gold fires Foyth warning to Spurs

So far, the 23-year-old has made 27 appearances for Villarreal in all competitions and 14 in La Liga – with Gold relaying that Spurs could be set to lose a young player ‘on the up’ this summer (football.london).

Sending a warning, Gold believes Foyth and his spell at the Estadio de la Cerámica should be a lesson for the Lilywhites over loaning out promising youngsters at the right time (Twitter).

Given the option-to-buy inserted into the starlet’s loan agreement at Villarreal, Gold explains that Spurs now look unlikely to benefit from his recent rise to prominence and experience gained.

Instead, Spurs may just receive a relatively low transfer fee for a highly promising youngster.

Transfer Tavern take

According to WhoScored, the Argentine has made an impressive 2.6 tackles per 90 in those 14 league outings whilst managing to find a teammate with 87.4% of his passes.

Last year, the Athletic journalist Charlie Eccleshare heralded Foyth as a ‘really exciting’ player – and Tottenham possibly losing him this summer for just £13m comes as an possible hiccup by chairman Daniel Levy, who will be looking to raise big cash through sales to spend on any incoming players.

Emery, speaking to AS recently, even admitted he would like to keep the starlet – and it seems like only a matter of time before they make his move permanent judging by his accolades this season.

In other news: Tottenham make enquiry for £225,000-per-week star, find out more here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who made 13 appearances for England, believes Fabio Silva’s misfortunes in front of goal are down to his long hair after he missed late headers against both Newcastle United and Liverpool in recent weeks.

Wolves bought Silva from FC Porto for £36 million and in 27 appearances he has managed just two goals with the 18-year old getting more minutes than he maybe expected due to Raul Jimenez’s extended spell on the sidelines.

Bull did joke about Silva’s ‘locks’ but admits he believes that is one of the reasons why he struggles with his headers as the ball slides off his long hair and he’s not able to make good contact with the ball.

Speaking on Silva’s struggles in front of goal and if the exposure to a lot of first-team football will be impacting the 18-year old negatively, Bull told FFC exclusively:

“I think the more football and experience he gets, the better it is for him.

“I think if I had him in front of me, the first thing I’d say to him is get your hair cut because when he’s heading the ball it isn’t hitting him directly on his head, it’s hitting him on the side where his hair is and he isn’t getting the power behind it.

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“Seriously, that’s not me being funny. Think when you head a ball at full power it’s off your forehead but when it comes to him, it’s gliding off his locks.

“The amount of time he’s getting I think is good the way Nuno is doing it. I just think that you’ve got to introduce players especially with a big price tag into the team gradually.”

Bull is Wolves’ all-time top scorer with 306 goals so, Silva may feel cutting his hair extreme but he could learn a thing or two from the Wolves legend.

Before he signed for Wolves, Silva had played just 21 games for Porto, finding the net three times so, the Midlands club have put a lot of faith in the striker.