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Barry Fry insists that Everton appointing Rafael Benitez would be a disastrous PR move, amid reports that Nuno Santo is the favourite to take the reins at Goodison Park.

The Toffees are still on the lookout for a replacement to Carlo Ancelotti, who left the club to move to Real Madrid.

Various managers have been linked with the club but reports last week suggested that there was interest in appointing Benitez.

The Spaniard is available after leaving Dalian Professional in China and has not managed in England since 2019, when he departed Newcastle United.

Of course, Benitez is best known in England for his spell at Liverpool, spending six years at Anfield, winning both the FA Cup and the Champions League.

And Fry, the Peterborough United Director of Football, claims that a deal to appoint the ex-Reds boss would not go down well with supporters.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “All the Evertonian fans hate Liverpool, any connection at all they hate.

“To fetch him back, wow, that wouldn’t be a good move PR-wise but then again, he’s supposed to be a good manager.”

Everton ultimately finished 10th in the Premier League under Ancelotti and need to find a new boss to line up with their ambitions of European football.

Manchester United are interested in signing “outstanding” Juventus striker Paulo Dybala this summer, and he could be the perfect replacement for Edinson Cavani at Old Trafford.

What’s the story?

United are poised to move to sign Juventus striker Dybala, according to reports from Corriere dello Sport in Italy, the Red Devils want to make him one of Erik ten Hag’s first signings at the club.

This isn’t the first time that the 28-year old has been linked with a move to the Theatre of Dreams. Two years ago the club were linked with a swap deal involving then United player Romelu Lukaku, but nothing materialised.

Now could be a great time to make this happen with Cavani out of contract at Old Trafford in the summer and it being unlikely he will sign an extension.

He could be the perfect Cavani replacement

When Cavani joined the Red Devils on a free transfer in 2020 there was a lot of optimism. However, given the clubs past record of failing to get the best out of proven players, some were wondering what would happen.

Thankfully the move has proven to be successful with the Uruguayan being directly involved in 26 goals in 56 appearances. Although the unplanned return of Cristiano Ronaldo has led to much less game time for him this season.

When he departs United will need to fill the place left behind from not only him, but Mason Greenwood who is no longer involved with the team.

Dybala represents the perfect player for this, with the £222k per week star out of contract this summer.

The potential exciting arrival of Ten Hag, and the chance to link up with his former team mate Ronaldo, could persuade him to finally come to the Premier League.

He has suffered a lot with injuries this season missing 83 days which would be the only concern for United. However, when they don’t have to fork out an extortionate transfer fee it makes things less risky.

Dybala’s record for the Old Lady is pretty good, being directly involved in 161 goals in 286 games. He’s experienced and used to playing for a top club just like Cavani.

If you compare the two based on their form last season, Dybala is better in quite a few areas. When it comes to goal creating actions per 90 minutes he beats the 35-year old with 4.93 compared to 2.23.

That may be down to the fact that Cavani is more of a poacher than a creator. But United already have that in Ronaldo, so replacing the Uruguayan with someone who offers more is what United should be doing.

But with Ronaldo also being linked with a potential exit, it could be bye-bye to the Portuguese star and a welcome to Old Trafford for Argentina’s Dybala.

IN other news: Man Utd eye Ten Hag’s first signing in £20.6m “rising star”, he’s a major Fred upgrade – opinion

Peterborough United Director of Football Barry Fry has told Football FanCast that West Ham United will do all they can to keep Jesse Lingard at the club on a permanent basis, amid a report from Eurosport stating that he is keen on a permanent switch to the London Stadium.

The Hammers took the Manchester United star on loan in the January transfer window.

He has been in incredible form for the Irons, as the club bid to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history.

The Irons lost ground in that race on Saturday, as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, leaving the Blues with an advantage in the run-in, as they now sit three points clear of David Moyes’ men.

Still, Lingard has scored nine goals and registered four assists in 11 games, including a run of five goals in four games.

The Irons do not have an option to buy Lingard but Fry, who worked under David Sullivan and David Gold at Birmingham City, insists that the Irons co-owners will make a serious play to sign him permanently.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Fry said: “Jesse Lingard, what a January signing, if only on loan.

“People say to me ‘oh, they won’t keep him, he’ll go to a bigger club’, I’m not so sure. I think the two Davids will have a go. If Manchester United want to sell him, and he’s only got a year left, so either Manchester United have got to offer him a lucrative three or four year contract (or let him go).

“Jesse Lingard wants to play football and he never got a look-in at Man United so I can’t see him signing a long-term contract with Man United.

“Man United will have to put a price on him and I’m telling you, West Ham will negotiate that price. West Ham will have a go for him.”

West Brom and Valerien Ismael want to bring a new centre-forward to The Hawthorns this summer, journalist Luke Hatfield has told Football FanCast.

At West Brom, most of the transfer talk has been dominated by star man Matheus Pereira and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, with Ismael admitting that he expects to lose both players before the window closes.

The Midlands club, however, have been able to bring in Alex Mowatt on a free transfer from Barnsley, as well as Brighton’s Matt Clarke for the season.

And if all goes to plan, the two could be joined by a new striker at The Hawthorns, according to Hatfield.

“I think Albion are after a striker,” the Express & Star journalist said. “It’s a position they’ll be desperate to bolster.”

Last season, West Brom really struggled for goals, albeit in a much stronger division compared to the one they are in now.

After Pereira, who scored 11 times in the Premier League, their next highest goalscorer was Callum Robinson with five strikes.

As a whole, the Baggies were one of the lowest-scoring teams in the top flight (as per WhoScored), so perhaps they could do with the addition of a new No.9 this summer.

With Mark Warburton having seen his Queens Park Rangers side get off to something of a slow start in their Championship opener last weekend, the 58-year-old will undoubtedly be hoping his team put on a much more dominant display in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Indeed, while a 1-1 draw with Millwall is not the worst result in the world, considering just how impressive QPR were in the second half of last season, in addition to the remarkable transfer business they have carried out this summer, hopes of a successful campaign appear to be extremely high at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

With that in mind, the Carabao Cup may not be overly high on the list of Warburton’s priorities this season, however, the competition will provide the Rs boss with an opportunity to field some of his first-team fringe players, as well as up and coming youth prospects.

One such player is Andre Dozzell, who, after featuring for just 22 minutes in the Millwall clash, the 58-year-old coach must start from the off against Leyton Orient.

While the 22-year-old did not have much time to impress last weekend, he nevertheless proved with Ipswich Town last season that he is a player who can make a significant difference for QPR this term.

Indeed, over his 43 League One appearances for Paul Cook’s side last year, £810k-rated central midfielder made an average of 1.5 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 0.8 clearances and won 3.6 duels per game.

The player Paul Lambert dubbed an “incredible” talent also impressed in a creative capacity, registering one assist and creating a whopping 10 big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.3 key passes per match.

These returns saw the £3.5k-per-week man earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking him as the club’s joint seventh-best performer in the third tier of English football.

As such, affording the 22-year-old his first start for QPR on Wednesday evening could well prove to be the beginning of an extremely exciting career for Dozzell in west London, with the former England U20 international clearly boasting the potential to become a regular in Warburton’s first team this season – if he is given the chance.

In other news: Warburton drops claim on “excellent” QPR gem which will be music to the ears of fans

Southampton will be looking to make it three home wins on the bounce when they take on Leeds United at St Mary’s on Tuesday evening, with Saints fans returning to their home ground after restrictions were eased earlier this week.

Freed from the pressure of potential relegation, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have picked up impressive 3-1 wins against Crystal Palace and Fulham in the last week, but they will be in for a tough game later against Marcelo Bielsa’s in-form Leeds side.

The Yorkshire club thrashed Burnley 4-0 at Turf Moor last time out and have lost just one of their last nine Premier League games.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Hasenhuttl to line up against Leeds, with three changes from the side which started against Fulham on Saturday…

Alex McCarthy keeps his place in goal after a solid return performance against Fulham.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-southampton-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=“Latest Southampton news, transfer rumours and more!“]

There is one change in defence, as after recovering from his ankle injury, it seems likely that Jan Bednarek will resume his partnership with Jannik Vestergaard at centre-back.

There are two changes in midfield as, after some less than impressive recent displays, Nathan Redmond and Takumi Minamino – the latter once dubbed a “machine” by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp – drop to the bench.

Nathan Tella replaces Redmond on the left, whilst Stuart Armstrong moves out to the right-hand side after featuring in the middle alongside James Ward-Prowse in recent weeks, which allows Oriol Romeu to make his return from injury in central midfield.

Despite a slight injury concern, it has been confirmed that Danny Ings is good to start, and he is likely to partner the in-form Che Adams up front.

In other news… Hasenhuttl must unleash Southampton’s “biggest talent” against Leeds, he’s destined for the top

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has emerged as a summer transfer target for Premier League rivals Aston Villa, according to The Telegraph. 

The lowdown: Regular minutes hard to come by for Winks

Harry Winks has been with Spurs since 2002, and has gone on to feature for the club’s first-team on a regular basis, since progressing through their academy teams earlier in his career.

But he wasn’t a regular starter last term whilst under the management of Jose Mourinho, with the ten-cap England international only making nine league starts last term.

Winks is contracted with Tottenham Hotspur until 2024, but it appears he may not remain in north London to finish that deal.

The latest: Premier League rivals register interest in Winks

Aston Villa have reportedly registered their interest in signing Winks this summer, although an official bid has not yet been made for his services.

Dean Smith’s side finished 11th in the Premier League last season, with Villa catching the eye with some strong performances in last year’s campaign.

The Aston Villa boss is reportedly looking to bolster his midfield options ahead of the new season, with Winks being among his transfer targets.

The verdict: It could be a smart move for all parties involved

This is a move that could work for all parties involved.

Winks hasn’t been a regular in the Spurs starting XI in recent months, and he could turn out to be a strong signing for another Premier League club, providing they’re able to offer him regular minutes moving forwards.

He’ll be behind the likes of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele in the pecking order at Spurs at this moment in time, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see Nuno Espirito Santo look at bringing in new additions this summer.

New managers will usually like to get a few of their own players in straight away, and that could push Winks further down the list in his plans ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

With three years still remaining on his contract with Spurs, they’ll be hoping they can obtain a sizeable fee for his services this summer, and with Villa seemingly on the hunt for a midfielder – they have also been linked with James Ward-Prowse – perhaps this is a win-win for everyone involved.

As West Ham United breezed past Genk at the London Stadium this evening, taking yet more control of Group H, many Irons supporters were blown away by the performance and contribution of defender Craig Dawson.

David Moyes’ men took a giant leap towards finishing top by beating the Belgian giants this evening.

Indeed, they have gone six points clear with their victory and, as per the new Europa League format, potentially finishing as group victors will guarantee West Ham a spot straight into the last 16.

Moyes rested a fair few first teamers tonight with the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Andriy Yarmolenko, Nikola Vlasic, Alphonse Areola and Dawson all coming in after the weekend victory at Everton.

Among all of these fresh faces, it was the latter man who garnered real praise on Twitter for his display – especially considering he opened the floodgates with his towering first half header.

He was also among the highest-rated West Ham players on SofaScore and it’s safe to say his ‘massive’ display didn’t go unnoticed.

Find all the reaction to his outing down below.

West Ham fans blown away by Dawson…

“Dawson you beast”

Credit: @RyanG33A

“Dawson!!!!! What a player”

Credit: @WestHamNews24hr

“Craig Dawson is the hero we never knew we needed”

Credit: @_Sam_Chaplin

“We are absolutely massive and Craig Dawson is absolutely massive”

Credit: @Lew_Fountain

“DAWSON YOU MAGNIFICENT SET PIECE ROBOT”

Credit: @chojinzoku

“can we just bring dawson on in games to attack corners because he’s disgustingly good at it”

Credit: @whuemma

“Craig Dawson!!! Fisted hand Guys so dangerous at set pieces so good in the air”

Credit: @JJ_Hannaway

In other news: ‘Yes yes yes’, ‘No brainer’…West Ham fans buzz as contact made to sign ‘big’ striker, find out more here.

Reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano shared an update on Saturday in regards to Aston Villa defender Matty Cash.

The journalist shared an image of the 24-year-old, revealing that he was in London at the Polish embassy, with his process to switch nationalities underway. As to be expected, a number of Villa fans on Twitter were quick to react to the development.

Cash kept up his record of starting every Premier League game of the current campaign in a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Friday night. Less than 24 hours later in the capital, the Villa right-back began the process to switch from England to Poland at international level.

Romano claimed that the defender is open to playing for Poland, although time is still required for his new official passport to go through.

Villa fans react

Here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply to Romano’s tweet, with one labelling it as ‘great news’ about Cash.

“Cannot wait to get the Poland shirt”

Credit: @Naathan_lowe

“Oh man”

Credit: @yougowego26

“Great news”

Credit: @jmxavfc

“POLISH CAFUUUU.”

Credit: @avfcIewis

“Matthew Cashowski is almost complete”

Credit: @Josh_Dodd1

“Good for Cashy!”

Credit: @ClaretVillans

In other news: Stinging 3/10 verdict for Villa star who lost the ball 15 times v Arsenal

Aston Villa will move on to other targets after missing out on Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

Smith Rowe was a top target for Villa this summer, with the Midlands club putting in two bids for the player.

He has since gone on, however, to sign a new long-term deal at the Emirates, ending any hope Dean Smith had of landing the 20-year-old attacking midfielder.

It is not the end of the world, though, with Hatfield now expecting Villa to move on to other targets. He told FFC:

“I imagine Villa will quickly look to kind of move on to other targets. They’ll have drawn up a list and clearly they had Emile Smith Rowe high up that, but they’ll have other targets to move on to and they’ll quickly move on to them.”

It is unclear if it was Smith Rowe or Leon Bailey or Smith Rowe and Leon Bailey, but whatever the case, it looks like Villa are now trying to buy Bayer Leverkusen’s Jamaican winger.

According to the MailOnline, the Villans are eyeing up a £30m swoop for Bailey, so Smith could yet end up with another attacker to go with the addition of Emiliano Buendia.