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New Everton manager Rafael Benitez is considering letting current centre-back Yerry Mina leave the club and bringing in Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet in as a replacement [Sport via SB Nation].

Enjoying a solid 2020/21 campaign, the Colombian colossus made 29 appearances for the Toffees, registering three goals [Transfermarkt].

Now fresh from the Copa America with his national side, he could be sold on as the Benitez era kicks off in earnest.

The Spaniard has reportedly concluded that Mina is not the man to lead the Everton backline, whilst Frenchman Lenglet has been targeted in order to “assume the role of leader of the defence” [SB Nation].

The 26-year-old endured a poor season at Barcelona, however could be thrust into the Goodison Park fold in an attempt to reignite his career.

In light of this news, loads of Everton diehards took to Twitter to voice their opinion at recent developments.

Everton fans react:

Replying to popular Everton FC fan outlet Toffee TV, here is how some Blues fans summed up these current rumours, with one supporter calling it ‘awful’ news:

“Selling Mina is a big mistake . Keane and Holgate needs to go”

Credit: @stevie89940908″It’d take us longer to sign him than Benitez will be at Everton for, so it’s all very underwhelming.”Credit: @rlfansSaddened”NOO. This would be awful”Credit: @T00THY_0″Poor”Credit: @toffeepete76″I hope not. Would be a major downgrade on any of our centre half’s. He’s been one of the most error prone defenders in the whole of Spain for the last 2 seasons. Poor player at best”Credit: @theredge1878uk”He better not.”Credit: @JohnDiazTheOneIn other news, Everton fans react to news surrounding a Toffees wonderkid.

In a story that feels as if it has now been rumbling on for the best part of a year, Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side have once again been linked with a move to bring Lee Buchanan to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

Indeed, Derbyshire Live reported on Sunday that the Bhoys – alongside the likes of Nottingham Forest and West Ham United – have renewed their interest in the Derby County left-back, while Watford and other unnamed English sides are also believed to be tracking the 20-year-old ahead of a potential move this month.

It is easy to see why Postecoglou would be interested in securing a deal for the England U20 international this January, as Buchanan is undoubtedly a player who boasts a significant amount of potential, and would appear to be available on something of a cut-price deal – considering the fact his current contract at Pride Park expires at the end of the season, in addition to Derby’s rather dire financial situation.

Furthermore, left-back is an area of the Hoops squad that lacks any real strength in depth, as, behind first-choice Greg Taylor, the Greek-Australian manager has only the options of 19-year-old Adam Montgomery and the outcasted 26-year-old Boli Bolingoli.

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And, with the latter of this trio being linked with a move away from Parkhead this month, a January swoop for Buchanan could well prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the £16k-per-week dud who Neil Lennon once dubbed “selfish.”

Indeed, the Derby defender is undoubtedly a player who has a much higher ceiling than the former Belgium U16 international, with Wayne Rooney stating of the 20-year-old: “He’s a top, top player. I’d argue he’s one of the best young left-backs in the country. And he can go to another level as well. He’s a real top player.”

It is not difficult to see why the former England captain feels this way, as, despite his tender age, the £2.25m-rated full-back has already gone on to make 60 first-team appearances for the Rams – 35 of which came in the Championship last time out, when Buchanan played a key role in helping his side survive relegation to League One on the final day of the season.

As such, when taking into account all of the above, it would indeed appear a very wise move for Postecoglou to finally axe Bolingoli this month, before reinvesting the Belgian’s wages and potential transfer funds into a move for the Derby starlet.

In other news: Fee agreed: Celtic close in on £5.7k-p/w gem with “amazing feet”, Ange will be buzzing

West Ham United have been dealt a setback ahead of their upcoming Premier League meeting with Burnley on Sunday.

What’s the latest?

According to BBC Sport, David Moyes are likely to face Burnley defender Erik Pieters tomorrow afternoon, as the Lancashire outfit are now set to welcome the Dutchman back after his recovery from a knee issue.

However, this hasn’t been the biggest bit of news coming out of Turf Moor this week, as, after ten years of service, manager Sean Dyche was relieved of his duties on Friday – with Burnley 18th and four points from safety with eight games remaining.

Therefore, U23s boss Michael Jackson will be in the opposing dugout at the London Stadium as he takes up temporary charge of the visitors, whilst defender Ben Mee will also be a part of the coaching set-up.

However, amid the surprise regarding Dyche’s dismissal, West Ham must continue to prepare to take on a side desperate for points and who will be stronger with the return of Pieters.

Pieters’ return is bad news for West Ham

Prior to suffering his injury in February, Pieters had been playing well with Burnely in decent form.

The left-back played every minute of the Clarets’ seven Premier League matches between late January and late February before being withdrawn away at Crystal Palace after an hour.

From those seven matches, Dyche’s side lost just once, winning twice and drawing the other four matches which gave their survival hopes a boost.

Prior to that run in the side, the 33-year-old had struggled for minutes in claret and blue, making just four league appearances before the turn of the year.

Since Pieters has been out of action, Burnley have been in dire form, winning just one of their last six in the top flight, losing the other five.

However, that victory was a crucial one as the Lancashire outfit overcame relegation rivals Everton 3-2 at Turf Moor before embarrassingly losing 2-0 at bottom side Norwich City, the final nail in the coffin for Dyche.

The Hammers will certainly smell blood as they look to consolidate their place in the top six, which is currently hanging on a thread.

Although, Burnley supporters will be expecting a reaction after a rollercoaster week at Turf Moor and the boost of Pieters’ return could prove awkward for David Moyes to deal with.

AND in other news: West Ham plot bid for £21.6m-rated “leader”, Moyes can now axe “shocking” £61k-p/w dud

As Liverpool’s top two goalscorers in the Premier League so far this season, it’s safe to say that Sadio Mane (7) and Mohamed Salah (11) have been two of the Merseyside club’s most important players in this campaign.

Unfortunately for the Reds, the prolific duo will be unavailable to play in January when they join their respective countries to play in the upcoming AFCON tournament.

While this definitely will be a big problem for Jurgen Klopp’s side, they have one player at the Merseyside club that could well be a suitable temporary replacement for the star wingers when January comes around.

17-year-old winger Kaide Gordon joined Liverpool back in February from Championship side Derby County.

Since then, the teenager, who is currently valued at £900k according to Transfermarkt, has made eight appearances for Liverpool’s U18 side, racking up six goals and providing three assists in that time.

The attacker, who has been described as having a “bit of magic in him” by fellow Liverpool youngster Tom Clayton, has also made four appearances for Liverpool’s U23 side, scoring three times and supplying one assist in the process, highlighting his attacking prowess at such a young age.

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Gordon made his senior debut for the Reds in their 3-0 win over Norwich City in the Carabao Cup where he played the full 90 minutes before being included on the substitutes bench in their recent 4-0 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League.

Taking all of this into account and the fact that Liverpool will be without Mane and Salah for a period in January, Klopp should definitely consider giving Gordon the chance to shine in the Premier League. Should he impress, then he will be more than suitable to fill in for the senior duo over the winter.

If Gordon does get the chance to play regularly at some point this season and manages to demonstrate what an attacking talent he is, the teen could well prove to be a valuable asset for Liverpool as they bid to keep themselves in the title race.

In other news: Big blow: Klopp dealt injury setback that is sure to leave Liverpool fans gutted – opinion

Aston Villa will be looking to make it three wins in four under new manager Steven Gerrard as they host Midlands rivals Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.

The West Midlands side have been excellent since the 41-year-old’s appointment, beating Brighton 2-0 and Crystal Palace 2-1 before narrowly losing 2-1 to Manchester City on Wednesday evening.

Gerrard is expected to be without striker Danny Ings once again as well as left-back Matt Targett who suffered a head injury against City. Winger Leon Bailey was also withdrawn against the reigning champions, however, he will be sidelined for “a number of weeks” after suffering a thigh injury.

Their opponents, however, aren’t in the best form, winning just one of their last five Premier League outings. However, they are only three points off of the top six in tenth.

However, there is certainly an opportunity for Villa to capitalise on and take another three points against Brendan Rodgers’ side. Here’s how Football FanCast expects the Villans to line up against the Foxes, with just two changes from the side that lost out to Manchester City.

As expected, there’s no change in between the sticks as Emi Martinez maintains his rather unchallenged spot in goal, looking for a second clean sheet in four games.

There will be one change in the back four in front of the Argentine, with Ashley Young replacing the injured Matt Targett; a straightforward swap at left-back. The 36-year-old will be accompanied by Tyrone Mings, Ensri Konsa and Matty Cash in defence.

With Gerrard maintaining his preferred 4-3-3 formation, the midfield will be key and there appears to be no reason as to why the central trio that started against City should be tinkered with here. Marvelous Nakamba, Douglas Luiz and John McGinn are expected to link up once again in the middle of the park.

The second change sees 18-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka deployed out wide for just his second Premier League start and his first in over three months. The £2.25m-rated youngster has reportedly rejected a new contract amidst frustration with a lack of first-team action.

However, Gerrard brought the Englishman on for 23 minutes against Manchester City on Wednesday night and could be tempted to hand the midfielder a start.

With both Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore sidelined for the foreseeable future, an opportunity against Leicester could be the start of Gerrard’s bid to convince the starlet to sign a new contract at Villa Park.

Alongside Chukwuemeka up front should be Emi Buendia on the other flank and Ollie Watkins at striker after his goal against Manchester City on Wednesday. Straightforward enough.

West Ham will be looking to make it three wins from three matches when they return to Europa League action this evening.

David Moyes has an interesting dilemma ahead of him as his Irons side face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, so he may be tempted into some sort of rotation.

The Irons bounced back from their defeat to Brentford before the international break with a narrow victory over Everton at the weekend and that put them firmly back in the race for the top-six, and another three points against Spurs could see them break into the top-four, too.

Therefore, it would then make sense to rest some of the Hammers’ more influential stars and there can’t be a better candidate to do that with than Michail Antonio, who is an injury risk in most weeks.

He has regularly suffered with troubles throughout his time in east London, failing to start more than 24 matches in any of his last four top-flight campaigns.

The 31-year-old talisman is so, so crucial to West Ham’s fortunes, having already netted six goals and provided four assists across nine appearances in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

In his absence against Manchester United, a game he fortunately missed through suspension rather than injury, the Irons struggled and lost for the first time this season.

Even though Mark Noble could have scored a late equaliser if he had converted his injury-time spot-kick, Moyes and his side still rued the lethal frontman’s presence up top.

Valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, the former Nottingham Forest star has previously been lauded as “unplayable” and as the “ultimate number nine” by BBC Sport contributor Premier League Panel.

Whilst Daily Star journalist Paul Brown recently dubbed him a “complete monster” and “absolute revelation” to GIVEMESPORT.

These glowing endorsements only go to show just how important the £70k-per-week beast is to West Ham and as the Hammers have a 100% record in this competition, he can be afforded one game off as a fully-fit Antonio could wreak havoc against Spurs this weekend.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops huge Declan Rice claim…

Journalist Anthony Haggerty insists that Joe Hart’s experience is a huge boost for Celtic.

The club paid just over £1m to bring the goalkeeper into the club from Tottenham Hotspur, bolstering the squad of Ange Postecoglou as they look to battle Rangers for the Scottish Premiership title.

Hart somewhat struggled for minutes at Spurs last season and made a total of 10 appearances.

However, he has already played six times for Celtic, and Haggerty believes that his know-how will have a major effect on the development of the young players at the club.

Hart, of course, has played for the likes of Manchester City, West Ham United, Spurs, and England throughout a storied career in which he has won two Premier League titles, and has also won 75 caps for England. Hart has played at three major tournaments for the Three Lions, going to Euro 2012, the 2014 World Cup, and Euro 2016.

Haggerty said: “Just see the fact that he’s walked into that dressing room and see the experience he brings, it’s colossal.

“And see if your Joe Hart and you’re talking to younger players, you’re looking in awe at Joe Hart.

“It’s a guy that played under Mancini, Guardiola, some top, top football managerial operators. Joe Hart speaks, you listen.”

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting with glee to a positive injury update regarding Harvey Elliott.

The Reds picked up a crucial 1-0 win at home to Aston Villa on Saturday, as they stayed one point behind Premier League leaders Manchester City. Jurgen Klopp’s men find themselves in a superb run of form at the moment but one player they are doing it without is Elliott.

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The 18-year-old has been absent since the middle of September after suffering a broken ankle in the 3-0 victory away to Leeds United.

According to The Irish Mirror [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], however, Elliott is nearing a shock quickfire return to action, having excelled in his recovery.

The hope is that the teenager will feature early in 2022 – a January comeback is mooted in the report – as he continues to work hard on the training pitch.

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Liverpool fans hail Elliott injury update

These Liverpool fans showed their happiness at the news on Twitter, with the teenager having excelled in the early weeks of the season prior to his unfortunate injury setback.

“I can’t believe he has healed this fast, this is amazing”

Credit: @_MrChase

“Starboy”

Credit: @Maxlb77

“Genuinely happy for this lad”

Credit: @Nimz44

“SIUUUUUUUUUUUU”

Credit: @AnfieldPyro

“I can’t wait”

Credit: @Msquared7_

“I’M SO EXCITED”

Credit: @robertorebelo_

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to an exciting transfer rumour. Read more here.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were incredibly close to securing a loan deal for Renato Sanches in the summer, and continue to be connected with the Lille midfielder going into the January transfer window.

The Ligue 1 side and Wolves could not come to an agreement to sign the player on a temporary basis with the two clubs ending talks on deadline day, but Bruno Lage is reportedly keen to reignite interest to bring the Portuguese player to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old has been turning heads with a number of clubs taking an interest in the Portuguese midfielder, including Liverpool and Arsenal, which could cause hiccups for Wolves and Lage’s chances of securing a deal, especially if the two clubs were to pursue rumoured interest.

According to Birmingham Live, Wolves have been given the green light to go back in for the Portugal international, along with the other clubs who have been linked.

The £27m-rated gem was hailed by Monaco manager, Niko Kovac, when he coached Sanches at Bayern Munich, earning quite the review:

“Renato has an exceptionally good technique, very good speed and a great body,” he said.

Lage revealed his plans for the winter last week and by securing a deal for the Lille dynamo, the Wolves boss could live up to his promise.

He commented: “I just want top players and when I say top players, it’s not about how much they cost, it’s about the mentality they have.”

And in Sanches, he’d certainly find a player with an elite mentality, somebody capable of taking this Wolves team to the next level.

The box to box midfielder was integral to Lille’s league title win last season, beating Paris Saint Germain to the top spot for the first time in a decade. He is well established and proven in his role with the ability to play under pressure and adapt, after playing for two of the biggest European clubs, Bayern Munich and Benfica, winning multiple trophies, and completing 32 appearances for the Portugal international side too.

Lage could definitely use a player of Sanches’ varied experience and youth in a midfield, especially with Moutinho now 35 years old, he would be the perfect addition to add depth and quality to the centre of the pitch for Wolves.

Whether the Molineux outfit can strike a deal with Lille remains to be seen, and with other Premier League clubs now taking a shine to the midfielder, they will need to make him an offer he cannot refuse, which will likely include consistent first-team football. Either way, he’s certainly a player that can help Lage fulfil his promise in the winter market.

In other news: Lage could save millions by unleashing Silva

West Bromwich Albion are interested in a deal to bring Liam Delap to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Express & Star, who claim that the Manchester City centre-forward is on the radar of Valerien Ismael, with the 45-year-old keen to add an out and out centre-forward to his Albion squad before the transfer window closes.

The report continues by stating that West Brom’s lack of depth up front could help the club convince the 18-year-old of a move to The Hawthorns, as the lack of competition could see the striker afforded more game time than he could get at another Championship side.

However, with the Express & Star finishing the report by revealing that a great many second-tier sides are also interested in a deal for the England U19 international, the Frenchman looks to be facing a real fight to secure the signing of Delap this summer.

Huge coup

While, in normal circumstances, hanging your promotion hopes on an 18-year-old centre-forward who has made just three first-team appearances in his career to date would not appear overly sensible, considering the potential Delap appears to possess, the Manchester City man is very much the exception to this rule.

Indeed, over 20 Premier League 2 appearances for City’s U23s last season, the £5k-per-week youngster bagged 24 goals and provided his teammates with five assists – with his contributions playing a key role in his side securing the league title, as well seeing the forward awarded the league’s Player of the Year trophy.

The man Jacek Kulig dubbed a “phenomenal” player also scored a further five goals and provided one assist over four appearances in the FA Youth Cup and EFL Trophy, taking his total haul for the 2020/21 campaign to 30 goals and six assists in all competitions.

As such, despite his tender age, it would very much seem as if Delap possesses the ability to help fire Albion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking next season, with his signing – if Ismael can indeed get a deal over the line this summer – being a huge coup for the club.

In other news: Transfer development emerges on £10k-p/w “top player”, West Brom fans will be buzzing