Today’s fluff comes sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines Liverpool like the look of Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and are trying to hijack the winger’s proposed move to Paris St-Germain, with their offer potentially helped by the Italian club’s apparent interest in Anfield benchwarmer Federico Chiesa, though the Georgian “also features on the list of potential targets for teams like Chelsea”, claim the Athletic, who also add, less promisingly, that “Liverpool are not specifically chasing a player of Kvaratskhelia’s profile”. On his way to Napoli, meanwhile, is Bournemouth’s Philip Billing, initially on loan but with a view to the deal becoming permanent for £9m come the summer. Conversely, on his way to Bournemouth is the 29-year-old Paraguay striker Alex Arce, who is apparently wanted on loan, again with the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season, from the Ecuadorian champions, Liga Deportiva Universitaria. Continue reading...

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez in January, but the Cherries are desperate to keep hold of all their top assets this month

Manager’s sacking is no shock given his dour football but successor has a perilous task. Could Moyes be the right fit? It was life, but was it living? Everton have lost only four of their past 16 games in all competitions. They have kept five clean sheets in their past eight games and in the past month have frustrated Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. They’ve taken 17 points from 19 games this season, which the past decade of the Premier League would suggest, if repeated in the second half of the season, would leave them right on the edge of relegation. Given the trend is for the relegated three to get fewer and fewer points, the sense is that, even with Wolves and Ipswich showing signs of improvement, they would probably have survived if Sean Dyche had stayed. But on the other hand, Everton have failed to score in eight of their past 10 games, and have lost the past two, against Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. Eventually clinging on for clean sheets, relying on the absolute focus of the rearguard and on Jordan Pickford to make a couple of outstanding saves a game becomes untenable. And perhaps more than that, it becomes unwatchable. If Everton fans have become disillusioned, if eking their way to safety, goalless draw by goalless draw, has come to seem unbearably joyless, they can hardly be blamed. Continue reading...