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Everton will allow Theo Walcott to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

That’s according to a report from Football Insider on Tuesday.

The lowdown

Southampton brought Walcott back to St Mary’s on loan at the end of the summer transfer window and it’s been a fairly successful spell at St Mary’s.

Walcott has made 20 appearances in red and white, scoring two goals and providing three assists (via Transfermarkt)

According to The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon, the club have been ‘blown away’ by the professionalism he’s displayed.

He’s been reporting to the training ground on days off, staying late and offering advice to young players.

Saints skipper James Ward-Prowse hailed him as a ‘great addition’ and said he was an ‘inspiring’ figure for the academy players.

The latest

Football Insider’s report states that Ancelotti has given the green light for Walcott, who’s made 47 England appearances, to leave permanently this time.

A club source has indicated that they won’t look to extend his deal and Everton are looking to replenish their ranks with a signing of a ‘top-class’ right-winger.

The verdict

Southampton want to sign Walcott permanently, and the 32-year-old seems perfectly at home on the South Coast – the extra effort he is putting in around the training ground is surely reflective of a player who sees his long-term future there.

It’s no surprise, then, that Everton won’t look to stand in his way.

The Toffees shelled out more than £20million to bring him in from Arsenal and, in truth, haven’t had much return on their investment.

In other news, this Premier League veteran has been tipped to succeed at Everton if he makes the move.

It is no secret that Leeds’ injury crisis this season has had a knock-on effect which reflects their position in the table right now.

With numerous key players missing at one point or another, Leeds have struggled to establish a run of form in the Premier League this season and are currently 17th in the table, with a relegation battle in sight if they don’t pick up points over the next few weeks.

One key injury which has hampered the goal threat for Marcelo Bielsa’s side is the one to Patrick Bamford. He was an integral member of the starting XI last season, scoring 17 goals and setting up his team-mates eight times, which even sparked shouts of an England call-up from many for Euro 2020 last summer.

It is clear that the striker’s injury is a big blow with numbers like those, but with no confirmation of a return date so far, it’s looking like Bielsa will need to find another way to cover the goals and assists needed to compete in the Premier League.

The Leeds manager spoke out ahead of the Spurs game about both Ayling and Bamford, saying: “They’re not available for the game on Sunday. The evolution is controlled on a daily basis and I would not want to give you a date that won’t be met. When my responses are brief it’s because I can’t offer certainty.”

The striker picked up his ankle injury in September and was hopeful to return after the October international break but that hasn’t been the case, and Bielsa confirmed that the 28-year-old’s ankle issue was “not a simple injury”.

Leeds will have to do without the striker until further notice, but have been handed a boost with Raphinha back in action and will be hoping that he can drive the team forward with some important attacking performances to keep the side out of the relegation zone before winter break.

It is unclear if the Whites will seek to add more attacking players at Elland Road during the winter transfer window, which could be dependent on further injuries or a better picture of whether Bamford will become available before then.

With only two other teams scoring fewer Premier League goals, the continued absence of last season’s top scorer will come as a gutting blow to Bielsa as he aims to lift Leeds away from trouble.

In other news: this potential partnership could unlock success for Leeds

An update has emerged on Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, regarding Leeds’ interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Whites are eyeing up a potential January swoop for the England international to bolster their squad.

The report claims Burnley and Newcastle are also looking at the ex-Everton midfielder, with Chelsea set to allow him to leave Stamford Bridge.

Hernandez 2.0

Leeds chief Victor Orta could find the new Pablo Hernandez by securing a deal to sign Barkley in January, finding a creative magician to open up doors for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in the Premier League.

Hernandez, who left Leeds in the summer, has a career average of 2.9 key passes and dribbles completed per game, showing how he is consistently able to be a creative force in the final third. He has the ability to dribble past players and set up chances for his teammates, which is something Barkley could also bring to Elland Road.

The 27-year-old Chelsea midfielder has a career average of 3.1 key passes and dribbles per game, which is particularly impressive given these statistics are taken from his performances for Chelsea, Everton and England in the top-flight and in Europe.

Premier League legend Alan Shearer lauded the £100k-per-week wizard’s talents whilst he was on loan at Aston Villa last season. He told The BBC:

“Ross seems to have found a system that suits him and a manager who wants to play him. This is exactly what he needs.

“He now needs to find the consistency that has been lacking in his game because this is a crucial stage of his career. Ross has been spoken about in glowing terms since he was very young but he is 27 now and needs to deliver on that potential.

“At his best he is match-winner and Villa is a great platform for him.”

This highlights the quality he could provide Leeds on the pitch, with one of the league’s greats hailing him as a match-winner at his best. Barkley could come in and add some extra creativity to Bielsa’s side and offer him the chance to change formation to accommodate a number 10, or mould him into a central midfielder who will work hard for the side whilst also offering quality on the ball.

Orta must now ensure that he can beat the likes of Burnley and Newcastle to win Barkley’s signature in the winter market. If he can then Leeds could have another diminutive creator to enjoy watching week-in-week-out, just as they did with Hernandez.

AND in other news, Phil Hay drops key update on “top-class” Leeds wizard that’ll delight supporters…

The career of Mikey Johnston has flattered to deceive on many an occasion at Celtic with several Hoops managers now failing to get the best from him at Parkhead.

Whether that is down to the coaching, the player, or positional rivals is very much a cause for debate.

This term, the 22-year-old has had to compete with the likes of Jota, Liel Abada and even Kyogo Furuhashi on the flanks meaning game time has been severely limited.

However, he has very rarely grabbed his opportunity with both hands. After Jota was ruled out through injury, Ange Postecoglou challenged the young Scot to grab the bull by the horns.

“Ultimately, we need guys like Mikey and Liel (Abada) to step up, that’s why they’re here at the club.

“And if the opportunity exists for them it’s up to them to take it,” the Australian said.

However, just as a chance presents itself, Johnston is out injured again. He missed the club’s last gasp win over Ross County last night and after that, there should really be no way back for the Celtic man in Glasgow.

In the words of Frank McAvennie, this is a problem that’s been going on “for years now.”

He told Football Insider this week: “He’s barely getting a game and when he does play he is really struggling.

“Sell him. I would like to see him moved on for the benefit of his own career. Ange gave him a chance with Jota out and he’s not done anything.

“Some fans might disagree but he’s simply not good enough for what Ange is trying to build.”

It’s hard to disagree with those sentiments. Johnston has scored just 11 times in his Hoops career and is yet to find the net for Postecoglou this term.

In the process of amassing that disappointing number, the attacker has spent over 557 days on the treatment table and has missed around 68 fixtures.

He may only earn a weekly salary of £7.9k-per-week but that money is surely better spent on someone of greater quality or even a player who doesn’t take up so much time with the physios.

It seems harsh but ultimately, the winger has not delivered on the pitch with his performances or with his fitness.

After breaking on the scene in 2018, divisive figure Chris Sutton tweeted the following: “Is Mikey Johnston the new Ryan Christie? Celtic’s fringe players at the start of the season coming to the fore when it counts.”

Sadly, he has not stood up and been counted on too many occasions since and just like Christie, he must seek a new club.

AND in other news, Forget Abada: Celtic gem who won 67% duels proved he’s now someone “Ange can’t ignore”…

According to a report by Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett, England boss Gareth Southgate is considering a first England call up for West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone – with Jordan Pickford’s withdrawal meaning he has a ‘great chance’. 

Johnstone, who hasn’t yet been capped at international level, making only England youth appearances to date, has a good chance of earning his first call up to the senior squad as Dorsett shares this news.

The 27-year-old has been previously overlooked by Southgate, who has preferred the likes of Pickford, Nick Pope and Dean Henderson in previous squads.

Now, ahead of the official Three Lions roster announcement for the March internationals tomorrow at 2pm, Dorsett understands that Johnstone is firmly in contention.

Flocking to this ‘great news’ for Johnstone, especially after he’s started 28 Premier League games for West Brom this season, it’s little wonder why these supporters are excited for him to finally be in with an England shot.

Find all of their best verdicts from social media down below.

West Brom fans flock to Sky claim on Johnstone

“YESSSSS Do it Gareth!”

Credit: @JoshhhWBA

“OH MY WORD ITS HAPPENING”

Credit: @ftbl_joey

“Great news for Sam, probably not great news for WBA if we get relegated. Surely he’ll want Premier League football….

But hey ho, it’s okay because many of our delusional fans don’t rate him!”

Credit: @NeilStevensWoo1

“Fully deserves a call up. Been incredible in games this season”

Credit: @ian_wba79

“Forget everything bad I’ve ever said about Southgate”

Credit: @liamjackjones

“Fully deserved for me, Sam’s come on leaps and bounds over the last two seasons and has got to be in the top 3 English keepers.

Pick him Gareth!”

Credit: @AndyMoz18

“SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY GET THAT PASSPORT READY MY GOAT”

Credit: @danwba_

“About time !”

Credit: @Stevotop

In other news: West Brom fans slammed these Allardyce comments, find out more here.

A reliable journalist has dropped some significant claims on Rafa Benitez and the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

Rob Draper, who is the Chief Football Writer for the Mail on Sunday, recently conducted an interview with Benitez for the Daily Mail and claimed that, while the Spaniard hopes that he will work soon in English football, it is ‘unlikely’ to be at St James’ Park, adding that there is ‘no prospect’ of a return at this particular moment in time with Mike Ashley still the owner of the club.

The journalist also claimed that there is ‘no likelihood’ of an imminent takeover in the northeast, which would surely become more unlikely if the Tyneside club were to find themselves relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season.

More misery for Newcastle

Having just been beaten 3-0 at their relegation rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, this is most likely news that Magpies fans – many of whom adore Benitez and despise Ashley – will not want to hear.

Benitez guided Newcastle to promotion back to the top flight and then managed to keep them in the division for two consecutive seasons, boasting 62 wins from 146 matches in total across all competitions (Transfermarkt), a 42.5% win ratio.

With the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) currently off the table in terms of a potential takeover, many Magpies supporters will no doubt be desperate for them to come back as soon as possible, but the situation at the end of the season could well be a lot more complicated than that.

In other news, find out whose display against Brighton was slammed by Lee Ryder.

Crystal Palace are now stepping up their interest in Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Aribo profiled

Aribo has been with the Scottish giants since 2019 and is primarily a left-footed central midfielder, attacking midfielder or right-winger.

The Nigeria international, labelled as ‘phenomenal’ by Steven Thompson, will be entering the final 12 months of his Ibrox deal in the summer.

The 25-year-old has played a whopping 50 times this season, scoring eight times and providing ten assists, and it looks as if sporting director Dougie Freedman is keen on Aribo’s services.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story regarding Aribo on Sunday evening after being informed by a recruitment source.

They claimed that Palace had scouts in attendance at Ibrox last Thursday to watch Aribo in Europa League action, labelling that as the Eagles stepping up their interest.

The Verdict: Impressed…

Rangers ran out 3-1 winners over Braga to book their spot in the Europa League semi-finals, and Palace scouts would have left impressed by Aribo’s display.

Turning out in an attacking midfield role, Aribo was Rangers’ second-best performer, as per SofaScore. He provided two assists, made six key passes, won 15 duels and completed three successful dribbles.

Conor Gallagher looks set to return to Chelsea in the summer following his productive Selhurst Park loan, so Aribo could now be viewed as the ideal replacement heading into Patrick Vieira’s second season in charge.

In other news: Crystal Palace now want to sign ‘Rolls Royce’ who Sir Alex Ferguson loves. 

When Jack Hendry departed for a season-long loan deal with Oostende over the summer, there was barely a murmur.

After all, this was a defender who had played just once for Celtic last season, enduring a torrid campaign where he eventually ended up on loan in Australia before suffering knee ligament damage.

Evidently out of Neil Lennon’s plans, a temporary spell to Oostende in Belgium followed at the start of the current season and so far, Hendry is reaping the rewards.

Signed for just £1.5m in 2018, he’s only made 27 appearances in the famous green and white but he could be leaving permanently in the summer.

That’s because his loan club have ambitions of signing him permanently. Unfortunately for Nick Hammond, they have an option to buy the player so staying at Celtic seems unlikely for the time being.

Of course, plenty could change between now and the summer, so for Neil Lennon, he must be hoping and praying that Hendry remains at Parkhead.

But why is that the case? Well, with Kristoffer Ajer’s future in Glasgow also uncertain amid links to Milan, Hendry could save the Hoops millions in the transfer market should they need to find a replacement for the Norwegian colossus.

Celtic’s defence has been nothing short of shambolic this season, shipping ten more than Rangers in the league despite playing three fewer games and conceding 19 in just six Europa League outings.

Improving the backline is of utmost importance, therefore, and Hammond has clearly recognised that. They have been linked with a switch for centre-back Filip Benkovic while Preston’s Ben Davies has also been touted with a move to the Bhoys.

However, with Hendry, they could forget all about signing someone new because they already have their ideal Ajer replacement right under their nose.

The 25-year-old has been a pillar of solidity in Belgium this season and has earned wonderful reviews for his displays. Manager Alexander Blessin said: “He’s a great talker in defence. He makes the people he’s playing with better. You can see them listening to him. He’s been a tower of experience for us.”

Blessin continued: “Jack’s the most important member of the team this season and he’s one of the best defenders in the league. He can defend, he’s fast and he’s also a useful weapon at attacks because of his height.”

Does that remind you of anyone? It sounds a lot like Ajer. The Norwegian is a valuable leader and not only can he defend but he’s also a threat from set plays and can bring the ball out of defence.

Ajer typifies a ball-playing centre-half and in Hendry, Lennon can be assured of keeping that quality at the heart of his defence.

For instance, the Oostende loanee has completed 86.5% of his passes this season. Ajer, meanwhile, has been successful with 88% of his passes. For further comparison, there are just two inches in height between the two centre-backs.

Winning headers is certainly their forte. Hendry has won three aerial duels per game this term compared to Ajer’s 3.1 battles won.

It’s clear there are huge similarities between the two players and if Ajer does indeed leave, Celtic must hope that Hendry stays at Parkhead. If he does, unleashing him next season simply has to happen. The defender has more than proven he’s capable.

AND in other news, Celtic must swoop for 8-goal star, his “running stats are phenomenal”…

PSV Eindhoven have asked Aston Villa for information on striker Wesley Moraes ahead of a possible swoop.

The Lowdown: Wesley’s Villa Park struggles

It’s safe to say Wesley hasn’t exactly made the impact he would’ve hoped after joining from Club Brugge in 2019 for £22.5m.

He scored just six goals in 22 appearances before suffering a serious injury against Burnley on New Year’s Day 2020.

The Brazilian missed the rest of the 2020/21 season and the majority of the current campaign, making three brief substitute appearances in recent weeks.

Villa are looking to loan out the 24-year-old in the summer, and it seems as if they have a potential suitor for the £35,000-a-week man.

The Latest: Source shares update

According to Football Insider, who have been informed by a Dutch source, PSV have made an enquiry and are looking at a year-long loan.

The Dutch heavyweights, who have two European Cup triumphs in their history, want to be sure Wesley is over his injury issues before committing to a possible deal.

The Verdict: A good move for all involved?

Should guaranteed game time be offered by PSV, we feel as if a temporary move to the Netherlands would be good for Wesley.

It would give him the chance to get back to his best in a competitive league, while also possibly playing Champions League football.

PSV will be getting a forward capable of scoring plenty of goals, with Wesley netting 17 times in Belgium in the 2018/19 campaign prior to his move to the Midlands.

Rivals Ajax have scored 28 more goals than PSV this season, so the acquisition of Wesley could help them table a stronger challenge next season.

As for Villa, should things go well, they would then be getting a forward back full of confidence for the 2022/23 season, which may prove to be a shrewd move by Villa officials.

In other news: Villa linked with move for £5.1m-rated defender, many AVFC fans happy, find out more here. 

Following Sunderland’s demise in the play-off semi-finals on Saturday, Lee Johnson will now be turning his attention to building a team capable of going on to secure promotion from League One next season.

With a large number of the Black Cats’ first team playing squad being out of contract this summer – including the likes of Lee Burge, Luke O’Nien, Conor McLaughlin, Denver Hume, Callum McFadzean, Max Power, Grant Leadbitter, Chris Maguire, Aiden McGeady and Charlie Wyke – Johnson and Kristjaan Speakman appear to have a busy transfer window ahead of them in rebuilding the Sunderland squad.

However, one player who it would seem essential for the pair to bring back to the Stadium of Light prior to next season is not mentioned above – Rangers loanee Jordan Jones.

Having joined Sunderland on a temporary deal back in January, the 26-year-old winger impressed over his 20 League One appearances for Johnson’s side, scoring three goals, registering four assists and creating two big chances for his teammates.

Furthermore, Jones also took an average of 1.6 shots and made 1.9 key passes per game, with these metrics culminating in a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.08 – ranking him as the club’s fifth-best performer in the third tier.

With it being reported back in February that Jones would be keen on a switch to England permanently this summer, as well as Rangers thought to be willing to discuss a deal regarding the winger for a fee of around £600,000, the door would very much appear to be wide open for Johnson to make a move for the Northern Ireland international.

However, whether or not Sunderland’s failure to secure promotion to the Championship has an impact on Jones’ decision over a return to the Stadium of Light remains unclear at present, but this should not stop the Black Cats doing all they can to secure the services of one of their stand out players this season – one whom Kris Boyd claimed is a “nightmare” for defenders to play against.

In other news: Kyril Louis-Dreyfus could be on the verge of making his biggest Sunderland mistake yet – opinion