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Greg O’Keeffe has been speaking on the All Together Now podcast about the rumoured interest from MSP Sports Capital in Everton.

The Lowdown: Moshiri looking for investment

Despite reports claiming that Farhad Moshiri was indeed still looking to cut his ties with Everton, the British-Iranina owner went on record to say that wasn’t the case, although he was looking for investors.

Therefore, Evertonians will have been excited to see two people from MSP Capital, Jeff Moorad and Jahm Najafi, take in a game at Goodison Park in recent weeks, albeit it was the Southampton defeat.

Although Everton do have issues both on and off the pitch, they do have a new state-of-the-art stadium on the horizon and if they can maintain their top-flight status their club could really take off.

The Latest: Investors are interested in Everton

Reports have suggested that there is interest from America for people to buy a stake in Everton and O’Keeffe has spoken about that apparent interest and what he’s heard.

He said: (0:30) “The Mirror reported earlier this week that the American investment group MSP Sports Capital want a 25% stake in the Toffees which would equate to £105 million in investment.

“More interesting as well, they want two seats on Everton’s board in return. Nothing as I say is concrete yet over whether that is imminent, although we have heard for some time that it’s making progress, the talks with Farhad Moshiri.

The Verdict: Everton need new voices and ideas

The fact that Everton have not just stagnated in recent times but they have gone backwards at an alarmingly quick rate having endured a relegation battle last season and this campaign looks to be the exact same.

Everton were the only team in the Premier League that didn’t spend a single penny in January and indeed just got worse as they lost both Salomon Rondon and Anthony Gordon, but failed to invest any of the money received from the latter.

If Moshiri can get some new voices on the Everton board in the form of some investors then it may be what the entire club needs as it will be fresh energy and ideas at Goodison Park which is clearly needed given the state of everything on and off the pitch.

Chelsea could allow five first-team players to leave the club during the summer transfer window, including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to a new update.

The Lowdown: Another bad day for Blues

The Blues suffered another dreadful day at the office on Saturday afternoon, losing 1-0 at home to relegated-threatened Southampton in the Premier League.

The pressure is now really mounting on manager Graham Potter, who is struggling to turn things around, with a top-four finish almost looking impossible at this point.

While Chelsea have spent big recently, signing the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez, there is also plenty of deadwood to dispatch of.

The Latest: Five players set to leave

According to Football Insider, the quintet of Mason Mount, Aubameyang, Hakim Ziyech, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Conor Gallagher could all move on this summer.

All five of them are either surplus to requirements or have ongoing contract issues and the club will listen to offers for them.

The Verdict: Makes complete sense

With the exception of Mount, it makes perfect sense for these individuals to be sold by Chelsea this summer, having become dispensable members of Potter’s squad.

Aubameyang has been a disastrous signing, coming in on £160,000 a week but only scoring three goals in 17 appearances, while Ziyech very nearly joined Paris Saint-Germain in January.

Loftus-Cheek and Gallagher are two talented players but they are not good enough to be starting games regularly for a club like Chelsea, scoring only one league goal between them this season.

Mount is the one who it would be preferable to keep hold of, given his importance in recent years – he has 33 goals and 37 assists in total – but if he won’t accept the Blues’ contract offer, there is no other option than to move on.

Craig Hope doesn’t believe Joe Willock will start on Sunday but has admitted there are mixed noises coming out of Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Eddie Howe has some tough decisions to make

Newcastle are heading into their biggest game of the season and modern history on Sunday with a relatively clean bill of health with the likes of Willock back fit and also Bruno Guimaraes returning from his three-game suspension.

While that will be good news for fans and Eddie Howe, it does indeed leave the Toon boss with a selection dilemma over who to start between Willock or Allan Saint-Maximin impressed last time out against Liverpool hitting the bar.

Willock has started 20 league games this season but has not played since he limped off against Bournemouth on February 2nd he may well be rusty and not worth the risk on Sunday at Wembley.

The Latest: Willock’s starting spot is still unclear

Hope has admitted on the True Faith podcast that he doesn’t believe Willock will start, however, after speaking to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie the midfielder could still get the nod from Howe.

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He said: (43:20) “I was talking to Keith [Downie] today as well with the word being Willock is going to be available. I think he will put Willock on the bench but Keith thinks he’s going to put him in.”

The Verdict: Could be a match-defining decision

If Howe decides to start Saint-Maximin on the huge stage this weekend then that could well be what defines the game because if he’s on form and raring to go he’d give Manchester United players a nightmare all game and could pin them back.

However, if he decided to not turn up and struggles to get into the game and make an impact then it would very easily leave the Magpies exposed at the back having to carry someone who’s not performing.

Therefore, the sensible and safe option would be for Howe to revert back to a tried and tested lineup that consists of Willock, Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff in the middle with Joelinton on the left

West Ham are reportedly interested in signing Bristol City star Alex Scott and his potential arrival at the London Stadium could see David Moyes repeat his masterclass of signing Jarrod Bowen.

Could West Ham sign Alex Scott?

The Daily Mail recently reported that the Hammers have joined Tottenham and Newcastle United in the race to sign the 19-year-old, who has established himself as one of the top English talents outside of the Premier League.

The England U20 international is valued at £25m by Bristol City and has been tipped to play for the Three Lions in the future by his manager Nigel Pearson, drawing comparisons with Jack Grealish for his style of play.

Could West Ham repeat their Bowen masterclass?

The teenage midfielder already has 81 appearances under his belt for the Robins, in which he has five goals and seven assists, while he also caught the eye in front of the TV cameras this week, impressing despite his side’s 3-0 defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup.

Pep Guardiola labelled him an “unbelievable player” while Henry Winter, chief football writer at The Times, also sang his praises on Twitter.

He wrote: “What a talent Alex Scott is. I covered him in the Eng U19s Euro triumph last summer and he’s even better now, flourishing at Ashton Gate and totally fearless against MCFC. Ex-Isthmian League. Destined for the Premier League.”

The last attack-minded player West Ham signed from the Championship was Jarrod Bowen, with the England international joining from second division side Hull City in a £20m deal, having hit 54 goals during his time with the Tigers.

He has certainly proven to be a big hit at the London Stadium, especially with his performances last season, which saw him hit 12 goals and 12 assists in the top flight for Moyes’ side.

In total, the 26-year-old has contributed an impressive 35 goals and 26 assists in 137 appearances for the Hammers, which has seen his value on Transfermarkt shoot up to €42m (£37.2m), so his signing will surely go down as a successful one.

Therefore, while £25m might seem like a lot for Scott, given his lack of top-flight experience, Bowen is substantial proof that players can make the step up to the Premier League from the Championship.

Given Scott’s impressive performances this season, which has seen him notch five assists in the second tier for Pearson’s side, as well as his obvious potential, given Guardiola and Winter’s comments, Moyes should definitely be looking at bringing the teenager to the London Stadium this summer to replicate the masterclass he played with the signing of Bowen in 2020.

At the age of 19, the Bristol City star has many, many, years ahead of him to develop and improve and the maestro could do that whilst playing for the Hammers.

Arsenal are reportedly ‘keeping a close eye’ on Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins ahead of a potential move this summer.

The Lowdown: In form

Watkins is a striker at the top of his game at the moment, with Premier League, including one in a 2-0 win away at Everton on the weekend.

He also netted against Arsenal the weekend before, but it was not enough as the Gunners ran out 4-2 winners at Villa Park.

The Latest: Arsenal interest

Taking to Twitter, journalist Steve Kay says that the North Londoners are ‘keeping a close eye’ on Watkins, according to ‘sources’, and could make a move this summer, while Mikel Arteta is thought to be a ‘massive admirer’:

“Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is one of the strikers that Arsenal have been keeping a close eye on as a possible summer signing according to sources.

“Arteta is a massive admirer of the England international, who recently praised the forward in the away win against Villa.”

The Verdict: Smart move

Watkins would certainly be a smart move from the Emirates Stadium outfit, as he knows the Premier League already and is entering his prime at 27.

His former manager Dean Smith claims that the Englishman is ‘one of the best pressing centre-forwards’ in the division, as evident by the fact that he ranks in the 88th percentile of all forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for interceptions per game over the past year.

On top of his eye for a goal, his incredible work-rate would also please Arteta, and so it is no surprise to see the Spaniard’s admiration of him.

Nonetheless, the Gunners will feel that they will need extra forward cover next season, especially considering they look likely to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, and Gabriel Jesus has found himself injured for a large chunk of this campaign.

A number of Manchester United supporters have been left fuming at an injury update involving Anthony Martial.

The Lowdown: Back in training but still out

The Red Devils are gearing up for their Europa League last 16 first leg against Real Betis but will once again be without Martial.

The French forward has played just 29 minutes of Europa League action due to Achilles, back and hip problems and isn’t match-ready despite being back on the pitch at Carrington.

Marcel Sabitzer is also out of tonight’s meeting at Old Trafford, as Erik ten Hag’s side look to take an advantage to Spain.

The Latest: Fans react

The United Stand shared the injury news regarding Martial and Sabitzer on Twitter ahead of the game, with a number of fans sharing their frustration towards the former of the two.

“Just sell Martial. Man’s injured all the time” – @meleirofilipe03

“Martial is the new Phil Jones now.” – @Pranadsptr

“Martial should genuinely stop playing football for a year and go work on his body and fix himself. This is beyond abnormal. I genuinely think we need more than 1 striker in the summer. 1 massive one and 1 to provide competition because there’s none coming Martial atm.” – @MirZa786109

“Martial useless” – @marca_57

“Martial can stay wherever he is. I’ve had it. Mans is always injured” – @_wavyboy

“Sell this Martial guy… he’s too injury prone” – @K_Tibbzz

The Verdict: Summer exit?

Reports have suggested that United are open to selling Martial in the summer, which overall, seems to be a wise move.

The 27-year-old is out of contract in 2024, so the summer may be the last chance United have to receive a respectable fee for his services.

He has started just nine games in all competitions, and you’d expect that number would be a lot higher if he could stay fit, but his injury issues have shown no signs of stopping, making a sale a wise move.

What’s the latest on Gabriel Jesus's injury return at Arsenal?

The Brazilian suffered a bad knee injury while away in Qatar with his country at the 2022 winter World Cup. This required surgery to solve the problem, meaning the player’s last appearance for the Gunners came way back in mid-November.

Despite the forward’s absence, Mikel Arteta and his men have still managed to maintain their lead at the very top of the Premier League and currently are five points ahead of Manchester City in second.

However, in a positive update for the club, Jesus was back on the bench at last against Fulham this weekend and even managed to play a part as a substitute in the 3-0 victory.

In fact, the Brazilian had a great chance to score but saw his shot saved by Bernd Leno. While speaking about it all on his YouTube channel, Watts revealed that the striker was gutted after the miss even after the full whistle.

He said (13:02): "He was so disappointed he didn't score. When the players, when everyone left and everyone was celebrating with the away fans, and then walking back to the tunnel you could see Jesus – that chance was still playing on his mind.

"He had his shirt over his head and he was looking up at the heavens, he was so disappointed in himself that he didn't score."

Does Jesus score enough goals for the Gunners?

Before his injury, Jesus was in fine form managing to score five goals and set up six more, meaning he had contributed directly to 11 goals in his first 14 league games.

However, he had failed to find the net in his 11 games in all competitions before the break for the World Cup, and so his current goal drought stretches all the way back to October 1.

With that in mind, he would have no doubt loved to have put that issue behind him right away by netting on return against Fulham but sadly that opportunity passed Jesus by.

It’s not hard to see why he was consequently so unhappy with himself but more importantly, he’s now back fit and ready to help Arsenal in the final 11 league games of the season as they chase Premier League glory.

Aston Villa are currently sitting in 11th place in the Premier League table with 12 matches left to play before the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Villans are 11 points clear of the drop zone and eight points ahead of 12th place as they look set to remain in the top division for another season.

They have avoided relegation back down to the Championship since Dean Smith led the club back to the top flight via the play-offs in 2018/19 – their third straight term in the second division.

Smith was able to bring the team back to the Premier League and achieved survival in both of his full campaigns in charge after that, but he did not have the best of luck in the transfer market during his time at the helm.

One signing that did not go to plan was the purchase of Wesley from Belgian side Club Brugge. Signed for a colossal fee of £22m, it was a club-record deal at the time.

Shortly after the move, Smith backed the forward to be a success in the top flight, saying:

“He was a presence up front. He ran down the sides of them, too. He’s starting to get into the speed of the Premier League. It will take time for a few of them.

“But I have been pleased with his performances so far. All he needs is a goal now.”

What happened to Wesley at Aston Villa?

The Brazilian striker struggled for form in his first season in the Premier League with the Villans as the forward managed five goals in 21 outings in the division, with two of those coming in one match against Norwich.

Despite his unimpressive goal return, FootballTransfers placed his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at a whopping £30m (€34m) in January 2020 and Villa owners NSWE may have been thinking about the potential profit they'd be making in the near future.

However, his campaign was cut short by a tackle from Ben Mee against Burnley which caused a knee injury that led to him missing a year of action and 40 competitive matches.

Wesley struggled to get back to his best – making just three appearances off the bench in 2020/21 – and went back to Brugge on loan for the 2021/22 season, where he played only six times in all competitions.

Two goals in 20 games on loan at Internacional followed that before the centre-forward signed for Spanish second-division side Levante on loan for the current campaign.

The 26-year-old, who journalist Josh Bunting once tipped to be a "real force", has failed to score a single goal in 27 LaLiga 2 appearances this term with his struggles in recent years now being illustrated by his plummeting market value.

FootballTransfers currently has rate xTV at just £2m (€2.3m), £28m less than he was valued at just over three years ago – a decrease of 93%.

This suggests that Villa would not rake in anywhere near the fee they initially paid for the gem, or the increased valuation the forward had at the start of 2020.

Indeed, NSWE have suffered badly alongside the unfortunate Brazilian – from a financial and footballing perspective – as they are unlikely to see much of their £22m back from Wesley's future departure.

TalkSPORT pundit and Arsenal supporter Laura Woods has been left buzzing over the news that Martin Odegaard is reportedly set to be offered a new deal.

The Lowdown: Odegaard contract offer

It has recently been reported that Arsenal are set to offer Odegaard a bumper new deal that will keep him at the Emirates Stadium until 2030.

They want to finalise extensions for both William Saliba and Granit Xhaka first, before starting talks with Odegaard that would include a substantial pay rise.

He is currently on £115,000-per-week in North London, making him the sixth-highest earner in the squad.

The Latest: Woods buzzing

Speaking on talkSPORT, Woods said that she is ‘very excited’ by the prospect of Odegaard signing a new contract, adding that everything is ‘amazing’ in and around the club right now:

“Arsenal are ready to offer Norway playmaker Martin Odegaard a new deal to keep him at the club until 2030.

“I’m very excited about this one. This is the thing about Arsenal, they have to make sure the best players re-sign and sign new deals and get them to commit their future to the club.

“There’s no better time to do that than right now when everything is amazing. He’s just so great and at the centre of everything. He’s such a leader.”

The Verdict: Get it done!

The Gunners must look to tie Odegaard down to a new long-term deal as soon as possible, and keep him at the club for as long as they can.

The Norway international has been among their best performers in their Premier League title charge, scoring ten goals and making a further six assists, having only missed one game all season (WhoScored).

Leading by example as captain, pundit Ally McCoist claims that he is the ‘most integral’ player in the team, emphasised by him recently winning the Premier League Player of the Year award at the London Football Awards.

As such, Odegaard is thoroughly deserving of a new contract, and will be hoping to be the first Arsenal captain to lift the Premier League trophy since Patrick Vieira in the Invincibles season.

Chelsea have accepted the fact that they will make a huge loss on Romelu Lukaku should they sell the striker this summer, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Exit highly likely

The Belgian made his return to the Premier League and indeed Stamford Bridge back in 2021 but is currently out on a season-long loan at Inter Milan after falling out of favour.

In January, Spanish reports relayed an update from the 29-year-old admitting that doesn’t want to return to work under Graham Potter, which has alerted several clubs to his potential availability.

Saudi Arabian clubs, Everton and Aston Villa have all been credited with an interest in the forward, but most recently, a new transfer plan has emerged.

Calciomercato claim that the Blues could look to include their player in a deal to re-sign Tammy Abraham, but no matter where he ends up, the club will be down from a financial point of view.

The Latest: Chelsea accept fate

According to Football Insider, Chelsea have ‘resigned themselves’ to the fact that they will be making an ‘enormous loss’ on Lukaku should his sale be sanctioned later in the summer.

Inter’s attacker arrived in SW6 for a £97.5m fee but ‘sources with knowledge of his situation’ believe that Todd Boehly will have to accept a cut-price sum of less than £30m.

The Blues are already paying for part of his salary whilst on loan and it’s stated that the owner needs to ‘trim the squad’ and ‘balance the books’ ahead of the 2023/24 term.

The Verdict: Let him leave

Lukaku has made zero appearances under Potter being at Inter since he was appointed, and that won’t change any time soon, so Chelsea would be making the right decision to cash in, albeit for a significantly lower fee than they would have liked.

The 104-cap international scored just eight goals in the top flight throughout the whole of the 2021/22 season before returning to Italy, therefore lacking the kind of prolific form required to succeed.

The Antwerp native has also been previously slammed for his performances in the capital by journalist Josh Bunting who labelled him a ‘disgrace’, stating that he has a ‘rotten’ attitude and should ‘never play for the club again’.

Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign RB Leipzig striker Christopher Nkunku in the summer so Lukaku’s replacement is already lined up, it’s now just a case of finding a potential suitor that would be able to put the best offer on the table.