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The Rafa Benitez era at Everton hasn’t quite started with a bang but the Spaniard finally has his first signing at Goodison Park under his belt.

They welcomed Andros Townsend to the Toffees on Tuesday afternoon but in the midst of that excitement comes a potentially lusty blow to their ambitions.

What’s the word?

Both James Rodriguez and Richarlison have both been linked with the departure lounge this summer.

The Colombian has attracted interest from AC Milan with the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, meeting with the Italian side.

It’s also been reported that the club’s previous manager, Carlo Ancelotti, wants to bring Richarlison to Real Madrid.

It looked like the former would actually stay but a fresh claim from Eurosport reveals that both are seeking exits from the club this summer.

The heart-breaking news suggests that the Everton pair are looking for moves to Spain.

Huge blow

If Benitez loses two of the club’s most influential players in the same window then it will be a colossal blow to their hopes of finishing in the European places. Consequently, it should also leave supporters rather angry.

James has only been with the Toffees for the best part of 12 months but he made a brilliant impact in Merseyside.

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The former Madrid star was a creative force and also popped up with some important goals. During his first term in English football, he provided six strikes and four assists. On top of that, no player managed more than his 1.7 key passes per match in the Everton side.

As for their Brazilian winger, only Dominic Calvert-Lewin beat the goalkeeper on more occasions.

Richarlison scored seven Premier League goals before becoming a regular for his national team at the recent Copa America.

Both players provided plenty of help to their top scorer last term and ensured that Ancelotti had a dynamic pairing to work with in the final third.

They worked in tandem nicely together but that could be demolished heading into the 2021/22 campaign.

With supporters given the green light to return to stadiums next season, it will surely enrage those who didn’t get to catch a glimpse of James in Everton colours.

Instead, they will make to make do with watching the likes of Townsend and possibly Demarai Gray.

AND in other news, Rafa could discover Everton’s new Leon Osman by signing “special” 34-cap maestro…

Aston Villa could begin talks with the representatives of River Plate next week over Julian Alvarez, according to respected Radio Continental journalist Sebastián Srur on Twitter.

The Argentina international is said to be eyeing a move to Europe this window to advance his career [Birmingham Live].

Completing an outstanding 2020/21 campaign, the versatile offensive talent registered 11 goal contributions from 20 outings; four goals and seven assists [Transfermarkt].

Roughly translated, Srur claimed the following on Twitter: “Aston Villa, interested in Julian Alvarez. It will be necessary to see if they advance with a concrete offer. There may be meetings next week in England.”

Of course, Aston Villa have already been very prominent in the summer window, having broken their transfer record to acquire Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City [BBC].

Additionally, the Villains have brought in Ashley Young on a free transfer and could now be set for a third signing as Alvarez mulls over his future.

As you can imagine, loads of Villa diehards took to Twitter to revel in this latest news.

Villa fans react:

Replying to popular Aston Villa fan outlet villareport, here are how some supporters summed up their feelings about these recent developments, with one fan even comparing the youngster to Lionel Messi.

“The next messi in my books, get it done”

Credit: @GreaseSZNN”Trust me he’s unreal watch him most weeks”Credit: @rossmow6″I need a signing now. Next week is too far and I’m too excited for news”Credit: @myburneraccou11″I love these kind of deals”Credit: @_porsalin”YES!!!!!!”Credit: @MilanRnic1″Get it done, decent young talent”Credit: @stubz14In other news, Aston Villa fans react to a Jack Grealish update.

Glasgow Rangers man Ianis Hagi has not been included in Romania’s squad for the Olympic Games in Tokyo later this summer.

The Lowdown: Gers didn’t want Hagi at the Olympics

Hagi confirmed his desire to take part in the Olympics this summer (via Glasgow Live), but the Gers did not want him to go.

That would clash with the start of the Gers’ Champions League run, and given there was no obligation for the Gers to let him go, they decided to keep him at Ibrox.

The Latest: Confirmation

Now, Romania’s squad for the tournament has been confirmed, and Hagi’s name does not feature (frf.ro) with the Gers getting their way.

20 players have been selected – they will kick off against Honduras on July 22nd.

The Verdict: Disappointing for Hagi

Of course, Hagi will have been aware of the situation for quite a while, but that does not mean this will not come as a crushing blow for the young man having expressed his desire to join in.

The £5.85m-valued 22-year-old (Transfermarkt) has made it clear he wanted to represent his country, and to do so at the Olympics is pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It does at least illustrate however that Steven Gerrard sees Hagi as an important member of his squad – otherwise, he would not have fought so hard to keep him in Scotland at the start of the term. Now, the former Genk man must do all he can to make sure it was worth him staying with his club.

In other news, Rangers fans love this photo.

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips is reportedly being watched closely by Real Madrid, following a superb start to his Euro 2020 campaign with England.

The Lowdown: Phillips excels for England

The 25-year-old started for the Three Lions in their opener against Croatia on Sunday afternoon, producing a Man of the Match performance and providing the assist for Raheem Sterling’s winning goal.

It was the type of display that Leeds fans have become accustomed to, but it was pleasing to see him shine on the big stage, in front of a huge worldwide audience.

The Latest: Real Madrid linked with shock move

Phillips’ brilliance for England seemingly hasn’t gone unnoticed, with Defensa Central claiming that European giants Madrid are reportedly keeping an eye on him as they look for summer recruits.

Carlo Ancelotti has recently taken charge at the Santiago Bernabeu and it may be that he was an admirer of the midfielder during his time at Everton in the Premier League.

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The Verdict: Unlikely to happen

It sums up Phillips’ quality that a team of Madrid’s stature are reportedly eyeing him up, having been such an influential player for Leeds during a glorious period in their history.

In truth, it is hard to see the La Liga side actually signing him – they are more known for signing world-renowned ‘Galacticos’ – so Marcelo Bielsa is unlikely to be losing any sleep.

That being said, should Phillips continue to improve as a player, it could be increasingly difficult for the Whites to keep hold of him for the long-term future.

In other news, a former Leeds man has failed to rule out one current Whites player leaving this summer. Find out who it is here.

After Fulham’s relegation was confirmed to the Championship, there has been a lot of speculation over the future of Scott Parker and Peterborough’s Director of Football, Barry Fry, believes that he may not want to stay at Craven Cottage any longer.

It was reported that the Fulham board were not happy with some of the comments and performances from Parker and his side towards the end of last season, which appeared to shine a bad light on the owners in terms of them not taking a big interest in the team.

This has led to widespread speculation over his future with talks set to commence on what the future looks like in the Fulham dugout, and reports have suggested that Parker could be tempted to take the Bournemouth job this summer.

It would be a huge blow for Fulham if they were to lose the manager that got them promoted last time out in the Championship and it could all come down to which club will offer him the biggest transfer budget, according to Fry when he spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“It all depends on the talks about recruitment and the budget for next season.

“If he’s had those talks with the owner and they’re not giving him a budget that he thinks he can compete with to get them up next year, then he won’t want to stay.”

Parker was tasked with getting Fulham out of the Championship during the 2019/20 season and he managed to do so as they bounced back at the first time of asking via a play-off final win against Brentford.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth underachieved last year especially considering the squad they had in the Championship as they were beaten in the semi-final of the play-offs by eventual winners, Brentford.

According to a report by Eurosport, West Ham United and GSB are now likely to sound out Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud with an offer as his contract nears expiry.

The Lowdown: Moyes on the striker hunt

After West Ham manager David Moyes failed to get his hands on a striker in January, much has been made of the Irons finally strengthening that position in the summer window.

Indeed, club insider Claret & Hugh believes that both a new forward and permanent deal for Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard are at the very top of Moyes’ priority list.

The Latest: Giroud enters the fray…

The striker saga now appears well underway as Eurosport bring news of West Ham’s interest in Chelsea forward Giroud.

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Giroud is out of contract at Stamford Bridge this summer, meaning the Hammers could feasibly sign him on a free deal amid difficult financial circumstances caused by coronavirus.

As such, journalist Dean Jones, writing for the outlet, believes West Ham are now ‘likely’ to sound out the 107-cap international with an offer to swap Stamford Bridge for the London Stadium.

However, the club face stiff competition for Giroud in the form of Italian giants AC Milan – who are believed to already be looking into a possible agreement.

The Verdict: Ideal signing?

The 34-year-old’s haul both domestically and at international level is something to be praised.

Indeed, Giroud has netted 44 goals over his plethora of caps for France and holds a fairly solid goalscoring record in the Premier League with 90 goals in 255 appearances overall.

The towering 6 foot 3 forward has also attracted pretty lofty praise from Gary Lineker, with the pundit lavishing Giroud as ‘the most underrated striker in the game.’ (via Twitter).

However, if Moyes wants a long term solution, Giroud may not be the most credible option given his age – with reported striking targets such as Ivan Toney and Tammy Abraham arguably worth an investment which could pay off long into the future.

In other news: West Ham fans rave over this official club announcement, find out more here.

According to a report by reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, via West Ham Central, the club have looked into promising Swansea City defender Ben Cabango as interest emerges in the player.

Cabango, who started 31 Championship matches over the 2020/2021 season under Steve Cooper, has indeed entered the radar of West Ham following another impressive campaign for the Swans.

The 21-year-old broke through over 2019/2020, becoming a fairly regular asset with 20 starts under his belt that year, but this season he became a real mainstay at such a young age.

Swansea just missed out on promotion back to the Premier League, losing the Championship play-off final, which has resulted in speculation regarding their best players.

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Out of every Swans player with over 20 appearances, Cabango averaged the most clearances per 90 with an impressive 4.7 – perhaps summing up why West Ham are now keen.

Flocking to this ExWHUemployee transfer news, with one Irons fan calling it ‘refreshing’, it’s little wonder some have displayed excitement.

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

West Ham fans flock to ExWHUemployee transfer news

“Omg please”

Credit: @jxmeswhu

“West Ham I’ve never asked for a player so bad before”

Credit: @SaidMuv

“Good player

Knows how to play Gary monk esque catenaccio

Bring him in.”

Credit: @mrwestham22

“YES YES YES”

Credit: @NoContextWalker

“Plenty of good young talent in the Championship. Ben Cabango is one of them and let’s see how he gets on at the Euros for Wales. It’s refreshing to see that we are looking at younger players to help build on a strong squad.”

Credit: @AzamWHUFC

“please west ham”

Credit: @Harry_WHU_

In other news: West Ham fans were also excited by Sky Sports’ ‘absolutely huge news’, find out more here.

Former West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he expects Sam Allardyce to walk away from his old club if he is not offered financial reassurances.

Talks with the board over his future are imminent following West Brom’s relegation from the Premier League, with a clause in his contract allowing either party to end things now that it has been confirmed that the Baggies will play in the Championship next season.

Having won promotion from English football’s second division in the past, keeping Allardyce on from a West Brom perspective looks a no-brainer.

However, Palmer is convinced the 66-year-old will only stay at the Hawthorns if he is given the tools to bring the Midlands outfit back up at the first time of asking.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Big Sam’s future, the ex-West Brom player said:

“I think the main thing will be, I think they will want to keep Sam Allardyce, for sure. He’s proven that he can do that before, get teams back at the first attempt. But obviously now they’ve got relegated, it will be a case of what the situation is financially.

“If they’re going to cut back massively financially because they’ve gone and Sam doesn’t believe that he’s got a chance to bring them back at the first attempt, he won’t stay.”

According to Sky Sports, if Allardyce does end up departing, then the Baggies could turn to former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder.

Roy Hodgson is being disrespected on his way out of Crystal Palace, says former Premier League striker Brian Deane.

The 73-year-old managed his last game for Palace over the weekend and the south London club are now searching for a new manager.

Hodgson’s future had been up in the air all season due to his expiring contract, resulting in constant talk about the likes of Frank Lampard and Scott Parker potentially taking over.

For Deane, it has left a bit of a sour taste in his mouth, not happy with how some have spoken about Hodgson, especially compared to Lampard and Parker, who are both still quite inexperienced in this department of the game.

Speaking exclusively to TT about Palace’s manager situation, the ex-Sheffield United and Leeds United forward said:

“I’ve heard a couple of people on the radio say Scott Parker will be a good fit there or Frank Lampard. Listen, Roy Hodgson, he knows more on one hand than both of those guys put together. I think it’s [some of things that have been said] disrespectful.

“Yeah, people can turnaround and say they don’t play the most exciting football, but I think the balance is good because if you’re going to throw everything at games, then you’re going to lose more than half of them in the Premier League.

“I think what he’s done is he’s built a very good foundation.”

Indeed, over the last few seasons, Palace have looked like a solid team and one that rarely came into any sort of real relegation danger.

Hodgson definitely deserves a whole lot of credit for that after picking up a Palace side that were going absolutely nowhere under Frank de Boer.

For a brief moment earlier this week, it had seemed as if the sport of football that we all know and love was under serious threat.

Six Premier League clubs – Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur – announced their intentions to join a European Super League alongside Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter.

This led to a huge backlash from football fans around the world, who were rightly angry at the club’s disregard for loyal supporters, with the decision to join clearly based on the huge financial incentives rather than the benefit of the team.

The various clubs involved were clearly desperate to re-establish themselves as the footballing elite, as it seems remarkable that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal were afforded an invitation despite their domestic struggles in recent seasons, as participation was based on finances alone.

Fortunately, thanks to millions of football fans voicing their concerns over the league, as well as the proposed sanctions from UEFA, the clubs were quick to withdraw, with Chelsea and Manchester City among the first to back out of the European Super League.

Thankfully, Man City chairman Sheikh Mansour saw sense and listened to the concerns of fans and players alike, with City talisman Kevin De Bruyne one of many Premier League players to post their feelings about the league on social media.

Considering that UEFA reportedly threatened to kick Manchester City out of the Premier League and Champions League as punishment for their actions, there is no doubt that Pep Guardiola is also delighted with the club’s eventual decision to withdraw, as his side have enjoyed a superb campaign and are on the cusp of glory on three fronts.

The Spaniard voiced his own concerns on the league in a press conference earlier this week, saying (via Sky Sports): “I have said many times, I want the best and strongest competition possible, especially the Premier League

“And it’s not fair if one team fights to make it to the top and then cannot qualify because success is just guaranteed for a few clubs.”

Therefore, considering that UEFA are now unlikely to punish the clubs so harshly now that they have withdrawn, Guardiola will undoubtedly be delighted that his team can get back to focusing on the rest of the season, where they will hopefully earn all the success which comes their way.

In other news… Forget Foden: “Exceptional” Man City beast ran the show at Villa Park