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Everton have had a really difficult season so far in the Premier League, however, the supporters will now be hoping that the new appointment of Sean Dyche can bring the club back to life just in time to survive relegation.

Dyche has already given the Goodison Park faithful a glimpse of what can be possible with the current crop of players when he led the side to their first victory since October last year against league leaders Arsenal last weekend.

Indeed, there is still a long way to go for the Toffees as they remain one point deep in the relegation zone ahead of a challenging clash with Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby this weekend.

Should the former Burnley boss retain the club’s Premier League status at the end of the season, there is no doubt that the Everton hierarchy will need to invest in the manager’s philosophy over the summer transfer window despite financial problems continuing to loom.

Developing and reinvesting in the forward line has become the most pressing concern for the Merseysiders, however, they could have a hidden gem returning to the club in the summer to strengthen another key area of the pitch.

Jarrad Branthwaite was sent out on a season-long loan to PSV Eindhoven in the summer, giving the academy graduate the opportunity to prove his worth with consistent first-team football and he has done so phenomenally.

Over 14 Eredivisie appearances, the 20-year-old talent has scored one goal, successfully won 54% of his duels and tallied up a 92% pass completion rate in his own half, displaying radiant composure and domination at the heart of the defence.

Not only that, Branthwaite now ranks in the top 20% of his positional peers across the ‘next eight best’ leagues for non-penalty goals, passes attempted, pass completion and progressive passes.

The Everton youngster’s displays in the Netherlands have started to attract attention from some of the biggest clubs in the world with Manchester United, Roma and bitter rivals Liverpool all scouting Branthwaite.

Although it could be tempting for the Toffees to sell their valuable asset in Branthwaite this summer in order to boost funds to reinvest into the forward line, keeping hold of the defender could pay off and give the club their next Phil Jagielka who could dominate in the backline for years to come.

Jagielka was a consistent and reliable performer for Everton over his 12 years with the Merseyside club, becoming a modern great – amassing 385 appearances before leaving in 2019.

Like Branthwaite, he was composed in possession of the ball, completing over 82% of his passes across multiple top-flight campaigns.

Now, the young defender could even follow in the footsteps of Jagielka on the international stage too, with his former Carlisle boss Steve Pressley claiming the young centre-back could be in line for an international call-up:

“He had so many quality attributes to become a top player,” he began.

“I told people he was a future England international.”

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if the power brokers at Goodison see the value in keeping hold of Branthwaite or whether they will be blinded by an opportunity to collect a quick payday on the player this summer.

Manchester United’s hectic run of February fixtures continues away to Barcelona in the Europa League this evening, with the Red Devils set to return to the venue of one of the greatest nights in their history – Camp Nou.

While there may not be quite the glamour of that fabled triumph over Bayern Munich in ’99 – with United now competing in the continent’s second-tier competition – tonight’s clash still promises a potentially mouthwatering feast of football, with Erik ten Hag’s resurgent side facing off against the runaway leaders in La Liga.

With it already set to be a stern challenge to pick up a positive result in Catalonia, the Old Trafford outfit have the further headache of being without a number of key figures, with the likes of Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial and Antony all missing through injury, while both Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer are ruled out through suspension.

How will Man United line up against Barcelona?

With those selection issues in mind, Football FanCast predicts that Ten Hag will make three changes from the side that claimed victory over Leeds United last time out, with notable alterations set to take place defensively.

Ahead of long-serving stalwart David De Gea – who recently brought up 400 Premier League appearances –  will likely be a centre-back pairing of Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw, with club captain and defensive “liability” – as per writer Zach Lowy – Harry Maguire set to make way.

With Shaw’s move into the centre set to see Tyrell Malacia remain at left-back, the other full-back berth could well be taken up by £50m “monster” Aaron Wan-Bissaka – as once lauded by CBS Sports reporter Aaron West – with the Englishman’s defensive strength potentially set to be required.

The biggest positive for the former Ajax boss will be the return of influential midfielder Casemiro, amid his current league suspension, with the Brazilian rock set to be supported by compatriot Fred and playmaking gem, Bruno Fernandes.

As for the forward line, the absence of both Antony and Martial should ensure that there are no alterations from the win at Elland Road, with teenage starlet Alejandro Garnacho likely to offer a game-changing presence off the bench once again.

Aston Villa were beaten 4-2 by Arsenal in the Premier League last weekend as they fell to a third loss in succession after defeats to Manchester City and Leicester.

However, there were positives to take from the match in spite of the disappointing result and end to the match, and one was the performance of centre-forward Ollie Watkins.

The England international scored a terrific goal, squaring up William Saliba before rocketing a shot past Aaron Ramsdale, and has now found the net in each of his last four appearances.

Prior to the break for the World Cup, the striker had scored twice in 14 Premier League outings and was struggling for form in front of goal. Since the return of club action at Christmas, Watkins has plundered five goals in eight outings, which shows that Unai Emery has been able to get the best out of the marksman.

This has been a trend throughout the Spaniard’s managerial career, as he has worked with a number of elite goalscorers over the years, including the likes of Edinson Cavani, David Villa, Gerard Moreno and Neymar, who all scored more than once every other game for the 51-year-old.

90min recently reported that Villa are considering a swoop to sign Lille striker Jonathan David, and Johan Lange could land the Villans’ head coach his next version of former PSG star Cavani by securing a deal for the Canadian marksman.

The Uruguay international was a prolific scorer for Emery during their time together in Paris, as the dynamo plundered an outstanding 89 goals in 98 appearances under the current Villa boss.

Would Jonathan David be a good signing for Emery’s Aston Villa?

Lange could now unearth the manager’s next lethal goalscorer from Ligue 1 by signing the Canada international, whose form in France this season suggests that he has the potential to be an excellent signing.

The 23-year-old has scored 15 goals in 23 appearances in the French top flight, after managing 15 in 38 outings last term, and he has hit double figures for goals in each of his last four campaigns for Lille and Gent.

David, who was once dubbed a “phenomenon” by his former coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck, has only scored 86 career goals but has found the net more than 20 times with his left and right foot respectively, which shows that he is adept at finishing with either foot.

Meanwhile, Cavani has scored more than 50 goals with both feet – out of his 367 club career goals – and this suggests that both players are excellent, two-footed finishers.

The Lille forward, who has scored 22 goals in 37 caps for Canada, may not be at the level where he is scoring 89 goals in 98 games like the Uruguayan, but his impressive goalscoring ability at the age of 23 indicates that he has the potential to grow into being a prolific scorer for Emery.

Therefore, the Villa boss could develop and unearth his next Cavani – in the Premier League instead of Ligue 1 – if Lange can strike a deal for the youngster this summer.

Manchester United have an ‘active interest’ in Tottenham and England legend Harry Kane ahead of a summer move, according to a fresh transfer claim.

The Lowdown: Record-breaking legend

The 29-year-old is one of the best strikers of his generation, recently becoming the all-time top goalscorer in Spurs’ history, netting 268 times for the club, while also chasing down Alan Shearer’s league-wide record.

Kane has been linked with a move to United endless times down the years and although he has stayed loyal to his current club, his contract is now expiring next year.

This could mean that this summer is the last chance for Spurs to earn huge money for his services and it looks as though United are ready to pounce.

The Latest: United eyeing up move

According to Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke, United have an ‘active interest’ in Kane and want to snap him up in the summer, as Erik ten Hag looks to make big additions.

It is noted that Spurs are in talks with the Englishman over a new deal, however, so the decision will ultimately lie with the player himself.

The Verdict: Game-changing addition

If United manage to entice Kane to Old Trafford this summer, it could be one of the most influential pieces of transfer business they have done in many years.

Granted, he will be 30 by the time next season starts but he still has many years left in him and he will be hellbent on beating Shearer’s record of 260 Premier League goals.

The one thing United are lacking currently is an elite striker but Kane is exactly that, being hailed as ‘world-class’ by Antonio Conte and scoring at least 20 goals in the last nine seasons.

The England superstar could link perfectly with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony, dropping deep and allowing them space in behind, and he could turn United into an even greater force.

Leeds United manager Javi Gracia will be in ‘prime position’ to get the job long-term if he keeps his team up this season, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Gracia doing well early on

The Spaniard was appointed the Whites’ new boss last month, coming in to replace the departed Jesse Marsch, who struggled in the role as the months passed.

Gracia won his first Premier League match in charge of Leeds last weekend – a massive three points in a relegation clash with Southampton – suggesting that he is the right man for the job.

The 52-year-old is only on a rolling contract, however, and there is no guarantee that he will be at Elland Road beyond the end of this season.

The Latest: Journo backs Spaniard for job

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs said Gracia will be the front-runner to be Leeds boss after the summer, as long as he steers them away from relegation:

“With Gracia, it’s a flexible contract and you can understand why because Leeds will want to assess at the end of the season. Obviously, if they stay up, then he’s in prime position to get the job.

“But, by the same token, there may be managers out there that Leeds know didn’t want to come mid-season that are prepared to join at the end of the season.

“Because Gracia was not the No.1 choice for Leeds United, there will be a sense that assessing at the end of the season and seeing who is out there in the market might kind of be wise.”

The Verdict: Feels the most likely outcome

Leeds desperately need some stability at this point, especially with ownership rumours ongoing off the pitch, so the hope is that Gracia is the man to take the club forward.

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The early signs are promising, even though not every result has been positive – the Whites were knocked out of the FA Cup by Fulham in midweek – and he has Premier League experience, managing over 57 times in the competition overall.

Relegation would certainly change the situation, with Gracia unlikely to want to be in the Championship, but the hope is that relegation is avoided and he is deemed the best option, having been hailed as ‘incredible’ by Pep Guardiola in the past.

West Ham’s 4-0 defeat against Brighton on Saturday afternoon has perhaps emphasised to fans that the club cannot be considered too good to go down this season.

The Hammers were completely outplayed on the south coast and have now mustered just 23 points from 25 games so far this term, with David Moyes under serious pressure at the London Stadium after another embarrassing away defeat.

Last season’s successes are still fresh in the board’s thinking but it seems clear that the east London outfit cannot be expected to progress any further under the Scottish manager after another lacklustre display at the weekend.

Should West Ham ditch Ben Johnson?

If the former Manchester United boss is to turn things around at West Ham, he must consider ditching Ben Johnson, who was well and truly given the run around by Kaoru Mitoma against Brighton, in what was another shocking display by the youngster.

As per Sofascore, the 23-year-old defender would earn a woeful 6.2/10 rating for his performance on the south coast, and he had a role to play in each of Brighton’s first three goals.

First, he would misjudge a pass to Mitoma on the left wing, which allowed the Japanese winger to progress into the penalty area, where he was fouled by the covering Jarrod Bowen.

Joel Veltman was then afforded the freedom of the six-yard box to score the second from a corner, with Johnson marking fresh air at the back post, before he lost Mitoma again for the third goal.

Unfortunately, the once-promising youngster has shown with his displays this term that he cannot be considered a long-term prospect for the Hammers, averaging a shocking 6.47 rating from WhoScored which ranks him as the 12th-best performer at the London Stadium.

With Vladimir Coufal sidelined through injury and Thilo Kehrer out with illness, Moyes was left with little choice but to deploy Johnson at right-back on Saturday, which perhaps emphasises the greater issue of a lack of quality in depth at the club.

Following the game, Moyes said: “Thilo Kehrer went down sick during the night last night so I didn’t have anything I could do to alter that at any time in the game, as far as a right-back went.

“It was a tough day for Ben but he’s a young boy, and that’s the way it is, you have to learn on the job sometimes and hopefully, he learns a lot from today.”

Despite what Moyes says, Johnson now has 81 senior appearances under his belt at West Ham, so he cannot still be considered an inexperienced prospect for the Hammers.

Given his lack of progression and struggles so far this season, Moyes must ditch the academy graduate for upcoming fixtures, or risk seeing his side fall back into the relegation zone.

West Ham will be looking to put their Premier League woes behind them when they face Cypriot side AEK Larnaca in the Europa Conference League this evening.

David Moyes was the subject of a number of negative chants from Hammers fans at the weekend as his side went down 4-0 against Brighton but the board are yet to pull the trigger on the Scottish manager.

A win will be expected of the former Manchester United boss on Thursday and anything less might just cost him his job, but the 59-year-old should still ring the changes against AEK Larnaca.

While a number of first-team players should be dropped after their woeful displays against the Seagulls, playing such inferior opposition should open the door for a number of fringe and young players to start in Cyprus, with Divin Mubama surely near the top of the list.

Should Divin Mubama start against AEK Larnaca?

West Ham’s main concern in the Premier League this season has been scoring goals. The Hammers have found the net just 23 times in 25 matches so far this term, with Michail Antonio and Gianluca Scamacca managing just six between them.

The former’s disappointing display last week against Manchester United, combined with the latter’s failure to even get on the pitch at Brighton away, suggests that neither are particularly popular with Moyes right now.

While there might be clamours for Scamacca to start in Cyprus, given that he has four goals in Europe so far this campaign, he hasn’t Leeds in early January.

The Italy international was expected to be the long-term heir to Antonio at West Ham but he has followed in the footsteps of a number of big-money striker signings at the London Stadium, with WhoScored ranking him as the 11th-best performer in Moyes’ squad with a disappointing 6.50 average rating in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, the young Mubama has 20 goals and three assists for the various academy sides at West Ham this season and impressed in his previous Europa Conference League outing, grabbing an assist and seeing an effort ruled as an own goal in the 3-0 win against FCSB.

Despite his performance in that game, and sparkling form for the academy sides, notably being nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month in February, Moyes still hasn’t felt it necessary to unleash Mubama in the Premier League.

That said, the “top talent” – as he was dubbed by VAVEL’s Will Lebeau – must surely be given another chance in Europe this evening.

Glasgow Rangers boss Michael Beale could be in for a summer of upheaval as a number of first-team players are out of contract at Ibrox.

One star who is set to be a free agent at the end of the season is Colombia international and Gers icon Alfredo Morelos, whose deal expires later this year.

The head coach recently revealed that the club have not offered him an extension and that the forward can meet with other teams, saying:

"In terms of reports from the outside, I've not spoken to Alfredo about it. He's free to go and speak to other people.

"We haven't spoken to him or offered him anything but we haven't done anything with any of the out-of-contract players. We want to have a look and keep talking."

The striker has not played more than 12 minutes in any of the club's last three matches in all competitions, with Antonio Colak leading the line ahead of him, and the signs appear to be pointing towards a summer exit for the attacker.

His departure would leave Beale with Colak and Kemar Roofe as his only senior number nine options and this means that there could be a vacant spot available for a player to come in and fill – as a Morelos replacement – next season.

Who could replace Alfredo Morelos at Rangers?

The Light Blues could find the Colombian's heir without having to dip into the transfer market by unleashing a gem from the academy side – Robbie Ure.

Beale could save Ross Wilson millions by bringing the teenager into the first team on a regular basis if the club can agree a new contract with the B team starlet.

The promise of regular senior football in Morelos' absence could be enough to convince the 19-year-old, who has been in prolific form, to remain at Ibrox.

Journalist Jordan Campbell once dubbed him a "late bloomer" and the gem's statistics back that up. Ure scored just twice in six Youth League and Challenge Cup appearances last term but has hit his stride in 2022/23 by netting 20 goals and providing ten assists in 39 matches in all competitions for the first-team and academy combined.

The marksman, who was praised as “magic” by Scott Arfield after a cup clash with Queen of the South earlier this season, has been in prolific form for the B team and earned himself two senior outings – scoring once.

These statistics show that the youngster has the potential to make the step up to the first team, as the attacker has already scored for the club this term and has been phenomenal for the academy.

Therefore, Beale must offer Ure a regular place in the squad to help him to become the long-term heir to Morelos' place in the team – competing with Colak and Roofe for a position in the XI next season.

Leeds United defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux to send the travelling Whites into rapture, having secured a coveted victory to alleviate the concerns of relegation and advance to 14th in the Premier League.

United had started the day 18th in the table, but the congested nature of the bottom half of the division means that there are a melange of outfits endangered as the season approaches the business end, with Crystal Palace 12th and just four points above West Ham United in the drop zone.

Jack Harrison added to his goal and assist last weekend, against Brighton & Hove Albion, by placing the ball past Jose Sa and taking the early lead against the Wanderers, with further strikes from Luke Ayling and Rasmus Kristensen cementing what looked like an assured three points.

The Old Gold fought a gallant fight, with a wondrous volley from Jonny Otto preceding a deflected goal from Matheus Cunha, but the hope of a comeback dispersed after Jonny's red card, with 13-goal talisman Rodrigo coming off the bench to hammer home the priceless result in the dying embers of what was a positively enthralling encounter.

How did Aaronson perform against Wolves?

The victory is certainly what matters for Javi Gracia and co, but the tame showing of dynamic midfielder Brenden Aaronson will not have pleased the Spanish manager.

Leeds Live journalist Beren Cross gave the player a lowly 5/10 match rating after the match, lamenting his display and saying: "Another frustrating afternoon of poor decisions and weak challenges by the American. Needed more from him in the final third."

His insipid performance joins a growing list over recent weeks, with Football FanCast previously illustrating his ineffectiveness over past weeks, and if he cannot muster a more cohesive and promising spell of form he might find himself exiled from the starting fold.

Journalist Joe Donnahue even went so far as to say that Patrick Bamford was left "raging" after Aaronson wasted "a really good opportunity."

As per Sofascore, the £45k-per-week ace could only muster a match rating of 6.6 – the lowest of any offensive Leeds player on the pitch – taking 46 touches but only managing one off-target strike and losing possession 18 times.

Aaronson failed with all three of his attempted crosses and completed none of his four dribbles, being dribbled past once and winning five of his ten ground duels.

The "poor" – as branded by one source – performance continues a woeful spell of form, with Aaronson's average rating throughout the league campaign now at a measly 6.51.

Greener pastures tantalise on the horizon for Gracia and his squad, and with Leeds now having a foothold on their destiny in the English top-flight, Aaronson must be dropped, his inability to effectively contribute is now a detriment to the Whites' success.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is personally waiting for Julian Nagelsmann to show an interest in joining Spurs, according to reports.

Could Nagelsmann join Spurs?

The former Bayern Munich boss, after being relieved of his duties last week, has been linked with taking the Spurs managerial post this summer – with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel stepping into his shoes in Bavaria.

Now out-of-work and readily available, Nagelsmann stands out as a prestigious new candidate to take the reins in north London with Levy actually eyeing him back in 2021. The 35-year-old was a target to replace Jose Mourinho back then and reports suggest Tottenham see an opportunity to go back in for one of European football's most exciting young coaches. Sky Sports claim an approach has been made by the Premier League top four hopefuls as Levy begins work on finding a replacement for Conte.

The Italian parted company with Spurs by mutual consent earlier this week, tasking Cristian Stellini and assistant coach Ryan Mason with guiding the club to Champions League qualification. Nagelsmann is seen as a top candidate by Levy and co, joining the growing list of prestigious candidates alongside Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique among others.

Now, a report by The Daily Mail has an update on Tottenham's chances of hiring the German, with Levy personally waiting to see if Nagelsmann is in fact interested in making a move to Hotspur Way.

The Mail add that contact has been made with the former RB Leipzig boss as Levy weighs up his chances of hiring him, especially considering the possible interest of other big clubs. Indeed, Tottenham aren't the only interested party when it comes to Nagelsmann, as both Real Madrid and Chelsea are currently monitoring developments.

Is Nagelsmann perfect for Spurs?

We believe the manager's new-found availability should be a big draw for Spurs and arguably puts him out in front with the likes of Pochettino. Nagelsmann encourages an intense, high-pressing and entertaining brand of football which could be a breath of fresh air to supporters who are yearning for a departure from the more pragmatic styles of Conte, Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo in recent years.

BBC Sport Writer Raj Chohan, writing on Twitter, recently gave an insight into Nagelsmann's tactical attacking, stating:

"No Lewa replacement led Nagelsmann to plan a 4-2-2-2 in pre-season with a Mané-Gnabry front 2. This pair’s obvious decline then forced him to abandon. He did excellent to then re-shape the attack around a hold-up 9 like Choupo. His methods of coaching an attack are outstanding."

Going by claims like this, he could be exactly what Spurs need, but the competition for his signature may well be fierce.