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With Everton having been surprisingly inactive in the January transfer window, new boss Sean Dyche has been forced to try and get the best out of those already at the club in order to help steer the Toffees away from danger.

While Premier League survival is still no guarantee, a run of four games without defeat has raised hopes regarding the Merseysiders' ability to avoid relegation, with the former Burnley head coach clearly working his magic in his new home.

Among those to have benefitted from the Englishman's arrival is midfield maestro, Abdoulaye Doucoure, with the 30-year-old having been "reborn" since the change in the dugout, according to writer Peter Guy, after previously falling out of favour under Frank Lampard.

Although the former Watford man did somewhat spoil his recent upturn in fortunes by picking up a needless red card against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, prior to that the Frenchman had provided four goal involvements in just four top-flight games, having played "very well" of late, according to his manager.

The experienced ace is not alone in having enjoyed a real renaissance in recent months, however, with Michael Keane – who worked under Dyche at Turf Moor – having also undergone a "significant glow up" following the appointment of his former boss, according to the Echo's Chris Beesley.

Who has Dyche improved at Everton?

Much like Doucoure, the 30-year-old had also been cast out during Lampard's tenure, having made just a solitary, 22-minute appearance in the league prior to eventually returning to the starting lineup in the defeat to Arsenal last month.

Despite being on the receiving end of a 4-0 thrashing at the Emirates, Keane's return from out in the cold has coincided with Everton's recent unbeaten run, having now started each of the last five top-flight games, alongside ex-Clarets colleague, James Tarkowski.

As the player himself only recently admitted, he had found the lack of game time under Lampard "hard to swallow" having received no real guidance from the Chelsea icon on how to force his way back into the team, with that leading to reports regarding a possible loan exit ahead of the January window.

Thankfully, as far as the Toffees are concerned, that departure never came to pass, with the one-time Manchester United man now looking likely to be a key figure in the end-of-season run-in, having been hailed for being "on fire in training" by Dyche.

That praise had come following the £80k-per-week machine's thunderous late strike to secure a draw at home to Spurs on Monday night, with that surprise stunner having capped an eventful night for the centre-back, after earlier giving away a penalty.

While that error may be of concern to Toffees supporters, the manner in which the Stockport native was able to swiftly atone for his mistake was impressive indeed, with that seemingly an indication of Keane's renewed confidence at Goodison Park.

As the 6 foot 3 man admitted, he has been rather "lucky" to see his former manager walk through the door, although the player himself deserves credit for more than taking his chance to impress.

Manchester United are enjoying a stellar campaign so far, yet it’s one that has included both 6-3 and 7-0 defeats to their arch-rivals, Manchester City and Liverpool, respectively.

Erik ten Hag is bringing back the feel-good factor to Old Trafford, no doubt about it, however he still has some work to do this summer if he wants to keep improving – as those shambolic losses illustrate.

Despite Marcus Rashford’s goals – the Englishman having netted 27 for the season across all fronts – the Red Devils desperately require a world-class number nine and although summer arrival Lisandro Martinez has impressed this term, another centre-back should be on the list, with Harry Maguire looking likely to depart.

The Englishman has only started five Premier League matches under Ten Hag, and he was even described as looking “lost” by writer Hesham Bilal-Hafiz against Fulham in their FA Cup quarter-final tie last weekend, suggesting he is on his last legs in a Man United shirt.

The summer transfer window could be an interesting period for the club and with Champions League qualification looking likely, the Dutchman will eye new talent.

Could Axel Disasi join Manchester United?

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, United could soon be about to launch a move for Axel Disasi, who is currently playing for AS Monaco, this summer as Ten Hag looks to strengthen his defence.

The report claims that the French is valued at €50m (£44m) if he is to move to England this summer, and it is a fee United can certainly afford, especially if they sell Maguire and some other deadwood.

Indeed, both Maguire and Victor Lindelof could be sold ahead of 2023/2024 according to Football Insider, therefore signing another defender a key priority in the transfer window.

Not only does Disasi prove to be more of a goal threat compared to Maguire (five goal contributions to none) but he has also registered more tackles won (17 to four), blocks (40 to 15), interceptions (45 to seven) and won a higher percentage of aerial duels (71% to 54.5%), clearly demonstrating how effective he is at the heart of the defence.

The “dominant” titan – as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig previously – stands at 6 foot 2 tall and his aerial ability could be extremely useful in the United backline.

A move for the 25-year-old would give Ten Hag a licence to say bye bye to Maguire and with his performances this season proving to be underwhelming, it will represent another step forward in the club's new era under the former Ajax manager.

David Moyes is a man under serious pressure at West Ham, with Saturday’s 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Brighton a clear reminder that the Hammers are in a relegation battle this season.

Should Moyes be sacked by West Ham?

The Scottish manager has perhaps survived due to his successes in previous seasons at the London Stadium, with the Hammers reaching the Europa League semi-final last season, as well as a top-eight finish in the Premier League.

However, this domestic season has been something of a disaster for the east London outfit, as they find themselves battling at the bottom of the league, with just six wins to their name from their 25 league fixtures.

It was suggested ahead of West Ham’s 4-0 win against Nottingham Forest that a bad result could see Moyes lose his job, which he managed to avoid, but after successive losses to Manchester United and Brighton, it is surely only a matter of time until the 59-year-old is given the boot.

Incidentally, the man who was on the end of that 4-0 thrashing at the London Stadium could be the ideal successor to Moyes at the London Stadium.

Should West Ham hire Steve Cooper?

According to the Daily Mail, a number of Premier League sides have shown interest in Steve Cooper as a result of his impressive work at Nottingham Forest, with West Ham one side name-checked as a potential destination for the 43-year-old.

The Welshman first rose to prominence as manager of England U17s, with whom he won the World Cup back in 2017, helping to establish senior England players such as Phil Foden, Conor Gallagher and Marc Guehi.

He would then take over at Swansea City, where he led the Welsh outfit to successive Championship playoff campaigns, averaging an impressive 1.61 points per game and narrowly missing out on promotion back to the Premier League.

A third playoff campaign would follow with Nottingham Forest, as he produced an incredible turnaround with the Midlands club before steering them back to the Premier League.

The Reds started slowly but have given themselves a real chance of staying up in the top flight, and Cooper was rewarded with a new contract in 2022, despite them slipping to the bottom of the table at the time.

That faith has been rewarded by some impressive recent performances by Forest, and it is no surprise that several Premier League sides are keeping a close eye on him ahead of the summer.

Speaking live on BBC 606, pundit Chris Sutton praised Cooper following their win against Leeds, saying: “It’s sort of outrageous, the amount of players that Nottingham Forest has signed, isn’t it?

“But the end justifies the means and Steve Cooper has done an amazing job gelling all these players together.”

Considering Cooper has averaged 1.69 points per game in his time at the City Ground, compared to Moyes’ 1.52 points per game at West Ham, despite having a poorer squad on paper, the Hammers should definitely consider bringing the Welshman to the London Stadium.

Indeed, he could well be a big upgrade should their current manager be sacked.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United players are “frustrated” behind the scenes amid Alphonse Areola’s cryptic Instagram message.

What’s the latest on Alphonse Areola and WHUFC?

The French goalkeeper recently took to Instagram (via football.london) to say: “People like to be around those who give off positive energy…” followed by a cloud emoji.

On top of that, Manuel Lanzini’s wife also sent a message online to David Moyes about playing her husband. So it’s clear to see not everyone is content right now.

While talking about it all on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex revealed that he can’t be certain for sure what Areola was referring to but he did confirm that some players are “frustrated” within the club.

He said: “Areola’s come out today and said you should surround yourself with positive people, which seems like it’s a dig at the club and possibly David Moyes.

“I don’t have evidence either way. All I do know is that a few players have been frustrated at the negative attitude and the negative reaction to things.

“So maybe, speculating, that is where he was talking about. I don’t know factually. Obviously, Lanzini’s wife came out on Instagram last night posting hers and his frustrations at him not playing online. So there are people that are frustrated.”

What does this player frustration mean for West Ham?

Seeing as the Irons lost this weekend away at Tottenham Hotspur – meaning they now sit inside the bottom three – it’s not hard to see why players are unhappy.

For the likes of Areola and Lanzini, this may be particularly frustrating as they haven’t had the chance to shine much in the Premier League this season.

For instance, the goalkeeper has played second fiddle to Lukasz Fabianski featuring just twice in the top flight this term. On top of that, Lanzini has managed just 122 minutes in the league, spread across five outings and so the pair may understandably be hoping for more opportunities with the club struggling.

It’s never easy to keep an entire squad happy and internal frustration isn’t necessarily a unique thing to West Ham right now but with things not going their way, Moyes does have to be careful things don’t spiral out of control.

It’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, he does to try and resolve these issues.

Liverpool’s plummet in form this season has been shocking and unforeseen; despite the glaring need for reinforcements, this crop of players has won it all under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp and contested for a historic quadruple right up to the closing weeks of the season last year.

The unrelenting intensity has dispersed like a shadow in the sunlight, but Liverpool’s fortunes are anything but bright as the season approaches the business end.

Mired in mediocrity and languishing in seventh place after 23 matches, nine points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth – albeit with two games in hand – Klopp’s last realistic hope of silverware this term was all but eradicated after Real Madrid waltzed into Anfield and emerged 5-2 victors after trailing by two in the early stages, illuminating the sheer gravity of the club’s defensive mishaps and the burning importance for reinforcements this summer.

The midfield department is the most prominent area of concern this season, but after conceding at least three goals on eight occasions already since the campaign’s inception, something needs to change.

And with the unthinkable prospect of missing out on top-four growing ever more likely, Klopp might be inclined to switch things up and turn his attention to the academy ranks to open up a new dimension to his withered crop and steer toward success once more, and 21-year-old Oludare Olufunwa could find an unlikely spot among the seniors.

Should Klopp really ditch Matip for Olufunwa?

Granted, the circumstances were different, but when Liverpool fell apart due to injuries in the 2020/21 term, a series of unlikely central defensive partnerships threaded together to ensure a late surge for Champions League qualification was successful.

Notably, Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams played pivotal roles in ensuring a place in Europe’s premier competition did not slip away, with Klopp revealing the duo were among the first he messaged to thank after the Reds advanced to the Champions League final the following year.

And given the likes of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have both been under fire for several lacklustre showings this term, history may yet repeat itself with confidence entrusted in someone of Olufunwa’s ilk.

Having been released from Southampton’s development squad last summer and snapped up on a free by the Merseyside outfit, the U21 ace has made four appearances since his arrival, and while he has not earned regular minutes thus far at Kirkby, placing him inside the senior fold and pushing him toward a starting appearance at some stage could be a move that bears fruit for Klopp and co.

Hailed as “athletic” and boasting “good leadership abilities”, according to Saints B head coach Dave Horseman, Liverpool could certainly benefit from his robust and dynamic skill set.

And with Matip branded as “awful” by CBS reporter Nico Cantor for one of his increasingly poor performances in the last few weeks, the £100k-per-week earner, distinguished as he is within the fold at Anfield, might have to make way for the younger alternative.

Liverpool face a battle to secure what at the start of the year was deemed the bare minimum, now an onerous task indeed.

And while the current fortunes do not favour Liverpool’s chances, injecting some youth and vibrancy could be the key to salvaging a scrap of positivity, and Olufunwa must now be unleashed.

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray raved about goalkeeper Anthony Patterson after the 3-0 victory at Queens Park Rangers last night.

The Lowdown: Important victory

Judging by the scoreline alone, last night’s victory seemed very comfortable, but the Black Cats left it late to put the game beyond doubt, with Jack Clarke firing home a late double after Luke O’Nien opened the scoring in the first half.

The result means Sunderland move up to fifth in the Championship table, inside the play-off places, but it could have been so different if not for Patterson saving Ilias Chair’s penalty when it was still 1-0, and Mowbray has since praised his goalkeeper.

The Latest: Mowbray’s comments

Speaking after the match, the Black Cats manager said: “Patterson has been amazing all season – it [the penalty save] shouldn’t surprise you.

“I genuinely think now that when people take penalties against us, I think he is going to save it. That was an amazing save. He chose his way but he filled the goal with his body and kicked it away.

“Look at how he deals with any long, high balls in the box, he is doing fantastically well. He deserves huge credit in helping the team get the right result tonight.”

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The Verdict: Vital player

It is no wonder the 22-year-old is attracting attention from the likes of Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, as he has been in fantastic form this season, with Mowbray even suggesting that he has earned a call up to England U21s.

Not only did the shot-stopper save a penalty, but he also made four high claims and managed to win all three of his aerial duels, and he is now in double figures for clean sheets in the second tier this season.

With Sunderland looking to push for a return to the Premier League, Patterson will no doubt be an absolutely vital player, and his manager will be hoping for a similar performance at home to Bristol City this weekend.

Southampton are set for a busy evening with not only a League Cup semi-final clash against Newcastle United at St James’ Park but now a new update has emerged on another potential new addition set to sign for the club before the transfer window shuts.

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, Southampton are “closing in” on a deal for Genk striker Paul Onuachu.

Thomas tweeted: “Southampton closing in on Genk striker Paul Onuachu. Terms on a deal worth £18m plus add-ons has been agreed between the clubs. Player still needs to complete a medical. Rasmus Ankersen knows him from FC Midtjylland days.”

Jones can get St Mary’s rocking

There is no doubt that strengthening the side at St Mary’s was something that needed to be achieved during the January transfer window and Nathan Jones will be hoping enough has been done to save the club from a drop into the Championship.

The Saints are currently rock bottom in the Premier League table and two points deep into the relegation zone alongside Everton with the most losses in the entire top flight over their 20 outings, so the signing of a game-changer as good as the 6 foot 4 forward is one that will surely get the club rocking again.

Indeed, the signing of Onuachu could be their saving grace in their pursuit of retaining their top-flight status over their remaining fixtures with the Genk goal machine in fine form this season so far.

Over 19 league appearances, the 28-year-old ace has scored a whopping 16 goals and successfully completed 50% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 2.2 shots on goal, 1.1 shots on target and winning 4.2 duels per game, proving that he is a consistent and reliable threat in front of goal making him a hugely valuable asset to Jones.
The Nigerian striker has been the recipient of high praise for his impact on Genk with teammate and Belgian defender Rasmus Carstensen hailing Onuachu in an interview last month:

“Paul is just crazy good at football. He is big and strong, and he also likes to dribble,” he said.

“When he stands up in front of someone during interval training and gets a ball, you just have to try to push him away.”

With that being said, if Southampton can pull off a deal for Onuachu in the dying hours of Deadline Day it would be a major coup and could give the manager a player who can make an incredible impact on the remainder of the season.
Indeed, should he bring his goal-scoring form to St Mary’s in the coming weeks, the place would certainly be bouncing again. This is a move that could well and truly change their season.

Everton manager Sean Dyche will ‘be disappointed’ by the lack of signings since he arrived at the club, according to former player and BBC Radio pundit Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Everton missed out

The Toffees appointed Sean Dyche on January 30th, leaving the club with a small window of opportunity to bring in some players for the new manager on deadline day, but they were unable to get any deals over the line.

Kamaldeen Sulemana chose a move to Southampton rather than Everton, while they were also unable to land free agent Andre Ayew after the window closed, with the forward opting for a move to Nottingham Forest.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider about the recent ongoings at Goodison Park, Whelan said:“I think the Everton fans have got every right to be frustrated.

“They’ve just sold their best player and got no one to replace him when they’re in a relegation fight.

“They’ve got a good result which might gloss over it, but where’s the positive in that?

“I think Dyche is trying to steady the ship and get the fans onside. They need everyone behind the players to get out of this.

“I’m not sure there’s enough talent in the squad to push themselves up the league.

“He knows what they’ve got to work with now – but he’ll be disappointed not to get someone in.

The Verdict: New additions needed?

While Everton’s previous Premier League form may have indicated that some new signings were needed, they already looked a much-improved side under the helm of Dyche last weekend, defeating league-leaders Arsenal 1-0 at Goodison Park.

The current crop of players ran 72.8 miles for their new boss, more than two miles further than they have in any other game in the top flight this season, indicating that they are committed to turning their form around in the second half of the campaign.

Failing to secure a replacement for Anthony Gordon is a very disappointing development, however, and the only option now is to to try and sign an attacking option as a free agent in the coming days, with Isco recently emerging as an option.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has enjoyed a relatively quiet month during his first transfer window in charge of the club since taking over from Steven Gerrard earlier this season.

The Spanish head coach has brought in two first-team additions to bolster his squad in January so far. Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran have been signed from Real Betis and Chicago Fire respectively and it remains to be seen whether or not more will follow in the coming days.

Villa have until Tuesday night to complete any further deals to improve the team heading into the second half of the Premier League season and have been linked with players in a number of positions.

One area of the pitch in which the club may still look to bolster in is the striker department. Duran has been brought in but is yet to experience football in Europe and only turned 19 last month, which could make hitting the ground running difficult for the teenager.

Emery sanctioned the departure of a proven Premier League goalscorer earlier this month as Danny Ings completed a move to rivals West Ham United on a permanent basis.

The English forward scored six goals in eight starts in the division during the first half of the campaign, after striking seven times in 22 starts for the Villans last term, and the club could look to replace him with a senior addition – to complement Duran and Ollie Watkins.

Journalist Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Lille striker Jonathan David is an “expensive” option for Villa to bring in before the end of the window.

The 23-year-old, who has been valued at €50m (£44m), has been on fire in France in recent years and could be a dream replacement for Ings as the gem has proven himself in a major European league.

Whilst Duran is yet to play a competitive club match in Europe, after scoring eight goals in 27 MLS appearances in 2022, David has struck 12 goals in 19 Ligue 1 appearances this season – averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.25.

His impressive scoring in the French top-flight this term comes after the gem plundered 28 goals in 62 Ligue outings in the previous two campaigns combined, which shows that the gem is not a one-season wonder.

David has also assisted four goals and created five ‘big chances’, whilst making 1.4 key passes per game, this season and could offer a creative threat on the ball, along with his goalscoring attributes.

The marksman, who was once dubbed a “phenomenon” by former coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck, has proven himself to be a reliable striker in Europe and, therefore, he could be an excellent addition to Emery’s squad to replace Ings goals in the second half of the campaign. 

Tottenham Hotspur have identified the Brighton & Hove Albion forward Leandro Trossard as a potential target for this month’s transfer window.

What’s the latest?

Antonio Conte’s side are yet to make any moves so far in the January transfer window despite being a third of the was through the first month of the year.

However, it is apparent the Italian is keen to see new faces come through the door this month having already raised question marks over the side’s current lack of creativity.

And now it seems as if a new name has emerged as a potential player to watch out for this month with the Belgian forward believed to be a name that has been discussed internally at Hotspur Way.

Speaking on Sky Sports News on Monday night, Bridge claimed the 28-year-old is a name Spurs fans should be keeping an ear out for as this window develops:

(19:20pm) “Tottenham, we know, are looking at an attacking midfielder and Leandro Trossard is one player that has been discussed,” said Bridge.

“The potential stumbling block here is that Brighton can extend his contract until 2024. That doesn’t necessarily mean he would stay at Brighton it just means they’re protecting their value and they might be getting a little bit more money for him. A 28-year-old midfielder and just someone Spurs are looking at.”

Big opportunity

Trossard has made a sensational start to the 2022/23 campaign in the Premier League with the Seagulls flying up in eighth spot of the table.

And the Belgian has certainly played his part in Brighton’s impressive start with seven goals and three assists in the league alone (via Transfermarkt).

What is perhaps even more impressive than his tally of seven league goals already is the teams he has scored against. The Belgian has scored once against Manchester City and Chelsea and even scored a hat-trick away to Liverpool.

In Trossard, Spurs would be getting a versatile forward who has played in a number of positions across the attacking line with appearances at left-wing, attacking midfield and even centre-forward under his belt this season.

There is potentially a stumbling block, though, As Bridge mentioned, Brighton have an option to extend his deal by a further year with his current contract set to expire at the end of this season.

Although this may not seem disastrous, we have already seen Spurs cool their interest in a player this month if they feel the selling club are asking too much for the player.

But it does seem as if Trossard, who has been hailed as a “magnificent” player, could potentially be angling for a move since returning from the World Cup with his manager, Roberto De Zerbi, dropping the Belgian for their recent FA Cup clash and saying:

“I like him as a player, but I want more from him, because he can play better, he can work harder, he can run more on the pitch and I want players who give 100 per cent in every training session and every game.”

However, Spurs have recently raided Brighton for Yves Bissouma and the midfielder has struggled in the opening months of his career in north London.