Manchester City supporters have been handed a significant update on Phil Foden’s mooted new deal at the Etihad Stadium.

The Lowdown: Foden set for fresh terms?

The 22-year-old has been tipped to sign a new deal for the past year, with reports suggesting that he will put pen to paper on a blockbuster contract.

Since being introduced to the first team on a more regular basis at the back end of 2019/20, Foden has gone on to become a mainstay and a crucial player under Pep Guardiola.

The homegrown ace and boyhood City fan has totalled a fantastic 48 goals and 35 assists across 170 appearances in all competitions whilst also making crucial contributions towards the Sky Blues’ recent success.

As a result, Etihad chiefs are reportedly prepared to offer bumper new terms to convince Foden to remain in Manchester.

The Latest: Foden agrees new Man City deal…

Writing for the Irish Independent, reporter James Ducker of The Telegraph has shared an exciting update on the saga.

He claims that Foden has ‘agreed a deal’ which will more than double his current City salary to around £250,000 per week.

City are apparently ‘on the verge’ of announcing the midfielder’s fresh deal, which could tie him to the club ‘until 2028’.

Goal Machine! Show your love for Erling Haaland with this awesome t-shirt! Click here to buy… The Verdict: Brilliant news…

Foden allegedly being set to extend his stay comes as a real boost for the Citizens, given his quality and potential to be a one-club man.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

At his current trajectory, the England international could go on to become a City legend if he decides to remain at Eastlands for the rest of his promising career.

Foden’s love for the club is well documented, and to us it is no surprise that this brilliant news has emerged.

Aston Villa managed to continue their unbeaten run last night on the road at Nottingham Forest but will feel somewhat aggrieved that they could not find a winner against a side wallowing in 19th.

Depending on how you view their results, it actually marks just one win in their last seven now, and Steven Gerrard will certainly be feeling the pressure.

In what was a feisty affair, few stood out in a game that never really seemed to find its rhythm.

Despite dominating 61% of the ball, the Villans managed just two shots on target. One of which was Ashley Young’s scorching equaliser. The full-back impressed and would have been the standout player for the visitors if not for Emiliano Buendia.

The Argentine was one of few who continued to pry at the Forest defence, and his workmanlike yet classy performance was clearly noticed by SofaScore, who gave him a 7.5 rating for the game. This was only beaten by the extra 0.1 handed to the goal scorer.

Compared to his team’s average of 6.83, it further outlines him as one of the star players of the game.

Having been handed his first start since August, his desperation to have the ball was outlined in his 66 touches. However, he was not wasteful with it.

He was 100% accurate with his long balls and even gave two key passes, showing how creative he was throughout.

However, it was his defensive display which will have impressed his manager even more.

To combine such talent with an attitude like Buendia’s suggests that he has all the tools to become a really outstanding talent in the Premier League.

He was involved in a mammoth 13 ground duels, of which he managed to win nine. For a winger, the 25-year-old did not shirk his defensive duties to help out Matty Cash, who was returning from injury.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

His five tackles further compound his all-around display, which could only have been capped off had he scored or assisted the winner.

Pundit Jack Collins noted back in January of this year about the “stunning performances” he had been putting in. It seems that if he is given a run now, with displays such as this, he certainly could recapture that form.

Although his side were not at their best, Gerrard can at least look to Buendia as the shining light for his side on another disappointing night.

Everton have had their fair share of transfer disasters over the years since Farhad Moshiri became the majority stakeholder at Goodison Park, but it seems like the owner may be learning his lesson following the relegation scrap that the team endured last season.

The Toffees only survived a drop into the Championship in the penultimate match of the 2021/22 campaign, and after a terrible few months for the club and their supporters, it was essential that the recruitment was spot-on over the summer.

Everton signed nine new players and the improvements in the team over their first eight league outings have been discernible, now unbeaten in their last six games and 11th in the Premier League table, matching Liverpool for points so far.

Furthermore, the Merseysiders currently have the best defensive record in the division with just seven goals conceded, which can be pinpointed to newly-signed James Tarkowski and Conor Coady’s presence as a centre-back partnership which has blossomed quickly at Goodison Park.

Indeed, there was a huge desire at the club to add another striker over the summer following Richarlison’s exit and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s ongoing injury problems, although Kevin Thelwell may have dodged another transfer disaster at Everton on one particular target.

Emmanuel Dennis was consistently linked with a move to the blue half of Merseyside this summer but was eventually snapped up by Nottingham Forest instead in a deal worth £20m. However, the centre-forward hasn’t had the best start to life at the City Ground.

The Nigerian talent, who was dubbed “selfish” by Belgian pundit Mo Messoudi, has made five appearances for the Tricky Trees with no goals or assists so far, recording just 3.8 accurate passes and 11 touches per game and contributing to his team’s fall to the bottom of the league table.

Granted, Dennis has only averaged 20 minutes per match, but this could be a clear indicator of Steve Cooper’s lack of trust and belief in the striker’s ability to put Forest in a better position with his performances, something which could’ve been a nightmare for Frank Lampard had the 24-year-old been snapped up by the Toffees.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Everton have been plagued with forward players who lack contribution and the ferocity needed to win matches, with Salomon Rondon and Cenk Tosun just two players who failed to offer anything much during the club’s most vulnerable times last season, scoring a mere three goals between them.

With that in mind, the decision not to splash out £20m on Dennis was the right call from Thelwell. Even in a Forest team who are desperate for goals, the striker is clearly not showing signs that he can make a difference in the forward line to improve their bleak situation at the City Ground.

Watch any clip of former Arsenal star Santi Cazorla in action and you are likely to be left salivating at the mouth.

During his days under Arsene Wenger’s tutelage, the diminutive playmaker was one of the classiest operators in the Premier League.

A touch like gold dust, a right foot blessed with sheer elegance and a left peg bettered by very few, he was one of the most complete players in his position.

During his time in north London, Cazorla found the back of the net 29 times – with his most vital goal being a stunning free-kick in their FA Cup triumph against Hull City.

The Spain international also assisted a remarkable 45 goals in the famous red and white, with his ability to supply teammates one of the most consistent elements of his game.

He could evade the press in sublime fashion, tip-toeing and dancing his way out of the tightest of crevices on the pitch while occupying dangerous pockets of space in the final third.

It made him a force to be reckoned with but unfortunately, his days in Islington were taken away from him too early.

He cracked a bone in his ankle and his career at the top level from that moment onwards was done and dusted. The injury would become infected with his skin splitting open repeatedly.

As a result, Cazorla became a self-proclaimed “jigsaw puzzle” with doctors having to take a part of his skin from his arm and attach it to his leg.

The Spaniard has now successfully returned to football after a whopping 668 days out and is enjoying his time in Qatar where he has been nothing short of a sensation, supplying his club – Al Sadd – with 62 goal involvements in 74 outings.

It has taken Arsenal a great deal of time to try and replace the now 37-year-old with many who possess similar tools struggling to replicate his immense numbers.

In Martin Odegaard, they have found a like-minded technician with the club captain dominating similar areas of the pitch. However, it’s in Fabio Vieira where the Gunners have unearthed a true heir to Cazorla’s coveted throne.

Possessing the ability to play as a number 8, behind the striker and on the flanks, his positional familiarity is very much like Arsenal’s former number 19.

In the words of journalist Freddie Paxton, Vieira’s touch is “top-class” with that yet another symbol of how alike the two players are. That was seen most recently against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League.

The Portuguese dynamo plucked the ball out of the sky in mesmerising fashion, before delivering a peach of a cross for Rob Holding to head home. That moment was like watching Cazorla, who for so long would supply goals in a similar fashion.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The 22-year-old was brought to the club for an eye-watering sum of £34m in the summer but has taken to English football like a duck to water.

He was signed as an unknown quantity despite seven goals and 16 assists for Porto last term, but is quickly showing that similar numbers could well be forthcoming at Arsenal. To date, the youngster has found the net on two occasions and provided an assist throughout his limited game time at the Emirates Stadium.

His first goal for the club was a sumptuous strike, with Vieira unleashing an effort with Cazorla-esque bend and whip that came off the post and found the back of Brentford’s net.

Mikel Arteta has already described the Portugal international as a “special talent” and on the evidence above, it’s easy to see why.

Vieira has the world at his feet and has fitted seamlessly into Arsenal’s young and exciting squad. He has been the perfect addition, and one that is quickly filling that Cazorla-shaped hole that still lingered around Colney.

Sunderland have a number of promising young players in Tony Mowbray’s squad who are pushing to become regulars in the side this season.

Daniel Neil has established himself as a starter, with 14 starts in the Championship, and the likes of Abdoullah Ba, Edouard Michut, and Amad Diallo should be hoping to follow in his footsteps.

The Black Cats have enjoyed success with young players over the years, whether that has been with signings or players from the academy, but they have also had their fair share of gaffes, in gems not fulfilling their potential or leaving too early.

One player the club had a nightmare with was young forward Sam Greenwood. The attacker left the club in the summer of 2018 and is now starting to make his breakthrough at first-team level.

He joined Arsenal as the Black Cats negotiated an upfront fee of £500k – with add-ons taking it over £1m – to sell him ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, with Stewart Donald unable to convince the gem to stay after 12 goal contributions in 15 games for the U18s.

Greenwood then moved to Leeds for a fee rising to £3m in the summer of 2020 and he was promoted to the first-team squad at Elland Road in January of this year.

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan previously hailed the young forward’s set-piece quality and described his deadball ability as a “weapon”.

Jesse Marsch has also heaped praise on the gem in the past, saying: “First of all, he has a lot of flexibility to his game. He’s played six, eight, 10, he can play striker. In some ways, it’s not fair to him to try different positions, but he’s an intelligent player. He fits within what we’re trying to build within our team.

“He’s a hard worker, he’s an intelligent guy, he’s able and that’s the reason why we use him in a lot of positions because he’s very adaptable. He understands tactics and his role and he has big talent.”

Greenwood scored 21 goals and provided six assists in 40 U21 matches for Leeds and that was enough to convince the American head coach to promote him to the first team, where he has made 17 appearances to date – assisting two goals in the Premier League.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The 20-year-old has played four matches in the English top-flight this season and is showing that he is a player with the potential to become a regular at that level in the future, as he is being trusted with minutes at such a young age.

Therefore, former Black Cats owner Donald had a howler by failing to convince Greenwood to stay as they missed out on having a terrific young talent in the Academy of Light and were compensated with just £500k – as the add-ons were not likely to have been met due to him moving on to Leeds.

Sunderland supporters will now have to watch the rest of his career unfold and, if he continues to be a success in the top flight, wonder what could have been…

Manchester City journalist Alex Brotherton has reacted to Riyad Mahrez’s ‘poor’ penalty against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The Lowdown: Stalemate in Germany

The Sky Blues were the visitors at the Signal Iduna Park in midweek where the two teams played out a 0-0 draw, with both sides advancing to the last 16 despite it being a stalemate on the night.

The most notable moment though was when the Algerian missed a golden chance to give the Premier League giants the lead from a spot kick just before the hour mark, with Gregor Kobel making a save to deny his opponent from 12 yards.

The Latest: Brotherton’s reaction

Taking to Twitter, Brotherton claimed that Mahrez’s form has hit a stumbling block, and suggested that his penalty miss was uncharacteristic given his previous record. He wrote:

“Riyad Mahrez’s season keeps getting worse. Such a poor penalty from someone who’s been so reliable from the spot in recent years. Now missed his last two.”

The Verdict: No need to panic

Whilst City couldn’t seal a victory on the night, there’s absolutely no need to panic because the start they have made to this season has been outstanding on all fronts.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The Etihad outfit have won eight, drawn two and lost just one of their opening 11 league games, leaving them just two points shy of leaders Arsenal.

Having now topped their European group also, the chances of them getting their hands on some silverware come the end of the campaign appears highly likely if their current form can be maintained.

West Ham United’s recent defeat to Crystal Palace saw summer signing Thilo Kehrer deputise at right-back, with Vladamir Coufal forced to watch on from the bench.

The German, clearly playing out of position, was handed the worst SofaScore rating of anyone on the pitch (5.9) yet still managed the full 90 minutes.

Whether Moyes has an issue with the Czech Republic international, or just wanted added defensive solidity up against the Eagles’ fluid front three, he blundered massively with this tactical decision.

If he is so keen on leaving Coufal out of the side, perhaps he could turn to the academy to unearth a success story similar to the one Ben Johnson has enjoyed in recent years.

Another fine right back in the making is young Harrison Ashby, who will be hoping to build on his seven senior appearances for the Hammers.

Upon first making his debut for the first team back in 2020, journalists Sam Delaney and Roshane Thomas spent time on the U Irons Podcast to praise his talents (via This Is Futbol).

Labelling him “one to watch”, the former was particularly vocal in his praise, stating: “He’s big as well. He’s like a big unit. He’s only young, but he’s like a giant.

“Usually, you’re used to seeing smaller players in those wing-back positions, but he looked big, strong, he was very fearless, decent on the ball.”

The powerful 20-year-old full-back has endured a tumultuous year, struggling for consistency given his constant swap between the youth and senior team. This has resulted in a lack of goal contributions, of which he recorded nine last season.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

What was a previously crowded position at right wing-back seems to be thinning out with each season, and soon Ashby could announce himself as the outstanding candidate for the position for the foreseeable future.

With Moyes clearly keen on handing youngsters a chance to show what they are capable of, outlined in the four academy graduates that started in their midweek win over FCSB, there is a huge possibility that soon this bombing Scotsman could be ready to set the Premier League alight.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has said that Kevin Thelwell’s connections with Wolves ‘can only help’ in Everton’s pursuit of Daniel Podence in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Everton interested in Podence

It was reported in October that the Toffees’ sporting director is looking to bring the 27-year-old to Goodison Park from his former club in January.

Everton want to sign versatile attackers who are proven in the Premier League, and the Portuguese wide man fits that profile.

The Latest: Thelwell could be key

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that Thelwell’s connections at Molineux will give the Merseyside club a ‘boost’ in their pursuit of Podence.

The journalist said: “I think Thelwell’s close relationship with Wolves can only help in their pursuit of Podence.

“We’ve already seen how well he’s worked that relationship in the summer to help Everton sign Conor Coady on loan from Wolves and that looks like a real masterstroke right now.

“He’s been a key man for Frank Lampard’s side, so I think Thelwell’s connections with Wolves will only boost their chances of a potential deal for Podence.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-8/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Worked with Coady…

Thelwell likely had a big say in bringing Wolves captain Conor Coady to Everton on loan, and he could do the same with Podence.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The £60,000-per-week winger has not been the most prolific in the English top flight but has plenty of experience in the division (Transfermarkt), so he should need little time to adapt to playing in Frank Lampard’s side if he comes to Goodison Park.

Hailed by pundit Noel Whelan as a player who is ‘direct’ and has ‘pace’, Podence ranks in the 81st percentile for progressive passes out of all wingers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, and he would certainly add another dimension to the Blues’ attack.

Indeed, with his current deal expiring in 2024, they could potentially sign the 27-year-old for a cut-price amount in January.

Chelsea are thought to be leading the race to sign Brazilian wonderkid Endrick, according to The Evening Standard’s Nizaar Kinsella.

The Lowdown: Endrick profiled

Endrick is just 16 years of age but is already a household name in Brazil after scoring 165 goals in 169 games for Palmeiras’ youth teams.

He has been hailed as a ‘phenomenon’ by Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus and is sponsored by Nike. The left-footed forward has scored three times in five first-team appearances for Palmeiras, but it looks as if he could be on the move in the New Year.

The Latest: Endrick transfer update

Kinsella shared a story for The Evening Standard regarding Chelsea and Endrick on Tuesday. He said that ‘several recent meetings’ have been held with the Stamford Bridge club over a deal, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain also in the race for the teenager’s services.

Chelsea are hoping that their financial might can tempt Endrick, with any potential transfer to be signed in early 2023 ahead of a move to London the following year, when the player will turn 18.

The Verdict: Exciting

Endrick appears to be a star of the future, so it is exciting to know that Todd Boehly and Chelsea are pushing to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

A move for the 16-year-old could be a major coup in the long run, but it would be interesting to see what the Blues would do with the youngster in the immediate future, should they secure his services.

A loan back to Palmeiras could make sense for all involved, and it looks as if this will be one to monitor over the coming months.

Tottenham Hotspur will have a keen eye on the World Cup as domestic action takes a back seat for the next month.

Not only are some of Antonio Conte’s biggest stars competing in the tournament but sporting director Fabio Paratici will be keeping tabs on several potential signings with the January transfer window just around the corner.

Harry Kane will be leading out England on Monday afternoon, whilst the likes of Cristian Romero (Argentina), Heung-min Son (South Korea) and Hugo Lloris (France) are all key cogs for their respective nations.

However, there isn’t much being said about Spain, who are arguably still very much in the ‘rebuild’ phase, having moved on from superstars like Xavi, Andres Iniesta and more recently, Sergio Ramos – three players who lifted the World Cup back in 2010.

The long-term national heir to the former Real Madrid man seems to be Pau Torres, who could emerge as a surprise package this month, and according to 90min, he’s a player that Spurs remain keen on signing heading into 2023.

The Villarreal central defender has regularly been linked with a switch to north London, with reports suggesting that Paratici and co had submitted an enquiry last summer.

La Roja have been handed quite a tricky group, where they will face Germany, Japan and Costa Rica with all three likely to prove tough opposition and under Luis Enrique, that pass-heavy philosophy has remained, meaning players like Torres will see plenty of the ball.

It’s a backline that conceded only five times during qualification and the 25-year-old – who is likely to command £40m, as per the report – is an ideal fit to feature and if he does, and then impresses, he could be one of the surprise sensations of the tournament.

As per FBref, Torres has registered an average of 3.50 progressive passes per 90, which is within the top 13% of all centre-backs across Europe over the last year, whilst he has been rather consistent in LaLiga this term, mustering up an 86.6% passing accuracy.

By no means a guaranteed starter, he has featured far more regularly than Manchester City colossus Aymeric Laporte and plays for a far weaker Spanish side than Barca’s Eric Garcia, so his numbers are a little more impressive.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

If he continues to impress on the world’s biggest stage, then Spurs better act fast as there will be a queue of clubs lining up to sign Torres – who was once dubbed an “exciting talent” by ESPN editor David Cartlidge – in January.

Given his passing and left-footed ability, he could stun many at the World Cup and subsequently make a good signing for Conte’s quest to bring success to the club in 2023.

AND in other news, Paratici could seal dream Conte signing as Spurs eye move for £35m “Italian Beckham”…