Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not exactly short of attacking options in his team, which means that this summer, certain fringe players could be let go.
A few seasons ago, Daniel Sturridge was a prominent member of the first team, but his position in the pecking order has fallen.
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The striker, who has earned 26 international caps for England, has been ravaged by injury problems.
On top of that, the 28-year-old does not fit naturally into the system that Klopp has implemented at Anfield.
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The forward is more of an out-and-our striker, while the German prefers to play with Roberto Firmino as a false nine.
With that in mind, it leads to questions over Sturridge’s future at the Merseyside outfit.
It seems highly unlikely that the attacker will force his way into the side, particularly after he was sent on loan to West Bromwich Albion for the second half of last season.
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However, could Sturridge still have a role to play? Perhaps in cup games when the system could be tweaked to break down teams that cement bodies at the back?
We asked you if the striker should be kept on for next season, and the majority believe that it is the end of the road.
On paper, the final Group Stage clash of England’s World Cup campaign might seem like something of a dead rubber. Both teams have already qualified and won’t want to exert themselves too much on Thursday night with more important battles on the horizon. But in terms of making a statement to the rest of the countries involved in the competition, the coming encounter remains a significant one.
So, how will Gareth Southgate adapt his team accordingly? Which Belgium stars provide the biggest threat? How could the referee influence the match and can history tell us anything about which result to expect? Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 7pm kickoff…
Head-to-Head
England have actually proved something of a bogey team for Belgium down the years, suffering defeat only once in proper competition – although the Red Devils did also claim a win in the little-known King Hassan II Cup back in 1998.
That being said, history can only take you so far and Belgium are much better fancied to make the latter stages of the World Cup, currently nine places ahead of the Three Lions in the FIFA rankings. They also enjoyed a slightly more dominant qualifying campaign, winning all of their Group C clashes and conceding just four goals – albeit two in incredibly unlikely fashion to Azerbaijan. England also qualified undefeated but drew with Slovenia and Scotland.
Group G So Far
Belgium and England enter Group G on incredibly even footing. In fact, having both beaten Tunisia and Panama in surprisingly imperious fashion, the two nations head into the final game with the same number of points, same goal difference, same goals for and same goals against.
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The only differential is the disciplinary records, with the Red Devils suffering an extra yellow card. But should that balance out as Thursday night ends in a draw, the teams will have to draw lots to decide pole position. Curiously too, both countries enter their final Group G clash off the back of their biggest wins of the tournament so far, Belgium dispatching Tunisia 5-2 and England demolishing Panama in a 6-1 victory.
Belgium Danger Men
Due to the Premier League-based nature of both squads, England more than know about Belgium’s biggest threats – in fact, half of the team play with most of them at club level.
The most potent are Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, but because Belgium boast so much extra quality in attack – chiefly through Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku – the latter tends to be employed in a far less effective role, placed in a midfield two alongside Axel Witsel. Regardless of their undoubted talent though, England will feel familiarity with the Belgium team can act as something of a leveller.
Referee Influence – Damir Skomina
Look away now England fans, because the name Skomina should sound familiar. The Slovenian was in charge for the Three Lions’ humiliating exit from Euro 2016 at the hands of Iceland – although he did at least award England a penalty during the 2-1 defeat – and also sent off Rob Green during a surprise 1-0 defeat to Ukraine back in 2009.
His only outing at the current tournament, meanwhile, was certainly eventful – sending off Colombia’s Carlos Sanchez for a handball after just three minutes and simultaneously awarding a penalty to Japan.
England’s Expected XI
This match boils down to a risk assessment for Southgate. While he’ll want to keep momentum going by making a big statement heading into the knockout rounds, victory over Belgium isn’t really worth endangering key players – in fact, there’s an incredibly strong argument for trying to finish second in the group to avoid some of the competition’s heavyweights in the subsequent stages.
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That being said, rumour has it Harry Kane will start on Thursday to continue his bid for the World Cup’s Golden Boot, but injuries and bookings could see Southgate make other changes. Perhaps the most important of those are at the back, with Harry Maguire a fitness doubt and Kyle Walker on a yellow card – another will see him suspended for the first knockout round. Chelsea captain Gary Cahill and Manchester United centre-back Phil Jones look set to come in for them respectively.
On both flanks too, Southgate will likely take advantage of the opportunity to freshen up, purely because wing-back is such a physically demanding position. Tottenham’s Danny Rose is a fantastic deputy at No.3, while Liverpool youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold clearly has a fan in the England gaffer. Dele Alli, meanwhile, could return to action to recover some sharpness after missing the Panama clash and we’re predicting United’s Marcus Rashford to partner Kane up front – replacing Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling.
In the engine room, a key role within this England setup, Eric Dier has been tipped to start ahead of Jordan Henderson.
Arsenal are in competition with Juventus, managed by one-time reported target Max Allegri for the signature of breakout World Cup star Aleksandr Golovin, according to Italian outlet Tutto Sport.
What’s the story, then?
The report claims that Juventus are wary of potential advances for the Russian midfielder from the Emirates Stadium and have tried to jump ahead in the queue.
They go on to say that the Italian champions are in constant contact with CSKA Moscow over Golovin but that an 18m euro bid has been rejected as they hold out for 25m.
It also says that Golovin’s future will only be decided after the World Cup, which should give Arsenal ample time to hit back with a bid of their own.
Emery could land a major blow on Allegri
It does seem as if Allegri and Juventus are ahead in the race for Golovin but as there will still be fractions of the Arsenal fanbase who long for the Italian to be at the Emirates, this chase could present a chance to land a major blow.
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If Emery, without the lure of Champions League football can convince one of the stars of the World Cup (so far) to join his Arsenal revolution over the club that Allegri chose to remain at, it would go a long way to enthusing Gunners fans about their prospects under the Spaniard.
The Arsenal fans in and around the Transfer Tavern are hopeful that Unai Emery will recruit the necessary players for the Gunners to attempt to once again reach the top four in the Premier League.
The new boss has made a positive start to life in London, by bringing in the experienced Stephan Lichtsteiner and Bernd Leno to the club, building on two weak points in the Gunners’ side.
Although not a weakness, Nacho Monreal isn’t getting any younger, prompting the need to bring in a player more capable of being a long-servant for Arsenal. Our punters believe that Valencia’s Jose Gaya is a player that would be a great addition at the Emirates and one that could walk straight into their starting 11.
Gaya, who’s valued at £31.5 million on Transfermarkt, has been a regular at Valencia and impressed massively during his time with the Spaniards so far. Having made 38 total appearances last year, attacking wise, Gaya helped Valencia to 5 assists as well as defending valiantly in a unit.
Arsenal are heading into a new chapter in their history and the acquisition of Jose Gaya would be a good way to look forward rather than backwards, like they have been doing over the last few years. At 23, Gaya has years ahead of him to assert himself as number one left-back, proving why so much interest has been around him for years.
The Emirates needs a lift this summer and immediately by adding Jose Gaya to their two new signings as well, things will be looking a lot brighter for the London club.
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Naby Keita’s long-awaited switch to Liverpool finally happened in the summer after a year of suspense – the Guinean agreed to join the Merseyside outfit last year but would only link up with his new teammates the following season – but he has looked far from the player many surely hoped he would be as he fails to impress in the Premier League.
The versatile midfielder was backed by many to win the PFA Player of the Year award over fellow Reds man Mohamed Salah, with many tipping him to become a key component of a rapidly improving Liverpool side, but he is surely no longer even in the conversation for the gong.
Having started just seven league games, the former RB Leipzig man is, thus far, looking unlikely to produce enough quality on a consistent basis to warrant a regular starting spot in a midfield bulging with talent and his performance versus bitter rivals Manchester United will have done little to change this as, despite his side picking up a surprisingly routine three points, he was truly off the boil.
Renowned for his technical ability and work-rate – two qualities held so highly in Jurgen Klopp’s eyes – the 23-year-old has shown only glimpses of a calibre of performance to justify the £54m fee he commanded, but offered nothing on Sunday as he was a passenger for much of the game before being substituted in the 70th minute.
The number 8, playing on the left of a midfield four, struggled to bring others into play as he completed just 1 key pass – comparatively, Georginio Wijnaldum delivered 5 – and took on just 1 shot, failing to truly test David de Gea. The maestro’s ball retention was uncharacteristically sloppy too, as he took 2 unsuccessful touches and was dispossessed 3 times.
Klopp’s high-tempo approach requires fluid, accurate passing and Keita’s game showed nothing of the sort as he completed 73% of his attempted passes – the second-lowest rate he has recorded this season.
With fellow summer arrival Fabinho beginning to shine at Anfield, Keita must step up his game if he is to have any hope of affirming the star quality which he displayed prior to his big money move to England five months ago.
FFC’s James Jones has identified the one thing that could cost Liverpool the title. Find out what it is in the video above…
It’s time for Brendan Rodgers to take out the good china.
It’s the Merseyside derby, but not just any old Merseyside derby. This one matters to Rodgers. So Brendan, dress to impress, crack out the good china and put on a show, because John W. Henry will be watching.
And whip out the good china is exactly what Rodgers has done in an attempt to woo the boss and use this big game to save his job.
He’s been wrapped up in a combination of bubble wrap and cotton wool, been kept in a room with padded walls and floors, but today sees Daniel Sturridge take to the pitch again for Liverpool. He played a full 63 minutes against Norwich two weeks ago, and scored twice playing the full 90 last week. This week, Rodgers once again calls on the main man. Could Sturridge be the saviour of Liverpool’s start to the season? Even more important, could he be the saviour of Rodgers’ job?
Well, two seasons ago, Liverpool shot to second place in the table and almost won the league. That was thanks in part to Sturridge and Sterling, but the majority of the credit has to go to Luis Suarez who dragged his team kicking and screaming up the table – and within a stud-length of the title. But Sturridge actually has a better goals to games ratio than the Uruguayan sensation. He even has a better goals to games ratio than Fernando Torres.
If Rodgers was looking for a saviour, he may have found him in Sturridge – Brendan Rodgers’ very own fancy china.
Barring a brief hiccup against Arsenal, Manchester United have enjoyed a strong start to the season, finding themselves in 3rd place in the Premier League with 19 points after nine games.
Yet the legitimacy of the Red Devils’ title credentials is still open to debate and I’m sure even Louis van Gaal would admit that his side are still very much a work in progress.
Coming closer to emerging as the finished article could well require some tinkering of the squad in the coming transfer window, which is now not as far away as it may seem – just over two months away in fact.
So with that in mind, Football Fancast have conjured up FIVE ‘transfer issues’ the Manchester United boss must solve in the new year.
Some focus on what the United squad currently lacks and others on what they have too much of – but all require van Gaal’s attention in the January transfer window…
A SPECIALIST LEFT-BACK?
With Luke Shaw ruled out for the majority of the season after suffering a double-leg break against PSV Eindhoven last month, Louis van Gaal faces a bit of a dilemma at No.3.
Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian and Ashley Young are all capable of covering that position but none are what you’d describe as a ‘specialist left-back’, tailor-made to suit that role.
Darmian and Young both struggled to deliver against Wolfsburg and Arsenal respectively, whilst Rojo and Blind represent United’s cover at centre-half – another problem area we’ll come onto later.
Of course, restoring Shaw to his former role is the ultimate long-term objective. The England international was really starting to justify his £29million price-tag before his injury and LVG will be reluctant to complicate matters by adding another left-back into the mix.
But if the Red Devils can source a short-term solution in January – perhaps a player on loan or a youngster who can come into the team briefly – it would certainly solidify their squad for the second half of the season.
ARE THESE YOUNGSTERS REALLY NEEDED?
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Manchester United don’t have the biggest of squads this season and Louis van Gaal has always been one for improving the opportunities of young players, so you get the feeling the likes of Sam Johnstone, James Wilson, Jesse Lingard, Patrick McNair and Andreas Pereira might become of some use before the end of May.
But none have received more than 45 minutes’ worth of action in the Premier League so far this term and the development of some could certainly be better served at other clubs.
Goalkeeper Johnstone, for example, is unlikely to see the light of day with David De Gea and Sergio Romero around, whilst Wilson’s lack of game time, despite the limits of United’s strike-force, speaks volumes about van Gaal’s doubts over the young striker. Both could do with loan spells in the Championship.
Lingard has already proved himself at that level put apparently not enough to become a recurring fixture in van Gaal’s plans. A move to another Premier League club for the second half of the season would be ideal for him, as it would McNair, who made 18 appearances for the Red Devils last term.
IS A CENTRE-BACK AVAILABLE?
An area Manchester United must improve upon if the market allows them to. Louis van Gaal’s devotion to signing a new centre-back is no great secret, having come up short in his pursuits of Mats Hummels and Sergio Ramos during the summer.
His preferred mould is obvious; vastly experienced, vastly talented and creative when on the ball; so if a centre-half of that description becomes available the Red Devils must be proactive about it.
A few options that come to mind are Schalke’s Benedikt Howedes, who recently made some murmurings about following Jurgen Klopp to Liverpool, Zenit’s Ezequiel Garay, who is clearly too good for the Russian top flight and is always linked with Europe’s top clubs, and Real Madrid veteran Pepe. He’s made just three La Liga starts this term and now appears to be behind Raphael Varane in the pecking order, but at 32 years of age doesn’t offer much longevity.
If LVG is prepared to deviate from his template slightly, we could see United go back in for PSG’s Marquinhos, who they were strongly linked with last January. The 21-year-old’s pedigree is undoubted and he could be willing to move on in the new year, facing the difficult task of usurping countrymen Thiago Silva and David Luiz from a spot in the starting Xi.
Convincing the Parisians to sell, however, could well require a fee between the £30million and £40million mark.
HOW TO GET RID OF VICTOR VALDES?
Louis van Gaal made known his opinions on Victor Valdes some time ago, effectively transfer listing him during the summer after refusing to represent United’s U21 squad, yet the former Barcelona No.1 is still somehow at Old Trafford.
He’s now reportedly banned from training at Carrington when the first team are around, but still earning somewhere in the region of £150k per-week. Constant reports on how the Spain international is being treated by van Gaal are starting to get a little embarrassing, so one way or another United really need to offload him in January.
The problem is that the Red Devils don’t want him to join another Premier League club, whilst interest from Sevilla and Valencia has amounted to nothing – allegedly due to Valdes’ wage demands.
But at this point, the goalkeeper’s plight is only causing unnecessary attention so even if it requires cancelling his contract via a huge pay-off, the Red Devils might as well just get rid.
ENOUGH FIREPOWER?
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Manchester United have scored 15 goals in nine games this season, which actually leaves them fourth throughout the Premier League.
Yet, their two predominant sources for goals aren’t exactly the most dependable; Wayne Rooney is still struggling for form and although Anthony Martial has started his United career with a bang, it seems inevitable his tally will tail off at some point over the next few months.
The problem United face is quite simply a lack of readily available top class centre-forwards on the transfer market, which is how they ended up investing £36million in a teenager from Monaco during the summer. But another striker, even if he’s not the most talented to ever grace Old Trafford, would certainly boost their Premier League title credentials.
One option always worth keeping an eye on is Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain. He’s the best striker outside the Champions League at the minute following the Italian outfit’s failure to qualify last term and has started the season brightly, bagging six goals and two assists in eight Serie A appearances.
Alternatively, Marseille’s Michy Batshuayi, Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, Newcastle’s Ayoze Perez and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann are all young front-men enjoying good form, but all come with rather sizeable price-tags.
With the January transfer window open for business, Premier League sides will be hoping to bring in new faces to give them a boost in the second half of the campaign.
The summer market seems a long time ago but some serious cash was spent by top-flight sides at the time. It would appear, with the season half gone, a fair portion of that outlay was wasted.
Here are some of the signings that could still be giving the club accountants sleepless nights…
Idrissa Gueye
It’s unfair to single out one person to take the flak for the mess Aston Villa seem to be in but Tim Sherwood and his scouts surely need to absorb a fair portion of the blame after their disastrous summer recruitment.
The Christian Benteke millions were squandered on a host of new faces, most of them form France’s Ligue 1 and most of them seemingly called Jordan.
£9 million for Idrissa Gueye though, stands out as particularly poor business. The Senegalese has been a virtual ever-present for the midlands outfit this term but has struggled to get to grips with Premier League opponents as Villa’s midfield has been regularly and disastrously over run.
There is no doubting the holding player’s endeavour, which was perhaps one of the reasons the club chose to purchase him from Lille, where he looked a far more accomplished anchor man.
The 26-year-old may yet make a career for himself in England but at the moment his sizeable transfer fee looks to be wasted resources.
Radamel Falcao
Unfortunately for Falcao, circumstances mean he could well have made this list two years running.
The 29-year-old first arrived into the Premier League at Old Trafford bringing one of the most formidable goal scoring records on the continent with him.
A disappointing loan spell in Manchester did not dissuade Jose Mourinho from arranging a similar deal with his parent club AS Monaco.
The Colombian now however seemingly travels with nothing more than extremely hefty wage demands.
The forward has featured on only a handful of occasions and scored only one goal for Chelsea.
Currently he is struggling with a thigh injury and with the champions eager to cut him from their payroll, the loan deal could end early this month.
There is no doubting the quality of the man but does he have the desire to have one last crack at the Premier League under Guus Hiddink? With Diego Costa finding form again his chances look increasingly bleak.
Eder
Swansea have showed some encouraging signs of revival of late but there is no doubting that their lack of a consistent goal scorer in the post-Wilfried Bony era has badly hurt their league position.
What then was the club thinking when they chose to spend over £5 million of the funds from the Ivorian’s sale, on Ederzito Antonio Macedo Lopes?
Eder was a summer recruit from Braga but the big man, in the kindest way possible, is the Portuguese answer to Emile Heskey.
Just one international goal in 21 caps for his country speaks for itself.
In club football the forward’s record is somewhat better but a games to goal ratio of four to one in the Portuguese League should hardly have convinced the South Wales outfit that the 28-year-old had the required talents for the Premier League.
Eder has yet to find the net for the Swans and has largely been used as a substitute for the more convincing but by no means consistent Bafetimbi Gomis.
At 6 ft 3, the former Braga man has the physique to worry defenders and bring his team-mates into play but goals win games and so far Eder has none.
When Bournemouth lost to Newcastle at home, hope was beginning to dwindle amongst pundits and neutrals alike. While the Cherries were respected for sticking to their guns and continuing to play their attractive brand of football, their lack of firepower was proving costly. Eddie Howe’s side could not put the ball in the back of the net and were prone to the odd defensive lapse. Not a good mix.
Well, what a difference three games make. The belief never dwindled within the squad, who since went on to grab a thrilling draw against Everton, as well as famous wins over Chelsea and Manchester United. The South Coast outfit are the ultimate under dogs, and they show no signs of backing down.
Of course, it’s still going to be a long slog to retain Premier League status. Still, they are a determined bunch of players who play very good football. The odds are surely in their favour.
Perhaps some January transfer market activity can help solidify their position. Serious injuries to a TRIO of first-teamers have stretched the resources to almost as far as they can go at the Vitality Stadium. While they are making a good go of it, some smart intervention will surely help their cause.
What Bournemouth need is astute reinforcements, not huge names. They can come later should they retain their Premier League status.
With that in mind, here are FIVE ASTUTE signings to keep Bournemouth in the Premier League…
DWIGHT GAYLE
In the absence of Callum Wilson, the club are reportedly turning their attentions to Crystal Palace forward Dwight Gayle as their preferred option up front. While Glen Murray and Josh King offer a more traditional centre-forward role, holding up play, the 25-year old can rejuvenate an attacking front line that has, occasionally, looked bereft of ideas.
He’ll press and harry, run in behind defences and has a poacher’s instinct. Exactly what Bournemouth need heading into the business end of the season.
YOAN GOUFFRAN
Though Junior Stanislas was everywhere, and I mean everywhere, against Manchester United, perhaps the arrival of another incisive winger could help. With Max Gradel only pushing to be back in first-team contention before the end of the season, Newcastle’s Yoan Gouffran has been touted as a potential target this winter.
The 29-year old would be a good fit at the Vitality Stadium. He’s a powerful runner, able to drag his team up the field and is another who can score goals. Able to be deployed as a natural wide option, or even cutting across and supporting the central striker, the Frenchman is versatile and has good experience playing in the Premier League.
MARCO SPORTIELLO
Artur Boruc is a fine shot-stopper, thought the Pole is prone to the odd moment of madness. The enigmatic former Southampton and Celtic custodian has already cost his team with a howler against Watford, though he did play well against Manchester United. A decent ‘keeper, but not be relied upon.
Adam Federici has also dropped the odd clanger here and there, and despite his return to training, has been injured. Neither man between the sticks has truly made the gloves his own yet.
Enter, Marco Sportiello. The Atlanta man is reportedly being eyed up by Eddie Howe in a £6m deal in an effort to shore up his backline this winter. Linked with Liverpool only last season, the 23-year old is a stopper of huge potential.
DEMARAI GRAY
Birmingham’s Demarai Gray was hotly pursued in the summer, though a move to the Vitality never came off. The England under-20 speedster has been hugely impressive at St. Andrews, leading to links to the likes of Southampton and Liverpool.
His arrival would be hugely exciting on the South Coast. Despite only signing a three-year deal in the summer, reports suggest the 19-year old could leave if the side are not in contention for the playoffs by the end of January.
Granted, he’s not the biggest of names, but landing an exciting young English talent will only add to the already sky high spirits on the South Coast.
CURTIS DAVIES
Haha, Curtis Davies, I hear you saying. Yes, Curtis Davies. The Hull man is reportedly a target for the Cherries as they look to add experienced defensive options to their squad.
The former England Under-21 ace has been touted as top target as his contract begins to wind down at the KC Stadium. While he’s not the most glamorous defender in the world, his arrival could help back-up the defence and provide a cool head going into the most crucial part of the season.
He was not at his best as the Tigers suffered relegation, but the 30-year old has a wealth of experience in the top flight and would realistically only be a squad option.
Although Roberto Martinez’s outfit Toffees outfit weren’t quite expected to set the Premier League alight in triumphant style this season, Everton have nonetheless proven somewhat of a disappointment throughout the campaign so far.
The team currently reside in the bottom half of the table without any signs of immediate improvement. Roberto Martinez’s starting XI looks partially void of ideas and creativity, and with the likes of Leicester City, West Ham and Southampton maintaining a strong presence in the top half of the table it remains hard to envisage just where Everton will end up this season.
However, in light of the recent capture of Oumar Niasse this January, the Toffees find themselves with a potential light at the end of the tunnel.
[ffc-gal cat=”everton” no=”5″]
The Senegalese international arrives on the back of some fine goal-scoring form with Lokomotiv Moscow, so could he eventually prove to be the man to restore some much needed positivity at Goodison Park this term.
Well, if the 25-year-old’s most recent performances with his now former employees are to offer anything to go, it seems Everton could have landed a real gem on their hands in the shape of Niasse, despite his sizeable £13.5million transfer fee.
When it comes to taking on defenders with relative ease in and around the opposition’s penalty box, displaying an impressive range of finishing in one-on-one situations, and simply spinning his counterparts inside the final third with effective turn of pace, this is a player who has certainly failed to disappoint throughout the 2015/16 campaign thus far.
Oumar Niasse seems to like taking on a somewhat daring approach whenever offered the chance to impress in front of his respective fan-base. The 25-year-old striker clearly knows how to find the back of the net in explosive style. But what is perhaps more significant about Niasse’s overall game in general is the fact that he rarely looks short of confidence when played through in front of goal, and seemingly isn’t scared of taking on the impossible either.
Everton therefore look to have found themselves on the end of a very promising January deal. The Goodison Park faithful have arguably been crying out for a fresh new striker to come in and do the business at their club for quite some time now, for although Romelu Lukaku has admittedly been in fine form this season, the Toffees simply can’t rely upon the big Belgian striker alone to make things happen inside the final third for their side.
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The recently acquired Senegalese international would theoretically provide Lukaku with the perfect strike-partner to work alongside in the forward department for Everton this season.
Niasse seems capable of reading all the knock-downs that will likely come his way at Goodison Park, his pace and power inside the final third could create a lot more room for Lukaku to weave his magic in front of goal, and although both players won’t necessarily start up top in every single starting XI put together by Roberto Martinez this season, the potential on offer between Niasse and Lukaku really could open some significant doors for Everton.
So although Oumar Niasse probably won’t go down as the signing of the season, Everton look to have improved upon their fortunes across the rest of the upcoming campaign with the 25-year-old Senegalese star.