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Everton’s summer transfer window has hardly set the world alight.

The Toffees are used to spending a pretty hefty sum of money during summer markets but this has been completely different.

Rafa Benitez has entered Goodison Park and spent an accumulative £1.7m on four new signings. However, just one of those acquisitions was brought for any money – Demarai Gray.

Everton entered the window needing to sign more wingers but this was an addition which came with very little fanfare.

Before a spell with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, Gray was a bit-part player for Leicester City. He possesses speed and unpredictability, but sadly his consistency is questionable.

He only found the net on 13 occasions in 169 matches for the Foxes, so bringing him back to the Premier League seemed a strange decision from the Toffees hierarchy. However, on his competitive Everton debut at Goodison Park on Saturday, he was their star man.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring from the spot and has so often been their go-to player in a crisis, but on this occasion, Gray stole the show.

Everton only had 30% of the possession at Elland Road in their 2-2 draw with Leeds but Gray helped them to get further up the pitch and proved he may have a crucial role in their side this term.

The 25-year-old popped up with a vital goal, turning inside the area and then finding the net from an incredibly tight angle. It was a terrific finish from a player who has been lamented for a lack of end product throughout his career.

The fact that he found the back of the net was a plus but his overall game beyond that also caught the eye.

Everton’s summer signing completed 100% of his passes and was successful with two of the four dribbles he attempted. Furthermore, he provided two interceptions and a solitary tackle, showing that he can perform in the defensive third of the pitch too.

Time will tell whether the 25-year-old will prove to be a good long-term investment but he’s had a bright start to life in Merseyside. Perhaps Benitez will be the manager to finally extract more end product from Gray’s game.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano delivers exciting Everton transfer update, fans must be buzzing…

Express & Star reporter Luke Hatfield has called for Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign Goncalo Guedes even if Adama Traore fails to seal his exit.

Wolves appear poised to make a big-money bid for Valencia winger Guedes ahead of the transfer window closing next week.

Bruno Lage, who was appointed as Wolves’ new head coach in June, worked with the 24-year-old during his time in Benfica’s youth system.

Guedes has started both of Valencia’s La Liga fixtures so far this season, although both of those outings have come in the centre forward role.

The interest comes while rumours of Adama Traore heading to Tottenham Hotspur continue to rumble on, with reports suggesting ex-Wolves chief Nuno Espirito Santo is looking to reunite with the Spain international by striking a loan deal with the view to a permanent £40million transfer.

But Hatfield has urged Lage to push through the move for Guedes regardless of whether Traore remains at the club.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “He has shown quality abroad and I think he’d be a good signing regardless of whether Traore was to leave Molineux.

“He fits the bill in terms of being an exciting, attacking player. The football Wolves have played at the start of the season has certainly given fans hope of a bit more excitement.

“I think he would be a fantastic signing for Wolves even if Traore doesn’t go.”

Southampton made a late bid for Middlesbrough’s Djed Spence on Transfer Deadline Day, according to The Northern Echo.

The Lowdown: Southampton’s busy summer

The Saints ended up having a very busy summer during the summer window, bringing in several young players with potential to develop at St. Mary’s.

They made no less than six signings (Transfermarkt), and it seems they were looking to add more down to the wire on Tuesday.

The Latest: Saints make Spence bid

As per this latest report, the St. Mary’s Stadium outfit made a late bid to snatch Spence from Boro.

They weren’t the only side looking to capture the right-back, though. Leicester and Nottingham Forest were also said to have tried their luck, but nothing materialised.

The Verdict: Needed?

So far at the Riverside Stadium, Spence has made 70 appearances, scoring two goals (Transfermarkt). Quite clearly, he is highly talented if there was such a push for his services on the final day of the window – he was also called “exceptional” by former boss Jonathan Woodgate (gazettelive.co.uk).

However, it is worth questioning whether he is player the Saints really needed.

During this transfer window, the Saints captured Valentino Livramento from Chelsea, and Ralph Hasenhuttl already has Kyle Walker-Peters in the same position.

Not only that, Yan Valery’s rumoured move to Olympiacos didn’t go through (Football Insider). As a result, they have three players in that position – do they really need another? The club’s failure to capture £1.8m-valued Spence (Transfermarkt) may well be a blessing in disguise.

In other news, Southampton fans were livid with this man’s new contract.

After the stunning start to first-team life Cameron Archer has made, Aston Villa could well be looking at the club’s new Darius Vassell.

The 19-year-old spent last out on loan at National League side Solihull Moors, where he showed real promising signs, bagging five goals in 12 appearances, including in the FA Cup.

But it has been his displays this campaign in the Carabao Cup where he bagged a hat-trick against Barrow, and a superb brace against League One Wycombe Wanderers in the Papa John’s Trophy, that have really lit the blue touch paper.

A profile piece by The Birmingham Mail back in the summer of 2019 described him as “one of Villa’s most highly thought of youngsters alongside Jacob Ramsey”, and that he’s a “livewire forward with excellent footwork and the ability to find the back of the net”.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece said: “Genuine pace. That’s Cameron Archer in a nutshell. He’s short, stocky and jet-heeled. Blink and you’ll miss him.

“Cam, as he’s known, is a natural striker who plays off the shoulder of a defender but, in recent weeks, has been deployed on the right of a three-pronged forward line, such is his ability to beat his man one-on-one. Delaney and Smith could see his long-term future as an electrifying winger.”

And that ability to offer something completely different to what Dean Smith currently has at his disposal, makes him a potentially intriguing rotation option for this season – the likes of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings have both proven themselves in the Premier League as goal-scorers, but neither can match the sheer speed of Archer.

That pace and movement is eerily reminiscent of a young Vassell, who enjoyed a fine career at Villa Park in his early days, going on to score 45 goals in 198 games for the club that he grew up with.

Premier League Heroes noted: “Lightning fast and extremely agile, he was incredibly never on the losing side in any of the 46 Premier League games in which he scored.”

Vassell of course was Villa’s sole representative at EURO 2004 when Sven Goran-Eriksson decided to take him as part of his group of four strikers – a real measure of the kind of quality, and uniqueness in his style of play compared to the likes of Emile Heskey, Michael Owen and 18-year-old Wayne Rooney who also went with him.

Archer’s similar blend of speed, skill and finishing is something that has already gotten everybody’s attentions behind the scenes at Villa Park, with assistant head coach Craig Shakespeare noting he made a big impression earlier this summer.

He said: “We went on a pre-season training camp and he came down and did really well – caught everyone’s eye with his enthusiasm and goal scoring ability.”

And, having already shown he can score even against senior opposition, Archer is showing the kind of early potential that marked out Vassell as a potential star in the making.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a fresh move for this midfielder…

Manchester City midfielder Rodri produced a superb display at the weekend as Spain thrashed Georgia 4-0 in World Cup qualifying.

The former Atletico Madrid man is likely to be a regular in Pep Guardiola’s side again this season and should Fernandinho depart at the end of the season, his importance for the Citizens will only grow further.

According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old has been City’s best performer in the Premier League so far with an impressive 8.0/10 rating across his two appearances thus far and he continued his fine form with a dominant display for Luis Enrique’s side.

As per SofaScore, the Manchester City man would earn an impressive 7.5/10 rating for his display, with only goalscorers Paulo Sarabia (8.2), Carlos Soler (8.0) and Jose Gaya (7.9) rated higher on the evening.

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During the 90 minutes, Rodri would have 136 touches and completed a remarkable 123/128 passes, resulting in a superb pass accuracy of 96%.

Not only was this the most passes completed of any player on the pitch, but it was also almost as many as the entire starting team of Georgia would manage (147), which emphasises how he completely ran the game.

Rodri also completed eight out of his nine attempted long balls and would win four out of seven of his duels, suggesting that he barely put a foot wrong during his time on the pitch.

Spain and Manchester City are a good match in that they both love to dominate possession and, if Guardiola saw any of the game, he will surely have been delighted with the way his defensive midfielder performed.

Despite dubbing him “incredible” in 2019, the Spanish manager opted to leave Rodri out of the crunch Champions League games last season but if he continues to impress he will surely be considered a big-game player, and considering City’s upcoming fixtures include games against Leicester, Chelsea and Liverpool, it will be interesting to see if the Spain international keeps his starting place.

And, in other news… Man City set for huge boost with “incredibly talented” gem

West Ham star Michail Antonio has been announced as the Premier League’s Player of the Month for August.

And, as to be expected, a number of Hammers fans were quick to flock to the update on social media.

Antonio beat teammate Said Benrahma, Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso, Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier, Everton winger Demarai Gray and Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood to win the award.

The £70,000-a-week forward has been in fine form in the opening three games of the campaign, scoring four times and registering three assists.

The 31-year-old managed to both score and provide an assist in all three games against Newcastle, Leicester and Crystal Palace respectively, and his impressive displays have earned him a second Premier League Player of the Month award in as many seasons.

Antonio also became West Ham’s all-time Premier League goalscorer last month and reached 50 top-flight goals for the Hammers with his goal against Palace.

Hammers fans react

West Ham shared the news regarding Antonio on their official Twitter page on Friday morning. This is what these Hammers fans had to say in reply, with many delighted.

“LETS GOOOOO”

Credit: @Vlasic_Szn

“We are massive”

Credit: @jasperhowlett03

“FULLY deserved, so happy. my number 9”

Credit: @BenChillingwor2

“Get in!”

Credit: @nickonion

“MY GOAT”

Credit: @lengwesthamfan

“Absolute standout choice. Fully deserved. His influence on the team goes way beyond the things measured by the core stats – 4 goals & 3 assists – it’s the work rate, the chasing balls, closing defenders, running channels. He makes us tick ”

Credit: @damienlucas

In other news: Many West Ham fans love what Rice did to Spurs and Chelsea fans. 

Arsenal could already be planning for life without Alexandre Lacazette…

What’s the word?

According to football.london’s chief Gunners reporter Chris Wheatley, the north London outfit are likely to target a new striker in the upcoming transfer windows, and Real Sociedad star Alexander Isak is one name in whom they hold an interest.

In a recent Q&A session with supporters, the journalist said: “Arsenal will try to sign a forward in the next transfer windows. Isak would be a great option and there is certainly interest.”

The 21-year-old signed a new contract with the La Liga side in July, a move which also saw a £30m buyback clause from Borussia Dortmund bought out.

It remains to be seen exactly how much the 27-cap Sweden international would command in 2022 but Transfermarkt currently value him at around £36m.

Bye-bye Lacazette

It’s hardly a surprise to learn that Arsenal will be looking for a new frontman in the near future – that’s because Lacazette appears to be on his way out, with his contract due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

On transfer deadline day, football.london reported [via Metro] that the 30-year-old Frenchman had little interest in renewing his deal at the Emirates Stadium and will duly move on next summer.

The Gunners’ hierarchy even tried to move him on during the transfer window in order to bring in Tammy Abraham, who in the end swapped Chelsea for AS Roma, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

In Isak, Mikel Arteta would be getting an ideal replacement, and one who could serve the Gunners for many years to come.

The Real Sociedad talisman is yet to get off the mark in 2021/22 but he enjoyed a phenomenal season last time out, scoring 17 goals in just 34 league appearances, via Transfermarkt.

That form earned him the division’s Young Player of the Year award as well as a glowing endorsement from former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who waxed lyrical about the Swede after their Euro 2020 clash with Spain.

“This kid, Isak, he was a problem today for the defenders in the Spain team,” the former Manchester United centre-back said on BBC’s coverage of the match (via quotes sourced by football.london).

Ferdinand continued: “He was a nuisance. He showed today why he’s got Young Player of the Year in La Liga. He was the outlet.”

The 6 foot 2 marksman has understandably been likened to fellow countryman Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his ‘silky first-touch, near-perfect technique and penchant for goals’.

Meanwhile, Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc once dubbed him a “great talent” when signing him from Willem II.

All in all, Edu Gaspar and co must look to seal a move for Isak as soon as January as they look to fill the imminent void left behind by Lacazette. He’d be the perfect replacement for the Frenchman on the above evidence.

AND in other news, Edu could strike gold over Auba replacement by signing “quick” £60m-rated “world-beater”…

After the noise surrounding some discontent with Tanguy Ndombele at Tottenham, it appears N17 chiefs are unhappy with yet another player in midfield ace Giovani Lo Celso.

The Lowdown: Disharmony inside Tottenham?

Alasdair Gold recently lifted the lid on a ‘cycle’ theory some Spurs chiefs have regarding Ndombele.

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Indeed, those inside Tottenham apparently believe that it begins with the Frenchman ‘working hard in training, performing well on the pitch, getting carried away by moments of success, believing he should be at a higher level and then wanting to leave’ (football.london).

After these reports of disillusioned figures within the club regarding Spurs’ club record signing, it appears they are unhappy with another in Lo Celso as reporter Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic makes a claim.

The Lowdown: Eccleshare makes Lo Celso claim…

Taking to Twitter and sharing his piece in The Athletic, Eccleshare has detailed exactly what some chiefs inside Spurs believe about Lo Celso.

Indeed, it is claimed that the Argentine’s ‘frequent unavailability’ through injury has become a ‘source of exasperation’ for some at the club – with his decision to play for the national team during the last round of international fixtures prompting a ‘huge amount of animosity’ (The Athletic).

Meanwhile, some club staff have found he ‘comes across aloof’ – possessing a ‘dry sense of humour’ (Twitter).

The Verdict: Real problem…

Given the issues surrounding both Harry Kane and Ndombele over the summer, the last thing manager Nuno Espirito Santo needs is more drama behind the scenes at Tottenham.

Getting the best out of Lo Celso on a consistent basis has proved tricky due to his absences and these claims regarding his personality certainly don’t paint a pretty picture over his potential future at the club.

Alas, if Spurs can solve this conundrum, they could rediscover an asset signed permanently by former boss Jose Mourinho in January 2020.

In other news: Spurs now want ‘outstanding’ 29 y/o who Pochettino wanted to make one of his highest earners, find out more here.

Celtic midfielder James McCarthy is ‘available’ for selection for Ange Postecoglou against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday evening, Alison Conroy reports.

The Lowdown: McCarthy’s knock

The Irishman has worked his way into Postecoglou’s plans and has started the last three games in all competitions.

However, McCarthy, who was described as ‘quite incredible’ by his then-Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson last year, was forced off with a knock on Sunday in the 1-1 draw against Dundee United.

The 30-year-old seems to have recovered, though, providing Postecoglou with an injury boost ahead of the Europa League Group G clash tonight.

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The Latest: Conroy’s tweet

Reliable reporter Conroy took to Twitter on Wednesday to share comments from Postecoglou on injuries.

The Hoops manager admitted that right-back Josip Juranovic is set to be sidelined for a few weeks and provided updates on Kyogo Furuhashi and Callum McGregor.

Conroy’s post ended with four words on McCarthy, who is ready to go against the Bundesliga side:

“Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou says Josip Juranovic will be out for “a couple of weeks” with a hamstring injury. McGregor & Kyogo trained today but won’t be available for tomorrow’s game v Leverkusen. James McCarthy is available.”

The Verdict: Good news

Captain McGregor has missed the last four Celtic games and it seems as if he won’t be ready from the off again, so having McCarthy available in midfield is good news.

He has plenty of experience at the top level with 42 caps for the Republic of Ireland and 272 Premier League appearances, and although he has reportedly struggled in training, he appears to be growing on Postecoglou, who has trusted him with a start in Celtic’s last three matches.

Hopefully McCarthy will impress at Parkhead, which could then give Postecoglou another selection headache when McGregor is 100%, but this time a positive one for the manager.

In other news: Celtic outcast on £9k-p/w set to have ‘two different’ approaches. 

Crystal Palace enjoyed a hugely exciting and productive transfer window over the summer, but things weren’t always as captivating on that front for the south London club.

During the 2014/15 season, Jordon Mutch joined the likes of Zeki Fryers, Martin Kelly and Fraizer Campbell in coming to Selhurst Park doors following a £5.71m switch from fellow Premier League side Queens Park Rangers.

It appeared to be a sensible transfer at first glance. Although the 6 foot beast had failed to find the back of the net in a frustrating six-month stay at QPR, he had impressed at previous employers Cardiff City.

Mutch bagged seven goals and provided a further six assists in 35 top-flight appearances throughout 2013/14, catching the eye despite the Bluebirds’ eventual relegation.

The box-to-box dynamo penned a four-and-a-half-year contract with Palace after spending just 25 weeks at Loftus Road, much to the delight of then-Eagles manager manager Alan Pardew.

“Jordon’s a player that caught my eye against my Newcastle side and he’s a young player with potential,” Pardew said. “It hasn’t quite worked out for him at QPR, so we’ve given him the opportunity to come and play here.

“He’s got talent, he can score goals, and in our environment, hopefully, he’ll have more success than he did at QPR. You need to score goals from all areas of the pitch in the Premier League, and that’s an area where we can improve.”

However, things went horribly wrong for Mutch during his time in south London. The former England under-21 international made just 11 Premier League starts for the Eagles before being sent out on loan to Reading in January 2017.

Another loan stint at Vancouver Whitecaps followed in the subsequent campaign before he was allowed to join South Korean outfit Gyeongnam FC on a free transfer.

Stints in Norway and Australia have followed for Mutch, who left Palace after failing to register a single goal or assist in 40 appearances for the club, and the 29-year-old is currently plying his trade with Macarthur FC in the A-League.

The whole saga was a regrettable nightmare for both player and club, and it’s a deal that both parties will surely wish turned out rather differently.

In other news… Signed for £3.42m, now worth £40.5m: Parish struck gold for Palace over £130k-p/w gem