Everton manager Ronald Koeman has claimed that it is up to the board to make the final decision regarding the pursuit of Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, reports the Liverpool Echo.

What’s the word?

The Merseyside outfit have been linked to the Iceland international for some time, and it seemed as though something could be on the cards when he was not included in Swansea’s pre-season trip to the United States.

However, the midfielder has since returned to training and according to The Independent, the Welsh club have rejected a second bid worth an initial £40m, rising to £45m in add-ons from Everton.

It is believed that Swansea, who managed to avoid relegation to the Championship last season, are demanding £50m for Sigurdsson.

During a press conference, Koeman confirmed interest in the 27-year-old, but said that the matter was firmly in the board’s hands.

The Liverpool Echo quotes him as saying:

“The whole business what is difficult is the amount of fee, money you have to pay for players. It is growing and growing and growing and I don’t know where it will stop.

“Okay, it is all about business and the final decision is by the board of the club because they make the final decisions – what I did is to give them the final picture about positions, about what we need to improve and choose options.”

Should Everton fall to Swansea’s demands?

The valuations of footballers rise year on year, and this summer in particular has seen some staggering figures being paid.

Sigurdsson is capable of performing at the top level and would be a positive addition to Everton’s team, but he is not worth £50m.

The Merseyside outfit have shown that they are not afraid to splash the cash having parted with more than £100m already, but they do not want to get a reputation of being weak in negotiations.

If Koeman is determined to bring Sigurdsson into the fold then the board can ease the pressure by getting a decent amount for Ross Barkley.

Given that Koeman has made it clear that Barkley will be sold, the funds could be used to sign the Icelandic midfielder.

What Everton will get for the England international, though, is a different story.

According to Fotospor, Manchester United have met the release clause of Benfica playmaker Talisca.

What’s the Story?

Turkish media are reporting that Talisca, the 23-year-old Benfica midfielder who is currently in the middle of a two-year-loan deal with Besiktas, is set to join Manchester United, after the European Giants met the players’ release clause.

The article states that the fee accepted is around £22.6million, with £3.6million of that fee going to Besiktas, as compensation for interrupting their ongoing loan deal with the player.

How good was Talisca last season? 

The Brazilian, who is valued at £11.7million by Transfermarkt was impressive during his first season on –loan in Turkey, The 23-year-old was a revelation netting an impressive 16 times in just 32 appearances from attacking midfield.

Talisca especially stood out in the Europa League where his ball control, finishing and threat from set pieces helped Besiktas reach the knockout stages.

Would Talisca be a good signing for Manchester United?

A gamble…but a cheap one. In today’s market, paying £22.6million for a player whose goal scoring record rivals Europe’s best should be considered a steal. And while Talisca is not probably not the marquee addition that Manchester United fans wanted, he is a real talent and at just 23, has his best years ahead of him.

If Mourinho can help Talisca adapt to the tough physicality of the Premier League then he could become a real asset at Old Trafford. Granted, Talisca may not be a regular feature in the first-team but could be a seriously proficient impact substitute whose talents would quickly adhere him to the fans at Manchester United.

Chelsea have had a weird transfer window so far but things may be about to get a bit better.Having missed out on signing Romelu Lukaku to Man United, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool and seemingly Fernando Llorente to Tottenham, you could forgive Chelsea fans for feeling a little down beat as clock ticks ever closer towards the 11pm transfer window deadline.It’s not over yet, though.Chelsea are still interested in signing Leicester duo Danny Drinkwater and Riyad Mahrez, as well as Everton’s Ross Barkley and SkyBet has just slashed their odds on all three of them signing before the transfer deadline to 7/1 – they opened today’s market at 12/1 for all three to sign.The Express are currently reporting that Riyad Mahrez is very close to securing a £45m switch to Stamford Bridge, which should soften the blow of losing out to Oxlade-Chamberlain earlier in the day.Yesterday it was being reported by BBC Sport that Everton had rejected the Blues’ £25m bid for England international Ross Barkley and while no new bid is yet to have been reported, it would be surprise if Antonio Conte didn’t return with an improved offer.And then there’s Danny Drinkwater, who recently handed in a transfer request at Leicester. Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Law reported on Thursday morning that Chelsea had made a bid worth over £30m for the midfielder.

So despite all the disappointment in recent days for Chelsea, things may still be on the up for the reigning Premier League champions.

Signing all three before the 11pm deadline might be a stretch, but this is Deadline Day after all.

The silly season is supposed to end when the football starts. The silly stories are only supposed to happen when there’s nothing else to talk about, but the transfer window creates an amplification for the strange stories, and it’s hard to tell the difference between the strangest stories and the real ones when it comes to players moving clubs.

Maybe that’s yet another part of why there have been repeated calls to close the transfer window before the season actually starts.

One of the more recent strange stories involves Andy Carroll, who has been linked with a move away from West Ham, though perhaps more in terms of thought pieces than any real concrete interest. It’s been Newcastle United and Everton, where pundits like Ian Wright think Carroll would fit best.

There’s nothing particularly strange about such stories in a way. Carroll is clearly quite a prolific Premier League striker, and such players usually come at a premium. And it’s also the case that West Ham seem to be planning more and more for life without him. And so it might, on some level make sense for the striker to move.

The problem is, the two arguments as to why Carroll should leave shouldn’t be linked. But they are. The reason Carroll is ‘out of favour’ at West Ham is simply because Slaven Bilic can’t rely on his fitness in order to put him in the squad. If Carroll could stay fit, there’s a good argument to suggest that he’d be the first name on the teamsheet.

This is the problem, though. And it’s why stories about his departure are strange – West Ham surely can’t sell him for very much, and if that’s the case then why wouldn’t they just keep him?

When you build a squad, you look for two of every player, or at least the sorts of players who are versatile enough to fill in at a position where your squad is short. For West Ham, Javier Hernandez and Andy Carroll provide an almost ideal duo, giving different options off the bench depending on the opponent or the state of the game.

But Bilic can’t count Carroll as a second choice as he knows – or at least strongly suspects – that the striker won’t be fit enough for the whole season to count on. He’s more of an added extra, though. A player you’d like to have, but a player you can’t factor in – like the friend you’d love to have at your party, but who you know will usually make excuses not to come.

Perhaps that was the problem last season, as the Hammers really did attempt to factor him in.

Last year, it seemed as though Carroll was the first choice striker, and the other attackers were bought with the view to filling in when the England man was unfit. But that meant when Carroll was in contention for a starting place, he was usually given it, and perhaps not brought back to full fitness before playing.

That, you can understand. Last season’s horrifyingly jam-packed treatment room at West Ham meant it was all hands on deck, and the ability to bring in a striker like Carroll – a real, live goalscoring striker at West Ham – was clearly a big draw.

This year, though, Bilic has done the right thing. He’s brought in a first choice striker in Chicharito and relegated Carroll to the role of a man who may well be in the team if fit, but the team will carry on regardless if he’s not. A ‘major’ role, says Bilic. But just how major relies on Carroll himself.

In the end it all boils down to this: he shouldn’t be for sale because he’s too good, but he shouldn’t be factored into the starting XI plans because he’s too injured.

Whatever ‘major role’ Bilic has in mind will surely be attempting to hit the Goldilocks zone – something between reserve striker and first name on the teamsheet.

Fans witnessing their team lose 4-0 is never an enjoyable experience, but it is even worse when their former striker is the one to rub salt into the wounds.

For Everton supporters, they had to watch Romleu Lukaku score the third in a late goalfest for Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Toffees sold the Belgian international in the summer transfer window, and even though they spent more than £100m on new signings, they failed to replace the prolific forward.

The gulf in attacking talent was evident at the weekend when the Toffees failed to get a goal over the line.

Ronald Koeman’s men have lacked that clinical touch all season, and in their last three Premier League defeats, the club have conceded nine goals and not scored any at the other end.

Lukaku, who nabbed 25 goals for the Toffees last season, already has a tally of six to his name, and the most recent one was against the striker’s former club.

Some players opt against celebrating against clubs that they have previously played for as a sign of respect, but Lukaku did the opposite as he appeared to goad the travelling supporters by cupping his ear.

Many have suggested that it was the Belgian’s reaction to some earlier booing that he received in the game.

Plenty of Everton fans were angered by the 24-year-old’s celebration.

The French Football Federation confirmed on Wednesday that Aston Villa defender Jordan Amavi had been called up to the France squad to replace the injured Layvin Kurzawa for the nation’s 2018 World Cup qualifiers, and Villa fans were quick to have their say on the news.

The 23-year-old joined Marseille on a season-long loan deal with a view to a permanent move during the summer transfer window having failed to make an impression during his time at Villa Park, but his early form for the Ligue 1 giants has resulted in him getting a chance for his country.

The left-back made 34 appearances for Steve Bruce’s side in the Championship last term, but he struggled to hold down a regular spot in the starting XI.

Aston Villa supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the news, and while some said he was always “destined for better things”, others described it as ‘the most sickening thing they’ve seen’.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Manchester United are planning a sensational £170m swoop for Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, according to the Sun.

What’s the story?

It is not the first time that the Red Devils have been linked with Kane, but the price tag has certainly risen.

The England international has been making headlines of late by scoring 11 goals in nine games in all competitions for Spurs this season.

It is inevitable that a player of Kane’s calibre will attract rival clubs, and the Sun seem to think that United are prepared to pay a mammoth £170m, which is £130m more than reports two years ago claimed that the Red Devils wanted to bid.

The newspaper states that Jose Mourinho is keen to pair the 24-year-old up with Romelu Lukaku, who has netted 10 goals in all competitions this season.

As expected, Tottenham have no intention of selling Kane and the club are reportedly planning to offer the striker a new contract next summer.

Should Kane think about it?

The hitman is in a difficult yet positive position given that some of the best clubs in the world seem to be after him.

Spurs are in the midst of an exciting run given that they finished third and second in the last two Premier League campaigns.

Not to mention, they have a brand new state-of-the-art stadium due to open for the beginning of the 2018-19 season.

The North London outfit will certainly want Kane to stay as the face of the club, but even though the future looks bright, the club are sparse when it comes to silverware in recent years.

The striker is in the form of his life, and he will get to a point where he needs to be selfish and ask himself where he is more likely to win trophies.

There is no denying that a partnership of Kane and Lukaku would be deadly, but the Englishman would risk ruining his relationship with Tottenham fans if he made the move.

Aston Villa play host to Fulham at Villa Park on Saturday in what is one of the standout fixtures in the Championship this weekend.

The two clubs were two of the pre-season favourites for promotion after Steve Bruce added the likes of John Terry and Robert Snodgrass to his squad during the summer transfer window, while the West London side were expected to challenge again having finished in the play-offs last term.

However both made disappointing starts to the campaign but rather than panicking, Bruce and Jokanovic have turned their own side’s fortunes around and the duo are now right in the promotion race as their teams lie seventh and ninth in the table respectively.

While the Midlands outfit are unbeaten in their six home league games this term, they could be in for a tough encounter against their visitors from the capital on Saturday.

Here are three reasons Villa will lose against Fulham…

Villa’s record against promotion rivals

While Villa have recorded victories against the likes of Barnsley, Burton Albion and Bolton Wanderers in recent weeks, they just haven’t done it against the sides that you would expect to be their promotion rivals at the end of the season.

Fulham are certainly one of those given impressive campaign last time out, and having already been beaten by Cardiff City, Reading and Wolves this season – as well as failing to beat Hull City or 10-man Middlesbrough at home – the Midlands outfit could be in for another disappointing day at the office.

Fulham’s away form

While Fulham only have the 20th best record in the Championship when it comes to home form going into this weekend’s fixtures, it is a completely different story on the road.

Seven points from six games on their own patch to date is far from impressive, but the fact that they have picked up 11 in the same number of matches on the road – the second best record in the division behind Wolves – shows what a force they can be on their travels, and Villa could easily fall foul to them on Saturday.

The return of Tom Cairney

The attacking midfielder was arguably the best player in the Championship last season, and one of the reasons Fulham have particularly struggled at home this term may well be because the influential 26-year-old has missed eight of their 12 league fixtures with a knee injury.

After missing six consecutive games, the Fulham captain returned as a half-time substitute in the 2-2 draw against Preston North End at Craven Cottage last weekend, helping the team come from 2-0 down to secure a point.

Cairney, who scored 12 goals and provided a further 11 assists in 45 Championship games during the 2016/17 campaign, is likely to be back in the starting line-up at Villa Park however, and that could be bad news for the hosts.

What do you think, Villa fans? Let us know below.

Real Madrid are the only team to win back to back Champions League titles. In the modern era, AC Milan, Ajax, Juventus and Manchester United have all reached the final as defending champions, but none managed to retain the trophy.

But if any team had to, you just knew it would be Madrid.

In 1955, when French sports newspaper L’Equipe had the idea to bring the best teams in Europe together to play each other in competitive games, the best two teams in the world were Real Madrid and Barcelona. As the first European Cup invited only league champions, and Madrid got their foot in the door at exactly the right time: Madrid were league champions and assured of a place.

Madrid’s title victory shut the European Cup door on their rivals from Catalonia, and they made the most of it, winning the competition six times between 1956 and 1966, including the first five in a row. But despite their power and prestige in the 1950s, they wouldn’t win the competition until 1998.

It was the glamour injected by Real Madrid that ensured the tournament’s future, and after the formative years of Spanish dominance, it became the continental affair we know today.

Between victory in 1966 and 1998, Madrid had to wait 32 years to triumph in the European Cup again. But if there is some sort of spiritual attraction between Real Madrid and the European Cup, the only English club who can claim a similar pull is surely Liverpool. The club sides linked together by Steve McManaman.

Winners of the competition five times – more than any other English club – Liverpool produced Steve McManaman, who never won the Champions League with his hometown club. But he did win it with Real Madrid.

Indeed, McManaman did more than just take part in a team that won the title. He starred in it.

This wasn’t a team who fluked their way to the final, nor was it a team who played soft sides from weak nations. En route to the final, the Englishman’s Madrid beat reigning champions Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford in the quarter-final and in the semi-final they beat the previous season’s runners-up Bayern Munich.

But in the final, they met compatriots Valencia, a side who would go on to contest the next season’s Champions League final as well as win the La Liga title in 2002. They were no pushovers, but Madrid pushed them over. 3-0. But it was the crucial second goal which decided the tie.

With 65 minutes on the clock and Madrid holding a precarious 1-0 lead, a throw-in from the left-hand side was lumped into the box in a thoroughly un-continental style. It’s not what you expect from Real Madrid, who also wore an unfamiliar orange kit on the night, seemingly freeing Los Blancos from their glamour, and a pragmatic performance proved it.

It was a move made in true British fashion, a ball thrown into the box in hope rather than expectation, a chance to cause confusion and wreak havoc, not a precise move to cut through the opponent like butter.

It’s only fitting, then, that the ball would fall to the only British player on the pitch, McManaman, who caught a scissor-kick perfectly finding the bottom corner of the net with an unexpected quality. 2-0. Game over. A third goal ten minutes later from Raul served no purpose in the game, but it was Raul’s 10th of the competition, allowing him to end the competition as joint-top scorer.

A scissor-kick volley is something of a McManaman special, in fact. The next season, in a 4-0 victory over Real Oviedo, McManaman was on the end of a Roberto Carlos cross-field pass – one of the Brazilian’s own specialities – and it was caught perfectly by the Liverpudlian as it swerved into the goal.

By that stage, though, the Liverpudlian’s game time in the Spanish capital was beginning to decline. Before the game against Oviedo in 2001, Luis Figo was presented with the Ballon d’Or, but not for his performances in a Real Madrid shirt. The previous season, the Portuguese midfielder was starring for El Clasico rivals Barcelona, crossing the unspeakable divide just a month after McManaman’s goal had helped Madrid to yet another Champions League title. It was to be a turning point.

The Galactico policy made it tougher for the former Liverpool star to get into the team, and when Ronaldo was signed from Inter Milan, McManaman turned down the chance to move to the San Siro as part of the deal, hoping to stay and fight for his place. It’s his determination that endeared him to the Real Madrid fans before he finally did move back the Premier League in 2003, joining Manchester City.

Two years after beating Valencia, though, Madrid reached the final again, facing Bayer Leverkusen. And this time it was Figo who started on the right side of midfield in a team that now featured Zinedine Zidane, too.

The final will always be remembered for Zidane’s volley in a game which Madrid won, but again it wasn’t the final where the hard work was done. In order to qualify for the Hampden Park final, Real Madrid once again faced the reigning champions in the quarter-final, this time Bayern Munich.

In the semi-final, though, they faced Barcelona. The first leg was at the Camp Nou, and it’s here McManaman had one of his greatest moments in a Madrid shirt. Already winning 1-0, the tie was still finely balanced. A one away-goal lead would have been a nice lead to take into the home leg, but McManaman was played clean through in the second minute of added-on time and lobbed the ball beautifully over the goalkeeper, Roberto Bonano.

It was a swansong. It didn’t help McManaman fight his way back into the team, and his next season was his last in Spain. Whereas he made 47 appearances in his first season at the Bernabeu, he made just 25 in his final year when Madrid’s side was being filled with superstar after superstar.

As Madrid come to Wembley to face Tottenham, they will once again wear an unfamiliar away kit. And for those Spurs stars like Dele Alli, Harry Kane and manager Mauricio Pochettino – all three often linked with the Bernabeu club – McManaman’s story should act as a warning. The Bernabeu is a place where stars often fade quickly and the next superstar comes along as quickly as the last.

But this Tottenham team are sampling their first real success in the Champions League after last season’s group stage exit. And if they’re to go on and make it a memorable campaign, Real Madrid are the face of the competition, and after two in a row, they’re the team to beat.

David Unsworth has overseen his first win since taking over as Everton manager on an interim basis.It was a difficult situation for the Under-23s coach to come into given that the team had won just two of nine Premier League games, which resulted in the sacking of Ronald Koeman.Under the rule of Unsworth, the Toffees lost to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, Leicester City in the top flight and were eliminated from the Europa League due to a 3-0 defeat to Lyon.Pressure was on heading into Sunday’s match against Watford at Goodison Park, and it was a dreary start as Everton went 2-0 down after 64 minutes.The Merseyside outfit managed to launch a successful comeback, though, as Oumar Niasse and Dominic Calvert-Lewin got on the scoresheet.Leighton Baines found what turned out to be the winner in the 91st minute, just before Tom Cleverley missed from the spot.Former Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton has been heavily critical of Unsworth, particularly his weight.Following Sunday’s victory, the controversial ex-Manchester City man gave his verdict on Twitter.