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Anthony Patterson has signed a new two-year deal at Sunderland, as reported by the Northern Echo.

Making his first-team breakthrough at the Stadium of Light in 2020/21, the 21-year-old made two senior appearances for the Black Cats in the EFL Trophy [Transfermarkt].

Furthermore, the highly rated stopper has been a major part of the Sunderland Under-23 set up this campaign, participating in 24 Premier League 2 fixtures as he continues his development [Transfermarkt].

His fresh terms have been dubbed as a ‘great opportunity to progress with us’ by Sunderland Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman [Sunderland Echo].

Allegedly, the Newcastle-born goalkeeper is set to be involved in the first-string set up in 2021/22 which will undoubtedly please the Sunderland support [Sunderland Echo].

As you can imagine, loads of Sunderland diehards took to Twitter to revel in these latest developments.

Sunderland fans react:

Replying to the official Sunderland AFC Twitter account, here is how some Sunderland supporters summarized their feelings upon hearing the news:

“Great news fully deserved”

Credit: @mackem49000″Fantastic we should be giving all our youth a trial”Credit: @JohnMousey1″Get in!!!!”Credit: @oskarbrown1″Absolutely buzzing with this, hopefully get a chance next season. Why are we giving McGeady etc so long to make a decision on their contracts? Give them a deadline and if they don’t sign… move on.”Credit: @calvinfox96″Good start to the window”Credit: @JakeHartley”Another part of the jigsaw completed.”Credit: @AL_SNR58In other news, a Sunderland man is linked with an exit to a Champions League club.

If Everton don’t qualify for Europe next season, this summer could have a very different feel to it.

Their spending power will be influenced and it may also dictate Carlo Ancelotti’s future in Merseyside. The Italian has been keen to get the Toffees back to the continental stage but, with Real Madrid and Barcelona courting his services, there could be a changing of the guard.

On the chalkboard

One area where Ancelotti has strengthened significantly since he walked into Goodison Park is the midfield. They’ve gone from a lightweight pairing of Andre Gomes and Tom Davies to one full of physical qualities.

Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure have been two of Everton’s landmark additions with the 61-year-old at the helm but the Toffees have struggled when one of those has been injured.

Doucoure recently missed a period of seven matches with a fractured foot and Gomes hardly set the world alight in his absence. The Portuguese was feeble in defensive battles and won just two tackles before being dragged off against Arsenal.

In matches against Liverpool and Chelsea in February and March, Gomes won only three of the 26 duels that he contested. He then proceeded to lose seven of nine duels in the defeat to Aston Villa earlier this month.

With that in mind, Everton could do with another body in the middle of the park.

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With Fulham relegated from the Premier League, they shouldn’t look too much further than Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa. The Mirror reported a few weeks ago that the Toffees were considering a move for the Cameroon international with a fee of £25m potentially being on the line.

In bringing him to Merseyside, he’d not only offer more physicality than Gomes, but he’d also offer immense ball carrying skills.

Speaking this season, Zambo Anguissa’s teammate Joachim Andersen said: “He’s a top player. He’s a machine in the midfield. He’s winning so many balls and driving forward with it.”

Indeed, only Adama Traore (150) and Allan Saint-Maximin (96) have completed more dribbles in the entire top flight this season than the Fulham powerhouse (95).

He’d offer more dynamism on the ball than Gomes, and his defensive stats are also considerably better. Gomes has won just 1.3 tackles and 0.4 interceptions per match this season. That’s compared to Anguissa’s 2.2 successful challenges and 1.6 interceptions an outing.

He also knows how to perform in the big games, an area where Everton’s Portuguese midfielder has been found wanting. During Fulham’s clash with Manchester United last Tuesday evening, the 25-year-old made nine ball recoveries and seven interceptions, while completing five take-ons and winning four aerial duels.

It was a mountainous performance from a player who would offer plenty to Everton if he swaps west London for Merseyside.

AND in other news, Toffees could be set for huge blow after Everton news emerges, fans should be gutted…

Southampton have been linked with Adam Armstrong recently, and the Blackburn Rovers man could be the ideal heir to Danny Ings in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

According to the Daily Express, the Saints are readying a bid for the former Newcastle United man this summer after his hugely impressive season in the Championship with Tony Mowbray’s side.

The 24-year-old contributed 28 goals and five assists in just 40 Championship appearances, averaging a superb 7.15 rating from WhoScored for his performances, so he certainly seems ready for the step up to the Premier League.

Although previous reports have suggested that Blackburn could demand up to £20m, a recent report from The Telegraph suggests that he would cost just £10m this summer as he is set to enter the final year of his contract at Ewood Park, which makes him a much more realistic option for the Saints as he now fits into Hasenhuttl’s price range.

It also seems likely that he would fit into the Austrian’s style of play should he make the switch to St Mary’s this summer, as he is a quick striker who loves to make runs in behind – similar to the styles of both Che Adams and Ings, who have formed an effective partnership since the Scotland international arrived at the club from Birmingham City.

Ings has been heavily linked with a move away from Southampton ahead of the summer transfer window and has just one year left on his deal at St Mary’s, so an exit certainly seems to be on the cards in the near future for the former Liverpool man.

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If Southampton are looking for a long-term heir to the 28-year-old, the Blackburn Rovers star could be the perfect man, with WhoScored suggesting that both Ings and Armstrong’s strengths include their finishing ability, long shots and dribbling.

Mowbray was full of praise for Armstrong earlier in the season, saying: “His explosive pace at the top end of the pitch allows you to play both ways, to not be overly concerned if you’re pinned back around the edge of your box because one pass releases pressure to someone like (Harvey) Elliott to play the pass that he can hit, just leaving it in the space for the speed and dynamic movement of Armstrong — it’s a devastating effect for the team.”

There certainly seems to be a lot of similarities between Ings and Armstrong, and therefore Martin Semmens should definitely try and bring the Blackburn marksman to St Mary’s this summer.

In other news… Southampton could sign their next Pelle in £6.3m-rated beast

As confirmed by the club, Liverpool starlet Layton Stewart has signed a new long term contract after a highly impressive 2020/2021 season in the youth academy – prompting many supporters to rave over this ‘brilliant news’.

The teenage forward started this campaign in fine form, scoring an incredible 15 goals in just 10 appearances for the Under-18s side (Transfermarkt) and turning heads as one for the future.

Indeed, Stewart’s electric run prompted promotion up the ranks to Barry Lewtas’ U23s later in the year – with the 18-year-old quickly bagging for his two strikes for them as well (Transfermarkt).

He has been with Liverpool since the age of seven and put pen to paper on his first professional deal in February 2020.

Despite his season ending due to a serious knee injury sustained in March, the club have now seen fit to extend his professional contract on Merseyside due to his brilliant performances beforehand.

Flocking to this update, it’s little wonder supporters raved as this ‘brilliant news’ was confirmed – find a flavour of their best social media verdicts down below.

Liverpool fans rave as club confirm Stewart new deal

“Great news”

Credit: @famz7ii

“Good news, looks a big talent!”

Credit: @kat_lfc13

“What a player!!!”

Credit: @GerrardThings

“Scouser he’s like a combination Robbie Fowler and a Fernando Torres when I watch him play. Recover well and you’ll be back stronger than ever Layton.”

Credit: @velvet_thunder1

“YESSSSS! Who needs Mbappe?”

Credit: @Jasonftbl

“Yesss brilliant news”

Credit: @LewYNWA

“Things you love to see…”

Credit: @JenLFCWallbank

“Our Future number 9”

Credit: @lfcjohnnie

“Yessss”

Credit: @mightyreds321

In other news: Liverpool fans also flocked to ‘great news’ shared by James Pearce, find out more here.

Andy Carroll will learn his Newcastle fate on Thursday, according to Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder.

The lowdown

The 32-year-old is approaching the end of his contract at St James’ Park, having rejoined the Magpies ahead of the 2019/20 season after being released by West Ham.

Carroll has made 22 appearances in all competitions this season, with his only goal coming in a 2-1 defeat to Leicester in March.

The striker is one of a number of Toon players out of contract in June. The group also includes wingers Jacob Murphy and Christian Atsu, centre-back Federico Fernandez and midfielder Henri Saivet.

The latest

Carroll was an unused substitute as Newcastle beat Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage on the final day of the Premier League season, and Ryder speculated that his ‘thumbs up towards the stands’ may have been a goodbye.

The Chronicle Live reporter added that the former Liverpool striker will be told whether he is being released later this week, with Mike Ashley possibly having the ‘final word’.

The verdict

Carroll’s time at Newcastle would appear to be up. He hasn’t made enough of a contribution since he returned to Tyneside two years ago, scoring just once in 43 appearances in that time.

Given that he’s now 32, it’s probably in his interests to be playing regular football in a division such as the Championship rather than occupying a bit-part role at Newcastle.

The priority for Ashley should be to extend the contract of Murphy, whose impressive run of form was instrumental in steering Newcastle to safety.

In other news, Newcastle have reportedly held talks with this Championship defender. 

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Steve Bull, who made 561 appearances for Wolves, has claimed that if his former club signed Oli McBurnie from Sheffield United, it could be a smart signing and not a waste of money.

The £20,000-per-week striker has been linked with a £15 million move to Molineux this summer despite being part of a poor Sheffield United side and contributing just the one goal this season.

Wolves may not be in a position to sign players immediately, as The Athletic have reported that Fosun International will not be offering as big a transfer budget as usual for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Speaking on why McBurnie would not be a waste of money for Wolves and what he could bring to the side, Bull told The Transfer Tavern:

“I wouldn’t say he would be a waste of money because he’s a decent striker who will score goals, and he might turn out to be a vital player that comes off the bench and scores.

“I think chairman and owners have got money coming out of their ears and they just seem to always find money from somewhere, so if they want to pay it then they’ll find money from somewhere and get him on board.”

The Transfer Window podcast also reported that Fosun International are also willing to listen to reasonable offers for Pedro Neto, Ruben Neves and Adama Traore as they look to sell before they buy this summer.

Since 2016, Fosun International have spent a total of £235 million on bringing permanent signings to Wolves which may have forced them to take a step back this summer.

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that Ross Barkley’s days at the Villans could be numbered amid reported interest in Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Barkley is currently on loan at Villa from Chelsea and there had been some talk about the Midlands club potentially signing him permanently. However, amid a dip in form, that talk has since died down.

Villa are now being linked with another midfielder owned by Chelsea, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, with TEAMtalk reporting that the Villans have their sights set on the current Fulham player.

And for Hendrie, any move for Loftus-Cheek is likely to spell the end for Barkley at Villa Park. He told TT:

“If they’re certainly going for Loftus-Cheek, I feel [that] rules out Ross Barkley totally. I wouldn’t say he’s burnt his bridges at Villa, but there’s certain things that haven’t gone in his favour.

“When he came in, he started like a house on fire, but you’ve got to maintain that, you know. You’ve got to continue doing it.”

Villa look set to face competition in their potential mission to bring Loftus-Cheek to Villa Park this summer. According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace, where the English midfielder spent the 2017/18 season on loan, are also interested in striking a deal with Chelsea for his services.

Celtic’s search for a new manager is taking new twists and turns as the day goes by. That being said, the Bhoys are still no closer to discovering who their new boss will be.

Roy Keane had been the favourite but now it looks as though he won’t actually be penning terms in Glasgow.

What’s the word?

This has been an exciting week for Hoops fans. Lucien Favre is now reportedly interested in becoming their new manager while a further candidate has now opened up on the possibility of coming to Parkhead.

That happens to be Thierry Henry, a manager who revealed he was available this week if Celtic were willing to sit down and talk with him.

Speaking on The Robbie Fowler Podcast, he said: “With all humility, whatever is going to come my way – I’m not saying that should come my way – whatever is going to come my way I’m going to try to evaluate. I’m sure they’re going to work on what they’re going to work on.”

Henry added: “I don’t know what’s happening there, this is a club [Celtic] I respect a lot, but that I don’t know about.”

Dilemma for Desmond

Whether or not the Hoops hierarchy had Henry on their shortlist, they clearly now have a dilemma over what to do.

Keane has seemingly been ruled out of the reckoning but with Henry and Favre now putting their names into the hat, the race is set to hot up.

If Desmond has any sense, he’d surely opt for Favre if he was picking between the two.

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He may have been sacked from his post with Borussia Dortmund in December but he had done an enthralling job until that point, losing just 24 games at a win rate of 61.82%.

Henry, on the other hand, hasn’t really had a sparkling managerial career to date.

Known as one of the most feared strikers in the world during his playing days, his tactics have been unable to spark a similar feeling among opposition teams and managers.

His first job as a head coach was with Monaco but he failed to revive a sleeping giant and won just 20% of the matches he took charge of, proving victorious in only four games.

The 43-year-old’s next role was with Montreal Impact in MLS, a role he left in February to spend more time with his family.

Again, the Frenchman failed to set the world alight, winning only 31% of his matches in charge.

Henry’s managerial career has so far been a disastrous state of affairs. He is quite clearly not the man to bring success back to Celtic.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Christie: Celtic must swoop for 42-goal gem who can “sprint like Mbappe”…

Carlo Ancelotti could discover his dream midfield pairing by unleashing Isaac Price as the Everton product seemingly nears his senior debut.

The 17-year-old was named on the bench at Brighton & Hove Albion as the Blues were held to a draw on Monday night for his first taste of a first-team matchday, as Ancelotti sought to manage an injury-ravished squad.

But while injuries may have helped his sudden promotion, the Liverpool Echo have claimed that Ancelotti would not have included Price if he did not believe the teenager was ready for the challenge.

Ancelotti is understood to have been impressed by how Price has been performing in first-team training sessions ever since he first joined the Italian’s fold earlier this month, and sought to reward those efforts with a seat on the bench at the Amex Stadium.

It marked the latest step in a continued rapid rise for the Northern Ireland youth international, who only signed his first professional contract just over six months ago.

Price impressed club figures with his efforts in Paul Tait’s Under 18s quickly enough that he was awarded his U23s debut by David Unsworth this January, and is already now pushing the fringes of the first-team fold.

The U17 international, who represented England at U15 level, has only made eight appearances in Unsworth’s side thus far, with his latest coming in a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers last Friday.

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Price also has a further keen supporter in Everton legend Leighton Baines, who is noted to have helped the leggy midfielder settle both socially and professionally as he made the step up from U18s to U23s and now the first-team.

Unsworth now expects Price to be given further opportunities to impress Ancelotti, and is excited to see how the youngster continues to develop.

“Isaac is a box-to-box midfielder. He is a great passer, he’s got a bit of everything,” Unsworth said. “He still has to develop physically, as you can see, he’s not the finished article physically, but that will come.

“That’s just time, hours and hours in the gym, which he already does on his own individual programme. That’s something that will come naturally in time.

“Another pre-season will help him, whether that is with us or the first-team, it really doesn’t matter. It’s really exciting and I’m looking forward to working with him next season.”

But Ancelotti looking to unleash Price much sooner than the summer could see the Everton boss begin to discover potentially his dream midfield unit, and realising that his ideal Andre Gomes upgrade is already at Finch Farm.

The characteristics that Unsworth praises Price for in being a box-to-box presence with “a bit of everything” echoes similar claims that Ancelotti has previously laid at Abdoulaye Doucoure, his £20m summer signing from Watford.

“Abdoulaye is a fantastic midfielder, a complete midfielder,” Ancelotti said, via quotes by FourFourTwo, earlier in the season. “He can defend well. He is a box-to-box midfielder. He can bring energy to the club and a different quality.

“We don’t have midfielders with his kinds of characteristics. We have midfielders with quality and midfielders who are tactically good. He is the only one who is box-to-box.”

Ancelotti may soon get the chance to see a pairing of Doucoure and Price in training with the Frenchman expected to overcome his fractured foot to play again this season, which could see the Everton boss discover a box office unit if the youngster is unleashed.

AND in other news, an “outstanding” talent is keen to join Everton this summer, but there’s a hitch…

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that he doesn’t think Chris Wilder would turn down the Celtic job.

Wilder’s five-and-a-half year spell in charge of his boyhood club Sheffield United came to an end on Saturday after he was relieved of his duties with the Blades sat rock-bottom of the Premier League and a huge 13 points from safety.

But the Bramall Lane outfit have been at the foot of the standings for the majority of the campaign, with a breakdown in his relationship with the club’s owner cited as the reason for Wilder’s sudden departure – with United’s relegation back to the Championship almost inevitable.

Wilder took Sheffield United from midtable in League One to their highest Premier League finish last term, working on one of the smallest budgets in the topflight.

Just hours after the 54-year-old left Bramall Lane, a flurry of bets saw him backed into the favourite to become the next Celtic manager following the sacking from Celtic Park last month.

And Windass reckons that Wilder would jump at the chance to make an instant return to management, especially with the Glasgow outfit just one victory away from securing a place in next season’s Champions League, providing Celtic safely navigate their way through the qualification stage.

He told Football FanCast:

“I think he will be looking to get back on the horse as quick as he can. If Celtic come knocking, Chrissy would never turn down the opportunity to work, especially after the year everyone has had. I’m sure that he’ll want to get back to work as quickly as possible.

“Who would turn Celtic down? If he got asked the question, I don’t think he’d turn it down.”