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Nottingham Forest manager Martin O’Neill says that club-record signing Joao Carvalho needs to fight for his spot in the starting XI, according to quotes via The Nottingham Post, and Reds fans have been quick to react on Twitter.

The 66-year-old was speaking ahead of his side’s Championship clash against Wigan Athletic at The City Ground on Saturday, where he will be looking to pick up his first points in charge having been beaten 1-0 by Bristol City at home on his bow.

Carvalho joined Forest for £13.2m, as per BBC, during the summer transfer window, and had been a regular in the side under previous boss Aitor Karanka, but he was relegated to the substitutes’ bench against Reading and then in O’Neill’s first game at the helm.

The switch from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2 formation certainly hasn’t helped the 21-year-old, who has primarily made an impact through the middle behind the striker so far this term, scoring three goals and providing a further six assists in 26 league outings, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking on Thursday, via The Nottingham Post, the former Republic of Ireland boss said: “I think he is a very talented footballer.

“I think that, despite some very early promise, he is still getting used to the real demands of this league.

“He has definite talent, no question of that and, like anything else, it is up to him to fight his way into the side, hopefully.

“It is up to him to hopefully believe he will get a chance to play. I am sure during the coming weeks that could easily happen.”

Nottingham Forest supporters took to Twitter to have their say on the quotes, and while one said “O’Neill hasn’t got a clue about his squad”, another labelled O’Neill as “absolutely deluded”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Martin O’Neill’s managerial return to Nottingham Forest didn’t go according to plan. Check out Matchday with Max’s gameday vlog in the video below…

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has made a ‘£70 million’ transfer claim on club chief Fabio Paratici’s summer plans.

The Lowdown: Paratici eyeing summer moves?

Tasked with backing Antonio Conte in the summer market, Lilywhites transfer official Paratici is reportedly eyeing moves already ahead of what will be a pivotal 2022/23 campaign for Spurs.

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Regardless of where they finish this season, with Tottenham still well in contention for a top-four place, Conte will need proof that the club are serious about building a winning team and getting back among the Premier League’s elite.

Bearing that in mind, big decisions will have to be made, with Gold now sharing an update on one of the club’s first intentions of the summer market.

The Latest: Gold makes ‘£70 million’ Spurs claim…

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, the reliable journalist backs that Spurs will make both Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski’s loan deals permanent.

When asked about Tottenham’s transfer budget, he explained: “Making both Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski’s moves permanent will have to be taken into account of course. That’s almost £70million that Spurs will have to pay out this summer and they will do so because every penny is absolutely worth it.

“However, it’s clear chairman Daniel Levy will have to find more money because there is plenty more work to be done and both Antonio Conte and Harry Kane will need to be convinced that next season will be something special.”

The Verdict: First things first…

Tying both players down to permanent deals is arguably the first and foremost priority for Spurs, especially Kulusevski, who has become a key player for Conte since signing on an 18-month loan deal from Juventus in January.

However, as Gold explained, the worry for Spurs supporters may be the leftover finances to seal other transfer targets.

The free agent market may well be pivotal, with Paratici and co already having been linked with a few out-of-contract stars ahead of the summer.

In other news: Tottenham could strike ‘imminent agreement’ for ‘magical’ £25m striker this summer! Find out more here.

Player potential can be both prosperous and dangerous.

On one hand, if a player is to reach their maximum skill evolvement, their club can benefit no-end, financially speaking.

Though, if a player fails to hit the heights that their hype holds them accountable to, it can be a damaging affair for their employers.

Wolves are unique in the fact that their saga with former Portuguese and now Angolan footballer, Helder Costa leant more towards the former and more prosperous scenario, rather than the latter.

Costa profit

Costa emerged from the high profile Benfica youth system at the age of 18, in the same age group as Ivan Cavaleiro and Bernardo Silva.

After making his debut for the Lisbon side’s B-team in 2012, he would go onto represent them 72 times, scoring 15 goals. Ultimately, he failed to make the grade for the Benfica first-team, making just one appearance.

After a failed loan-spell at La Liga side Deportivo de La Coruna, he made the brave switch to pastures new to link-up with fellow Benfica graduates Silva and Cavaleiro at Monaco.

Despite teeing up a young Kylian Mbappe for the Frenchman’s first-ever league goal, Costa would go on to play a total of 28 games for the Ligue 1 side, scoring five goals, with Monaco loaded with depth options in Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar and Bernardo Silva.

It wasn’t all bad though as Helder Costa moved on a season-long loan to Championship side at the time Wolverhampton Wanderers in what was his best season ever in terms of end product, with a total of 18 goal contributions in 35 appearances. 

Wolves made the transfer permanent, with the Old Gold side splashing out £13m for Costa’s services to break their club-record transfer fee at the time in January 2017.

Ultimately, the attacker was not able replicate his ten goals and eight assists that he showed the season prior, but still chipped in with a solid five goals and six assists to help Wolves top the Championship and gain promotion to the Premier League.

After one season in the Premier League, Costa joined Leeds United on loan in the Championship and after helping them to promotion, made the deal permanent with Leeds forking out £16m but he was soon dubbed a “massive flop” by pundit Noel Whelan.

He featured 22 times in the Premier League for Bielsa’s side the following season (2020/2021) yet Leeds offloaded him to Valencia the following campaign after just one appearance, in what was a strange deal at the time.

With 28-year-old Costa fighting to turn his loan move at Valencia into a permanent deal, he is now valued at just £7.2m, with Wolves’ decision to sell in 2019 looking ingenious.

In other news – Wolves eyeing “all-round” 26y/o regarded as “most complete ever” with fans buzzing…

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that Leeds United winger Jack Harrison could play as a wing-back for the north London club.

The Lowdown: Good season for Harrison

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a decent campaign since being unveiled as a permanent Leeds player, having initially joined the club on loan in 2018.

The winger has gone on to establish himself as a mainstay in Jesse Marsch’s team, having featured in the starting XI in five of the new manager’s six games in charge. Moreover, he has made a telling impact under the American at Elland Road, netting three goals in his last three matches.

As a result, The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has reported that Tottenham are interested in signing Harrison in the summer transfer window.

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The Latest: Robinson’s claim on Harrison…

Robinson, who regularly features as a pundit for Sky Sports, believes that whilst Harrison could perform as a wing-back for Antonio Conte at Tottenham, the 25-year-old would be better off remaining at Elland Road.

Speaking with Football Insider, the ex-Spurs goalkeeper claimed: “He is capable of playing that role, 100 per cent.

“The question is, would he want to? I’m sure he sees himself more as a goalscoring winger or midfielder.

“When you look at him, you ask the question – is he of the level required for Spurs? They want to push on and compete with the top four. Would Jack fit into that?

“Would he play week in, week out? I don’t think so. He is better off where he is if you ask me. He is building his career at Leeds and is playing every week. I question whether he would be a starter at Spurs.”

The Verdict: Difficult decision

If Harrison is offered the chance to join Tottenham, this could prove a difficult decision to make. With Spurs making a strong late push for a top-four finish, the Englishman could see himself playing in the Champions League next season with a move to north London.

Everton manager Frank Lampard clearly believes that the 25-year-old is up to the task, having hailed him as “one of the best wingers in the league”.

However, whether he can perform at the same level as a wing-back is yet to be seen. In 225 career club appearances, Harrison has only played in defence once, so this prospective transfer could be a gamble for both him and Spurs.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops Dejan Kulusevski transfer claim

As per West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh, coming after the club’s historic 3-0 victory at Lyon in their Europa League quarter-final second leg, things just get better and better as they share a ‘£30 million’ update.

The Lowdown: Hammers make history…

David Moyes’ side made history on Thursday night by impressively cruising past Lyon into the Europa League semi-finals – where they will take on Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt.

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Goals from Craig Dawson, Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen sealed a brilliant win for the Hammers who have made history with their run in Europe so far.

Off the field, this could pay dividends for West Ham and club owners GSB, with C&H sharing the latest financial developments after mid-week.

The Latest: C&H make ‘£30m’ claim…

According to their information, the club have been gifted a major windfall as West Ham’s finances ‘grow and grow’.

They claim, when adding up the competition’s prize money, London Stadium ticket sales and TV revenue, the Irons have earned ‘over £30m so far’ due to their run in the Europa League.

The Verdict: Major boost…

It is unclear whether this money, or even a portion of it, will be allocated to Moyes and head of recruitment Rob Newman’s transfer kitty, but this £30 million boost comes as a fantastic side-effect of West Ham’s dream semi-final push.

If they can get past Frankfurt, or even go on to win the Europa League, it would represent a seismic achievement for West Ham and surely cement Moyes as one of the club’s greatest ever figures.

Standing to make even more if West Ham go further, this is a very exciting time both on and off the field for supporters.

In other news: Sky Sports: Moyes eyeing new West Ham target in £21.6m-rated star who’s set to leave! Find out more here.

Everton are set to offer Frank Lampard an interview regarding the vacant managerial position at Goodison Park.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports, who claim that the 43-year-old manager is one of the names on Farhad Moshiri’s shortlist of targets to replace Rafael Benitez in the Everton dugout following the Spaniard’s sacking last weekend.

The report goes on to state that the former Derby County and Chelsea manager is expected to be one of the first interviewed by the Everton board, who are also keen to speak with the likes of Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez and the former Tottenham Hotspur manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

However, Sky Sports News reporter Ben Ransom appeared to have reservations about the former England international’s suitability to the Toffees job, stating: “Lampard is an interesting one. I can understand why his name is mentioned because every time a Premier League job comes up, his name will be mentioned.

“He did well at Derby, he did pretty well at Chelsea. It’s a tricky one for Lampard. I don’t know if this is the right time for him but I can see why he would be interested because Everton is a really huge name in English football. They’re regarded as one of the sleeping giants.

“If you can go in and do well, there is a project there… and then you’re at a great football club, if you get the opportunity to be successful. But it’s such a tough job. It has to be the right fit.”

Moshiri may repeat Silva disaster

While it is true that Lampard did an impressive job at Derby – guiding the Rams to a sixth-place finish in the Championship, before beating Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United side in the play-off semi-finals and narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier League after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the play-off final – the 43-year-old enjoyed a rather less impressive spell in his following position as the Chelsea head coach.

Indeed, despite securing a respectable fourth-place finish in the league during his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge, at the halfway stage of the 2020/21 campaign, the Blues found themselves languishing down in ninth place in the top-flight standings – having won eight, lost five and drawn six of their 19 league fixtures.

This form ultimately led to Roman Abramovich calling time on the Chelsea legend’s spell at the club, with Blues midfielder Jorginho stating his belief after Lampard’s sacking that the coach did not possess the experience required to take on such a big job.

The Italian said: “Look, I’ll be really sincere here on Lampard. I believe, given he was a legend at the club, he skipped some steps necessary for learning before moving to a big club.”

“He came to a club where he is a legend, without having experience at other clubs. I think he came too soon, skipped a few steps ahead and wasn’t ready for a job at this level, to be honest.”

For fans of Everton, this assessment will be extremely worrying, as there is a very clear line that can be drawn between the potential appointment of Lampard and Moshiri’s previous appointment of Marco Silva.

Indeed, the now-44-year-old manager fought bravely against relegation with Hull City back in 2016/17, and, as a result of his impressive spell at the MKM Stadium, subsequently secured a move to Watford for the 2017/18 campaign.

However, the Portuguese coach would go on to last just 24 games at Vicarage Road, being sacked in January 2018 after a poor run of results, before Moshiri made a shock move to appoint Silva the following summer.

The now-Fulham manager went on to secure a semi-respectable eighth-place finish in the league during his debut campaign, however, with the Toffees sitting in the relegation zone after 15 games played in 2019/20, Silva was given his marching orders.

As such, considering their similar levels of experience and failure at a so-called big club, it would appear a very wise move for the Everton owner to do all he can to avoid a repeat of his disaster on Silva and swerve a move to appoint Lampard as the next Blues boss.

In other news: Sky reveal new “heavyweight” manager “under consideration” at EFC, fans surely livid

Everton are reportedly now targeting a move for Adama Traore in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Future uncertain

Traore was sent out on loan to FC Barcelona from Wolves back in January, and so his future at Molineux is uncertain with neither Barca or Wolves seeming particularly keen to keep him long term.

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His contract at the Midlands club expires in 2023, and so it will be up to them whether they look to cash in on him in the summer or risk losing him for free the following year.

The Latest: Targeted

As per Football Insider, a source from Goodison Park has revealed that the Merseyside club are now monitoring Traore as an ‘attacking target’, and Kevin Thelwell is thought to be a ‘big admirer’ of his, having originally signed him for the Wanderers for a club-record fee back in 2018.

The Toffees are ‘keeping tabs’ on his situation, as Barcelona have an option to buy him in the summer, and ‘could make a move’ if they decide not to sign him permanently.

The Verdict: Sign

Currently rated at £25.2m, Traore could be the marquee signing that Frank Lampard’s team need to kick on, should they end up avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

Likened to Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton by Martin Keown, the Spain international possesses blistering speed, a unique trait that the Blues could exploit to their advantage.

Of course, he has the added experience of playing in the top flight in both England and Spain too, and at 26 years of age is just about to enter his prime.

Nonetheless, he is a player that should get the supporters off of their seats and lift the mood around Goodison.

In other news, find out which 5/10 EFC dud Adam Jones slammed against Leicester City here!

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa is still contending with a wrath of injuries as his side welcome Newcastle United to Elland Road this afternoon.

The Yorkshiremen will be looking for back-to-back victories, having seen off West Ham last weekend, though there were worrying signs as the Argentine could only name one first-team player on his nine-man bench.

During that game, Junior Firpo and Adam Forshaw hobbled off in the first half, so that’s another two players he will be without heading into this encounter.

It will be interesting to see what sort of lineup he’s able to name, here’s what we are predicting head of kickoff…

There could be three changes from the side which won 3-2 a week ago.

Between the sticks, Illan Meslier is likely to remain but there will be alterations to the backline in front of him. Without Firpo, Bielsa has a decision to make and we could well see youngster Leo Hjelde handed a start after the 18-year-old gem looked so assured against the Hammers in both matches.

He’ll join Pascal Struijk, Diego Llorente – who is available after suspension – and Luke Ayling in a back four.

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Bielsa is still without Kalvin Phillips and now Forshaw, too, so Robin Koch is most likely to be deployed as the defensive midfielder, with Mateusz Klich and Stuart Dallas joining him.

The Northern Irishman played right-back last week, so he moves back to his natural engine room role, with likely skipper Ayling going back out wide.

After his game-winning hat-trick, Jack Harrison will remain on the left flank with current top goalscorer Raphinha on the right, but with Patrick Bamford still injured, there is a worry up top.

Young striker Joe Gelhardt could return after Phil Hay confirmed his availability. He will surely get the nod over Daniel James and Tyler Roberts. The Welshman is therefore axed from the line-up after some poor recent performances.

AND in other news, Bielsa could land his own Conor Gallagher in Leeds swoop for “silky” 15-cap sensation…

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist and ‘transfer insider’ Dean Jones of Eurosport has backed some big transfer news out of West Ham involving Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa.

The Lowdown: Barbosa set to force move…

As explained by Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, West Ham could still sign the 25-year-old in this transfer window as he explains their proposal is still on the table.

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In another development, potentially boosting manager David Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman in their bid to sign Barbosa, the Brazil international has his heart set on a move to England and the Premier League.

Sheth even lifted the lid on a sit down between Barbosa, his representatives and Flamengo over the matter as he eyes a transfer (Sky).

The Latest: Jones backs development…

Speaking to GMS, insider Jones has backed this development, claiming it is ‘true’, whilst also saying that West Ham were ‘offered’ Barbosa recently.

“West Ham were offered him weeks ago as they know the player has his mind set in the Premier League,” he explained.

“At the moment there has been no breakthrough but it’s true that Gabigol intends to force a move.

“He’s not happy with how things at Flamengo are changing.”

The Verdict: Right move?

Barbosa has racked up a head-turning 93 goals and 29 assists for the Brazilian Serie A giants, putting him back into contention for the national team ahead of Qatar’s 2022 World Cup this year.

Taking into account the South American’s goalscoring efficiency and the fact he has resurrected his career since a torrid spell at Inter Milan, we believe there are few forwards out there with his quality who could cost as little as £30 million (90min).

Still in his mid-20s and flying, Moyes could bring in a striker with plenty of sell-on value and a seeming determination to succeed in Europe.

In other news: West Ham source: Newman makes move to sign ‘devastating’ forward after price plummets by £32m, find out more here.

Celtic are closing in on the signing of midfielder Riley McGree from MLS outfit Charlotte FC, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: McGree profiled

McGree is a 23-year-old Australia international who can play in a defensive, central or attacking midfield role. [Transfermarkt]

He recently returned to Charlotte following a second loan spell with Birmingham City, where he made 15 appearances under Lee Bowyer during the first half of the season.

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Valued at £540,000 by Transfermarkt, McGree appears to be a player of interest to Ange Postecoglou, despite the Celtic manager already bringing in two midfielders this month in Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi.

The Latest: In the coming days…

The Daily Mail shared a story early on Sunday morning, claiming that the Hoops are closing in on a move for McGree.

The report suggests that Celtic could win the race for the playmaker in the coming days, with Postecoglou adamant that the 23-year-old can make a big impact at Parkhead.

The Verdict: A shock target…

With the Hoops already bolstering their midfield ranks with the acquisitions of Hatate and Ideguchi, this update has perhaps come as a bit of a shock.

It seemed as if permanent moves for loanees Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota were next on the agenda, but instead McGree could well become the club’s fifth addition of 2022.

Should a move to Glasgow materialise, it could turn out to be a shrewd one, especially with the likes of Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough also interested. McGree would be able to turn out in a variety of roles, and who knows, he could be viewed as an attacking midfielder signing to cover for the injured David Turnbull at Parkhead.

In other news: ‘Big’ – Pundit buzzing after hearing ‘massive’ transfer news from Celtic Park