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Everton are reported to be “leading the chase” for 18-year-old Metz midfielder Pape Sarr in Tuesday’s edition of the Daily Mail.

The paper claims the teenager, who is already a full international for Senegal, is also attracting the attention of Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle United.

Sarr is said to be valued at around £27million. He has made 21 appearances and scored three goals for Metz, having made his senior debut for the Ligue 1 club in November.

Meanwhile, in the Liverpool Echo, former Everton left-back Michael Ball salutes Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford'd form.

Writing in his regular column for the local read, Ball says the 27-year-old’s performance in Friday’s 1-0 win at Arsenal “showed why he is England’s No. 1”.

“He was quiet for the majority of the game, kept everything simple, and when he was called upon he gave us the three points,” Ball added. 

“He's hit form at the right time for himself, with a lot of English goalkeepers doing well right now. It's great to see him back to his best.”

The Echo also features quotes from Michael Essien – who played under Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea – who has explained why he has “not surprised” James Rodriguez was eager to join the legendary Italian boss at Everton.

In an interview originally given to Official Everton Podcast as part of our Knowing Carlo series, Essien said: “If you've worked with Carlo before, anywhere he goes and he calls you, you cannot say no, because you know the sort of manager, the sort of person he is.

"I was not surprised James accepted to go to Everton because as you can see, he has been fantastic for the team and for Everton."

Click here to listen to our interview with Essien and access our full Knowing Carlo podcast series, which includes fascinating insights from the likes of Michael Ballack, Xabi Alonso and Sven-Goran Eriksson.