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Wednesday’s Daily Star claims Carlo Ancelotti is eyeing a reunion with Gareth Bale, a member of the Italian’s Real Madrid Champions League-winning team of 2013/14.
Welshman Bale is spending this campaign on loan with former club Tottenham Hotspur and after a hat-trick against Sheffield United on Sunday has nine goals from 16 Premier League games.
The Star’s report alludes to quotes from Spanish journalist Eduardo Idna, who told television in his country: “Ancelotti has asked for Bale, a player he always loved when they played together at Real Madrid. He wants to take him to Everton.”
Idna says Everton would be reluctant to pay a transfer fee for Bale and will aim to structure a deal similar to the one that brought James Rodriguez to Goodison Park from the Bernabeu last summer.
Gabriel Agbonlahor, the former Aston Villa striker, has told Football Insider that Jordan Pickford’s performance against the Midlands club on Saturday underlined the goalkeeper’s England number one status.
“He deserves his plaudits, he doesn’t normally get them when he plays and he deserves it because he was outstanding,” said Agbonlahor.
“At the moment, definitely, he’s England’s number one on form.
“Credit to him, he hasn’t hidden. He’s come out and fought the challenge he’s had and he’s done really well.”
Alan Shearer was similarly forthcoming on Pickford, selecting the 27-year-old in his Premier League team of the week and telling the competition’s official website: “He made several excellent saves. That performance bodes well for England this summer.”
Hwang Hee-chan from RB Leipzig continues to occupy column inches.
The 25-year-old striker was last week tipped for a move to Everton, only for reports from Germany yesterday to indicate the Korean would remain at Leipzig following the appointment of his former RB Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch.
Today, however, the Daily Telegraph says there will be a Premier League scramble for Hwang this summer, with Crystal Palace and West Ham United joining Everton in a £10m chase for the player.
Another goalkeeper in Wojciech Szczesny is linked with Everton by Italian outlet TuttoJuve.
Former Arsenal player Szczesny, 31, has been with Juventus since 2017.
He’s kept eight clean sheets in 35 appearances for Andrea Pirlo’s team this season and the report indicates Everton could offer up to €10m for the Pole.
