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According to reports, Everton could be set to battle Wolves for the signing of “the Iranian Messi” – Rubin Kazan striker Sardar Azmoun

What’s the story?

The report from Teamtalk claims Everton face a battle from Wolves, Leicester and Celtic for the 23 year-old, with Wolves currently leading the way.

Liverpool were linked with Azmoun in the past, and he has continued to impress in Russia with his guile and clinical finishing.

The report says Everton and Celtic both showed interest in the striker last year, and they will pick up where they left off this summer.

With 23 goals in 31 caps for Iran, there’s no doubt Azmoun knows where the back of the net is – but is he good enough for Everton yet?

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Smart move to Merseyside?

The 23 year old’s fantastic international record is offset somewhat by his slightly worrying output for his club, scoring just four times in the league this season in 24 appearances, though 13 of those did come as a substitute.

Azmoun is strong in the air and a lethal finisher when he gets the chance, but he is still quite a raw talent.

In a similar way to Alexis Sanchez, he loves to do little flick-ons and mazy runs with the ball, but in a much less refined way than the Chilean, which would make him a risk for the Toffees.

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How many of those little flicks could he try before the Goodison crowd got fed up of them not working?

After the massive summer spending spree last year, Everton need to be extremely careful not to repeat the same mistakes, and signing Azmoun would be a big risk.

Everton fans, would you back a move for the Iranian Messi? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

The last game of the season is approaching, and the players are already dreaming of pina coladas and sandy beaches. Most of them anyway. It’s the time of the year when few clubs have anything to play for, and the ones that do are frantic and pumped up.

Aston Villa do still have something to play for – a big something, the FA Cup – but this weekend it’s Premier League duty. Villa are safe, and their opponents are the already-relegated Burnley.

So there’s not much to play for in this particular game. And Villa are in a tricky situation.

It’s not at all a bad situation, but every club goes through this in their last game before a cup final – do you play your best team and try to gain momentum before the final, or do you rest your players out of a mortal fear of an injury to your best and brightest?

Momentum is important, if you’re out of form you’re more likely to lose. Psychology is at work here and when things go wrong, they seem to go worse the next time. Bayern Munich are a good example of how having bigger fish to fry can hurt you big time. Bayern stopped trying in the Bundesliga post winter break, their league form suffered and they were dumped out of the Champions League fairly convincingly at the hands of Barcelona. The same thing happened last season when they faced Real Madrid.

You need to keep the form going because if you don’t, you’re likely to meet a team in form in the final.

Villa’s form, though, took a bit of a knock last week in their 6-1 humiliation at St Mary’s against Southampton. That might look like a shocker, something that will have hit their confidence and made it more difficult to get up for the final. Or it might really benefit them for the final.

The great thing for Villa after that horror show last weekend is the fact that they have another game before they face Arsenal at Wembley. They have a game now to put things right and find their feet again. Burnley are certainly no pushovers as they’ve showed this season, but after a heavy defeat, the best thing for Villa is that they’re playing against a weaker team – as evidenced by their relegation.

A win against Burnley would see the confidence soar before the final.

Last season, Hull City went into the FA Cup final on the back of some shocking league form – two wins in 11 games – and lost to Arsenal. This time around, if Villa win on Sunday they’ll have five wins in their last seven in all competitions. Arsenal meanwhile, have won only two of their last six.

It’s not all about form, of course, but it’s nice to have form going into the final. And against Arsenal, who are big favourites, Villa will need all the help they can get.

But this is the tough situation that Villa face. Since Sherwood has come in, they players have been on good form overall, but they’ve worked hard. Sherwood might be tempted to rest some players to keep them fresh for the final, but when you’ve just been trounced by Southampton you don’t want to have to wait a week before you can get out onto the pitch again to make amends. And you definitely don’t want to be trying to make amends at Wembley.

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But without resting some players, Villa’s key members of the squad might not want to play Burnley as wholeheartedly as they might otherwise. Burnley are a physical team who will work hard, and if the Villa players are worried about injuries then they’ll find it very tough.

That’s the balancing act for Sherwood. He can rest players to keep them fit, or win the game and gather momentum, but he knows it’s not as simple as that. Sherwood’s solace is the fact that Wenger is in exactly the same position. Short of form and worried about the fitness of key players.

So which do you prioritise – form or fitness?

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Spurs defender Younes Kaboul could return from injury in time for the clash with Manchester City on Sunday.

The France ace has been out for the entire season, bar a few minutes, and underwent surgery on his knee last August but he played for the development side last week against West Ham and is now set for another run out.

Kaboul returned to training last week and is set for a 90 minute outing on Monday afternoon, and if he comes through that without any problems then he could be in line for a place in the squad on Sunday.

William Gallas is a doubt for the City clash so Kaboul’s return would be a timely one but the boss is unlikely to risk him if there is any doubt about his fitness.

Spurs U21 coach Chris Ramsey was delighted with Kaboul’s performance against West Ham, “He did well, had no problems really,” Ramsey told Sky.

“He wanted to play an extra 15 minutes as well, showed a fantastic attitude and wanted to push his fitness a little more.

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“Overall, when you look at the fact that a player like Younes returns to action after eight months out and the experience the younger lads gain playing alongside him, it’s another great exercise for us.”

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Sunderland were officially relegated to League One on Saturday, and it’s fair to say Newcastle fans are enjoying themselves.

Chris Coleman’s Sunderland completely capitulated on Saturday, giving up their slender lead in the closing stages as relegation rivals Burton Albion scored two late goals to steal all three points at the Stadium of Light.

The 2-1 defeat has left the Black Cats officially relegated, and they are on pace for a historically bad home record after yet another shocker at home.

As if today couldn’t get any worse for the Black Cats, their arch-rivals are rubbing salt in the wound, mercilessly mocking the Wearside club for their troubles.

Newcastle fans were amused this week when Sunderland mistakenly cancelled several tickets for their final home game against Wolves after a Geordie joke on Twitter, and it just gets better and better for the Toon Army.

Not only are the Magpies flying in the Premier League, their old foes have suffered the infamous double drop, and will of course now be in the same league as Accrington Stanley, who were promoted from League Two last weekend.

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Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

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Romelu Lukaku’s new agent has made some bold claims recently about the status of the Belgian forward.

He has stated that had he been representing Lukaku earlier he would never have signed for Everton. He also believes Lukaku is better than Chelsea’s Diego Costa.

Is Mino Raiola right or is he just being disrespectful?

After spending a season on loan at Everton from Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku signed for Roberto Martinez’s side last July for £28 million. He had scored 15 league goals for the Toffees in the 2013/14 season; a bit of a jump from the 0 Premier League goals registered at Chelsea.

During his time at Everton, Lukaku has received immense praise for both his work rate and his goals. Whereas at Chelsea, he hardly got a look in.

So what is so wrong with playing for Everton?

They may not be a ‘big six’ side but they aren’t a bad side either. They were one of the teams to watch in the Europa League before being knocked out by Dynamo Kiev. Everton may not be as high up the table as they were last season but they also aren’t fighting to stay up.

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Considering Everton giving Lukaku first team football, he should be grateful. It is clear to see that Chelsea did not want him, despite Raiola saying he may have still been playing at the Bridge had he been his agent earlier.

But why would Lukaku want to stay at Chelsea just to keep the bench warm?

Everton have helped Lukaku become the player he is today. They may not be the most glamorous side on earth but you could certainly do a lot worse.

Raiola had no need to speak out about Everton. Having faith in Lukaku is one thing, but to bash the side who field him and pay his wages is another.

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Lukaku probably won’t play for Everton forever. But he does now and that is what matters.

He still plays in the league that is considered to be the best and most physical in the world. Raiola’s comments were disrespectful and he should be careful he does not make things worse for his player.

If anything, his comments could deter supposedly ‘bigger’ sides from signing him.

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Roberto Martinez insists Wigan will continue to play passing football as they battle to stay in the Premier League.

Latics again turned on the style to defeat Millwall 2-0 in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final and the Spaniard has vowed to stick by the same principles as his side fight another relegation battle.

Positive results for Sunderland and Aston Villa over the weekend mean Wigan are back in the bottom three and face battle to beat the drop over the remaining games of the season.

However, while Martinez wants his players to fight for survival, he also wants them to play good football.

“I have never been tempted to change,” he said. “From starting as a manager at Swansea in 2007, it hasn’t been easy.

“Everyone looks at Swansea now and thinks they have played that way for 20 years. It took six months. It was very new and people had to be educated.

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“But since I left my country to join the British game I would never change my football beliefs.”

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Everton fans have been reacting to the news that Kevin Mirallas wants to leave the club permanently, and let’s just say the Belgian might want to stay off Twitter for a few days.

Kevin Mirallas was a popular figure at the height of his Everton career. Fans were able to overlook his inconsistencies thanks to his passion for the shirt and his aggressive, exciting wing play.

The Belgian winger managed 29 league goals in 151 appearances for the Toffees, but fans eventually grew tired of him being world class twice a season and not even showing up in the other games.

He moved back to Olympiacos on loan in January, the club where he made his name, but has had little to no success, managing just two goals in 11 league appearances.

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“I have stated that I want to stay,” Mirallas told Greek publication SDNA when asked about his future at Olympiacos.

“But it is something for which there is no development, since it will be discussed at the end of the year.”

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If the 30 year-old was hoping for an outpouring of fans begging him not to leave, he might want to stay off social media, as fans are practically praising the heavens that his time at Goodison is done.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Javier Hernandez has long been insisting that if he’d been playing more games for Real Madrid then he’d be scoring more goals for the club. And true to his word since gaining back-to-back starts for Los Blancos, Chicharito hasn’t let his manager down.

His change of fortunes began when he was started against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter final match. The first-leg had surprisingly ended 0-0, despite both teams fielding highly capable forwards, though the city rivals had already played each other a ridiculous six times this season so perhaps they were just bored of the sight of each other.

Anyway, with neither side able to break the deadlock, everything was there to play for when the fixture came to the Bernabeu. And although Real Madrid will always be considered a stronger team than their much poorer neighbours, on the night of the return fixture they were missing key attacking players Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale. So up stepped Hernandez for his big moment, and he didn’t fail to impress.

Both teams had good chances, but with full time approaching and no goals yet again, it looked certain to go into extra time. Then a clever pass across the box from Cristiano Ronaldo to Hernandez put Real 1-0 up and ultimately into the semi finals.

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You could see from the Mexican’s reaction that he couldn’t quite believe his luck. Not only had he scored for his adopted club but his goal had allowed them to continue their journey towards an eleventh Champions League trophy.

Since that magical night Hernandez has found himself back in favour with manager Carlo Ancelotti. He was rewarded with a start in their next Liga match against Celta Vigo where he scored twice, a result which may well put him in contention for their remaining league fixtures and upcoming European game away to Italy’s Juventus.

Hernandez has been on loan with the Spanish capital club for the past year and his long term future will be decided shortly. If Real choose not to sign him on a permanent deal then he’ll return to parent club Manchester United, though manager Louis van Gaal has made it clear that despite his recent good form there is no future for the striker at the club.

Fortunately he has impressed enough lately to be able to receive a few good offers from top clubs if Real Madrid overlook him.

Throughout what has surely been a frustrating season waiting for consistent playing time, Hernandez has stayed positive and it is perhaps this positivity and patience that has meant he was able to play without fear and take his opportunities when they arrived. Many players who are in the middle of a goal drought or are trying to prove themselves allow the stress to affect their performances, and it often makes the situation worse.

Real Madrid could use having a player like Javier Hernandez as another attacking option next season, but would a player in the peak of his career agree to spending more time on the Old Trafford bench than on the pitch?

Whether he’s a Real Madrid player next season or not, Hernandez has shown that he is still a formidable and relevant striker and should be proud of his year as a Galactico.

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Not bad for a so-called Manchester United reject.

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Nuri Sahin blamed Brendan Rodgers for his unsuccessful Premier League stage at Liverpool, as the manager made him play in a position he was not used to.

The midfielder, who joined his former club Borussia Dortmund in January, thanked God for not being any longer under Rodgers’ management, The Metro Reports.

“I did not fail at Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers wanted me to play as a number 10. But I do not play behind the strikers”.

“I talked to him and asked him why he was playing me there. It is not my real position. The coach could not answer me”, he assured.

And the Turkish added: “I thank God I have left Brendan Rodgers”.

Nevertheless, the 24 year-old, who joined the Reds on loan from Real Madrid before returning to Germany in the January window, keeps a good memory of his days at Anfield.

“Still, I have no regrets. To play at Anfield was a wonderful experience. And maybe if I had not gone there I would not have been able to return to Borussia Dortmund. For that, I am happy”, the Turkey international said.

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Sahin, who only played 12 games with Liverpool, is not a regular yet in Jurgen Klopp’s plans and has featured mainly as a substitute with Dortmund.

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Mauricio Pochettino will have been disappointed to see his Tottenham Hotspur side only manage a draw against Brighton on Tuesday night, but the north London club’s attentions at this point in the season are firmly focused on the FA Cup.

With Manchester City and Liverpool both eliminated from the tournament, many are viewing this year’s FA Cup as Tottenham’s best chance of grabbing a trophy that acknowledges the incredible progress the club has made in recent seasons.

In order to do that, however, Tottenham will have to beat Manchester United in Saturday’s semi-final and accordingly, Pochettino’s team selection will have to be somewhere near perfect.

And considering the quality United boast in the middle-to-final thirds, selecting the right defensive midfielder could prove key. England international Eric Dier has occupied that role in the engine room on the most part this season, but Victor Wanyama played the full ninety minutes there against Brighton.

It wasn’t exactly an imposing display from the Kenyan but he provided an important and sturdy platform in midfield and would have played a hand in a clean sheet had Serge Aurier not tripped Jose Izquierdo inside the box for a penalty that was largely against the run of play.

So, Tottenham fans, who would you prefer to start in defensive midfield against the Red Devils? Let us know by voting below…

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