Welcome to the Liverpool ECHO's Tuesday live blog for your latest Everton news, rumours and transfer gossip.
Everton are again being linked with Barcelona's Samuel Umtiti, and have also received an update on their reported pursuit of Isco.
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Thanks for following the updates today, we’ll be back with more news for you tomorrow, stay safe and have a good night
Everton hope coronavirus tests will allow more fans into Goodison Park as soon as possible
Fans returning to Goodison for Everton's game with Chelsea later this month will need to undergo a Covid-19 test and the club have explained why the club are going to such lengths in order to welcome back fans
Everton hope #coronavirus tests will allow more fans into Goodison Park as soon as possible https://t.co/qQv4CW855b
— Everton FC News (@LivEchoEFC) December 2, 2020
Everton confirm fans returning to Goodison will have to undergo coronavirus test
Blues fans will return to Goodison for the first time since March when Everton face Chelsea on 12 December
Everton confirm fans returning to Goodison Park will have to undergo coronavirus test.
— Everton FC News (@LivEchoEFC) December 2, 2020
Full story from @philkechohttps://t.co/ZsYR35pdeZ
City Council confirm supporter return decision
BREAKING: Liverpool City Council confirm supporter return decision for Everton and Liverpool.@SamCarroll0 has the storyhttps://t.co/SIHaKDvP6k
— Everton FC News (@LivEchoEFC) December 2, 2020
The latest on Everton’s January plans
- Ancelotti eyeing top six
- January can be difficult market
- Moshiri’s record of backing managers
Read the full story on Everton’s January plans from our man Phil Kirkbride HERE.
Gudmundsson fire Everton warning
Johann Berg Gudmundsson is hoping Burnley can take advantage of Everton’s poor form and add to their woes on Saturday.
Dyche’s side have won just one of their nine games and currently sit 19th in the Premier League table.
While after a bright start to the campaign, the Blues have won just one of their last six games.
Gudmundsson said:
“We weren’t happy with the performance [against Manchester City], but we need to forget that one and focus on the next one which is at home and a big game for us.
“Everton started off really well with a really experienced manager and some new players but over the last few games it hasn’t really gone their way, so we need to try and take advantage of that.
“The start of this season hasn’t been the best, we know that.
“But we have experience in the group and we know what it takes to stay in the league and that will be the aim this season.”
Doucoure hurt by harsh comments about PSG transfer
Abdoulaye Doucoure believes he is ‘underrated’ in his native France after being ‘hurt’ by comparisons made between him and former Everton midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye while the duo were reportedly being tracked by Paris Saint Germain.
Doucoure is determined to prove the doubters wrong over his abilities after arriving at Goodison Park in the summer for a fee in the region of £20m.
The 27-year-old - who has played for France at youth level and recently rejected an international call-up from Mali - also suggested Real Madrid ‘made a mistake’ in allowing James Rodriguez to join Everton.
Our man Sam Carroll has the full story HERE.
Branthwaite is 'one of fastest players at Everton'
Jarrad Branthwaite is already one of the fastest players in the star-studded Everton squad.
That is according to Blues forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin who has named the Cumbrian teenager among four who he reckons would be quickest in a race at Goodison Park.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the frontman named those who would be his top contenders in a race.
He said:
“I think if it was a flat out race, 100-metere race, you would have me, Ben Godfrey, probably Jarrad Branthwaite and I probably have to throw Richie [Richarlison] in there.”
New post-Brexit transfer rules confirmed
The Premier League have confirmed new post-Brexit transfer rules.
One of the major changes will mean Premier League teams including Everton and Liverpool cannot sign overseas players under the age of 18 once the United Kingdom officially leaves the European Union at the end of this year.
And clubs will also be restricted to three overseas signings under the age of 21 from January, and only six foreign players per season.
The Football Association, Premier League, EFL have agreed a framework with the Home Office for EU players to move to English football on a points basis decided by a Governing Body Endorsement panel.
Read the full story HERE.
Umtiti fee
Everton have been told they can sign Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti for about £10m in January regardless of his huge release clause.
A report by the Daily Mail claims the La Liga giants are eager to remove the French international’s wages from their payroll, could let the defender leave in the transfer window.
Umtiti joined the Catalan outfit in 2016 from Lyon but is yet to feature for Ronald Koeman’s side in La Liga this season.
U18s beat Leeds
Everton Under-18s claimed a 3-0 win against Leeds United at USM Finch Farm last night.
First-half goals from Lewis Dobbin and skipper Sean McAllister put Paul Tait’s side into a commanding lead at the break before a strike from Tom Cannon sealed all three points.
The win lifted the young Blues up to sixth in the Premier League North table, five points behind leaders Liverpool.
Next up for Tait’s side is back-to-back to home games against Wolves and Burnley before the Christmas break.
Everton await permission to allow fans back into Goodison
An-all important meeting today involving Everton and Liverpool is expected to give the green light for fans’ return to Goodison and Anfield.
The Grounds Safety Advisory Group (SAG) will convene this afternoon to run through each club’s plans for welcoming back supporters following the lifting of the national lockdown at midnight.
Liverpool has been placed under tier 2 restrictions which allows for a maximum of 2,000 fans to attend elite sporting events outdoors.
The Reds welcome Wolves to Anfield on Sunday (7:15pm) in their first home game following the lifting of lockdown while Everton’s first chance to have fans back at Goodison comes on December 12, when they play host to Chelsea (8pm).
Our man Phil Kirkbride has the full story HERE.
Isco exit claim
Everton have received a boost in their reported pursuit of Isco with a report claiming he is set to end up in the Premier League, specifically with the Blues.
Spanish publication La Razón is reporting that ‘everything seems to indicate’ that if Isco were to leave on loan in the winter window, then the Premier League looks likely to be his destination.
The report goes on to claim that Everton are waiting and ‘dream of his signing’ in the winter window.
The report also confirms that Isco turned down Sevilla due to an ‘economic issue’ and a move to Juventus is out of the running as Isco doesn’t believe that Serie A would ‘suit his characteristics’.
Everton's opposition are exploiting Pickford weakness that must be addressed
Jordan Pickford is conceding too many goals from outside the box and it's a problem for Everton - read the full story from Josh Williams HERE
