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According to reports, Everton could be set to battle West Ham for the signature Xherdan Shaqiri this summer.

What’s the story?

With Stoke City now five points adrift of safety with the worst goal difference in the Premier League, it is looking fairly likely the Potters will be relegated.

According to Calciomercato, Shaqiri will leave the Staffordshire club if they go down, and Everton and West Ham are first in the queue to sign the Swiss international.

Everton are desperately searching some goals and creativity so it is no surprise they are constantly being linked with attacking players, but is Shaqiri the answer?

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Good move to Merseyside?

This season could have been a total disaster for Everton if not for the arrival of Sam Allardyce, but the former England manager is now taking plenty of flak from fans for his negative tactics.

The Toffees will probably look for a more attacking manager this summer, but bringing in Shaqiri to aid that revolution is not a good idea.

On his day, Shaqiri is excellent. The 26 year-old, valued at £16.2million by Transfermarkt, has seven goals and six assists in 32 Premier League appearances this summer.

However, Shaqiri is far too inconsistent for the Toffees to rely on, and has been this way throughout his career.

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For example, the Swiss winger scored three games in a row during February, but has not scored or assisted in the six games since then.

If the Toffees want to break into the elite, they need players that will perform week in week out, not just when they feel like it. Signing Shaqiri would be the biggest indicator yet that the club has not learned from the mistakes of last summer.

Everton fans, would you like to see a move for Shaqiri? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Manchester City returned to their clinical self against Newcastle United on Saturday, with the Citizens finding themselves five goals to the good before the hour-mark.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side’s impressive showing against the Magpies was helped greatly by the performance of Edin Dzeko, who bagged a decent brace whilst outshining his strike partner Sergio Aguero in the process.

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Despite the forward’s showing at the weekend, it doesn’t seem to have appeased too many of the Citizen’s faithful, with calls rife around social media for January transfer window signing Wilfried Bony to start against Barcelona tonight.

The former Swansea City man made his Man City debut against Newcastle United, coming off the subs bench, but was unable to make it the perfect start to life in Manchester with a goal.

It would’ve taken a brave man to drop Dzeko after his almost perfect performance on Saturday, however, given the fact Bony was the Premier League’s top scorer in 2014, it seems that Man City fans wouldn’t have minded!

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With no English teams remaining in the Champions League, Tuesdays and Wednesdays have lost attraction and now the fans’ eyes have to turn to Thursdays’ action, where Spurs, Chelsea and Newcastle walk firmly in hopes of lifting the Europa League. The trophy would be a great success for the team and the country should any of the three manage to win it, but can it be considered a failure for English football if none of them do it?

Having a look at the rivals suggests that an English team should win it. Rubin Kazan and Basel were not – at least on paper  – clubs to fear even in a secondary level. However, while Chelsea seem to have solved their tie with a 3-1 in the first leg, Spurs have complicated theirs with a home 2-2 draw that will make it hard for them to book a spot among the last-four. Should Villas-Boas men manage to revert the situation on Thursday, there will be a good chance the Amsterdam Arena will be crowded with English fans on the 15th May, providing the semi-finals draw brings them luck enough in order to avoid each other,.

Newcastle have a hardest task to overcome to get through to the semi-finals. Alan Pardew’s have to overcome a 3-1 against Benfica, a clear contestant to the title. The Portuguese club joined the Europa League after being knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona and Celtic, and counts with victories their five games in the ties against Bourdeaux, Leverkusen and Newcastle since then. Their league form is simply stunning with no defeats conceded in 24 games and the title practically secured.

The last tie matches Lazio and Fenerbahce, two two good teams but a step below Chelsea and Spurs. Therefore, the three English teams have a really good chance in this Europa league, although they should be seeing that as an opportunity and not as a burden.

The Europa League might seem a bland competition at the beginning, with early stages that seem to last forever and involve long trips that bring anything but prestige and revenue to the clubs. But when it gets to this point of the season, it becomes more interesting, and nobody doubts lifting the cup is a great success, regardless the status of the club.

In those terms, winning the Europa League would partially recover some honour for English football. But the Champions league fiasco – no English teams among the last eight for the first time since 1996 is a low blow – should be a wake-up call and explanations for why this has happened should be looked for, rather than looking for the solace that winning the secondary tournament can bring in the short-term.

Some explanations to the poor performance of the Premier League teams in the Champions League can be found in the competitiveness of the league. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern or Juventus can afford to rest players during league games, as there are very few teams that can put them in trouble. The Premier League offer far less rest, as one Sunday Chelsea have to go to Anfield, and the next one it is time to host United, or Spurs, for example.

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That only shows the good health of a very competitive league, and not many solutions can be provided. However, having a look at the season calendar could do. The congestion that having to cups – FA and Capital One – brings to the teams make really difficult for the top clubs to be competitive in every front. Adding up replay games instead of a simple extra time or penalty shoot-out is everything but helpful.

Having three semi-finalists in the Europa League would be good for English football, not to mention seeing one of them winning it in Amsterdam in May, but Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle should be just defending their pride and not feeling the pressure of having to save English football’s face. That may be a task for the FA, who by now should be looking for ways to modify the calendar and protect the top clubs and make them more competitive in the European panorama.

With Jose Mourinho reportedly planning a mass summer clearout at Old Trafford, Matteo Darmian could be on the chopping block, but should Everton swoop for the Italian?

When Matteo Darmian signed for Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United, fans at Old Trafford were delighted with the Italian’s performances.

Despite a positive start to life at the club though, Darmian’s chances have diminished since Mourinho took over and reports suggest he could be one of several that is moved along this summer.

The 28 year-old, valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, can play on either flank comfortably, but has only started two Premier League games in Manchester this season.

Everton have had their own problems with full backs, with injuries to Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman forcing Cuco Martina and Jonjoe Kenny to start several matches.

Martina has taken plenty of flak of fans, so could Darmian be the perfect upgrade? Coleman will turn 30 this year and Baines is already 33, so while they are not going to hang up their boots any time soon the Toffees do need to start planning for the future.

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Fans can’t seem to make their minds up on a move for Darmian though, with 54 per cent in favour of a move and 46 per cent against it.

See the full poll results below…

He’s been making moves in Merseyside, but Liverpool’s Emre Can has recently revealed that he could have been playing for his side’s fiercest rivals. Apparently, before David Moyes was relieved of his Manchester United managerial duties, a deal was in place to bring Can to Old Trafford.

The deal then fell through upon Moyes’ sacking in April, but had he been able to sign Can, would this have changed things for the Scot?

Emre Can is not the only player David Moyes had failed to bring to his new club. Before his first and only season in charge of Manchester United, Moyes was also supposed to secure the signing of Ander Herrera. But this massive blunder should have been an indication of things to come. In the end, Moyes could only secure the signing of Marouane Fellaini.

One of Can’s greater attributes is his versatility on the field. He can be utilised as a midfielder, but has also dropped back into the defensive line for Liverpool. Can has become a constant at the back for his new side, but had he been signed by Moyes, he surely would have been kept in midfield. This is due to the fact Moyes inherited a defence that still included Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra.

Can’s recent confession highlights yet another failing of Moyes’s tenure at Manchester United; another player that he ‘almost’ signed. When players would have once flocked to play under Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes simply just did not have the same appeal.

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Although Moyes could not land Can, he did sign a slightly older, but incredibly talented, Juan Mata. At Manchester United at the moment, Daley Blind is essentially doing what Emre Can has had to do at Liverpool. He was initially played in midfield, but in the past two games, Blind has himself dropped back to left back.

Whether David Moyes had signed Emre Can or not, this transfer alone would never have been enough to salvage his career in Manchester. His days were numbered before he had ever really began. It was not the right appointment for him, and he is far better off at Real Sociedad.

Emre Can himself was also better off signing for Liverpool on the basis of how things ended for Manchester United last season. Fellaini was branded a flop and a waste of money under Moyes, and Can would have likely suffered a similar fate.

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As the season progressed, it was blindly obvious that Moyes’s side just did not want to know any more. Can is now proving himself to be a useful member of Liverpool’s team at only 21-years-old, and will continue to improve.

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has made Swansea’s Ashley Williams his number one summer target, according to reports from the Daily Mail.

The Northern Irishman coached the centre-back in his spell with the Swans, prior to taking the Anfield hot seat ahead of the current season.

After addressing the club’s attacking deficiencies with the additions of Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge in January, he has now set his sights on bolstering his defensive options.

Williams is reportedly Rodgers’ main target, and he is lining up a bid for the Welsh international’s signature at the end of the season.

With news that veteran Jamie Carragher is set to retire and speculation that Martin Skrtel could return to Zenit Saint Petersburg in a £12m deal, Liverpool’s rear-guard appears to be an area of uncertainty.

Rodgers is keen to bring in the man he worked with at Swansea and is confident that the 28-year-old will slot in seamlessly alongside Daniel Agger.

Michael Laudrup will be far from happy to lose his star defender, but the club may reluctantly accept Liverpool’s advances, as they did last summer with Joe Allen.

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Rodgers is reportedly planning an overhaul of his squad at the end of the current campaign, with a number of first-team players believed to be surplus to requirements.

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Liverpool fans can’t decide who they want to partner Virgil van Dijk in the heart of defence, with Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip both struggling for form.

Liverpool’s front three pretty much picks itself, but there is still plenty of competition for places elsewhere in the team.

Virgil van Dijk has been immense for the Reds since he joined in January, going from strength to strength since his debut goal against Everton.

With the emergence of Andy Robertson and impressive form of goalkeeper Loris Karius, Jürgen Klopp has suddenly got a fairly impressive defensive unit on his hands.

Still, fans can’t decide on who should partner the big Dutchman in defence, with Joe Gomez injured on international duty and the other candidates all a lot less desirable.

Dejan Lovren has had spells of decent form this season but they always end with one of his trademark disastrous performances, while Joel Matip seems to have gotten worse as the season has gone on.

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The second centre back spot is there for the taking at Anfield, and fans have been discussing the options on Twitter. Some of the best reactions can be found below…

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Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Christian Eriksen is in the form of his life at present. Not only has the midfield maestro netted four goals in his last five outings, he is quickly becoming Spurs’ most vital player as they push for a top four spot in the Premier League.

Eriksen has been in outstanding form of late with his two goals in the second-leg of the League Cup semi-final earning Tottenham their first Wembley final appearance since 2009. The Dane’s league form has been very impressive too, as he has played a huge part in Tottenham’s recent turn around in fortunes that has seen them rise up to sixth in the table and just two points off a Champions League place.

Eriksen’s rich vein of scoring form isn’t the only thing that has caught the eye recently either. The Spurs ace has taken the bull by the horns in the Tottenham midfield, and his 89% pass-accuracy on Saturday speaks volumes of his current form. Eriksen has hit 11 goals in all competitions so far this season, and if the 22-year-old continues to find the net on such a regular basis, it will be very interesting to see how many goals he can go onto get this season.

When the Danish international arrived at White Hart Lane from Ajax in August 2013, not many people could have envisioned just how great an impact Eriksen would make in the Premier League. This season though, the midfielder has upped his game to the next level, and along with the excellent Harry Kane, the the Dane has been Spurs’ standout player so far.

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It’s hard to believe that Eriksen is still only 22 – he plays well beyond his tender years – and when the playmaker doesn’t perform as well as his high standards allow him to, Tottenham noticeably suffer as a consequence . Few 22-year-old’s have that sort of effect on their team. Since the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino at White Hart Lane, the Spurs boss has seemed to have nurtured and developed Eriksen into an even better player.

Eriksen’s excellent performance at Bramall Lane last week has set up a League Cup final against Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea later this month. The last time Spurs won a major trophy was the League Cup in 2008. With Tottenham hitting the right sort of form at just the right time – including beating Chelsea 5-3 last month – the Lilywhites will fancy their chances of upsetting their London rivals at Wembley on March 1st.

Despite being disappointingly knocked out of the FA Cup at home to Leicester City, Spurs have qualified comfortably for the knockout stages of the Europa League. They face Fiorentina over two legs within a month, as Spurs gear up for an influx of fixtures that will shape their season. 

After a tough start to life in north London for Pochettino, he’s really stamped his authority on the club and things are really starting to click into place for the ex-Southampton boss. The Argentine is starting to get the best out of his players; the incredible emergence of young Harry Kane coupled with Christian Eriksen’s stunning form. With a cup final to look forward to, as well as the ongoing Premier League and European exploits to get their teeth into; the future is certainly starting to look bright again for Tottenham Hotspur.

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Tonight’s Capital One Cup semi-final first leg between Chelsea and Swansea sees two managers with very different points to prove as Rafa Benitez and Michael Laudrup pit their wits against each other for a place in the final.

Laudrup can do nothing wrong at the Liberty Stadium at the moment, cementing the Swans’ reputation as one of the most entertaining sides in the Premier League and pulling off arguably the signing of the season, in languid, 13 goals-and-counting front man Michu. But what the Great Dane wants to do more than anything else, is end the club’s 100 year wait for a major trophy and the Capital One Cup is his best chance to do just that.

On the other hand, incumbent Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez will want to silence the Stamford Bridge boo-boys and prove to the fans, and Roman Abramovich, that he is the right man for the job. It’s going to be a big ask, but the former Liverpool manager has already showed signs of winning the club’s supporters over with a number of impressive displays and adding to the Russian Oligarch’s trophy cabinet will certainly do his bid for the hot seat full time no harm.

Chelsea will be missing injured number one Petr Cech and recently returned midfielder Yossi Benayoun as well as long term absentees John Terry and Oriol Romeu through injury. John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses are also unavailable as they have left West London to compete in the African Cup of Nations.

Neil Taylor is the only Swansea player missing through injury after he was ruled out for the season with a fractured ankle, while Gerhard Tremmel is set to start between the sticks and Angel Rangel could return from a calf problem.

Whatever the outcome between these two sides tonight, Football FanCast will be following every tackle, pass and goal as it happens in our LIVE Blog below.

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According to reports in the Daily Star, West Ham United loanee Joao Mario, who is earning around £137,500-a-week according to Football Italia, via Claret and Hugh, has hinted that he is ready to join the east London outfit on a permanent deal this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Irons signed the Portugal international from Serie A giants Inter Milan on a temporary basis until the end of the season during the January transfer window, which was seen as a big coup considering he won Euro 2016 with his country just 18 months previously and cost the Italian club £35m later that same summer.

Now the Daily Star has reported quotes from the midfielder that suggest that he is enjoying life in the English capital and would be open to extending his stay with the Hammers, who are still in real danger of suffering relegation to the Championship ahead of their potentially season-defining fixtures at home to fellow strugglers Southampton on March 31.

What has Joao Mario said?

According to the Daily Star, the 25-year-old said: “I’m in a new league and I’m trying to adapt quickly. I’m happy with my new adventure and I hope to finish the season well.

“Inter are part of my past now. I could have played more, but football is about that too. Now I’m happy and that’s what matters most.”

How has he fared at West Ham?

He has done well considering he is getting used to a new league.

While he certainly hasn’t been an outstanding performer, he has certainly added some quality to the east London outfit both in the middle of the park and from a slightly more attacking point of view in his six appearances for them to date.

The Portugal international was dropped to the substitutes’ bench for the trip to Swansea City following the 4-1 loss against Liverpool at Anfield, and he faces plenty of competition for his place in the side despite his stature with Marko Arnautovic, Manuel Lanzini, Michail Antonio and Javier Hernandez among those that will feel they should also be starting every game.

Should they sign him permanently?

Of course, much will depend on which division they find themselves in next season, and the fans are split on whether they should sign him permanently or not.

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If they survive and can obtain the midfielder for a reasonable fee then they absolutely must get him, but if Inter are going to demand too much for his services they should look elsewhere for a player that may be more influential for them for a significant price.