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Lucas Digne has taken to Instagram to offer an apology to Everton fans after they were beaten at home by Watford on Saturday. 

The Toffees went down 5-2 to the Hornets at Goodison Park, having conceded four goals in the space of 18 minutes, and back-to-back defeats have seen Rafael Benitez’s side slip to eighth in the Premier League table.

Digne wrote that there was ‘no excuse’ for the loss and that all he could say was ‘sorry’, adding that Everton’s players must now ‘work hard’ and ‘show you our real face’.

How did Digne play?

If you go by SofaScore’s ratings, Digne was actually one of the Toffees’ better performers on the day.

Only Michael Keane, Richarlison (7.2 each) and Tom Davies (7.3) bettered his score of 7.1, while he won eight of his 12 ground duels and five of his seven aerial battles. Going forward, he was able to create three chances for team-mates.

However, he was also guilty of losing possession 23 times over the course of the game, and given that Watford were given just an 18% chance of winning beforehand, you can certainly understand Everton supporters’ overriding anger.

Fan feed Toffee TV relayed Digne’s post, and here’s what some supporters made of it, with one irate Toffees fan calling the Frenchman a “fraud”.

These Everton fans rip into Digne

“He was pants. Responsible for the equaliser with a daft, needless foul, was caught out of position for one of the others. Woeful. He should say sorry. Must do better. Much better.”

Credit: @petermorris1878

“Hmmm, he was really poor yesterday defensively. We have heard these sound bites before and it wont change anything”

Credit: @Byrdsman75

“Meaningless, empty words”

Credit: @TimBlueKangaroo

“Well you can’t play any worse or can you !!! But you are not alone… Keane and Rondon”

Credit: @johnsonk62

“Not seen his real face for over 18 months”

Credit: @jayjones33

“Means nothing, straight from the Phil Neville and Jags book of excuses”

Credit: @gary2monty

“Should be sorry for the last 2.5 seasons, the fraud”

Credit: @DannoJ21

In other news, the figures show that these three players were Everton’s worst performers on Saturday

West Ham United are now waiting on manager David Moyes’ green-light to chase a key signing this summer with news emerging on the club’s transfer plans.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye new keeper?

The Hammers have been linked with the possible signing of a new goalkeeper amid doubts over the future over Paris Saint-Germain loanee Alphonse Areola.

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Areola, playing mostly in cup competitions, has featured in just one Premier League game all season under Moyes (WhoScored) – raising some doubts over whether West Ham will activate the option to make his move permanent this summer.

The likes of Nick Pope, Dean Henderson and Jordan Pickford have allegedly been targeted by GSB and co as a result, but according to club source Claret & Hugh, Moyes is holding all the cards.

The Latest: West Ham wait on Moyes…

According to their information from a ‘top club insider’, West Ham are ‘still waiting’ for Moyes to green-light the possible signing of new keeper and ‘make a call’ on the position

They add that Areola’s future is ‘up in the air’ as a result as they weigh moves for the likes of Pope or Pickford – especially if either one of their clubs in Burnley or Everton fall to relegation.

The Verdict: Move for Pope?

The Times claim Pope in particular could be available for as little as £12 million if the Clarets are relegated, but given Areola’s purchase option stands at around £10.5m, it appears Moyes may have a perfectly capable understudy/eventual heir to Lukasz Fabianski right under his nose.

The Frenchman has performed brilliantly over West Ham’s run in the Europa League and a move to sign him permanently could be far less complicated than competing for the likes of Pope.

Bearing this in mind, we believe Moyes’ best bet is signing the 29-year-old on a permanent basis and focusing his efforts on the acquisition of a central defender, midfielder and forward.

In other news: The Times: West Ham weighing ‘monster’ player move alongside three more potential signings! Find out more here.

A big update has emerged on Rangers wide man Ryan Kent, regarding potential interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

The Athletic’s Aston Villa reporter Gregg Evans has ruled out the Premier League side making a move for the Gers forward in January.

A fan sent in a question asking whether or not Steven Gerrard will return to Ibrox to pinch some of his former players, with Gregg giving a snippet on Kent and Glen Kamara.

He replied:

“Kamara has been on Villa’s watch-list in the past, so he’s an interesting one but having just signed a new deal at Rangers, it looks unlikely in January.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see Villa wait until the summer to bring in a new midfielder if they can’t get a top target either, unless there’s another injury to add to Nakamba’s setback, then they will need to increase the numbers.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a no to Kent. Villa already have lots of options in the attacking areas.”

Big boost

Rangers fans will surely be delighted with this update as it suggests that the ex-Liverpool man will not be heading to Villa Park in January.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst will want to keep as many of his best players as possible and a lack of firm interest in Kent will come as a welcome relief. The Kamara update is slightly more worrying heading into next summer, but Evans claiming that a move is ‘unlikely’ in January is another boost for the side.

In the league this season, the Finland international has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.04 across 17 starts. The midfielder has completed 91% of his passes and won 54% of his duels, whilst chipping in with one goal and two assists.

Last term in the Premiership, Kent managed ten goals and nine assists as the Gers won the title. He averaged a terrific SofaScore rating of 7.23, showing that he can perform consistently to a high level in the division. This is why he is a crucial player for the club and why losing him in January would be a major blow.

Therefore, fans will be delighted with this latest update on Aston Villa’s plans for next month and the slim chances of them trying to sign Kent or Kamara to bolster their squad.

AND in other news, GVB could ruin Rangers’ title charge with major January gamble, fans would be livid… 

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Fabio Carvalho to the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who confirmed on a recent episode of The West Ham Way Podcast that, following earlier reports suggesting that West Ham are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Fulham attacking midfielder ahead of a potential move, the 19-year-old is indeed a player that David Moyes is interested in.

The Hammers insider went on to state that, with the England youth international’s current contract at Craven Cottage set to expire at the end of the season, the 58-year-old manager could make an early move to sign the teenager in the coming months.

Speaking about West Ham’s interest in Carvalho, Ex said: “We are looking at Championship players. Carvalho at Fulham – he is someone we like. He’s out of contract in the summer, a move for him might be on the cards in the summer. He’s not a priority position [but] we could move early for him.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering the sheer amount of impressive attacking midfield options Moyes currently possesses at the London Stadium, with the likes of Said Benrahma, Manuel Lanzini, Pablo Fornals and Nikola Vlasic all capable of operating in the number 10 role, the further addition of a player as exciting as Carvalho is sure to be a prospect that will have West Ham fans buzzing.

Indeed, the £3.15m-rated youngster has highly impressed over his 15 Championship appearances this season, having already scored five goals, provided one assist and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 1.6 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £650-per-week forward average a SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Marco Silva’s 14th-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, it is clear to see that the attacking midfielder is a player who possesses an extremely bright future in the game, leading us to believe that, should Moyes be able to beat the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea – all of whom have been linked with a move for the 19-year-old – to Carvalho’s signature this summer, it would be a major coup for the Champions League hopefuls.

In other news: Sheth reveals West Ham are “looking at” £17m beast, he’d be an “exemplary” signing

Dean Jones has revealed some big Transfer Deadline Day news involving Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Busy day

It has certainly been a busy day at St James’ Park so far, with both Dan Burn and Matt Targett currently undergoing medicals ahead of moves from Brighton and Aston Villa respectively.

Hugo Ekitike also looked like he was on his way to the northeast, but that deal now looks to be off as things stand.

One other name who has popped up fairly recently is Jesse Lingard, and that would potentially make three new arrivals on Tyneside today.

The Latest: Five deals?!

As per journalist and transfer insider Jones, Newcastle are ‘pushing’ to sign as many as five players today, although he did not confirm who they were.

The reporter tweeted: “Newcastle pushing for 5 players on deadline day should be fun!”

The Verdict: More than expected?

Assuming that Burn and Targett pass their medicals, that would be two new arrivals on deadline day, and Lingard could potentially be a third.

There could still be a dramatic twist with Ekitike in the final few hours, but that still only makes four players. Who the fifth one could be is anyone’s guess, with links to the likes of Yannick Carrasco today as well.

Nonetheless, if Newcastle can bring in five fresh faces before the 11pm deadline, it would certainly be a big statement in terms of increasing their chances of staying in the Premier League.

In other news, find out what Keith Downie has said about NUFC’s pursuit of Jesse Lingard

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Tottenham Hotspur slumped to their first defeat in five matches when they were beaten 2-1 by Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.

The result damages Spurs’ title chances, as both Liverpool and Manchester United will now have a chance to pull further ahead of the north London club. Mauricio Pochettino will be disappointed to have seen his side beaten in such a fashion. 

Spurs’ defensive performance left plenty to be desired, as they struggled to deal with the aerial prowess and physicality of the Clarets’ forwards. Young centre-back Juan Foyth and 26-year-old right wing-back Serge Aurier were particularly poor.

Aurier’s experience and physical attributes ought to have made him well suited for this fixture, but his lack of focus and poor positional awareness saw him fail to effectively challenge the Burnley attackers. It was certainly a game to forget for the 48-cap Ivory Coast international.

After the match, plenty of Spurs fans took to Twitter to criticise Aurier’s display…

If Antonio Conte wanted his first game to sum up everything he will have to work with at Tottenham, then he no doubt saw it all against Vitesse in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night.

The Italian witnessed a quite incredible opening game in charge, with the Lilywhites storming into a 3-0 lead before being pegged back to 3-2 and seeing three red cards dished out in a frantic second half.

The defending would have left him scratching his head at times, but Conte would surely have been very excited by the performance and potential of one of the club’s summer signings in Emerson Royal.

The man signed by Fabio Paratici was deployed in the right wing-back role in Conte’s favoured formation and showed all the signs of industry and dynamism which could make him a real big player for the former Inter boss.

As per Sofascore, he won eight duels on the night (the joint-second most of any player on the pitch behind international compatriot Lucas Moura), made the most tackles with five, and had the second-most touches of any Spurs player with 81.

Whether it was being intense and fully engaged with the way he tried to pressure the ball, or his powerful running going forward, the Brazilian was a superb outlet for Spurs, especially on the counter-attack.

It was the former Betis man’s charging run towards the closing stages of the game which eventually saw Vitesse’s goalkeeper sent off after being adjudged to having handled the ball outside of his box.

Writing in their post-match ratings for Hotspur HQ, they gave Emerson a 7.5, saying: “From an offensive perspective, Emerson Royal is getting better and better. Royal was a consistent outlet on the right and pushed forward early and often. Royal showed stepovers and a willingness to knock the ball into the box.

“As the team went down a man Royal did what he could in the back four, although not a natural fullback. Was right back on the front foot after the Vitesse card. It was Royal beating Markus Schubert to a ball down that wing that led to Vitesse’s second red card. Endless energy and effort.”

If the first game under the new manager was anything to go by, then Emerson could be a game-changing player under Conte with his relentless work down the right flank, and the Italian would surely have been raving with the 22-year-old’s performance on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Spurs must replace this midfielder…

Leeds United are ‘very likely’ to sign Brenden Aaronson this summer, with the Whites readying a £25m offer.

The Lowdown: January bids for Aaronson

The 21-year-old emerged as a key transfer target for Leeds in January, with the club making two offers for the attacking midfielder.

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The second was thought to be worth £20m, but as we know, Aaronson remained with Red Bull Salzburg, which left Leeds with no senior signings in January.

However, it looks as if he is still a key target and could reunite with fellow countryman Jesse Marsch over the summer, having made 25 appearances under the 48-year-old during the Leeds manager’s time in Austria.

The Latest: Twitter claim on Aaronson

Leeds Radar, a Whites news feed, made a claim regarding Aaronson on Twitter. They suggested that the 21-year-old is ‘very likely’ to make the move to Elland Road, with a £25m bid to RB Salzburg now ready.

Aaronson already shares the same agent as six Leeds players – one of whom is Adam Forshaw, who penned a new deal in January – so you’d expect that they will already know Andrea Radrizzani well.

The Verdict: Aaronson is needed

Providing that Marsch steers Leeds to safety, the club need midfield reinforcements, and Aaronson appears to be a smart target.

He starred under the 48-year-old in Austria, contributing to 12 goals in 25 games and can also play in a deeper role or on the left. Aaronson ranks in the top 1% of players in terms of distance covered, so should slot right into Marsch’s pressing system and attempts to catch opponents on the break.

A £25m move would make him the club’s third most expensive sighing of all time, but this season has shown that Leeds could do with more numbers and quality in midfield, especially with Kalvin Philips sidelined for large periods of the campaign.

In other news – 5 key passes, 1 goal: Leeds target produces stunning midweek display as Orta eyes move

Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traoré is expected to travel with the squad for their upcoming Premier League fixture at Brentford, despite heavy interest from top-flight rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

What’s the latest?

Wolves manager Bruno Lage has revealed the latest information on Traoré’s future amid speculation of a move to north London, confirming: “My attention and focus is every time on the next game and I don’t think about if Adama stays with us or not. For now, he’s with us so I’m preparing the game with him.”

The Portuguese added: “We have a top player with us, a lovely guy. Sometimes it’s about business. I remember how much Tottenham protected Harry Kane at the beginning of the season.

“And we will protect our player because we believe a lot in Adama. That is business. It’s not my concern. But I will protect my players. The way they work, the value for me is very high.

“I don’t see any difference in his behaviour, his mentality, the way he works. So I’m happy with him. He continues to be the same player.

“He just has one more year left. The club talk with him and he talks with them and they will decide the future. I’m happy with him, it’s the only thing I can say. He’s focused, he’s ready.”

Wolves fans will be buzzing

Adama Traoré can be a Jekyll and Hyde at times but, ultimately, is a player Wolves should aim to keep this window. Granted, the Spaniard has previously been subject to criticism, notably being labelled “the worst five-a-side player you’ve ever seen” by former manager Tim Sherwood, but there is a reason a club as big as Tottenham are interested in the 25-year-old.

Traoré’s unique combination of significant pace and physicality makes him a nightmare to defend against, a major weapon in Wolves’ arsenal, particularly to introduce late in a game that is hanging in the balance.

Moreover, quality from out wide has been lacking at times for the West Midlands outfit this season. Lage’s side are the Premier League’s third-lowest scorers, despite sitting comfortably in eighth, with 17 goals in 20 games; the strength of their defence has proven to be a major contribution.

However, the balance of getting results through rarely scoring but keeping plenty of clean sheets surely can’t be sustainable and the Portuguese manager will have to find a solution for their goal-scoring woes, meaning that keeping all of his offensive players for the remainder of the season is a must.

Although the Spaniard has just one league goal so far this season, it is one more than fellow right-wingers Daniel Podence and Francisco Trincāo.

Furthermore, that league goal came last time out against Southampton, which could potentially act as a catalyst for a run of good form which would certainly make the Black Country club reluctant to sell Traoré this window.

It’s exactly why Lage’s update on Traore is sure to have Wolves fans buzzing.

In other news: Sky Sports journalist drops Wolves transfer update live on air, Lage will be delighted

Manchester United are reportedly one of several sides eyeing up a move for Rennes midfielder Lovro Majer as the January transfer window fast approaches.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet Homme du Match (as relayed by the Daily Mirror), United are keen to secure the 23-year-old’s services over the coming months, although fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur are currently at the front of the queue.

The report states that: “According to our information, the most interested club is Tottenham who have already placed the player at the top of their list of priorities for next season.

“Other clubs are also interested in the image of Manchester United or Bayern Munich, making it difficult to retain the player for many seasons at Rennes.”

Rangnick’s next Sabitzer

If the United hierarchy are able to secure Majer’s signature over the winter, then they could land Rangnick his next Marcel Sabitzer after the pair worked together during their time at Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig.

The Croatia international is in the mould of Sabitzer, now at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, with the pair both able to unlock opposition defences with dangerous dribbles and perfectly-weighted through balls. The Bayern midfielder is mesmeric, bagging 13 times and supplying 11 in 77 outings under the new United boss.

Despite only arriving at the Roazhon Park last summer, Majer has already established himself as one of the most promising prospects in Ligue 1.

In his 23 appearances for his former and new employers this term, the £11.7m-rated magician has bagged six goals and provided a further six assists for his teammates, playing a pivotal part in their rise to second place in the top-flight table.

Majer’s outstanding exploits for Rennes have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including talent scout Jacek Kulig, who dubbed him “phenomenal” after enjoying a stellar run of form throughout November.

With Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba all out of contract next summer, Rangnick could be forced into the transfer market for a new attacking midfielder, and Majer, who has 38 career goals, appears to be an ideal replacement.

Only time will tell if Red Devils are able to secure the youngster’s signature, but it’s a deal that could get the 20-time English champions back on track.

And, in other news…Rangnick can become instant hit at Man Utd by signing “complete” £45m-rated “machine”