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Carlo Ancelotti must cash-in on Burnley’s interest in Everton’s Jonjoe Kenny during the January transfer window as he will never be the heir to Seamus Coleman at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Sean Dyche’s Clarets have approached the Blues to discuss a potential mid-season deal that will see the former England U21 international move to Turf Moor this month.

Kenny has struggled to establish himself under Ancelotti following a strong season on loan with Bundesliga outfit FC Schalke 04, and is now keen to secure more regular playing time after featuring for just 77 minutes in the Premier League thus far this term.

Dyche is believed to be keen on making Kenny his first signing of the winter market after failing to seal a deal last year, while Football Insider further add that the Clarets boss is a big admirer of the £6.5m-rated full-back.

Everton are not yet thought to have decided on the best course for Kenny’s future with loan or permanent exits on the cards, but Kenny’s position in Ancelotti’s plans was further made clear on Saturday when the 23-year-old failed to make Everton’s matchday squad for their FA Cup third round win over Championship strugglers Rotherham United.

Kenny had further failed to make the 18-man squad for the Toffees’ prior Premier League match at home to West Ham United, while making his sole top-flight start of the season in November’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle.

Time for Kenny to go

While it is noted that Everton are yet to reach a decision on Kenny’s future amid the alleged interest from Burnley boss Dyche, Ancelotti must accept that now is the time to boot the right-back out of Goodison Park permanently as he will never be the heir to Coleman’s role.

Ancelotti has shown throughout the current campaign that he does not value Kenny’s talents by his relentless preference to overlook the £15,000-per-week defender, whose terms are due to expire in 17-months’ time.

The Italian tactician has even taken to fielding Alex Iwobi, Tom Davies and Mason Holgate at right-back at times this term whilst without Coleman, who missed seven top-flight fixtures in the run-up to Christmas with a hamstring injury.

Ancelotti is even being linked with a string of new right-backs after reportedly deciding to use the winter market to find a more suitable long-term Coleman replacement, with LOSC Lille’s Zeki Celik and Norwich City’s Max Aarons among the potential targets touted.

Kenny is clearly not seen by those in power at Goodison Park to be fit to feature for Everton anytime soon, and Burnley’s interest may prove to be their best route to securing his maximum market value before thoughts start to turn to a future exit as a free agent.

AND in other news: “Absolutely” – Exclusive: Pundit can see £31.5m-rated “Ancelotti type of player” joining Everton.

Thorough research in the transfer market since 2012-13 has seen BVB continually pick up talented youngsters before selling them on for a tidy profit

• 1Europe's money-making talent factory

  Gotze: €37m
  Ginter: €17m
  Kagawa: €18.8m
  Dembele: €105m
  Hummels: €35m
  Gundogan: €22.1m
  Aubameyang: €62m
  Mkhitaryan: €41.8m
  Sokratis: €15.9m
  Pulisic: €64.2m
  ———-
  TOTAL: €418.8m (£376.8m/$480.8m)

  Although several other players have moved on since the end of the 2012-13 season, it is striking that Dortmund have made approximately €418.8m (£378.5m / $483.1m) from the sale of just the 10 players listed above, underlining just why Signal Iduna Park is regarded as Europe's money-making talent factor.

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  2Christian Pulisic – €64m profit

  Now on loan at Dortmund until the end of the season as part of the deal that saw him agree to move to Chelsea this summer for €64.2m (£58m/$74m), Pulisic is the club's latest and arguably greatest transfer success story.

  The versatile American attacker was picked up by BVB at the tender age of 16, and quickly forced his way into the first teams of both his club and his country.

  In signing for Chelsea, Pulisic became Dortmund's second-biggest sale of all time, behind only Dembele.

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  3Sokratis Papastathopoulos – €10.5m profit

  Sokratis Papastathopoulos took a winding road to Dortmund, coming to prominence at Genoa and failing with AC Milan before a strong spell in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen convinced BVB to part with €9.5m (£8.6m/$11m) for the Greek's services.

  It proved another inspired investment. The defender starred for five years at Signal Iduna Park, forming a formidable partnership with Hummels to cement his reputation as a top-class centre-half.

  When Arsenal moved for the Greece international in the summer of 2018, the Gunners paid BVB approximately €15.9m (£14.4m/$18.3m), meaning more money for BVB's coffers.

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  4Henrikh Mkhitaryan – €14.5m profit

  The Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan was signed to replace the Bayern Munich-bound Gotze, joining from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013 for a then-club record €27.5m (£24.9m/$31.7m).

  Three sterling seasons in the Bundesliga earned Mkhitaryan a €41.8m (£37.8m/$48.1m) move to Manchester United, and BVB another healthy profit on their initial investment.

With the Premier League in the middle of its busy Christmas calendar, we take a look at the best transfers of the 2018-19 campaign so far

• 10Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Club – Chelsea)

  The second goalkeeper to break the world transfer record last summer and one who has helped Maurizio Sarri utterly transform the way Chelsea play. While Thibaut Courtois may be one of the world’s best shot-stoppers he simply cannot match the ability of Kepa Arrizabalaga in terms of what he does with the ball at his feet. It’s been reported that Sarri had his eyes on Kepa a long time before pitching up at Stamford Bridge and that foresight has paid off. He’s kept his fair share of shots out but it is his excellent distribution which stands out.

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  9James Maddison (Norwich City – Leicester City)

  Fans of many Premier League clubs had never even heard of James Maddison when Leicester City signed him from Norwich last summer. He had long been regarded as one of the Championship’s best attacking talents and has made the step up to the Premier League with astonishing ease. He looks right at home at this level, delivering goals and assists, as well as ranking highly in the chances created category. It won’t be long until he is a regular for England.

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  8Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion – Watford)

  Many tipped Watford for relegation following the departure of their best player Richarlison over the summer. But they won their first four games of the season to confound the critics with Ben Foster starring between the posts. He was voted West Bromwich Albion’s best player during their relegation campaign and remains a difference maker at Premier League level for Javi Gracia’s team.

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  7Danny Ings (Liverpool – Southampton)

  A striker who needed a move away from Liverpool in order to get his career back on track. He is back down south with Southampton, where he started out as a youth, and is flying in front of goal. The Saints have struggled, recently hiring Ralph Hasenhuttl to replace Mark Hughes and things are looking up after inflicting defeat on Arsenal. Ings got two that day and has seven in all in the Premier League. If Southampton are going to move in the right direction then his form is going to be key.

With the window now closed, Goal looks back at the best and worst bits of business done over the past month

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  1Winner: Arsenal

  As Tuesday night's dismal loss at Swansea so painfully underlined, Arsenal still have major issues to address in defence, and particularly in between the posts. Indeed, it is worth noting that no goalkeeper across Europe's Big Five leagues has made more mistakes leading to goals (4) than Petr Cech.

  However, the January transfer window has gone better than even the most optimistic Arsenal fan could have envisaged.

  The Gunners began the month faced with the prospect of losing their two best players, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, on free transfers this summer. 

  Sanchez has since defected to Manchester United but that is a positive given how negative an influence he had become on the Arsenal dressing room. 

  Furthermore, the Gunners have acquired a potentially excellent player in return, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who should flourish under a coach who affords his attackers greater freedom, particularly as he will be playing alongside his old pal from Borussia Dortmund, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

  Ozil's surprising but most welcome decision to extend his contract was also clearly influenced by the appetising prospect of providing passes for the Thierry Henry-like Gabon striker.

  Of course, the £56 million paid to BVB for Aubameyang’s services constitutes a club-record fee for the Gunners but when one considers that it was partly funded by the removal of some bench-warmers (Theo Walcott and Francis Coquelin, for a combined £37m), then it is impossible to view Arsene Wenger's winter window wheeling and dealing as anything other than a success.

  Will Arsenal finish in the top four? That remains to be seen. But have they now a better chance of doing so? Absolutely.

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  2Winner: Jose Mourinho

  Given the way in which Jose Mourinho embraces excuses and fabricates facts, it's rare to find oneself in agreement with the master manipulator of the media. 

  However, the Manchester United boss had a point when he claimed that exchanging the unwanted Mkhitaryan for the in-demand Alexis Sanchez was a masterstroke. 

  "He was cheap, wasn't he?" Mourinho enthused. "Free transfer! He was free. So, for that price, he's fantastic. 

  "I think everybody thinks the same. Everyone has to agree that he is a fantastic player and the team that got him has a plus."

  No arguments here. Whether he is good enough to shine in spite of Mourinho's trademark pragmatism against the very best sides is open to debate – certainly, the early signs against Spurs were not encouraging – but there is no denying that Alexis is a world-class player.

  In addition, the fact that the versatile Chilean attacker was all set to join Mourinho's nemesis, Pep Guardiola, at Manchester City before United hijacked the transfer only made this particular "orange" taste all the sweeter for the preening Portuguese.

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  3Winner: Barcelona

  It was only last August that Barcelona defender Gerard Pique mournfully admitted, "In the nine years that I have been here, this is the first time that I feel inferior to Madrid."

  Luckily for the proud Catalan, that depressing sensation did not last long. During the first half of the season, the Blaugrana reasserted themselves as the best team in La Liga, even routing a ragged Real side at the Santiago Bernabeu just before Christmas. 

  Consequently, if anyone needed a big signing this month, it was los Blancos – and yet whereas there wasn't a single new arrival in the Spanish capital in January, Barcelona have been the winter window's biggest spenders. 

  The Blaugrana spent a combined total of €131.8m on Philippe Coutinho and Yerry Mina, boosting Ernesto Valverde's hopes of emulating predecessors Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique by winning a treble in his first season in charge.

  The aerially-dominant, all-dancing centre-half Mina should prove an absolute steal at €11.8m and while Coutinho's mid-season arrival for a whopping €120m (which could rise to €160m depending on add-ons) is peculiarly timed, particularly as the Brazilian is cup-tied in the Champions League, runaway Liga leaders Barca are now in a position to rest the likes of Andres Iniesta on a regular basis.  

  In addition, Barca have managed to remove a couple of high earners from their wage bill, Javier Mascherano and Arda Turan, while at the same time sending Rafinha and Gerard Deulofeu out on loan.

  Madrid, by complete contrast, are now preparing for a must-win Champions League last-16 showdown with Paris Saint-Germain with the same core of group of players that have looked so jaded in recent months.

  In short, Pique is feeling superior again…

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  4Loser: Liverpool

  “Liverpool is not a club that has to sell players," manager Jurgen Klopp declared last summer, after Barcelona upped their bid for Coutinho. "That is set in stone, so what they offer in the end doesn't matter.”

  Why, then, did Liverpool agree to sell the Brazilian to the Blaugrana in January, at a time when the Reds are locked in a battle with Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and arguably Arsenal for three of the Premier League's remaining top-four berths, as well as looking forward to a winnable Champions League last-16 tie with Porto?

  The money on offer (€120m, and a potential €40m in add-ons) was colossal, particularly when one considers Coutinho could hardly be considered one of the top five players in the world, but would the fee have been much lower at the end of the season?

  Furthermore, while Coutinho clearly wanted to leave, would he have downed tools and refused to play in this, a World Cup year? He submitted a transfer request last summer yet still contributed 12 goals and nine assists during the first half of the 2017-18 campaign – would he really have gone on strike again had he been told his dream move to Barca would only be allowed to go through this summer?

  Of course, Liverpool's frustration at losing Coutinho has been offset by the belated arrival of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton, and the Dutch defender should undoubtedly strengthen the Merseysiders' brittle back four. 

  However, when it comes to evaluating a team's transfer window, one must ask oneself if the squad is stronger or weaker than it was at the beginning of the month?

  Liverpool are weaker. They were dealt all the aces but ended up splitting the pot.

  The centre of defence has been improved but it remains reliant on two of the worst goalkeepers in the Premier League. Indeed, Lorius Karius has now been promoted to first-choice, a staggering decision given that he has the worst save percentage (44.44) of any goalkeeper to have played at least five games across all of Europe's Big Five leagues.

  Given Roma were clearly desperate for money in January, Liverpool really should have pushed to sign their current No.1, the excellent Alisson. 

  Furthermore, Daniel Sturridge's loan move to West Bromwich Albion means that Liverpool are an injury to Roberto Firmino away from having to turn to Danny Ings or Dominic Solanke – no goals this season – to lead an attack now shorn of the versatile Coutinho.

  The pressure on Mohamed Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane to continue carrying this top-heavy team through the remainder of the season has just got a whole lot heavier.

When Leeds get going there are very few teams that can stop them.

Although they went behind against Newcastle, they were eventually ruthless and unstoppable on their way to winning 5-2.

It was a clinical emphatic performance full of class and everything you’d associate with a Marcelo Bielsa team.

He works his players hard and they keep going right until the final whistle. If there were any fears of burnout, they were quashed when Leeds scored three goals in the final 13 minutes.

It was a swashbuckling display that should have left Bielsa blown away, especially with one player.

No, we’re not talking about Jack Harrison or Rodrigo here, neither are we talking about the all-action Stuart Dallas. Instead, we’re talking about Pablo Hernandez.

The Spaniard has been at the centre of attention over the last few years, winning multiple Player of the Season awards at Leeds, quickly earning his place in Elland Road folklore.

However, his return to the Premier League hasn’t been very profitable. He’s started just two matches and before last night, had failed to contribute to a single goal.

For a 35-year-old, he is no longer in the prime of his career but there had been question marks over whether he had the quality for the top-flight.

Those concerns were answered on Wednesday evening in a magical eight-minute cameo that rolled back the years.

Hernandez, who earns £19k-per-week at Leeds, was brilliant as he picked up two assists after making just 13 touches. Remarkably, that was fewer touches than goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

The Spaniard didn’t even play too much in the final third, spending the vast majority of his time on the pitch inside their own half.

He completed 92% of his passes and lost the ball just once. If ever there was an indication that form is temporary, class is permanent, this was it.

Hernandez has had his fair share of doubters this term but this was evidence that he can still offer plenty to Leeds and Bielsa.

If he can provide this kind of magic from the bench regularly, he will have done his job no end.

In other news, Forget Harrison: “Bargain” Leeds beast who made 100% longballs delivered a huge statement…

Leeds United have had a great start to their Premier League campaign. This has largely been down to the way Marcelo Bielsa has set them up and the team ethic that they have. Defender Luke Ayling is one of the Leeds players who has recently been praised for his performances.

Alex McLeish praises Luke Ayling

Speaking about the defender, Alex McLeish said: “We talk about Luke nearly every week, we always give him a mention. He’s such an enthusiast for the game. You see him as soon as a corner is over and it’s an opposition goal kick and he was up, it’s like ‘woah’ he’s the fastest guy back into the defence. He’s back into his position.

It’s a guy who clearly loves his football and his roles within Leeds United, not only as a full-back, he’s got the centre-back skills as well – he’s got versatility.

He’s a really, really good example to any young player coming up because he’s been through the ranks. You see where he started and now he’s playing in the Premier League.”

Ayling has shone for Leeds

In the past, Phil Hay has emphasised how important Ayling is as he tweeted: ‘The more you look at him and analyse him, the more you realise he’s integral to everything Leeds do.’

The stats from this season in the Premier League also emphasise Ayling’s importance to Leeds. Defensively, he has shone, managing 2.6 tackles and 2 clearances a game (WhoScored). He has been a threat at the other end of the pitch too, boasting 1.4 dribbles per game as Leeds have taken to the Premier League in a confident fashion.

Full-backs are key in the modern game because they can provide so much for sides at both ends of the pitch, and Ayling is flourishing as he is showing the division that he can perform very well in this role, making him on of the numerous right-backs who have played at a high level this season.

In other news, one Leeds player is desperate to prove himself to Bielsa. Have a read who it is here!

Crystal Palace bolstered their attack with the loan signing of Michy Batshuayi in the summer, and many fans are reacting as they still look to strengthen up front, with Mariano Diaz the latest name linked.

According to Sport, Palace and fellow Premier League sides Everton and West Ham are monitoring the £25million-rated Real Madrid striker. The forward has played 42 times in all competitions and only scored 11 times (Transfermarkt) and this is not the greatest record. Many Palace fans have various opinions on the rumour because of this, with one calling it a ‘horrible idea’.

Not only is his lack of goals worrying, but also the fact that he has only played 41 times in four years. This highlights that he isn’t really highly rated by Madrid, even though there is plenty of squad depth in front of him.

The signing seems like a bit of a risk, especially for a club who haven’t spent over £20million on one player since Mamadou Sakho in the 2017/18 season (Transfermarkt).

With the South London side already having a lot of experienced Premier League forwards at the club, it would probably be best if they spent their money elsewhere.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the transfer update:

In other Palace news, many fans are not happy with this Premier League star being linked. Have a read who it is here!

Many Aston Villa fans are hoping they get to see captain Jack Grealish feature for England over the upcoming internationals.Â

Gareth Southgate prefers an England formation which typically only suits one creative attacking midfielder. This has seen Grealish battling with players like Mason Mount for a place in the lineup.

Speaking on both Grealish and Mount, the Three Lions manager said: “I suppose on that (Grealish starting debate) you’re referring to Mason, whose only crime is not to be Jack at the moment. I’m also aware I should talk about Mason because then it keeps the memes going of me talking about Mason.â€

These comments have not gone down well as fans of Villa continue to feel that the Three Lions manager is picking Mount due to favouritism and not form. One fan said it was ’embarrassing’. His comments in the past have not helped them change their opinion on this matter, as it certainly seems like the former Villa player has unintentionally turned a molehill into a mountain.

Fans definitely have a right to feel this way too, as the Chelsea star has only managed one goal and one assist in the Premier League this season (WhoScored). Meanwhile, the Villa captain has four goals and five assists (WhoScored) and was a dominant figure in the middle of the park against Arsenal last weekend.

Here is what Villa fans said following the comments on Grealish:

In other Villa-related news, Mason Mount has spoken out on Grealish, have a read what he said here!

West Ham United forward Andriy Yarmolenko offered an inconsistent display during Ukraine’s 1-0 win over Spain in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday night.

Andriy Shevchenko’s Ukraine hosted Luis Enrique’s Spain at the NSK Olimpiskyi stadium looking to bounce-back from defeat at home to Germany on Saturday, with a sole goal from Viktor Tsygankov enough to settle the tie.

The result moved Ukraine to within a point of Group 4 leaders Spain and level on six points with Germany, who were held to a 3-3 draw by Switzerland who remain winless after four matches.

Yarmolenko assisted Tsygankov’s deadlock-breaking effort in the 76th-minute, but otherwise hindered Ukraine’s efforts as he earned his 91st international cap whilst wearing the captain’s armband for the third game in succession.

Yarmolenko has been a constant on the international stage for his native Ukraine for the past year, having recovered from an Achilles tendon rupture to participate in their European Championship qualifying campaign and now lead the country in hopes of reaching the Finals of the 2020/21 edition of the Nations League.

Irons boss David Moyes has not been as forthcoming with minutes in east London, with the Scottish coach only starting the £6.75million-rated attacker in West Ham’s Carabao Cup ties and as a late substitute in their first two Premier League fixtures.

Former Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini was a much larger advocate of Yarmolenko’s potential, having signed the 30-year-old from Borussia Dortmund for £17.5m.

“He is able to be one of the best midfielders in the league,” Pellegrini said of Yarmolenko in 2019, via quotes by The Telegraph. “His quality and the way he is playing is showing that he is a top player.”

Irons teammate Ryan Fredericks also lauded Yarmolenko a year ago for being an unusual breed, pairing power with technical skill.

“He is a little bit different,” Fredericks noted. “Unpredictable.”

It would be fair to say that Yarmolenko’s performance against Spain lived up to the unpredictable tag as he produced an inconsistent display. Whilst the £115,000-per-week attacker – notably West Ham’s top-earner – did provide an assist, he was also consistently an easy read for his marker.

Spain restricted Yarmolenko to just two key balls from 30 accurate passes as they penned the attacker back in Ukraine’s territory for much of the clash, while forcing him to lose possession nine times, commit three fouls, lose seven of 10 duels, be caught offside once and only make one successful dribble, per SofaScore.

Yarmolenko was further dribbled past twice, made no successful tackles and registered no efforts on goal, but was able to record four clearances and one interception.

His performance pretty much mirrored his club form, an inconsistent display which is likely to make it an extremely easy call for Moyes to again bench Yarmolenko when West Ham return to the Premier League this weekend away to Tottenham Hotspur, looking to claim only their second win over their London rivals in what will be seven meetings.

AND in other news, West Ham can sign a “gifted” long-term target before Friday’s deadline after a Premier League rival turned to alternative options.

Glasgow Rangers have potentially been handed a massive boost ahead of their Europa League tie with Galatasaray on Thursday, with Younes Belhanda close to a move to Nice according to A Spor.

Midfielder Belhanda used to play for the French side, and he could be about to make a return to his former club.

It is reported that the Ligue 1 team will pay a fee in the region of €7m (£6.4m), with Belhanda one of the big earners at the club and therefore having drawn criticism.

During his time in Turkey, Belhanda’s performances have been mixed. In 108 games, he has managed 16 goals and 23 assists, but as the report states, some feel that the 50-time Morocco international does not contribute as much as he should given the wage he takes home – he is said to be earning €4m (£3.7m) a year with Gala.

On his day, though, he can be a fantastic player, as he often showed during the 2011/12 season as his 12 goals and six assists in Ligue 1 helped Montpellier to an unlikely title. Whilst this interest does not mean that he will not play on Thursday, his absence is obviously a possibility. And even if he does appear, his mind could be elsewhere. Steven Gerrard will not be relying on his opponents’ problems in their attempts to make the group stage, but this kind of situation certainly won’t harm his and the Gers’ cause.

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