Latest transfer rumours link Everton with West Ham fullback

SWANSEA, WALES - MARCH 03: Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United is challenged by Andre Ayew of Swansea City during the Premier League match between Swansea City and West Ham United at Liberty Stadium on March 3, 2018 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
SWANSEA, WALES - MARCH 03: Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United is challenged by Andre Ayew of Swansea City during the Premier League match between Swansea City and West Ham United at Liberty Stadium on March 3, 2018 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images) /
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As the 2017-18 season moves relentlessly towards its conclusion Everton are a club being continuously connected with a number of potential summer signings, this time the West Ham left-back Aaron Cresswell.

Left-back is an area of the team that certainly needs strengthening and according to reports in the Sun, Everton are looking at the West Ham player to provide some much-needed competition for Leighton Baines.

Baines has been one of Everton’s best players since David Moyes signed him from Wigan in 2007. But inevitably father time is catching up with him and he’s not been the same player since his latest serious injury.

Cresswell, like Baines, is a scouser and would apparently look favourably on a move back to Merseyside. A figure of around £25 million is being quoted as a fee.

West Ham are not yet certain to avoid relegation and if they do go down then presumably the fee for the player would as well.

The Hammers and their ex-Everton boss Moyes, will want to keep him at the London Stadium. However Cresswell would be very likely to seek a move if they are relegated and he seems like a good fit for Everton.

He’s a talented, good quality full back and Blues manager Sam Allardyce signed Cresswell in a previous job so also knows him well (assuming he’s still in charge at Goodison nest season).

Talking of Allardyce he has been quoted in the Metro about the alleged altercation with Wayne Rooney during the derby last Saturday.

Rooney was seen to swear in his manager’s direction after he was substituted early in the second half. He certainly wasn’t happy about the decision to take him off continuing to shout and throwing his jacket in a tantrum.

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To be fair to the manager it did seem a sound decision to bring Idrissa Gueye on to provide much greater drive, energy and impetus in midfield.

Anyway it seemed a bit like handbags from Rooney who once again couldn’t find his best form or effectively influence a derby game.

In further news concerning Allardyce it is rumoured that West Bromwich Albion are looking at him as the possible long-term replacement for Alan Pardew at The Hawthorns.

That seems a little bit of a strange one as Allardyce has always prided himself on being an effective, if unloved Premier League boss.

And he claimed that only a job as big as Everton tempted him out of retirement. Taking a step down to the Championship wouldn’t seem like an ideal move for Big Sam.

Next: Final derby round-up

Truth is of course after this horrendous season very few Evertonians would want to stand in his way if he made that move.