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Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Martinez, Barkley, Yarmolenko, Walcott, Wanyama, Kante

Roberto Martinez has remained as upbeat as ever while his Everton team has gradually imploded in recent months, and one suspects he will continue to pace the corridors of Goodison Park high-fiving random members of staff and barking motivational soundbites until the very moment he is invited into the boardroom and politely fired - at which point he will crumple onto the floor in a tired mess and sob himself gently to sleep. And it appears that moment is coming soon.

The Telegraph reports that Toffees chiefs are set to hold an ominous “board meeting” on Friday, and that “barring a major U-turn” it will result in Martinez being relinquished of his responsibilities as club manager and cheerleader.

One of several reasons Bobby’s time appears to be up is that is that the Everton hierarchy are concerned about his ability to attract, and to keep, the best players. Bleacher Report claims the owners are worried that Ross Barkley will seek to leave the club unless Martinez is fired - not because he doesn’t like him, but because he thinks his tactics are silly.

Meanwhile, long-term Toffees target Andriy Yarmolenko is being tipped by the Express to reject Everton and instead move to - of all places - Liverpool. This is because the Ukrainian winger’s agent posted an Instagram video about one of his important business meetings using the hashtags #transferwindow and #fcliverpool. Which means that a) Yarmolenko is on his way to Anfield and b) his agent is an insufferable show-off who doesn’t even know the correct hashtag for Liverpool FC,

Another person who this Instagram post would have annoyed is Arsene Wenger, who was also keen on bringing Yarmolenko to the Premier League, not least because it would have given him a good excuse to offload Theo Walcott. The Standard says the out-of-sorts winger is a surprise target for Manchester City and has become “increasingly baffled” by Wenger’s treatment of him. Probably not as baffled as Wenger is by the return he’s getting on Theo’s £140,000-a-week wages though.

Another alleged Wenger target, Victor Wanyama, is wanted by Leicester City as a replacement for N'Golo Kante, reports the Mirror. Kante will be targeted by Juventus if they sell Paul Pogba, claims Talksport - although that doesn’t exactly seem a like-for-like-replacement. And let’s not forget that Wenger apparently wants Kante too.

Elsewhere, Swansea are trying to re-sign Joe Allen from Liverpool (Mail), Chelsea will be offered £50m for Willian by Chinese lads Guangzhou Evergrande (Mirror) and Fraser Forster has said the Blues’ reported interest in him is a “compliment” (Star). Which essentially amounts to a transfer request.

Finally Newcastle, bless them, are continuing to stay optimistic about their Premier League survival by targeting players who will have no interest in joining them if they are relegated. The latest, according to Football Insider, is Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs. Good luck with that.

@darlingkevin