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Aston Villa are plotting a move for Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, according to The Mirror, as cited by Birmingham Live.

The Lowdown: Summer interest

Villa made a number of big-money moves in the recent transfer window, but they failed to add to their central midfield ranks. They were linked with a late swoop for McKennie, but as we now know, a transfer never materialised.

It appears as if Villa still have the USA international on their radar, though, with McKennie capable of playing as a defensive or central midfielder.

The Latest: Recent report

Birmingham Live cited The Mirror’s claim in a story on Sunday morning, claiming that Villa manager Dean Smith is plotting a move for McKennie.

An offer of £25m could be enough to strike a deal, whereas The Sun suggested that the Italian giants could be open to an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy.

The Verdict: Buendia all over?

The 23-year-old, who has the same agency as Villa defender Tyrone Mings, has also been linked with Arsenal. Villa pipped Mikel Arteta’s side to a move for Emiliano Buendia in the summer, so the same could happen in the New Year with McKennie.

Hopefully that turns out to be the case, with Villa having just four senior defensive or central midfielders to choose from as well as youngsters Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka.

Another senior option in that role could be a shrewd move, with Smith regularly selecting three central midfielders in different formations.

In other news: ‘Unreal’ – These Villa fans erupt after ‘mad’ news emerged

Newcastle United grabbed themselves a vital 1-0 win at Leeds United on Saturday afternoon in their fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Jonjo Shelvey scored from a free kick in the second half in the only goal of the game after the visitors were left under the cosh at times, with the Whites dominating possession.

As such, some Magpies players struggled more than others, as The Transfer Tavern uses statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who Newcastle’s three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were on the day:

Ryan Fraser (6.8)

Admittedly tied with Jamaal Lascelles in terms of rating (6.8), Fraser ranks third here because he played the whole match, whereas the captain was substituted midway through the second half.

The Scotland international never managed a shot on target, successful dribble or key pass, while he was also inaccurate with three of his four crosses.

He also lost the ball 12 times and managed just 33 touches in total, highlighting his lack of impact at Elland Road.

Sean Longstaff (6.7)

Coming on as a substitute in the first half for the injured Joelinton, Longstaff was given a 6.7 rating.

The 24-year-old midfielder lost four duels and failed to record a single shot on target, dribble or key pass, losing possession nine times in total. Like Fraser, he also managed only 33 touches in the entire game.

Joe Willock (6.3)

Willock was ranked as Newcastle’s worst player on the day, as he was given a 6.3 rating.

The former Arsenal ace lost seven of his duels and was unsuccessful with his two shots and three of his dribble attempts, while he also gave the ball away 13 times.

He only managed 42 touches and was described as ‘anonymous’ by Daily Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards, along with Fraser.

In other news, find out what big NUFC transfer update has been dropped

With the League One games already coming thick and fast, Sunderland manager Lee Johnson faces a number of tough calls ahead of the Black Cats’ clash with Burton Albion on Tuesday night in order to keep his squad as fresh as possible while also maintaining the Mackems’ 100% start to the season.

Indeed, in recent comments, the 40-year-old acknowledged the need for rotation in the Burton game, suggesting that 35-year-old Aiden McGeady could be due a rest.

As cited by Chronicle Live, Johnson said: “You just try and pick the best team to win the game, and it is obviously going to be a very different game [to the MK Dons fixture].

“I’ve got to assess the run of games we’ve had and have, and I’ve got to assess the sharpness of all the lads.

“I still think McGeady, for example, has a bit to do in terms of the catch up he’s been playing. We’ll find the balance.”

As such, with the veteran left-winger looking set to sit out the trip to the Pirelli Stadium on Tuesday, there would appear to be an obvious replacement who is quite literally waiting on the wings to start in place of the Republic of Ireland international – Alex Pritchard.

Game-changer

Having joined the club on a free transfer earlier this summer, Pritchard is yet to feature from the off in League One for the Black Cats, but the 28-year-old has nevertheless proven that he is more than worthy of a start against Burton.

Indeed, after being given a 29-minute cameo in the Black Cats’ 2-1 victory against MK Dons last weekend, the £2.25m-rated man touched the ball 17 times, as well as winning three tackles and three duels – metrics which saw the forward earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.10, the joint fourth-best of any Sunderland player in the fixture.

Prior to this performance, the former England under-21 international also highly impressed in his first Sunderland start in the Carabao Cup win over Port Vale, registering one assist, creating one big chance and making two key passes over his 65 minutes on the pitch, earning a SofaScore match rating of 7.00.

As such, it would very much appear as if the man who Mark Cooper once dubbed an “immense” player has already shown he is something of a game-changer for Sunderland, a trait which could well be hugely valuable for Johnson against an impressive Burton side who have also won both of their opening games of the League One season.

If the Mackems manager is indeed planning on resting McGeady for tonight’s fixture, it would appear most advisable for him to start Pritchard in the 35-year-old’s place.

In other news: SAFC dealt blow over “fantastic” £14k-p/w gem ahead of Burton, Johnson will be gutted

After bringing him to the club back in the summer of 2015, then Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood made it clear just how “delighted” he was at getting a deal done for Jordan Veretout.

He said: “He has played over 140 games in Ligue 1 and is a really exciting young player. I know Veretout is very highly rated over in France, so we are delighted to get this deal over the line.”

But a year later however, and things hadn’t turned out the way either the player or the club would have wanted at Villa Park, with the team going through a roller-coaster period of managerial changes and relegation from the Premier League as well.

In the end, the Frenchman was shipped out on loan, before eventually sealing a more permanent exit away from the club when he joined Serie A outfit Fiorentina for around £6m in 2017.

Since then, he has been nothing short of incredible, enjoying an impressive rise which is now seeing him shine for one of Italian football’s biggest clubs in AS Roma – the kind of upturn in form that surely has Villa fans wondering ‘what if?’.

Last season saw him develop into an elite goal-scoring midfielder, netting ten times in 29 games in the Serie A alone, including a match-saving brace against Juventus in a 2-2 draw.

This campaign has seen him start off in a similar fashion, bagging three goals in just two league games – a couple of those came in a win against his former club Fiorentina.

It’s no surprise, then, that his market value has shot up considerably, with Transfermarkt now rating him at £29.7m – almost five times the amount for which Villa actually sold him.

While things didn’t quite work out at Villa Park, there were some behind the scenes who did see his potential, with caretaker manager Kevin McDonald, in particular, saying: “Jordan is a wonderful passer of the ball. He will get better. And he is looking to impose himself in training games. Now he has to do that over a period of time. If he does that, he will be a very, very good player.

“Glenn Hoddle didn’t have to run up and down the pitch. But he was the most wonderful passer this country had in a long, long time. It’s not about being a holding midfielder or an attacking midfielder – Jordan needs to be a midfielder who gets on the ball more than anybody else in the team.”

Niggling injuries didn’t help his cause, but the 28-year-old didn’t even take to the pitch for any of Villa’s last seven Premier League games of the 2015/2016 season, not even making the matchday squad in four of them.

When you see the way he is shining now, though, there must surely be a sense of regret that they couldn’t keep hold of Veretout or ever get to see the best of him at Villa Park.

Given Dean Smith tried to sign a new central midfielder this summer in Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, had Villa not cashed in on Veretout, they may well have had that part of their squad addressed.

Meanwhile, fresh details have emerged on this Aston Villa swoop…

Crystal Palace staged a dramatic second-half fightback to secure a point against Leicester City in their Premier League clash at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

The visitors raced into a two-goal lead going into halftime thanks to strikes from Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy, but Patrick Vieira’s substitutes proved pivotal, with Michael Olise and Jeffrey Schlupp coming off the bench to rescue a 2-2 draw.

Palace largely dominated proceedings in the opening half an hour, yet a mistake from one of their usually more reliable stars turned the game on its head.

Summer signing Joachim Andersen took a heavy touch when receiving a pass from centre-back partner Marc Guehi under no pressure, allowing Leicester forward Iheanacho to capitalise on his mistake and put the Foxes ahead.

The 25-year-old was then unable to cut out Harvey Barnes’ pass to Vardy for the second, compounding a tricky six-minute spell for the Denmark international.

As per SofaScore, Andersen received a measly match rating of just 5.8 out of 10 for his underwhelming showing, the lowest total awarded to any player on the pitch over the weekend.

It was an out-of-character display from the former Lyon ace who usually bullies his opponents, with Andersen losing three of his seven duels and failing to make a single tackle during the 90 minutes.

But he was especially sloppy when in possession. He lost the ball on a whopping 22 occasions and completed just six of his 17 attempted long balls, leading to an overall pass completion of only 77%.

Andersen proved to be a liability for Palace as he let Vieira down in south London. However, his previous displays for the capital club have been full of promise, meaning the former Nice boss should keep faith with his £20m acquisition following the international break.

And, in other news…Forget Schlupp: Palace beast who won 75% of his duels was Vieira’s real hero 

An update has emerged regarding Aston Villa’s interest in Norwich midfielder Todd Cantwell.

What’s the talk?

The Athletic’s Michael Bailey has stated that Aston Villa will not be pursuing a deal for the 23-year-old this summer. He was omitted from Norwich’s pre-season friendly clash with Newcastle due to a knock, with Bailey tweeting to confirm that it was because of a challenge in training and that he will not be joining Villa in this window.

This comes after Football Insider reported earlier this month that Villa have been working on a transfer for the youngster. It was also reported that Norwich could demand as much as £50m for Cantwell.

Fans must be relieved

Aston Villa fans must be relieved to read this update, as it means that the club will not make an expensive blunder before the end of the transfer window.

It is worth noting the wording in Bailey’s tweet. He stated that Villa will not be signing the Englishman in ‘this window’, which doesn’t mean that they are not interested in him. It suggests that the report from Football Insider may have been correct, but Johan Lange later decided against potentially splashing £50m on him, shelving the interest for a future transfer window.

Cantwell has one year left on his Norwich deal, but the Canaries have an option to extend it by a further year. This means that he is likely to have 12 months left by the time next summer comes around, and that could allow Villa to swoop in at a more attractive price, as the East Anglian club would be facing the prospect of losing him on a free transfer in 2023 if he opts against extending his contract.

Villa supporters must therefore be relieved that Lange has made the decision not to sign him this month. Why spend £50m on a player whose contract situation could significantly reduce that fee next year? This appears to be a sensible decision from the Villa chief and one which should get fans’ approval.

Former Norwich player and coach Darren Huckerby once admitted that Cantwell could be intimidated by the opposition players. He told The Athletic: “He was always the most gifted, but needed more work mentally than the others. He would admit it himself he could get intimidated by other players, and it’s great to see where he is now, because five years ago you might have said it would be touch and go.”

His statistics in comparison to Emi Buendia also suggest that £50m would be a sizeable overpayment from Villa. The Argentine, who cost the club £33m, managed nine more goals and 10 more assists than Cantwell whilst playing for Norwich in the Championship last term. Therefore, Villa should not be paying £17m more for the English playmaker than they did for Buendia.

AND in other news, Lange must secure Aston Villa swoop for “hardworking” gem who “will go very far”…

Wolves manager Bruno Lage must keep winger Adama Traore at the club beyond the upcoming January window, with the Spaniard linked with a potential move to fellow Premier League outfit Leeds United as well as Spanish giants Real Madrid.

What’s the story?

Although Leeds are reportedly interested in Traore, Eurosport journalist Dean Jones has claimed that their “budget won’t be able to stretch to Traore” and a swoop for the Spaniard may have to be waited for until the summer.

As for Real, the Barcelona youth product has reportedly expressed his desire to return to his homeland and his agent has already contacted the Spanish giants.

With potential suitors elsewhere, it does beg the question as to whether or not the West Midlands club should hold onto a player that, on one side is yet to score this season, but on the other has previously received top praise, with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once labelling the 25-year-old as “a motorcycle.”

Wolves should keep Traore

It would be a disaster if Wolves allowed Traore to leave Molineux next month. The statistics don’t support that claim, with zero goals or assists in the Premier League so far this term. However, the Spaniard offers Lage plenty of pace and physicality, traits that the Portuguese’s squad isn’t necessarily blessed with.

Moreover, it isn’t as though the £27m-rated talisman is failing to bag in a high-scoring outfit, in fact, Wolves are the English top-flight’s second-lowest scorers with just 12 goals in 16 matches. Granted, Traore hasn’t contributed any of them and that is of course where he will have to improve.

We have seen what the 25-year-old is capable of before though, particularly in the 2019/20 season where he was “thrilling.”

That campaign saw Traore score a career-best four Premier League goals, three of which being against Manchester City.

You don’t go on to make over 100 Premier League appearances for a club without talent. Yes, it’s clear in which department Traore must improve but, given that his side are seriously struggling to score goals, Lage must keep the winger at Molineux for the remainder of the season at the very least.

After all, in the words of Tim Sherwood, he is a player who “destroys anyone.”

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has revealed that divisive former Hoops chief executive Peter Lawwell has been nothing but supportive since he has taken charge.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou excelling in charge

The Australian became the Hoops’ new manager last summer, having left his role as boss at Yokohama F. Marinos, and he has done a superb job to date.

Under Postecoglou, Celtic sit comfortably atop the Scottish Premiership, with last weekend’s 2-1 win at Rangers arguably the high point of his reign to date.

The 56-year-old’s current deal at Parkhead expires at the end of this season after only signing a 12-month contract, however, leading to doubts surrounding his long-term future.

The Latest: Ange praises Lawwell

As per Football Scotland, Postecoglou has hinted at his desire to stay put, heaping praise on those behind the scenes at Parkhead, including Lawwell, who is disliked by many Celtic fans:

“I’ve said consistently that the one thing I’ve felt since I got this position is a real strong backing and support.

“The fans, players, staff have been unbelievable and that includes the management. Michael Nicholson, Chris McKay, Dermot and the board, even Peter Lawwell who is no longer involved but has been very supportive of me.

“I couldn’t start to achieve in terms of building a team and trying to get to this point without that sort of support.”

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The Verdict: Credit where it’s due

There is no denying that Lawwell made mistakes during his time as chief executive but Postecoglou’s comments do at least deserve to be taken seriously.

Lawwell could easily have left the Hoops manager to his own devices after stepping down from his role, but has instead clearly been supportive during the transition period.

There is certainly every reason for Postecoglou’s contract to be extended well beyond its current expiry date, having guided Celtic to within touching distance of a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double, and the praise he is receiving is fully merited.

In other news, one Celtic player has been hailed as a club legend. Find out who it is here.

On-loan Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan has ‘caught the eye’ of Manchester City, according to The Mirror’s chief sports reporter Tom Hopkinson.

The lowdown

The 25-year-old is on loan at Molineux from RB Leipzig, and Bruno Lage’s side have the option to sign permanently for £13m at the end of that spell (via Sky Sports).

The South Korea international has begun the campaign in fine form, netting four goals in his first six starts for the club. By contrast, while City are second in the table, their top scorers are Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden with three each.

Hwang may have first caught the attention of English audiences when Salzburg faced Liverpool in the group stages of the 2019/20 Champions League. He scored in a 4-3 defeat at Anfield, having sent Virgil van Dijk ‘out for a hot dog’, as per a Telegraph report from John Percy.

The latest

As per The Mirror, City and title rivals Liverpool are both said to be interested in Hwang, with Pep Guardiola ‘keen to add more firepower up top’.

Wolves are trying to fend them off by sealing a permanent deal for the forward in January rather than waiting until the end of the season when his loan expires.

The verdict

Hwang isn’t just a goalscorer. According to WhoScored, he also excels at dribbling, passing and defensive contributions, indicating that he is a very well-rounded forward player who’s not averse to doing some of the dirty work for the good of his team.

He is also a versatile player, having operated as a winger 36 times during his career. That could well please Guardiola, who has utilised the likes of Foden, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres in wide attacking roles as well as at centre-forward.

You can see why the Korean an attractive option for elite clubs, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if there is a sharp hike in his relatively modest price tag if he were to join Wolves on a permanent basis.

In other news, fans loved these KDB comments.

Ryan Fraser has been a positive influence and mainstay under Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, which is why the hamstring injury he sustained against Wolves last week will come as a major blow to the Magpies faithful.

On the Scotsman’s injury, Howe said: “It looks like a hamstring issue. I don’t know how serious it is, but it was obviously enough to bring him off the pitch today, which is a huge blow with the form that he’s been in.”

Opportunity knocks for Almiron

Fortunately for the Magpies boss, he can now count upon Miguel Almiron, who came on in place of the injured Fraser and put in an impressive performance last Friday, having created the only key chance of the game in his 77 minutes on the pitch.

The 28-year-old – who has been described as “unbelievable” by sports writer Charlie Bennett – received even higher praise from his manager, who was encouraged by his efforts against the Old Gold.

On the Paraguayan’s performance, Howe said: “I thought Miggy did really well. Miggy has been away on international duty, then he was ill, so we haven’t seen a great deal of him. But never doubt him physically. Despite the fact that he hasn’t trained with us a great deal, I backed him physically to play that time, and the energy and pressing that Miggy gives you is a real weapon.”

High praise from the boss, but in fairness everything that Howe said is the truth. In terms of a pressing asset, Almiron has proven himself to be one of the best amongst positionally similar players in Europe’s top 5 leagues across the last 365 days. His average of 5.3 pressures in the attacking third per 90 place him in the 94th percentile, according to FBRef.

Perhaps even more impressively given his position on the pitch, his average of eight pressures in the defensive third places him in the 84th percentile, as he occupies an attacking position and tracks back tremendously. It demonstrates his versatility and ability to act as a team player, which is of course a welcome attribute for any coach.

The £74k-p/w Paraguayan’s 2.5 touches per game in the opponents’ penalty box once again sets him apart and further demonstrates his ability to fill the void left by Fraser.

The injury to the Scotland international is of course unfortunate, but Newcastle’s depth in that area of the pitch with the likes of Almiron to call upon has softened the blow. It’s now time for Howe to place his trust in the industrious 28-year-old.

In other news – Howe could land NUFC’s new Waddle as PIF plot bid for “unbelievable” 115-goal machine