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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

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”…

As per El Nacional, there has been an update in Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt involving Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Paratici eyeing move…

Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici has been tasked with strengthening Conte’s options in north London as the Italian duo seek to guide them back to the summit of European football.

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It’s been over two years since Spurs last hit those lofty heights, with ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino guiding them to the 2019 Champions League final, but Conte’s glittering CV could point to a coach capable of reigniting the club’s fortunes.

As such, the 52-year-old’s pulling power has seen Spurs linked with a host of Serie A stars including de Ligt (Calciomercato.it), with Football Insider even claiming that Paratici personally believes a deal ‘can be done’.

Now, in an update, El Nacional have shared some news on Tottenham’s interest.

The Latest: Conte personally eyeing ‘priority’…

According to the Spanish source, Spurs’ new manager has now personally listed de Ligt as a ‘priority’ target for the club.

This comes as the 22-year-old’s representative, super agent Mino Raiola, offers him out to the likes of Real Madrid as he seeks a move away for his client.

He is also aware of Premier League interest, though, with Conte eyeing the player for Spurs as well as Premier League champions Manchester City taking an interest.

The Verdict: Ambitious…

Conte ambitions for Spurs could be perfectly summed up by this claim, especially given de Ligt’s plaudits and sky high valuation.

As per Transfermarkt, Juve’s defender is valued at a lofty £63 million – a figure which would break Tottenham’s transfer record and eclipse the £53.8m fee they paid to sign Tanguy Ndombele.

The Old Lady could feasibly demand more given his age and potential for sell-on value, not to mention he has attracted some pretty big praise.

Former Premier League star Edwin van der Sar, as relayed by TRANSFERmarketWEB, likened the Netherlands centre-back to Cristiano Ronaldo for his mentality and application in the gym.

On a reported wage of around £200,000-per-week, Spurs would have to break the bank in more ways than one to sign de Ligt – so pulling this transfer off would be quite the ambitious move.

In other news: Spurs agreement to sign star now possible as Paratici makes exciting plea to club chiefs, find out more here.

Many Liverpool fans have been left fuming as a transfer update emerged on Nabil Fekir.

As per a report from earlier on in the week by El Gol Digital, which has since been shared by LFC Transfer Room on their Twitter page, the Anfield faithful are ‘best positioned’ ahead of both Everton and Arsenal to sign the Real Betis ace in the summer window, and he could be sold for a fee in the region of €40m (£34.3m).

Fekir was close to signing for Jurgen Klopp’s team back in 2018 as a potential replacement for Philippe Coutinho, but after a dragged-out transfer saga a deal never materialised.

It seems as if several Reds supporters do not want a repeat of what happened then, and even so, Fekir, a central attacking midfield player by trade, would not really fit into Klopp’s preferred 4-3-3 formation.

Liverpool fans on Fekir transfer update

These Kopites fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one LFC supporter even going as far as to claim that it was a ‘joke’:

“Are you having a laugh?”

Credit: @61Zaqir

“OK that’s it. I’m tuning out of LFC transfer Twitter until the first day of the new season. Nabil Fekir”

Credit: @Byrnish1981

“Out of all the rumours, this is by far the worst.”

Credit: @vdm1_

“Tell me this is a joke..am I in a time warp?…. YNWA”

Credit: @RedStew08

“Well and truly silly season.”

Credit: @keswickbro

“Nah he’s been trash gimme Coutinho”

Credit: @LfcBackupLa

In other news, find out what transfer update has Reds buzzing here!

West Ham have been handed a massive boost in their quest to land one transfer target this week…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester City are ready to sell several fringe starts, including defensive midfielder Yangel Herrera, in a bid to raise funds to sign England duo Harry Kane and Jack Grealish.

It’s claimed that the Irons are one of several teams eyeing a move for the 23-year-old this summer and it is thought that he could command a fee in the region of £20m.

David Moyes will have to battle Premier League rivals Southampton and Crystal Palace for him, whilst La Liga giants Atletico Madrid and Villarreal are among the foreign suitors after he enjoyed an impressive two-year loan spell in the Spanish top-flight at Granada.

Imagine him and Lingard

The Hammers boss could kickstart a mighty fine summer by securing Herrera alongside a big-name and desired signing like Jesse Lingard.

He’s a player that Moyes is absolutely desperate to keep hold of but one midfield addition may not be enough to see the East Londoners remain competitive next season, in what is likely to be a 50-plus game campaign thanks to their Europa League qualification.

Of course, the Scot already has Tomas Soucek and vice-captain Declan Rice at his disposal but with Mark Noble set to retire next year, it wouldn’t hurt to find a solid back-up now and that’s what Herrera would be.

The 6-foot powerhouse has been one of Granada’s star performers this season, recording an average WhoScored rating of 6.79, which was the highest of anyone who started 20 or more league games.

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Capped 21 times by Venezuela at senior level, Herrera is a perfect mix of tenacity and aggression in midfield, as seen by his average of 1.8 tackles and 2.2 fouls in La Liga during the 2020/21 campaign, via WhoScored.

This has also been echoed those that have watched him closely, too.

Back in 2019, Venezuelan football expert and journalist Carlos Ponte waxed lyrical about his qualities to talkSPORT, where he claimed:

“At New York City FC his coach was Patrick Vieira, and he took Andrea Pirlo’s place in the team, so he must have learned something. In MLS he solidified his position as a very complete central midfielder.”

Indeed, his defensive ability have been supplemented with one shot and 0.7 dribbles per league game, whilst an 84.6% passing accuracy in against Barcelona’s midfield highlights a tremendous touch on the ball.

“In Venezuela, we’ve never had as complete a footballer Yangel – elegant in possession, tall, very physically imposing, good at bringing the ball out, good in the air, the right mentality, and a good head on his shoulders,” added Ponte.

“He has a lot of energy and stamina, is great at providing cover and a true team player. He’s good at bringing the ball out with a certain degree of elegance.”

For just £20m, the Irons would be crazy to not consider a player of this calibre, especially one that made it to the Europa League semi-finals recently. That experience could prove vital next term.

He, along with Lingard, would be a dream start to the summer. Add a striker, and then Moyes will surely be laughing.

AND in other news, West Ham must avoid cheap Lingard alternative in £9m-rated former PL flop…

Former Premier League striker Nigel Jemson believes there is some “friction” between Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at Liverpool.

The pair have formed part of a fabled front three at Anfield, along with Roberto Firmino.

Salah has been with the club since 2017, when he joined from Roma, while Mane joined in 2016.

The pair have gone on to have unbelievable careers at Anfield; Salah has scored 126 goals in 205 games for the club, while Mane has netted 98 times in 220 games.

They both played key roles in Liverpool winning the Premier League last season, but Jemson believes that each player wants to be the key man on Merseyside under Jurgen Klopp.

Both remain vital members of Liverpool’s squad, and they both have a goal to their name already this season; Salah scored against Norwich City, while Mane netted against Burnley as the Reds won each game.

Jemson, who is a Liverpool fan, told Football FanCast exclusively: “Salah is bang on form again.

“If Mane and Salah play together, because sometimes you look at them and there’s a bit of friction there, I think, because he wants to be the main man, but if they can play together as a partnership, they’re as good as anybody in the Premier League.”

An update has emerged on Leicester City transfer target David Neres, regarding his future at Ajax.

What’s the talk?

Ajax chief Marc Overmars has admitted that Leicester City target Neres has a strong chance of leaving the Dutch club before the end of the transfer window.

The Foxes are reportedly interested in signing the Brazilian forward and Overmars has issued an interesting statement on his future. He told ESPN, via Leicester Mercury: 

“The chance that Neres will stay here is small.”

Excitement

These comments from Overmars are sure to leave Leicester fans excited as they leave the door wide open for a deal to be done in the next 36 hours or so.

Brendan Rodgers’ squad lacks depth in the wide areas and the arrival of Neres could provide serious competition at the top end of the pitch. Marc Albrighton, Harvey Barnes and Ayoze Perez are the club’s natural wide players, although James Maddison, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Patson Daka could be deployed there if required.

Albrighton, despite scoring against Norwich at the weekend, has not been able to consistently deliver goals and assists in recent seasons. The versatile veteran managed one goal in 31 Premier League appearances (17 starts) last season for the Foxes, having failed to score in 20 games in the previous campaign.

The arrival of Neres, if Leicester are now able to get a deal over the line, could allow Albrighton to take a backseat and be used as a dependable backup option. £24.3m-rated Neres, meanwhile, provided six goals and six assists for Ajax in all competitions last season.

This was after 10 goals and 10 assists in the 2019/20 campaign and 17 goals and 12 assists the year before that for the Dutch giants. Therefore, he has the potential to come in and provide an attacking threat from out wide with goals and assists.

At the age of 24, Neres is also a player with potential who could grow alongside Leicester as a club. Rodgers could take him in and coach him into becoming a top-class winger, which fans could enjoy seeing in the Premier League – alongside the other young players at the club like Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Wilfred Ndidi.

Supporters could be excited about Neres’ potential, along with the statistics he has already produced for Ajax. This is why the comments from Overmars will be music to their ears ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline, but it is now down to Rodgers and co to get a deal over the line.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of today’s crunch match with Leicester City…

What’s the latest?

Interim head coach Ryan Mason has confirmed that Japhet Tanganga will not make the trip to the King Power Stadium after suffering a serious injury during their 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in midweek.

Speaking ahead of kick-off, he told reporters, via football.london:

“Japhet and Ben are the only two [absent] at the moment,” the 29-year-old revealed. “Japhet sustained a naughty ankle injury I think to his ligament so he won’t feature at the weekend and hopefully it isn’t too long for him out. Ben resumed some light training today [Friday] so they’re the only two at the moment who aren’t available for selection.”

Huge blow

This will come as worrying news to Mason as he has trusted the Hotspur Way academy graduate to start at right-back in recent outings, over both Serge Aurier and Matt Doherty, who were Jose Mourinho’s first choices.

The 22-year-old gem had started to come into this own in the role, putting in a solid performance against Wolves, building on his pair of outings against Aston Villa and Newcastle United over a month ago.

It now means Mason has a tough decision to make at right-back – does he go back to Aurier, who he’s not trusted in their last two outings, or will Doherty earn a rare start?

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The Ivory Coast international has been blasted for his displays in recent matches. Jamie Carragher slammed him as “one of the biggest liabilities in the Premier League” and one that would “put you off management” following their Carabao Cup final defeat, for example.

Whilst at one stage, the Irishman looked to already be on his way out of the club after just one season, with ESPN reporting that Mourinho was close to putting him up for sale due to his poor performances back in late February.

It’s no wonder that Mason has turned to the young academy starlet as a result, so to not have him available in their biggest game of the season is certainly a devastating blow that’ll leave the caretaker manager hugely gutted.

Spurs have to pick up a victory to stand a chance of qualifying for Europe. A defeat, with results going against them elsewhere, would condemn the North London outfit to their first season without European football since 2009/10.

That will certainly make them a less attractive prospect for Daniel Levy’s next hire.

The Lilywhites could well rue the absence of young Tanganga today, and having to pick between Aurier and Doherty in such a crucial match is like having to pick your poison.

Good luck, Ryan.

AND in other news, Mason must brutally axe £75k-p/w flop who’s “not good enough” today, he’s holding Spurs back…

Tottenham Hotspur could also sell an ‘important’ player who manager Antonio Conte ‘raves about’, according to journalist Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites exodus?

This upcoming Spurs transfer window looks set to be the most interesting one in quite some time.

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Lilywhites transfer chief Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy, tasked with backing Conte ahead of the 2022/2023 Premier League season, are reportedly going to sit down with the Italian as he eyes six major signings (The Telegraph).

However, amid their financial complications off the pitch, with club debt mounting to around £706 million, it is imperative that the club offload surplus players to balance the books and bolster Conte’s transfer kitty.

Their homegrown quota also presents a complication with reliable journalist Matt Law recently claiming that, if Spurs want to sign an overseas forward this summer, one of Steven Bergwijn or Lucas Moura may have to be offloaded.

The Latest: Gold backs possible Bergwijn exit…

Writing for football.london in the last 24 hours, another credible source in Tottenham correspondent Gold has now backed that Bergwijn could also leave north London amid consistent exit links surrounding other players.

This is despite the fact Conte ‘raves about’ his Dutch winger, even calling him an ‘important’ player, with Gold adding that Bergwijn is unlikely to want to stay for 22/23 amid his lack of minutes.

The Verdict: Stick or twist?

The Netherlands international has proven to be a useful option for Conte over this campaign.

His added time brace to clinch a dramatic 3-2 win at Leicester City in late January is evidence of the player’s impact and quality when given an opportunity, and could even be the moment that secures Champions League football come the end of the campaign.

Bergwijn’s versatility as an attacking outlet from the wide positions and further forward is another incentive for Spurs to keep hold of the former PSV Eindhoven star.

Despite his quality, though, a mooted move back to the Eredivisie with footballing giants Ajax could be too enticing to ignore – and if the 24-year-old pushes for a move – Spurs may well need to consider a sale depending on their possible offer.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.