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Aston Villa have been pretty active in the transfer market since making their way back to the Premier League at the end of the 2018/19 season.

Having brought in four new players during the recent January window, it seems as though the Midlands club are already in a race to secure the signing of one player in the summer that will be very familiar to a lot of Premier League followers.

What’s the news?

According to reports from Spain, Villa are one of the Premier League clubs alongside West Ham United and Newcastle United that are apparently interested in making a move to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

Prior to joining the French club, the Dutchman spent one year at Newcastle followed by five years with Liverpool where he racked up a total of 237 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with 22 goals and 16 assists as well as helping the Merseyside club win the Premier League and Champions League.

Labelled as a “sensational” player by Jurgen Klopp, Wijnaldum would certainly offer Villa a lot of top-level experience and finally give them the new central-midfielder that they’ve been after but failed to secure in January after missing out on deals for Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Also, making a swoop for the former Liverpool star could also give the Villans the chance to get rid of one of their current midfield options that hasn’t been particularly prominent for the team.

Since arriving from Marseille back in the 2021 January transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £16m, Morgan Sanson has only made 16 appearances for the club across all competitions after struggling with injuries, illness and a general lack of form, resulting in Dean Smith describing these issues as “frustrating.”

With six league appearances under his belt this season, the Frenchman has failed to show Steven Gerrard why he deserves to be in the squad by racking up a rather underwhelming overall performance rating of 6.34/10 from WhoScored, making him one of the lowest-rated players currently in the squad at Villa Park.

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Taking all of this into account, getting rid of Sanson and bringing in the £22.5m-rated Wijnaldum when the next summer transfer window opens could be a great bit of business for the Midlands club and give Villa their new midfield option that certainly knows what it takes to be successful in the Premier League.

In other news: Forget Mings: AVFC’s “Mr Consistent” with 35 duels lost has been costing Gerrard – opinion

Newcastle United continue their longest unbeaten run in over a decade in the Premier League as they took all three points against Brighton and Hove Albion at St James’ Park this afternoon, but it was definitely not a smooth ride for the Magpies.

Despite the home side sealing a 2-1 victory, Graham Potter’s men refused to give up on their chances of stealing a point right up to the last seconds of the game.

Newcastle took full control early into the first half, with Ryan Fraser and Fabian Schar both finding the net inside the first 15 minutes. However, the second half was not as calm and comfortable as Eddie Howe would have liked, especially when Lewis Dunk opened up Brighton’s chances to make a comeback in the 55th minute.

The second half certainly showed Newcastle’s weaknesses in the team, and although the Magpies were able to hold onto all three points for a fourth win in their last five matches, there are definitely question marks over certain players when the home side were attempting to hold onto an early lead.

One player who was completely off the mark today was Jonjo Shelvey, who made little to no impact against Brighton, and he was very lucky that his actions didn’t cost his team points overall.

According to SofaScore, Shelvey failed to make a single tackle or interception against his opponents, lost all of his aerial and ground duels over the 90 minutes and was dribbled past twice during the game.

Fortunately, the team had enough quality elsewhere to keep themselves ahead, but it does beg the question as to why the 30-year-old wasn’t benched in the second half to give Bruno Guimaraes the chance to bring a fresh impetus to midfield, and to give the £70k-p/w liability the break he clearly needed towards the end of the match.

Howe will be relieved that he has almost secured top-flight safety for the Magpies this season, as they have climbed to 14th and are now seven points clear of the relegation zone in the Premier League.

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It will be interesting to see if he takes the opportunity to rotate his team by giving some players a rest during the midweek clash against Southampton. On today’s evidence, Shelvey will be lucky to keep his place in the side for that one.

In other news: Newcastle United plot big-money move for Serie A predator

Jurgen Klopp could be facing a crisis like none he has faced before during his time as Liverpool manager, as both Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah’s contracts are set to expire at the end of next season.

The likes of Darwin Nunez, Marco Asensio and Jarrod Bowen have all been linked with a move to Anfield in the near future, while Kaide Gordon is showing some impressive potential in the academy, and Takumi Minamino has been thoroughly impressive when called upon this season.

However, back-up striker Divock Origi is set to leave at the end of this campaign, and Klopp’s priority for the Summer could be to replace him with a new number nine.

What’s the news?

German striker Karim Adeyemi has been linked with a move to Liverpool for some time now, and have just been given a boost in their pursuit according to Sky Germany, as front-runners Borussia Dortmund are still yet to agree a fee with his club Red Bull Salzburg.

The Austrian club are holding out for £34m to commit to a sale, while the German giants currently are at least £5m apart in their valuation – giving hope to other potential suitors who are more willing to negotiate like the Merseyside club.

Liverpool need to act now

With Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig also keen on the 20-year-old, Liverpool will need to act now on the starlet, who was described as “ice cold” by Germany manager Hansi Flick.

Having scored 15 goals in the Austrian Bundesliga so far this season, Adeyemi is the top-performing Salzburg forward this season with an average match rating of 7.18, as well as the current top scorer in the league.

For his performances in the Champions League, he ranks in the top 1% among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for carries into the penalty area per 90 (2.24) as well as penalties won per 90 (0.60).

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With a scoring frequency of one goal every 99 minutes in league football, the “atomic” speed demon could emulate former Salzburg star Erling Haaland and quickly become one of the best strikers in the world – which is why Liverpool need to act fast if they want to sign him in the Summer.

In other news: 24 y/o “joke” who wanted to “disappear from Liverpool” is now proving Klopp very wrong

Southampton are interested in signing Manchester United youngster James Garner this summer, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The Lowdown: Garner shining at Forest

The midfielder was loaned out to Nottingham Forest last summer, with United struggling to promise him regular playing time at Old Trafford.

Garner has excelled during his stay at the Championship club, chipping in with three goals and three assists and starting 25 league matches so far.

With his United future looking bleak, it could be that Southampton swoop this summer, with a fresh update suggesting as much.

The Latest: Journalist confirms Saints interest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Barclay claimed that there was genuine interest from Southampton ahead of a potential transfer materialising. He revealed of Garner and the Saints:

“He’s a player they’re tracking. They like him and are seeing how his progress goes. He’s an under-21 international who seemed to find it hard at first when he went on loan to Forest, but now he is flourishing under Steve Cooper.

“I don’t know what Manchester United’s situation is with him and how they view him long-term, but he’s one of the players Southampton like.”

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The Verdict: Strong summer addition

Garner is showing what a talented player he is for a promotion-chasing Championship team, having been described as ‘excellent’ by Forest manager Steve Cooper.

At 21, the Englishman has so much time to improve even further as a player, and he could be a brilliant signing by Saints, maturing under the management of Ralph Hasenhuttl.

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The club have made a habit of blooding top young English talent in the past such as Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Ward-Prowse, and it would be intriguing to see if Garner could enjoy similar success moving forward if he were to make the move to St Mary’s.

In other news, a close source has dropped a key Southampton update. Read more here.

Jordan Campbell has been buzzing over the UEFA Europa League draw involving Glasgow Rangers on Friday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Rangers’ Europa League route plotted out

After knocking out Red Star Belgrade 4-2 on aggregate, the Ibrox faithful were drawn against Braga in the quarter-final stage.

Should they go through again, they will then play either Atalanta or RB Leipzig in the semi-finals, before potentially facing West Ham United, Lyon, Eintracht Frankfurt or Barcelona in the final.

The Latest: Campbell buzzing

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic journalist Campbell was left buzzing with the draw, claiming that it is now an ‘exciting’ month ahead for the Gers, with the quarter-finals set to take place in April. He said:

“Braga, the only other team in the draw not from a big five league, is the best Rangers could have wished for.

“They’ve also avoided Barcelona, Lyon and West Ham who are in the other half of the draw. Exciting month ahead.”

The Verdict: Could go all the way

It is safe to say that the draw was relatively kind to the Light Blues, first of all by drawing Braga, given that they only rank 39th in the UEFA club coefficient table. Several of the other remaining Europa League teams are ranked higher, including the Gers.

They also avoided the likes of Barcelona and Lyon on the other side of the draw, each with a rich history in European competition, and also West Ham, who are flying high once more in the Premier League.

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Nonetheless, the draw has presented Rangers with a decent opportunity to go all the way to the final, and maybe even win it.

In other news, these were Rangers’ three worst performers on Thursday

Crystal Palace haven’t made contact over a summer move for Flamengo striker Pedro, according to recent reports.

The Lowdown: Palace interest in Pedro

Journalist Guillem Balague said that the Eagles are in the chase for the 24-year-old Brazilian striker, who is valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt.

Brighton, Southampton and Wolves have also been name-checked with an interest, with Palace shareholder John Textor recently purchasing a large stake in Brazilian club Botafogo.

Rumours have claimed that Textor could buy Pedro for Palace before loaning him to Botafogo, who are Flamengo’s local rivals.

The Latest: No contact for Pedro

Sport Witness relayed an update from journalist Jorge Nicola, who asked Pedro’s staff about Palace.

They claimed that there hasn’t been any contact from Selhurst Park so far, with Pedro’s current contract not expiring until 2025.

The Verdict: One to watch?

Although there hasn’t been any contact as of yet, it could still be one to keep a close eye on heading into the summer transfer window.

If the signing is made, Palace fans may want to keep hold of Pedro instead of loaning him back to Brazil due to the fact that he has scored 56 goals during his club career.

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Reports have hinted that Christian Benteke could leave Selhurst Park this summer, and if he does, Pedro could turn out to be a shrewd replacement for the Belgian.

In other news: Textor now lining up big Crystal Palace move for ‘phenomenal’ 152-goal star this summer

Pundit Noel Whelan has labelled a pending new deal for Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes as ‘incredible’, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Romano’s reveal

The Red Devils appear to be making a head start on their summer business and have already spoken with Erik ten Hag over the possibility of replacing Ralf Rangnick as manager.

A number of United players are also out of contract at the end of June, including club-record signing Paul Pogba.

Fernandes’ contract doesn’t expire until 2025, although Fabrizio Romano has revealed that there has been a ‘breakthrough’ in talks and a new five-year agreement has been ‘accepted’ by the 27-year-old.

The Latest: Whelan reacts to Fernandes latest

Whelan, who previously contributed for BBC Radio Leeds, was asked by Football Insider if a new deal for Fernandes was a coup.

This is what he had to say in reply, describing the attacking midfielder as a ‘huge player’ and labelling a pending new deal as ‘incredible’:

“Yeah, that’s a really important bit of business.

“He’s been a huge player for them since he’s come in, and his goal and assist record has proved that as well.

“He’s such a talented player, and they really need him in that side. Man United need that creativity and that goal threat from midfield.

“No, it hasn’t been the best season for him – but it’s been a very poor season from everyone at Old Trafford.

“To get him tied down, knowing they probably won’t be in the Champions League next season – that’s incredible.”

The Verdict: Smart move by Man United

Fernandes has contributed to 23 goals in 37 games this season, so a new and improved deal appears to be a shrewd decision by the club as they look to build for the future under a new manager.

He has also been the club’s best-rated performer in the Premier League among players who have made two or more appearances and has made more key passes per game than any other United player, as per WhoScored, so keeping your best players happy is obviously ideal.

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You’d also expect that Fernandes, who is the Red Devils’ ninth-best paid player at the moment on £180,000 per week, may well be in line for a pay rise, with all eyes now on an official announcement from the club.

In other news: ‘Absolutely shocking’ – Source reveals Man Utd star now wants to quit even if Ten Hag arrives

Aston Villa are now looking at signing a Tottenham star in January after reaching a pre-agreed deal for another player, according to one report today.

Aston Villa plan for January amid Premier League title race

The Midlands outfit find themselves in unprecedented territory this festive period — four points off Man City at the summit, nine consecutive wins across all competitions and a Premier League title charge nobody saw coming.

Unai Emery refuses to entertain talk of silverware publicly, but the numbers tell their own story.

Villa’s current form represents their finest run since 1919, and while they haven’t won a league title since 1981, or claimed any major silverware for three decades, here they sit, third in the table, four points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea.

The transformation has been nothing short of remarkable.

After five winless games to start the campaign and a barren run in front of goal, Villa languished in the relegation zone, but fast-forward to December, and they’ve beaten both Arsenal and Man City at home, becoming the first team to rack up 2.1 expected goals against the Gunners all season.

Behind the scenes at Villa Park, January planning is also in full swing.

Related Fabrizio Romano shares exciting January transfer update out of Aston Villa

The Villans need squad depth to maintain their charge.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini

Emery’s recruitment team are working overtime to strengthen a squad suddenly competing at English football’s pinnacle, according to Fabrizio Romano, as they look to balance the demands of a title race with Europa League commitments that continue deep into spring.

Villa have already secured Brazilian teenager Alysson from Gremio in a deal worth £8.7m initially, rising to £10.5m with performance-related add-ons.

The 19-year-old winger represents exactly the profile Emery covets – young, hungry, adaptable. Gremio retain a 10 per cent sell-on clause, with formalities expected to be completed early in the transfer window.

That is according to journalist Graeme Bailey, who has also shared Villa’s interest in a deal for Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson.

Aston Villa looking at signing Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson

As per Bailey, writing for TEAMtalk, Villa have entered the race for Johnson ahead of January.

The Wales forward has fallen out of favour under Thomas Frank in north London, with Mohammed Kudus’ arrival in the summer relegating him to a bit-part role.

Johnson scored their Europa League-winning goal in May and bagged 18 goals in all competitions last season, finishing 2024/2025 as their top scorer.

James Maddison also called his teammate a ‘relentless’ player in the final third.

Subscribe to our newsletter for transfer insight Discover richer context: subscribe to the newsletter for deeper transfer insight, clear analysis of Aston Villa’s recruitment strategy and how potential moves could shape their title challenge. Get expert breakdowns and informed perspectives. Subscribe Subscribe to our newsletter for transfer insight Discover richer context: subscribe to the newsletter for deeper transfer insight, clear analysis of Aston Villa’s recruitment strategy and how potential moves could shape their title challenge. Get expert breakdowns and informed perspectives.

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However, he’s managed just six Premier League starts this term, accumulating barely 900 minutes of action. The 24-year-old finds himself on the fringes of Frank’s plans, so a January exit is very possible.

Villa are looking at signing Johnson next month after their pre-agreed deal for Alysson, but Crystal Palace remain favourites for his signature, with sources suggesting Johnson is “receptive” to a move across London seeking regular football ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

That being said, Villa represents an altogether different proposition — European football, a genuine title challenge and the opportunity to work under one of Spain’s most tactically astute managers.

Taking this into account, we surely can’t discount Emery’s side in the race just yet.

Related Aston Villa seriously considering Jan move for "incredible" 10-goal striker

The Villans are looking to sign a new centre-forward this winter, having identified a number of targets.

Posts ByDominic Lund

Everton journalist Patrick Boyland has shed light on the absences of Nathan Patterson, Andre Gomes and Seamus Coleman against West Ham United on Sunday. 

The lowdown

Lampard selected Jonjoe Kenny at right-back against the Hammers, with two of his other options in Patterson and Coleman unavailable.

The Scottish youngster has yet to feature in the Premier League following his £11.5m move from Rangers in January, while the Irish veteran had started the last seven matches prior to the international break. Meanwhile, the Portuguese midfielder has made five appearances since Lampard took over in the winter.

Everton’s 2-1 defeat at the London Stadium kept them just three points above the relegation zone ahead of a potentially crucial clash with 19th-placed Burnley on Wednesday night.

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The latest

Boyland provided a succinct update on the Everton trio in The Athletic’s matchday discussion forum on Sunday.

He informed readers: “Been told Nathan Patterson and Gomes are injured. Coleman sick”.

The verdict

The trip to Turf Moor could well define Everton’s season, but Lampard may be dealing with as many 10 absentees unless Coleman recovers in time.

Yerry Mina, Fabian Delph, Tom Davies and Andros Townsend have already been ruled out, while Michael Keane joined Allan on the suspended list after his red card on Sunday. Furthermore, Donny van de Beek has to be considered a doubt too after pulling out of the line-up in east London following an injury in the warm-up.

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Lampard may feel that fortune is conspiring against his team, and he can only hope that the crisis eases ahead of the all-important final month of the campaign.

In other news, Lee McLean tore into one Everton player following the defeat to West Ham

When Jermaine Jenas declared on Saturday evening that Arsenal are now his pick for the Premier League title, a few moments of awkward silence fell over the Match of the Day studio as Ruud Gullet and Gary Lineker expressed mild disbelief through their facial muscles – and not because of the retired midfielder’s ties with local rivals Tottenham.

It’s not very fashionable for pundits to actively express support for the Gunners. Most would prefer to focus on the club’s limited spending during the summer and how sharply it deviates from the Premier League norm, or the apparent naivety of Arsene Wenger’s overtly attacking tactics, or their admittedly poor performances against Olympiacos last month and Sheffield Wednesday last week.

Consequentially, a common narrative has developed from the Premier League’s punditry alumni, claiming that regardless of form or results or any other factor suggesting otherwise, history will inevitably repeat itself in north London and Arsenal will finish the campaign as nearly men once again.

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It’s what the media, pundits and even the Premier League table has told us for the most part of the last decade, so perhaps the uniformity in that belief shouldn’t be so surprising. Having inevitably slipped away from the unassailable heights of the Invincibles, Arsenal are always a bit of an easy target when criticising for criticism’s sake.

But unpredictability is the beauty of football. Chelsea’s miraculous decline from champions to potentially managerless relegation battlers is mesmerising because it has been completely unexpected; so if even Jose Mourinho’s fortunes can plummet between the course of May and August, why can’t the reverse be true for the Gunners? It’s time the pundits started taking Arsenal a little more seriously, judging them on the present rather than the past.

As I have been arguing for the last few weeks, there is something subtly yet intrinsically different about Arsenal at the moment – something only noticeable if you watch them closely for a full ninety minutes rather than depending upon the abbreviated analysis of Match of the Day. They’ve become craftier, more pragmatic and more ruthless since the start of the season, once again evident during their 3-0 win over Swansea City on Saturday.

3-0 is the perfect score line for any title-contending side. It requires the attacking threat to score thrice, the defensive organisation to claim a clean sheet, the quality to dominate an opponent yet the maturity to not waste energy or take unnecessary risks in pursuit of a more self-indulgent score line.

So Saturday’s result makes it three 3-0 wins in four Premier League games for Arsenal, intriguingly enough against three different calibres of opponent in lower-mid-tablers Watford, upper-mid-tablers Swansea City and fellow title contenders Manchester United. Each side required a different strategy and each match took its own unique course of events, yet Arsenal ended up with the same score line – the perfect score line – every time.

Furthermore, a telling pattern has developed throughout these three fixtures. Against the Hornets, the Swans and the Red Devils, Arsenal’s three goals all came in 15-minute to 25-minute bursts. Rather than simply attacking from the first minute to the last, the Gunners waited for the match’s momentum to swing in their favour before allowing their predatory instincts to take over. That’s something we’ve all known Arsenal are capable of for a long time – but it’s the balance, organisation and restraint they’ve demonstrated in the remaining 65-odd minutes that suggests this Gunners side varies from its predecessors.

No doubt, we are looking at a different Arsenal this season – a more precise, calculated, balanced and focused Arsenal. Whether that means Jenas’ title-winning prediction is correct remains to be seen. After all, the Gunners lack the depth of current favourites and table-toppers Manchester City, who lead them on goal difference, and there have been disappointing performances this season in the Champions League and the Capital One Cup.

But if the north London outfit don’t claim this season’s English crown, it won’t simply be because history has condemned them not to, as pundits continually seem to imply. This Arsenal team have indisputably improved; it’s now a question of whether they’ve improved enough.

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Either way, unconvinced sectors of the media need to start accepting Arsene Wenger’s side as genuine title contenders – or they could look incredibly silly come the end of May.

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