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Aston Villa made a monumental signing in the summer of 2012, as they tempted Christian Benteke to join them for a fee of just £7m.

Although he went on to be a raging success for the Villains, scoring 49 times in just 101 appearances, there was another hulking Belgian who could have joined in his place.

According to Birmingham Live, Paul Lambert had a host of high-profile names who might have joined instead that summer.

Headlining that list was Romelu Lukaku, as the former Villa manager said:

“Prior to signing Benteke, I spoke to (Romelu) Lukaku, and we also looked at signing (Kevin) de Bruyne on loan – when they were both kids at Chelsea.”

Everton would instead sign the Chelsea man just a few years later, with his goal-scoring exploits catapulting him to being the Toffees’ all-time top scorer in the Premier League. 

In total, he scored 87 times in 166 appearances for the Merseyside outfit, as well as contributing 29 assists.

Their pursuit of the 29-year-old started with this loan move, ending with a permanent switch in 2014. Had Villa struck first instead, it could have been them who were blessed with this lethal forward who possessed far more speed than Benteke did as well as all the physical attributes.

It is these attributes that led to Italian football expert David Amoyal labelling him a “beast” as well as commending his goal-scoring prowess after moving to Inter Milan. He has enjoyed a fine career, and despite certain lulls and questions asked about his technical ability, he still has 275 total career goals.

One of these supposed lulls occurred during his stint at Manchester United, but ex-striker Andy Cole insisted he had been “phenomenal” following his debut season, where he had scored 27 in all competitions.

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Although Benteke was a success, his transfer to Liverpool was abrupt and showed his liability to move to a bigger club at the first opportunity. Lukaku conversely stuck around at Everton far longer than was expected.

Had Lambert opted for him, they could’ve had guaranteed goals and a huge physical presence up front for a longer time, creating a more sustainable future for the club.

Instead, the season following his departure they were relegated.

Aston Villa could seal two more signings at Villa Park before the window closes on September 1st…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Birmingham Mail reporter Ashley Preece, who delivered an exciting Aston Villa transfer claim to supporters during an online Q&A session, having arrived in Australia for their pre-season training camp.

“I believe Johan Lange is back at base in the UK drawing up a shortlist. I’m not expecting any transfer activity this week. SG [Steven Gerrard] wants to further strengthen the engine room so I fully expect one midfielder to come in. Transfer window still has more than six weeks left to run,” he said before adding:

“I’d say two more; midfielder and possibly one more…”

Villa not done yet

It’s clear that the Midlands outfit are by no means finished with their transfer business just yet, having already signed Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara and Ludwig Augustinsson, on top of the permanent arrivals of Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen.

Despite adding the Marseille powerhouse to Gerrard’s squad, it is interesting to see that another midfielder is among the priorities as he also has John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Morgan Sanson, Marvelous Nakamba and Jacob Ramsey at his disposal.

However, the Brazilian star has been linked with an exit in recent weeks, with Serie A champions AC Milan thought to be keen on his signature.

It’s also believed that Gerrard is after a new striker to rival Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, having been mooted with moves for Jonathan David and Mauro Icardi, among others.

With less than a month to go until the start of the new Premier League season, Lange will need to act quick to get the players in before it’s too late for them to adapt to Gerrard’s system and training.

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But it is rather exciting to see that Preece is banking on the Midlands side making two more additions, so his latest claim should leave the Vila Park faithful absolutely buzzing.

It’s certainly a thrilling time to be a Villa fan right now.

AND in other news, Preece delivers Keinan Davis update…

Mike McGrath has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United winger Raphinha.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Telegraph journalist revealed that, despite reports claiming that Barcelona were planning to hold off their negotiations for the 25-year-old until it became clear which league Leeds will be participating in next season, this is in fact not the case, with Xavi’s side now believed to have stepped up their interest in the Brazil international – with the LaLiga side planning on initiating transfer talks with the Whites imminently.

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In his tweet, McGrath said: “Barca have stepped up [their] bid to land Raphinha in the summer, planning on imminent talks over the deal for the LUFC [player] in the event of his club staying in Premier League or not.”

Supporters will be devastated

While the vast majority of Leeds supporters are more than likely resigned to the fact that Raphinha will be moving onto pastures new this summer – something that is evident from a recent poll ran on Football FanCast – the news that Barca are now hoping to secure a deal for the winger in the near future will nevertheless have left the Elland Road faithful devastated.

Indeed, the 25-year-old has arguably proven himself to be one of the club’s best signings over the past 20 years, with the £17m 2020 arrival having scored 16 goals and registered 12 assists over his 63 appearances for the Whites.

And, despite Leeds’ struggles this season, it has been over the winger’s 31 Premier League appearances in 2021/22 in which Raphinha has truly proven his ability at the highest level, with the £40.5m-rated forward bagging ten goals, providing three assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.5 shots, making two key passes and completing two dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £63k-per-week winger average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.95, ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s second-best outfielder in the top flight of English football.

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As such, while Raphinha’s potential £60m exit from Elland Road would undoubtedly represent fantastic transfer business by Victor Orta, the prospect of losing a player of the Brazilian’s ability in the coming weeks will nevertheless be a devastating thought for supporters of the Whites.

AND in other news: Victor Orta could “pick up a real gem” with Leeds bid for “complete” 17 G/A sensation

Aston Villa have been thriving ever since Steven Gerrard was appointed as Dean Smith’s replacement as manager, following a bad start to the season which left them 16th after losing five consecutive games in the Premier League during the autumn.

Villa have picked up 16 points in 10 games under the 41-year-old and now sit level on points with 10th- placed Leicester City in the league table, with Gerrard’s impact on the side clear to see.

Despite the U-turn that the Liverpool legend has inspired so far at Villa, not every player has benefited from his presence at the club, with Danny Ings failing to make an impact ever since he was signed last summer.

It is clear that the 29-year-old and fellow striker Ollie Watkins can’t find the connection when they play together, with Ings scoring three of his four Premier League goals this season when his strike partner was not on the pitch.

At the end of December, it was revealed that the former Southampton forward had the lowest non-penalty xG per 90 (0.15) and the lowest xA per 90 (0.02) of any Premier League forward so far this season, and has since scored just one goal.

Ings’ presence is clearly affecting Watkins’ output too, as the latter has been relocated out wide to accommodate the ex-Liverpool striker, Nonetheless, he has scored more than Ings, with five goals and one assist in 19 appearances so far this season.

Former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor weighed in on the lack of connection between the two strikers. Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “For me, when I watch Watkins play as a central striker making runs into the channels, that’s where I want to see him, that’s what gets the best out of him.

“Every time I’ve watched Ings and Watkins play together it hasn’t worked, something isn’t working with their connection.”

Now that Gerrard has signed Philippe Coutinho, it could be the right time to axe the £19.8m-rated Ings from the team. That would Watkins to revert to his preferred position up top, with Emi Buendia and Coutinho out wide, a setup which was clearly more effective in Villa’s first win in three games against Everton recently.

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It will be interesting to see how the Villa manager tackles the challenge of setting up his forward line, especially when Leon Bailey returns from injury. Unfortunately for Ings, he simply hasn’t done enough since the start of the season to merit being a regular in the starting XI, so it may be time for Gerrard to wield the axe on him.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops behind-the-scenes Villa claim

Leeds United have sent scouts to watch Nottingham Forest attacker Brennan Johnson in action, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Johnson profiled

The Wales international, has scored 16 goals during his senior career to date, three of which have come during the current campaign.

Capable of playing on either wing, as an attacking midfielder or a centre-forward, Johnson has been a regular for the Reds in the Championship following a successful loan spell with Lincoln City last season.

He was described as a player with ‘real quality’ by Michael Appleton, his manager during his time the Imps, and it now seems as if Victor Orta has his eye on the 20-year-old.

The Latest: Source shares Leeds interest

Football Insider, who were informed by a Leeds source, claimed that the Whites are tracking Johnson as they put together a list of potential January and summer targets.

The report added that the Yorkshire club even sent a scout to watch him live in action against Queens Park Rangers – the first step in a possible transfer for the youngster.

The Verdict: Mixed displays…

Leeds reportedly watched Johnson live towards the end of October in west London, and statistically he had a mixed display that evening.

The youngster played up front with Lewis Grabban, but it was the experienced striker who was replaced on the hour mark, with Johnson playing the entire game. He completed four successful dribbles and had six shots in total, but he also lost the ball on 21 occasions and attempted just 12 passes [SofaScore].

Nonetheless, it seems as though the Whites are keeping a close eye on Johnson, and they would’ve been more impressed following his display on Saturday in a 3-0 win over Preston as he won a penalty and came out on top in eight of his 12 duels [SofaScore].

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At the tender age of 20, a certain level of inconsistency may be expected, but the Leeds target does seem to be showing some good signs in recent games and has a decent goal tally at this early point of his career.

In other news: £40k-p/w Leeds colossus who Bielsa called ‘important’ now wants out of Elland Road for good

Backing news of Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in Cagliari star Nahitan Nandez, Sky Sports have now come out with their own update on the chase for the tenacious midfielder.

The Lowdown: Spurs now eyeing Nandez…

Tottenham have entered the chase to sign Nandez in recent days as numerous reports reveal managing director Fabio Paratici’s interest in bringing him to north London.

Indeed, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the 25-year-old is one of many midfield targets on the Italian chief’s list with ‘contacts started’ but no official bid yet.

Calciomercato, however, go one step further and claim that Paratici has already made an offer to sign him on loan with an obligation to buy – a move amounting to around €30 million (£25.5m) in total.

Sky Sports, while not exactly sharing news on an official bid, back news of interest in Nandez as they share their own update.

The Latest: Sky Sports back news of Nandez interest

The reliable source claims Spurs have now made an approach to sign the 41-cap dynamo who impressed across his 31 Serie A starts over 2020/2021.

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Nandez handed in a transfer request earlier this window following interest from Inter Milan and his versatility is highlighted as a real plus point.

The midfield maestro can play in the middle of the park, out wide and even as a right wing-back – potentially coming as a solution to the Spurs full-back issue as well as a target who can protect the back four.

The Verdict: Get it done Fabio…

At just 25, Nandez comes with a real potential for sell-on value in years to come if he keeps on performing at a high level.

Italian news outlet La Nuova believe he could depart the Sardegna Arena if any interested parties activate his alleged €36 million release clause (£30m).

Indeed, Nandez could well leave for slightly less than other Spurs midfield targets, like Sporting Lisbon’s Joao Palhinha for example (£34m), while solving more problems in Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad due to his versatility.

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He has also attracted plenty of praise from the press, with ESPN and BT Sports football pundit Mina Rzouki branding him ‘so amazing’ and ‘underrated’ on Twitter.

If Tottenham manage to get him over the line, we believe he could be quite the shrewd purchase.

In other news: ‘Omg’, ‘Yessss’, ‘I beg’…Many Tottenham fans erupt as ‘perfect’ news emerges, find out more here.

Mark Douglas has dropped some insight from those close to the potential takeover of Newcastle United on the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Arbitration looming

The arbitration case between the St. James’ Park faithful and the Premier League is set to take place in July, as the separate anti-competition lawsuit could also be launched after, depending on the results of the hearing.

It should give a much clearer picture over the direction of where the proposed deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group is heading, but until the results are found out there is still uncertainty surrounding the North East, especially considering its timing in relation to the transfer window and the start of the new season.

The Latest: Insight from sources close to takeover

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Douglas has shared that close sources to the takeover bid who are familiar with the approach to the Tyneside club think that there is little prospect of anything happening in time to impact the transfer window.

The journalist adds that even with a successful separation argument, it could lead into further questions from the top flight, which could delay the deal even further.

The Verdict: Transfer window blow

It would certainly be a blow if nothing on the takeover front could be completed in time for it to have an impact on the Magpies’ business in the transfer window.

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The Toon would have likely be hoping for a quick spike in cash at their disposal should their arbitration case prove successful, but it looks as if they may have to deal with a tight budget once more, especially due to the financial impact that the global pandemic has had.

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Nonetheless, if a takeover is completed over the next few months, then it may be January that we could see NUFC looking at buying a much higher calibre of player, and then next summer where we would likely see some very interesting business being done.

In other news, find out what big claim Ben Jacobs has dropped on the potential takeover after KSA news emerged here!

Sheffield Wednesday are in dire need of a major rebuild this summer and there won’t be a better time to do so, with several of the current Owls squad out of contract at the end of the season.

Indeed, new Wednesday boss Darren Moore has a decision to make on no fewer than 12 senior stars, ranging from former captain Tom Lees to emerging prospect Osaze Urhoghide.

A lot of this squad has been knocking about Hillsborough for several seasons, even stretching back to that double playoff run under Carlos Carvalhal and one name that has overstayed his welcome is surely Dutch midfielder Joey Pelupessy.

The 5 foot 10 maestro was the first signing of that fateful Jos Luhukay era, and very much in a similar vein, he has never really hit the ground running in south Yorkshire.

At the time, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf (via Sport Witness) reported that Pelupessy had cost around €500k (£426k), whilst it is thought he’s earning wages of £12.5k-per-week, which puts him amongst the Owls’ best-paid players.

According to The Star, the 27-year-old has attracted interest from other teams ahead of the summer, both in England and abroad. They believe ‘there have been conversations,’ in particular, with foreign teams, as Pelupessy has been free to join them on a pre-contract agreement since January.

The long-serving midfielder is certainly a player who splits opinion at Wednesday, as seen by the reaction to him signing a one-year extension last summer.

“This is embarrassing,” said one fan. Another added: “One of the worst players I’ve seen at Hillsborough. Shows the ambition of the club.” Whilst there were positives, some dubbed him a “likeable bloke” and a further supporter claimed he’d be a “good back-up,” as relayed by YorkshireLive.

It’s easy to see why he causes such a stir. In three-and-a-half seasons, he’s never averaged above a mediocre 6.67 rating – and that came in his first six months at the club, as per WhoScored.

His current average of 6.40 is comfortably the worst of his Owls career to date, so it is not like he’s proving a point to Moore that he must be kept around. Overall, you could argue that he’s been one massive flop at Hillsborough.

Owls skipper Barry Bannan has waxed lyrical about his partner in the past, claiming he’s “brilliant” and “the perfect foil” to his playmaking style as “he does the horrible bits that nobody likes to do.”

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But with the Dutchman sat amongst Wednesday’s worst performers this campaign, it’s hard to put up a case for offering him yet another contract extension.

It’s time to move on from the Luhukay disaster, irrespective of the division Wednesday will be in next term

AND in other news, “He needs people who..” – Exclusive: Palmer drops Moore claim amid Sheffield Wednesday setback

Many Liverpool fans have been talking about an update involving Georginio Wijnaldum that recently emerged on social media.

In an article for EuroSport, journalist Dean Jones recently provided some information regarding the Dutch midfielder’s situation. The report stated that Jurgen Klopp is set to urge Liverpool to make a new attempt to convince the Dutchman to sign a new deal at Anfield.

The report claimed that terms couldn’t be agreed in the earlier negotiations but Klopp believes that handing Wijnaldum a new deal with higher wages would be a better option than signing a replacement. The manager was the driving force behind the club’s signature of Thiago Alcantara and he could do the same, when it comes to Wijnaldum’s potential new deal.

His current deal at the Anfield-based side runs out at the end of the season. Because of that, he would be free to agree a pre-contract deal with foreign clubs in the January transfer window.

The 30-year-old had joined Liverpool from Newcastle in the summer of 2016 for a fee of £25 million. This season, the Dutchman has made 19 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, scoring one goal so far.

The update about Wijnaldum was relayed on Twitter by Anfield Edition and many Liverpool fans gave their opinion about the news, with one supporter hailing him as ‘spectacular’.

What did Liverpool fans make of this update regarding Wijnaldum?

In other news, Liverpool fans have reacted to the club’s links with a Premier League defender – read more about it here!

According to Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold, Ryan Sessegnon could make a breakthrough into the first-team at Tottenham before the end of this season.

What did he say?

The England youth international has had a rocky start to his career at Spurs, with various injury problems restricting him to just 12 appearances across all competitions – in total, he has only played 341 minutes of Premier League football.

Whilst Sessegnon has been a peripheral figure this season, Gold has insisted that Lilywhites boss Jose Mourinho remains a big fan of the former Fulham ace, and that should their chances of finishing in the top five go, he could be one of the main beneficiaries.

He said: “Mourinho likes him and wanted him at United. For now it’s about building him up & working on his defensive skills. Mourinho told me he sees him as a terrific future left-back, with similar traits to Ashley Cole, but he’s not ready yet. It’s telling that he looks to have bulked up during lockdown which will aid his development. I’d be surprised if he’s loaned out a year after being bought for £30m.

“Same with (Oliver) Skipp, I think if top 5 chances go then you’ll see a lot of the younger players given chances to stake their claim for a more regular spot. He’s had a tough season with injury and he’s still got a lot of work to do. He’s got such a high ceiling though.”

Opportunity

After drawing against Manchester United and beating West Ham, Spurs are firmly in the race for Champions League football next season. With Manchester City’s place in the competition under threat, a fifth-placed finish may well be enough this season, and currently, Mourinho’s side lie just four points behind that spot.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

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If the Lilywhites somehow collapse over these coming games, then Sessegnon may well be given the chance to shine towards the last couple of weeks of the campaign. But with there being so much to play for, it’s difficult to see how Mourinho would be confident enough in throwing a young starlet who has barely played into the deep end.

Sessegnon’s time is likely to come next season rather than this as Gold suggests.