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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.

Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has criticised Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in his latest set of Premier League predictions ahead of the weekend fixtures.

What did he say?

Well, the Scot was talking about the Toffees’ comeback 3-2 win against Watford at Vicarage Road last weekend, labelling them as “absolutely abysmal” while they were 2-0 down.

However, while he then proceeded to pick out Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and previous match-winner Theo Walcott for general praise, their stopper teammate wasn’t so lucky.

Nicholas told Sky Sports: “The form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been promising, while Walcott has improved, with his pace and movement a constant threat. Richarlison is down the left and they have some tidy enough midfielders to complement their attack but it is the defence that is the worry.

“They look so vulnerable. Jordan Pickford cannot be branded as England’s No. 1. He looks off it.”

Did he really play for us?! No Everton fan has managed to name all of these obscure Toffees players….

Is he right?

He’s certainly right about them defensively even though they lie ninth in the Premier League standings, given they have conceded 37 times in their 25 top-flight matches this term – to put that into perspective, the tally is only two fewer than Watford and one fewer than Bournemouth.

It’s fair to say that Pickford hasn’t been in brilliant form either for the Toffees, and he was rightly called into question by The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland following the collapse against Newcastle United earlier this month, having been stood behind his line when he ‘saved’ the Magpies’ equalising goal.

Watch Everton Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

His distribution may be one of his big strengths, but he has his weaknesses too and one of those is his general failure to command his penalty area effectively.

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His manager Carlo Ancelotti has already backed him publicly, but you still get the feeling the England number one may have plenty to prove to his manager between now and the end of the season.

In other Everton news, Toffees fans have been feverishly discussing a Scottish Premiership star with 19 goals in 22 league games this season, with one saying they’d “take him at Everton”…

According to an exclusive report coming from 90min, Manchester City are eyeing a bid for Red Bull Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano with an aim to boost their defensive line in the January transfer window.

Since the Citizens are still battling with injuries and absences in the defence, reinforcements could be a good idea for Pep Guardiola.

But even though Upamecano seems like more than just a solid option for the Citizens, there are some alternatives that could be available should they choose to expand their search a little bit more.

So without further ado, here are three Upamecano alternatives City should consider:

Ibrahima Konate – RB Leipzig

Upamecano is definitely Leipzig’s shining diamond in the back at the moment but interestingly enough, his partner in crime, Konate, can boast similar ability and technique to the 21-year-old Frenchman.

Konate, however, is a year younger and, granted, currently out injured, but as far as centre-backs who are highly-rated, calm and collected on the ball and present a great prospect for the future go, he is the real deal.

Watch Manchester City Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Besides, he’s played 49 games in the Bundesliga already with one goal and one assist to his name as well.

He is very young, true, but his CV is not as blank as is the case with some other players of his age. City would be getting someone with a high ceiling but also with a pretty decent background as it is.

And if they can tempt Upamecano to leave Leipzig, Konate should also be pretty attainable for the Citizens.

Juan Foyth – Tottenham Hotspur

When it comes to some of the best ball-playing young centre-backs in the world, hardly anyone can challenge Tottenham Hotspur’s 21-year-old gem.

Foyth is young, skilled, has a high ceiling and would be a great addition for a club like Manchester City.

The Argentine’s style of play suits Guardiola’s needs as he is known for his high technical ability and security on the ball, often engaging in dribbles and pleasing passing manoeuvres.

During the Copa America, Foyth played a total of four games, producing a 90.8% passing accuracy, 1.5 dribbles and 29.8 average passes per game, which perfectly illustrates how good he is on the ball.

Of course, the only downside of this potential transfer is his injury record. He suffered an ankle injury earlier in the ongoing campaign and the last thing City need is another defender prone to those kinds of setbacks. Preventing them should, in that case, be a priority for the Citizens.

Luring him away from Spurs, however, should not be as difficult now as it could’ve been a season ago.

With the club currently sitting in 14th and things looking rather grim, maybe now is actually the best time to try and snatch him away from.

If successful, it would be a huge scoop for Guardiola.

Milan Skriniar – Inter Milan

The biggest and the most developed name on the list is definitely the Nerazzurri’s Skriniar.

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At the age of 24, the Slovak centre-back is one of the hottest defenders that are currently on the market. Of course, with interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, Manchester City could face some competition for his signature but at the end of the day, such big names taking interest in a player usually signals he’s worth the hassle.

Inter Milan are currently doing pretty well under Antonio Conte so luring him away could represent a challenge for Guardiola’s troops, but City have big enough pulling power to make it happen and the budget to go with that.

Besides, getting a young prospect into the team is important but someone like Skriniar would be able to instantly improve them at a time when they actually need it the most.

The 24-year-old would be an immediate fix and would offer a bet for the future as well, boasting a pass success rate of 94.4% in Serie A this term, as well as averaging 1.2 tackles and 0.7 dribbles per game – as per WhoScored.

He’s very much worth all the trouble, if City can get their hands on him.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Wolves midfielder Kenny Hibbitt has made an audacious claim about the club’s Europa League chances this season in an interview with Express & Star.

What’s he said?

Hibbitt was part of the famous Wolves side that reached the 1972 UEFA Cup final where Tottenham Hotspur narrowly came out on top. He also helped the club towards two promotions which saw them rise back into the top-flight.

The Midlands oufit are now embarking on another historic campaign having reached the group stages of this season’s Europa League for the first time under the competition’s current format.

Have you heard the strangest chant in the Premier League yet? Hear it in the video below…

They won all six of their ties, including a tough-looking encounter against Serie A outfit Torino to progress.

The next stage begins in just seven days as they host Braga at Molineux. Besiktas and Slovan Bratislava the two other sides in their group.

Club legend Hibbitt made 574 appearances over 16 years and believes Nuno Santo’s side can achieve the unthinkable by winning the whole competition, he said:

“They’ve entered the competition thinking they can win it, I’m sure. I think they can win it.

“It’s a great achievement getting there, and I think we can win it, definitely.

“We have got players who’ve tasted it before, and they’ll pass on their experience to those who are still finding their feet.

“Of course, you have still got to go out and do it, but they are opposition we can get past.”

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Don’t try to run before you can walk

This is all a very new feeling for the entire club – ownership, management, players and fans.

It is the first time in nearly 40 years that they are even competing in Europe, something they achieved in their first season back in the top-flight since 2012.

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Previous trends have suggested that competing on the continent severely hinders progression in the Premier League and the season to date has undoubtedly taken measures in proving that with Wolves sitting 17th in the table without a single victory.

Even though some sort of success would be nice, it can’t be prioritised over maintaining their presence in the top-flight, where they have the potential to mount many more charges on the top seven from here on out.

Wolves have potential in Europe but to suggest they can win it may be a stretch too far.

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