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Aston Villa have been encouraged in their attempts to sign Southampton star James Ward-Prowse this summer, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Praised by the best…

We first heard of Villa’s interest in Ward-Prowse a day after the club agreed a deal for Emiliano Buendia.

Reports in the middle of June suggested that owners Wes Edens and Naseef Sawiris would back a big-money move and wanted to seal a deal in time of the club’s return for pre-season training.

The 26-year-old, who scored two free-kicks against Villa last season, was hailed by Pep Guardiola as the best free-kick taker he has seen in his life, and it seems as if Villa are still keen on the set-piece specialist.

The Latest: Source shares update

According to Football Insider, who were informed by a recruitment source, Villa are now readying a bid for the Saints captain.

That will come after other parts of their transfer jigsaw fall into place, with Villa given third-party indications that Ward-Prowse is keen on a move to the Midlands.

The England international is impressed with the club’s ambition and views a potential move to Villa Park as an upgrade on the Saints.

The Verdict: It could take another club-record fee…

It’s good to know that Edens and Sawiris are willing to throw their financial might behind a move for Ward-Prowse, as it could well take another club-record fee to bring him to the club.

Villa spent £34.56m on Buendia earlier this summer, with his Transfermarkt valuation at the time standing at £19.8m.

Ward-Prowse currently holds a £27m valuation on the same site and still has a whopping four years remaining on his St Mary’s deal.

On that basis, the Saints may not want to sell unless an eye-catching offer comes in, and you’d expect that would have to be over £35m.

In other news: ‘Good mates with Jack’ – Many AVFC fans erupt as transfer comments emerge on ‘quality’ 25 y/o, find out more here. 

Flocking to Twitter, these West Ham United fans have erupted over a fresh transfer claim involving Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips.

David Moyes has set his sights on signing a centre-half in January as emergency cover for injured duo Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma with West Ham facing a congested fixture calendar.

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The January transfer window could be a fruitful avenue to strengthen West Ham sufficiently whilst providing a real injection of quality into the side.

Having dropped out of the top four after a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal recently, Irons supporters have been left thrilled after a fresh update involving Phillips.

According to The Sun, as West Ham and recruitment chief Rob Newman eye a move, it is believed that Liverpool are now ‘willing to sell’ their defender for just £15 million next month.

The 24-year-old, by his own admission, is also open to leaving in January and the Reds apparently won’t stand on his way if a £15m bid is put on the table.

West Ham fans erupt…

Given this price tag and Phillips’ ability, it’s little wonder some supporters see this as an ‘absolute bargain’.

The central defender averaged more clearances per 90 in the Premier League than any Liverpool player last season (WhoScored), a sure indication of his dependability at the back.

Still a fairly young player, these Irons supporters believe snapping him up for £15m is a no-brainer.

Find all of their best verdicts down below:

“Yes please”

Credit: @WestHamXtra

“Absolute bargain, Give them Diop for free as well”

Credit: @iDUNKbiscuits

“He would be a great addition!”

Credit: @dhramijo

“Would be buzzing to pull this off would rather him over ake or tarkowski”

Credit: @StephenCochrane

“@WestHam starter for ten let’s go irons don’t leave it too late the teams slipping”

Credit: @nubaka

“can be good for a proven pl player caleta car never played in pl so we don’t know if he have what’s needed + when ogbonna gonna retire we have a good cb pairing with zouma 15M is a steal”

Credit: @krays2208

In other news: ‘We are back’, ‘What I wanted to hear’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘best news’ has these West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur coach Antonio Conte has been dealt bad injury news ahead of their clash with Aston Villa in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites in form…

In recent weeks, Spurs have managed to build a consistent run of form under Conte following a mediocre start to the New Year.

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The Lilywhites have won five out of their last six Premier League games, including impressive wins against the likes of Man City, Newcastle and Everton.

Tottenham are aiming to qualify for the Champions League ahead of 2022/2023, a feat which could majorly boost Conte’s chances of staying in north London and increase their pull in this summer’s transfer market.

As they take on Aston Villa today, though, it appears Conte and co will remain without a key midfield in Oliver Skipp despite reports earlier this week he was set to return to the grass.

The Latest: BBC relay team news…

As relayed by the BBC and confirmed by Tottenham’s head coach, the English capital giants have been dealt some bad news as Skipp suffers a setback in his recovery from a hip problem.

The relapsed physical issue extends his spell on the sidelines with Spurs’ academy starlet now missing Villa today alongside Japhet Tanganga – who is out for the season.

The Verdict: Blow for Conte…

While both Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have proved a capable partnership in Skipp’s absence, his unavailability remains a blow for Conte.

The 21-year-old hasn’t featured since a defeat to Chelsea in late January and Spurs must surely be getting worried given the long-delayed return to full fitness.

Former Norwich City boss Daniel Farke described his 2020/2021 loanee as a ‘perfect’ player and it’s safe to say Tottenham could really use his presence in the final run of crunch matches.

According to WhoScored, he’s averaged a higher pass accuracy than any Spurs starter in the English top flight this season, backing his real composure and class at such a young age.

Indeed, a setback in his recovery may come as a big blow for Conte.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder! Find out more here.

Reliable Celtic reporter Kieran Devlin has recently answered a question on Hoops left-back Boli Bolingoli.

The Lowdown: Bolingoli in 2021…

Bolingoli has made just eight appearances during the calendar year, loan with Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir.

A permanent move away from Celtic Park failed to materialise over the summer, despite links of a return to Turkey with Altay SK.

He’s since made two sporadic Celtic appearances under Ange Postecoglou, who decided to start the Belgian in a defeat to Livingston in September and a win over Motherwell earlier this month.

Aside from those fixtures, Bolingoli hasn’t featured in a Scottish Premiership matchday squad, leaving many wondering what’s next for the defender, who is still under contract until 2023.

The Latest: Devlin’s response…

Devlin ran a Q&A on The Athletic on Wednesday prior to the Hoops’ 3-1 win over Hibernian.

He was asked by one Celtic supporter about Bolingoli’s situation, to which he described it as ‘incredibly odd’.

“People I speak to around the club were as surprised – on both occasions – as we all were from afar. Just an incredibly odd situation.”

The Verdict: Ange needs to make a call…

You’d have expected if Postecoglou saw Bolingoli in his Parkhead plans, he would have been a regular in the league following Greg Taylor’s shoulder injury back in September.

However, the Hoops boss has used youngster Adam Montgomery and right-back Josip Juranovic at left-back, with Bolingoli making a couple of appearances in between.

On that basis, it might be wise for Postecoglou to resolve the situation for good by giving the club the green light to move Bolingoli on for good.

Not only would it put to bed the end of his Celtic career, but it would also free up the wage bill, with Bolingoli currently on £15,000-a-week.

In other news: ‘Difficult’ – Injury expert reacts as ‘excellent’ Celtic ace may miss 3 more games. 

Leeds United ambassador Noel Whelan has bemoaned the hamstring injuries picked up by Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips, describing it as ‘really bad news’ for the club.

The Lowdown: Leeds pair out injured

The Whites have been plagued by injuries throughout the season, which has no doubt played a part in what has been a disappointing campaign to date.

Cooper and Phillips are two of the most high-profile current absentees and, as revealed by Marcelo Bielsa on Friday, the duo are not expected to be back in action until March, which comes as a huge blow to Leeds.

While relegation should still be avoided, not having those two key figures available could make life difficult, and results must start improving in the coming weeks if they are to avoid an uncomfortable run-in to the campaign.

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The Latest: Whelan reacts to news

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan couldn’t hide his frustration at the news that Cooper and Phillips face another couple of months on the sidelines. He rued:

“The injuries looked so innocuous. Usually with a hamstring if you’re not jumping in the air and hitting the clouds, it could just be a tiny tear which could take as little as four weeks.

“But this is really bad news for Leeds United because they are two big players. Phillips, who is one of the best defensive midfield players in the Premier League and is vitally important to how we play. He’s irreplaceable in there.

“And then Cooper is the club captain, and that presence will be missed sorely in the dressing room. You can’t take away the importance of what he gives you in there. It’s like Jordan Henderson at Liverpool – you miss those types of voices.”

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The Verdict: Big battle without them

This is a massive couple of months for Leeds, with fringe players simply having to step up to the plate without Cooper and Phillips around. The former has been the Whites’ second-best performer this term as per WhoScored, while the latter boasts one of the highest tackling averages (2.3 per game) within the squad.

Phillips is going to be a particular miss, considering the sparsity of midfield alternatives and the fact that he is England’s reigning Player of the Year, highlighting how talented player he has become.

A new midfielder may well be needed to be brought in this month to help fill the void, whereas fit-again Diego Llorente and Robin Koch will hopefully forge a strong centre-back pairing without club captain Cooper around. For now, it’s easy to see why Whelan is so worried.

In other news, one Leeds player is set to leave the club this summer. Find out who it is here.

Everton could sign their ideal heir to James Rodriguez over the coming months after being linked with a move for Real Madrid midfielder Isco.

What’s the story?

The 29-year-old has entered the final year of his current contract with the La Liga giants, meaning a January exit is on the cards.

And according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo (as relayed by the Liverpool ECHO), Goodison Park is a potential destination for Isco as he searches for regular game time away from the Bernabeu.

Deportivo’s report states that there are several sides contemplating making a move for the Spaniard’s services over the winter window, although Everton are leading the race for his signature.

“One that is more likely to do so is the Everton of Rafa Benitez. The Liverpool team, which also just let James Rodríguez go to Qatar, could be reinforced this winter with the figure of the Malaga player as long as the player is satisfied with leaving Real Madrid,” the report reads.

“Especially since his contract ends in 2022 and the option to sell him this coming January is the only one of the scenarios in which Real Madrid would receive some money for the transaction.”

Heir to James Rodriguez

Everton manager Rafa Benitez knows Isco’s qualities well, having worked with the creative talent at Madrid when he was manager of the capital club between 2015 and 2016.

And it’s no wonder the 61-year-old tactician is reportedly keen to bring his compatriot to Merseyside in January. Isco has played a pivotal part in Los Blancos’ success over the last few years, scoring 51 goals and providing 56 assists in 366 appearances for the club.

His impressive exploits helped Real Madrid claim four Champions League crowns, two La Liga titles and one Copa del Rey during his time at the club, earning praise from several impressed onlookers, including former international teammate Andres Iniesta.

“He is a fantastic player, with an incredible talent,” Iniesta told reporters back in 2017. “For many years, he has been doing things very well, and he is playing for one of the best teams in the world.

“He is an important player not just in the national team but in his club. He is young and has many years to grow and improve.”

However, Isco has struggled to live up to his early promise in recent years. After starting just 25 league fixtures since the start of 2019/20, the £16.2m-rated gem appears to be surplus to requirements in Madrid, and Everton could offer him an ideal escape route from his ordeal at present.

Famed for his incredible dribbling ability, eye for a pass and outstanding technical ability, Isco could prove to be the perfect replacement for the recently departed Rodriguez, bringing a sense of imagination back into Benitez’s pragmatic setup.

And, in other news…Benitez plots swoop for “scary” £27m-rated magician, Everton fans will be buzzing 

Everton fans want to sign Sean Longstaff after they were linked with a move to capture the Newcastle United midfielder in January.

The Toffees have started the Premier League season well. As it stands, the Merseyside outfit are fifth in the Premier League with 14 points, just two behind leaders Chelsea (Sky Sports). Rafael Benitez has had a positive impact on the club since replacing Carlo Ancelotti, who returned to Real Madrid in the summer.

The arrivals of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend have helped Everton rise up the table, and now it seems Benitez could dip into the market once more. According to The Independent, the Toffees are looking to sign Longstaff from Newcastle, where the midfielder previously played under Benitez.

The news has been doing the rounds of Twitter, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the £13.5m-rated ace (Transfermarkt).

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Longstaff links below

“That’s it mate. It’s no good having players like Gomes or Davies as backups to the current two as they are both completely different players. Signing players who are similar mould e.g Longstaff makes a lot of sense.”

Credit: @TacticallyEv

“Just the fact he would be on half of them others mentioned in wages makes it worthy. Oh and he can run a bit, that’s two plusses.”

Credit: @spuddy1878

“Yeah works with me As you said if you get rid of Delph and get Longstaff in for next to nothing who will be on less money, it’s a squad upgrade.”

Credit: @Danny_EFC6

“Sean Longstaff’s contract is set to expire in the summer. Everton should get in his ear about offering a contract in January. Get him on a free or take him off Newcastle for less than £5mil. Would be decent cheap depth for Rafa”

Credit: @bobbyhillplays

“you can see why Rafa wants Longstaff”

Credit: @___MC88

“Looked into Allan & Longstaff stats compared this season. Certain area pressures & some passing stats Allan slightly on top. Overall Longstaff is outperforming Allan. Understand why Everton want 23yr old on free transfer who performing at level of first team midfielder”

Credit: @TLong_91

In other news, Everton are leading the race to sign this Champions League winner.

According to reporter Marcelo Bechler, Tottenham are preparing a late offer for Barcelona’s Emerson Royal.

The Lowdown: Not much time left

We are now into the final 48 hours of the summer transfer window, and Spurs may still have some business left in them before the end of Deadline Day.

They have so far brought in four fresh faces (Transfermarkt), and it seems that they may be looking to bring in another new player.

The Latest: Spurs eye Emerson Royal

It seems that Tottenham are looking to capture right-back Emerson from Barcelona.

They are already said to have made an offer of €20m (£17.2m) plus Serge Aurier for the Brazilian (ESPN), but that was rejected. Spurs are preparing a new offer, but the Blaugrana are looking for €30m (£25.7m, TNT Sports).

The Verdict: Late dash

Spurs have made a positive start to the season, with their three 1-0 Premier League wins putting them top of the table (Sky Sports), while they are also through to the group stages of the inaugural Europa Conference League. However, this will be a long season, and Nuno Espirito Santo needs a strong squad to cope with all its demands.

Royal has only made three appearances for Barcelona since signing for them in July, but the Spanish club’s financial problems (Bloomberg) means that any player could be for sale at the right place.  In 79 matches for Real Betis, he scored five goals and provided ten assists, showing his ability to make an impact in the final third.

The 22-year-old could be a real threat for Spurs if they were to capture his services.

In other news, Spurs are also chasing a move for this Premier League midfielder

Liverpool have had a solid start to their Premier League season with 28 points on the board from their opening 13 games, firmly placing them in the title race alongside Chelsea and Manchester City.

One figure in Jurgen Klopp’s side that has played a big part in their season so far is Fabinho, who has a total of 14 appearances under his belt, with nine coming in the Premier League and five in the Champions League.

Playing all of those appearances in the defensive-midfield role, it’s no surprise that he has managed to rack up an average of 1.4 interceptions per game, 1.3 tackles per game and 1.1 clearances per game, proving himself once again as a vital figure for the Reds after his heroics last season of playing as a makeshift centre-back at times.

Even though Fabinho is still only 28 years of age and has until 2026 before his current deal expires at the Merseyside club, Liverpool could already have a player in the youth ranks that could potentially go on to have a similar impact at Anfield as their imposing Brazilian.

After scouting him from late 2019, Liverpool signed young defender Stefan Bajcetic from Spanish club Celta Vigo back in  December last year for a reported fee of €250,000 (£224,000) according to The Athletic.

Since then, the 17-year-old has made 12 appearances for Liverpool’s U18 side, scoring one goal and providing one assist, as well as three appearances for their U23 side.

Bajcetic has also made three appearances in the UEFA Youth League this season.

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During his time with the Reds, Bajcetic has predominantly played as a centre-back but has tried his hand in the defensive-midfield role and at right-back, three positions that Fabinho has played in at some stage of his career.

Speaking after Liverpool U19s recent 4-0 win over Porto in the UEFA Youth League, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson said: “[Bajcetic] is doing really well. He is playing a little bit different in midfield at the minute but he is good enough to play there. He is good enough to play the game in and out of possession in that position as well as at centre-back.”

With Klopp previously praising Fabinho’s centre-back performance away at Chelsea last season saying that he helped the team a lot “with the ball and in defending as well,” this shows how similar the pair are in terms of their capabilities of playing in different defensive positions.

Also, with Bajcetic recently signing his first professional contract with Liverpool, this shows that they see enough in him that he could potentially grow and develop his game even further at the club, which could allow Klopp to unearth yet another young talent in his senior squad in the future and potentially save the club millions in doing so.

In other news: Klopp could save Liverpool millions by unleashing rarely-seen £7.2m-rated “monster” – opinion

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge has told Football FanCast that he’d be surprised to see Wilfried Zaha leave Crystal Palace this summer.

Palace’s talisman, who scored a career-best 11 Premier League goals last term and is already off the mark in pre-season, was the subject of interest from Tottenham and Everton earlier this summer.

Zaha has been linked away from the club in each of the previous two years, and in an interview with The Times, the 28-year-old once more expressed his desire to leave the Selhurst Park outfit this window.

With just two years remaining on his contract, Zaha could be available to sign at a cut-price, but has already knuckled down since the arrival of Patrick Vieira and looks likely to get a move.

The Eagles boss has been a busy man in the transfer window, making three impressive signings, including Joachim Andersen from Lyon.

And whilst Palace are highly unlikely to be challenging for a European place next season, Bridge reckons that the arrival of a new ambitious manager with fresh faces could meet Zaha’s demands.

He told FFC:

“I’d be very surprised to see Zaha leave, he would probably like a new challenge, but at the same time, he’s kind of got one.

“He’s got Patrick Vieira coming in, Joachim Andersen has just joined from Lyon, Olise, they want to sign more players.”