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Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard wants to sign another centre-back, according to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans. 

The lowdown

Villa’s problems are mounting in that position after Ezri Konsa sustained a hip injury in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Saturday, with the club still waiting to discover how seriously the 24-year-old was hurt.

It comes after Axel Tuanzebe’s loan in the Midlands was cut short and Manchester United sent him to Serie A outfit Napoli. That leaves Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause as the only fit senior centre-backs currently available to Gerrard.

The latest

Evans reported for The Athletic that centre-back is now ‘a priority position’ with two weeks remaining in the January transfer window, as Gerrard believes he needs four senior players at his disposal in that area.

Villa want to bring in a defender with experience but have yet to decide whether they’ll pursue a short-term deal to tide them over until the summer. Liverpool’s Joe Gomez is one option that they ‘like’, but they have been made aware that he is not available this month.

Sharing a link to his article via Twitter, Evans stated: “Villa are also looking for an experienced defender to add to the squad this month. Gerrard wants four senior CBs.”

The verdict

If it’s not to be Gomez at this stage, could Villa perhaps look to one of his Liverpool team-mates for a possible centre-back addition?

Alex Crook of talkSPORT told GiveMeSport that the Reds are ‘willing to sell’ Nathaniel Phillips, who would ‘tick a few boxes’ for Villa.

Gerrard, who ranks third in the Merseyside club’s all-time appearances list, may well make use of his ‘connections’ to lure players from Anfield, just as he did at Rangers when bringing the likes of Ryan Kent, Jon Flanagan and Sheyi Ojo to Ibrox.

The £7.2m-rated Phillips, who was nominated for the club’s Player of the Match award following a 2-1 win over AC Milan last month, could compete for a starting place at Villa Park rather than merely providing cover, having already proven himself at Premier League and Champions League level.

If Gomez is unattainable, his Anfield team-mate could well be worth trying for Villa to solve their central defensive need.

In other news, lots of Villa fans have reacted to confirmation of this signing 

As per L’Equipe, via Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension managing director Fabio Paratici, have been gifted a transfer boost involving Paris-Saint Germain striker Mauro Icardi.

The Lowdown: Spurs offered chance…

Last week, news had emerged concerning the Argentina international and both Spurs and manager Antonio Conte had been presented with a chance to sign Icardi in January.

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According to Foot Mercato, the player’s representatives have been working on trying to find him a new club with his chances at PSG limited, with Icardi’s agents offering him out to Tottenham among others.

This comes as Spurs search for a striking alternative to Harry Kane up front, with the most linked forward so far coming in the form of Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.

The Latest: Paratici boost emerges…

As Spurs’ transfer chief Paratici sets his sights on January, he may well have been gifted a boost if he wishes to bring Icardi to north London after the offer from representatives.

L’Equipe (via SW) explain that PSG, while wishing to make back their €50 million (£42.6m) transfer costs for the striker, may well accept less for his services.

As such, they state that it would be a ‘surprise’ if the Ligue 1 giants don’t now accept a more reasonable offer.

The Verdict: Take advantage…

The 28-year-old would undoubtedly strengthen Conte’s forward line so this bit of news comes as a real potential transfer boost.

Icardi’s 121 goals and 31 assists in 219 Serie A appearance before his move to France is a real indicator of the player’s quality in front of goal and there is little doubting he could challenge Kane for a place going forward.

The £157,000-per-week star has even been lavished with praise by legendary Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, who called him ‘world class’ and extremely tough to play against.

For a potential discounted price as PSG seek to offload, how can Paratici say no?

In other news: Conte wants player gone in January with final decision made, Spurs chiefs already told to sell…find out more here.

West Ham United still remain in four competitions and David Moyes will certainly be looking to add depth to his squad in the upcoming January window, especially in the defence with numerous players currently injured.

According to 90min, the Hammers have made an enquiry for Lille defender Sven Botman, having been linked with the centre-back in the summer.

What’s the story?

West Ham are one of many clubs interested in acquiring the services of the 21-year-old centre-back, who currently plays for French champions Lille.

However, it is also being suggested that the Dutchman is unsure about departing France and is weighing up his options after winning Ligue 1 last season, a feat he described as “incredible”. Moreover, his side has progressed in the Champions League and he is eyeing a push into the Netherlands senior setup.

Despite last season’s success, regaining their league title is already looking a forlorn task, with Lille currently 11th in Ligue 1 and already 20 points off the summit.

The Dutchman, who has been hailed as “stoic and physical defensively”, only joined Lille from Ajax last summer but has rapidly attracted interest from across Europe, with Chelsea, AC Milan, Newcastle, West Ham and Leicester amongst the clubs reportedly interested in him.

Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City are also in the hunt for the defender, with a fee of £43m being suggested as the French club’s asking price.

West Ham must sign Botman

After an exceptional start to the campaign, West Ham have suffered a slight dip in form, winning just one of their last six league games. Injuries and suspensions haven’t helped, particularly at the back, with six defenders currently unavailable for the Hammers.

David Moyes will need to add depth to his squad in January if they are to successfully juggle the demands of playing in Europe alongside pushing for another top-six finish in the Premier League.

Botman did miss a month of the season with a groin issue but has still managed 11 Ligue 1 and three Champions League appearances this term.

Although a fee of £43m could put the West Ham hierarchy off signing the Dutchman, at just 21 years of age he could prove to be a very shrewd purchase for GSB and the east London club if they can fend off the competition for his signature.

In other news – “I am hoping…”: Moyes drops injury update which will leave West Ham fans buzzing

Leeds United loanee Ian Poveda has suffered suspected ankle ligament damage on loan at Blackburn Rovers, according to journalist Rich Sharpe.

The Lowdown: Poveda sent out on loan

Marcelo Bielsa deemed the 21-year-old surplus to requirements during the summer, with a lack of first team football not expected to come his way at Elland Road.

For that reason, Poveda was sent out on loan to Championship outfit Blackburn in order to play regularly and continue to mature as a footballer.

It hasn’t panned out that way to date, however, with the attacking midfielder only starting four league games thus far at Ewood Park.

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The Latest: Poveda suffers ankle injury

Poveda started Saturday’s 1-1 draw away to Bristol City but unfortunately he didn’t even make it to half-time, leaving the pitch through injury.

Taking to Twitter after the game, Sharpe confirmed the Leeds man’s injury, giving a worrying six-word verdict that it is “suspected to be ankle ligament damage”.

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The Verdict: Big blow for Poveda

This is a big setback for Poveda, who will have been desperate to prove to Bielsa that he can be a key squad member for the Whites in the future.

Not only that, but if Leeds had been planning to sell him, it was an ideal opportunity for him to be in the shop window and outline his class, having being hailed as ‘incredible’ by Pep Guardiola, under whom he worked at Manchester City.

As it is, Poveda will now likely face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, potentially further damaging his hopes of altering Bielsa’s thought process, having not started a single Premier League game in 2020/21.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly eyeing up a move for a striker. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace’s squad looks entirely different to how it did last season, and that is in large part down to manager Patrick Vieira’s recruitment skills.

The Eagles saw seven first-team stars leave the club in the summer at the end of their contract, meaning the former Arsenal captain had a big job of rebuilding the playing squad during his first summer in charge.

Vieira signed Michael Olise, Odsonne Edouard, Connor Gallagher, Marc Guehi, Will Hughes and Joachim Andersen to replenish an ageing side and has earned widespread acclaim for his new-look approach with the side since taking over.

Despite the change of style and good performances though, Palace have been restricted to just three wins in the Premier League this season from 14 games. They’ve only been beaten five times in total, but they’ve seen the points shared on seven occasions – with only Brighton drawing on more occasions than them.

This has led to speculation that the 45-year-old will be keen to invest in the squad further during the January transfer window, with Rangers playmaker Joe Aribo linked with a move to England.

Aribo has so far been in good form for the Scottish champions this season, with five goals and two assists in 16 appearances from the wing, including two strikes in his last three appearances. With just 18 months remaining on his contract, the 25-year-old Nigerian is reportedly available as new manager Giovanni Van Bronckhorst considers letting the £6m-rated man leave.

While he would come into a Palace side and continue their new vision of young, hungry players with a point to prove, this is a signing that Palace and Vieira don’t need right now.

Much of their stuttering start can be considered to be down to, at least in part, the absence of gifted playmaker Eberechi Eze for the start of the season. The 23-year-old missed the back end of last season and the start of the current campaign with a serious achilles injury but has recently returned to action in recent weeks.

He’s clearly not yet fully fit, but the £18m-rated star was a key man last season with ten goal contributions in the Premier League and brings many of the same qualities that Aribo would bring to the squad.

Described as a “great talent” by Steve McLaren, Eze is a tremendous ball carrier, with the ability to beat players one-on-one, deliver a final pass and even score goals. Thus he will fit in perfectly to the system that Vieira has opted to bring to south London.

Palace have got flaws in their squad they can look to fill in January, but a playmaker when you have Eze returning to the team shouldn’t be one of them. By bringing the Englishman back into the fold over the winter, he could just save the club millions in terms of potential transfer fees.

AND in other news, Patrick Vieira must unleash Michael Olise.

Former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith was sacked on Sunday but fought his corner during a meeting with Christian Purslow.

That’s according to reliable reporter Ashley Preece, whose article in The Birmingham Mail and corresponding social media post had a lot of Villa fans talking.

Smith’s three-year tenure in the Midlands came to an end just a couple of days after a fifth successive Premier League defeat. The 50-year-old was relieved of his duties at Bodymoor Heath on Sunday, and according to Preece, he argued the fact that big-money summer signings Leon Bailey, Emiliano Buendia and Danny Ings had barely featured on the pitch at the same time.

In fact, the journalist observed that the trio had all featured together for just 35 minutes. However, Purslow wasn’t happy that Smith surrendered a shot at European football during the second half of the 2020/21 season, with Villa just four points off fourth-placed Liverpool with two games in hand in February before ultimately finishing 11th.

Villa fans react

Preece’s article and tweet late on Sunday caught the eyes of these Villa fans, with many defending Smith while criticising Purslow, and one labelling it as ‘heartbreaking’.

“makes me feel even worse. Never really liked Purslow (although it was probs the right choice in the end), he’s always made me feel a little concerned”

Credit: @sevravfc

“Purslow worries me with each passing day. I find this viewpoint bizarre. Where’s the acknowledgement regarding the Covid outbreak? Poppadom shins being out so much? The constant integration of yet more players? ”

Credit: @LincolnClarets

“Heartbreaking to hear. Understand where he’s coming from, but doesn’t excuse the squad overall poor form since the new year.”

Credit: @ClaretVillans

“Well, I’m not happy that Purslow got Jack to sign a new contract with a release clause in it. If the next appointment doesn’t work, then Purslow’s head can roll this time.”

Credit: @AVFCJono

“Purslow has got this so wrong. And every single name linked is a big fat no”

Credit: @lewjt11

“Surrendered European shot? Yes, we fell off a cliff from January onwards. But that was more to do with JG being injured and the Covid outbreak in the team. Valid points as well about our BIB front 3. Seems Purslow has wanted rid for a while, which is slightly concerning”

Credit: @mgmatt1983

In other news: ‘Madness’ – Many Villa fans fume as big managerial update emerges

Manchester United may have already uncovered their next homegrown star before the last batch have even had the chance to make a real mark on the club.

Joe Hugill arrived from Sunderland in a £300,000 deal last year and has gone from strength to strength since joining the 20-time English champions.

The 6 foot 2 striker bagged an impressive 16 goals and provided a further three assists in 27 outings for United’s youth sides during his maiden campaign, but one performance in particular really caught the eye.

Despite being just 17-years old, Hugill grabbed the headlines back in February after scoring four goals as United’s U23s thumped bitter rivals Liverpool 6-3 on their own patch.

His quadruple didn’t go unnoticed by Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who lauded the youngster when asked about whether Amad Diallo, who had recently joined in a £37m transfer from Atalanta last month, would get some first-team action soon.

The Norwegian replied: “We’re gonna give him the time to settle in. If we go from that game (vs Liverpool), I’d pick Joe Hugill.

“Four goals by Hugill, he’s a top striker as well, we’re looking forward to seeing his development. Amad gets a good start, and why Joe didn’t take the penalty himself to get five goals, I’m going to ask him.”

Hugill has the chance to follow in the footstep of previous academy graduates such as Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, but it’s another United fans favourite who the teenager resembles more closely.

His devastating finishing, wand of a left foot, tall, lean frame and technical ability all closely resemble that of Robin van Persie, and he’ll be hoping to have a similar impact upon the Old Trafford outfit as the legendary Dutch striker did.

Although he’s not blessed with pace, Hugill has no problem finding the back of the net having done so on four occasions already this season.

Only time will tell if the youngster can succeed the aforementioned stars, but if he continues to progress at his current rate, then it’s surely a matter of when and not if he makes it into Solskjaer’s first-team squad.

And, in other news…Ole could solve big MUFC problem by signing “sensational” 19 y/o who fans would love 

Leeds United’s top-half finish in the Premier League last season was littered with incredible success stories throughout the playing squad.

The likes of Stuart Dallas, Luke Ayling, Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford, among others, caught the eye after making the step up from the Championship to the Premier League.

Another player who made the step up was midfielder Tyler Roberts, as the youngster made 27 top-flight appearances and was directly involved in three goals.

He was signed from West Brom as a teenager in January 2018 and, at the time of the move, Transfermarkt valued him at a measly £225k. He joined after scoring five goals in 17 League One games on loan at Walsall, with the Baggies deciding to cash in on him in the January transfer window.

The Welshman has been a dream signing for the club, certainly from a financial point of view, as he has progressed superbly over the years. Roberts managed seven goals and seven assists in his first two full seasons in the Championship, proving to be a reliable option in a squad that’s bereft of much depth. Of course, that second campaign ended in promotion to the Premier League too.

Tony Pulis, who managed him at West Brom, lauded his talents earlier this year and praised his mentality to keep developing. He said:

“He’s a very very talented boy. And I mean a very talented boy. He has got everything.

“I was always concerned whether he had the mental toughness to really push on. At Leeds, if you haven’t got that Bielsa isn’t going to play you.

“The kid has pushed on. It’s great to see all the young players you’ve worked with, especially the ones you had a little bit of doubt with, come through and he’s one of them. He’s got all the tools, like I said, it was just that mental strength. People say, ‘Does he want it enough, is he prepared to push it’, but over the past couple of years it looks like he’s turned a corner.”

Roberts has been able to use that work ethic to improve himself throughout his time at Elland Road. He has clearly taken to working with Bielsa with ease and made sure that he soaks up as much information from the Argentine as possible, with his soaring valuation an indication of this.

At the time of writing (24/10/21), Transfermarkt value the 22-year-old at £5.40m. This is a sensational 2300% increase in under four years at the club, with just over three years working with Bielsa at Elland Road.

The club snapped him up at a young age and have been able to develop him into a Premier League player, which is why it has proven to be a dream deal. He was a regular appearance maker in the top-flight and played a part in a title-winning season in the Championship, showing that he has had an impact on the pitch whilst also growing in value over the years.

It’s safe to say that if he does depart Elland Road, as has been rumoured, they’ll receive a lot more than the £2.5m they paid to drag him away from the Hawthorns. Based on that alone, it was a great piece of business by the Yorkshire club.

AND in other news, Forget Rodrigo: Leeds wizard who won 12 duels was Bielsa’s real hero v Wolves…

The agents of Celtic centre-forward Albian Ajeti could already be working on a deal to get him out of Parkhead in January.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by former Scotland national team manager Alex McLeish, who suggested in a recent interview with Football Insider that, due to his lack of game-time under Ange Postecoglou, the 24-year-old will have instructed his representatives to secure him a move away from Glasgow this winter.

Speaking about the Switzerland international’s future, McLeish said: “It’s never good when you see a player out of the squad. He won’t be happy with that. Ajeti is one of those players who will expect to be in the squads at the very least.

“I suspect there will be agents working in the background trying to get him a move. Any player worth their salt, if they aren’t playing they will be looking to find a move. So it wouldn’t surprise me if that one happens.”

Ajeti must go

Considering just how poor Ajeti has been since his £4.95m move to Celtic in the summer of 2020, the suggestion that he could be plotting a route out of Parkhead is sure to have left Bhoys fans buzzing. In a recent poll ran by Football FanCast, an overwhelming majority of Hoops supporters voted for their club to offload the former West Ham United man in January.

It is not difficult to see why fans feel this way as, over his 44 appearances in the green and white of Celtic, the £2.88m-rated marksman has returned an disappointing nine goals and five assists for the club.

However, it is not only the 25-year-old’s returns which have been below-par, as the Swiss forward’s overall level of performance has been just as abject. Ajeti earned a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.85 over his 20 Premiership outings last season, ranking him as the Hoops’ joint 12th-worst performer in the league.

Things have not improved over his six Premiership appearances this time around, with the £16k-per-week striker averaging an even lower SofaScore match rating of 6.72, ranking him as the club’s eighth-worst player in the current campaign.

As such, if the player who Scott Brown once dubbed “exceptional” is indeed planning a move away from Glasgow in January, Postecoglou simply must do all he can to facilitate his exit, as Ajeti has proven that he is simply not good enough for Celtic.

In other news: Celtic could land Ange’s dream deal with 19 y/o sensation who “nothing seems to faze”

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has confirmed a major injury setback for Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Sanson.

What’s the story?

The Frenchman had only recently returned to first-team action following another difficult spell out with injury, and it appears that his appearance against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge could be his last for a little while.

In response to a question from a fan, Preece confirmed: “Out for a month now. Gutted for him.”

Villa fans might be fuming

Having spent an entire summer being linked to new midfielders like Pape Sarr from Metz and James Ward-Prowse from Southampton, the failure to sign a new enforcer in the engine room is perhaps the only blot in the copybook when it comes to Villa’s business in the transfer window.

Dean Smith was left to rely upon his current options once again, and may have even felt that perhaps the return from injury of Sanson could offset the decision not to spend big on a new central midfielder.

The 27-year-old played just nine times in the Premier League last season following his January arrival from French side Marseille, and would surely have been hoping for a better start to life at Villa Park in his second campaign at the club.

Instead, Sanson is set to be out for yet another month according to Preece, meaning he is likely to miss clashes against the likes of Tottenham, Wolves and Arsenal.

Preece’s latest update is sure to have some Villa fans fuming about the fact they put their faith in an injury-prone midfielder who’s once again been ruled out of action for them.

Meanwhile, Gregg Evans drops an Aston Villa update on this star…