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Aston Villa have shown over recent years that they are not reluctant to spend big amounts of money to bring new players to the Midlands club.

The previous summer transfer window saw the Villa Park outfit splash the cash on players such as Danny Ings, Emi Buendia and Leon Bailey.

Now that the next summer window is on the horizon, it seems as though the Villans have been mentioned with another potential big-money deal.

What’s the news?

After being mentioned with a summer transfer move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, a recent report from TEAMtalk has claimed that the player will stay with the Spanish club unless Villa come in with an above-the-market offer.

Since joining Diego Simeone’s side back in November 2020, the defensive-midfielder has gone on to make 61 appearances for the club across all competitions.

To highlight what an important figure he is for the reigning La Liga champions, no other player in their squad has been able to match the combined total of tackles and interceptions (103) that Kondogbia has racked up in the league this season.

Also, out of the ten La Liga games that the 29-year-old has missed this season, his side have only been able to keep three clean sheets, showing just how important he is for them in a defensive sense.

Gerrard’s very own Pogba?

With Villa on the hunt for a defensive midfielder back in January but failing to sign one after having a bid rejected for Yves Bissouma, it’s easy to see why the club have their eyes set on the Atletico figure.

Having previously been compared to current Premier League midfielder Paul Pogba, Kondogbia could be Steven Gerrard’s own version of the Frenchman if the club do go in with a hefty transfer bid for him this summer.

Speaking previously, Raymond Domenech told La Gazzette dello Sport: “Pogba is still the superior player at this stage….but both Kondogbia and Imbula have the potential to reach his level. Kondogbia in particular.”

Praised for his “impressive” display in the Champions League against Manchester City earlier this season by Statman Dave on Twitter, the Atletico titan could be just what Villa need to fix up their side defensively after having conceded 46 goals in 32 league games this season.

Moving forward, even if it could take a significant amount of money to get him out of the Spanish capital, launching a summer move for the £107k-per-week midfielder should be in the thinking of Villa’s hierarchy once the transfer window opens.

In other news: “Villa are…” – Insider drops exciting behind-scenes claim that’ll leave fans ecstatic

Everton are expected to sanction the sale of Jonjoe Kenny this summer, according to a report from the Daily Mail.

The report claimed that Carlo Ancelotti is unconvinced by the young right-back, who has spent the second half of the season on loan at Celtic

Burnley apparently ‘retain an interest’ in Kenny, who is valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt.

Reflecting on Kenny’s Everton career

Kenny has made almost 50 appearances for Everton after coming through their academy, 35 of which have come in the Premier League.

When the defender made his breakthrough in 2018, Jamie Carragher hailed him as ‘your typical Scouse full-back – very aggressive, takes no prisoners, but he also has quality going forward’. The Sky Sports pundit added the ‘traditions of Everton are that they always have those types of players’.

Kenny’s tackling average of 2.1 per game in that season would appear to back up Carragher’s compliment about his controlled aggression.

Aarons is the right-back Everton really want

The Daily Mail claimed that the Blues want competition for an eventual right-back successor to current captain Seamus Coleman.

However, rather placing their faith in Kenny, they have their eyes on Norwich City’s Max Aarons, who could cost £30m. England international Kieran Trippier is also named as an alternative.

Transfer Tavern verdict

The fact that the Daily Mail’s report makes no mention of interest from Celtic in a permanent transfer speaks volumes for Kenny’s future.

The 24-year-old has failed to kick on in the manner that Everton would have hoped, with some of his performances in Scotland drawing the ire of the Parkhead faithful.

He could still go on to forge a good career for himself in the lower reaches of the Premier League, but the Toffees are right to look elsewhere for their heir to Coleman, with his current backup seemingly having no future under Ancelotti.

In other news, Alan Myers delivered this update on Everton’s pursuit of Max Aarons. 

A source from Tottenham Hotspur has dropped a worrying two-word bombshell on Harry Kane.

According to Football Insider, a source has claimed that the England international captain is ‘hell bent’ on engineering a summer move away from Spurs after they lost the Carabao Cup final 1-0 to Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Sunday evening.

Kane has made it privately clear that he would like to challenge at the very top and win major trophies, and that may not be possible at the North London club given their latest failure and the fact that he is not getting any younger.

However, sources have also claimed that he would like to stay in the Premier League as he is ‘desperate’ to beat the goal scoring record set by Alan Shearer, but Daniel Levy does not want to sell to a team in the top flight.

Tottenham must keep Kane

If the Lilywhites have any ambition to win trophies in the near future, they must try and keep hold of Kane at all costs.

The 27-year-old is simply too important to the side right now, with no fewer than 31 goals scored and a further 16 assists in 44 games in total over all competitions across the 2020/21 term so far (Transfermarkt), a simply remarkable return.

Nonetheless, it may hinge on the striker over whether he wants to stay at THFC, but they must show some more ambition in the transfer market to give them the best possible chance.

In other news, find out what ‘fantastic’ manager has been offered to Tottenham here!

West Ham United have opened talks concerning a deal to bring Patrik Schick to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calcio Mercato (via London World), who claim that David Moyes’ side have entered into negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen regarding a £40m deal for the 25-year-old centre-forward.

The report goes on to state that the 58-year-old manager is keen to bring in attacking reinforcements into his side this month, as, since the sale of Sebastien Haller to Ajax in January last year, the Scot has had to make do with only Michail Antonio as an out and out centre-forward.

Moyes can finally replace Haller

Considering just how impressive Schick has been in Germany so far this season, in addition to the fact that the 6 foot 3 Czech international resembles the 6 foot 2 Haller in physical stature, should Moyes be able to get a deal over the line for the Leverkusen striker this month, he could well have finally replaced the Ivory Coast international at the London Stadium.

Indeed, over his 16 Bundesliga appearances in the current campaign, the £36m-rated man has been in devastating form, having already bagged an astonishing 18 goals, provided one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.6 shots and making 0.6 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £82k-per-week hitman who Bayer manager Gerardo Seoane dubbed an “incredible” talent average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.33, ranking him as the ninth-best performer in the top flight of German football.

As such, should Schick be able to replicate this level of form following a potential switch to East London this winter, the 25-year-old would not only fill the Haller shaped hole in Moyes’ West Ham squad, but he could well go on to take Antonio’s starting spot leading the Irons’ attack.

In other news: Moyes must now launch WHU bid for £46k-p/w “phenomenon” as key transfer twist emerges

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting negatively to James Pearce’s update regarding Jadon Sancho and Kylian Mbappe.

Jurgen Klopp and his Reds players are currently enjoying a breather, following a relentless season.

In the end, Liverpool’s campaign managed to finish in positive fashion, with a third-place finish sealed, despite so much going wrong throughout 2020/21.

Qualifying for next season’s Champions League is big financially for the Reds, but it also means top players are more likely to be keen on a move.

Two players who have been linked with joining Liverpool are Sancho and Mbappe – two of the most exciting young players in European football currently.

Unfortunately, The Athletic‘s Pearce has poured cold water on either player heading to Anfield, saying it has been ‘dismissed by senior club sources’.

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Liverpool fans react negatively to Pearce update

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their frustration at the news, although some weren’t exactly surprised.

“That’s because LFC are broke. Having spent nothing for 3 years”

Credit: @magicmasteryoda

“Shocker”

Credit: @Phenyo_

“I’m just gonna mute the word James Pearce this guy is nothing but bad vibes”

Credit: @danmarchh

“FSG OUT”

Credit: @Tjtrxcxy10

“Pretends to be shocked”

Credit: @vicxx18

“And in other news snow is white”

Credit: @george_forsythe

In other news, Pearce has also provided a key update on a current Liverpool player. Find out who it is here.

According to The Daily Mail, Wolves have rejected a £1m bid from Sunderland for central defender Dion Sanderson.

The Lowdown: Sanderson impresses on loan with Black Cats

Sanderson spent last season on loan at the Stadium of Light, and impressed at the heart of the back four, so much so that Wolves fans were desperate to bring the youngster back when the season ended.

As such, the Black Cats want to see him return to the club permanently ahead of next term.

The Latest: Sunderland make Sanderson bid

Now, it has been reported that the north-east outfit have made a bid of £1m for the 21-year-old.

Wolves, though, swiftly rejected the offer – they are looking for a fee of £2m for the defender.

Sheffield United are also interested, but are yet to make a concrete approach.

The Verdict: Top target

There is no doubt Sanderson should be a top target for Lee Johnson and co. Of the 26 matches he played some part in last term in League One, the Black Cats lost just four (absence through to injury.

Johnson even called him a “Rolls-Royce” earlier this year (The Chronicle Live).

He proved himself to be an important player for Johnson throughout the campaign and, as Sunderland aim to earn promotion to the Championship, the signature of Sanderson could prove to be key. It remains to be seen whether the club can get their man this summer.

In other news, Sunderland hope to sign this in-demand winger.

The situation surrounding Declan Rice’s future at West Ham United is going to be something to watch this summer amid a new worrying claim…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, the 22-year-old midfielder is keen on making a return to his former club Chelsea, who are also thought to be interested in signing him.

And it’s something that Hammers fans have been warned to keep an eye on.

Speaking on the latest episode of the ‘London is Blue’ podcast, the reliable journalist said:

“I have to be careful with what I say on this, because I’ve got some information on this which will end up getting written at some stage which I can’t really talk about. Look, Chelsea are interested in Declan Rice and everyone knows that Declan Rice is interested in Chelsea.

“The problem’s West Ham, and the problem’s the asking price with West Ham. I mean, they’re telling everybody at the moment it’s £100m and Chelsea aren’t going to pay £100m for Declan Rice this summer.

“So it’s what happens from there, really, and I think there’s more to play on this. And it’s going to be an interesting summer, let’s say, around Declan Rice and Chelsea.”

Time to worry?

Rice, who is currently excelling for England at Euro 2020, has frequently been linked with an exit from the London Stadium, with both Manchester giants mooted with interest, on top of Chelsea, too.

Irons boss David Moyes has previously rejected the idea of selling the 6 foot 1 powerhouse, claiming: “Bank of England money would be required, and you might even need to add Bank of Scotland on to that as well because he has been so good.”

However, this latest claim is a fresh sign that Rice is keen to go back to Stamford Bridge and whilst their London rivals won’t pay the £100m asking price, Law suggests that this saga is only just getting underway.

“It’s going to be an interesting summer,” he hints.

That would perhaps suggest that after Euro 2020, a bidding war could ensue – or at the very least, Thomas Tuchel’s side will ramp up their pursuit.

The fact that both parties are said to want this deal leaves the Hammers in quite a powerless place right now, they don’t want to risk heading into the new campaign with an unsettled player, especially with a historic Europa League campaign on the horizon.

This claim will also leave much of the West Ham faithful absolutely terrified as no one will want to lose arguably their biggest star.

As per WhoScored figures, Rice ended the 2020/21 campaign as Moyes’ fourth-best player (7.01) but topped the charts for interceptions (1.8 per game) and wasn’t far behind for tackles (1.8 per game), too.

Evidently, he’s a hugely influential player on the pitch for the East London outfit but this update suggesting he wants to leave is a huge bombshell that’ll leave many, many supporters truly worried.

But at the end of the day, Chelsea are still a level above the Irons, having just won the Champions League. This is far from a finished story yet.

AND in other news, Forget Kral: Moyes must sanction West Ham swoop for “complete” £10m “special talent”…

Jamie Shackleton is the Leeds United youngster who has the best chance of earning regular minutes this season, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Shackleton impresses for Leeds

The 22-year-old has already made five Premier League appearances this season, including a start at home to Watford last weekend, as the Whites finally got their first win of the campaign in the competition.

With Luke Ayling out injured for the foreseeable future, it could be that Shackleton continues to fill in at right-back, hopefully making up for the loss of a key player.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Hay expects more minutes

That’s certainly the opinion of Hay, who took to The Athletic to claim that Shackleton is the standout youngster, in terms of getting minutes as the season progresses:

“Looking at Jamie Shackleton in the past two games, perhaps the door might open for him at right-back now, especially with Luke Ayling undergoing surgery on his knee.”

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The Verdict: Ideal Ayling replacement

Shackleton is capable of playing at both right-back and in midfield, but it looks as though he will get playing time in the former for now.

Ayling is expected to be out for around six weeks, so this is a wonderful opportunity for the Englishman to stake a claim and cement his place.

The signs are promising with Shackleton, with Leeds Live‘s Beren Cross handing Shackleton a seven-out-of-10 rating against Watford and Darren Bent calling him ‘superb’ last year.

In other news, Hay has also provided an update on Leeds’ potential January business. Read more here.

Aston Villa are facing the prospect of losing out on Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe amid a recent transfer update.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that the centre-back could be set for a reunion with Dean Smith, having, of course, played under the Villa boss during their time in the Championship.

Football Insider delivered an update on the £50k-a-week earning defender’s situation, saying that: “A Villa source has told Football Insider that the club have been given encouragement that United are planning to let Tuanzebe go in the current window. The 20-times champions have been sounded out by Villa over a potential deal and they will listen to offers if they can secure a replacement.”

But now, the same outlet have now claimed that fellow Premier League side Newcastle have leapfrogged Villa in the race to sign Tuanzebe on loan, with the Magpies increasingly confident of striking a deal.

Dean Smith will be livid

The £6m-rated ace came in for some big praise from United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season after a particularly impressive display against French giants PSG in the Champions League.

He said: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have. Sometimes you’ll get in a foot race with Mbappe and you have to run with him and we know Axel’s qualities, he’s a top defender.”

While he may not have had too many minutes in the top-flight last year, Tuanzebe showed exactly why Villa are after him, averaging 1.4 tackles per game and boasting an impressive 88.6% pass accuracy – as per Whoscored, both of those stats are actually better than Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings.

What will frustrate Smith is that given his previous ties to Tuanzebe, and the fact that reports suggested Villa had sounded out United over a potential deal much earlier, Newcastle swooping in at the last moment to sign him will sting.

With Bjorn Engels’ departure, Villa are left with a real shortage of centre-back options, and Tuanzebe on a season-long loan would’ve fit the bill to a tee given his Premier League experience and the fact he’s been at the club before.

This latest update will have Smith livid with the club failing to get his man in. News that he’s now closer to joining a fellow Premier League side at that, is unlikely to help how he feels either.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece drops Villa claim on Anwar El Ghazi…

It would take a “ludicrous amount of money” for Aston Villa to get Allan Saint-Maximin out of Newcastle United, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

There is nothing to suggest that Saint-Maximin is currently a target for Villa. And having already signed Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey to strengthen the wide positions, that is unlikely to change before the transfer window shuts.

However, former Villa striker Stan Collymore reckons his old side, as well as the likes of West Ham and Everton, should be trying to sign the 24-year-old (Daily Mirror via Chronicle Live).

Given his importance to Newcastle, though, and the fact that he signed and a new six-year contract last October, for Hatfield, it is practically a non-starter.

“It would take a ludicrous amount of money to sign Allan Saint-Maximin now,” Hatfield told FFC. “He’s just signed a new deal. He’s obviously a very talented player; he’s probably Newcastle’s most talented player.

“He’s shone in the Premier League for Newcastle. He’d be a nightmare to replace for them, so you’d imagine they’d want top dollar for him.

“I’d be massively surprised if Villa were to show any kind of serious interest in Saint-Maximin.”

Indeed, Saint-Maximin is not the kind of attacker that is easy to replace. The Frenchman averaged 3.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League last season, more than any player bar Wolves’ Adama Traore (via WhoScored).