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Aston Villa are considering making a move for Rangers defender Leon King, according to Birmingham Live, and a number of Villa fans have been giving their thoughts on the news via social media.

The 17-year-old centre-back was promoted to first team training when Steven Gerrard was in charge at Ibrox and will be out of contract at the end of the season.

Leicester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United are all tracking King, but Birmingham Live suggested that Villa could swoop in a deal worth just £200,000.

King has made two senior appearances for Rangers and is highly regarded in Scotland, with the Gers in talks with the teenager over a new contract. Should those discussions prove unsuccessful, a winter move to the Midlands could well be on the cards.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the links to King on Twitter on Wednesday. Here is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one labelling his movie-esque name as ‘brilliant’.

“Surely not. He wouldn’t leave a massive club for a tiny tinpot club like Villa. No way.”

Credit: @Aston_JTT_Villa

“yes please”

Credit: @DanAV___

“I mean, this is a drop in the ocean for us, just do it.”

Credit: @DaleAC93

“The name is brilliant, heard he’s a baller and anything to enjoy Rangers so get it done Villa”

Credit: @MasonUTFV

“bargain”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“he absolutely destroys the name test”

Credit: @DOUGLASLUlZ

In other news: ‘Shocking’ – Many Villa fans slam ace who lost 80% of duels v Man City

Since Steven Gerrard was appointed as Aston Villa’s manager back in mid-November, the former midfielder has used a total of 24 players at the Midlands club so far.

One of those 24 players is midfielder Morgan Sanson, who, alongside Ashley Young, has made six appearances for Villa under the Liverpudlian, all of them coming in the Premier League.

The Frenchman has started two of the six league games he’s played in so far this season under Gerrard, the first of which came in their 3-1 defeat against Chelsea followed by their recent 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

Even though the 27-year-old has only made 16 appearances for the Villans since arriving from French club Marseille back in the 2021 January transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £16m, his future at Villa Park should be starting to come into consideration based on what he’s managed to deliver for the club.

His performances in the Premier League so far this season have earned the midfielder an overall rating of 6.34/10, currently making him the lowest-rated player in Villa’s squad at the moment that has started more than one league game according to WhoScored, suggesting that he has let Gerrard down when given the chance to show what he can do.

In the game against the Red Devils at the weekend, not only did Sanson give the foul away that led to the free-kick that Bruno Fernandes scored his first goal of the game from but the French maestro also gave the ball away in the second half that led to United’s second goal. All of that culminated in him reacting badly when he was substituted off, which he had to apologise for on social media afterwards.

In addition to his underwhelming performances, Sanson has struggled with injury issues since he made the move to the Midlands club, which former Villa manager Dean Smith described as “frustrating,” which shows that he hasn’t been a particularly reliable player for the team.

Moving forward, if Sanson doesn’t start delivering for Villa on the pitch until the end of the season, then Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris must seriously consider cutting their losses with the player in the next summer transfer window to see if they can reclaim any of the money they paid for him.

Also, with young Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka apparently not happy with his playing time at the club, potentially axing Sanson, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £59k-per-week according to Salary Sport, from the team could give him a clear path to regular game time to see if he would be a better option than the struggling Frenchman.

In other news: Lange could secure another AVFC transfer masterclass as claim emerges on £9m-rated ace – opinion

Celtic remain on the hunt for a director of football in what promises to be a summer of change at Parkhead.

Dominic McKay began his role at Parkhead on Monday and will work alongside outgoing CEO Peter Lawwell until the summer.

A new manager and director of football will of course be high on the agenda, with the Hoops thought to be closing in on Manchester City’s Fergal Harkin in a newly-created DoF role.

However, in a recent report from the Daily Record, former Celtic scout Neil McGuinness has emerged as a candidate even after the development that a deal for Harkin is close.

McGuinness was behind bringing Virgil van Dijk to Parkhead and is currently head of recruitment at MLS side Columbus Crew.

Transfer Tavern take

McGuinness also helped the Hoops land Stefan Johansen back in 2014 and has since worked with the Qatar Football Association before moving to the States.

The former scout will know Parkhead well from his stint in Glasgow, and going off his previous success of player recruitment, could well be a shrewd option for Celtic.

Should McGuinness move back to Scotland, the Hoops could still then go after Bournemouth’s Richard Hughes, who Eddie Howe reportedly wants in any proposed managerial move.

Hughes could work alongside McGuinness or Harkin as a scout, with plenty of transfer activity expected ahead of the 2021/22 season, given the gap the club needs to close to catch up with Rangers.

In other news: Celtic source shares major managerial twist as behind the scenes boardroom U-turn emerges, find out more here. 

Newcastle United showed during the previous January transfer window how capable they are when it comes to bringing new players to the club.

Having spent a total of £91.89m in January according to Transfermarkt, this certainly seems to have been a turning point for the Toon.

Since January, Eddie Howe’s side have only lost three league games and won their four previous matches.

Now that the summer transfer window is approaching, it seems as though an early hint has been dropped over one potential area that the club could look to strengthen at Darsley Park before next season starts.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones had this to say about the possibility of Newcastle signing a striker in the summer.

He commented: “It could honestly be anyone. They’re just going to throw money at whoever seems available from across Europe. So, I still think that they’ll sign a massive name this summer up front.”

Great news for Newcastle fans

In January, the Magpies secured a deal for striker Chris Wood from fellow Premier League side Burnley for a fee of £25m.

Since then, the 30-year-old has found the back of the net on two occasions and appeared in all but one of their league games. As a result, there is clearly a need for greater quality in that area of the pitch.

In terms of who the ‘massive name’ could be, the Toon have recently been linked with a swoop for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez.

With 33 goals in 39 appearances for the Portuguese club this season, he would definitely fit the bill for what Newcastle are said to be looking for in the summer.

Having scored 21 goals in the league since the start of January, it’ll be exciting for the Toon fans to hear that the club may not only be looking at bringing another striker to St. James’ Park but also a potentially big name as well. Their record isn’t great but someone of Nunez’s calibre could certainly put that right.

Now that Howe has been able to take his side into the top half of the table after their dismal start to the season, adding a top striker to their ranks could propel the team even further up the table.

With that in mind, it could mean that finding regular game time next season may be a challenge for Wood and Callum Wilson should the club manage to add a consistent goalscorer to the squad.

In other news: Howe can finally axe “nervous” dud as NUFC plot bid for £197k-pw gem who’s “top-level”

Liverpool could be set to bolster their attacking options with the signing of PSV hitman Donyell Malen.

According to Calciomercato, the Reds are interested in the prospect of swooping for the Dutchman at some point in the near future in what would be an excellent transfer.

A product of the Arsenal youth set-up, Malen has thrived in his time back in his home country.

He has made 108 appearances in all competitions for the club since his arrival in 2017, netting 50 goals and providing a further 22 assists.

The 22-year-old is also in the midst of his most lethal season thus far, having struck 14 times in the Eredivisie.

His quality has also come to the fore on the European stage, too, hitting five goals in just eight UEFA Europa League appearances in 2020/21.

Should he presumably play second-fiddle to current first-choice Anfield forward Roberto Firmino, he will certainly be a better prospect than Divock Origi.

Throughout this season, Malen has averaged 3.4 shots per game, 0.8 key passes, and 1.3 dribbles per match according to WhoScored. The fact that he is confident enough to consistently try his luck and take players on only bodes well for a Liverpool side usually famed for its attacking style of football.

When compared to Malen, Origi’s number almost pale into insignificance. Albeit in limited opportunities this season under Jurgen Klopp, the Belgian is averaging just 0.7 shots, 0.3 key passes and 0.1 dribbles per game.

Last week, Neil Jones of Goal reported that Origi is for sale this summer and if he does leave, then Malan could be the ideal replacement.

The stats indicate that the Dutchman would certainly improve Liverpool’s squad and rated at just £22.5m, it is certainly an affordable and attractive deal.

After all, having signed the likes of Luis Suarez and cult hero Dirk Kuyt from Ajax and Feyenoord respectively, Malen could well become another Eredivisie success story on Merseyside.

AND in more news, read our evaluation of Mo Salah’s awful performance in the Reds’ 1-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been left unhappy after it was confirmed that Adrian has signed a new contract with the Reds.

The Spanish goalkeeper has proven to be a hit-and-miss player for Jurgen Klopp’s side, having arrived from West Ham in the summer of 2019.

Adrian made a great start to life at Liverpool, winning the UEFA Super Cup and proving to be the hero in the penalty shootout win against Chelsea, but he has struggled since.

The 34-year-old has looked an unconvincing figure too often when Alisson hasn’t been around, with his performance against Atletico Madrid in 2019/20 almost single-handedly getting the Reds knocked out of the Champions League.

Adrian is staying put at Anfield, however, with the club confirming on Monday that he has extended his stay on Merseyside beyond this summer.

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Liverpool fans react negatively to Adrian news

It is a piece of news that hasn’t exactly been met with a huge amount of positivity, with these Liverpool fans taking to Twitter to vent their frustration.

“Was 3rd choice keeper and now this? Just get rid he’s awful”

Credit: @morganclee

“Head’s hot! Simply unacceptable”

Credit: @Blxckmass9397

“Get out “

Credit: @Joe19times

“Enough is Enough. #FSGOUT”

Credit: @LFCGOATMILLY

“Wait what? You can’t be serious. You can’t be”

Credit: @19times19times

“30 years wasn’t a long enough wait. We deserve 60”

Credit: @_JS98

In other news, some Liverpool fans are delighted after an update on one key player. Find out who it is here.

After a less than impressive second half of the 2020/21 campaign which saw Southampton collapse after an impressive start to the campaign, plenty of signings will be required if Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are to improve next season.

Full-back will be the main priority for the Austrian manager this summer after the departure of Ryan Bertrand, whilst reinforcements on the wing and up front may also be required if the Saints want to push on.

Injuries played their part last season and in the absence of Danny Ings, Kyle Walker-Peters, Jannik Vestergaard and Oriol Romeu at various points in the season, the South Coast side struggled, so you could definitely argue that they need to add more first-team ready options to their side this summer.

Here’s how Football FanCast predicts Southampton’s strongest XI could look next season after Martin Semmens and the manager have concluded their business…

Despite links to Freddie Woodman and Thomas Strakosha, Hasenhuttl has suggested that Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster will remain as the two main goalkeeping options next season, with the former perhaps more likely to start as he is stronger with his feet.

Romain Perraud is looking likely to be the man to replace Bertrand at left-back, with the Brest defender seemingly on the brink of making the switch to St Mary’s.

Despite an impressive end to the campaign, Mohammed Salisu will likely provide back-up to Jannik Vestergaard and Jan Bednarek at centre-back, whilst Marc Guehi could also join on loan from Chelsea to compete at the heart of Hasenhuttl’s defence.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-southampton-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Southampton transfer rumours and news!”]

Kyle Walker-Peters is almost nailed on to start at right-back after an excellent first full campaign as a Southampton player, although Brandon Williams could challenge both him and Perraud for game time at full-back should he join from Manchester United.

Stuart Armstrong, Romeu and James Ward-Prowse are all likely to keep their place in midfield, should Southampton be able to see off interest from Aston Villa in their influential captain, but left-midfield is certainly an area in which the Saints can improve.

Both Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond disappointed there last season so Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma could arrive as an upgrade after his superb season in the Championship, with Djenepo perhaps likely to be axed amid reported interest from Fenerbahce.

Finally, Danny Ings and Che Adams will continue their partnership up front unless Southampton receive an offer for the former Liverpool man which they cannot refuse, although Daryl Dike or Randal Kolo Muani could potentially arrive as backup.

Should they keep hold of their keep players and make key improvements to the squad, Southampton should avoid being dragged into a relegation fight again next season.

And, in other news… Southampton signing “exciting” talent could allow Hasenhuttl to axe “weak link”

According to a report by reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold, Brighton defender Lewis Dunk has admirers behind the scenes at Spurs – with the Lilywhites eyeing up possible defensive options ahead of the 2021/2022 season. 

Dunk, who has been a mainstay under Seagulls boss Graham Potter this campaign, starting 26 league matches, is apparently on the a list of targets for Spurs as Gold shares news.

Tottenham chiefs eyeing Dunk

Indeed, it is believed that the 29-year-old has admirers within the north London club, coming as Tottenham and the board sound out defensive options.

As Gold explains, Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy are eager to sign a real leader at the back – with Brighton defender Dunk now emerging as a target.

The 6 foot 3 titan has averaged 3.1 clearances per 90 in the league this season and stands out as a composed head on mature shoulders with his 89% pass accuracy out from the back (WhoScored).

While Dunk doesn’t fit the usual age profile of Tottenham targets, Gold explains that his consistent performances in the league have marked him out – not to mention the fact he is homegrown.

Tottenham’s apparent biggest roadblock is his potential price tag considering he signed a new five-year deal for Brighton last summer – but Transfermarkt currently rate him at around £22.5 million.

Transfer Tavern take

Lauded as a ‘genius’ by former Spurs player and ex-Premier League boss Gus Poyet on Sky Sports (via football daily), there certainly are aspects of Dunk’s game to admire, but it remains to be seen whether the Lilywhites shore up this interest with a concrete move.

In other news: Tottenham could be without this ‘phenomenal’ star for Newcastle, find out more here.

Whilst Leicester’s Champions League hopes took a huge blow with their defeat to Newcastle United on Friday night, they were handed another damaging hit with an injury to a key player.

Having originally been in the line-up to face the Magpies at the King Power Stadium, Jonny Evans was withdrawn and was then spotted in the stands with crutches.

Whilst Brendan Rodgers has suggested that his medical staff will have to “see” regarding his availability going forwards, any potential absence would be a huge blow for the Foxes.

Since arriving from West Bromwich Albion three years ago, Evans has become a key figure at the King Power Stadium, and that has certainly been exemplified throughout the 2020/21 campaign.

He has made 28 appearances in the Premier League this term, helping the Foxes to record ten clean sheets as they chase down a position in the top four.

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His underlying statistics are also eye-catching. According to WhoScored, he has contributed 0.9 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 3.3 aerials per match in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, his 3.5 clearances per game in the league is only bettered by fellow centre-back Wesley Fofana.

Rodgers has always made clear his admiration for his fellow Northern Ireland native, labelling the 33-year-old as “top-class”.

His absence was certainly highlighted in Friday’s defeat to Newcastle. The Foxes produced an absolutely horrendous defensive showing, with a back three of Fofana, Caglar Soyuncu and Timothy Castagne struggling to keep the Magpies quiet.

Indeed, it was the first time that Leicester had conceded four goals in a Premier League game since a defeat to Bournemouth last season.

With Evans having been injured before Friday’s clash, Rodgers will certainly hope his absence is not too long, especially with the Foxes aiming to seal a place in the top four as well as having an FA Cup final on the horizon.

AND in more news, take a closer look at Caglar Soyuncu’s woeful display against Newcastle…

Everton’s transfer window has hardly been a barnstorming affair but the business Rafa Benitez has concluded has surprisingly paid off.

Demarai Gray is looking like an instant bargain after scoring twice in two games following a mere £1.7m move.

His goals have been vital in the Toffees securing seven points from their opening three matches but they aren’t done in the market just yet.

What’s the word?

Anything can happen in the remaining few days of the transfer window but despite Everton’s restricted finances, they are looking to conclude business.

Richarlison could still depart Goodison while James Rodriguez is looking increasingly likely to leave.

The Colombian is due to return to Porto in a swap deal involving Luis Diaz. That news broke on Friday and on Saturday, Fabrizio Romano posted an exciting update on the progress of the move.

He said: “Everton are confident to complete the agreement with FC Porto to sign Luis Díaz. Talks progressing on a permanent move – James Rodriguez expected to join Porto if salary agreement will be completed. Luis Díaz wants Everton as priority, now waiting for final agreement.”

Complete player

If Benitez can conclude a deal for the 24-year-old then he will have every right to be delighted. After all, the Toffees require an extra dose of quality in the final third to take them to the next level.

Gray has started his Everton career in scintillating fashion but if Richarlison does head for the exit door, it would leave them in the lurch.

That’s why the acquisition of Diaz is such an exciting one. He starred at the recent Copa America for Colombia, scoring four goals in five outings. He has hit the ground running in the top-flight of Portuguese football this term too.

In fact, he’s arguably been one of the best players in the division. The winger has beaten the goalkeeper on two occasions and claimed an assist in his first four outings.

Those numbers add to the nine goal involvements he managed in Liga NOS last term.

Diaz doesn’t just bring goals and assists to the table, however. He has won an impressive three aerial duels per game this term and has managed 2.3 dribbles per outing.

If we compare those statistics to those at Everton, he stands out considerably. Only Mason Holgate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have won more aerial battles while no one has been able to replicate his dribbling.

On that evidence, he’d be a wonderful signing for Everton and a deal that surely suits the Toffees more.

They’ll be losing an unhappy ageing player and signing a young vibrant individual with the world at his feet. Benitez should be extremely pleased with Marcel Brands’ work.

AND in other news, Forget Gray: £22.5m-rated Everton dud who won 100% duels stole the show vs Brighton…