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Aston Villa are now looking at signing an experienced international midfielder on a free transfer, according to a new report.

Unai Emery wants more Champions League football with Aston Villa

The Villans secured a top-four finish in the Premier League during Unai Emery’s first full season at the club. The Spaniard is adamant that he wants to keep Villa in the Champions League over the coming years, saying he wants his Villa team to get even better.

"When I arrived here, my conversations with [owners] Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens were about winning trophies and getting Europe. To get there you have to be competitive. Even if we don’t have the budget, we have to be intelligent and clinical in our decisions. This is still my objective. We are in the Champions League and we want to keep it. It is our challenge.

"Those teams are amazing with consistency. I want to get better and I have my dreams and I believe in my dreams. Of course my objectives is to win the Premier League or the Champions League."

"One of the best" open to joining Aston Villa as NSWE plot £47m double bid

It could be the start of an exciting summer at Villa Park.

By
Ben Browning

May 20, 2024

To improve even further, additions in the upcoming summer transfer market could be required, and it looks as if NSWE and Villa are wasting no time in looking to bolster Emery’s squad.

Aston Villa transfer latest

For example, former loanee Ross Barkley is close to returning to Villa Park, this time on a permanent transfer after impressing with Luton Town, with talks at an advanced stage. Barkley could be joined by Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, with the player someone who Emery and Monchi love. Alongside the pair, another target has emerged in Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

According to Tutto Juve, Villa are thinking of moving for Rabiot, who Emery considers ‘an exemplary professional and would always like to have a player of his quality in his team’.

At this moment in time, Rabiot will be a free agent at the end of June, although Juventus haven’t given up hope of agreeing new terms with the Frenchman, whereas Bayern Munich and Manchester United have also been interested.

The 29-year-old, on £190,000-a-week with bonuses in Turin, is valued at €40m by Transfermarkt, so securing his services for free could be a shrewd piece of business by Villa.

Rabiot can play as a holding, central or left midfielder and has played more than 400 games in total for PSG and Juventus during his career. He also has plenty of experience in the Champions League, something which could be needed for Villa next season.

Labelled as a “monster” by football writer Robin Bairner, Rabiot will have a decision to make on his future in the coming weeks, making a move to the Midlands one to watch.

Having secured promotion back to England's second tier after two seasons in League One, Derby County look set to use their Championship status to bring a number of fresh faces to Pride Park.

Rams set for rebuild ahead of Championship return

As is typical for sides promoted to the Championship, Derby look eager to use the transfer window to boost their squad and get it ready for a return to the second tier.

Derby struck gold signing maverick who would be worth £11m in 2024 money

Derby County pulled off a coup when they signed this enigmatic star.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 25, 2024

The Rams' recent retained list saw a number of fan favourites depart the club at the end of their deals. Derby captain Conor Hourihane is the headline of this list after the 33-year-old scored six goals in his side's promotion campaign. Another notable exit is that of Dwight Gayle, who scored three goals for the Rams last season.

With a large number of players departing Pride Park this summer, the Rams will have to move quickly to get their squad ready for a return to the Championship. With this in mind, it appears that they already have a couple of high-profile targets in their sights.

Attacking duo at the top of Derby's wishlist

As first reported by DerbyshireLive, it appears that the Rams are eyeing up moves for Liverpool youngster Bobby Clark and Oxford United star Josh Murphy. The outlet suggests that "promotion has served Derby with the bonus of being open to a better standard of player". This means that Derby will have greater prowess in the transfer market, putting them in a better position to secure a deal for Clark, who they had a previous loan swoop rejected for.

At just 19 years of age, Clark would be an interesting prospect for Derby with the England youth international using his limited cameos at Liverpool to showcase his quality. The midfielder made 24 appearances across various age groups for the Reds last season, contributing four goals and six assists.

The best of Clark's outings was in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16, with the teenager grabbing a goal and an assist in the 6-1 victory over Sparta Prague. Having proven his quality at the highest level, there is no doubt that Clark would be an excellent coup for Derby.

Josh Murphy is the second player cited and is one that the Rams' faithful will be familiar with. The Oxford winger exploded into life in the second half of the League One season, capping off his six-goal league campaign with a brace in the playoff final.

After pretty much single-handedly carrying Oxford United to the Championship, there is no doubt that Murphy's profile has been raised over recent months. With Derby coach Paul Warne admitting his admiration for the player since late 2022, the Rams will now face far stiffer competition for his signature than he would have at the time.

Regardless of whether these two particular deals get over the line, it is almost certain that Derby's status as a Championship club will bring some exciting players to Pride Park this summer.

Ruud van Nistelrooy is the leading candidate to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, but he has reservations about stepping into the role.

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• Ten Hag in danger of losing his job
• Man Utd face Aston Villa on Sunday
• Van Nistelrooy among the contenders

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Van Nistelrooy returned to Old Trafford in a coaching role in the summer, but he probably didn't expect to find himself linked with the manager's job so soon into his spell. That is the scenario facing United after a woeful start to the season, with the Red Devils losing three of their first six Premier League games and also struggling in Europe.

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  Now, Ten Hag finds himself on the brink of losing his job. It was reported this week that the Dutch coach has one game to save his job, with a trip to Aston Villa to come on Sunday. Red Devils chiefs will reportedly hold a meeting after the match, which will be attended by INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with Ten Hag's future surely to be a key talking point.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  However, they may have to look elsewhere should they decide to part ways with Ten Hag. According to the Mirror, Van Nistelrooy has reservations about taking the top job, fearing it may be seen as a betrayal of Ten Hag. During his time in charge of PSV Eindhoven in 2022-23, Van Nistelrooy accused his assistant of conspiring with the club's directors behind his back, and he wants to avoid a similar situation occurring at Old Trafford. A source told the newspaper: "Van Nistelrooy is a principled guy. He felt betrayed at Eindhoven – and he will not want to be viewed as the man who went behind Erik ten Hag’s back."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  Failure to pick up all three points at Villa Park on Sunday could well spell the end for Ten Hag. But you wouldn't believe he was reportedly close to losing his job based on his comments this week about his future.

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City future has been clarified after the departure of sporting director Txiki Begiristain.

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• Begiristain to leave Man City in 2025
• Guardiola's future remains unaffected
• The decision will rest on the manager

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to reports, Begiristain's exit has been on the horizon for some time, particularly after City's historic treble-winning 2022-23 season. However, the decision to part ways was finalised over the summer, giving City ample time to consider a replacement for the man who played a pivotal role in shaping their recruitment strategy. City have already zeroed in on Begiristain's successor, with Sporting CP director of football Hugo Viana emerging as the favourite to take over.

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  However, according to the departure of Begiristain – who is close with the manager – will not affect Guardiola's future at the club as the board remains eager for the Spaniard to extend his tenure as head coach beyond 2025. Ultimately, the final decision lies with Guardiola, but the club's hierarchy will give their all to convince the manager to stay at the Etihad.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to , Guardiola is in Abu Dhabi, which is City's owner's headquarters, and the location where he has historically been convinced to sign contract extensions. While his visit may raise speculation about his future, it is said to be related to routine commercial obligations rather than negotiations over his contract.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GUARDIOLA?

  Prior to their Premier League fixture against Fulham, a large banner with the message "Pep Guardiola volem que et quedis" – translating to "we want you to stay" in Catalan – was unfurled at the Etihad. This public display of affection highlights how much Guardiola means to the City faithful, who are desperate for the manager to remain at the helm. He will next lead the troops on October 20 against Wolves, where City will continue their quest for a historic fifth-consecutive title.

The summer transfer window officially opens for business later this month and Celtic could look to bolster their squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Brendan Rodgers returned to Glasgow last summer to replace Ange Postecoglou, who joined Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, for a second spell in the dugout.

The Northern Irish manager ended his first year back at Parkhead with a domestic double under his belt, securing the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup.

However, his side were knocked out of the League Cup by Kilmarnock in August and finished bottom of their Champions League group, which ended their European adventure before the turn of the year.

Rodgers could now dip into the market to make further additions to his squad ahead of next season in order to make a better fist of their European efforts, as well as aiming to win a domestic treble by adding the League Cup alongside the title and the SFA Cup.

The middle of the park is an area in which the Hoops boss looks set to bolster as the club have been linked with a swoop for a talented young central midfielder, which could be bad news for Tomoki Iwata.

Celtic's interest in £4m-rated midfielder

According to Daily Express journalist Charlie Gordon, Celtic are one of the teams interested in a swoop to sign Lausanne maestro Alvyn Sanches this summer.

The reporter claims that the Scottish giants are keen on the "highly-rated" starlet after doing extensive scouting work throughout the season to analyse his performances in Switzerland.

He states that English Championship sides Coventry City and Stoke City are also eyeing the youngster up ahead of a possible transfer over the coming weeks and months, which suggests that the Bhoys could face competition for his signature.

Gordon adds that Lausanne are looking for a fee within the region of £4m to allow their midfielder to move on this summer, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops are prepared to meet that figure.

It is also unclear as to whether or not the Scottish side are willing to place a bid for his services yet or if they are waiting to see if there is movement with other targets before possibly moving on him as an alternative.

With almost three months left to go before the transfer deadline, there is no need for Celtic to rush or panic about signings and they can remain calculated and calm for now.

Irrespective of whether or not Sanches ultimately ends up being the man, the news of the club's interest in him should ring alarm bells for Iwata, whose place in the side could come under threat.

Tomoki Iwata's Celtic season in numbers

The Japan international had only played 13 times and started six games in the 2022/23 Premiership campaign under Ange Postecoglou heading into this term.

He may, therefore, have entered into the Rodgers era worrying that he may not have much of a chance of working his way into the first-team on a regular basis.

However, the 27-year-old central midfielder bettered his tally of both appearances and starts in the Scottish top-flight with 19 outings and nine starts by the end of this season.

As you can see in the table above, Iwata proved himself to be a reliable passer in possession with a pass success rate of 90%, which shows that he rarely gave the ball away.

However, the Japanese ace created less than one chance every other game and did not manage at least two tackles and interceptions combined per match, which suggests that he offered little in the way of offensive or defensive quality.

His duel success rates, on the ground and in the air, also suggest that the experienced midfielder was not dominant from a physical perspective, particularly in the air as he lost more than he won.

These statistics suggest that there is plenty of room for improvement and Sanches is a player who could come in to offer more to the team in and out of possession, if he can translate his performances over to Scottish football.

Why Alyvn Sanches would be an upgrade on Tomoki Iwata

The Lausanne star would be a better option than Iwata due to the quality of his work on and off the ball, which is why Celtic's interest in him is bad news for the Japanese midfielder.

His arrival would place another player between him and the starting XI and the current Hoops gem already has the likes of Matt O'Riley, Reo Hatate, and Callum McGregor ahead of him.

Sanches, and possibly Paulo Bernardo, could push him further down the pecking order and leave the 27-year-old battler considering his future, as he may not want to spend a third season barely starting matches or making many appearances.

As you can see in the table above, the Swiss whiz enjoyed a far greater season with four more goals and 0.7 more key passes per game on average.

He also made more tackles, interceptions, and ball recoveries per game, which shows that the left-footed enforcer has the potential to win the ball back far more frequently for the Hoops.

Overall, Sanches' ability to create things in possession coupled with his aerial prowess and defensive instincts make him appear to be an immediate upgrade on Iwata, who offered little in that regard this term.

At the age of 21, he is also six years younger than the Celtic man and could be a fantastic long-term signing for Rodgers, as a player who could develop and grow over the years to come.

Report: Celtic want to sign £24,000-a-week player who Manuel Neuer loves

He would replace a departed Hoops hero this summer.

By
Henry Jackson

Jun 4, 2024

Therefore, the signing of Sanches, should the Hoops get a deal over the line this summer, could spell trouble for Iwata as it could further restrict his game time and bring up questions about his long-term future at Parkhead.

One Direction star Liam Payne tragically lost his life while in Argentina, and David Beckham has now paid tribute to the late musician.

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• One Direction star Liam Payne dies aged 31
• David Beckham pays tribute to singer
• Soccer Aid also honour former star

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Payne died at the age of 31 earlier this week after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. His sudden passing has shocked the world and led to tributes coming in from all corners of the globe.

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  WHAT BECKHAM SAID

  Manchester United and England legend Beckham has now sent his heartfelt condolences upon news of Payne's death. The two are said to have known each other through Victoria Beckham's friendship with Payne's ex-girlfriend and musician Cheryl. On Instagram, Beckham shared a photo with Payne and wrote: "Such a kind generous person and will be missed in so many ways."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Payne was raised as a West Bromwich Albion fan after being born in the West Midlands, and the Championship club also paid tribute to the singer.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Payne's death has led to an outpouring of grief, and many of the world's most famous celebrities are continuing to pay their respects to the musician.

As Amadou Onana's future remains in doubt, Everton are now reportedly willing to pay £17m to land a midfield reinforcement for Sean Dyche in the summer transfer window.

Everton transfer news

With the Toffees potentially left in a position in which they need to sell before they can buy this summer if they fail to secure a takeover, Onana could be heading for the exit door. The Belgian has reportedly attracted the attention of both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, who would have to pay £50m to secure his signature in the coming months.

The midfielder's exit may also see Jarrad Branthwaite stay put in what could be a major boost for Dyche this summer. The young defender was unlucky to miss out on Gareth Southgate's final England squad for Euro 2024 following Harry Maguire's injury and may soon shift his focus back towards pre-season on Merseyside.

England Euro 2024 Squad: No room for Maguire or Grealish

England have named their squad for the European Championships in Germany this summer.

By
Matt Dawson

Jun 6, 2024

If Onana does leave, meanwhile, then the Toffees will be in need of a cheaper replacement, which is where one particular transfer target could come in. According to Rudy Galetti for TeamTalk, Everton are willing to pay €20m (£17m) to sign Matteo Guendouzi this summer and have already made an approach but are short of Lazio's €30m (£26m) asking price for the former Arsenal midfielder.

With Aston Villa and other Premier League clubs reportedly interested in the Frenchman, it is a price that Everton may need to match if they want to win the race to sign a potential replacement for Onana. Given their current financial position, however, that extra £9m may prove to be too much compared to what is now a Champions League side in Aston Villa.

A player with Premier League experience and an FA Cup winner at Arsenal who is still only 25 years old, it must be said that Guendouzi certainly represents a solid option though.

"Great" Guendouzi may have unfinished business in England

After falling out of favour at Arsenal, Guendouzi left England with more of a whimper than anything else, but he now seemingly has the chance to make up for lost time and return to haunt his former club in the Premier League. Whether that's with Everton or Aston Villa, the Frenchman certainly looks ready for a return this summer.

Likely offering Everton a different dynamic at the heart of midfield, with his ability to carry the ball, Guendouzi could slot into Dyche's side with relative ease to replace Onana in the event that the Belgian departs. It's little surprise that the FA Cup winner has earned plenty of praise from some of his former clubs, with former Hertha Berlin sporting director Arne Friedrich saying via The Evening Standard: "When you talk about Guendouzi and see his skills, you realise that he is a great player.

"I’ve also read that he had problems at Arsenal but here he behaves very well. He puts all of himself on the field. He is a great professional. Guendouzi’s situation confirms that we must always understand how to help the players, with a talent like him it is worth it.”

San Jose is reportedly close to hiring one of the MLS's winningest coaches, despite some controversy.

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• San Jose are reportedly close to hiring Arena
• Earthquakes were the worst team in MLS last year
• A massive overhaul is expected by SJ

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly hoping to turn their fortunes by hiring one of the winningest coaches in Major League Soccer history in Bruce Arena.

  Nothing has been agreed to yet, but San Jose is flying out the 73-year-old coach, who last coached in MLS last season with the New England Revolution. Arena is a five-time MLS Cup winner and has four additional Supporters' Shields to his name. He is also a former U.S. men's national team coach, having overseen the team to its best-ever finish at the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup. Still, Arena's potential move to San Jose doesn't come without controversy.

  Arena left the Revolution following an investigation about inappropriate and insensitive remarks last season and various reports mentioned inner turmoil between Arena and his coaching staff.

  was first to report the news.

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  Arena's exit from New England can't be overlooked, but he has provided a winning touch at all of his previous stops. San Jose is in a desperate need of a complete culture revamp after this season's chaos.

  Arena's age would suggest this could be perceived as a win-now hire and that the Earthquakes are aiming to invest in a squad that had just six wins last season. San Jose is also a hot bed for young academy prospects and the team has one of MLS's newer stadiums in PayPal Park.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  San Jose was tied for ninth all-time in lowest point total for an MLS club with 21 points this season.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR SAN JOSE?

  San Jose will hope to finalize its coaching search and then start looking to revamp a roster that struggled heavily in the 2024 season.

With the transfer window now officially open, Tottenham Hotspur must work fast to bring in the players Ange Postecoglou needs to make a real push back into the top four next season.

Luckily for the Australian, Daniel Levy and Co are doing precisely that, as the club have been linked to names like Eberechi Eze and Ivan Toney in the last few days.

However, the latest player touted for a move to N17 has been likened to Alexander Isak and could be the perfect Richarlison upgrade.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from the i, Tottenham are one of several clubs interested in signing LOSC Lille's Jonathan David this summer.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report claims that West Ham United, Aston Villa, and Manchester United are all keen on the Canadian, with the latter having already contacted the player's representatives.

While the interest from other sides is far from ideal, the good news is that, according to the i, the forward will be available for as little as £25m due to his contract expiring next year.

It may prove challenging to get ahead of the other interested clubs, but at that price, Spurs cannot afford to miss out on the opportunity to upgrade Richarlison with David, especially when he's been compared to Isak.

How David compares to Isak and Richarlison

So, before we look at how David compares to Richarlison, let's first examine this comparison to Isak, which primarily stems from FBref.

They look at every player in Europe's top five leagues and then construct a list of the ten most similar players for each position, and according to them, the Newcastle United star is the seventh most similar forward to the Lille man in the top five leagues.

This can be seen best in some of their underlying numbers, such as non-penalty goals, progressive passes, shots on target, goals per shot, and shot on target and shot and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

So, with his similarities to the Swedish international cleared up, how does the "absolutely insane" marksman, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, compare to the Lilywhites Brazilian number nine?

Well, when it comes to the most essential aspect of a forward, their output, it's a win for the Lille man, and it's not even close.

In his 47 appearances this season, he scored 26 goals and provided nine assists, averaging a goal involvement every 1.3 games.

In comparison, the former Everton man managed a reasonable but nowhere near as impressive haul of 12 goals and four assists in 31 games, which equates to a goal involvement on average every 1.9 games.

Talks planned: Spurs eyeing record-breaking transfer who Son would love

The “beautiful” talent could propel the Lilywhites into the Champions League places next season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 20, 2024

Ultimately, while Richarlison is a talented player, he has not been clinical enough in the two seasons he has been at Spurs, so if David is available for just £25m, signing him to replace the 27-year-old seems like a no-brainer.

Pep Guardiola bemoaned Manchester City's lack of intensity as their unbeaten league run came to an end at the hands of Bournemouth on Saturday.

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• City hadn't lost in the league since December
• Weakened squad beaten by Bournemouth
• Champions two points behind leaders Liverpool

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Guardiola said his side couldn't match their opponents' intensity and, thanks to Bournemouth's long ball strategy, were forced to defend deeper than usual. Bournemouth took the lead just nine minutes in through Antoine Semenyo before Evanilson doubled their lead after 64 minutes. Josko Gvardiol pulled a goal back in the 82nd minute, but City were unable to get back into the game.

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  City came into the game with high hopes of bouncing back from a midweek Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham, but were faced with an in-form Bournemouth side who had picked up points against Arsenal and Aston Villa in their last two league games.

  The absence of Ruben Dias and John Stones handed City a major blow, forcing Guardiola to use Kyle Walker despite the full-back only training for a brief time the day before the game. Bournemouth ran out as deserved winners, although they almost ended up being made to rue their missed first-half chances as Erling Haaland hit the post from point-blank rage minutes before full-time.

• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  Speaking to the press after the game, Guardiola said: "We could not match the [Bournemouth] players' intensity. The situation with long balls, we could not win it, and when you don't win those sort of to Semenyo or other strikers, we have to defend deeper. We struggled to make our build up play and especially for the rhythm that they put into the game. They were higher than us, and we could not handle it."

  He added: "It was more that when we are high pressing, long balls and you lose the ball lose the duel, win the second ball and after that they run. After that, always happened. In the past we were able to handle these situations and today we could not. Sometimes the opponents are better and you have to accept it."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  This was City's first Premier League defeat for almost 11 months, the last one being a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on December 6 last year.