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The future of Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz could be one to watch on deadline day, with Tottenham keen on a late deal.

That’s according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, and his claim has had a lot of Villa fans talking on social media.

Villa have been planning to open talks with Luiz over a new contract, with his current deal set to expire in 18 months time.

However, in recent days, he’s been linked with both Arsenal and Tottenham, with the latter of the two preparing a bid in the region of £32m. The Daily Mail claim that Steven Gerrard values Luiz highly, with Spurs’ late swoop set to fail.

But according to Crook, a move to Antonio Conte’s side could still be on the cards. Taking to Twitter, the talkSPORT man revealed that Luiz ‘could be one to watch’ on Deadline Day, placing Tottenham’s hashtag in alongside Villa at the end of his post.

Villa fans react

This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply

“No way we sell a DM unless one is coming in the door so…”

Credit: @AvfcTalkTime

“Be moronic with nobody coming in”

Credit: @AVFCTranstweet

“We must have a plan then”

Credit: @BOOMBEEF

“Excuse me?”

Credit: @Villanfandan

“If he’s not going to sign a contract we need to sell.”

Credit: @avfcdiggy

“The only way he goes is if we have a replacement coming in.”

Credit: @JayVtid

In other news: Villa now keen on ‘special’ centre-back after Calum Chambers; he can also play in midfield. 

West Ham have turned down the advances of several Premier League clubs with regards to interest in Hammers midfielder Manuel Lanzini.

The Lowdown: Lanzini a fringe player

For much of this season, West Ham’s strongest team has been able to pick itself, with the likes of Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Pablo Fornals the clear key figures in midfield.

Lanzini hasn’t featured in the starting lineup regularly in 2021/22 to date, only making three appearances from the off in the Premier League, with another eight coming from the substitutes’ bench.

It has led to speculation surrounding the 28-year-old’s future, with a move away potentially affording him the chance to play more minutes.

The Latest: West Ham reject interest

According to TEAMtalk, however, Lanzini is happy at the London Stadium and doesn’t intend on leaving the club any time soon, and the Irons have rebuffed all approaches thus far.

There’s apparently interest from numerous top-flight clubs, with Leeds United, Newcastle United, Everton, Aston Villa and Southampton all mentioned in the report.

The Verdict: Still an important figure

Squad depth at West Ham is vital if they are to push for a top-four finish and Lanzini remains a hugely important player, in that respect.

Granted, he may be not be considered one of the first names on the team sheet but he has provided moments of real quality down the years and he remains at peak age.

Injuries and fatigue are likely to arrive as the season progresses and that could allow Lanzini a way back into the team, at which point he needs to seize his chance.

Lanzini has an incredible pass completion rate of 93.7% in the league this season, highlighting his technical ability – nobody has a higher average out of Hammers players who have started at least one game, while he is 2nd in the league overall, the only non-Manchester City player in the top four in that category.

In other news, an update has emerged regarding one rumoured West Ham target. Find out who it is here.

Many Everton fans have been left fuming at some comments that have been made by Cenk Tosun.

In an interview shared by Fanatik earlier this week, which has since been shared by Everton Blue Army on their Twitter page, the striker has admitted that he has ‘no intention’ of returning to Besiktas in the January transfer window, despite reports linking him with a move.

He also claimed that he wants to finish the season at Goodison Park, in other words ruling himself out of a move this month.

Tosun has not exactly lit up the stadium when he has played, scoring a mere 11 goals in 59 matches in total over all competitions for the Merseyside club (Transfermarkt), and earning £60,000-per-week in wages, it seems as if he needs to go so that they can use the money spent on him elsewhere.

Nonetheless, a lot of Toffees supporters were far from happy with his comments.

Everton fans on Tosun comments

These Blues fumed as the comments were shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that Tosun is a ‘wage thief’:

“Absolutely stealing a living for years”

Credit: @peterlarlewis

“Terminate his contract.”

Credit: @chankin87

“Definition of wage thief.”

Credit: @SilentBlueGiant

“ANOTHER FAILURE”

Credit: @Harj_Badwal

“1 of our many wage thieves we’ve invested in. Absolute garbage.”

Credit: @PaulJac79893601

“Horrible him”

Credit: @bluetom_tom

In other news, find out what ‘quality’ footage has Evertonians stunned here!

Following on from their convincing 5-0 win over Morecambe on Tuesday, Sunderland are back in League One action once again this weekend with another home clash against Plymouth Argyle, who are currently just two points below the Black Cats in the league table, making it a big game for Lee Johnson’s side and their promotion hopes.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Johnson could pick to start on Saturday afternoon, one man who played a big part in the win against Morecambe and should duly keep his place in the starting XI to face Plymouth is Leon Dajaku.

With 90 minutes under his belt against the Shrimpers in the left wing-back position, the youngster showed his manager how capable he is of playing in that role.

During the game, Dajaku had 78 touches of the ball and completed 42 of his 48 passes, with two key passes and one goal to his name. The 20-year-old also recorded five successful dribbles and won five duels, highlighting his energy to attack and win the ball back for his side.

This performance earned the German an overall match rating of 7.6/10 from SofaScore, making him Sunderland’s joint-third highest rated player on the day.

Since joining the Wearside club on a loan deal from Union Berlin back in August, Dajaku – who is currently valued at £1.62m by Transfermarkt – has scored four goals in 11 League One appearances.

With Kevin Phillips saying when the 20-year-old joined Sunderland that he must have “serious ability” having been involved with Bayern Munich’s youth ranks earlier in his career, he certainly seems to have been showing that ability at Sunderland, particularly in front of goal, making it a smart piece of summer business from the Black Cats to get him in.

Looking ahead to the Plymouth game, Johnson should definitely stick with having Dajaku in the starting XI – as well as Lynden Gooch, who also impressed in the win against Morecambe – to give Sunderland some extra attacking power, which they will need if they want to pick up all three points against Argyle and push closer to the top of the League One table.

In other news – Big relief: Sunderland handed major injury boost which will surely have Johnson buzzing 

Tottenham Hotspur have been doing their best to keep hold of their star player, Harry Kane, which has been an uphill battle for the club over the last 12 months, and now another link away for the Spurs goal machine has been reported.

What’s the story?

According to reports coming from El Nacional, Kane has been offered to Real Madrid, as Tottenham would prefer to sell the player to a foreign club, despite Pep Guardiola reportedly still interested in the striker.

The claim states: “He is desperate to leave, seeing that the results they are achieving are still very erratic.”

Kane has struggled to establish his usual form at Tottenham, only scoring one goal and offering up one assist to his teammates in the league this season, which is a far cry from last season where the 28-year-old won the golden boot and playmaker award, becoming only the third Premier League player to finish the season with the most goals and most assists.

Antonio Conte has since joined as Spurs manager, after rejecting the job initially in the summer, and it was thought that the appointment of the popular Italian could tempt Kane from making a move in January.

However, in a big twist to the tale, he’s now reportedly being offered elsewhere by the club.

El Nacional have reported that Guardiola wants to ‘throw himself at Kane’ in the winter transfer market, as Manchester City continue the season without a striker, and want to resolve that issue by bringing in Kane at any cost.

It is suggested that a move to the Santiago Bernabeau is more intriguing to the forward as he continues to desire a move to a club playing Champions League football, despite Carlos Ancelotti allegedly not interested in signing the Englishman.

Conte will be furious

Conte recognises Kane as an “important player”, and it was speculated that the manager turned down the job originally in the summer due to the uncertainty surrounding the striker’s future at the club, so clearly further talk of a move away will not be welcomed by the Italian manager.

Losing the goal threat of the England striker to another club, especially a Premier League side, would certainly hinder the progress and vision Conte has for the team moving forward, so it could be a really frustrating transfer window for the Lilywhites if they finally let him go.

The centre forward has scored 229 goals in 356 appearances for Tottenham, only 37 shy of the club record held by the late Jimmy Greaves, and has been integral to the side’s progress over the last eight years.

The club’s manager will have to do whatever he can in the January transfer window to ensure he can keep hold of his star man at least until the end of the season, in an effort to prove to the £108m-rated gem that Tottenham can win trophies under his reign, which could tempt Kane to stay long term.

For now, however, he should be seething that within just a matter of months of joining Spurs, his most important asset could depart.

In other news: Antonio Conte must unleash Ryan Sessegnon after fresh Spurs injury setback

Leeds United have confirmed that goalkeeping coach Marcos Abad has signed a new deal at Elland Road, which will surely come as a big boost for the club.

The Lowdown: Abad has contributed to record-breaking feats

The 36-year-old has been with the Whites since 2017, having enjoyed spells at Elche and Middlesbrough beforehand. Since then, Abad has played a key role in Leeds’ success under Marcelo Bielsa, helping to get the best out of the likes of Illan Meslier and Kiko Casilla.

Indeed, the French shot-stopper broke the record for being the youngest Premier League ‘keeper to keep 10 clean sheets earlier this year at the age of just 21 years and 54 days, two months after he became the first ‘keeper in Premier League to record eight clean sheets in a single season prior to the age of 21. Those record-breaking feats highlighting Abad’s impact and contribution at Leeds, his coaching skills clearly paying off for Meslier.

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The Latest: Abad signs new deal

On Tuesday, Leeds confirmed on their official website that Abad has extended his stay at Elland Road until 2025.

His previous deal had been due to expire next summer, but he has now been rewarded for his fine work in Yorkshire with this contract extension.

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The Verdict: Big boost for Leeds

Abad has clearly made a positive impact during his time at Leeds, as seen by Meslier’s heroics, so this is a significant boost for the Whites, keeping hold of somebody who the club described as an integral figure.

He is clearly his own man, but there could perhaps an argument to say that this could hint towards Bielsa potentially staying put beyond the end of this season. The Argentine could arguably have planned to take Abad with him if he were planning to leave but the Spaniard has now committed his long-term future to the club.

It is not only a big boost in itself given his impact at Elland Road, but might just be a significant step towards Bielsa following suit in the coming months.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided an update on Marcelo Bielsa’s future. Read more here.

Steven Gerrard got his reign at Aston Villa off to the perfect start with a 2-0 win at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon.

The Villa Park faithful had to be patient, but great finishes from Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings in the 84th and 89th minutes respectively were ultimately enough to give the hosts all three points.

However, not every player enjoyed their best game in a Villa shirt, as The Transfer Tavern use statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who Villa’s three worst players (to have played at least 45 minutes or more) were on the day:

Emi Buendia (6.5)

Buendia takes third spot with a 6.5 overall rating given by SofaScore.

The former Norwich City star was hauled off after the 74th minute for Ashley Young with the score still at 0-0, summarising how little impact he had on the game.

He lost out on five of his duels and also failed to record a single shot on target, dribble, key pass, accurate cross or long ball, losing possession 11 times, the joint-fourth most out of any of his teammates.

Danny Ings (6.4)

Villa’s joint-worst player in terms of SofaScore rating (6.4), Ings takes second for only being on the pitch for 66 minutes in total.

The striker would have been disappointed not to get on the scoresheet – in fact, he did not have a shot on goal.

The 29-year-old also made no key passes or dribble attempts and lost out on six of his duels.

Jacob Ramsey (6.4)

Young Ramsey is perhaps unfortunate to be rated as the worst Villa player on the pitch, as SofaScore only gave him a 6.4 overall rating.

Taken off for Anwar El Ghazi just before both goals went in, Ramsey lost six duels and also failed to record a single shot.

The midfielder was unsuccessful in two of his dribbles and made no key passes, but will be sure to do better as he progresses under Gerrard’s management.

In other news: Villa have been backed to sign this ‘excellent’ striker

Fabrizio Romano has revealed the latest on Newcastle United’s search for a new manager, including the latest on Paulo Fonseca.

What’s the story?

Having finally come to terms with the removal of Steve Bruce, the Magpies can now firmly turn their attentions towards hiring a new boss, and Romano has indicated that the race is still very much open at the moment.

Writing on Twitter on Wednesday lunch-time, he initially said: “Paulo Fonseca and Lucien Favre are still among ‘options’ on Newcastle list for manager role. No talks with Antonio Conte as things stand now. Fonseca, open to discuss. #NUFC Talks opened few days ago with Fonseca, Favre is waiting too. Nothing agreed yet. Race still open.”

Then, on early Thursday morning, he added: “Newcastle decision on new manager will take some days. Paulo Fonseca would be open to accept and excited for this opportunity after Spurs job chance collapsed at final stages last summer – but Newcastle are in talks with many candidates. #NUFC Race still open for Magpies job.”

A new era at Newcastle United

Perhaps the most exciting thing for Newcastle United fans – aside from the obvious of Bruce being out – is the sheer calibre of managers being linked with the top job at St James’ Park.

Both Fonseca and Lucien Favre have won big trophies at their previous clubs, while Antonio Conte is arguably the biggest of the lot.

He led Inter to the Serie A title last season, and has already of course won the Premier League and FA Cup in his previous stint as manager at Chelsea. His experience of the English game could also be a major drawing point for PIF.

While Amanda Staveley and co will be looking for a rebuild, targeting proven European managers with considerable experience managing in the top leagues and competing in the Champions League too, is something that will surely delight Magpies supporters.

Meanwhile, Craig Hope has delivered his own Newcastle United manager update…

An update has emerged on Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur, via Le10Sport, PIF are plotting a £17m (€20m) bid for the Dutch international ahead of the January transfer window.

The winter market provides the new owners with their first chance to flex their financial muscle in terms of player recruitment and van de Beek could be their first piece of business. It could also be a debut move in the window for Unai Emery, who the club reportedly expect to appoint before the end of the week.

Fans would be buzzing

Emery must land a deal to sign the central midfielder as his first addition as Newcastle manager if he joins from Villarreal. Fans would surely be buzzing with the maestro’s arrival as he has previously proven himself to be a very capable player at the top level and he could be a great first signing for the Spaniard.

The 24-year-old scored 28 goals and provided 21 assists in his final three seasons for Ajax in the Eredivisie, whilst he also played 17 times in the Champions League during that period. In the 2018/19 campaign, he averaged a sublime WhoScored rating of 7.16 in 12 appearances in Europe’s premier cup competition, showing that he has the ability to play at the very top of the game.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-newcastle-pif-news-martinez-ward-prowse” title= “Read the latest Newcastle news!”]

He has not been able to show off his best form since leaving Ajax to join Manchester United. Back in 2020, Scott McTominay hailed the Dutchman and backed him to get more game time at Old Trafford. He told Sky Sports:

“Donny van de Beek is a great lad and a brilliant football player. I’m sure, the way he is working in training and how hard he’s working, his time will definitely come to get more minutes on the pitch.”

However, the £100k-per-week gem has not been able to find himself a regular place in the side and that is why he could end up joining Newcastle in January. He has started four Premier League matches since the start of last season, which is not enough time to showcase the best of his abilities.

Newcastle must now pounce to rescue him from his Manchester United nightmare and hope that they can get him back to his goalscoring best. If they can get him putting up numbers similar to the ones he was managing at Ajax then the Magpies could have a terrific player on their hands.

This is why the fans will be buzzing with the club preparing an official offer to sign the Dutchman. Although, it is now down to PIF and potentially Emery to ensure that they are able to get a deal over the line.

AND in other news, Craig Hope delivers exciting 9-word NUFC update that’ll leave fans on cloud nine…

With Dean Smith’s Aston Villa side heading into Saturday’s Premier League clash in a decent run of form, having picked up six points over their last four fixtures against challenging opposition, the 50-year-old would have been confident of another positive result in the West Midlands derby against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, after taking a 2-0 lead in the second half of the fixture, Villa subsequently collapsed in the final ten minutes, as three late goals saw Wolves leave Villa Park with a highly unlikely three points.

Although, despite the result, a number of Smith’s side actually turned in rather impressive displays in the match, none more so than John McGinn – whose performance did not deserve to come for the losing side in the clash.

Four key passes

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the central midfielder was incredibly influential for his team, ending the game with both a goal and an assist to his name.

Furthermore, the Scotland international also made four key passes, created one big chance for his teammates, attempted seven crosses, six long balls and completed three dribbles.

The £27m-rated man also won eight of his 13 duels, made one interception, four tackles and took two shots at the Wolves goal, as well as winning one free-kick for his side.

These returns saw the 26-year-old who Gregg Evans dubbed a “brilliant” player earn a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 8.9, with no player from either side receiving a better score than McGinn on the day.

As such, despite the result, Smith will undoubtedly be hugely encouraged by the Scot’s performance against Wolves, who, unfortunately, was let down by his teammates on Saturday.

However, should the £25k-per-week midfielder be able to maintain this level of performance going forwards, more often than not, he will help to secure Villa a great many victories this season.

In other news: “Outstanding” Aston Villa gem who won just one duel failed Smith in derby collapse