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Ashley Preece has dropped a major transfer update on Aston Villa target Oriol Romeu.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that the Spaniard has emerged as a potential option for Dean Smith’s side this summer, and the Birmingham Mail’s Preece has delivered an insight into where things stand right now.

He said: “Yes, to a central defender, one who will be happy to play second-fiddle to Konsa. I’ve seen that Romeu report, he’s one that Smith likes. Personally, I think he’s exactly what Villa need. No talks re him, though, sadly.”

Villa need him

The 1.83m (6 foot) ace is a dominant holding midfielder who would represent a major upgrade on Marvelous Nakamba in that anchorman role – in fact, as per Whoscored, the 29-year-old’s average of 3.3 tackles per game in the Premier League last season ranked him joint-third in the entire top flight.

The Spaniard also averaged 1.4 interceptions per game, numbers which are far better than any of Smith’s current options at Villa Park – Nakamba being the closest Villa player to the Saints man, managing just 1.7 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per match.

When asked about Romeu’s performance against West Brom in a 2-0 win earlier last season, Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “When you see him as a professional, how he reacts when he is not first-choice, he’s one of the most professional guys I’ve ever seen.

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“Sometimes he is under the radar because he makes the work nobody wants to do – closing the gaps, closing the space, winning duels, being everywhere and when he is in the moment when he can score, it is unbelievable for him.”

Given his ability to win the ball back so well, and the fact that he’s Premier League proven in his time with both Chelsea and Southampton, Romeu is someone who Villa badly need to reinforce the holding midfield position this summer.

Meanwhile, Gregg Evans has dropped a major Aston Villa transfer update…

Tottenham are interested in a deal to bring Lautaro Martinez to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), who claimed that, after failing with a move for the Inter Milan centre-forward last summer, Fabio Paratici could once again launch an offensive for the 24-year-old at the end of the current campaign.

The report added that the Argentina international could view Spurs as the ideal destination if he were to secure a move away from the San Siro this summer, having enjoyed an extremely successful spell under Antonio Conte during his own time in Milan.

Finally, it is claimed that Inter may be willing to discuss a deal for the striker due to their ongoing financial difficulties, with the Serie A club’s hierarchy reportedly willing to listen to offers starting at €70m (£59m).

He’s “perfect” for Conte

Considering the quite extraordinary metrics that Martinez returned when previously working with Conte, it is not difficult to see why both Paratici and the 52-year-old coach would be interested in a move for the Inter star this summer.

Indeed, over his 38 Serie A appearances in the Nerazzurri’s Scudetto-winning 2020/21 season, the £63m-rated forward was in breathtaking form, bagging 17 goals, registering 10 assists and creating nine big chances for his team-mates, along with taking 2.9 shots and making one key pass per game.

These returns saw the €125k-per-week (£105k-per-week) sensation, who Roberto Rojas dubbed an “absolute goal machine”, average an incredibly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.17, ranking him as Conte’s third-best player last term.

In total, the Argentine scored 40 goals and provided 19 assists in his 97 appearances under the 52-year-old, although it was not only his efforts in the final third which made him a key player for the head coach, but also his tireless work rate in a defensive capacity.

Indeed, speaking about Martinez last year, Siavoush Fallahi said of the 24-year-old: “Not many know that Lautaro Martinez was a defender back in the days. That’s why he’s so good in defence and winning the ball back. Huge resource for Inter and very appreciated by Conte for that work.”

Furthermore, it is clear that Partici is also a massive fan of the striker, with Gianluca Di Marzio stating in a recent interview with Wett Freunde: “I think Tottenham will go after Lautaro because they wanted him last summer. They want another forward to play with Kane or plan for the future without Kane. Lautaro Martinez is one of the players that Fabio Paratici loves. I think it could be Lautaro’s summer and Atletico Madrid or Tottenham could be the perfect destinations for him.”

Indeed, considering all of the above, it seems all but certain that Martinez would be something of a perfect signing to play alongside Harry Kane in the Tottenham attack, leading us to believe that Paratici simply must do all he can to get a deal over the line for the centre-forward this summer.

AND in other news: Conte can unearth his next 243-goal talent in Spurs prodigy who “runs over every blade”

Everton’s newfound wealth under owner Farhad Moshiri has failed to deliver the results that their eye-watering outlay should naturally command.

Multiple flops have undermined the progress that the Goodison Park outfit would have been hoping to make in recent years, and arguably no failed acquisition encapsulates that more than Morgan Schneiderlin.

The Frenchman first arrived on Merseyside in January 2017 for a £24m fee, and much was expected of the former Manchester United man.

“Everton is a big club in the history of English football. I have always loved the atmosphere in the stadium. I can’t wait to play and to represent this great club,” Schneiderlin said at his unveiling.

“There is a manager in place here that I know, and he can get the best out of me. I know his style and how he likes to play football. He was very good with me from the start, and I enjoyed playing football under him.”

However, his poor form from United carried into life at Everton. The holding midfielder caught the eye after playing a pivotal part in Southampton’s rise from League One to the Premier League, earning himself a move to the 20-time English champions in the summer of 2015.

But he struggled to live up to the raised expectations placed upon him in the red half of Manchester and failed to produce his best form in his maiden campaign with the Red Devils, despite making 39 appearances in all competitions.

After Jose Mourinho succeeded Louis van Gaal following Schneiderlin’s first 12 months at United, the 6 foot 1 beast made just eight appearances under the Portuguese tactician and only received 11 minutes of top-flight action before he was shown the exit door.

A move to Everton followed, yet Schneiderlin never got back to his best at Goodison Park despite playing under Ronald Koeman again, the manager who has extracted his best form during their time together at Southampton.

He made 88 largely underwhelming outings for the Blues, scoring just once and providing two assists. That was before returning to his homeland with Nice for just £2m despite the engine room operator still being in his prime years at 31.

Schneiderlin’s exit brought a close to another transfer nightmare for Marcel Brands and the Everton recruitment team and one they’ll be desperate not to repeat.

And, in other news…Everton can find their next Lukaku in “phenomenal” £25.2m-rated gem, Benitez needs him 

Crystal Palace were narrowly defeated 2-1 by a strong Leicester City side at the King Power Stadium in the Premier League today. Patrick Vieira’s side failed to repeat their great performance against Arsenal last week, and lacked the belief and effort needed to get anything from the game.

One player that Palace have looked to all season to provide that moment of magic is star midfielder, Conor Gallagher. However, today he was nowhere to be seen.

The on-loan Chelsea player registered only 29 touches which was far fewer than goalkeeper Vicente Guaita. He also lost a whopping 86% of his duels throughout his time on the pitch according to SofaScore.

He was finally substituted in the 58th minute making way for Eberechi Eze, and in the half an hour or so that Eze was on, he had impacted the game just as much as Gallagher.

The highly-rated Englishman let Vieira down but he’ll be hoping it’s a one-off, and if it isn’t Palace aren’t short of players who will be knocking on the door to start ahead of him.

It’s an unusual performance from Gallagher who has shone for the Eagles this season scoring eight goals and assisting five. He also has the highest amount of goal creating actions in the whole squad this season with 13.

Today was one to forget with the 22-year old also failing to register a single dribble as he lacked in an area he usually thrives in, driving forward with the ball.

The performance comes after his parent club Chelsea rejected Palace’s request to play him in the FA Cup semi-final where the two sides face each other.

With his run of form this season, there has been much speculation about whether he will return to West London and be involved in Thomas Tuchel’s plans, or whether he will move to Selhurst Park permanently.

Chelsea have already stated that if there are to be any talks over a transfer for Gallagher, then at least £50m would need to be offered.

All of this could be affecting the player’s game as his mind might be elsewhere.

Whatever might happen in the summer, at the moment the player needs to focus on his form on the pitch. Today’s performance doesn’t define how good he is overall, but he needs to make sure it isn’t a regular occurrence.

IN other news: Crystal Palace: Vieira lining up potential Tyrick Mitchell replacement…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Dutch centre-back Sven Botman…

What’s the talk?

According to Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards, the defender is interested in a move to St. James’ Park in the January window. Lille, however, are keen to keep hold of their man after holding initial discussions with the Magpies over a potential £30m deal.

The reporter quote Tweeted his article with this claim: “Also contains some better news on Trippier, update on Wijnaldum and Tarkowski too. Based on conversations on the phone with people who know what’s going on. It’s going to be a very long month.”

Elation

Newcastle fans will surely be left elated by this news for multiple reasons. For starters, Edwards claims that people in the know have provided these updates, suggesting that Botman is genuinely interested in making the switch to Tyneside in the coming weeks.

This shows the pull that the takeover from PIF has given the club, as he is now prepared to leave the reigning Ligue 1 champions to fight relegation in England. It proves that the Magpies can attract quality players this month, which should give supporters hope that Nick Hammond and Eddie Howe will be able to complete key deals to strengthen the squad before the window ends.

Fans will also be buzzing as Botman could be a brilliant signing for the side. He has been in fine form for Lille in Ligue 1, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.02, and could come in and improve the defence. The centre-back has shown that he can perform consistently in the French top-flight and that suggests that he could be a strong performer for the Magpies, should he be able to adapt to English football.

Newcastle have conceded the most goals in the Premier League (42), joint with Norwich, this season and are in dire need of an improvement at the back. This is why the signing of Botman could be a major piece of business by the club and fans will be delighted to read that the Dutchman is interested in the potential switch.

Supporters will now need to cross their fingers and hope that Hammond can iron out a deal with the Ligue 1 giants to bring Botman to St. James’ Park. The window still has a few weeks left to run and Newcastle have time to convince Lille to part ways with him.

AND in other news, “Expecting” – Pete Graves drops Newcastle transfer claim that’ll leave fans delighted…

Manchester City extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to seven games as they beat Chelsea 1-0 away from home on Saturday.

The Cityzens have now kept five clean sheets in six Premier League matches this season, with the only goal they have conceded in the campaign coming on the opening day against Tottenham.

Gabriel Jesus’ deflected shot won Pep Guardiola’s side the match against Chelsea, with the Brazilian turning in the box and seeing his effort swerve off a Blues body and into the bottom corner past a helpless Edouard Mendy.

Forget Jesus, though, as another player ran the show for City at Stamford Bridge – Spanish international midfielder Rodri.

City ended the match with 59% possession of the ball away at one of their title challengers and Rodri’s sublime midfield performance played a large role in their dominance throughout the match.

Defensively, the midfield beast was immense. Per SofaScore, he won 71% of his duels, winning four of his six on the ground and his one aerial battle, whilst also making three tackles, two clearances and one interception to stop Chelsea attacks.

On the ball, his quality allowed City to dictate the flow of the match. Per SofaScore, he had 91 touches of the ball and completed a whopping 95% (75/79) of his passes. He also completed five of his six long pass attempts and only gave possession of the ball away five times throughout the 90 minutes, highlighting how secure he was with the ball at his feet.

The midfield beast was able to run the show for City against Chelsea. The likes of Jorginho, Kovacic and Kante were unable to get the better of him on a regular basis at either end of the pitch and that allowed City to control the game and win the midfield battle, which was the foundation for the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Jesus, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden to then work their magic in the final third.

Therefore, Guardiola will have been left delighted by Rodri’s performance, particularly after calling upon the Spaniard following his spell out on the sidelines. It is now down to him to maintain that level of display in the holding midfield role to ensure that he keeps his place in the side for the rest of the season.

Wolves haven’t exactly had the most exciting of transfer windows.

The biggest priority for Bruno Lage was holding onto the club’s best players and so far, the new Old Gold manager has done exactly that.

On the chalkboard

Heading into the final weeks of the transfer window, the Midlands club are still looking to raise some cash through player sales.

One of their most expendable assets appears to be Romain Saiss.

The Moroccan made a number of errors last season and gave away a penalty against Celta Vigo last weekend, starting the new campaign in a disastrous fashion.

Due to his versatility, however, he’d be a great loss. Saiss can play at centre-back, in defensive midfield or even at left-back as he proved last term.

Consequently, Wolves will need a player with similar qualities to replace him should he leave.

The solution

One player who has been on their radar since the days of Nuno Santo is Amadou Diawara.

The Roma midfielder has reportedly turned down Wolves before and this summer, they rejected the chance to sign the powerful holding player.

Diawara could have been included in the deal that took Rui Patricio to the Italian capital but Lage turned that proposal down.

However, we can’t help but feel as though that was a bit of a mistake. Valued at around £17m by CIES Football Observatory, Diawara possesses plenty of qualities that would improve the Wolves midfield.

Consequently, they should make moves to sign him.

Described as a “phenomenon” by his former coach, Fabrizio Tazzioli, he’s also been compared to the great Marcel Desailly for the way he plays.

It’s clear to see why too. He is calm in possession but a brute force when it comes to winning possession back from opponents.

The 24-year-old completed 89.7% of his passes last season according to WhoScored, a tally that would have placed him above Saiss and at the top of the tree for Wolves in terms of regular starters.

Furthermore, he won 1.6 tackles per 90 minutes throughout 2020/21 via FB Ref. The same source also proves he reads the game tremendously well, a facet of the game that Saiss lacks. For instance, he is in the 61st percentile for interceptions.

Diawara would be a bargain option this summer and would undoubtedly add extra muscle to Wolves’ midfield ranks.

They must reverse their initial decision and head back in for the Guinea international before the window closes.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Neto: Wolves can terrify PL defences by signing “special” 13-goal wizard…

Ex-Feyenoord head coach Gio van Bronckhorst is reportedly closing in on a deal to take over at Rangers to replace Steven Gerrard.

Aston Villa poached the ex-Liverpool man from the Gers last week and Ross Wilson is now moving swiftly to get a new man in the dugout for the clash with Hibernian next weekend.

Upon his arrival, van Bronckhorst will have a number of key decisions to make, regarding team selections, formations and transfers.

Time’s up

One decision he will need to make is whether or not to extend Scott Arfield’s contract at Ibrox. The 33-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and van Bronckhorst will need to decide on what to do with his future, whether he will allow him to leave as a free agent or keep him at the club for another year.

Based on his performances in the Premiership for the Gers this term, Arfield should be let go by the club. He has not shown enough on the pitch this season to prove that he is deserving of a new contract and the Dutchman must wield his axe and make a call that could make him an instant hit in Glasgow.

Gerrard handed Arfield six appearances in the Premiership this season and two in the Europa League. Whilst he has not been a regular in the side, eight appearances in the two main competitions for Rangers by this point in the campaign suggests that the former Anfield hero saw value in him.

However, he has not shown enough back in his displays to warrant his inclusion. Per SofaScore, he has lost a whopping 71% of his duels on the pitch in the league and averaged a rating of 6.66. He has also only created two chances, whilst scoring one goal and missing two big chances.

The £1.8m-rated Canadian international averaged a rating of 6.85 and lost 63% of his duels in the 2020/21 campaign, whilst only averaging 0.4 key passes per game. This suggests that his performances have been declining over the past 18 months and now could be the perfect time for the club to part ways with him.

Therefore, one of van Bronckhorst’s first tasks as Rangers manager, should the appointment be made official, is to axe Arfield from the squad and sell him in the January window.

AND in other news, Wilson must avoid instant stitch up for GVB over Rangers gem with “terrific quality”…

Celtic have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their upcoming Scottish League Cup semi-final.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by Football Scotland, who revealed that Celtic centre-back Stephen Welsh had to be withdrawn late on in Scotland U21s’ 2-0 defeat to Belgium on Tuesday evening.

The report went on to state that the 21-year-old looked to pick up a knock in a collision with one of his Belgian counterparts, before limping out of the UEFA U21 Championship qualifier at Tannadice.

Ange will be fuming

Considering the fact that Carl Starfelt is already a doubt for Saturday’s Scottish League Cup semi-final clash against St. Johnstone, the news that the Sweden international’s stand-in now also appears to be ruled out of the fixture is sure to have left Ange Postecoglou fuming.

Indeed, not only does Welsh’s injury leave the 56-year-old manager extremely short of options at the back, the Bhoys boss also appears to have lost one of his most promising young talents at Parkhead.

Over his five Scottish Premiership appearances this season, the £1.08m-rated man has helped his side keep two clean sheets and registered one assist, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 2.2 clearances and winning 6.2 duels per game.

These returns have seen the Scotland U21 international average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as Postecoglou’s joint 11th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

As such, the 21-year-old’s injury will undoubtedly come as a major blow to the Greek-Australian’s chances of securing a victory against St. Johnstone, a result that Postecoglou will be desperate for in order to have a shot at picking up the first trophy of his tenure as Celtic manager.

In other news: Ange could repeat Josh Adam disaster with 15 y/o Celtic prodigy, it’d be a big blow

Michael Ball has criticised a talented teenager after he refused to report back for pre-season training at Everton.

Thierry Small made his senior debut for the Toffees earlier this year, becoming the club’s youngest-ever player in the FA Cup clash with Sheffield Wednesday.

However, there will be fears the 16-year-old left-back is looking to force through a move after failing to head to Finch Farm during the first week of pre-season training under new boss Rafa Benitez.

Reports suggest Everton are preparing to offer the youngster a bumper first professional contract when he turns 17 next month.

However, it seems his head may already have been turned and he is keen to move away from Merseyside.

The Toffees have reportedly rejected an approach from Real Madrid, who now have former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti in charge, while Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal are looking to take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding Small’s future.

Ex-Toffees left-back Ball is not impressed with the youngster’s attitude.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I’m really disappointed with the way he’s gone about it. Everton brought him to the club, developed him and he was obviously happy with the contract he was offered at the time.

“He’s probably improved a lot quicker than he and the club thought.

“Staying away is disrespecting his team-mates and new manager. It’s going to be difficult for him to stay.”