Tag Futebol

Aston Villa look destined for a spot in Europe next season as they continue to fly high under Unai Emery, with the Spanish manager completely turning the Villans' fortunes around during his time at Villa Park.

The form of Ollie Watkins has been widely discussed as a major factor in Villa's superb recent form, which has seen them win seven of their last eight in the Premier League, with impressive victories over Chelsea and Newcastle United in that time.

The former Brentford man has crashed in seven goals and two assists in the eight-game unbeaten run but he has not been the only player to be completely transformed under Emery, as Jacob Ramsey could also be eyeing a call-up to the England squad given his incredible recent form.

How has Ramsey performed under Emery at Aston Villa?

Ahead of the Spaniard's arrival at Villa Park in October, Ramsey had failed to live up to the promise he showed last season, notching just one goal and one assist in the Premier League.

Speaking on The Villa View podcast, European football broadcaster and Sky Sports contributor Kevin Hatchard said:

"I felt, towards the end of Gerrard's reign – Ramsey was caged. He was part of this really solid midfield unit that was just shunned from side to side.

"He couldn't do anything – he couldn't break forward, he couldn't affect the game. Now, he has not only the freedom to affect the game, but a demand on him to affect the game because Unai Emery knows he's so good."

However, a goal and an assist in Villa's 3-1 win against Manchester United, which was Emery's first game in charge, was perhaps a marker of what was to come for the 21-year-old academy graduate.

The midfielder followed that up with an assist in the League Cup defeat against United a few days later before a barren run of goal contributions, but he has been vital to the team's unbeaten run recently, with two goals and three assists in his last five appearances.

This has seen his average rating from WhoScored shoot up to a solid 6.83/10, which sees him ranked as the fifth-best performer in Emery's squad so far this campaign.

Despite being just 21, the "special talent" – as dubbed by writer Sam Tabuteau – ranks third for key passes and fourth for dribbles per game, which emphasises just how effective he can be from the middle of the park, and Emery certainly seems to know how to get the best out of him.

Ramsey has a huge amount of potential and if he continues his current form at Villa, then the Midlands club will only go from strength to strength next season.

Dan Cook has urged Crystal Palace and Steve Parish to not bring back Roy Hodgson.

The Lowdown: Palace still searching for a Vieira replacement

Crystal Palace will have been hoping for a sort of bounce when they sacked Patrick Vieira and put Paddy McCarthy in temporary charge against Arsenal, however, the complete opposite happened as they shipped more than two goals in a game for the first time since the start of January.

Following the shock decision to sack Vieira, reports started to emerge about a sensational return for former manager and now retiree Roy Hodgson, who is said to be open about taking charge until the end of the season.

However, given that Vieira was appointed as this young and forward-thinking coach as well as being allowed to overhaul the squad by losing veteran players and bringing in more youthful talents he could help develop, going back to Hodgson is a bizarre move.

The Latest: Parish must avoid managerial mishap

Following the defeat against Arsenal and talk of Hodgson returning to Palace, Cook has urged Parish to not return to the veteran manager while speaking on the HLTCO podcast.

He said: (3:15) “In this particular instance, I’m going to nail my colours to the mast, I don’t see what bringing Roy Hodgson back to this football club achieves in the short term or the long term.

“I understand that maybe the Patrick Vieira experiment and the dynamic behind the scenes had shifted dramatically post-the decision to relieve Shaun Derry of his duties as one of his coaching staff.

“But, if the upshot of a break in the relationship between the ownership and Patrick Vieira is to get rid of him and bring Roy Hodgson back to the football club, then I just don’t see what purpose it serves, I can’t understand the decision making.”

The Verdict: Hodgson is not the answer for Palace

Bringing in Hodgson could be a panic appointment from Parish and the Palace board, the logic would be sound as he’s been there and done it at Selhurst Park managing to keep the Eagles in the top flight during his previous tenure.

However, given his age and the fact he willingly retired in 2022 should suggest that going back to the Englishman would be a poor decision and only show Palace to be going one way and that’s backwards.

Palace looked to be moving in the right direction by signing young exciting players such as Michael Olise, Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen, but calling a manager out of retirement just for short-term gain would signal that parish may well have lost vision of what he wants the Eagles to be like as a club.

Gabriel Agbonlahor believes Tottenham Hotspur would have won their Champions League tie if they had James Maddison in their team.

The Lowdown: Spurs need wholesale changes

Spurs have now scored just four goals in their last six matches, drawing blanks in four of those games – and it all seems to be getting too much for some Tottenham fans.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Conte has a very strong chance of leaving Spurs come the end of the season, but if these poor performances and results persist, Daniel Levy may be forced into an earlier change.

Given Tottenham’s struggles in the final third, they clearly need help to create chances for players such as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, which is where Premier League regular Maddison could soon come into the equation.

The Latest: Maddison could change Tottenham

After seeing Spurs register two shots on target against AC Milan, Agbonlahor touted Maddison – who’s been linked with Tottenham in the past – as someone who could’ve helped them win the game against the Italian champions.

He said: “You look at Spurs and Son’s playing within himself, Kulusevski comes inside all the time, they’re missing another winger who can get at a player, and, badly missing a number 10.

“Put Maddison in that team last night, they probably win the game.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-4/” title=”Tottenham latest news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-tottenham-fans.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Tottenham could go big in the summer

If Spurs were to try and land someone of Maddison’s ability, they may have to shell out ‘over £100m’ on the attacking midfielder according to Graeme Souness, but that price tag could well be justified if he was to hit the ground running at Spurs.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season, Maddison has been able to register 47 goal involvements in the Premier League alone, so he’s starting to show consistency and a level of maturity that suggests he could be a gamechanger.

It’s not just on the pitch where Maddison could help Spurs, but his infectious and ‘cheeky chappy’ personality could be what Tottenham need to get some life and creativity into the team, as it appears to have been sucked out of them under Conte.

Manchester United are thought to be very interested in signing Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund.

The Lowdown: Hojlund profiled

Hojlund is just 20 years of age and is an out-and-out left-footed centre-forward. He made the move to Atalanta over the summer and has contributed to nine goals in 21 games.

The Danish forward has impressed, though, with Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini already saying he has ‘very similar characteristics’ to Erling Haaland and ‘remarkable’ technical quality.

Reporter Sacha Pisani has also labelled Hojlund as ‘scary quick’, and it looks as if those at Old Trafford have joined the race for his services.

The Latest: United interest

Sports Witness relayed a report from Tipsbladet regarding Hojlund in the last 48 hours.

They said that the Red Devils have joined Juventus, AC Milan, Napoli and Real Madrid in the race for his services, with Erik ten Hag on the search for a new striker in the summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-11/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Smart move?

A new attacking addition appears to be needed at Old Trafford, with Anthony Martial suffering a number of injury issues in recent months. Meanwhile, Wout Wegorst is only on loan until the summer with no option to make a transfer permanent.

Therefore, signing someone like Hojlund, who has been linked with a number of European giants already, could be a smart move both in the short and long run.

He seems to have an extremely bright future ahead of him, and if he is anything like Haaland in years to come, you’d expect he could impress in the Premier League, potentially at Old Trafford.

Aston Villa have been in excellent form in the Premier League since Unai Emery’s side returned from the break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The Villans have won three of their six matches in the division since coming back to action in December – beating Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, and Southampton, whilst also drawing with Wolves.

One player who returned to the club high on confidence after the winter competition was goalkeeper Emi Martinez as the former Arsenal man came back to Villa Park with a World Cup medal.

The 30-year-old won the tournament with Argentina and played a significant role in his country’s success by saving a penalty in the shootout win over France in the final.

He has also caught the eye with his performances in the Premier League this season as the ‘keeper has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.87 across 19 appearances – placing him fifth in the squad – and kept four cleans sheets in total.

In December, The Sun reported that noises had been coming out from the shot-stopper’s camp about interest from a number of other clubs and Bayern Munich were named as one of the teams who could have made a move for him, although they have since signed Yann Sommer.

Martinez, who journalist Callum Altimas once hailed as a “mad man”, could be a player the club may need to replace in one of the upcoming transfer windows if that interest from the unnamed teams becomes serious and tempts him into wanting to depart from Villa Park.

If the £120k-per-week titan does depart, whether that is this summer or in a future window, then Villa could already have his heir at the club in the form of U21 goalkeeper Oliwier Zych.

The 18-year-old colossus, who stands at 6 foot 3, has already played 16 times for the 21s after racking up 20 appearances – keeping five clean sheets – for the U18s.

This season, the teenager has kept two clean sheets and conceded just two goals in three Premier League 2 outings and has earned himself a place in Poland’s U19 set-up.

Zych had already been called up at U14, U15, U16, and U18 level by his country prior to the current campaign but is now the number-one choice for the 19s – starting and captaining Poland in a clash with the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

Martinez is reportedly viewed as one of the leaders in the Villa squad and has donned the armband at times this season and this suggests that the club would lose one of the big voices on the pitch and in the dressing room with his departure.

Therefore, Zych being the captain of his country’s youth side is a big plus in his favour as it indicates that the gem has the potential to take on the leadership responsibilities that the current first-team number one has.

That, along with the 18-year-old’s form for the youth side this campaign and his experience with the youth sides, is why the Polish stopper could be the long-term heir to Martinez’s position if Emery can unearth his talent in the years to come.

Journalist James Copley doesn’t believe Sunderland will be bringing in a free-agent striker anytime soon.

The Lowdown: Sunderland light at striker

Sunderland only managed to bring in youngster Joe Gelhardt on loan during the January transfer window to address their striker woes, having lost Ellis Simms to Everton and Ross Stewart going down with a season-ending injury.

That could well prove to be a costly decision, especially given the Black Cats are just two points outside the play-offs as things stand, so they have a great chance of securing back-to-back promotions.

Copley took to Twitter on deadline day to vent his disappointment over the club’s lack of ability or willingness to recruit another striker before the transfer window slammed shut and he certainly doesn’t expect them to move in the free agency market.

The Latest: Free agents not likely to arrive

Despite Sunderland’s lack of options at striker, Copley admitted on The Roar podcast that he isn’t thrilled by the options on the free-agent market, and therefore can’t see any of them joining the Black Cats.

He said: “After the deadline, you sort of look at the free-agent market and you start trawling lists of players: Mexicans, and 32-year-old Germans, and Russians and all that sort of stuff.

“From what we know about the club and how they operate, I can’t see that as a market they would explore.”

The Verdict: Mowbray been left very short

Tony Mowbray is very unlikely to be pleased with how the club have handled the striker situation as he’s lost his top scorer to a long-term injury and hasn’t been able to replace him.

While bringing in Gelhardt was something of a coup for Sunderland given his pedigree and talent – he has already registered nine goal involvements for Leeds United – the 20-year-old now has a heap of pressure to hit the ground running.

Even if Gelhardt does that this weekend against Millwall, he then has to keep that up until the end of the season, and considering he’s never started more than five games in a league campaign before, he could very easily burn out in a few months’ time.

West Ham have opened talks to sign a new target in Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque, according to journalist Venê Casagrande.

The Lowdown: Hammers make moves…

As manager David Moyes continues his battle for both Premier League survival and to save his job, there have been no shortage of transfer links as the January transfer deadline looms.

West Ham have just completed the signing of striker Danny Ings from Aston Villa after rapid movement in the last two days, giving Moyes a real boost in his search for more firepower.

The Hammers are also believed to chasing Lorient striker Terem Moffi, who has scored a brilliant 12 goals in 17 Ligue 1 starts this campaign.

The search for a central defender is also well and truly on with a few names already being offered to West Ham, according to insider ExWHUemployee.

The Latest: West Ham open Roque talks…

Now, as per reporter Casagrande, a Brazilian correspondent, West Ham are currently in ‘conversations’ with Athletico Paranaense over the signing of Roque.

The forward is currently playing at the South America Under-20 Championship in Colombia for his country but the east Londoners apparently want him on loan with an option to buy.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-uodates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cropped-david-moyes-premier-league-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Casagrande explained:

“West Ham are interested in Athletico’s Vitor Roque, who is currently playing in the South American Under-20 Championship in Colombia. The English team wants the attacker on loan and with a purchase obligation. Values come close to € 20 million between fixed and variable payments.”

The reporter also went on to state:

“Athletico would also keep a percentage of the future sale of striker Vitor Roque, as they did with Betis, from Spain, in the sale of left-back Abner. Conversations in progress.”

The Verdict: Steal…

Attempting to sign Roque under these conditions would be a real snip for West Ham going by the 17-year-old’s stunning reputation.

The attacker is seen as one of Brazil’s young jewels alongside the likes of Endrick, who has just signed for Real Madrid, and recent reports claim Roque has been attracting similar attention.

AS say Chelsea, PSG, Barcelona and Real have all been keeping tabs on the teenager, who is described as ‘brash’, ‘electric’ and ‘fighting’.

Clearly standing out as one of Brazil’s rising stars, he has also been likened to Endrick for his playing style, making this possible loan move a very attractive proposition.

Also called ‘very impressive’ by ESPN editor David Cartlidge, who has been blown away by his performances for the Brazil Under-20s in recent games, it’s clear why West Ham are attempting a move.

Chelsea have now placed Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong on their transfer shortlist, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Reece James’ injury issues

Graham Potter has been tasked with finding a replacement for Reece James in his first transfer window as Chelsea boss, with the right-back being ruled out for up to a month after he sustained an injury in his comeback match against AFC Bournemouth.

The 23-year-old missed out on representing England at the World Cup due to a knee injury which had kept him out of action since he played against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the beginning of October, and so the Blues are now targeting a right-back.

The Latest: Frimpong shortlisted

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Jones claimed that Chelsea have identified a multitude of different transfer options, spanning several leagues, but Frimpong is the one that he has heard the most about:

“There are loads of options that I’m hearing about, literally from five different leagues across Europe that they have options in.

“The one I’ve probably heard the most about is Jeremie Frimpong. So, I think that’s probably one on the shortlist, but we’ll find out in a few days. We’ll get a better idea of who they’re zoning in on.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Neil Lennon hailed the 22-year-old as being ‘outstanding’ when he worked with him at Celtic, and he has since gone from strength to strength with Bayer Leverkusen, establishing himself as a key player for the German side.

This season, the Dutchman has weighed in with eight goal contributions in 21 appearances, a fantastic return for a full-back, even managing to score five Bundesliga goals, the second-highest amount totalled by any Leverkusen player.

The former Celtic man would not be a like-for-like replacement for James, who is more astute in his defensive duties, averaging 2.32 tackles per 90 over the past year compared to 1.68 from Frimpong, and that is a bonus for Potter, as he would have a new option who is better suited to games against different opponents.

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a £39m bid for Sporting CP right-back Pedro Porro, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Tottenham eyeing defender

Tottenham want to improve their options on the right of defence in the January window, and Porro has emerged as a potential signing, with Jornal de Noticias detailing that he will only leave if his £39.2m release clause is met.

However, the club now seem ready to launch a worthy bid for the Spaniard, according to a recent update emanating from Portugal…

The Latest: Preparing Porro bid

As per Correio de Manha, via Sport Witness, Spurs are ‘preparing to formalise’ an offer for the 23-year-old in the January transfer window, which is likely to be close to the clause in his contract.

It is also detailed that Premier League rivals Manchester City could benefit from the move, as they are entitled to 30% from a future sale, due to the club previously signing the defender from Girona in 2019.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-3/” title=”Tottenham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Make it happen

Antonio Conte has first-hand experience of the talent that the £29k-per-week earner possesses, owing to a stellar display against his side in the Champions League earlier this season, in which he displayed his creative abilities by creating one big chance.

Attacking contributions are an important part of the 5 foot 9 full-back’s game, as indicated by four assists in ten league games this season, however he is also diligent in his defensive duties, registering two interceptions in the same match against Spurs, the joint-highest amount of any player.

Lauded as a ‘special talent’ and ‘best right back in Portugal’ by writer Zach Lowy, Porro represents a fantastic option at right-back for many years to come, as his ability going forward would make him a perfect fit in Conte’s wing-back system, which he has opted for in every match so far this season.

La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona also want the player, perhaps summing up his obvious ability.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told the price tag of reported transfer target Ruslan Malinovskyi. 

The Lowdown: Spurs linked with Malinovskyi

The Premier League club have been linked with a move for the Atalanta midfielder in recent weeks ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

With 142 appearances to his name for the Serie A outfit, the 29-year-old has scored 30 goals and delivered 28 assists along the way.

Now that the January transfer window is on the horizon, it seems that some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding a potential move to north London for the Ukraine international.

The Latest: Spurs learn Malinovskyi price tag

According to a recent report from Calciomercato, Spurs have been told that nothing less than €18m (£15m) would get Atalanta to enter negotiations over potentially selling Malinovskyi.

The report adds that French club Marseille have walked away from a potential deal for the Ukrainian due to the financial implications, with the Ligue 1 outfit preferring a loan or swap deal.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-3/” title=”Tottenham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] 

The Verdict: Go for it, Spurs

Having started just five Serie A games this season, with one goal and two assists to his name, it’s clear that Malinovskyi is not a crucial player for his current club.

This could duly make a January move to Tottenham to play in the Premier League under Antonio Conte a tempting prospect for the player.

Across his 543 minutes of league action this term, the midfielder – who has been praised for his “unreal” shooting ability in the past by journalist Carlo Garganese – has the highest rate of shots at goal per 90 minutes (3.15) at Atalanta, along with the second-most passes into the final third of the pitch (36). These figures show the telling impact that the Ukrainian can have in an attacking sense when he features.

Taking all of that into account, now that Spurs know how much a deal for Malinovskyi could cost them, we feel that this is definitely something that the club should look to complete in January, particularly with Marseille now out of the equation.