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Aston Villa managed to strengthen in defence over the summer as they picked up Matty Cash from Nottingham Forest. Journalist for The Athletic, Gregg Evans, has been piling a lot of praise on the player and a lot of the fan base have been fawning over his comments on Twitter.

Fans are fully on board with Evans’ verdict, with one supporter praising Cash as ‘outstanding’. The stats back up this claim, as the right-back has managed 3.3 tackles, 3 interceptions and 3.7 clearances in his seven Premier League games (WhoScored).

In his first ever Premier League campaign, the 23 year-old already looks to be a very promising player and he has clearly helped strengthen the Villa defence as they sit sixth in the division and have only conceded nine goals (SofaScore). This is the joint lowest so far this season.

It is great to see when a summer signing pays off and the £14.18m that they paid to bring him to to the club is now starting to look like a bit of a bargain.

Here is what Villa fans said following the tweet about Matty Cash:

In other Villa news, a former footballer slated Jack Grealish for his performance against Belgium. Have a read who it was here!

Celtic skipper Scott Brown is on the wrong side of 30 and won’t be around forever, but their reported move to find his successor could have Neil Lennon on the verge of one major mistake…

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the Scottish giants have set their sights on Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy as the heir to the captain’s throne.

It’s claimed that the Hoops have concerns over the 35-year-old’s ability to see out the season and would like to recruit a replacement sooner rather than later.

McCarthy is their primary target with Brown’s contract set to expire in a year’s time.

Brown heir

Whilst it is a rather smart decision to try and find a new midfielder to take the legend’s reins, Nick Hammond could be on the wrong path with the 29-year-old Eagles ace.

Celtic are staring down at a historic season as they attempt to retain the Scottish Premiership for a tenth successive season and despite starting every match, Brown’s lack of mobility and pace has been a cause for concern.

But McCarthy shouldn’t be the man to take his position as he’s a pretty average midfielder. This season, the Irishman averaged 2.5 tackles, 0.5 key passes and 0.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

Since 2014 in the Premier League, he’s only provided a total of three assists, so it would be a rather baffling move. McCarthy only joined Selhurst Park last summer for £8.5m and is known to be a boyhood Celtic supporter.

Maybe the club should put more faith in Olivier Ntcham instead and save themselves a substantial eight-figure fee. The Bhoys midfielder is a wanted man in the PL, but at just 24, he would be the better long-term option in the role.

Dubbed a “class act” by Roy Hodgson, McCarthy must be avoided at least until the Frenchman is given a proper chance to impress at Celtic Park.

It could save the club millions in the transfer market, something that would be wise given the report claims the champions would need to sell before they buy.

AND in other news, Celtic could be planning for life after Ajer with swoop for 6 foot 4 colossus…

After weeks of looking like Leeds were on the verge of signing Josko Gvardiol from Dinamo Zagreb, it looks like that deal may have collapsed in the final moments.

Reports claimed that the Whites had agreed a fee with the Croatian side over a move for the young centre-back, but that Gvardiol himself has rejected a switch to Elland Road, and will instead remain with Zagreb for the time being.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…



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Despite that setback, it appears Victor Orta and co have got other transfer targets in mind, with TEAMtalk claiming that Manchester City starlet Tosin Adarabioyo is one player who Leeds have earmarked as a potential signing, and that they have already spoken to the former Premier League champions about a move.

The report adds Adarabioyo has continued to reject new contract offers to stay at the Etihad Stadium, and City are now finally willing to let him go – his contract comes to an end in less than a year.

That contract status may be one of the reasons why it was earlier suggested West Ham had been offered the 6 foot 5 ace for just £8m.

If Orta is looking for someone of a similar profile to Gvardiol, then the 22-year-old Adarabioyo would be a very intriguing alternative.

He wouldn’t have to adapt to English football as the Zagreb starlet, and with his stints on loan at lower league level including the Championship with Blackburn last year, should have him ready to go as at least a useful squad option straight away for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Tottenham Hotspur are holding talks with Southampton over a deal that would see Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg move to north London and Kyle Walker-Peters head in the opposite direction. 

Both clubs are confident that an agreement can be reached, as Jose Mourinho has identified Hojbjerg as the holding midfielder that he needs to rebuild Spurs’ midfield.

According to The Guardian, as relayed by @Daily_Hotspur, the ex-Bayern Munich ace fits the type of profile that Tottenham are seeking.

Hojbjerg has played 31 games in the Premier League this season, supplying one assist, taking 1.3 shots, winning 2.5 tackles and completing 1.5 clearances per game on average (via WhoScored).

Meanwhile, Walker-Peters has spent the past few months on loan at Southampton, where he has enjoyed himself so much at St Mary’s that he is keen to stay on a permanent basis.

However, the two players’ valuations are proving to be a sticking point. Southampton had valued Hojbjerg at £35m before nationwide lockdown but circumstances have now changed.

Ralph Hasenhuttl stripped the Dane of the captaincy after he refused to sign a new deal and he has even been left out of the squad altogether in recent weeks.

Southampton are not prepared to spend heavily on Walker-Peters as he is still largely unproven in the Premier League. As Hojbjerg only has one year left on his contract, the Saints will seek about £25m for their former captain.

Spurs should be able to meet Southampton’s asking price in principle, as Daniel Levy splashed the cash to sign Tanguy Ndombele last year.

Nevertheless, further questions will be raised about Ndombele’s future at the club if Hojbjerg ends up in north London in the summer.

Tottenham fans, do you think should Daniel Levy sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

Newcastle United have confirmed that Tom Allan has left the Tyneside club to sign for Accrington Stanley on loan for the new 2020/21 season.

As per a tweet from The Athletic journalist Chris Waugh, the youngster has signed a new two-year deal at St. James’ Park, and was told by manager Steve Bruce that he would get “opportunities” going forward in the North East, but it is crucial that he gains first-team experience playing in men’s football, which he will likely get at Accrington.

Allan has enjoyed a relatively impressive career in the youth set-up at the Magpies, as he has scored 17 goals and made a further eight assists in a total of 89 games in all competitions across the last four seasons, according to Transfermarkt.

The Englishman has also demonstrated his versatility by playing in various different roles on the pitch, and at just 20 years of age as well, Allan arguably still has a lot of potential to grow and develop as a player.

He also received high praise from his youth-team coach Dave Watson back in 2017, who described his attitude as “fantastic” while labelling him as a “great competitor” (via The Chronicle).

Indeed, Allan is a player for the future, and Bruce will be hoping that he can return from his loan spell and potentially challenge for a place in the first-team squad having gained experience in the lower divisions.

Nevertheless, if he can replicate his goal-scoring ability for the youth sides at the Toon, then Alllan may well turn out to be a success at NUFC.

Geordies, does Allan have a future at the club? Comment below!

Tottenham Hotspur have now officially confirmed that Alfie Whiteman has signed a new contract with the club that will keep him around until at least 2022.

The 21-year-old goalie is the product of Spurs’ academy and seems to be one that the club are putting their faith in for the not so distant future.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Upon seeing the update, many Spurs fans were also delighted that he has agreed to stay put and work on his career in London.

They congratulated him and were seemingly over the moon with joy, with one fan even calling him a “life saver”, as you can see from some of their replies down in the collection of tweets below.

But even though many were happy for Whiteman, there were also some fans who are just not sure what Spurs have in store for their young goalkeeper.

After all, the 21-year-old has not featured between the sticks for the club in the Premier League or in the Champions League, tallying appearances only in the EFL Trophy and in Premier League 2.

The vast majority of the fans, however, wanted to see a different update altogether.

Mourinho’s produced some incredible footballing stars – how much do you know about them?

With Toby Alderweireld’s contract also due to expire in the summer of 2020, many of the supporters were actually hoping that this announcement would be on the centre-back signing his extension and were somewhat disappointed to see it was Whiteman instead.

It remains to be seen whether Jose Mourinho can also convince his centre-back to pen an extension before time runs out.

Elsewhere, Spurs’ young star in making is definitely not the solution Milan need for their glaring issue…

As the transfer window gets nearer and nearer, Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with plenty of big names, but no moves have materialised so far.

However, this may all be about to change, as Tottenham are reportedly the front-runners to sign Beijing Guoan defender Kim Min-jae this summer. According to The Mirror, via HITC, Spurs are leading the race for Kim ahead of a number of Premier League rivals, including Arsenal.

Kim, who is nicknamed ‘Monster’, and Son Heung-min are international teammates for South Korea and the club could use this to their advantage.

Beijing Guoan are willing to let him leave for around £13.5m, which should be more than affordable. Although Daniel Levy has made it clear that Jose Mourinho will be strapped for cash in the summer, this seems to be well inside the club’s tight budget.

Despite his young age, the 23-year-old has already won 30 caps for his country, scoring three goals so far. He notably won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games with the national team which earned him military privileges. Standing at 1,90m tall, which is roughly 6’2, the South Korean cuts an imposing figure at the back.

Mourinho faces an exodus of defenders when the transfer market opens as Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth appear to be on their way out the door.

It is hardly surprising Mourinho is interested in a defender of his build. Indeed, the Portuguese was keen to sign Harry Maguire during his time in charge of Manchester United. While he missed out on signing Maguire at Old Trafford, Kim is a cheaper option.

Spurs were originally linked with the youngster two years ago and they are confident they can get the deal done with Son’s help.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Kim in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Daily Mail, Liverpool are interested in signing Ricky-Jade Jones from Peterborough United.

What’s the story?

With the January transfer window just around the corner, the rumours are beginning to gather speed. Among the players the Reds are being linked with is the 18-year-old.

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Spurs are already said to have bid £2m for the forward, but they were knocked back. Posh are believed to be hoping that starts off a bidding war, with Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal amongst the other sides pursuing the youngster. In an earlier report, The Sun said that Peterborough could demand a fee of up to £10m for their starlet.

Perfect fit for the Reds

Of course, Jones is still vastly inexperienced. Yet there must be a reason why a whole host of clubs are interested in his services. Peterborough do have a history of producing quality attacking talent, with the likes of Dwight Gayle and Britt Assombalonga coming through their ranks.

Check out footballers’ biggest fashion disasters in the video below…

This season, he has made three appearances for Darren Ferguson’s side, and scored both on his full debut and in his first FA Cup appearance. Clearly possessing ability in front of goal, there is one particular aspect of his game that should attract Liverpool’s attention: his pace.

When the League One club signed the youngster to a three-year professional contract earlier this month, Ferguson spoke glowingly about the teenager. He said: “Ricky’s family were very excited when I met them. They are a great group and very close and Ricky is an outstanding young man. He deserves the professional contract. We feel he has real potential. He has a great attitude and work ethic.”

“It is just the start, but he has a desire to work hard and that is vitally important. He has real quality, is a big lad, has unbelievable pace and is the quickest player that I have worked with.”

The quickest player he has ever worked with? That should be music to Jurgen Klopp’s ears. In Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, the former Borussia Dortmund manager already has bags of speed up front. By adding Jones to the squad, he would have another player with the same attribute in his arsenal, one that can’t be taught.

Given that £2m bid from Tottenham was quickly turned down, it is unlikely that Peterborough will let one of their star assets leave so easily. But considering the list of clubs pursuing him, as well as his lightning pace, he would be a perfect fit for the Anfield outfit in the long-term.

In other news, Liverpool fans are disgusted as one key man misses out on a UEFA award nomination.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Giovani Lo Celso did not make a good impression as Tottenham Hotspur lost 3-1 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

On the chalkboard

Jose Mourinho rotated his starting XI for the dead rubber, well aware that Spurs had already secured their qualification for the knockout stages via a second-placed finish.

Lo Celso was subsequently picked to play on the right side of an attacking midfield trio, along with Christian Eriksen in the middle and Ryan Sessegnon on the left flank.

However, the loanee from Real Betis did not have the best of evenings.

Per WhoScored, in the 65 minutes he was on the pitch, prior to his substitution, Lo Celso touched the ball just 34 times.

No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?

He had one shot on goal, which was off target, and completed just one dribble.

Astonishingly, Lo Celso was dribbled past on seven occasions throughout the game and completed just three of the 10 tackles he attempted.

If he was trying to be an attacking force, he failed; if he was trying to be a defensive presence, he failed.

A tricky one

Lo Celso needs to start playing well.

Spurs struck an agreement to bring him in on an initial loan deal and it has been confirmed that they have an obligation to buy him if they qualify for the Champions League.

If they fail to do that, the obligation becomes an option.

Whatever happens, then, the Argentina international is the master of his own destiny.

Of course, he can’t choose when Mourinho selects him but when he is on the pitch, he has to grab every game with both hands.

Against Bayern, he failed to do that and the game, and wing-back Alphonso Davies, often passed him by.

Meanwhile, another Spurs ace was in terrible form against Bayern.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

It didn’t take long, did it?

West Bromwich Albion returned to their top spot in the Championship table with an untroubling 2-0 victory over Stoke City on Monday night.

The west Midlanders were only knocked off their perch because the teams below them had played on Saturday afternoon, but now they have regained a two-point cushion over second-placed Preston North End.

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Either a sign of how competitive the league is or just how good West Brom are this season – or both.

After 15 matches in the second-tier of English football, the Baggies have earned 30 points, meaning they are averaging two points per game, which is almost like the proverbial barometer for promotion.

Though, that sort of chatter may have some substance after all.

If Albion can keep this up under manager Slaven Bilic, at the exact same rate for the rest of the season, then they will pick up a total of 92 points.

Last season, that figure would have beaten Sheffield United to the runner-up spot behind Norwich City so therefore they would have gained automatic promotion.

How does that compare to other seasons in recent history? Well, it’s majorly positive, so look away now if you can’t handle it West Brom fans.

In both the 2017/18 and 2015/16 campaign, the same number was enough to secure a return to the promised land of the Premier League by virtue of finishing as the second-best team in the division.

A total of 92 points was even enough to clinch the title in 2015 as Bournemouth won it with two fewer points – that year, the Championship was quite fiercely competitive too as Watford, Norwich, and Middlesbrough were separated by just five points.

Just once in the last five seasons has that figure not been enough to secure top-flight status as both Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion managed more points in 2017.

In short, West Brom just need to keep doing what they are doing, and come May, they’ll be popping the champagne open at the Hawthorns following the full-time whistle against Queens Park Rangers.

It also just goes to show how good they’ve got it under Bilic – a phenomenal turn around in such a short period of time.