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Aston Villa could offer Danny Ings to Brighton in a swap deal for Yves Bissouma, according to The Mirror’s Neil Moxley.

The lowdown

Steven Gerrard publicly admitted that Villa had seen a bid for the Mali international rejected in January, and The Guardian reported on Friday that the 41-year-old remains keen to add a defensive midfielder to his ranks ahead of the 2022/23 season.

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Football Insider recently reported that Brighton had identified Ings as a summer transfer target.

It was only last summer that Villa paid £25m to sign him from Southampton, but the Englishman has posted a rather underwhelming tally of five goals so far in the Midlands.

The latest

Moxley wrote in The Mirror that Ings is one of the players who may be deemed surplus to requirements by Villa this summer.

The sources to whom the journalist has spoken have not ‘ruled out’ the possibility of a swap deal, with the 29-year-old potentially being offloaded to Brighton in exchange for Bissouma.

The verdict

According to The Athletic’s Stuart James, straight swaps are ‘unusual’ in football, but such a deal could be feasible here.

Villa’s £25m offer for Bissouma may have been turned down in January, but by the time we reach July, the Malian will have less than year left on his contract. Brighton know that, at the start of next year, he will be negotiate pre-contract terms with clubs from outside the UK, so the pressure may be on to cash in this summer unless they can negotiate a renewal.

Ings is valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, so the players’ valuations could be close enough for Brighton to accept a straight exchange deal without demanding cash on top.

Noel Whelan has hailed Ings as a ‘phenomenal finisher’, but he has yet to truly hit top form at Villa, with this season on course to be leanest in front of goal since 2018/19. Therefore, it might not be entirely surprising if the 29-year-old is used as bait to try and land Bissouma.

In other news, Andy Hinchliffe believes this Villa player cost his team on Saturday

West Bromwich Albion succumbed to a first home defeat since February as Steve Bruce’s side lost 3-1 to Stoke City in the Championship this afternoon.A Jake Livermore own goal in the first half got the Potters underway before Jacob Brown doubled the visitors’ lead in the second half.There were hopes of a comeback when Callum Robinson halved the deficit with 17 minutes to go but those were ultimately extinguished when Lewis Baker scored the clincher for Michael O’Neil’s men deep into added time.It was a lacklustre display from the Baggies, who will probably be desperate to see the back end of the campaign given their 11th-placed position, with any chance of sneaking into the play-offs all but over.Having spent last term in the Premier League, Albion’s first season back in the Championship has certainly been a disappointment, particularly with results like today’s.What has also been a disappointment is the West Brom tenure of winger Grady Diangana so far.The 23-year-old West Ham youth product was sold by West Ham at the start of last season after the winger impressed on loan at The Hawthorns in the 2019/20 campaign.The transfer gained plenty of attention, not for the fee or context of the move but for the public outburst from West Ham captain Mark Noble, who tweeted: “As captain of this football club I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left, great kid with a great future!!!!!”

However, the signs of a great future have still yet to be shown at West Brom by Diangana, who endured a tricky afternoon against the Potters today and let his manager down.

According to SofaScore, the 23-year-old had fewer touches of the ball (30) in his 58 minutes on the pitch than goalkeeper Sam Johnstone (42). Moreover, the winger lost the ball on 12 occasions, an average of every 2.5 touches, had no shots and attempted just two dribbles, completing neither.

There was little defensive contribution either, with the 23-year-old failing to make a single clearance, block or interception and winning just one tackle. Furthermore, Diangana lost six of his eight duels (75%).

On a more positive note, the winger’s passing was mostly accurate, with an 88% success rate, whilst he also completed two long balls. However, it was largely an afternoon to forget for the Englishman.

That’s a phrase which has been thrown around frequently about the winger since making his move to West Brom permanent, with Diangana scoring just three goals since leaving east London for good.

Two of those have come this season, along with just one assist, in 37 Championship appearances, so there needs to be more end product from the player.

The season appears to be all but over for Albion, with 2022/23 being Bruce’s first full campaign in charge of the Baggies.

Whether or not that will end positively will become clear over time, but what is certain is that Diangana will need to show signs of improving his contributions for West Brom, as otherwise he may well be on the move again.

In other news: West Brom now set for big disaster over “unbelievable” £7.2m-rated gem

According to The Mirror, Southampton are likely to bid again for Birmingham’s Che Adams, after having their first £8m bid rejected. 

The Saints are clearly set on landing a new striker this month, and the 22-year-old Adams seems to be top of their list. That is no surprise given the fact that the forward has already amassed 14 goals and three assists in 28 Championship games this season.

However, seeing as Birmingham are standing strong at the moment, therefore causing Southampton to pay more, Ralph Hasenhüttl could turn his attention elsewhere. If so, here are two more options in the Championship that Southampton could look at:

Neal Maupay

Sitting in fourth in the Championship’s scoring charts with 16 goals, Brentford’s Neal Maupay is obviously a good option for The Saints. At 22 years of age, this is also a great investment for the south coast club.

However, what makes this such a good signing is that he also has six assists in the Championship so far this season. He has proven that he is also a creative force, which could prove hugely beneficial given the other strikers already at Southampton. If Maupay can work with them, there could be a huge amount of success at St Mary’s this season.

Finally, Maupay’s, and indeed Brentford’s form took a hit when manager Dean Smith left for Aston Villa earlier this season. Had the manager remained, the France under-21 international may have had more goals to his name.

Jarrod Bowen

As far as players go, there isn’t a huge amount that separates Jarrod Bowen from Adams. Both have 14 goals this season, both have three assists and both are 22. Furthermore, Hull and Birmingham are more or less in the same place in the Championship table.

However, what makes Bowen a slightly more attractive proposition is that he only has a year and a half left on his contract, whereas Adams has three and a half years, meaning The Saints may not need to spend as much.

AFC Bournemouth manager Scott Parker has admitted a desire to keep Liverpool central defender Nat Phillips beyond a current loan spell, as per Dorset Live. 

The lowdown: Phillips a cult hero

Having made himself a fan favourite at Anfield following a string of outstanding performances at the back end of the 2020/21 campaign, Phillips was deemed surplus to requirements during the January transfer window.

Helping guide the Reds to ten games unbeaten and a Premier League top-four finish, Phillips became a favourite of Jurgen Klopp too, who gushed over his ‘love’ for the Englishman and even compared his development to Robert Lewandowski.

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However, the no-nonsense defender found himself down the pecking order once again at Anfield when Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez all recovered from long term injuries, as well as the signing of Ibrahima Konaté.

Following a strong start to life on the south coast having joined the Championship high-fliers on loan until the end of the season, Phillips could be set to extend a stay…

The latest: Parker speaks out

Speaking to Dorset Live, Parker was asked whether the club would be looking to keep the man dubbed the ‘Bolton Baresi’ on a permanent basis.

“Maybe, hopefully…

“At this moment in time, that has not really been discussed. As always, whether with Nat or all the players who are on loan and in where they sit or don’t sit, it is really irrelevant.

“Just tell them to keep their heads down, focus on performing and that (their future) probably ends up taking care of itself, one way or another. That’s how I’ve learned things. Nat needs to be consistent in his levels, which he has done.”

The verdict: No brainer

Since joining Bournemouth, Phillips has earned an impressive 7.02/10 average match rating from nine league appearances, winning 4.62 aerial duels and making 5.1 clearances per game (Sofascore).

Already boasting 17 Premier League outings – as well as UEFA Champions League experience – it’s no surprise that Parker would be looking to add the man hailed as a ‘monster’ by an adoring Klopp to the ranks permanently.

Seemingly heading back to the top-flight, Bournemouth will be looking to add steel to their defence in order to compete amongst the elite next season and given the strength in depth in the defensive department at Liverpool, a summer sale is the best move for all parties, with simply no room for Phillips to receive any game time at Anfield.

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly set to complete triple transfer swoop. Find out more here.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Leeds United will ‘definitely’ make a move for Brenden Aaronson this summer, GiveMeSport report.

The Lowdown: January bids

The Whites wanted to bring Aaronson to Elland Road at the beginning of the year. Two bids were submitted for the USA international, however, RB Salzburg had no intention to sell midway through the campaign.

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Leeds ended up making no senior additions to their squad and are now managed by Jesse Marsch, who Aaronson scored seven goals in 25 appearances under for Salzburg.

Marsch and Victor Orta recently met to understand the profile of player they want to target in the summer, and it looks as if Aaronson will once again be on their radar.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke had this to say on Leeds and Aaronson, adding that Marsch’s arrival in Yorkshire ‘should boost their chances’ of finalising a deal.

“That was the one they tried to do in January and were just not able to do it, so they will definitely rekindle their interest in that one, and Jesse Marsch with his American connections should boost their chances of getting that deal done.”

The Verdict: Needed

Aaronson, who was hailed by Thierry Henry recently, has scored 20 goals during his career, mainly plying his trade as an attacking midfielder.

Leeds don’t have an out and out attacking midfielder on the books heading into Marsch’s first full season in charge, so a player like Aaronson appears to be needed with Marsch possibly looking to implement his preferred 4-2-2-2 system.

Hopefully, it’ll be third time lucky for the Whites in their pursuit of Aaronson this summer, but first, the club need to guarantee their Premier League status over the coming weeks.

In other news: ‘Big’ – Journalist excited by who Orta and Marsch may now ‘bring’ to Leeds this summer. 

West Bromwich Albion have learned the latest regarding the future of on-loan striker Jordan Hugill as they look to put together a promotion charge in the second half of the Championship campaign.

What’s the latest?

West Brom will maintain the services of Norwich City loanee Jordan Hugill for the remainder of the season after Canaries manager Dean Smith revealed that there is no recall option in the 29-year-old’s contract at The Hawthorns.

Speaking to the Eastern Daily Press, Smith said: “I don’t believe there is a recall option. I’ve spoken to Andy [Hughes], who’s our loans’ manager who keeps in touch with all the loan players. I’m going to be speaking to Jordan over the next 24 hours to see how he is finding it there.

“I don’t believe there’s a release clause but I’ll have a chat and see how he is.”

The Englishman was benched for the 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Brighton and then left out of the matchday squad entirely on Saturday as Albion were beaten 1-0 late on at QPR.

After the defeat in West London, Baggies boss Valerien Ismael stated: “Yes it was my decision,” when asked post-match about Hugill’s absence. “I spoke to him about the situation, he came to me. I think now for him it’s a new situation. We spoke openly about the situation.”

However, finding a new situation may not be as straightforward as hoped with the complications regarding Hugill’s recall possibilities.

Ismael will be furious

Naturally, both parties will want the best for Hugill with there still four-and-a-half months of the season to be played. However, it does appear that the 29-year-old’s spell in the West Midlands is up.

The Norwich striker has scored just once in 20 appearances during his loan spell with Ismael’s side and has recently fallen further down the pecking order with the West Brom manager reuniting with former Barnsley loanee Daryl Dike.

The 21-year-old scored nine goals in 22 appearances for the South Yorkshire side last term as they reached the Championship play-off semi-final. However, a permanent move didn’t materialise and the American returned to his parent club MLS outfit Orlando City.

Now, the striker has finally made a permanent move to the Championship, following Ismael from Oakwell to The Hawthorns and signing a four-and-a-half deal with the West Midlands club.

If Hugill is no longer in Ismael’s plans, then West Brom and Norwich City will have to find a solution with the future of the Englishman in their best interest. Ideally, Norwich will recall the striker and send him on loan elsewhere, however, solving the predicament doesn’t appear to be that straightforward.

As a result, Albion are left with a player who clearly adds nothing to their side; an eventuality that won’t suit them at all in the back end of the campaign. Ismael will rightfully be frustrated as a result.

In other news: West Brom handed worrying transfer update that will have fans sweating

Former Aston Villa man Alan Hutton has been reacting to a transfer update regarding Rangers defender Filip Helander, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Helander links

Steven Gerrard is making a head start when it comes to summer transfer activity, watching targets Boubacar Kamara, Duje Caleta-Car and Geoffrey Kondogbia live over recent weeks.

A Villa source has recently shared the club’s interest in Helander, a defender who Gerrard signed for Rangers back in 2019 in a deal worth £3.5m.

The Sweden international will be entering the final 12 months of his Rangers contract in the summer, and it looks as if Villa are keen on a possible cut-price deal.

The Latest: Hutton reacts

Talking to FI about that update from a Villa source, Hutton, who contributes for Sky Sports, had this to say regarding the interest in Helander, labelling the pace of the Premier League as a ‘worry’ and labelling the step up to English football as ‘huge’.

“Helander is a player who reads the game and gets himself into good positions.

“Obviously the injuries haven’t helped but the thing I would worry about is the pace side of it. When you go down south in the Premier League, you’re playing against a lot of quick players.

“There’s quick movement round about you, at your feet. It’s whether he can handle that. It’s a huge step up.

“No disrespect to Rangers or anybody in Scotland but the Premier League is arguably the best league in the world. That’s the only thing that I would worry about.

“You look at the centre-halves Villa have got now. Konsa is quick, Mings is quick and they can still get caught out.”

The Verdict: A risk?

Helander has made just 11 appearances this season due to knee and foot problems and has missed a whopping 66 games through injury since moving to Scotland.

Gerrard reportedly has his concerns over Helander’s injury history, so a reunion in the Midlands could bring plenty of risks heading into 2022/23.

Bringing Helander to Villa Park as a potential back up option may well be a wise move, especially if Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings move on, but making him a marquee centre-back signing may not be the best idea given his extensive injury woes and arguably worrying lack of pace.

In other news: Source: Gerrard now happy for ace to leave Villa Park; he’s ‘central to a lot of the problems’. 

As per a report in The Daily Mirror’s print edition (28.01.21, pg. 58, via The 72), a transfer update has come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Tottenham eye Johnstone move…

The Baggies ace will be a name familiar to Lilywhites supporters given he has been linked repeatedly before, with talkSPORT most recently claiming Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici remain in contention for his signature.

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Tottenham, joined by the likes of Southampton and West Ham, are consistently mentioned as interested clubs with Johnstone’s contract at the Hawthorns set to expire soon.

If West Brom are to make a profit, they must cash-in over the next two days or risk losing him for nothing at the end of 2021/2022.

Johnstone’s manager, Valerien Ismael, left him out of West Brom’s last squad to face Preston North End – citing it as a behind-the-scenes ‘issue’ and one which will remain ‘internal’ (Birmingham Live).

The Latest: Spurs ‘could make a last minute move’…

After this development, it is claimed by The Mirror (via The 72) that Spurs could now ‘make a last minute move’ to sign the 28-year-old before deadline.

The fellow usual suspects, West Ham and Southampton, are also mentioned as clubs who may make an eleventh hour bid.

The Verdict: Priority?

Signing Johnstone should, at the very most, be a priority for the summer window when he is a free agent – especially since Conte has four other priority positions to strengthen before January 31.

The Italian wants a right-wing-back, midfielder, left-sided central defender and a striker through the door at N17 but time is very much running out (Alasdair Gold).

Johnstone comes with merit, with the Three Lions ace even being called ‘unreal’ by former Premier League shot stopper Paddy Kenny for his form in the Midlands over this last year.

Meanwhile, Spurs favourite Glenn Hoddle raved about the 6 foot 3 powerhouse in a column for The Evening Standard – branding Johnstone ‘outstanding’.

Plaudits like these don’t come from nowhere, but with time ticking down, Conte must surely be looking at other targets first.

In other news: Spurs also preparing last gasp marquee bid to sign ‘special’ forward, find out more here.

Luis Enrique is one of the names in the frame to take over at Manchester United, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein. 

Ornstein wrote that the appointment process will begin in earnest in the coming weeks, with the Red Devils keen to hire a manager with experience at a top European club.

A brief lowdown on United target Enrique

During his time with Barcelona between 2014 and 2017, Enrique won nine major honours, most notably the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League. He was named the World’s Best Club Coach that season, having also led his side to glory in La Liga and the Copa Del Rey.

Enrique is currently in charge of the Spanish national team and will be preparing for the World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.

Also in contention to succeed Ralf Rangnick permanently are Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino, Ajax’s Erik ten Hag and Enrique’s compatriot Julen Lopetegui, who is currently at Sevilla.

Ornstein relayed his news on Twitter, and here’s what these United fans made of it.

These United fans would love Enrique

“Luis Enrique would be a great match”

Credit: @Josh_Somwaru

“Enrique anytime”

Credit: @adi4utd

“I’d really love Enrique”

Credit: @StanleyMawu

“ENRIQUE, OMG I’M ON MY KNEES”

Credit: @youxufiftikhxr

“Omggg ENRIQUEEEEEE”

Credit: @aaron_utd

“Ten Hag or Enrique would bang”

Credit: @Rangnick_Era

In other news, lots of United fans flock to this January exit report

Manchester City could be set for a busy summer transfer window as reports linking them with a move for Erling Haaland have ramped up in recent weeks.

However, it seems as though the reigning Premier League champions could be also looking to complete another big-money move this summer for a player much closer to home.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, City have made contact with West Ham United to let them know that they are interested in signing midfielder Declan Rice this summer.

After working his way through West Ham’s youth ranks after leaving Chelsea in 2013, the 23-year-old made his senior debut for the Hammers back in May 2017 in a Premier League win over Burnley.

Since then, the midfielder has gone on to make himself a crucial player for the east London club, racking up a total of 189 appearances across all competitions.

In those appearances, the Englishman has scored ten goals and provided nine assists along the way.

To highlight what a vital figure the midfielder is for David Moyes’ side, no other player in his squad has managed to equal the number of tackles (67), blocks (53) or interceptions (87) that Rice has in the league this season.

Pep would love him

With the England international racking up more passes (1687) than any of his current teammates, this shows how capable he is of moving the ball around the pitch and how he could fit into Pep Guardiola’s side.

With City having made more passes in the league than any other top-flight side, it’s easy to see why Guardiola would love to have a player like Rice, who he has praised in the past, in his squad.

Speaking about him in November, the Spanish boss said: “Declan Rice is an exceptional player.”

Also labelled as “sensational” by The Athletic journalist Adam Crafton, Moyes claimed that it would take a minimum transfer fee of £150m for the club to consider selling their midfield star this summer.

However, with the player reportedly turning down a third contract offer from the Hammers recently, it seems as though he could be available on a free transfer in the summer of 2023.

Although, given how impressive he’s been, it could be worth City diving in to secure his signature this summer, even if it could cost them a club-record fee to do so.

In other news: Fernandinho heir apparent: Pep could save Man City millions with “aggressive” 17 y/o – opinion