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The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has dropped a major update on Aston Villa’s transfer move for Ashley Young.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Dean Smith’s side are keen on bringing the 35-year-old back to the club, years after his first spell  when he played 190 games for Villa.

And now, writing via his official Twitter account, Preece said that Young’s representatives are in talks with Villa, and “that one appears to be moving quickly”.

Fans should be buzzing

Given Villa have already clinched the signing of Emi Buendia from Norwich, the fact they’re now closing in on the signing of Young is a real statement that the club are keen to do their business early this window.

Not only will Smith be buzzing about seeing his second new player come in through the door, but the fans should also be very pleased with the knowledge that Villa are making real strides to improve the first-team squad as soon as possible.

Of course, aside from Young, news also emerged of Villa’s bid for Arsenal starlet Emile Smith Rowe, and while that deal seems unlikely, it remains an indication of the kind of aggressive approach that NSWE are taking to this summer’s transfer window.

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These are exciting times to be a Villa fan, and Young’s imminent arrival at Villa Park is yet another sign that the club are on the up and looking to give Smith the best possible tools to succeed in the Premier League next season.

The fans should be buzzing with Preece’s latest update.

Meanwhile, David Ornstein has dropped an exciting Aston Villa transfer update…

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Sean Walsh has now shared a major midweek update on Antonio Conte’s future at the Premier League club, and it’s exactly what supporters need to hear.

The Lowdown: Conte eyeing PSG?

The Italian, who reportedly has a clause in his current Spurs deal which would allow him to leave at the end of this season, has been at the centre of claims linking him with a move to Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain.

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Former Lilywhites manager Mauricio Pochettino is allegedly set to depart the French capital despite their Ligue 1 title win, prompting rumours of a possible Conte move to succeed the Argentine.

Le Parisien claimed last week that the 52-year-old is seriously interested in a PSG switch, even apparently telling their club chiefs that he is considering the job.

Amid these worrying developments, Walsh has now taken to social media with a positive update Spurs supporters may need to hear.

The Latest: Walsh makes major midweek Conte claim…

According to the reporter, who covers the north Londoners for 90min, Tottenham are ‘confident’ Conte will stay despite the PSG updates.

He goes on to say that former Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane is actually their top target, not Spurs’ man.

Walsh explained (via Twitter): “Understand that #THFC are confident that Antonio Conte will stay this summer despite reports linking him to PSG job. PSG’s top managerial target remains Zinedine Zidane.”

The Verdict: Great news for Spurs fans

Zidane, currently out of work and a proven Champions League-winning manager, is arguably a shoe-in for the Parc des Princes given his availability and how the fans there would idolise the France legend.

He would certainly be an easier appointment than Conte and one with just as much pedigree.

Taking this into account, Walsh’s update certainly makes sense and PSG director Leonardo may be best placed leaving Spurs’ manager and prioritising a move for Zidane.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.

Manchester City fans appear eager to sign Yves Bissouma after the Citizens were linked with a move for the Brighton midfielder.

The Citizens have enjoyed a fantastic campaign this term as they close in on the Premier League title and will face Chelsea in the Champions League final on May 29th. Brazil international and Etihad fan favourite Fernandinho has played his part in that success, appearing 33 times in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

However, the midfielder is now 36 years of age and cannot go on forever. In an attempt to prepare for the future, the Citizens are said to be interested in Bissouma, with the club believed to be plotting a £30m move (The Daily Star). Pep Guardiola is confident about completing the signing of the 24-year-old, who has missed just two games in the Premier League this term.

Check out the latest on Man City target Lionel Messi transfer news on the dedicated GMS Lionel Messi Transfer hub

The rumour was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Bissouma link below

“This would be a bargain”

Credit: @BKVizzle82

“He is such a good player. Pls sign him”

Credit: @stephenngalim

“THIS IS MY GUY! DO IT, City sees the vision”

Credit: @MichaelNana

“Finally the news I wanted to hear all season”

Credit: @BlessedKatsaur1

“Would be a fantastic signing and smart business from Txiki..”

Credit: @Trilo_10

“This would be an awesome signing. I have always admired the way he plays.”

Credit: @MihlotiMW

In other news, Man City fans love comments from this man’s agent.

In what turned out to be a nightmare Old Firm clash with potential season-defining ramifications, Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst will no doubt be scratching his head as to where it all went wrong for the Ibrox side.

The Gers looked completely outfoxed in the opening period against Celtic on Wednesday night, with the hosts’ pace and intensity seeming to catch the Gers by surprise: none more so perhaps than Borna Barisic.

The Croatian left-back has been well below his standards this season, with no goals and just three assists to his name in 26 appearances across all competitions – to put that into context, last year he had five goals and a whopping 14 assists.

Against the Hoops yesterday, Barisic just looked all at sea at having to deal with the constant movement of Liel Abada, and if one moment were to sum up his entire display then his reaction to the third goal told the whole story.

After Reo Hatate managed to swing in a cross from the by-line, Abada came storming in past Barisic to steer the ball home, with the Croatian left to slump to his haunches with his head in his hands – it was no surprise that Van Bronckhorst hauled him off at half-time.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for The Daily Record, Andrew Newport gave him a measly three, saying: “Endured a 45-minute nightmare before van Bronckhorst showed mercy and took him off at the break. Will be seeing Abada running past him in his sleep for weeks.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Kenny Miller for BBC Sport’s live coverage of the game, who slammed: “Let me tell you: Borna Barisic has had such a bad half. On the ball, he’s sloppy. He’s got absolutely no idea where Liel Abada is. He’s got to be aware. That is absolutely schoolboy defending.”

Dubbed as being “punch-drunk” by BBC Scotland’s chief sports writer, Tom English, Barisic endured an absolute disaster at Celtic Park, and it’s left Van Bronckhorst in a very tough situation with the Gers’ momentum very much down the drain.

Given the full-back’s disastrous run of form over the course of this campaign, it’s high time the Gers manager finally makes the decision to drop him from his starting line-up and perhaps move Calvin Bassey into that role for the time being.

Taking him out of the firing line may just be the kind of breather and kick up the back-side that Barisic needs right now.

Meanwhile, this Rangers star let Gio down vs Celtic…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been calling for Takumi Minamino to leave the club this summer following an update on his future.

The Reds could be set for a busy time of things in the next transfer window, with numerous incomings and outgoings expected at Anfield.

One player who has had a curious Liverpool career to date is Minamino, with the Japanese forward arriving from RB Salzburg in December 2019.

The 26-year-old has been limited to just 31 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side, having been loaned out to Southampton in January and not being considered a key part of the Reds’ plans. He has found the net just six times in 42 matches since moving to England, a far from encouraging return for a forward. He has also been questioned over his physicality, being deemed a “lightweight” by some pundits.

It remains to be seen whether Minamino has a future at Liverpool, but the Liverpool Echo claimed that the Merseysiders are open to the idea of selling him this summer.

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Liverpool fans want Minamino to leave

These Reds fans took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on Minamino’s future. with many believing that he doesn’t have the right attributes to succeed at Premier League level.

“Imagine signing a player for £7m and still getting ripped off. Wanted him to do well but he isn’t built for the Prem”

Credit: @RizAhmed98

“He’s good for 45 mins then goes missing in the 2nd half of games”

Credit: @Euphoria1983

“Minamino has proven he’s not good enough and would probably get more for him, we would get more than £15m for Origi, don’t underestimate Michael Edwards. I would prefer us to get Malen and Daka with an attacker and maybe Aouar or Renato Sanches if we are going into Ligue 1”

Credit: @GerWillzLFC

“Sell. We’re just wasting his talent”

Credit: @DpainTedRed

“Sell imo, he’s not good enough”

Credit: @kingcurtis100

“Sell”

Credit: @NPhillipsthe

In other news, one Liverpool star could reportedly extend his deal at Anfield. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa are submitting a third bid for Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Two rejected offers

A number 10 is a priority for Villa after they signed Emiliano Buendia and Ashley Young, with Smith Rowe thought to be a top target.

Villa have already had offers in the region of £25m and £30m for the 20-year-old turned down by the Gunners, however, they haven’t given up hope.

Smith Rowe is yet to sign a new deal at the Emirates and is thought to be ‘blown away’ by the interest from the Midlands.

The Latest: Source shares update

According to Football Insider, who have been informed by a Villa source, a third bid offer is set to be tabled, after, tellingly, Arsenal refused to give Villa a definitive ‘no’.

Villa are encouraged a deal can now be completed, with a third bid thought to be close to the club-record fee they paid Norwich Buendia last month.

The Verdict: Rumours not going away…

The links to Smith Rowe haven’t gone away three weeks after their first bid was turned down.

If Villa manage to get a deal over the line, owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, along with sporting director Johan Lange, should be praised massively.

They’d be spending over £30m on a player for the second time this summer, which just goes to show the club’s ambition for the 2021/22 season.

Smith Rowe is flattered by the interest, and should a young Arsenal ace who got regular game time last season see Villa as an attractive move, it just goes to show how far the club has come in recent years.

In other news: ‘And so it begins’, ‘I knew changes would come’ – Many AVFC fans react as news is confirmed, find out more here. 

West Ham United are set to launch a bid in an attempt to bring Alberth Elis to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese media outlet A Bola, who claim that the Hammers, as well as Brighton & Hove Albion, Celtic and Southampton, are considering a move for the Boavista centre-forward in the summer transfer window.

The report continues by stating that the 25-year-old would be open to a Premier League switch, while the Liga NOS side are also eager to sell the Honduras international in order to raise funds, with it being reported that an offer of €10m (£8.5m) should be enough to get a deal over the line.

Fans should be worried

While it is undeniable that West Ham are in need of attacking reinforcements this summer, with David Moyes currently only having the option of Michail Antonio as an out and out centre-forward in his first-team squad, fans of the club should be slightly worried if Elis is the man the club bring in to provide competition for the 31-year-old Hammers striker this summer.

The £3.6m-rated man did enjoy a fine season last time out for Boavista, scoring eight goals, registering six assists and creating seven big chances over his 31 Primeira Liga appearances for Joao Pedro Sousa’s side, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots and making one key pass per game.

These returns saw the forward, who can play on the left, through the middle or on the right of a front three, earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.75, ranking him as the Portuguese club’s 12th-best performer in Liga NOS.

His Honduras teammate, and former Celtic star, Emilio Izaguirre, said of him: “He’s a very good, fast player. He’s very fast and strong and he’s good in the air. He’s played a lot of football and is good on the ball.”

However, with West Ham playing in the Europa League next season, as well as being linked with the likes of Tammy Abraham and Youssef En-Nesyri in the summer transfer window, the argument is not too difficult to make that the Hammers could do with the addition of a striker who is slightly more proven, as well as clinical, than the 25-year-old Boavista man.

As such, while a move for either Abraham or En-Nesyri may not come off, these are very much the calibre of centre-forward that David Gold and David Sullivan should be considering this summer, rather than placing their faith in a somewhat unknown quantity after a relatively decent campaign in Portugal.

In other news: West Ham handed big transfer boost over “monstrous” Euro 2020 gem, GSB surely buzzing

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic head into Saturday’s Premiership clash in an excellent run of form, with the Bhoys having won five consecutive fixtures in all competitions, and the 56-year-old will undoubtedly be hoping for yet another positive result when Livingston visit Parkhead this afternoon.

With the Lions having picked up just 11 points over as many league fixtures so far this season, results which have left David Martindale’s side in eighth place in the top-flight table, the Hoops manager will know that today’s clash presents his team with a fantastic opportunity to close the gap on the current league leaders.

Will Postecoglou make any changes to the team which started the 3-1 win over Hibernian last time out? Here’s how we think Celtic could line up against Livingston, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Postecoglou recently confirming that Tom Rogic will miss the Livingston clash as a result of a hamstring injury, the 56-year-old will be forced into at least one alteration this afternoon. We predict that the Bhoys boss will make one other change to the side that started against Hibs in midweek.

The back five remains unchanged, with Joe Hart starting between the sticks, Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers lining up at centre-back and Josip Juranovic and Anthony Ralston starting at left-back and right-back respectively.

The first change comes in the middle of the park, with the aforementioned Rogic missing out due to injury and the £2.7m-rated James McCarthy set to be handed just his third league start of the season, while David Turnbull and Callum McGregor retain their starting berths.

In attack, £7.9k-per-week winger Mikey Johnston drops out of the XI, with Kyogo Furuhashi moving to the left of the front three, 26-year-old Giorgos Giakoumakis returning to the side in the centre-forward role and Jota keeping his place on the right wing.

In other news: Nicholson must sanction Celtic swoop for prolific 24 y/o beast, he’s Edouard’s heir

Former Nottingham Forest striker Nigel Jemson is certain that Harry Kane will be a Manchester City player on September 1, with The Athletic’s Sam Lee claiming the Premier League holders are confident Tottenham will sell.

The England striker’s potential move to the Premier League champions took a major twist last week when he was absent from training.

Kane has already expressed his feelings about wanting to leave to challenge for major trophies and play in the Champions League.

However, chairman Daniel Levy is set to demand a Premier League record fee to prise the 28-year-old away from north London, which will test City’s finances following the £100m signing of Jack Grealish.

Kane is set to report back to Hotspur Way to resume training and undergo all the regular medical tests after returning to the UK following his break from the EUROs.

Daniel Levy could to dig his heels in further to keep Kane at Spurs after the recent events, but Jemson exclusively told Football FanCast that he can only see one outcome:

He said: “Harry Kane has been a great servant for Tottenham, he seems a really popular fella and his record is second to none.

“He wants to win trophies, but something has obviously happened. He’s got a verbal agreement with Daniel Levy about leaving this season. But I think if they can get £120m, that’s good money, and, it’s good for Harry Kane.

“Daniel Levy isn’t going to be a popular man anyway, he’s going to leave it until the last minute, but I can’t see anything else apart from him going to Manchester City.”

A number of Everton fans have urged their club not to pursue a move for Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek. 

The player’s agent said that he held talks with Farhad Moshiri and Marcel Brands over a potential deal with the Toffees late in the transfer window, only for the Red Devils to intervene.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival at Old Trafford was regarded as ‘bad news’ for the Dutchman, further limiting his starting prospects under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Van de Beek made a six-minute substitute appearance against Newcastle United on Saturday, his first game-time of the new campaign.

Everton and Van de Beek – a good fit?

Two pundits have recently talked up Everton as an ideal destination for the out-of-favour 24-year-old, who started just four Premier League games last term.

Alex McLeish has urged him to make the ‘drop down’ from the title-chasing Manchester United to European hopefuls Everton, while Noel Whelan said that it would be ‘probably’ be the best move for the Dutchman’s career.

Fan feed The Toffee Blues asked supporters whether they would like to see the club revisit their interest in January, and here’s how they responded.

These fans far from keen on Van de Beek

Many Everton supporters are unconvinced by Van de Beek, with some making comparisons with his Dutch compatriot Davy Klaassen, another former Ajax player who failed to make an impact in England after his unsuccessful stint at Goodison Park.

“Why, if James is still here? We’ve done this before, with Klaassen, Rooney and every other available number 10.”

Credit: @_PaulMoorcroft

“What does he really offer us compared with what we have already?”

Credit: @brundellfilimou

“We need to stop taking flops off the teams above us”

Credit: @GrahamDavies4

“Absolutely not”

Credit: @DeborahMitchin1

“No way, Davy Klaassen mk2”

Credit: @wigantoffee

“Another Klaassen methinks”

Credit: @richardwye

In other news, many Everton fans flocked to this footage of a reported transfer target.