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Speaking ahead of Aston Villa’s Premier League clash against Leeds United on Friday night, Dean Smith has revealed that the club were interested in Kalvin Phillips in the 2019 summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

The midfielder has enjoyed an impressive start with the top-flight’s new boys this season, seeing his form rewarded with a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Now, Smith has revealed that Villa were keen on a move for the man dubbed ‘The Yorkshire Pirlo’ back in the summer of 2019, but that they were priced out of a deal by Leeds.

He said (as quoted by The Birmingham Mail): “He was on a list of players that we were interested in. As far as I was aware it never got past initial talks stage with the price tag they wanted and rightly so if you look at their season last year and what they’re going now.”

Potential Douglas Luiz upgrade

The fact that Phillips has now established himself as a key part of the current England squad speaks volumes of how his star has risen over the previous year or so.

England boss Southgate was quick to praise the midfielder, saying: “I think he is a player that we have watched a lot in the last 12 months in particular with Leeds. The position he plays is a position where we need competition for places and the way that he plays the role and the way that he has been coached in the role is clear to see.”

And former Villa boss Alex McLeish has also been impressed with the £19.8m-rated anchor man, declaring: “Phillips has been outstanding, every game you see him in, you know. When you see these guys getting the ball you’re excited and you see them doing something exciting, they don’t let you down. That’s the type of player Phillips is and these boys at Leeds have all learned the art of tracking back as well.”

When you compare Phillips’ stats to Douglas Luiz, then there’s a real argument that the former would be starting ahead of the Brazilian for Smith. This season, the Leeds man has averaged almost seven times as many tackles (3.4 to 0.5), and more than six times the amount of key passes (two to 0.3).

Phillips can put his foot in and kick-start the play too, and if they could have put the money on the table for him, then they could have got a midfield machine.

Tottenham Hotspur have announced that eight players have left the club at the end of the 2019/20 Premier League season. 

Spurs officially confirmed the departures of Jan Vertonghen and Michel Vorm on Monday following the conclusion of the campaign.

Tottenham have also released academy players Rayan Clarke, Jonathan Dinzeyi, Tariq Hinds, Phoenix Patterson, Maxwell Statham and Maximus Tainio at the end of their development contracts.

The senior players have bid farewell to the Lilywhites after serving a combined total of 14 years in north London. Daniel Levy presented Vertonghen and Vorm with expensive watches as parting gifts on behalf of the club, while Hugo Lloris handed his old comrade a framed picture signed by the rest of the squad.

Recent reports suggested that Pep Guardiola is interested in recruiting Vertonghen for Manchester City. His exit paves the way for him to move to the Etihad Stadium instead.

Man City have set aside a considerable amount of money (reportedly in the region of £200m) to spend in the summer after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in their favour in their legal challenge to overturn their European ban, although Vertonghen will not cost them a penny as he is now a free agent.

The 33-year-old signed a short-term extension to stay at Spurs beyond the expiry of his original contract. However, this has now elapsed and he is looking at options elsewhere, amid interest from the Citizens.

The Belgian served the north London club with distinction for the past eight seasons, making 315 appearances in all competitions and scoring 14 goals in total.

He was a firm favourite of former manager Mauricio Pochettino, although he was relegated to the role of a fringe player by his successor Jose Mourinho and was an unused substitute during the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

While there is little (if any) guarantee that Vertonghen will become a first-choice starter for City in the foreseeable future, Guardiola believes he could be the perfect quick fix for his problems in defence. City conceded more goals than Premier League champions Liverpool this season, losing their title in the process, and the Spaniard will want to make amends.

Vertonghen, a versatile defender, is an experienced veteran who could suit the Spaniard’s playing style. However, he has also attracted attention from overseas, and it remains to be seen where he will end up next. He could follow in the footsteps of Tottenham legend Ledley King and learn the ropes as a member of the Spurs backroom staff in the future.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy will have made a mistake if Vertonghen joins Man City? Let us know your views in the comments section below!

West Ham have been tipped to make another offer for one of their reported transfer targets this week and there’s a good chance it gets accepted for the right amount.

What’s the word?

According to A Bola, via Sport Witness, the Irons may submit a €25m (£22.5m) offer for Sporting Lisbon attacker Jovane Cabral after previously having a €15m (£13.5) bid knocked back by the Portuguese outfit.

It’s claimed that this amount would be enough to tempt the club into a sale this summer with Ruben Amorim keen to reinvest the funds with summer additions of his own.

David Moyes may only have to stump up €20m (£18m) with the rest following in add-ons, which is a bonus too.

Fernandes influence

Cabral is one of the most exciting prospects in Liga NOS right now and of course, coming from the famed Lisbon academy is also a benefit – following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Joao Moutinho.

In fact, his potential impact in the Premier League could be similar to that of Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United, a superstar who has been somewhat a mentor to the 22-year-old.

Speaking to Canal11, via Inside Futbol, the Red Devils playmaker revealed that he still texts his former teammate with advice – even if it’s negative. He said: “In my opinion, he did not have a great game because I know Jovane’s quality and I think he can give more.”

The Cape Verde international has played just 19 times this campaign but has still managed to provide six goals and two assists whilst averaging 2.9 shots and 2.1 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

He shoots more than Hammers’ top goalscorer Michail Antonio (2.8x per game).

Clearly, he likes to put himself about and attack his man out wide, though he’s also been deployed through the middle since the departure of Fernandes in January.

Portugoal.net have dubbed Cabral as a “wing sensation” who can be the heir to Gelson Martins’ throne – though its the Hammers who should swoop for him as a potential replacement for Felipe Anderson, who is on the chopping block this summer.

AND in other news, West Ham bid for Championship STAR spells trouble for Ryan Fredericks…

Leeds United’s quest to earn promotion back to the big time appears to have been given the all-clear over the weekend after The Athletic’s Phil Hay relayed some key bits of information to fans on Twitter.The EFL has announced that the weekend of June 20th will be the provisional restart date for the resumption of the 2019/20 campaign with all matches being played behind closed doors.There could even be some rule changes, according to Hay, who claims that the EFL are “likely” to adopt an increase in the number of substitutions as well as the increase of matchday squads.He said:

Marcelo Bielsa’s squad are currently sat top of the Championship standings with a comfortable seven-point cushion to the playoff positions, so with only nine games to go, their future is surely in their own hands.

It’s been 16 years since there was top-flight football at Elland Road, and whilst plenty will be devastated that they won’t be able to witness a promotion in person, at least they’ll know that they are finally a Premier League outfit again.

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

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That’s if everything goes smoothly between now and the end of July.

The Championship’s schedule of fixtures as well as how to watch the behind-closed-doors matches are yet to be revealed.

AND in other news,ÂPhil Hay claims Leeds are looking at PL goalkeeper closely…

Manchester United are interested in signing Fiorentina star Federico Chiesa, but they have to make a move sooner rather than later. 

The Italian has been linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer and has emerged as a possible target as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to improve his squad with youth talent. However, according to La Nazione, as relayed by Sport Witness, the Red Devils face stiff competition from Newcastle United, as the Magpies have entered the mix.

Chiesa seems to be in line for a big money move in the summer, rumoured to be around €60m (£53m), although he would still be considerably cheaper than Solskjaer’s first choice target Jadon Sancho.

United have already tried to prise him away from the Artemio Franchi Stadium with an audacious £50m bid, but this wasn’t enough for Fiorentina to let him go the first time. Newcastle are now looking to steal a march on their old adversaries as they are preparing a “shock offer” for the coveted youngster.

He predominantly plays on the right wing but can be used on the left or deployed as a second striker, and that versatility could prove useful for whichever club lands him.

The 22-year-old, who came through the ranks at Fiorentina before breaking into the first team in 2016, has scored six goals in 27 Serie A games this season, supplying three assists, taking 3.4 shots per game, averaging 1.3 key passes and attempting 1.4 dribbles per game on average (via WhoScored).

While his statistics are respectable, they are hardly a patch on Sancho’s figure, who was Borussia Dortmund’s top scorer in the 2019/20 season with 19 goals.

As it stands, it is unlikely that Solskjaer will lose any sleep if he misses out on the Italian and lands Sancho instead.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward should sign Federico Chiesa in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

With no Premier League action to speak of, thoughts are unsurprisingly turning to the summer transfer window. It looks set to be a significant one for Arsenal – it will be Mikel Arteta’s first off-season window at the helm, and that in turn should bring some real changes to the squad.

And it seems that Arsenal fans are keen to see some arrivals at centre-half, despite the already confirmed capture of William Saliba, who will move to the Emirates Stadium for 2020/21 after a deal was agreed last summer that saw him loaned back to St. Etienne.

Stuck in isolation? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

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One Arsenal fan on Twitter suggested Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake as a potential alternative to Dayot Upamecano, who is reportedly on the Gunners’ hit list for the summer.

That resulted in a number of Arsenal fans either agreeing with the notion or simply praising the Netherlands international in general, with one supporter claiming he’d prefer Ake to Upamecano and another suggesting the former could be a great partner for the aforementioned Saliba.

Back in February, Football Insider linked Ake with a move to Tottenham, insinuating the centre-back could cost around £40m, but it seems these Arsenal fans are keen to see Arteta beat their rivals to the 25-year-old’s signature.

Here’s what’s been said on Twitter…

Meanwhile, Francis Coquelin is having the last laugh over Arsenal.

Newcastle United’s prospective takeover is still yet to be confirmed but that seemingly hasn’t stopped them from preparing for next season as fresh reports suggest the Saudi-backed consortium will look to replace Steve Bruce with one man in particular.

According to Le 10 Sport, former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is very close to becoming the next Magpies manager with negotiations said to be ‘at an advanced stage.’

They also suggest that the Argentine is their number one priority for the role, currently favourite with punters using their BetWinner bonus code even with Rafa Benitez’s name in the hat.

ESPN recently claimed that Pochettino would cost a whopping £12.5m for any club willing to take him on as Spurs included such terms as part of his departure in November.

However, this is thought to expire next month, so if the Magpies’ new owners want to land him in May, they’ll have to fork out a fortune.

Bruce is also still under contract for the next two years, meaning they would have to pay him off at least £2.25m as the 59-year-old is reportedly on £20k-per-week at St James’ Park.

Stuck in isolation? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

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And then there is, of course, the wage packet that Pochettino would clean up for taking the job. Last week there were suggestions that he could land himself £19m per year according to Sky Sports, but it remains to be seen what sort of wages the 48-year-old would command.

It’s reasonable to suggest that it would be well above Bruce’s current offering.

All in all, if Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, led by Amanda Staveley, want to clinch the Champions League finalist this month, they are going to have to spend at least £15m – or more.

WHILE in other news, Newcastle fans react to Craig Hope takeover update…

One of Louis van Gaal’s signings whilst he was in charge at Old Trafford, Memphis Depay didn’t quite enjoy the Manchester United career that either he or his manager would have been hoping for.

When the Dutchman arrived in a £31m deal from PSV, Van Gaal was particularly effusive in his praise of the talented winger. Reports had suggested the likes of PSG and Liverpool were also interested in securing his signature, but in the end, they both missed out to the Red Devils.

“He is a young versatile player who has the ability to play in a number of different positions. It will take time for Memphis to get used to the rhythm of the Premier League. But I have no doubt that he has the potential to become a great footballer for this club and he is at the right club to continue the good work he has done so far.” Van Gaal, June 2015

53 appearances later however, and Depay was out the Old Trafford exit door. The 25-year-old could only muster seven goals and six assists in his time for the club, and he was promptly let go to French giants Lyon. The Netherlands international has reinvented his career since joining them in January 2017, finding the back of the net 50 times.

That form has led to speculation in recent weeks claiming Depay could move away, and Lyon sporting director Juninho confirmed United have the first option if transfer interest starts hotting up. Having seen him struggle in his initial spell, should the Red Devils take the plunge once more and see if he is finally ready for the spotlight?

Here’s what the Football FanCast writers have had to say on the matter.

Matt Dawson

“The missing piece of United’s jigsaw might well be a direct centre forward but I can’t help but feel this would be a mistake from Woodward. The Red Devils have a bustling sense of energy in attack with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Dan James and Anthony Martial but Memphis Depay is very much in the same mould.

“He’s a tricky individual with pace and flair, very much like the rest of them and despite his phenomenal record in France, netting 11 goals already this term, I’m not convinced another spell in the Premier League would be beneficial for United or the player.

“Ligue 1 is a different ball game to England’s top-flight and as he’s already shown, he wasn’t cut out for the physicality of the football in his first spell at United, scoring just seven times. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs a striker but Depay is not the answer, especially at the quoted £50m. United need to look for better value elsewhere.”

Lewis Blain

“The old adage saying in football is that you should never go back. Regardless of how you once departed, as you may tarnish a previously good reputation or make you even more hated than you already are. But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be making a major mistake in not swooping in on that first option on Louis van Gaal flop Memphis Depay.

“The 25-year-old has been reborn at Lyon since swapping Old Trafford for France’s ‘food’ capital, and he has been the one eating the rewards. Per Transfermarkt, Depay has hit 50 goals in 130 appearances, which is a decent return for a wide player. But what is most interesting is how he has improved as a striker – a number nine.

“In 38 matches leading the line, the Dutch international has bagged 15 goals and seven assists, meaning he has become an interesting prospect and one that can help fill the Manchester United’s void upfront. Both OGS and Ed Woodward made catastrophic errors in allowing Romelu Lukaku to leave the club without finding a replacement of note. 

“Depay can be that man to lessen the burden on Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial if the Red Devils are ever presented with such an opportunity to re-sign him.”

Charles Jones “I think that re-signing Memphis Depay would be foolish for Manchester United, and it could very well end up with egg on their faces.“There’s no doubting that the Dutchman has been successful since moving to Lyon, but has he not just rediscovered the form he showed at PSV before his move to Old Trafford? Ligue 1 and the Eredivisie just aren’t up to the same standard as the Premier League, and Depay has already proven that he isn’t cut out for England’s top division.“The saying goes ‘fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me’ and if United go back in for their former flop they could end up looking incredibly stupid for outlaying money for a player that has already shown that he’s not up to scratch at this level. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side should steer well clear.”Vijievan Jeevathayalan“When Depay joined United back in 2015, he was just 21, with his only experience of top-flight football coming in the Eredivisie. At 25, the Dutchman is no doubt a more rounded individual, better capable of dealing with the pressures of playing for one of the biggest sides in the world. He has been the main man at Lyon since joining, scoring 50 goals and providing a further 42 assists in 130 games.“In taking up their first option on him, the Red Devils could give the forward the chance to revisit unfinished business at Old Trafford. The age-old chip on the shoulder could inspire him to far greater heights, and truly allow for the United faithful to see the very best of him. The 51-cap Netherlands international could prove to be a shrewd acquisition indeed.”

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking to ESPN FC, Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has insisted that he is still yet to hit the peak years of his career.

What did he say?

The England international has had a roller-coaster ride of a season, getting his campaign off to a flying start with a brace against Chelsea, before going on a miserable run of just one Premier League goal in seven games.

However, following his strike against Liverpool, he appears to have hit top form again, notching three times in his last four top-flight games. And speaking ahead of the Red Devils’ clash against Sheffield United at the weekend, Rashford declared that the best is yet to come.

He said: “In reality, my peak is not going to be for another four or five years. As good as things are now, they can only get better. I just use these experiences now in my favour to better me in the future, because I know when I’m 25, 26, 27, they’re the years when I’m going to be playing my best football. I’m just looking ahead to those times really and improving as much as I can until then.”

Scary prospect

It is quite easy to forget that Rashford remains only 22-years-old. It feels like the United academy product has been around for ages, and that remarkable breakthrough week when he scored against both FC Midtjylland and Arsenal back in early 2016 seems such a long time ago.

He has already played 187 times for the Red Devils, and there is no reason why he can’t eventually become one of the club’s top appearance makers (injuries permitting of course). And with 54 goals to his name too, the forward’s declaration that he isn’t even close to reaching his potential, is a scary proposition indeed.

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He has now had years of honing his craft amidst all the spotlight of being one of United’s main men, and that will only serve him in good stead. The Red Devils have a huge reason to be excited, whilst the rest of the Premier League should be concerned. Defences have already seen what Rashford can do now, so they will no doubt be worried what he could be capable of in the future once he has fully developed and grown.

Mateusz Klich has started every single league game for Leeds United since the dawn of the Marcelo Bielsa era.

Players have come and gone since the Argentine took charge at Elland Road, but the one constant has been the Pole.

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However, if some fans had their way that incredible run would end this weekend.

Indeed, some fans on Twitter have been calling for Mateusz Klich to be dropped against Sheffield Wednesday.

This comes after a rather unimpressive performance against Preston North End on Tuesday that indicated he may be more suited to a deeper role.

Fans may have also had their opinions swayed by the performance of Tyler Roberts against the Lilywhites.

The Welshman looked brilliant at Deepdale as he managed to have as many shots at goal as Klich despite only playing 15 minutes of the match.

It remains to be seen whether or not Klich will be dropped this weekend or if his incredible run of starts continues, but it seems as if the fanbase want to see him out of the side.

Since arriving in west Yorkshire, Bielsa has never dropped the Poland international from his Championship squad. He played 48 times last term and has started all 13 in the current campaign.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…