Aston Villa Could Move For "Sensational" £244k-p/w Star

Aston Villa have been offered the chance to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix this summer, and the club have refused to rule out a move, according to a report from Football Insider.

What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?

Although talks with striker Ollie Watkins are reportedly advancing, Unai Emery remains keen on bolstering his attacking options this summer, having recently been linked with a move for Almeria forward Largie Ramazani.

Journalist Dean Jones reports that Emery is keen on signing a "top level striker" in the upcoming window, and the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Ferran Torres are said to be on the manager's shortlist, although moves for both players would be very ambitious.

Tammy Abraham has also been touted for a sensational return to Villa Park, however he suffered an ACL injury on the final day of the Serie A season, which could make potential suitors think twice before launching a move.

According to a report from Football Insider, Villa have now been offered the chance to sign Felix, with the Atletico Madrid forward's agents trying to secure him a move ahead of next season, after recently spending time on loan at Chelsea.

The 23-year-old is set to seek another move this summer, after previously clashing with Atletico boss Diego Simeone, potentially opening the door for a move to Villa Park.

The Villans have refused to rule out a move for the Portugal international, despite his hefty reported wage of £244k-per-week.

Should Aston Villa sign Joao Felix?

The Viseu-born attacker already has some experience in the Premier League, spending the latter part of last season on loan at Chelsea, where he managed to score four goals in 16 league games.

That return was not enough to tempt Chelsea into pursuing the attacker on a permanent basis, however he has previously demonstrated a keen eye for goal with Atletico, recording eight goals and four assists in 24 La Liga games in the 2021-22 season.

Joao-Felix-celebrating-against-Bournemouth

Not only that, the former Benfica man is also a very impressive dribbler of the ball, ranking in the 93rd percentile for successful take-ons per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Hailed as "sensational" by members of the media, Felix has all the attributes to be a success at Villa Park, however his goal return indicates that he is not an out-and-out striker, and he should be brought in to play a supporting role.

European Giants Eyeing £50k-A-Week Chelsea Man

Inter Milan are reportedly believed to be interested in signing Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah during the summer transfer window.

Is Chalobah likely to stay at Chelsea?

The £50,000-a-week Blues youngster has more than held his own this season, trying his best in a team that has struggled hugely in the Premier League.

Chalobah started 18 of Chelsea's 38 league games, which is a good return for an emerging talent, and he also enjoyed six outings in the Champions League.

Whether Mauricio Pochettino sees the Englishman as a key figure at Stamford Bridge moving forward remains to be seen, however, with the Blues' incoming new manager set to take a close look at his squad when the player return for pre-season.

Chalobah's current deal runs until the summer of 2028, though, so any potential interest in him would likely have to see a sizeable bid tabled.

Trevoh-Chalobah

Could Inter snap up Chalobah this summer?

According to Football Insider, Inter have "made a move" to snap up Chalobah in the summer transfer, seeing him as an exciting option to bring in. They have reportedly "contacted the Londoners to register their interest in a potential deal", with the player himself "keen to hold talks if permitted by his club".

It is even stated that the upcoming Champions League finalists "made enquiries over his availability in January as they were keen on a deal back then", suggesting that they have been long-time admirers of the Chelsea man.

This is a tricky one for the Blues, mainly because Chalobah remains such a big prospect who could potentially be a key man in west London one day, having been described as "the future of this club" by teammate Thiago Silva. Former Manchester United and England centre-back Rio Ferdinand also once called him "unbelievable", which futher outlines what a talent he is.

Should a huge bid arrive for the three-time capped England Under-21 international, however, Chelsea must at least consider it, with Pochettino arguably needing to bring in genuinely elite defenders in their primes this summer, especially with both Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly now in their 30s (the former is almost 40, in fact).

Chalobah's contract situation puts the Blues in a strong position, and while keeping hold of him remains the preferable outcome, given his long-term potential, if the player wants to move in order to get more minutes, it is something that should be considered by the club.

Chelsea could sign 19 y/o "diamond" in £40m swoop

Chelsea could give a newly relegated Premier League ace a lifeline, as the Blues have shown interest in the midfielder.

It’s been a difficult year at Stamford Bridge, however the good times could return sooner than expected with Mauricio Pochettino set to take the wheel.

One area that the Argentinian will hope to bolster is the side’s competitiveness in midfield, which he could do almost instantly in signing this gem.

What’s the latest on Romeo Lavia to Chelsea?

As reported by The Times, the Blues are one of the clubs monitoring the availability of Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia this summer.

A report from GIVEMESPORT with journalist Rudy Galetti claims that “talks” have started over the midfielder.

The Belgian has had a £40m price tag placed on him by the Saints, who signed him from Manchester City’s academy last summer for a fee in the region of £14m.

What could Romeo Lavia bring to Chelsea?

At just 19-years-old, Lavia was a stand-out performer for the south coast side in a dreary season at St Mary’s.

As per FBref, the midfielder ranks in the top 4% of players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of blocks per 90 in averaging 1.90, showing his innate reading of the game and ability to break up play.

Once hailed as a “diamond” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Brussels-born gem is a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the park, being competent in both offensive and defensive duties in the engine room.

If the Saints star is to make the move to Chelsea, it could be bad news for the club’s current midfielders, most prominently Conor Gallagher who is already on the fence between being a starter and a rotational player.

Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher involved in the Blues' Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge.

In terms of the attributes that are essential to being a strong defensive midfielder in the Premier League, the Englishman falls short of the young Belgian, as noted by their statistics based on this season’s averages.

The 19-year-old gem averages an 86% passing accuracy to the Chelsea man’s 85%, as well as making 1.1 interceptions to his 0.7 per game, as per Sofascore.

Most prominently, the teenager averages 2.1 tackles to the Englishman’s 1.3 per game, showing his ability to win the ball in a critical area.

Having been slammed as a “fish out of water” by Darren Bent on talkSPORT, Gallagher has struggled at times in Chelsea’s midfield in areas where Lavia has blossomed, with the Saints hero dubbed an “absolute monster” by journalist Benjy Nurick.

Pochettino must make changes to the team he will inherit, both significant and those that will improve the quality of the depth that Stamford Bridge has in its arsenal.

Leeds tracking Gustavo Hamer

Leeds United are thought to be monitoring Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer.

The Lowdown: Hamer profiled

The 24-year-old made the move to Coventry from PEC Zwolle in 2020. Primarily a defensive midfielder, Hamer, a former Netherlands U20 international, can also line out as a more advanced central midfielder or even at right-back.

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Described as ‘unbelievable’ by former team-mate Marko Marosi, the Dutchman enjoyed a fine 2021/22 Championship campaign, scoring three times and registering 10 assists in 39 games.

Sponsored by Adidas, the manufacturers of Leeds’ kit, Hamer is entering the final 12 months of his contract with the Sky Blues, and a move to the Premier League could well be on the cards.

The Latest: Leeds linked with Hamer

Sussex Live shared a story on Sunday afternoon, claiming that Brighton are keeping tabs on the 24-year-old this summer ahead of a possible move.

The report added that Leeds, along with Brentford, Celtic and Rangers, are also monitoring his progress.

The Verdict: O’Brien alternative?

Another Leeds target from the Championship is Huddersfield Town’s Lewis O’Brien, who also plays in holding or central midfield roles.

Hamer could be viewed by Victor Orta and co as a possible alternative to O’Brien and could well be a cheaper target too, considering that he’s heading into the final 12 months of his Coventry deal.

He also contributed to more goals than the Huddersfield ace in the Championship last season, so a move for the Dutch midfielder could be one to keep an eye on if the Whites miss out on long-time target O’Brien once again.

In other news – £34m release clause: Leeds now interested in move for ‘special talent’ who Marsch loves

West Ham in pole position for Castellanos

West Ham United are believed to be leading the transfer race for New York City striker Valentin Castellanos, according to a report by The Mirror.

The Lowdown: West Ham register interest in Castellanos

The 23-year-old joined the MLS club on a season-long loan from Atletico Torque four years ago before making the switch permanently in 2019. He has since gone on to make 126 appearances at the Yankee Stadium, with 76 goal contributions during that time.

The Argentine’s contract with his current club isn’t set to expire until 2025, but after previously admitting that he wanted to leave New York in a bid to boost his chances of playing for his country, his future is very much up in the air.

It now appears that there is some Premier League interest in the 5 foot 10 predator in the form of West Ham.

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The Latest: West Ham in ‘pole position’ for Castellanos

The Mirror reported that West Ham are now in ‘pole position’ to secure Castellanos’ signature, with competitors River Plate ‘struggling’ to meet the £12.8m valuation that Ronny Deila’s side have put on the 23-year-old.

The report added that the asking price ‘won’t be any problem’ for the Irons, who believe that the attacker is a ‘gamble worth taking’ for the fee that New York City are demanding.

The Verdict: Competition for Antonio

Despite a healthy seventh-place league finish and securing European football for next season, David Moyes is in desperate need of a new striker considering that Michail Antonio is the only natural centre-forward at West Ham.

With the Jamaica international now 32 and rather injury-prone, Castellanos could be the perfect candidate to provide some serious competition for the Hammers’ number nine.

The Mendoza-born talent, who was once hailed as a “top class” player by his manager Deila, has been in prolific form in the MLS this season, having scored seven goals and registered one assist in just ten league appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

The forward won the MLS Golden Boot award last year and was even voted the league’s Most Valuable Player, which sounds like exactly the profile of striker that Moyes would want to have at the London Stadiun ahead of the 2022/23 season.

In other news… a transfer insider has claimed that West Ham are set to make an official ‘offer’ for one of their summer targets

Liverpool eyeing move for Jarrod Bowen

Liverpool have already been linked with a number of new additions this summer, with a new update emerging on long-term transfer target Jarrod Bowen.

What’s the latest?

According to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, Liverpool’s interest in the West Ham United star is “genuine” as speculation mounts on a potential move for the player this summer.

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Crook told GIVEMESPORT:

“I know Jurgen Klopp’s an admirer so that interest from Liverpool is genuine. But where does he fit in now that they’ve signed Diaz? They’ve got (Diogo) Jota obviously at the moment, Salah and Mane are still there, and so is Firmino.”

It comes as The Mirror reports that the FA cup winners could potentially offer a swap deal for Bowen that includes Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Klopp would love him

There is no doubt that Bowen would fit right in at Liverpool but with a large number of attackers already in the team, it would be hard to see how he would pick up regular game time, despite the fact that Jurgen Klopp would love him.

Klopp has given the forward huge praise in the past, and recently complimented the player ahead of his team’s clash with the Hammers this season.

“Bowen, what a player he became!

“We saw him as well at Hull and he was really good at that time. I’m not sure a lot of people expected this jump, but unbelievable player.”

The £75m ace who was hailed “first-class” and a “genius” by Danny Gabbidon, has been having a phenomenal season in East London and has become one of the hottest prospects in the Premier League thanks to his performances for West Ham.

The 25-year-old has scored 12 goals and contributed ten assists in 35 Premier League appearances so far, creating nine big chances, making 1.2 key passes and taking 2.2 shots on average per game in David Moyes’ side, so it is no wonder Klopp holds him in such high regard.

When you compare him to his peers in the league too, the attacker has been ranking highly with the third most assists, sixth-most big chances and ranks seventh for chance creation in the Premier League, which is highly impressive when you consider his output compared to the other talented players in the top-flight.

Although it may be difficult for Liverpool to place exactly how they would be able to fit him into their already impressive attacking team, Bowen’s ability and talent is clearly hard to ignore for the club and could be a huge signing if the opportunity arises on Merseyside.

AND in other news: Klopp eyeing £150m “wonderkid” who “suits Liverpool’s style”, it may be bye-bye Salah

Newcastle transfer news on Renan Lodi

Keith Downie has now revealed some exciting Newcastle United transfer news regarding Renan Lodi.

The Lowdown: Left-back conundrum

The St James’ Park club have a conundrum over the left-back position in the summer as to whether they should sign Matt Targett on a permanent deal from Aston Villa or look for other targets.

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The 26-year-old has impressed during in his loan spell on Tyneside, so much that 97.5% of Toon supporters have expressed their desire for him to stay, but it will now be up to the board over whether they try and keep him on or perhaps aim higher up in the market.

The Latest: Lodi transfer latest

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports journalist and northeast reporter Downie has shared the news that Newcastle have now ‘looked at’ Lodi as a potential signing this summer, noting that they already completed business with Atletico Madrid when they signed Kieran Trippier in January.

The reporter tweeted: “Understand Renan Lodi is a player Newcastle have looked at & could potentially form part of their summer plans. 15-times capped Brazilian international left-back. Newcastle have already done business of late with Atletico for fellow full-back Kieran Trippier.”

The Verdict: Exciting

It certainly is exciting for the Toon Army to be linked with a defender in Lodi who has title last season ahead of the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

As Downie points out, the Brazilian has also been capped 15 times for his country, and at 24 years of age, he has not hit his prime yet.

Nonetheless, the Magpies’ board will now have to weigh up whether to sign Targett permanently or go for a player like Lodi in the summer.

In other news, find out who else NUFC are now ‘chasing’ this summer

No Rangers beamback for Europa final

Graham Spiers has been left stunned by some news that has now emerged from Glasgow Rangers.

The Lowdown: No beamback

As shared by The Rangers Review journalist Jonny McFarlane, Ibrox managing director Stewart Robertson has claimed that it is ‘very unlikely’ that a beamback will be run for their UEFA Europa League final against Frankfurt, as most of the staff are going to be in Seville.

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He added that he simply does not think it would be ‘physically possible’.

The Latest: Spiers stunned

Taking to Twitter, Scottish football journalist Spiers was left stunned by Robertson’s news, claiming that it is ‘hard to believe’ and a ‘really bad call’ from the Teddy Bears:

“This is a really bad call by Rangers. Surely to goodness the club can sort a ‘live feed’ to fans back at Ibrox? Are there seriously no technicians or sparkies available to do it? Hard to believe.”

The Verdict: Disappointing

It is certainly disappointing to hear that there will be no beamback for the supporters unable to get to Seville, in what is one of their biggest games in their history.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team have done so well to get to the final, knocking out the likes of Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig in the process, and it would be a quite remarkable achievement should they go on and win the competition.

Nonetheless, this is a once in a lifetime chance for some fans to see their team in a major European final, and so they would all want to be together with friends and family to watch the match together.

In other news, find out what double injury boost Gers have now been gifted here!

Rangers team news on Roofe v RB Leipzig

Glasgow Rangers have now been gifted a potential massive boost before their UEFA Europa League second leg clash on Thursday night.

The Lowdown: Cards close to the chest

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the home tie against RB Leipzig, Giovanni van Bronckhorst admitted that he ‘can’t say’ whether either Kemar Roofe or Aaron Ramsey will make the squad following their respective setbacks with injury.

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They are set to have one final training session before the Dutch manager picks his squad, and so both players will be hoping to prove their fitness ahead of the match.

The Latest: Optimistic

Contrary to van Bronckhorst’s rather ambiguous comment, The Scottish Sun claim that he is ‘optimistic’ that Roofe will be fit enough, and the striker is ‘expected’ to be named in the squad.

Van Bronckhorst allegedly believes that the striker has ‘responded well’ to treatment in the past couple of weeks, and he has ‘not been ruled out’, in what would be a ‘massive boost’ for the Teddy Bears.

The Verdict: Massive indeed

It would certainly be a big boost for the Light Blues if Roofe were to be available after injury.

After all, he is their second-top scorer this season behind Alfredo Morelos, with 16 goals in total over all competitions so far.

Two of those have come in the Europa League, while he also ranks highly among his teammates in terms of shots per game in the competition (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, for the Teddy Bears to overturn the 1-0 deficit from the first leg, they will want Roofe fit and firing on all cylinders.

In other news, find out which Gers man could now see his contract terminated here!

Rangers predicted XI v Leipzig

Rangers are back in action at Ibrox tonight as Giovanni van Bronckhorst turns his team’s attention away from the Premiership for a Europa League tie.

The Gers have a chance to reach the final of the competition in Seville but they will need to overcome a 1-0 deficit on aggregate to do so.

Van Bronckhorst’s men come into this match off the back of a 1-1 draw in the Old Firm on Sunday. The result leaves them six points behind their rivals with three matches left to go in the division, which means that the cup competitions are the club’s best opportunities to lift silverware this season.

How many changes will the head coach make to the team from that outing at Parkhead? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the side by bringing Leon Balogun, Kemar Roofe and Glen Kamara back in.

At the back, Borna Barisic may be axed by van Bronckhorst after a worrying display last time out. Former Gers man Derek Ferguson claimed that he was “spooked” against Celtic on Sunday as he let the atmosphere get the better of him.

The Croatian international was caught on his heels for Jota’s goal and must now be dropped from the team. This clash with Leipzig is a huge occasion and Rangers cannot afford to have a liability in their side, which is why the experienced Balogun should come in at centre-back and Calvin Bassey can slot in at left-back.

In midfield, we are predicting that Scott Arfield will be axed in favour of Kamara. FFC published an article explaining why the former does not warrant a starting place and van Bronkhorst may look to the Finland international to replace him.

Neil McCann, his former manager at Dundee United, previously dubbed him as “perfect” and the Gers boss seemingly rates him highly as Kamara has started nine Europa League matches this season. This indicates that he is trusted to perform in the competition, which is why he should start tonight.

Finally, Roofe may replace Fashion Sakala in the number nine role. He is an injury doubt for this match but a report from the Scottish Sun claimed that he will win the race to be fit and he could take the Zambian’s place in the team.

Sakala has failed to produce a single goal or assist in nine outings in Europe for the Gers. Roofe, meanwhile, has scored twice in four starts – including the winner against Braga in the last round – and this should give him the edge.

AND in other news, Rangers are now set to repeat their awful Gilmour disaster, Gvb will be livid…

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