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Aston Villa and their owners have shown in the past, and throughout the current January transfer window, that they are not shy when it comes to spending big amounts of money on bringing new players to the club such as Lucas Digne, Emi Buendia, Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins among others.

With that in mind, one man who could follow in the footsteps of these players and make his way to Villa Park in the future is Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma, who has been linked with a move to the Midlands in recent weeks.

Having been tipped to become a “massive asset” for Brighton by Dale Stephens in his early months at the club, Bissouma has certainly lived up to that expectation with WhoScored currently listing the midfielder as the Seagulls’ highest-rated player this season, with an overall performance rating of 7.13/10.

This rating would make the Mali international, who is currently picking up £29k-per-week according to Salary Sport, Villa’s third-highest rated player by the same metric behind Digne and John McGinn, showing that he is capable of playing at a high level.

Gerrard would love Bissouma at Villa

Taking this into account, Gerrard would surely love to see Villa’s owners splash the cash once again to sign an experienced and talented player such as Bissouma.

You only need to look at the heroic defensive statistics that he has posted in the Premier League this season, with 3.6 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game. He ranks higher than any other Villa player for the former metric and is a close second to Digne for the latter.

With deadline day approaching, Villa may not be able to pull off a transfer for the 25-year-old before the end of the month. However, with the summer in mind, the £22.5m-rated beast should definitely be high on Johan Lange’s priority list given how he will be entering the final year of his current contract at Brighton, who may then be willing to negotiate a deal for their midfield maestro.

Also, with the future of Douglas Luiz under some speculation at the moment, if he were to leave Villa any time soon, this would only enhance the club’s need to add a midfielder of Bissouma’s ilk to their squad.

In other news: Gregg Evans drops fresh Aston Villa January update which will have Gerrard buzzing

2021 has been a year filled with joy for Rangers fans as they ended a long wait for a top-flight title with their success last season.

Steven Gerrard guided the Gers to glory to end Celtic’s domination of Scottish football, before heading off to Aston Villa in November of this year.

He was then replaced by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who has won seven of his eight matches in charge of the club in all competitions. This has left the Gers heading into Christmas top of the league table and eight points clear of the Hoops as it stands.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Dutchman will be able to carry on his fantastic start to life in Scotland by winning the Premiership and going far in Europe in 2022, but it is safe to say that 2021 has been a fine year for those assossiated with the club.

Take our big, bumper, Rangers quiz of 2021 and see if you can get 100% – only true die-hards will!

Many Sunderland fans have been left buzzing as the Wearside club shared some news regarding their U23 team.

As per the official website of the Stadium of Light faithful, the U23 side came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 away at Leeds United on Wednesday evening, claiming a point in the Premier League Cup group stage.

The Whites were 3-0 up thanks to a hat-trick from Crysencio Summerville, before Cieran Dunne, Caden Kelly and Ethan Kachosa brought things level, with the latter scoring in the 90th minute against his former club.

Nonetheless, it was a spirited fightback from the young Black Cats which left several supporters impressed, as they now look forward to their final group game to against Wigan Athletic on February 14th at Eppleton.

Sunderland fans on U23 comeback

These SAFC fans were left buzzing on Twitter as the equaliser went in from Kachosa, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘brilliant’:

“Yessss”

Credit: @safcleo_

“Oooooooh Ethan Kachoooooosa”

Credit: @Ridderz86

“Get in lads”

Credit: @Safcjonny

“Wow gerrin @ethankachosa lad”

Credit: @ColArmy86

“What a brilliant fight back from 3-0 down. Haway the lads.”

Credit: @AL_SNR58

“Absolutely class”

Credit: @lilybogan24

In other news, find out what transfer update has Black Cats buzzing here!

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a fresh boost in their pursuit of Franck Kessie…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb, AC Milan face an uphill battle in their bid to keep their star midfielder at the San Siro as talks over a new contract extension are at a complete standstill.

Spurs boss Antonio Conte is a ‘long time admirer’ of the 24-year-old powerhouse, with journalist Rudy Galletti also reporting last month that the north Londoners had agreed on terms.

Kessie is out of contract in the summer, where he will be able to join any club for free, and teams like Spurs are able to open talks as early as January. However, as per the aforementioned report, they face fierce competition from financial heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain for the £25m-rated Ivorian.

Bye-bye Ndombele?

The Milan beast could be an ideal replacement for Tanguy Ndombele, who this week has been heavily mooted with a switch to Serie A giants Juventus ahead of the January transfer window.

Getting rid of his £200k-per-week wages would certainly help the Lilywhites in their attempts to steer Kessie out of the grasp of Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG.

Football Insider claim that Conte already has his mind set on offloading the club-record Frenchman and the player himself is attracted by the prospect of playing for a team like Juventus.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-team-injury-team-news-updates-transfers-gossip-rumours-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Kessie, who has been dubbed an “extraordinary player” by his former manager Vincenzo Montella and “devastating” by ex-Milan striker Antonio Cassano, would be a perfect successor, fit for the Italian’s system in north London.

Due to him deploying a back-three with wing-backs on either flank, Spurs’ midfielders can often be isolated in the engine room, so they must be able to get up and down the pitch to deliver in both boxes.

Last season, he provided 13 goals – a feat only bettered by legendary striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic (15 goals) – whilst this season, as Stefano Pioli’s third-best performer, he has averaged 1.5 tackles, 1.2 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

It’s this level of work rate that Conte is desperate to see from Ndombele on the training pitch and those reports claiming that he’s willing to sell him suggest that he’s yet to do that in the month since the Italian was hired by sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy.

Kessie would be a solid signing for Spurs and one that won’t cost the club a penny in terms of a transfer fee, so they must look to win the wage battle to secure his signature.

AND in other news, Journalist drops Spurs update amid mounting behind-scenes crisis…

Tottenham Hotspur have a new pull for players to come to the London club after appointing successful Antonio Conte, and the Italian manager could be making moves for big players to join his side in his first transfer window at Spurs.

What’s the story?

According to reports from football.london, Spurs are ready to reignite their interest in Paulo Dybala, after pulling out of a deal in 2019 that was reported to be worth £69m.

A signing to please Harry Kane

Dybala is currently at Juventus and is having an extremely promising start to his season with eight goals and four assists in all competitions, which combined is currently a better individual output than any of the Spurs attacking line including, Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son and Lucas Moura.

The 28-year-old forward has been hailed “breathtaking” by Juventus teammate, Aaron Ramsey, who told The Athletic and if you heed his quotes, the signing could certainly live up to that billing in north London.

“He’s very gifted — a team player — and some of the things he’s done in training and some of the games this season has been quite breathtaking,” the Welshman said.

With rumours circulating on a Spurs move for the Argentine, speculation on his attacking relationship with Harry Kane has been addressed by Serie A expert and Forza Italian Football Editor-in-Chief Conor Clancy, who exclusively told Football FanCast that Paulo Dybala and Harry Kane would be “unstoppable” together.

Clancy said: “I feel like he’d be unstoppable with Kane because he’s not a number nine, so he’s got to be playing alongside a striker like that.”

Conte could not only sign the £45m-rated gem to improve the attacking prowess of the team significantly but the monumental signing could prove to Kane that the manager is committed to putting Spurs in a position to gain Champions League qualification and put trophies in sight for the side.

It is no secret that the attacking threat has been lacking this season for Spurs, and Conte will be looking for solutions as Spurs have conceded 1.14 goals per game, and scored fewer goals than they have conceded so far this season compared to the top six in the Premier League who all have a positive goal difference.

The Italian manager has high expectations for his team and will be looking to make influential signings like Dybala, to continue his project and get Tottenham back into the Champions League.

It will be interesting to see if Daniel Levy and the Spurs board actually back the manager in the winter transfer market, as it could really be a make or break window for the club to either continue to fall short of elite European football or with the right signings, they could get back into the mix for a Champions League spot in the second half of the season.

Dybala, combined with keeping Kane at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, would surely put them right in the hunt for top four; they have to sign him if a deal is on the table.

In other news: Spurs target Adama Traore can be an even better Victor Moses for Antonio Conte

The agent of Lorenzo Insigne reportedly ‘continues to have contacts’ with Newcastle United over a potential transfer.

The Lowdown: Winger wanted?

Given that the St James’ Park club have been linked with the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele in recent days, it seems as if the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium are potentially targeting a new winger.

Eddie Howe needs all of the reinforcements he can get with his team currently lurking at the bottom end of the Premier League table, although it is unclear what kind of calibre of player that the Magpies would be able to attract in the January transfer window given that they are in a relegation battle.

The Latest: Insigne contact

As per Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), Insigne’s agent ‘continues to have contacts’ with Newcastle, as well as a number of other clubs.

The total cost to sign him, including the signing-on fee, yearly wages and image rights, is €13m (£11.1m), but his current deal at Napoli expires in the summer, so he could potentially leave the Serie A leaders on a free transfer.

The Verdict: Could be a bargain

Given that Insigne is currently valued at £43.2m by Transfermarkt, the new owners on Tyneside could find themselves a real bargain by signing him.

He is a player that Newcastle and England fans will know well as he was part of the Italy team which broke the Three Lions’ hearts in the Euro 2020 final, where he put in a tormenting performance, winning five of his duels and recording five shots on goal, three successful dribbles and one key pass (SofaScore).

A true legend at Napoli, Insigne has played more than 400 times for them in total, including 79 appearances under former Magpies manager Rafa Benitez, in which he scored 11 goals and supplied 17 assists (Transfermarkt).

The current Everton boss sang the praises of the Italy international back in 2015, and at 30 years of age, he has now been trusted with the captain’s armband.

It could be very difficult to persuade him to join a relegation battle, but he would be well worth the signature for Newcastle given his undoubted quality.

In other news, NUFC are ‘leading the chase’ to sign this Premier League midfielder

Sunderland are back in League One action this weekend with a clash against Ipswich Town next up for the Black Cats after securing the top spot in Group F and a home tie in the next round of the Papa John’s Trophy with a 1-1 draw against Bradford City earlier in the month.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Sunderland manager Lee Johnson could pick in his starting XI to face Ipswich, one player that featured in the draw against Bradford that should be in the running for a starting place at the weekend is striker Nathan Broadhead.

Sunderland signed the striker back in August on a season-long loan deal from Premier League club Everton.

Since arriving at the Wearside club, the 23-year-old, who is currently valued at £450k according to Transfermarkt, has made just eight appearances for Sunderland across all competitions, starting just one of the five league games he’s appeared in.

During his time on the pitch against Bradford before being replaced by Will Harris in the second half, Broadhead not only managed to score Sunderland’s equalising goal, but he also managed to complete 17 of the 19 passes he attempted, win five out of the six duels he was involved in and make one tackle in the process, showing how much of a tough opponent he was for Bradford on the night.

His performance ultimately earned him an impressive overall match rating of 7.5/10, making him the highest-rated outfield Sunderland player according to SofaScore.

Taking this into account and the fact that Ipswich have managed to concede more goals (25) than any of the top ten teams in the League One table, this could be a great opportunity for Johnson to give Broadhead, who has been described as a “terrific” player by Everton U23 manager David Unsworth, a chance to terrify Ipswich and then fully prove himself in League One with a consistent run of games.

However, the fact that Ross Stewart has been in brilliant goalscoring form in League One this season with ten goals in 15 appearances, suggests that Johnson isn’t likely to drop him for Broadhead, meaning a potential change in formation to have both Stewart and Broadhead in the side could be the way forward for Sunderland, especially since they’ve lost their three previous games across all competitions prior to the Bradford match.

With this in mind, considering how Leon Dajaku failed to have much of an attacking impact in the game against Bradford with no key passes made, perhaps he could be the one to make way for Broadhead on this occasion to see if that can turn Sunderland’s fortunes around.

In other news: 98 duels won: SAFC beast with 14 interceptions has been an unsung hero for Johnson…

Loads of Liverpool fans have been left furious on Twitter as reports claim a number of Reds superstars could miss as many as eight games due to the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have been in simply blistering form so far this season, as the former became the first Reds player in history to score in nine consecutive matches thanks to his brace in Madrid on Tuesday.

The Egypt international has now bagged 12 times and added four assists in all competitions this term, while Mane has been no slouch either, chipping in with six goals.

Of course, fears have been prevalent amongst the Liverpool fan base about how many matches the pair could miss this winter, along with Naby Keita, and now The Athletic are reporting that number could be as many as eight.

According to the report from Adam Leventhal, AFCON participants will leave their Premier League clubs soon after the final whistle blows on the Boxing Day fixtures due to FIFA rules, and may not return until the second week of February.

With Harvey Elliott injured, this will leave Jurgen Klopp with few options in attack during the hectic winter fixture period, likely having to rely on the likes of Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino to deputise through January.

Reds fans erupt at AFCON update

Unsurprisingly, these Liverpool fans had plenty to say about the news as it was shared on Twitter by James Pearce, with one supporter calling it an ‘absolute joke’…

“2 games they said? Whats this 8 games rubbish, AFCON is a disgrace playing during normal leagues,every year”

Credit: @jaymgs12

“If it’s actually 8 games you might as well throw the season away”

Credit: @youraverag1

“So Salah and Mane likely to miss 6 PL games! Just concentrate on the Champions League then i guess. No way we’re coping without Salah especially for that long”

Credit: @AKayani07

“In a season where Mo is the best player in the planet and Mane isn’t far behind, them two leaving for the afcon will have the biggest negative impact on our title challenge, ever. We don’t have enough depth to lose both for over a month. But what alternative do we have ?”

Credit: @guycalledting

“What an absolute joke this is. Makes it even worse we didn’t bring in an attacker in the summer. Why on earth is this taking place in the middle of a league season”

Credit: @LFJFT96

“our season is finished we aren’t winning anything this season and will finish 4th”

Credit: @lfcd25

In other news, you won’t believe who the referee is for Liverpool vs Man United this weekend…

West Ham’s new head of recruitment Rob Newman could end their long hunt for a backup striker in the upcoming January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net, the Irons are among several Premier League teams eyeing up a move for RCD Espanyol frontman Raul de Tomas in the coming months.

Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United are also keeping tabs on the 27-year-old forward.

It’s thought that the LaLiga 2 champions would command a fee in the region of €45m (£38m) with the uncapped Spaniard, formerly of Real Madrid, under contract at the Estadi Cornella-El Prat until 2026.

Worthy backup

It is no secret that a new striker is needed in east London – after all, manager David Moyes has gone into a very hectic campaign with only one recognised senior option in Michail Antonio, who has suffered from his fair share of injuries over the years.

The Hammers remain unbeaten in the Europa League and look a shoo-in to advance into the knockout stages, whilst they are also putting up a charge in the Carabao Cup, with the FA Cup to come later in January.

It means the Scotsman is in dire need of rotating his side but it’s a difficult task when your starting winger, Jarrod Bowen, is effectively Antonio’s backup, so he’s not getting enough rest either.

Therefore, the arrival of a new frontman should sit atop Newman’s priorities. And de Tomas would be an interesting option.

The 5 foot 10 marksman has proven to be a clinical goalscorer for the La Liga outfit in recent seasons, scoring 34 goals in only 64 appearances for the club, including six strikes in 11 games this campaign alone, as per Transfermarkt.

Only Madrid duo Karim Benzema (nine) and Vinicius Junior (seven) have found the net more times in La Liga than the Spaniard this season.

De Tomas is self-proclaimed to be “a pacey, competitive and technically-gifted goalscorer,” as per Los Blancos’ official website, so he’s obviously not short of confidence.

Valued at just €15m (£12.5m) by CIES Football Observatory, a swoop for £38m might be a little more than what he’s worth, so if Newman can haggle that down to a reasonable fee, then the Irons should look to sign the Espanyol talisman.

Moyes desperately needs a new signing up top and de Tomas could be the man to end the agonising search.

AND in other news, “My understanding is…”: Finance expert drops GSB claim, West Ham fans will be fuming…

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny believes that current number one Illan Meslier would be making an error if he moves to Liverpool in the near future.

The Lowdown: Meslier linked with Liverpool move

The 21-year-old has been an outstanding performer for the Whites, as evidenced by this season’s WhoScored performance metrics, playing with a maturity beyond his years and excelling in his all-round game.

Meslier’s displays have reportedly led to Liverpool showing an interest in signing him, although his current Leeds deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Kenny tells Meslier to stay at Leeds

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny claimed that it would make no sense for the Frenchman to leave Elland Road at a time when he is still growing as a player and getting in the team every week.

The former Republic of Ireland international said:

“It’s a difficult one if Liverpool come in for you, they’re a massive club. He’s got to look and see he’s playing week in, week out, he’s doing really well.

“He’s been very consistent for Leeds for an absolute baby when it comes to goalkeeping terms. I don’t think there’s any reason for him to be in a rush now.

“He’s 21-years-old. Is there any point in going Liverpool? More than likely, he’s not going to get past, at this moment, Alisson.

“For me it’s important he stays at Leeds, keeps playing and builds that reputation that he’s building now at such a young age.

“He just needs to keep playing games and enjoying football because he’s a baby, basically, when it comes to goalkeepers.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-20/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Wrong time to leave

It would be foolish to assume that Meslier will remain a Leeds player for the rest of his career, with a fresh challenge potentially appealing to him at some point.

He looks a future France number one – he has been hailed as ‘fearsome’ by Tony Cascarino – and assuming the Whites don’t make meteoric strides from here, he may want to test himself in a Champions League-playing team eventually.

Moving to Liverpool for now makes no sense, though, considering that Alisson is one of the world’s top goalkeepers and his understudy Caoimhin Kelleher has also looked impressive. Kenny is right in saying that Meslier is best served by staying at Elland Road for the time being.

In other news, Phil Hay that confirmed that one Leeds player has an injury. Find out who it is here.