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Aston Villa are set to make an offer of more than €10m (£8.5m) for River Plate’s Julian Alvarez, according to Argentine outlet TNT Sports, and a number of Villa supporters have been reacting to the update on social media.

Villa have already brought in Emiliano Buendia and Ashley Young this summer and were linked with a move for Alvarez last month.

The 21-year-old made one appearance in Argentina’s Copa America triumph, and according to TNT Sports, his representative is in England. The report suggests that an offer of more than €10m is set to be tabled in the next few days.

Alvarez, who has 16 goals and 17 assists in 69 appearances for River Plate, is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt but has just 18 months left on his contract for Los Millionarios.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the news regarding Villa’s planned bid for Alvarez on Twitter. Here is what these fans had to say in reply, with some relieved that the reported pursuit of Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe seems to have died off.

“Thank heavens. No ESR”Credit: @ViIlaI_”finally”Credit: @Jake__avfc”Let’s go!!!”Credit: @LoveMcGrathpod”W”Credit: @KONSAISTHEGOAT”Got the impression a few weeks ago that he was a contingency should we fail in our attempts to sign Smith Rowe. Alvarez, Jack and Buendia all interchanging behind Ollie UTV”Credit: @JamesCourten”Thank god this ESR saga is over”Credit: @pubIad

In other news: ‘Really are making moves’, ‘Insane’ – Many Aston Villa fans erupt as ‘tasty’ news emerges.

Newcastle United have made an unsuccessful offer for Lyon’s Lucas Paqueta, according to French outlet Foot Mercato. 

The lowdown

The attacking midfielder only joined Lyon in September 2020, making an £18m switch from Serie A giants AC Milan.

His £49,000-per-week contract at the Groupama Stadium runs for another three-and-a-half years, while the 24-year-old has also racked up 28 caps for Brazil, having made his senior debut in September 2018.

The latest

The report from Foot Mercato states that ‘leaders’ at Newcastle have identified Paqueta as a target ahead of the January transfer window. They are ‘ready to splurge’ to bring the Brazilian to Tyneside, offering him a lucrative salary of €860,000 (£734,000) per month, which equates to about £184,000 per week.

However, the player’s camp have rebuffed this proposal, making clear that the player would only be willing to leave Lyon if the suitor was a step-up in quality. He is reportedly content at the club, who have qualified for the Europa League round of 16 after winning their group.

The verdict

Targeting a player of Paqueta’s calibre is an indication of Newcastle’s ambition. He has been directly involved in 11 goals (scoring seven and setting up four) in 21 appearances this season and ranks as Lyon’s highest-performing player according to WhoScored metrics.

BBC Sport’s Raj Chohan thinks he’s good enough to be Roberto Firmino’s successor at Liverpool, while Lyon team-mate Karl Toko-Ekambi hailed him as a ‘soldier’ for his determination.

It doesn’t look like the Magpies will be able to convince him to swap Europa League football for a Premier League relegation battle at this stage, but maybe the situation will change if their prospects improve.

In other news, Noel Whelan reacts to a significant blow for Newcastle

Aston Villa have shown over the past few years that they are not shy when it comes to spending significant amounts of money on new players.

The previous summer and winter transfer windows saw the Midlands club spend money on faces such as Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey, Danny Ings and Lucas Digne to help strengthen their squad and push forward in the Premier League.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though the Villans could aim to bring in another familiar face to Villa Park for a substantial fee.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mirror, Villa manager Steven Gerrard will try and launch a summer move for Liverpool defender Joe Gomez.

The Villans were linked with the £85k-per-week Englishman during the previous winter window but ended up signing Calum Chambers from Arsenal on a free transfer instead.

Gomez is a rare talent

Since joining the Merseyside club back in the 2015 summer transfer window from Charlton Athletic in a deal worth a reported fee of £3.5m, the centre-back has made 138 appearances for the Reds across all competitions.

In those appearances, the 24-year-old has managed to provide five assists and pick up a Premier League and Champions League title along the way.

Praised for a “mesmerising” assist for Diogo Jota during Liverpool’s recent 2-0 win over Watford in the Premier League, Gomez has also been labelled as a “rare talent” by BBC pundit Garth Crooks.

Having only started two of the six league games he’s appeared in this season, a potential move away from Anfield to a club like Villa where he may get more regular football under the management of Gerrard could be rather tempting for the Liverpool figure.

With a combined total of 195 league minutes to his name in this current campaign, the centre-back has managed to rack up a total of three tackles, four clearances and eight interceptions.

Also, taking into account how Villa have conceded nine goals in their past four league games, perhaps adding a player like Gomez could be just what Gerrard needs to make his side stronger at the back.

With Liverpool reportedly placing a £23m price tag on the defender, making a summer swoop for him should definitely be in Villa’s mind once the season comes to an end.

In other news: Klopp can axe £180k-p/w Liverpool dud with move for “tenacious” £36m-rated “monster”

Celtic and West Ham have been linked with a move for Spartak Moscow forward Jordan Larsson, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Larsson profiled…

Larsson, the son of legendary Celtic striker Henrik Larsson, is 24 years of age and can play on the right-hand side or as an attacking midfielder along with his primary centre-forward role.

The left-footed beast has been hailed as ‘strong’ by retired Sweden international Marcus Allback, who also believes he ‘would suit playing for Celtic’.

He still has 18 months left on his contract in Russia, where he has scored 26 times in 76 appearances, but he has now been linked with a move to Parkhead.

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The Latest: Hoops links

The Daily Record shared a story on Tuesday afternoon, citing reports from Aftonbladet who claim that the Hoops and the Hammers are two sides tracking Larsson’s situation.

The report claims that Spartak’s previous asking price was around £13m, but that is now expected to be lower in order to get Larsson off the books.

The Verdict: Other areas a priority?

It would be a great story for the son of one of Celtic’s best-ever players to move to Celtic Park, however, at this moment in time, it seems as if other areas of the pitch need adding to first before a big-money move for Larsson should be explored.

Central midfield appears to be an area where reinforcements are needed, with Ange Postecoglou relying heavily on the likes of Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull this season.

Left-back may also be another position that could do with bolstering, with right-back Josip Juranovic filling in over recent weeks following Greg Taylor’s injury.

In other news: Nicholson may ship out ‘quick’ beast alongside Ajeti in January so Ange can make Celtic signings. 

Manchester United have been in talks to hire Erik ten Hag as their next permanent manager to take on the challenging role as manager at the club this summer, and now there has been a fresh update on the progress of the deal.

What’s the word?

The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has revealed more insight to the deal currently being discussed between ten Hag and Manchester United.

Ornstein Tweeted:

“Erik Ten Hag close to making decision on whether to join Man Utd, If agrees in principle, contract must satisfy all demands before he signs.

“MUFC may negotiate exit with Ajax rather than pay clause. No announcement pre KNVB final.”

Supporters surely buzzing

There were reports on Monday from Sky Sports News that RB Leipzig were planning to hijack the deal between the Ajax coach and the Premier League club by making their own approach for his services this summer, so this update from Ornstein will be well received and will surely delight supporters about the progress.

With the KNVB cup final taking place this Saturday, it would suggest that an announcement could be made as early as next week on the appointment of the Ajax boss, and the Manchester United board will likely also be similarly relieved to have the deal done so that they can focus on the massive project ahead of them to get the club back to their best.

Ten Hag is believed to want Robin Van Persie and Steve McClaren involved in his management team at Old Trafford, which would be another huge bonus for the fans as van Persie was a beloved player at the club and his reunion with the Red Devils would surely be welcomed.

The Ajax boss could win two trophies over the next few months, with the potential of winning his third Dutch Cup this weekend and his side are currently four points clear at the top of the table meaning they are in with a great chance to win their third Eredivisie title under the manager.

If the 52-year-old is triumphant in collecting trophies this season it will surely put him in good stead to inject a winning mentality at Old Trafford next term, with United desperately in need of their own silverware after falling into their longest trophy drought in four decades.

Manchester United now have the opportunity to sign a high-quality manager, with winning experience and the desire to have full involvement in the project at the club, so getting the deal over the line must be the top priority for the board over the next few days and weeks.

In other news: Man United eye move for “brutal” £45m-rated monster, he’s miles better than Maguire

When West Bromwich Albion signed Conor Townsend for £750k back in 2018, it would have been safe to assume that the left-back was brought to The Hawthorns as back up to the England international, Kieran Gibbs.

At the time of his arrival, the 28-year-old had just enjoyed a fantastic season with Scunthorpe United, scoring four goals and registering five assists over his 32 appearances in League One, while Gibbs – who had joined Albion from Arsenal in a £6.75m deal a year earlier – was the club’s undisputed number one in the position, having featured 33 times for the Baggies in the Premier League in 2017/18.

This remained the case throughout Townsend’s debut season in West Bromwich, with Gibbs highly impressing over his 38 Championship appearances, scoring four goals and registering four assists, while the newcomer had to make do with just 12 second-tier fixtures.

However, the tide began to turn in the following campaign, with the £14k-per-week Townsend featuring in 27 Championship fixtures, over which he provided one assist and averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.89. In comparison, the £30k-per-week Gibbs was awarded just 14 league appearances, over which he averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.76.

Townsend’s usurping of the 32-year-old was complete last season, when, despite the Baggies’ ultimate relegation from the top flight, the 28-year-old highly impressed over his 25 Premier League appearances – helping his side keep five clean sheets, registering two assists and earning a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.86. Meanwhile, Gibbs averaged an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.53 over his ten top-flight fixtures – before being released on a free transfer at the end of the season.

This term, the former Scunthorpe man has ensured that his reputation as a first-class left-back has continued to grow, having already helped his side keep five clean sheets, registered two assists and created three big chances over his 12 Championship appearances – with these returns seeing the defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.01.

Furthermore, the player who Thierry Henry once dubbed “amazing” has also seen his Transfermarkt value rocket from £180k at the time of his signing to £1.8m today – a 10x increase – which, coupled with his ever-improving level of performance, proves that West Brom struck gold when signing the 28-year-old.

In other news: “Confident” West Brom dynamo who lost possession 32x stole the show vs Birmingham

Many Sheffield United fans have been left fuming on Twitter, following an awful performance from goalkeeper Michael Verrips in their 4-0 humbling by West Bromwich Albion [BBC].

In what was evidently a one-sided affair, the 6 foot 5 Dutchman was at fault for at least two of the goals, one of which was a routine corner which he spilled into the path of Dara O’Shea, who duly prodded home.

Furthermore, Verrips disappointed immensely within his distribution, losing the ball on 23 occasions, only completing 30 out of 53 pass attempts during the fixture [SofaScore].

Coming in as a stand-in for number one goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who looks to be on is way out of Bramall Lane, no wonder loads of Sheffield United diehards took to Twitter to scorn his exploits on Wednesday night.

SUFC fans react:

Posting their disdain on Twitter, here is what some fans had to say about what they witnessed from Verrips:

“Can’t do any worse pal verrips for a big keeper was shocking”

Credit: @markriley0802″Verrips is an absolute car crash an all. Get a number 1 in ASAP.”Credit: @1_Kendall_”Verrips doesn’t put a Blades shirt back on for me”Credit: @S66Quack”Sat here laughing at the fact Verrips is a goalkeeper #sufc”Credit: @sufc03511924″Feel for Verrips. Disastrous for him”Credit: @Berge174″Hope the Olsen rumours are true as Verrips wasn’t very confident. 2 goals very questionable and the 2 disallowed were also questionable. #sufc”Credit: @1984_mjbIn other news, the Transfer Tavern’s EFL spy has recommended a player the Blades should target this summer.

Southampton’s Premier League season has been a bit hit and miss so far, but there is an answer to their problems and his name is Armando Broja.

The Albania international is currently on loan from Chelsea for the season and has been impressive in his displays at St Mary’s Stadium, scoring five goals since joining in the summer. Add to that the fact he has scored three times for his national team too, it’s fair to say that Broja is the in-form striker at the club currently.

Despite that though, Ralph Hasenhuttl is yet to really put 100% of his faith into the 20-year-old forward.

Broja has so far started just four times in the Premier League this season, with a further seven appearances coming off the substitutes bench. In his two starts in the Carabao Cup the 6 foot 3 hitman found the target on both occasions, so why is he not starting more regularly in the league?

Hasenhuttl has opted for Che Adams as the first-choice striker this season, as they look to replace the goalscoring burden left behind by Danny Ings’ departure to Aston Villa during the summer transfer window. Ings scored 34 of the 98 Premier League goals the Saints have managed in the previous two campaigns but so far this season they have only managed to find the net on 14 occasions in 15 games.

The Scotland international has so far only managed three goals in 11 starts this season in the league, while summer signing Adam Armstrong has managed just two himself in 12 starts.

Broja is currently averaging his goals from just 1.4 shots per game on average, while Armstrong has less from almost double the number of shots at 2.7 and Adams’ 1.8 shots a match. Stylistically the player dubbed “excellent” by Micah Richards has previously been likened to Diego Costa by Chelsea fans who were impressed with his displays in pre-season.

He is strong, a willing runner, powerful and a very good finisher. Considering the Saints’ high energy style of play and his good record, it’s time for Hasenhuttl to unleash his new beast in the hunt for more goals to avoid yet another relegation battle. In the process, his battling attributes could just terrify an Arsenal team scared by the events of Goodison Park on Monday.

AND in other news, Southampton handed ElYounoussi boost.

Wolves winger Adama Traore isn’t good enough to be a successful signing for Liverpool in January, according to former England international Danny Mills.

The Lowdown: Traore linked with exit

Bruno Lage’s side lost 1-0 at home to the Reds on Sunday, with Divock Origi’s stoppage-time winner breaking Wanderers’ hearts.

Traore played most of the game and was a menace to Liverpool’s defence, having recently been linked with a move to Anfield in January.

It has been claimed that the Spaniard could be available for as little as £18m, slashing his asking price by £32m from an initial £50m, with Jurgen Klopp potentially seeing him as a good squad option.

The Latest: Mills unsure over move

Despite this, someone who doesn’t think a move would be good for Liverpool is Mills, who told Football Insider that Traore simply doesn’t deliver consistently enough:

“Can he be unlocked? It’s going to be difficult.

“He had one great season where he’s been off the charts. We know he’s got incredible pace and for a little while, he had a bit of an end product. Then that dissipated and he had a couple of very average seasons for Wolves.

“Can Klopp get anything better out of him? I’m not sure.

“Also you’re bringing him into the first-team squad, so who do you leave out? Who do you drop? That’s the problem Liverpool would have. You wouldn’t drop any of their attacking players for him.”

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The Verdict: Squad player at best

For all Traore’s incredible speed and strength – Klopp himself has hailed the 25-year-old as ‘undefendable’ in the past – his lack of end product backs up Mills’ claim.

The winger is still searching for his first goal or assist in the Premier League this season, despite starting nine and featuring in 14 of Wolves’ 15 matches.

It could be argued that Klopp could nurture him and make him a greater force, but at 25, he has had enough time to mature as a player and show he can add more substance to his game.

Wolves are possibly better off without Traore in their starting lineup, too, using him as an impact substitute and using Francisco Trincao and Hwang Hee-chan as wide men, with the former a younger option and the latter delivering four league goals this season.

In other news, some Wolves fans slammed one player’s performance against Liverpool. Find out who it is here.

An exciting claim has emerged over West Ham’s prospective takeover bid this week…

What’s the word?

PAI Capital, the investment group behind a recent £400m offer for the East London outfit, have provided some insight into their offer and plans.

Last month, the Daily Mail first reported the interest, with sources claiming that the proposal would hand manager David Moyes with significant transfer funds, and help transform the London Stadium and the surrounding areas.

This was rejected by the Irons’ majority shareholder David Sullivan. He told The Athletic that the informal approach was “derisory” and “vague”, also suggesting that PAI Capital “had zero interest in the football side and saw it as a property move.”

Now they have broken their silence through a representative, who spoke to Hammers News.

“PAI Capital’s plan is to develop the club within a viable business model that guarantees long term to compete at the top level of English football,” they revealed.

“In case our takeover is successful, there will be a budget allocated to strengthen the squad. The scale of the follow-up investment directly depends on the price we will end up paying for the purchase of the club.

“PAI Capital has an experienced and solid team that developed a clear vision for the club going forward in case our take over is successfully completed.

“We will release more information and the vision in due course.”

Time to go, GSB?

Well, that certainly starts to rebuff the claims from Sullivan, especially with further news likely in due course.

There are a couple of key takeaway points from this statement that should leave many around the London Stadium absolutely buzzing. Firstly, it appears they are very committed to this deal and are likely to pursue it as much as they can – unlike previous takeover bids.

Secondly, whilst they still have a lot to prove, there does seem to be some footballing reasons behind the bid, especially as they would back the manager in the transfer market.

That’s yet to really happen this summer, with the Hammers only signing one senior player, which is amongst the lowest in the division.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

GSB’s relationship with the West Ham fanbase has been rocky for several years now. Last year, fans protested against the board before games against Everton and Liverpool.

Some of the banners read: “Run like a circus – Owned by clowns” and “GSB out – Sold a dream, delivered a nightmare.”

That was a direct consequence of their relegation battle in 2019/20 but by the end of the subsequent summer, the Irons faithful were up in arms against Sullivan, David Gold and Karen Brady once again following the sale of promising starlet Grady Diangana.

Therefore, if PAI are as serious as they seem to be, then there’s reason to get excited because it’s one foot in the right direction, in terms of finally getting rid of GSB.

The two parties may be far apart in their respective valuations of the club but this is merely the beginning. You can’t help but feel there is plenty more to come in this saga – and that’s certainly a good thing.

AND in other news, Moyes could land West Ham another Antonio in 22-goal “machine” once likened to Mbappe…