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Arsenal have been handed a ‘huge’ boost in their pursuit of Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Regular under Gerrard

The 26-year-old has been a regular under Steven Gerrard since November, missing just one of the last 14 Premier League games.

He recently netted his first Premier League goal in 2022 at the seventh attempt, helping Villa to a much-needed 2-0 win at Brighton last weekend.

Villa also have Danny Ings on the books in the Midlands as a senior attacking option, and it seems as if Watkins could be on the move in the summer.

The Latest: Source’s update

Football Insider shared a story regarding Watkins on Thursday morning ahead of Villa’s match with Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

They were informed by a recruitment source that Gerrard is unconvinced on Watkins, and, as a result, the club will listen to offers for the player in the summer. That has been described as a ‘huge’ boost for the Gunners, who have the England international on their shortlist.

The Verdict: Interesting…

Watkins hasn’t lived up to the heights of his first campaign as a Villa player, netting six times in 22 appearances compared to 14 in 37 in 2020/21.

He has seemed to struggle under Gerrard, especially in 2022, but it is still interesting that the club are willing to move him on after just two years.

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You’d expect Gerrard may have someone specific in mind to come in if this is truly the case, as he looks to put his mark on the squad ahead of a first full season in charge.

In other news: Lange plots revenge on Tottenham as Villa now make pre-contract move for ‘extraordinary’ player. 

Several failed to hide their disappointment as Manchester United, while rampant in attack, could not contain Bournemouth on Monday night, as they were held to a frantic 4-4 draw by Bournemouth.

Neville tells Amorim to "forget" system in "stunning" draw

If there was ever a way to make up for Man United’s lack of goals in their last two Old Trafford appearances, it was with four against Bournemouth. The only problem was that the Cherries also managed to find the back of the net four times to create one of the games of the season on Monday night.

There were several positive signs for the Red Devils even after dropping more points at home. This was not a game met with boos, it was one met with optimism at full-time.

Old Trafford legend and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville shared that optimism, saying on Monday Night Football: “It was a stunning watch. I was really critical after the Everton and West Ham games because of just the nature of the performance. I thought it was really bland.

“This was the complete and utter opposite. I can live with that all day long in terms of a performance and a standard because they played with real intent, played the ball forward, always played at full pace.

“When United went 3-2 down, Ruben Amorim then went to 4-4-2 and did the right thing. Forget the system, he did the right thing. He got the right players on the pitch and were a massive threat.”

It was a particularly good night for Matheus Cunha, who scored just his second goal for the club since arriving for around £63m from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer. It was a deserved strike for another dogged display from the Brazilian in front of his new home fans.

The same can’t be said for Bryan Mbeumo, however, who faced criticism from several United media personalities on Monday night.

Mbeumo frustrates during Bournemouth draw

Whilst fellow attacker Cunha set Old Trafford alight, Mbeumo was hugely frustrating. He missed several wonderful opportunities, notably firing a volley over the bar from inside the area in the first half and then sending a wild effort over from just a matter of yards out in the second half. For those efforts, he was criticised by The Sun’s Samuel Luckhurst who bemoaned the player’s “wayward” finishing while United YouTuber Alice Talks Footy who simply said that he was “playing with [Alejandro] Garnacho’s finishing”.

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Furthermore, he took fewer touches than Ayden Heaven and recorded an XG of 0.48 despite taking four shots. For his recent standards, it was a disappointing display.

Mbeumo vs Bournemouth

Minutes played

89′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

43

Possession lost

9x

Shots (on target)

4 (2)

Accurate passes

21/27 (78%)

Chances created

2

Dribbles

0/2

Recoveries

1

Tackles

0/1

Duels won

5/13

Data via Sofascore

What should be most alarming for Amorim is that it’s now one goal in five Premier League games for his £150,000-a-week forward, who is now heading to AFCON off the back of a frustrating display.

Related Dalot upgrade: Man Utd looking to sign "the best right wing back in the PL"

INEOS are ready to add some quality to Man United’s ranks this January.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair

Man United’s attack has been improved, there’s no doubting that, but there’s also no denying that they’re yet to see Mbeumo, Cunha and Benjamin Sesko click as a front three and that must change after AFCON.

Man Utd ready to move quickly to sign £280,000-a-week Real Madrid star

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst enjoyed his first transfer window in charge of the Ibrox giants in January and was able to land a number of deals for the Gers.

He brought in Aaron Ramsey, Amad Diallo, James Sands and Mateusz Zukowski, with John Souttar also set to arrive at the end of the season.

It will now be interesting to see what direction he looks to take this Rangers team in heading towards the 2022/23 campaign as he shapes his squad in the summer.

Rino 2.0

One signing he should look to make is Coventry gem Gustavo Hamer, who has been linked with a switch to Ibrox this summer. The Gers are reportedly one of a number of clubs keen on the talent, including Norwich, Celtic and Brentford.

Van Bronckhorst can find the new Gennaro Gattuso for the Gers by securing a deal to bring the Dutchman to Glasgow later this year.

FFC recently published an article detailing the mistake the club made when they sold Rino to Salernitana in 1998. He went on to become an icon for AC Milan, winning the Champions League and the Serie A with the Italian giants, having left Ibrox for just £4m.

Josh Hobbs, who is a football analysis writer and scout for Five Yards website, previously claimed that Hamer is “similar to Gattuso” because of his aggression and versatility across the middle of the park.

The Italian general previously listed some of his attributes on the pitch when speaking about his career as a manager, saying: “There’s no point in talking about Gattuso the player. We can’t just talk about grit and heart. The aggression and anger are still there but I’ve been through coaching courses.”

In the Championship this season, he has averaged 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game. This shows that he loves to get stuck in and break up the play in midfield, which fits in with Hobbs’ comparison between him and the former Milan and Gers machine.

Luton recruitment analyst Jay Socik previously cited Hamer’s “aggressiveness & tempo” as two reasons why he would suit a Premier League move, but Rangers must ensure that he ends up in the Premiership.

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The £6.5k-per-week gem has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.18 in the Championship this term. Along with his energetic displays in winning the ball back for his team, he has also chipped in with three goals and six assists in 32 appearances.

Whilst he may not go on to win the Champions League, his statistics and style of play suggest that he can be the next Gattuso at Rangers under van Bronckhorst.

AND in other news, Huge boost: 3-word Rangers update will leave Van Bronckhorst buzzing…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United full-back Kieran Trippier and his current situation…

What’s the talk?

Magpies boss Eddie Howe has revealed that the defender has suffered a setback in his recovery from injury and will not be back in action on schedule.

The full-back has been out since he broke a bone in his foot in the 1-0 win over Aston Villa back in February and it remains to be seen how much longer he will be on the sidelines following this latest blow.

Howe told The Shields Gazette: “His injury is healing, (but) it’s not totally healed.

“Yeah, I think that’s where it is. I think we’ll be able to start pushing him not maybe as quickly as we initially wanted to, but I still think he’ll come back this season. Again, there’s no definite date on that, but he’s making good progress.”

Gutted

The St. James’ Park faithful will surely be left gutted by this body blow as it is a major setback for the full-back and will be mean that they will not be able to watch Trippier play for a while yet.

Howe needs the defender back as quickly as possible as his other right-back options are, quite simply, not up to the job.

Javier Manquillo put in a dreadful showing against Tottenham in the 5-1 defeat to the Premier League side on Sunday, as he lost all of his aerial duels and only made one tackle, interception and block combined. He also fell asleep at the back post for Matt Doherty’s goal, which opened the floodgates for Spurs and allowed them to go on and thrash the Toon.

The Spaniard and Emil Krafth, the two understudies to Trippier, have averaged WhoScored ratings of 6.48 and 6.45 respectively in the top-flight. Meanwhile, the England international has averaged a score of 7.87 across four outings for the club, scoring twice from full-back.

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He is light years ahead of the pair in terms of the quality he is able to provide on the pitch, which is why his absence is a major setback for him and the club. Fans will want to see him back in the right-back slot sooner rather than later because they are currently suffering with the lack of Premier League class in the two players who have been playing in his place.

This will be particularly frustrating for the supporters as it comes just days after Callum Wilson also suffered a setback in his recovery from injury. The attacker will not be back in action as soon as he was expected to be, with Trippier’s problems now compounding the misery.

AND in other news, Less touches than Dubravka: “Struggling” NUFC flop with 6 passes was useless yesterday…

West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh has shared a very promising off-field development after the Hammers sealed an historic last 16 Europa League victory over Sevilla on Thursday night.

The Lowdown: Hammers make history…

The Irons enjoyed one of their best nights in recent memory as they clawed back a one-goal first leg deficit to turn the tie on its head, dumping their opponents out of Europe.

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Tomas Soucek’s first half goal sent David Moyes’ men on their way, taking the match to extra-time before a very fitting story took place.

Ukraine international Andriy Yarmolenko scored the winning goal to send West Ham through to the quarter-finals, amid his homeland suffering from Russia’s attempted invasion.

‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’ rang around the London Stadium on what was a truly brilliant night for the club and every Irons supporter.

The Latest: Claret & Hugh share more good news…

According to club insider Claret & Hugh, sharing more good news after West Ham’s epic night in Europe, the Hammers could now be set for ‘bigger and bigger’ financial windfalls following the win.

The east London club have already been handed a £1.8m boost after reigning victorious over Julen Lopetegui’s side on Thursday, and depending on how far they go, they could earn as much as £7.4m just by reaching the final.

Even getting past Lyon and into the semi-finals would apparently earn the club £2.8m on top of the £1.8m received after beating Sevilla.

The Verdict: Extra incentive?

Moyes’ side needed no more incentive to go on an extended European run after midweek, but this financial aspect will play a role in further enhancing the motivations of those upstairs.

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While all of this money isn’t guaranteed to go into the board’s ‘coffers’, with various West Ham players apparently possessing Europa League participation clauses in their contracts, there is little doubt that GSB will have one eye firmly on the windfalls.

However, whether or not they reinvest that money into backing Moyes remains to be seen.

In other news: GSB prepare bid to sign ‘big name’ player everyone is ‘crazy about’…find out more here.

Newcastle correspondent Lee Ryder has stated that the club have agreed a deal with young forward Dylan Stephenson.

The Lowdown: ‘Big news’

Labelled as ‘hard-working’ by academy manager Neil Winskill, the teenager has impressed playing for the club’s youth teams over recent years.

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The 19-year-old has scored 32 times in total for Newcastle’s under-18s and under-23s, with 11 of those coming in 2021/22.

Reports emerged in the week that the centre-forward was set to pen a new deal at St James’ Park, something that Liam Kennedy described as ‘big news’.

The Latest: Ryder’s claim on Stephenson

Ryder shared a Newcastle notebook on The Chronicle on Saturday morning, addressing multiple Magpies updates.

One of those focused on discussions over new deals, with the journalist admitting that a deal for Stephenson has been agreed. The youngster looks set for a loan deal away from the club next season, with Hartlepool a destination already mentioned.

The Verdict: Exciting

Stephenson is clearly an exciting young talent, so knowing that he is going to commit his future to Newcastle is good news.

While the club now have the option to splash the cash in the summer transfer window following a change of ownership, it is positive that they still want to keep hold of their best young assets.

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Hopefully Stephenson will continue to score goals for fun next season, which could result in a first-team breakthrough at St James’ Park.

In other news, find out which three positions NUFC will now ‘target’ this summer

Alternative title: Gregg Evans names AVFC target in Saturday tweet, he adores Gerrard

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will keep tabs on former team-mate Luis Suarez this summer, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans says.

The lowdown

Suarez’s contract at Atletico Madrid is due to expire on 30 June, as per Transfermarkt.

He’s started 17 La Liga matches so far this season, but his involvement has tailed off recently.

The Uruguayan has begun four of the last five league games on the bench, and was an unused substitute in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie against Manchester United.

He remains second in Atletico’s scoring charts, however, with 11 for the campaign (one behind Angel Correa).

Having spent three and a half years alongside him at Liverpool, Suarez has likened Gerrard to an ‘older brother’ and said that their ‘relationship goes beyond the football field’.

The latest

Evans wrote in a tweet on Saturday morning that Suarez is definitely in his ‘last season’ at Atletico.

He says that ‘Gerrard will monitor his situation’ when the transfer window opens.

The verdict

It seems that Gerrard would have an edge over other suitors if indeed Suarez becomes available this summer, but would it be a sensible move?

Well he may be 35, but, as Evans notes, he hasn’t missed a game this season through injury, and his goal return is decent.

But one issue is Suarez’s £263,000-per-week pay packet, more than double that of Villa’s highest earner at present (Danny Ings on £120,000-p/w).

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And Gerrard looks to be finding joy with existing options Ings and Ollie Watkins in recent matches. Combined, they’ve contributed six goals/assists in the last three.

Perhaps they simply don’t need to make the financial commitment.

In other news, Villa are about to receive a fresh windfall.

Former Premier League manager Alex McLeish has tipped Tottenham star Harry Kane to quit the Lilywhites for a Champions League contender in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Kane’s future is uncertain

Daniel Levy suffered a testing summer last year after the England captain made it clear that he wanted to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

The Sky Blues made a staggering £125m bid for the striker, with Spurs sensationally rebuffing the offer as Levy desperately sought to keep hold of his most prized asset.

As reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the 28-year-old will assess Tottenham’s progress over the remainder of the season before he makes a decision over his Spurs future. The club will not initiate contract talks due to their failed attempts last time out, so it is up to the striker to do that himself.

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The Latest: McLeish’s verdict on Kane

According to former Scotland manager McLeish, Kane will leave Tottenham in the summer.

Speaking to Football Insider, he claimed: “My prediction would be that he will leave.

“I think I said that before and he didn’t, but I have to believe Harry will try and get to one of the bigger clubs. Spurs are a huge club, don’t get me wrong. But he’ll want to go to a club that are achieving far more consistently than Spurs.

“If Spurs become an incessant winning team, it’s possible he’ll want to stay with the manager. He will then believe the manager has re-galvanized the team. 

“He could possibly see him as the father figure-type thing. Saying things like: ‘I love him, I’m not going to go, I see a future and we’re going to win things with this guy.’

“But my money would be on him going to a club who have a better chance of winning not only the league but the Champions League.”

The Verdict: Conte’s key man

It would be disastrous for Antonio Conte and his project at the north London club if his star striker chooses to pursue a move elsewhere in the summer.

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When compared with players in the same position over the past year, Kane ranks in the 92nd percentile for total shots, the 91st percentile for non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists, and in the 90th percentile for progressive passes made (via FB Ref).

Despite having a poor season by his own standards, the England international remains Tottenham’s top scorer this season, with 16 goals in all competitions.

With few alternatives in the centre-forward position, this demonstrates just how important he is to Conte and Spurs. However, at 28, he may feel that he is approaching a crossroads in his career in terms of contending for major prizes, which makes McLeish’s prediction a plausible one.

In other news: Antonio Conte green-lights Spurs move for new top transfer target

According to German news outlet Sport Bild, as translated and shared by Sport Witness, there has been a transfer update out of Tottenham Hotspur involving Borussia Monchengladbach star Jonas Hofmann.

The Lowdown: Pochettino in 2019 talks…

Another reliable source from the Bundesliga claimed back in 2019 that ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino wanted to make the forward one of his highest Tottenham earners at the time.

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Indeed, Bild (translated by talkSPORT) shared that the Lilywhites and their fan favourite former manager held talks over signing Hofmann and were hoping to entice him with a £100,000-per-week package.

Those wages would have put him in and among the best paid at Spurs, but alas, this alleged plan didn’t quite come to fruition.

However, it appears Spurs and by extension managing director Fabio Paratici have now re-entered the chase for Pochettino’s ex-target.

The Latest: Tottenham re-emerge…

Sport Bild (via SW) say that both Paratici and Atletico Madrid have renewed their interest in signing Hofmann recently as both clubs now eye a move for Monchengladbach’s ‘figurehead’ and in-form star player.

The 29-year-old has been a pivotal figure under Adi Hütter this season, scoring eight goals and three assists in 22 games across all competitions.

Hofmann is leading the way as Monchengladbach’s top scorer, meaning the club and sporting director Roland Virkus are eager for him to extend his contract which currently expires in 2023.

While the player doesn’t rule this out, he is also aware that lucrative offers could arrive from abroad – with Spurs and Atletico named as interested parties.

The Verdict: Make a move?

The fact Hofmann is entering the final year of his deal could put Tottenham on strong footing in potential negotiations.

Paratici, as things stand, could seemingly secure a proven Bundesliga player for a reasonable fee with the Germany international standing out as a real star for Gladbach.

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Indeed, the attacker has attempted the most top flight shots at goal (2.3) and key passes (2.9) per 90 out of their entire squad whilst also averaging Gladbach’s highest overall match rating (7.09, WhoScored).

By comparison to Antonio Conte’s current Spurs crop, Hofmann reigns supreme over every Lilywhites star for key passes made, including the likes of Son Heung-min and Harry Kane (WhoScored).

This could certainly grab Paratici’s attention as Spurs re-ignite interest in an old flame, with there clearly being worse options out there.

In other news: ‘I have to say…’ – Simon Jordan fires live-on-air dig at Spurs player who get’s too much ‘credit’, find out more here.

Having brought you some of  Football’s most offensive sayings, here are arguably the 25 stupidest quotes to ever grace our game. Footballers aren’t exactly known for their brains, but some of the commentators have no excuse:

25. Phil Neville – The Brazilians were South American, and the Ukranians will be more European.

24. Lawrie McMenemy – When you are 4-0 up you should never lose 7-1.

23. Terry Venables – If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing.

22. Ian Rush – I couldn’t settle in Italy, it was like living in a foreign country.

21. Barry Venison – I always used to put my right boot on first, and then obviously my right sock.

20. Ruud Gullit – We must have had 99 per cent of the match. It was the other three per cent that cost us.

19. Paul Gascoigne – I’ve had 14 bookings this season – 8 of which were my fault, but 7 of which were disputable.

18. Glenn Hoddle – When a player gets to 30, so does his body.

17. Bryan Robson – It wasn’t going to be our day on the night.

16. David Coleman – If that had gone in, it would have been a goal.

15. Alan Green – It was the game that put the Everton ship back on the road.

14. Ugo Ehiogu – I’m as happy as I can be – but I have been happier.

13. Kevin Keegan – Argentina won’t be at Euro 2000 because they’re fromSouth America.

12. Alan Ball – I don’t believe in luck… but I do believe you need it.

11. Mark Viduka – I would not be bothered if we lost every game as long as we won the league.

10. Tom Ferrie – Dumbarton player Steve McCahill has limped off with a badly cut forehead.

9. Vinnie Jones – Winning doesn’t really matter as long as you win.

8. Stuart Pearce – I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel.

7. Peter Jones – Sporting Lisbon in their green and white hoops, looking like a team of zebras.

6. Jonathan Woodgate – Leeds is a great club and it’s been my home for years, even though I live in Middlesbrough.

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5. Ron Atkinson – Well, Clive, it’s all about the two M’s – movement and positioning.

4. Metro Radio – Julian Dicks is everywhere. It’s like they’ve got eleven Dicks on the field.

3. Mark Draper – I’d like to play for an Italian club, like Barcelona.

2. David Beckham – I definitely want Brooklyn to be christened, but I don’t know into what religion yet.

1. Ron Greenwood – Playing with wingers is more effective against European sides like Brazil, than English sides like Wales.

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