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Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side extended their unbeaten run to three matches in the Premier League as they were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham United on Sunday.

The Villans remain 11th in the table and are now eight points clear of 12th place and 11 points ahead of the bottom three, which leaves them in a comfortable position heading into the final weeks of the campaign.

Villa took the lead in the first half as Alex Moreno’s terrific delivery from the left flank was met by the head of Ollie Watkins, whose header bounced into the far corner.

However, the advantage did not last for long as Lucas Paqueta was clumsily brought down by winger Leon Bailey in the box, which allowed Said Benrahma to brilliantly fire past Emi Martinez from the penalty spot.

Whilst Watkins may grab the headlines for his sixth goal in seven matches, central midfielder John McGinn deserves plenty of praise for his performance in the middle of the park.

How did John McGinn perform against West Ham?

The Scotland international was Emery’s unsung hero on the day as the midfielder put in a fantastic display and deserved to be part of a winning team.

Defensively, the captain was almost faultless throughout the match. As per Sofascore, the gem won a whopping six of his seven (86%) individual duels – including all six of his battles on the ground – and made two clearances, two interceptions, and one tackle.

These statistics show that the enforcer was a monster in the centre of the pitch as he consistently won his duels and was able to use his physicality to either prevent West Ham from doing what they wanted to do or to win the ball back for his side.

In possession, McGinn was energetic and reliable with the ball at his feet. As per Sofascore, the Scotsman – who had 67 touches – completed 83% of his attempted passes and all three of his dribble attempts, whilst also completing four of his six long passes.

This shows that the Scot was composed and effective in everything that he tried to do throughout the match, which made him a useful outlet for the team with the ball.

Couple this with his outstanding defensive work and that is why McGinn was the unsung hero for Emery’s side on the day. Indeed, the midfielder put in a complete performance.

One of Southampton’s relegation rivals are plotting a move for striker Che Adams in the summer transfer window, according to a new update.

The Lowdown: Adams a good servant

The 26-year-old joined Saints from Birmingham City back in 2019 and he has proved to be a consistent performer in their attack in the four years since.

Adams has scored 30 goals and registered 15 assists in 139 appearances for Southampton, including four Premier League strikes so far this season.

The Scot’s current deal expires at the end of next season, however, and with Saints relegation-threatened, this summer could be the best time to sell.

The Latest: Leeds eyeing up move

According to Football Insider, fellow strugglers Leeds are one of numerous clubs who are willing to sign Adams ‘in a heartbeat’ if Southampton suffer relegation to the Championship.

The Whites are thought to be ‘big admirers’ of the striker, having been linked with him in the past.

The Verdict: Hard to keep him

Losing Adams would be an undoubted blow for Saints, not only because of his eye for goal but also his work off the ball, having averaged 1.5 fouls and 0.7 tackles per game in the league this season.

The £52,000-a-week attacker would surely not accept playing in the Championship, having scored six goals in 22 caps for Scotland, and it would be hard to begrudge him a move away, though it would certainly hurt to see him join a team who escape the drop if Saints do go down.

The hope is that Adams, who has been hailed as ‘terrific’ by Ally McCoist, helps steer Southampton to safety and then eventually extends his stay at the club, although that feels unlikely right now.

Rangers’ reported hopes of signing Antonio Colak this summer have been handed a boost, with PAOK seemingly willing to sell the striker amid interest from Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.

What’s the word?

According to the Scottish Sun (7:58 am June 22), Rangers are keen to add to their attacking options this summer and the 28-year-old forward is wanted by van Bronckhorst.

The report claims that Rangers have already seen a bid for the frontman rejected, although it claims that the Greek Super League side are willing to offload him, which suggests that a deal could well be on the cards.

Supporters will be buzzing

If Colak does sign for Rangers and proves to be a success, then supporters may well forgive him for ending their Champions League hopes last season.

While on loan at Malmo, the Croatian forward hit a quickfire double at Ibrox to consign the Gers to the Europa League, and while Rangers would subsequently reach the final before defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt, those at the club would surely have preferred the financial benefits and experience of a spot in the Champions League group stages.

With Alfredo Morelos’ future at Rangers still in doubt, signing a striker should be a priority for van Bronckhorst this summer and Colak’s record in recent seasons suggests that he could be a quality acquisition at Ibrox.

Last season saw the forward make 40 appearances for Malmo in all competitions, in which he contributed an impressive 19 goals and three assists, including five goals in Champions League qualifying, so he could be the ideal man to fire the Gers to Europe’s elite competition next season.

He also chipped in with three goals and two assists for PAOK when returning, but it seems clear that the Greek side aren’t that keen on keeping him, and Colak could find his feet with a permanent move away.

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Reports have suggested that Colak would be available for as little as £3m this summer, and with Cedric Itten having already departed for around half that, the Croatian shouldn’t be out of Rangers’ budget, so sporting director Ross Wilson should definitely consider bringing him in.

AND in other news: Agent delivers big transfer update that’ll leave Rangers supporters gutted

Former Premier League manager and Sky Sports pundit Alex McLeish has been left wowed by some Newcastle United transfer news on Christian Eriksen.

The Lowdown: Magpies in talks

Taking to Twitter, The Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson has revealed that the St. James’ Park outfit have now held ‘talks’ with the representatives of Eriksen over a potential move this summer.

However, both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are ‘likelier destinations’ for him at the moment, as he is set to leave Brentford at the end of his contract.

The Latest: McLeish wowed

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish was wowed by the possibility of Eriksen joining the North East club this summer, claiming that he would be a ‘sensational signing’ for them:

“This is where the world changes. Newcastle are now a very attractive proposition for players due to the fact that they have rich benefactors.

“They’re people who can spend a lot of money on world-class players. Is there going to be a shift in terms of the dynamics of top teams? Are Man United going to continue to hover under the elite? New kids on the block, like Newcastle, are going to spend big money.

“You would think that somewhere along the line, there’s going to be a sensational signing for Newcastle. Eriksen would be sensational.

“He does have the choice of a Man United, probably. The name of Man United could lure him before anybody else.”

The Verdict: Huge coup

To beat the likes of Spurs and United to Eriksen’s signature would certainly be a huge coup for the Tynesiders.

Of course, their rivals can offer him the chance to play European football again, while the Magpies only have aspirations to get into Europe themselves.

Having already signed Matt Targett on a permanent deal from Aston Villa, and talks ongoing over both Sven Botman and Hugo Ekitike, adding Eriksen to that list of potential arrivals would signify a magnificent start to the window, with plenty more fresh faces hopefully to come for the Toon Army.

In other news, find out who Keith Downie says NUFC are now ‘keen’ on signing here!

Glasgow Rangers have reportedly now been told how much it will cost to bring Josh Tymon to Ibrox this summer.

The Lowdown: Enquiry made

It was reported earlier this week that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team have made an enquiry over the possibility of signing Tymon from Stoke City, after officially registering their interest in the left-back.

The Potters could be forced to sell if the offer is right, and Tymon’s price tag has now been revealed.

The Latest: Price revealed

As per Football Insider, the Teddy Bears have now been told that they will have to cough up as much as £6m if they want to sign Tymon this summer.

A source from Ibrox has shared that Stoke are ‘unwilling’ to sell the Englishman, and believe the asking price to be ‘prohibitive’.

The Verdict: Get it done

If £6m is what it will take to sign Tymon and GvB wants him, then the Light Blues simply need to get the deal done, as the 23-year-old is poised to pay that fee off over the next few years if he joins.

Hailed as ‘quick’ and athletic by his manager Michael O’Neill, the £10,000-per-week ace has the ability to get up and down the flank, as emphasised by his three goals and four assists in all competitions last season (Transfermarkt).

The futures of both Calvin Bassey and Borna Barisic are thought to be in doubt, and so Tymon would be a worthy replacement for either, with age still on his side to represent a healthy sell-on value down the line too.

In other news, find out what worrying RFC update has now emerged here!

Aston Villa are eyeing up a swoop for Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards this summer as Steven Gerrard looks to build his own team in the Midlands.

What’s the word?

The Birmingham Mail have reported that the teenager has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs, with Villa amongst them.

The report added that an unnamed top-flight side have had a £2m bid rejected for the player, as Peterborough’s director of football Barry Fry appears to be demanding a club record fee of £15m in order for them to sell the 19-year-old.

Forget Tarkowski

Gerrard has already made a few signings ahead of next season, capturing Philippe Coutinho, Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara as the spine of his new-look team begins to take shape.

Another defender would be a welcome addition to the squad, with James Tarkowski being heavily linked with the Villans, although the manager could well go for youth and potential over signing the more experienced Burnley defender.

Edwards has already made his England under-19s debut against France last year and seems set to leave relegated Peterborough this summer.

His former manager Darren Ferguson lavished him with praise in the past, stating that the 19-year-old is an “incredible talent”; and with clubs such as Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur sniffing around the youngster, Gerrard might need to act quickly.

Edwards has a slightly better temperament compared to Tarkowski, receiving only six bookings last season compared to 11 for the Burnley defender. The 19-year-old also committed just 14 fouls in 34 matches, an impressive number when you compare it to the 34 fouls for which the Clarets centre-back was culpable.

Edwards might still be slightly raw, but a move to a club like Aston Villa could prove to be the catalyst that he needs to kick on and reach his potential.

An outlay of £15m might seem a lot to Gerrard for a 19-year-old centre-back in the here-and-now, but he could well make Villa a fortune further down the line if they can persuade Peterborough to sell this summer.

AND in other news, Gerrard must axe “frustrating” Aston Villa liability in deal for “unreal” £10m dynamo

A major Rangers development has emerged on Ibrox dud Cedric Itten heading into the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to reports in Switzerland, via the Glasgow Times, Young Boys have agreed a fee with the Light Blues and are now set to sign the centre-forward.

The report claims that he is expected to put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the club back in his home country, with the Gers bringing home a fee of £1.55m.

Supporters will be buzzing

Ibrox supporters will surely be buzzing with this update as it means that the club are finally set to part ways with the outcast.

Itten has not been good enough for Rangers this year and it is the right decision to allow him to leave on a permanent basis. Selling him will take his wages off the bill and the £1.55m fee could be reinvested into bringing a fresh signing in to bolster Gio van Bronckhort’s squad.

The Swiss striker spent the first half of the campaign on loan to Greuther Furth in Germany. In 12 Bundesliga appearances, the 25-year-old scored two goals and lost 67% of his duels as he struggled to find his best form during that spell.

He was then recalled by the Gers in January to add another option at the top end of the pitch. However, he failed to grasp his opportunity to impress and found game time hard to come by in the final few months of the season.

In the Premiership, he only scored one goal in six matches as he lost a whopping 74% of his individual duels on the pitch. He did not offer a great deal in the final third and was bullied off the ball by opposition defenders as he found the physicality of the division difficult to handle.

Itten did not make a single appearance in the club’s Europa League run as he was omitted from the European squad as van Bronckhorst decided that he was not needed.

This shows that the manager does not hold the striker in high regard and his minimal game time in the top-flight backs that up, with his statistics suggesting that it was the right decision.

Therefore, fans will now be buzzing that an underperforming player is set to be sold in the coming days or weeks. Hopefully, Wilson can use the funds to sign someone more capable of making an impact in the first team in comparison to Itten.

AND in other news, GvB can find Kemar Roofe 2.0 in Rangers swoop for “clinical” gem who “rarely misses”…

Aston Villa are reportedly one of the clubs who have made contact with intermediaries regarding the availability of Roma striker Tammy Abraham, with a potential return to the Premier League on the cards.

What’s the story?

That’s according to 90min, who claimed that Villa – alongside Arsenal and Newcastle United – have made contact in an effort to bring the 24-year-old back to the club where he scored 26 goals on loan in the 2018/19 campaign.

The Englishman has been exceptional in Italy this season having left Chelsea last summer, with the striker scoring 27 goals in 53 appearances for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Abraham has been a major contributor to the Giallorossi’s sixth-place finish in Serie A as well as their triumph in the Europa Conference League, winning the inaugural edition of the tournament.

Villa must secure Abraham deal

Already a fan favourite at Villa Park for his contribution to getting the club promoted, the 24-year-old would be a sensational addition to Steven Gerrard’s squad.

The West Midlands outfit have already shown serious ambition by confirming the signings of Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos before the end of May, and a deal for their former loanee would most likely trump any other transfer that NSWE complete this summer.

Naturally, though, there are plenty of obstacles in the way of making this deal a reality.

Firstly, Abraham’s current deal at Roma doesn’t expire until 2026, having only played one season so far in the Eternal City, and it is believed that the Giallorossi value the Englishman at £100m.

Labelled “unreal” by Chelsea journalist Nizaar Kinsella whilst being claimed to have enjoyed a “perfect start” at Roma by Sky Sports’ Angelo Mangiante, the 24-year-old has finally settled at a club, having endured a mixed spell in the Chelsea first team.

Earlier this season, the player himself claimed: “I got to the point that I needed to leave and explore. All I knew was Chelsea. It’s nice to explore, learn a different culture, and a different language. It’s different, but I am enjoying it.”

Abraham was limited to just 12 Premier League starts for the Blues last term, with Thomas Tuchel handing the forward little game-time after taking over from Frank Lampard.

Although the 24-year-old would likely be guaranteed regular playing time at Villa Park, Abraham has settled in Rome, and it may prove a tall task to lure him back to England after just one season at the Stadio Olimpico.

AND in other news: Gerrard must ruthlessly axe £52k-p/w Villa “issue” with swoop for “unreal” metronome

Celtic wrapped up the SPFL title at the end of Ange Postecoglou’s debut season in charge of the Parkhead club after his appointment back in June.

Despite this impressive feat, the Hoops did, however, fail to secure any of the other domestic trophies and also failed to make their mark in Europe.

This shows that the Bhoys certainly have some progress to make before they can be dominant in all competitions.

Luckily for them, the upcoming summer transfer window can give the Parkhead club the chance to make some improvements to their squad before their next campaign kicks off.

With that in mind, it seems as though an exciting Lennoxtown claim has emerged regarding what this window could look like for Postecoglou’s side.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist and transfer insider Pete O’Rourke had this to say about Celtic’s potential transfer plans for the summer window.

“I think if they could get those two in [Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers] it would be good business and they’ll probably be looking at, at least another four, maybe five signings for Celtic.

“I think there are positions in the team that they’ll need to strengthen, especially in midfield with Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic both leaving the club on free transfers, making a couple of midfield spots up for grabs.”

Great news for Celtic

Looking back to the significant overhaul that took place at Celtic during the previous summer transfer window when it came to moving players in and out of the club, this news will certainly reassure Hoops fans that the club’s hierarchy are capable of doing it again this time around.

It’ll also be great for the club to see many new players come in this summer to go on and not only potentially regain the league title but also win more silverware. An important area will also be going further in Europe with their previous Champions League campaigns ending before they’ve barely even got underway.

In addition to the areas of their squad that O’Rourke mentioned for Celtic to focus on in terms of recruitment, it’ll be interesting to see where else the 56-year-old would want to strengthen his side.

This could rely on which current players end up potentially making moves away from the club in the coming weeks and months.

With a recent report from The Athletic claiming that players such as Ismaila Soro, Boli Bolingoli, Albian Ajeti, Vasilis Barkas and possibly Christopher Jullien could be getting their bags packed this summer, it would be safe to assume that the club would immediately look to find suitable replacements for them.

Considering they rarely played, finding more high-quality replacements is an eventuality that will delight plenty at Parkhead.

In other news: Postecoglou can finally axe “selfish” flop as Celtic plot bid for £3.78m-rated machine

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to secure a deal to extend Pierluigi Gollini’s stay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite previous reports suggesting that Tottenham will not be looking to make the Atalanta goalkeeper’s loan deal a €15m (£12.5m) permanent switch this summer, Fabio Paratici now would like to extend the stay of the 27-year-old in north London.

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

However, the report goes on to state that Torino are also interested in a move for the Italy international this summer, with the Serie A side believed to already be in contact with the shot-stopper regarding a switch to the Olympic Grande Torino Stadium.

Paratici must axe Gollini

Considering just how little Gollini has featured for Tottenham since joining the club last summer, in addition to the widespread reports that Spurs previously had no intention of activating the goalkeeper’s purchase clause, the news that Paratici could now be considering a deal to keep the shot-stopper on is certainly surprising.

Indeed, over his four appearances in the Europa Conference League this season, the £9m-rated stopper did little to convince that he would be a worthwhile signing for Spurs, being unable to keep a clean sheet against the likes of Stade Rennais, NS Mura and Vitesse, in addition to conceding an average of 1.5 goals and making just 1.3 saves – at a success rate of 45% – per game.

These returns saw the £23k-per-week Italian who John Wenham dubbed both “damaging” and “unnecessary” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.25, ranking him as Conte’s second-worst performer in the competition.

Furthermore, with it being reported that Tottenham are closing in on the signing of West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone on a free transfer – an England international who highly impressed during his last campaign in the Premier League – a move to sign Gollini for around £12.5m appears to make even less sense this summer – leading us at Football FanCast to believe that Paratici simply must axe the Atalanta shot-stopper at the end of the current campaign.

AND in other news: Paratici could land Spurs their own KDB with £68m signing, he’d be “unreal” for Conte