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Gabriel Agbonlahor thinks that one Aston Villa target would not be guaranteed a place in Dean Smith’s starting line-up if he moved to Villa Park this summer… 

What’s the talk?

Agbonlahor has said that he would not pick reported target Harry Winks over any of the club’s current midfield options. Villa are reportedly keen on a deal for Winks, who is valued at £30m by Tottenham, and Agbonlahor believes John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba would be ahead of him.

He told Football Insider:

“I think Winks is a good player.

“But we can’t underestimate the talent we’ve got in midfield already.

“Winks would be a great signing but I wouldn’t pick Winks before John McGinn, Douglas Luiz or Marvelous Nakamba.

“Just because he’s a good player it doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to get into the team.”

Fans would be fuming

Villa fans would be fuming if the club decided to spend £30m on a player who would be the fourth choice in his position. Agbonlahor believes that he would be the fourth-best central midfielder at Smith’s disposal and, if that is the case, NSWE would be heading for a disaster by bringing him to Villa Park.

Winks averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.37 in the Premier League for Spurs last term. McGinn, Nakamba and Luiz all managed better scores for Villa, with all three players hitting 6.52 or higher. This suggests that Agbonlahor’s assessment of where he would fit within the squad is accurate and that Winks would not arrive as a guaranteed starter as he has not shown that he is a sizeable upgrade on the existing options in that area of the pitch.

Former Tottenham defender Graham Roberts offered a scathing verdict on Winks last month, calling him “Mr Conserative” and claiming that he is now an average player. 

Roberts told Football FanCast:

“He’s gone Mr Conservative, he plays simple, and if I don’t give the ball away, I’m a great player.

“You’re not, he’s become an average player, and that’s being fair.”

Winks has a career average of 0.5 key passes per game, whilst completing 90% of his passes – including 2.3 long passes per game. This aligns with Roberts comments about him being ‘Mr Conservative’, as he is completing a high percentage of his passes without taking many chances or attempting a significant amount of longer balls to open up defences.

Therefore, NSWE must avoiding making a grave error and should retract their interest in Winks. Instead, they should look to sign a player who is able to take up a starting spot and improve Smith’s team, as the supporters would be left livid if £30m was wasted on a reserve option.

AND in other news, Villa must replace Grealish with £100k-p/w “freak of a talent”, Smith would love him…

Crystal Palace have enjoyed a comfortable campaign so far after appointing Patrick Vieira in the summer.

The manager has made a number of new additions to the side that have made a great impact on their good form in the first half of the season, resulting in Palace currently sitting 11th in the Premier League table after finishing 14th for the last two seasons.

The London club have taken points from 13 of the 20 games they have played, with eight draws and five wins in the league, and we expect Vieira will be hoping to continue to climb the table in his first full season in charge of the Eagles, to secure the side’s first top-half finish since 2015 when they finished 10th.

One player who has stolen the show at Palace and has been drawing attention to himself through his outstanding performances is loan player, Conor Gallagher.

The 21-year-old has been fantastic this season after he joined Palace on a season-long loan from Chelsea in the summer, scoring six goals and bagging three assists.

He has found the net against Manchester City and Wolves, as well as scoring a brace against West Ham and Everton in the Premier League so far from his midfield position.

Eagles manager, Vieira, praised and reflected on the incredible progress of the young midfielder at Palace so far speaking after the 3-1 win over Everton where he scored a brace.

‘He wants to improve, he is really humble, is working hard and the challenge for him is to maintain that level to fulfil his expectation.

‘Today he was fantastic and I think when the team play at that level as well, it allows him and some of the players in the team to express themselves.”

Now, the French manager could have a problem on his hands as the January transfer window has opened and Gallagher’s position in the team may be compromised by a recall from Chelsea, due to ongoing issues with the attacking line at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are struggling to keep themselves in contention for the Premier League title this season, with Manchester City now ten points clear of Thomas Tuchel’s side.

The downfall in Chelsea’s title chase has come from four draws from their last five games, compared to Manchester City’s five wins from five, and some of the attacking players in the side have come under fire after failing to hit the ground running.

Last week, an interview with Romelu Lukaku surfaced where the £100m record-breaking Chelsea signing claimed he was “not happy” with the system Tuchel had deployed, but has since apologised.

With the issues at Chelsea mounting due to their disappointing results as of late, virus outbreaks, injuries and desperation to get back on track to continue to compete for the title this season, there is reason to believe they could look to their thriving loan player at Crystal Palace to save their campaign with his proven attacking threat in the second half of the season.

However, if the Blues take the frightening decision to bring him back to the Bridge this month, it could derail Palace’s own season. After all, he is their top scorer this term and joint-chief creator too.

Gallagher has not featured in the last two games for Vieira’s side, but assistant manager, Osian Roberts, has claimed that he is simply missing through an attempt to “keep the squad as fresh as possible”, Palace will take on Millwall away in the FA Cup third round on Saturday and it will be interesting to see if the youngster features.

In other news: Vieira could sign McArthur 2.0 in Kerr Smith

Newcastle United have been handed a fresh injury lift over Miguel Almiron…

What’s the latest?

Magpies boss Eddie Howe has revealed that the midfielder has recovered from his ailment and will be back in the squad against Wolves for their Premier League clash tonight.

The 28-year-old was absent from the matchday squad for the 5-1 defeat to Tottenham last weekend but will now be available for selection against Bruno Lage’s side.

On Thursday, Lee Ryder tweeted: “Eddie Howe says he is ‘delighted’ to welcome back Miguel Almiron from illness #nufc.”

Buzzing

The 44-year-old will be buzzing with this news, as it means that he will have a solid option to bring off the bench if required.

It will be a big boost to his squad as Almiron offers plenty of endeavour and work rate when he comes off the bench for Newcastle. He works his socks off for the team and that is a valuable trait to have in a player coming on as a substitute.

Whilst he may not have the attacking quality required to make an impact in the final third, from the start or off the bench, he is the perfect player to bring in to help see out a game by adding a steeliness to the forwards on the pitch.

For example, if Newcastle are winning 2-1 in the 70th minute and Allan Saint-Maximin is starting to look fatigued, Howe can put Almiron on and let him run himself into the ground to help the team. The Paraguayan has averaged 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game this season, which shows that he puts in a shift out of possession to try and win the ball back for his side.

Meanwhile, Saint-Maximin has only averaged 0.8 tackles and interceptions per game, the same as Ryan Fraser. This suggests that neither of them offers the defensive protection that the Paraguay international does when he is on the pitch, as they do not win the ball back as often as him.

Therefore, Almiron is a useful option for Howe to have, and that is why the manager will be buzzing to have the 28-year-old available for selection. The head coach will surely want as many options as possible on the bench to use in a multitude of scenarios, with the Magpies attempting to put their three-match losing streak to an end against Wolves tonight.

AND in other news, Signed for free, now worth £9m: Ashley sealed his final NUFC gift in £35k-p/w “dream”…

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has established himself as a fan favourite at Everton, and the star striker has spoken out on his highly anticipated return after injury.

The England international took a heavy injury blow in the opening month of the Premier League season, with a quadriceps issue and broken toe, that has left the Toffees without arguably one of their best players for the majority of their 2021/22 campaign so far.

Everton originally predicted a short term side-lining of the star, but after a ‘setback’ in rehabilitation, the club was forced to announce further time out for Calvert Lewin.

In a club statement, they said: “Dominic Calvert-Lewin has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from a quadriceps injury and will remain out for a number of weeks.

“Calvert-Lewin will continue to receive specialist treatment and an update on the England international’s fitness will be provided in due course.”

The 24-year-old has been keeping busy off the pitch though, with appearances on Sky Sport’s Monday Night Football and featuring in a much talked about feature for fashion magazine Homme+. He also attended a gala this weekend for Football For Change, a charity that ‘brings together football stars and business leaders with a collective goal to change the lives of young people in some of the most deprived communities in the UK.’

Speaking on a panel, alongside Jamie Carragher, Rod Stewart and Russell Howard, Calvert Lewin made an admission on his current injury.

According to Liverpool Echo journalist, Tony Scott, the target man confirmed ‘he’ll be back in a few weeks’ and when asked about the Everton vs Liverpool clash at Goodison Park on December 1st he said;

“We’ll see for the Merseyside Derby.”

The Sheffield born striker has featured in 12 clashes with Everton’s Merseyside rivals, Liverpool, scoring once and assisting twice.

Calvert Lewin played a huge part in the most recent 2-0 win at Anfield for the Toffees, by winning a penalty after coming off the bench, so fans will definitely be buzzing to see their star striker return, and thus, play a key role in the upcoming fixture in the next few weeks.

The forward has played a huge part for the Toffees in recent seasons, scoring as many as 21 this term, and opening the current campaign with three in three. As a result, it’ll be a huge boost for the team and supporters alike to have him back in the team.

Everton face Man City when the Premier League returns this week and will be keen to grab some much-needed points and climb the table, with a boost from the likes of Richarlison and Yerry Mina returning from injury.

In other news: Rafa Benitez could solve key Everton issue with Anthony Gordon…

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side face a break from their Premiership campaign on Saturday afternoon, when the Bhoys make the trip to Alloa Athletic in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.

And, with the Hoops’ opponents currently struggling towards the bottom of the Scottish League One table, the fixture presents the 56-year-old Celtic manager with a perfect opportunity to rest a number of his regular starters, as well as handing minutes to some of his peripheral squad members – in addition to those returning from injury.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/?post_type=web-story&p=664142″ title=”Check out the latest Celtic news!”]

One player who falls into the latter category is none other than Christopher Jullien, the 28-year-old centre-back who last featured for the Bhoys all the way back in December 2020, with a recurring knee injury seeing the former France U21 international miss over a year of first-team football.

However, following the defender’s recent post on Twitter – in which Jullien shared a photo of himself in training at Lennoxtown alongside the caption “green light” – it would appear as if the Frenchman is now ready to make his long-awaited return to the pitch.

And, with the fixture against Alloa not likely to be the most strenuous game of the season for the Celtic backline, Barry Ferguson’s side could well be the perfect opponent for Jullien to ease himself back into the rigours of first-team football.

Game-changer

While the expression like a new signing is perhaps overused when describing a player returning from injury, should Jullien be able to refind the level of form he was in prior to his injury, the 28-year-old’s availability will undoubtedly be game-changing for Celtic’s title hopes this season.

Indeed, over his nine Premiership fixtures in the Bhoys’ 2020/21 campaign, the £4.95m-rated centre-back helped his side to keep five clean sheets, scored one goal and registered one assist, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, 3.6 clearances and winning 6.9 duels per game.

These returns saw the £20k-per-week defender average a rather astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.43, ranking him as the Hoops’ second-best performer in the league last season.

As such, in order to help get the Frenchman back up to speed as quickly as possible, Postecoglou simply must unleash Jullien on Saturday afternoon, as the return of the player who Noel Whelan dubbed a “leader” could well turn the tide in Celtic’s favour regarding the Premiership race over the coming months.

In other news: “Excellent” 23 y/o may have played his final game for Celtic as January deal is agreed

Injury expert Ben Dinnery says Leeds United may well have misled supporters by suggesting there is nothing to worry about in regards to a knock picked up by Raphinha against Wolves.

The Lowdown: Raphinha injured

Raphinha started for the Elland Road outfit against Wolves last weekend in the Premier League.

However, he was forced off with an injury shortly after half-time, although the club and the player himself said the problem was “nothing serious”.

The Latest: Dinnery doesn’t agree

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery said Raphinha could be out until mid-to-late November. He said:

“We don’t really know what this update means entirely.

“When I hear players and managers talk about injuries as ‘nothing serious’, I always take it with a pinch of salt. It can be kind of misleading.

“I have to admit, when I first saw that injury it didn’t look pretty. This was a forced external rotation of the ankle.

“There was a strong indication that there was a high sprain. There was some suggestion that there could even be a fracture involved.

“So when I saw that update from Raphinha, I took that to mean the bones are intact. That leads me to believe it is indeed a high ankle sprain.”

The Verdict: Calm the situation

Raphinha is one the club’s most important players, scoring three of their eight goals in the Premier League so far this campaign (Transfermarkt), with him now having found the back of the net 54 times in total in his career.

Even with him in the side, they have struggled, winning just one of their opening nine league matches (Sky Sports) – without him, they would surely look even worse.

It looks as though the club may have looked to calm down supporters with this news. If he does not appear this coming weekend versus Norwich City, the fans will know they had the wool pulled over their eyes. It remains to be seen whether Dinnery or Leeds are right.

In other news, this man has been suggested as a potential Bielsa replacement.

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have been left buzzing after a transfer development as they target Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette.

Amid new head of recruitment Rob Newman’s search for a back-up option to Michail Antonio, there have been no shortage of names linked.

One of the more recent ones is Lacazette, who could even leave for free in 2022 with his Gunners contract expiring at the end of the season, prompting West Ham to take notice.

90min first lifted the lid on their interest in the Frenchman who scored 17 goals in all competitions last season, with Jeunesfooteux.com now claiming that contact has already been made.

Indeed, they also claim West Ham have ‘already positioned themselves’ to sign Lacazette – who has been described as a ‘big’ player by managar Mikel Arteta.

Flocking to his news, many Irons fans are certainly eager to see their club sign him and end their year-long search for a centre-forward signing.

Find all of their best Twitter verdicts on the development down below.

West Ham fans erupt as contact made for Lacazette…

“This would be crackin’ for the right price”

Credit: @EllYouSeeAyeEss

“what”

Credit: @whujoe

“Happily take that”

Credit: @whuNotorious

“Been saying for months he’d be ideal in January”

Credit: @Rob__75

“Yes please”

Credit: @Hstikkyt0kky

“No brainer for me”

Credit: @DOWHU_1995

“Goalscorer, works hard, I’m all in on Laca”

Credit: @connorahumpage

“Yes yes yes”

Credit: @leebrown22

In other news: West Ham favourites to sign 6 ft 3 powerhouse who already has a foot and a half out the exit door, find out more here.

The Nuno Santo era could not have got off to a more perfect start for Tottenham Hotspur.

They sit top of the Premier League standings heading into the first international break of the season and have made it through the qualification stages of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

After sacking Jose Mourinho in mid-April, chairman Daniel Levy was reportedly on the lookout for an attack-minded head coach – one that can develop the club’s young prospects at the same time.

It’s still early days but Spurs are the lowest scorers in the top ten, though they are yet to concede a single goal after three successive wins. Nuno has also given an opportunity to payers like Japhet Tangana and Oliver Skipp, so there is that balance that Levy was looking for, in some respect.

You could argue that the Portuguese is lacking the sort of creative presence that can elevate Spurs’ game even more and perhaps he can kill two birds with one stone by looking to one of their more promising youth products.

Once again, it’s Harry Kane that sits near the top of the creativity charts, despite being their striker and only starting one game. Only one other player has averaged more than one key pass per game, as per WhoScored.

Nuno has trusted Dele Alli to start in a more advanced role in midfield but he’s yet to provide a key chance and is still some way off his 2016/17 form that saw him register 18 goals and seven assists in just one season.

Spurs’ next Alli could be found in Dilan Markanday, who just last week scored a hat-trick for the U23 squad.

According to the club’s official website, the 20-year-old gem is a ‘clever attacking midfielder who normally plays on the right’ – in some ways, this is similar to the Englishman under Mauricio Pochettino.

Furthermore, Markanday has earned a comparison to former academy star Marcus Edwards.

“Markanday has looked bright today. Have always felt he has a very similar running and dribbling style to Marcus Edwards,” football.london’s Alasdair Gold said. He also praised him when Spurs’ U19s faced Inter Milan in 2018.

“Inter are struggling to deal with Dilan Markanday. His dribbling and passing ability is pulling their defence and midfield all over the place.”

Spurs have only scored three goals in their opening three games, so it’s this sort of presence that is required in the no.10 role. Nuno should consider unleashing the U23 sensation and in doing so, he may well discover the next Alli in north London.

AND in other news, Paratici masterclass: Spurs eye “extraordinary” £34m-rated gem, he won’t cost a penny…

After an impressive run of seven league games unbeaten, Crystal Palace now finds themselves on the back of three consecutive defeats in the Premier League going into their home clash against Everton on Sunday afternoon.

It appears as though Patrick Vieira will need to make some alterations to his side in order to refind the solidity that saw the Eagles go two months without defeat.

Here is how Football FanCast believes the South London side will line up against the Toffees.

In defence, Palace fans will be delighted to see the return of right-back Joel Ward after suspension, who will take the place of second-choice Nathaniel Clyne who started against Manchester United last Sunday. As for the rest of the backline, it’s the same faces.

There’s no change in the midfield, despite Jeff Schlupp’s lacklustre performance at Old Trafford last weekend, completing just nine passes at a success rate of 54%. That is down to the fact that midfielder James McArthur is still unavailable with a thigh injury.

The Eagles have really missed the services of the 34-year-old, failing to win any of their last four games, all of which the Scotsman has missed.

As expected, Conor Gallagher and Cheikhou Kouyaté lineup alongside each other yet again in the middle of the park, with the midfielders racking up a combined 27 league appearances so far this term.

In attack, there’s a second change from the defeat to United, with Odsonne Edouard replacing Jordan Ayew. The £7.2m-rated Ghanaian is yet to score this season and has been labelled a “liability” by some of the Palace faithful.

Edouard is naturally a striker but has been deployed out wide in a front-three before by Vieira this season and his three league goals so far this term should add extra firepower to the Palace frontline.

Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke have both looked sharp at times this campaign, both having four league goals to their name thus far and will be the men Palace look upon to win the game.

Leeds United have made progress in their efforts to sign Celtic central defender Leo Hjelde, following weeks of deadlock within negotiations [Yorkshire Evening Post].

The Lowdown: Leeds United gear up for the 2021/22 Premier League season

With the 2021/22 Premier League campaign set to get underway later this week, Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa will be desperate to strengthen in key areas to bolster his already talented roster.

Prioritising quality over quantity, the Argentinian has successfully acquired three additions in the form of Junior Firpo, Jack Harrison and Kristoffer Klaesson [Transfermarkt].

Now, the Elland Road hierarchy look to have moved closer to sealing another summer signing according to recent reports.

The Latest: Leeds United make breakthrough in Hjelde pursuit

Leeds are said to have moved closer to acquiring the Norway Under-18 international, who would join the Under-23 set-up [Yorkshire Evening Post].

Talks with Scottish giants Celtic had previously ground to a halt, however, a breakthrough in discussions has now emerged, bringing the two clubs closer to an agreement.

Hjelde could be a prospective replacement for ex-Whites talent Oliver Casey, who departed for Sky Bet Championship side Blackpool earlier this window.

The Verdict: Hjelde would be a low-risk signing for Leeds United

Providing long-term value and plenty room for development, Hjelde would be a low risk buy for Leeds United who has proven his ability to function within a high-octane footballing environment.

In 2020/21, the 17-year-old gained senior experience on loan at Scottish Premiership side Ross County, registering a solitary goal from 12 appearances in all competitions [Transfermarkt].

Despite his youth, the 6 foot 2 ace showed his awareness to dangerous situations across the year, recording an average of 3.3 clearances per game across the season [WhoScored].

Once likened to 2019 Ballon d’Or runner up Virgil van Dijk by former manager John Hughes, he certainly looks like a player who could blossom under a manager like Bielsa [BBC].

In other news, a Leeds United star has been backed to recapture his best form in 2021/22.