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Since Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard opted to swap Glasgow for the Midlands last month, the Premier League side have continuously been linked with Rangers winger Ryan Kent.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Villa boss is “reportedly ready to raid former club Rangers for Ryan Kent”. The 25-year-old has been subject to interest from Premier League clubs before, with Leeds United previously interested according to The Athletic, who claimed that the Scottish champions were holding out for £20m in the summer.

The 41-year-old brought Kent to Ibrox on a permanent basis for £7.5m in 2019 after the Liverpool academy graduate impressed on loan the season prior, winning the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year Award.

Kent will offer Villa depth

With Gerrard opting to use a 4-3-3 formation, the performances of wingers are crucial to Aston Villa’s success. In the three games that the new boss has overseen, he has deployed Leon Bailey, Emi Buendia, Ashley Young and Ollie Watkins out wide, with the former two seeing the most game-time on the flanks.

Watkins is predominantly a striker whilst Young won’t be a long-term option at 36 years of age. Therefore, if Kent were to join Villa, he would most likely have Bailey and Buendia as competition for a starting spot.

Neither have set the world alight since their summer moves from Bayer Leverkusen and Norwich City respectively, with both players scoring just once this term and registering a combined five assists.

Furthermore, Bailey has struggled with injuries since arriving in the West Midlands, starting just four Premier League games, which could potentially open a pathway for Kent should he join Aston Villa and the Jamaican’s injury woes continue.

Currently valued at £12.6m by Transfermarkt and reportedly earning £20k per week, the 25-year-old has scored 28 goals and registered 34 assists in 143 appearances since joining Rangers and played a vital role in them winning their first league title in ten years last season, with 21 goal contributions in 37 games en route to that triumph.

Moreover, the new Villa boss knows the player well, having worked with him in the Liverpool youth ranks and at Rangers, which could prove essential should the winger opt for a move to Birmingham.

In the past, Gerrard has labelled Kent “a constant threat”, and there’s surely no doubt that the former Gers boss would welcome a reunion with the winger. Just imagine the thought of him and Buendia providing ammunition from the flanks at Villa Park on a regular basis.

In other news: Aston Villa dealt further injury setback ahead of Leicester clash, Gerrard will be gutted 

Speaking live on talkSPORT to Jim White and Simon Jordan, as transcribed by their website, reporter Alex Crook has dropped an update on West Ham’s chase to sign Man United star Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Lingard a top target…

The Red Devils playmaker is also one of manager David Moyes’ top transfer priorities for the January window amid his search for a striker and new defensive signing (The Evening Standard).

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Out of contract in the summer, Man United could now be forced to sell for a cheap fee this month in order not to lose Lingard for nothing at the end of 2021/2022.

He is also attracting interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United with the latter club apparently at work behind-the-scenes.

Crook, in a live on air update as West Ham still chase him, has made an encouraging claim.

The Latest: talkSPORT update…

Speaking to talkSPORT, the journalist says Moyes and transfer chief Rob Newman still haven’t given up on signing Lingard this month.

“They’ve not given up hope, I’m told, of prizing Jesse Lingard away from Manchester United,” he explained.

“So West Ham could be one of the busier clubs in the Premier League come the next couple of weeks.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Reports indicate that United are sceptical over selling to a top four rival like West Ham or Spurs in January with Newcastle currently the favourites, but if even Lingard manages to leave Old Trafford on a free at the end of this season, he may well come as a stellar free agent signing.

The 29-year-old enjoyed a fantastic spell on loan at the London Stadium last year, bagging nine goals and four assists, and it is believed that the player favours a move back down south over St. James’ Park as things stand.

This could boost West Ham’s chances of a free summer deal at least and it would most certainly be an astute bit of business.

Former England international Paul Robinson is certainly in agreement, calling Lingard a would-be ‘massive signing’ for Moyes who could add ‘another dimension’ going forward (Football Insider).

In other news: ExWHUemployee backs reports as West Ham now willing to bid for ‘phenomenal’ man, find out more here.

While it is often difficult to predict which signings will and won’t work out, recruiting an injury prone individual more often than not tends to end in disaster for the buying party.

That has seemingly proved the case for Nottingham Forest and defender Carl Jenkinson, with the former Arsenal man having endured a torrid time of it at the City Ground, prior to his loan move away from the club in January.

Signed for £2m from the Gunners in the summer of 2019, the Englishman has since made just 15 appearances in all competitions, with both loss of form and fitness issues having perhaps predictably plagued his time at the club.

During his time at the Emirates, the Harlow-born full-back had failed to ever really nail down a regular starting berth, spending much of his eight-year stint out on loan at the likes of West Ham United and Birmingham City, as well as on the treatment table.

After making just 41 Premier League appearances for the north Londoners, he was eventually snapped up by Forest just under three years ago, albeit while never looking like a convincing option as he made just eight league appearances in his debut season.

The form of current Aston Villa and Poland star Matty Cash – as well as an ankle issue sustained just a month into his Forest career – ensured a tricky start to life in Nottingham, with the 6 foot 1 full-back having never recovered from that early setback.

He made just three more league outings the following campaign, with the arrival of Chris Hughton in the dugout bringing a halt to his already sporadic role, with the former Brighton man informing the defender that he could move on at the end of 2020/21 season.

Despite sticking it out with the second-tier side, the appointment of Steve Cooper was the final nail in the coffin, with the 30-year-old having not featured for the club since an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Swansea City in January 2021.

After a year out in the footballing wilderness, the £450k-rated man secured a surprise temporary move to Australian outfit Melbourne City over the winter, where he has since netted twice in 17 league outings.

In truth, Cooper and co will have been happy to offload some of the player’s hefty £27k-per-week wages, with Jenkinson having cost the club a whopping £5m – including his initial transfer fee – since his move from Arsenal, rinsing the club for a total of 128 weeks.

Thankfully, with just a few months remaining on his existing deal, the one-time Charlton Athletic man will likely be moving on this summer, bringing an end to what’s been a tumultuous and costly last few years for all concerned.

In other news, Forest must seal summer swoop for £2.7m-rated star who has “a touch of Collymore” – opinion

Southampton are reportedly interested in signing goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco from Deportivo Alaves this summer and, if he were to join, he could usurp both Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster and become first choice under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

According to reports from Spanish outlet El Gol Digital, Leeds United and Southampton are keen on signing the 28-year-old shot-stopper this summer, with both reportedly willing to pay the €10m (£8.6m) that Alaves would demand for their number one.

The former Real Madrid youngster has been a mainstay in Alaves’ side for the past six years since joining on a free transfer from Los Blancos, making 207 appearances, in which he has conceded 257 goals and kept 67 clean sheets.

The football scouting website FBref rates Pacheco highly when it comes to passing, as he scores 95/100 for his passes over 40 yards completed. In the same statistic, McCarthy scores a measly 2/100.

It seems as if the Spanish ‘keeper also has the advantage when it comes to saving shots, as he scores 98/100 for the expected goals per shot he faces, meaning he concedes far less than expected, whereas McCarthy scores 82/100 in this statistic.

It has been suggested that McCarthy has had the edge over Forster for much of the season because of his ability with the ball at his feet, but it seems clear that Pacheco would be an upgrade from this perspective, with WhoScored also suggesting that his main strength as a goalkeeper is his long passing.

Forster has been between the sticks for recent games against Everton and Sheffield United and, whilst he boasts an impressive clean sheet record on his rare appearances this season, it seems clear that Hasenhuttl sees him as second choice behind McCarthy.

The former Celtic loanee is also 32 and McCarthy is 31, and whilst that isn’t particularly old for a goalkeeper, Pacheco is 28 and therefore could be a fixture in this Southampton team for the next few years he were to join.

Considering Alaves currently sit 19th in La Liga, it seems likely that if Southampton were to come knocking in the summer following Alaves’ possible relegation from the Spanish top flight, then Pacheco could be easily convinced by a move to the south coast of England.

Therefore, Martin Semmens should definitely try and bring him to the Premier League, as the statistics seem to suggest that he would fit in well in Hasenhuttl’s side and could be an upgrade on both McCarthy and Forster.

In other news… Southampton handed big boost in hopes of axing £40k-p/w flop this summer

Tottenham Hotspur can advance into the quarter-finals of the Europa League by seeing off Dinamo Zagreb this evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side carry a two-goal lead to the Croatian capital thanks to a first-leg brace from Harry Kane, but what sort of side could we see the Portuguese tactician select?

The thought of rotation would’ve crossed his mind, but a 2-0 lead can often be a funny scoreline in football, so he may well want to keep many of his regular starters in the mix.

So, here’s the Spurs XI we’re predicting tonight, as well as the latest team and injury news…

Spurs were beaten by arch-rivals Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday, and we could well see as many as eight changes from he side that were defeated 2-1 at the Emirates.

Club captain and first-choice goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is likely to keep his place between the sticks, whilst the only other defender to remain from the weekend is Toby Alderweireld.

That means Sergio Reguilon is replaced by Ben Davies at left-back, with Eric Dier partnering the Belgian colossus in the middle over Davinson Sanchez, and Serge Aurier is preferred to Matt Doherty on the right after the 29-year-old’s nightmare display.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will serve a one-game suspension after picking up a third yellow card in the competition last time out, so we’re expecting Moussa Sissoko to partner Harry Winks as Tanguy Ndombele is another who earns a rest.

In attack, we could see Dele Alli earn a rare start in the no.10 role, even despite the return of Giovani Lo Celso from injury. The Argentine may not be risked from the off but fellow countryman Erik Lamela could keep his place as he’s suspended for their clash with Villa at the weekend.

The £14.4m-rated dynamo, dubbed a “nightmare” by Dier, scored a rabona against the Gunners before being sent off in the second half.

Lucas Moura is axed to allow the return of Alli.

Mourinho has ruled out Heung-min Son from featuring tonight, so Steven Bergwijn is surely in line for a return. He’ll have to impress, having started just one match since the defeat to Everton in the FA Cup.

Whilst the Spurs boss also confirmed that Kane would be involved, presumably to ensure this tie is dead and buried from early doors.

AND in other news, Mourinho must unleash “special” £26m-rated star tonight, could be his game-changer…

Leeds must pounce on a deal for Rodrigo de Paul after comments from former midfielder David Norris.

What’s the talk?

Former Leeds midfielder David Norris believes that Udinese midfielder Rodrigo de Paul is interested in a move to Elland Road this summer.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay reported in September 2020 that Leeds’ interest in de Paul was serious and that the club had the finances to do a deal for him. Although, nothing ever materialised in the summer window or the January window earlier this year.

And now, Norris has claimed that the rumours surrounding de Paul and Leeds would have been instantly shut down if the Argentine did not want the transfer. He told Football FanCast:

“Yeah I think so. As players, you normally know the club’s interest way before it comes out into the press so there’s definitely going to have been some contact made and the fact that it’s still got legs to it means both parties are showing an interest.

“If Leeds have touched base with someone in that way and it wasn’t something he was interested in, we wouldn’t be hearing about it until now. It’d be no, the player doesn’t want it, move on.

“So the fact that has happened and it’s still got legs to it definitely means there’s still an interest from the player and there’s clearly massive interest from the club so he would have known of Leeds’ interest before it came out to all of us.”

Earlier this year, Udinese technical director Pierpaolo Marino labelled de Paul as a “world-class” player. He told Radio Crc, as transcribed by FC Inter News:

“We’re talking about a world-class player, a true ‘tuttocampista’.

“De Paul is a tireless worker and I would put him among the best captains I’ve ever had in my teams for the seriousness he always demonstrates.”

Bielsa needs him

Victor Orta must sanction a swoop for de Paul as Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa needs the midfielder at the club next season. De Paul enjoyed a sensational season on a personal note in the Serie A for Udinese and his quality could elevate Leeds’ midfield and help them push on further. Whilst Mateusz Klich had a solid campaign in the Premier League for Leeds, with four goals and five assists, de Paul could prove to be an update on the Poland international.

Klich averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.51 in the Premier League, ranking him 16th in the Leeds squad. De Paul, meanwhile, averaged a sublime WhoScored rating of 7.41 in 36 Serie A starts. The Argentine also provided nine goals and nine assists from central midfield, which puts him behind only Patrick Bamford for goals and level with Raphinha for assists.

The £31k-per-week dynamo could, therefore, be a terrific addition to Bielsa’s squad and improve the quality of his options in midfield. De Paul has proven that he can consistently perform at the top level, as shown by his displays in the Serie A, and he still has a few years ahead of him to improve under Bielsa’s coaching at the age of 26. Therefore, Orta must get a deal for de Paul over the line for Bielsa to enjoy his talents in the Premier League next season for Leeds.

AND in other news, Bielsa must land “graceful” £19.8m-rated magician, teammate has backed Leeds’ interest…

With all the success that Leeds’ senior side have enjoyed this season in the Premier League, the under-23s made sure to get in on the act too after they clinched the Premier League 2 Division 2 title on Friday night.

Goals from Sam Greenwood and Jack Jenkins clinched a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa and ensured that all the hard work and academy improvements that Marcelo Bielsa and the Whites have made over the past few years paid off.

Of course, the ultimate success of any academy side is how many of those players from the youth system actually end up playing for the first team, and while Joe Gelhardt has been one of the most talked-about talents, it’s Greenwood who Bielsa must now surely unleash.

In his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him an eight, saying: “Another fantastic free-kick to add to his collection. Did not stop running, hassling or carrying all night. Could have had more goals on the night too. If Joe Gelhardt doesn’t get you, Greenwood often does.”

Capable of striking the ball off both feet, the 19-year-old has predominantly played up top for the under-23s but has played as a number ten and even enjoyed a brief stint much deeper in central midfield, too.

In 16 games at Premier League 2 level, he bagged nine goals, including a hat-trick against his former employers Sunderland much earlier in the season.

Since arriving from fellow Premier League side Arsenal last summer, The Athletic’s Phil Hay revealed that Greenwood has enjoyed an impressive start to life behind the scenes at Elland Road.

The journalist said: “He’s started really well at Leeds and he was very well thought of at Arsenal, and they weren’t rushing to get him out (of) the door this summer. From what we’ve seen of him so far, his movement and his finishing and everything else, he looks like a very natural striker.”

Meanwhile, Leeds Live’s Joe Donnohue said: “He may have hit the ground running at Thorp Arch, but he has only been here for a matter of months. His start may have been excellent, so imagine how much better he could be with consistent football.”

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Given the success of the under-23s, Bielsa must surely look to reward some of Leeds’ brightest academy talents by giving them a chance to shine in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, this Leeds target dominated Man Utd on Thursday night…

Frank Lampard has emerged as a leading contender to replace Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, who claims that the former Chelsea boss would be amongst the top candidates to be offered the Eagles job should they move on from the 73-year-old next month.

It is thought that Palace have been deliberating over whether or not to make a change and Lampard should be available as he is not interested in taking a up the vacant position as the next England U21 boss.

The report also suggests that the 42-year-old would likely want assurances he would be given the opportunity to progress the southeast Londoners up the Premier League table after several seasons languishing in midtable.

Fans will be buzzing

This development is a really interesting twist as Hodgson’s tenure moves ever closer to coming to a conclusion after four years.

In that time, the veteran coach has helped establish Palace as a regular and stable top-flight side, though they have never finished above 11th under his stewardship.

And with young names coming through like Tyrick Mitchell as well as the club targeting players with plenty of potential such as Eberechi Eze, it could well be time to move on for all parties involved.

Especially given recent fan reaction suggesting that under Hodgson, the Eagles were never showing any ambition and that he should retire, which can be read in full here.

The 73-year-old has only won 33% of his matches in charge of the club, whilst at Stamford Bridge, Lampard brought home a win rate of 52%, and even that wasn’t enough for him to keep his job.

Lampard would be a fresh change in the dugout and one that could see them transition nicely into next season, with those aforementioned players and aims being a crucial part of their long-term future.

The former Chelsea player brought through the likes of Mason Mount and Reece James, both of which have gone onto become first-team regulars under Thomas Tuchel and both are likely to be competing in the Champions League final.

Furthermore, the report claims that his presence could bolster their chances of clinching Tammy Abraham or Billy Gilmour, who have both been linked with moves in the past.

Steve Parish could do very little wrong in hiring Lampard to be his next manager, it would certainly appease the fanbase and would kickstart an exciting era at Selhurst Park.

AND in other news, 40 y/o tipped for Crystal Palace job, Parish must now act…

Manchester United duo Anthony Martial and Dan James are set to return to the first team squad for this evening’s fixture against Fulham, providing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a huge boost ahead of the Europa League final.

What’s the latest?

Martial has been sidelined with a hip injury and a ruptured knee ligament since early March, missing United’s last 13 games in all competitions, while James has been absent since the second leg against Roma with an injury issue.

After the 25-year-old France international incurred his injury setback on international duty, Solskjaer revealed his fears that Martial may be out for the remainder of the season, but it seems as though the forward has recovered ahead of schedule.

In a recent press conference (via Manchester Evening News), the Red Devils boss provided a fresh update on the attacking duo ahead of tonight’s clash with the already-relegated Cottagers, disclosing how they are expected to play some part at Old Trafford.

“I’m hoping to get Anthony (Martial) and Dan (James) back involved in this game which is a very good boost for us. Maybe they can even start against Wolves, and then maybe if they’re sensational? It’s hard to leave players out if they really perform at their highest level,” said Solskjaer.

A significant boost

While Martial has not enjoyed his most fruitful campaign in a United shirt, the former Monaco man has still managed to record some respectable numbers throughout 2020/21

The Frenchman has bagged seven goals and provided nine assists in 36 appearances for the 20-time English champions and could play a significant role as they attempt to end the club’s longest trophy drought in more than 30 years.

Although James has struggled at times since making the step up from Swansea two seasons ago, the Wales international has enjoyed some of his best displays for the Red Devils in the Europa League, as his 6.99 WhoScored rating illustrates. His performance in the 4-0 win over Real Sociedad in February, when he scored one goal and set up another, showcased what he is capable of producing when at his best.

Therefore, the duo’s return to action tonight should provide a significant boost to Solskjaer’s attacking options ahead of the showpiece event against Villarreal, and the Norwegian must be buzzing to see Martial and James form part of his matchday squad once again.

In other news…Major Manchester United transfer update emerges; fans will surely be buzzing – opinion

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, Tottenham Hotspur reporter Rob Guest has made a claim about highly-rated youngster Dane Scarlett.

The Lowdown: Scarlett set for stardom?

The 17-year-old made his competitive Spurs debut against Ludogorets in the Europa League last season, becoming their youngest ever player to do that (Goal).

Following another cameo against Wolfsberger in the same competition, former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho lauded the forward as a ‘diamond’ whilst backing him to become a ‘fantastic player’ (BT Sport via The Sun)

The Portuguese also likened Scarlett to Manchester United star Marcus Rashford, with Guest now making a claim about the Tottenham teenager.

The Latest: Guest makes Scarlett claim…

Speaking in the Q&A, Guest said that the promising talent ‘should get plenty of minutes’ under new boss Nuno Espirito Santo this season.

Meanwhile, the reporter also said that Scarlett is ‘rated extremely highly’ within the club.

“Scarlett is rated extremely highly at the club and he should get plenty of minutes in Europe and the cup competitions,” Guest replied when asked exactly how much faith is being put in the youngster at Spurs.

“Chances will also more than likely be there for him in the league going on the lack of another out-and-out striker. However, he just needs to be eased into action given his age.”

The Verdict: Exciting times in the academy…

As well as Scarlett, there seems to be plenty of hype surrounding the likes of Oliver Skipp and Alfie Devine to name a few.

Tottenham’s thriving youth prospects have always been a major talking point at N17 and there have been no sign of that slowing down over the last two or three seasons.

Scarlett in particular, now Spurs’ youngest ever debutant, will have eyes on him this year and it will be very interesting to see just how much he will feature under Nuno.

In other news: ‘Finished article’…Sky pundit in awe of Spurs starlet who’s an ‘improved version of Ndombele’, find out more here.