Category Uncategorized

Aston Villa are thought to be plotting a move for Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Torres under Emery

Hailed as ‘sensational’ by his national team boss Luis Enrique, the Spaniard has progressed through Villarreal’s academy and is now a first-team star for the La Liga side.

The 25-year-old has made 149 senior appearances for the club, with 105 of those coming under new manager Unai Emery. The defender scored 10 of his 15 career goals under the 50-year-old, and it looks as if the new Villa boss is keen on a reunion with the player.

The Latest: Villa linked with Torres

Football Insider shared a story on Thursday morning regarding Torres, revealing that Villa have made him a top target and are plotting a move after receiving the green light from Emery.

The report adds that Torres is valued at £40m, which would be a record transfer outlay at Villa Park.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-news-3/” title=”Aston Villa latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Major coup?

Torres looks set to feature for Spain at the World Cup later this month, looking to add to his 21 international caps.

You could say that a potential move for the defender would be a coup by NSWE, with Torres valued at a career-high £45m Transfermarkt valuation.

He appears to be at the top of his game, has recently been linked with Tottenham and is used to playing in European competition, so he could be the ideal centre-back addition that Villa have been seeking.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could now ‘get rid’ of Raul Jimenez as reports share a big update on the striker’s Premier League future.

The Lowdown: Jimenez’s woes…

Despite his obvious ability, the Mexico international hasn’t been able to contribute as effectively as Wolves supporters would have liked in the last couple of seasons, understandably not looking the same player ever since his skull fracture nearly two years ago.

Indeed, Jimenez missed almost the entirety of 2020/21 with the major issue as the Old Gold implemented a patient, steady return to full fitness from that very serious injury.

Following on, the 2021/22 season saw the Wolves forward make 10 goal contributions in 30 league starts – steady numbers but not quite the level of previous years.

Jimenez bagged 30 goals and 13 assists domestically in two campaigns from 2018 to 2020, and the Molineux side won’t be seeing that form again any time soon considering that he is now sidelined again.

The Latest: Wolves could now ‘get rid’ of Jimenez…

According to recent reports, it appears that club owners Fosun International are now weighing up whether to take action.

La Opinión reported on Thursday afternoon, as translated and shared by Sport Witness, that Club America ‘seems close’ to potentially bringing Jimenez back across the Atlantic.

They add that Wolves are open to selling the attacker and could now ‘get rid of him’, with Jimenez apparently having a ‘foot and a half out of Wolverhampton’ amid a possible return to his homeland.

The Verdict: Time to say goodbye?

There is no questioning the Mexican’s ability, as evidenced by his form in his first two years at Molineux, with former Wolves defender Conor Coady calling Jimenez a ‘phenomenal footballer’ and ‘massive for the club’.

However, as Fosun look to consistently progress on the field and fix the Old Gold’s current issues, change is sometimes required, even if it means letting go of a fantastic servant such as the 31-year-old.

The Times journalist Paul Joyce has revealed that Everton still plan to sign Conor Coady after his loan from Wolves, despite the departure of Bruno Lage.

The Lowdown: Lage departs

The Wanderers confirmed the departure of Lage on Sunday evening after a poor start to the season that has left them in the relegation zone in the Premier League table, having scored the fewest goals (three) in the division.

The Portuguese manager decided to let club captain Coady leave on loan to Goodison Park, after having reservations over whether he could play in a back four, and the Merseyside club have an option to buy him in the summer.

The Latest: No affect on Coady plans

Writing in his latest piece for The Times, Joyce has revealed that the Old Gold’s decision to change their manager will not affect the Toffees’ plans to sign Coady on a permanent basis.

The new coach at Molineux could have different opinions to Lage on the central defender, but they will not be able to recall him, and so Frank Lampard’s side still plan to sign him permanently after his loan spell ends.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-8/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: No-brainer

Given the start that he has made to his Blues career, signing Coady permanently is a no-brainer.

As journalist Simon Phillips has pointed out, both him and fellow new signing James Tarkowski have been ‘massive, massive’ players for Lampard already this season, as emphasised by his team conceding the fewest goals in the top flight so far.

Coady seems to be thriving in a back four with Tarkowski as his centre-back partner, and is certainly proving Lage wrong in that respect.

Nonetheless, having been the captain at Wolves, the 29-year-old brings extra leadership qualities not just on the pitch, but in the dressing room as well, and so whatever transfer fee it would take, EFC simply have to pay it to get him in on a permanent deal.

Manchester City currently have a handful of outfield players in their squad who are over the age of 30.

One of those is Riyad Mahrez, who has been at the club since joining from fellow Premier League side Leicester City in 2018.

In 192 appearances for the Citizens, the winger has 63 goals and 46 assists to his name.

Even though the Algerian recently put pen to paper on a new deal at the Etihad Stadium which will see him stay at the club until 2025, the remaining few days before the summer transfer window closes could give City the opportunity to bring in a potential long-term heir for Mahrez.

One name with whom the Premier League champions have been mentioned and who could fit this bill is Everton winger Anthony Gordon.

At the age of 21, the Englishman has made 122 appearances for the Merseyside club across their senior and youth teams, scoring 28 goals and providing 18 assists along the way.

This shows that not only is he capable of finding the net himself, he can also set up goalscoring opportunities for his team-mates, similar to what Mahrez has done during his time at City.

To show the similarities between the two players from their previous domestic campaigns, both wingers ended up having more than 1,000 live-ball touches while also successfully completing more than 50% of the dribbles that they attempted (as per FBRef).

Hailed by Boreham Wood manager Luke Garrard as a “frightening” player after his team came up against Everton in last season’s FA Cup, Gordon is currently of interest to Chelsea, who would reportedly be willing to pay £60m to sign the youngster – the same figure that City paid to sign Mahrez.

With that in mind, it would seemingly take a big investment and effort from the Cityzens to land the Everton starlet’s signature ahead of the west London club, who have not only taken Raheem Sterling away from the Etihad this summer but also ended up signing Marc Cucurella after he was initially linked with a move to City earlier in the transfer window.

If the champions want to end their summer transfer window with a bang and splash out on Gordon, this could not only see an exciting talent added to their squad, but also put to bed any concerns that there may be further down the line about finding a suitable heir for Mahrez.

Dharmesh Sheth has dropped an update on reported West Ham United transfer target Emerson Palmieri.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Sky Sports reporter revealed that, despite David Moyes’ £15m move for the Chelsea left-back appearing to have fallen through due to the 28-year-old’s wage demands, talks between the Italy international and West Ham have now resumed, with all parties thought to be hopeful of reaching a compromise in order to push the deal through.

In his tweet, Sheth said: “Talks have resumed between West Ham United & Chelsea over signing of left-back Emerson. Club to club fee close to being finalised & discussions are ongoing with player’s representatives. All parties hopeful a compromise can be reached to get a deal over the line.”

Moyes will be buzzing

Considering just how arduous West Ham’s attempts to bring a new left-back into the club this summer have been – with the Irons missing out on David Raum to RB Leipzig and Filip Kostic to Juventus – Sheth’s claim that a deal for Emerson now looks close to being completed is sure to have left Moyes buzzing.

Indeed, with Arthur Masuaku having left the London Stadium to join Besiktas on a season-long loan – a deal which includes an option to make the move permanent next summer – earlier this month, Moyes currently has only the 32-year-old Aaron Cresswell as a natural option on the left of his defence.

As such, it is clear for all to see that – with tough Premier League and likely Europa Conference League campaigns ahead of the Hammers this season – greater depth is required in that position in order to give them the best possible chance of success both domestically and in Europe.

Considering just how impressive Emerson was during a loan spell at Lyon last season, the 28-year-old would appear to be a very astute signing for Moyes to bring into the club prior to September’s transfer deadline.

Indeed, based on his 2,849 minutes of football played over the past 12 months, FBRef rank the £12.6m-rated talent in the top 7% of full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for passes attempted per 90. He also ranks in the top 11% for passes completed, the top 21% for progressive carries, the top 29% for dribbles completed and the top 30% for shot-creating actions.

The Italian ranks in the top 36% of full-backs for shots per 90, as well as the top 42% for non-penalty xG, the top 35% for xG assisted (xG that follows a pass which assists a shot) and the top 36% for touches in the opposition penalty area over the last 365 days.

From these metrics, it is clear to see that the £75k-per-week defender is very a player in the mould of the attack-minded full-back that Moyes is hoping to add to his first-team squad this summer. That leads us to believe that Sheth’s latest update on the Irons’ pursuit of Emerson is sure to be news which will have left the 59-year-old coach delighted .

Celtic winger Mikey Johnston appears set for a departure from Parkhead this summer, with manager Ange Postcoglou having made a decision on the youngster’s future.

What’s the word?

As per Football Scotland journalist Mark Hendry, the 23-year-old is said to be currently ‘weighing up offers’ from a number of suitors regarding a potential loan move, having failed to establish himself as a regular fixture with the Old Firm outfit.

The report suggests that the Scotsman has been told he is free to leave in the coming weeks, with Postecoglou hoping for the academy graduate to earn regular game time elsewhere.

The report goes on to add that former Hoops boss Ronny Deila is keen to take the winger to Belgian side Standard Liege, albeit with the Glasgow-born gem currently considering alternative destinations as he looks to revive his career.

Time to go

That decision to let him depart temporarily appears the right call from the title-winning coach, with Johnston unlikely to be handed too many opportunities this season such is the wealth of attacking options at the 56-year-old’s disposal.

The former Yokohama boss currently has the likes of Jota, Liel Abada, Daizen Maeda and James Forrest as options on the flank, while recent reports have also seen the Scottish champions linked with a move for Barcelona’s Alex Collado – a player who can slot in both out wide and in an attacking midfield role.

As for Johnston, the £720k-rated man will seemingly be unsurprised as to his current fate, having been restricted to just 20 appearances in all competitions last season, with injury woes once again hampering his involvement as has been the case throughout his senior career.

After a breakthrough 2018/19 campaign in which he scored £7.9k-per-week dud has failed to score in each of the last two seasons.

Such a dismal record has ensured that he can have no real complaints over his slide down the pecking order, with a fresh start likely to be needed as he looks to try and kickstart his floundering career.

The hope will be that the highly-rated forward, whom teammate Joe Hart recently lauded as “incredibly talented”, can hit form wherever he does end up over the coming weeks, with it still not out of the question that he could force his way back into the manager’s plans next season – with three years still to run on his current deal.

If he does ignite elsewhere then he could either be reintegrated next summer or be sold for a more sizeable fee, while if he fails to deliver then Postecoglou’s decision to let him depart will have been vindicated.

A lot may be on the line for the player, but for the manager, it is potentially a win-win situation.

Nottingham Forest have already signed 11 players so far this summer, and a reliable source has now given an update on a potential 12th signing to come to the City Ground.

What’s the latest?

According to Ed Aarons, the Reds are in a two-horse race with Everton to sign Burnley forward Maxwel Cornet.

The Guardian journalist tweeted: “Understand it is between Everton and Forest to sign Maxwell Cornet from Burnley. Everton had loan bid rejected last week.”

Supporters surely buzzing

Forest have been wasting no time in ensuring that they build a squad with enough talent and quality to compete in the Premier League next season, and supporters are surely buzzing with the business which has been done so far.

Despite being relegated with Burnley last term, Cornet was a consistent and reliable performer for the Turf Moor outfit during the 2021/22 season, and he could now return with the opportunity to become part of the Reds’ new chapter in the Premier League.

Over 28 appearances for the Clarets, the 25-year-old scored nine goals and delivered two assists and finished the season as the club’s top scorer, but it’s not just his goal contributions which could be a valuable asset to Steve Cooper.

The Ivory Coast international is a highly versatile player when it comes to being deployed in various positions across the pitch, with a wealth of experience playing on the left and right wing, centre forward, midfield and left-back roles over his career so far.

Burnley team-mate Matt Lowton hailed Cornet as “passionate” and “energetic” after the forward joined the club from Lyon last summer.

The 25-year-old’s ability to offer strength and depth to a number of positions, combined with his hunger for goals and his attacking threat, makes him the perfect profile of player to help Forest in their desire to retain their top-flight status next season.

The signing of Cornet would be a huge coup for Cooper, and the powers at the City Ground must do everything that they can to ensure that they beat Everton to his signature over the remaining weeks of the transfer window.

AND in other news: Paul Taylor drops huge Forest transfer claim, Cooper will be buzzing

Sunderland are reportedly now battling with one of Alex Neil’s former clubs to sign Troy Parrott.

The Lowdown: Familiar face…

The Stadium of Light faithful will know all too well what the 20-year-old is capable of, as he scored and assisted against them while on loan at MK Dons last season.

The Tottenham striker managed 10 goals and seven assists across all competitions (2-1 on aggregate by Wycombe Wanderers, the team that Sunderland saw off in the Wembley final.

The Latest: Three-way fight

As per Sunday World, the Wearside club are now in a three-way fight with Neil’s former side Preston North End and fellow Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers to sign Parrott.

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has suggested that he wants his players to get getting regular first-team football; and with Richarlison signed from Everton on top of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min being at Spurs, Parrott is unlikely to get that in north London.

The Verdict: Sign him

The Black Cats already know what Parrott can do, and given that Ross Stewart is the only senior striker in Neil’s squad at the moment, signing the young Irishman would be a smart piece of business.

Dubbed a ‘clever’, ‘smart’ and ‘cheeky’ player by former Ipswich Town team-mate Tomas Holy, the 6 foot 1 forward will be desperate to prove himself in the Championship, after impressing in League One.

Already a full Republic of Ireland international with four goals and two assists in 15 games (Transfermarkt), the 20-year-old certainly appears to have a lot of potential, and Sunderland could benefit hugely from his continued development if they win the race ahead of Neil’s former employers to sign him.

West Bromwich Albion have enjoyed a strong start to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks as though they will look to build on that momentum with more signings.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Birmingham Mail, who claimed that the Baggies’ summer business is only just beginning, with incomings and outgoings said to be at the forefront of Steve Bruce’s thinking.

As per the report, the West Brom manager gave an update on Albion’s stance regarding transfers this summer and skirted around the direct prompts over the club’s interest in Hamza Choudhury and Cameron Archer when quizzed on the pair.

As stated in the report, Bruce said: “I can’t say a word on those two at all because I’ve been linked with about 50-odd. It’s fair to say that we’re looking, but in what position is for you to find out.”

Supporters surely elated

Whilst rather coy, Bruce’s response to the ongoing links with Choudhury and Archer makes for an exciting interpretation from a West Brom supporter’s perspective.

Albion are clearly looking to make further moves this summer, having already secured two impressive signings in John Swift and Jed Wallace, who both arrived on free transfers from Championship rivals.

As the report from Birmingham Mail mentions, one of two known Baggies targets (Archer) is wanted by a host of clubs in England’s second tier after a tremendous spell at Preston North End last term.

The Aston Villa academy graduate managed seven of which came in the Championship.

Meanwhile, Choudhury’s total of 53 Premier League appearances brings a greater level of experience to The Hawthorns and bolsters the depth in Bruce’s midfield even further.

West Brom are making a clear bid for promotion back to the Premier League, and it seems as though they will make the most of this transfer window, with more signings eminently likely judging by the manager’s comments. That can only be good news for the Albion faithful.

In other news: Bruce issues West Brom summer transfer secret which will have supporters buzzing 

Leeds United are said to be interested in Valentin Castellanos ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, writing for GIVEMESPORT, the New York City striker is ‘one to keep an eye on’ heading into the off-season, where manager Jesse Marsch will be looking to bolster his squad even more following the early arrival of Brenden Aaronson.

The American midfielder has joined the Yorkshire giants in a £25m deal from RB Salzburg, linking up with his former boss, and now it appears as if he could look back to his roots for another addition.

Premier League rivals West Ham United have also been linked with a move for Castellanos in recent weeks. The Mirror believes the 23-year-old would be available for just £12.8m.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Bamford upgrade

The Argentine has become something of a sensation at Manchester City’s sister club in the United States as he scored 19 goals and assisted a further eight on his way to the MLS Golden Boot, before scoring in all NYCFC’s playoff matches to win the title for the very first time.

Such form has continued into the current campaign, where he has bagged a tidy 11 goals across all competitions, also providing five assists, as per Transfermarkt. In total, he’s bagged 53 goals for the MLS outfit.

Castellanos’ playing style has been compared to one of the Premier League’s very best, too.

“He actually reminds me a lot of Didier Drogba, he’s very confident to the point where it could be seen as arrogance but has more than shown his quality the season,” claimed MLS UK Show podcaster Henry Hewitt to Manchester Evening News.

“He doesn’t just score one type of goal. He’s strong, quick, good with his head and isn’t afraid to bring his teammates into play.”

Nicknamed ‘Taty’, the prolific marksman has also been lauded as “top class” and “difficult to play against” by his NYCFC manager Ronny Delia, who continues to benefit from his forward’s exploits.

Given the lack of involvement from Patrick Bamford in 2021/22, the MLS attacker could be seen as something of an upgrade, having barely missed a game over the past 18 to 24 months.

The injury-plagued Leeds frontman managed only nine appearances in the league this term and his absence almost cost the Yorkshire giants a place in the big time.

In terms of non-penalty expected goals, the Argentine outranks Marsch’s current no.9, whilst the NYCFC man also fires off more shots and subsequently, more shots on target than Bamford too, as per FBRef.

Meanwhile, his work rate in the final third is much greater, managing more pressures than the Englishman, making him a far greater fit for Marsch’s pressing system.

On the above evidence, Castellanos could be the man to take Leeds to the next level in the attack. Victor Orta and co must pay the bargain fee of £12.8m to seal him from the Hammers’ grasp.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops Kalvin Phillips transfer update…