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Aston Villa fans will want to forget about the squad that took them down to the Championship in 2016 but one man has thrived since that fateful campaign.

Signed for £12m under Tim Sherwood, striker Jordan Ayew quickly turned out to be one hell of a flop at Villa Park, scoring just ten times in 58 appearances, which is nearly an average of one goal every six matches.

After half a season in the Championship, the Ghana international linked up with his brother, Andre, at Swansea City in a swap deal for Neil Taylor plus the potential of £5m in add-ons.

But how is he getting on these days?

Where is Ayew now?

You’d have to say pretty well as he finds himself still plying his trade in the Premier League with top-flight rivals Crystal Palace, where he has proven to be quite a consistent option to lead the line for Roy Hodgson.

Last season alone, he scored nine goals in the league, which is one fewer than what he could manage during his entire stint in the Midlands.

According to CIES Football Observatory, the 29-year-old is valued at €20m (£18m) – over three times what Tony Xia sold him for in January 2017.

The versatile forward has also gone onto pick up a total of 58 caps for his national side, and he even beat new Arsenal star Thomas Partey to their Player of the Year award.

Hodgson has even labelled Ayew a “phenomenon,” adding: “One can’t speak highly enough of a player like that. The mere fact that he’s been there through the two seasons we’ve done quite well… his contribution has been enormous.”

Ayew has certainly thrived since his time in the Midlands, so they’ll be hoping that it doesn’t come back to sting them on Boxing Day when he makes that return to Villa Park.

AND in other news, Maupay 2.0: Smith made another transfer mistake with “fearless” £10m sensation…

West Ham could do no wrong in adding a new central midfielder to David Moyes’ armoury this summer and they may have landed on the perfect candidate…

What’s the word?

According to the Sheffield Star, the Irons are one of several Premier League teams interested in goal-scoring Blades midfielder John Lundstram with the 26-year-old entering the final year of his contract at Bramall Lane.

It’s claimed that Chris Wilder is resigned to letting him leave this summer should he not agree to new terms with Burnley and Brighton also keen on his services.

There’s also a belief that they are lining up Reading’s John Swift as a potential replacement despite activiating the one-year option on the Englishman’s contract.

The Hammers could land themselves a bargain.

Lampard-esque midfielder

Moyes has already secured the loveable Tomas Soucek on a permanent deal but with Carlos Sanchez out the door and Mark Noble entering the twilight years of his east London career, it can’t hurt to add further options.

The 5 foot 11 enforcer delivered five goals and three assists from 26 starts this season, averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.3 clearances and 1.3 shots per game, via WhoScored.

Whilst this isn’t as prolific as former Hammers graduate Frank Lampard, he does still bear some similarities as a ruthless box-to-box type.

The Liverpool-born man has captained Oxford and some of the England youth teams and has that ability to pick a pass but also be tenacious in the tackle.

His performances this season has led to Wilder waxing lyrical on more than one occasion – against Palace in February, he was lauded as “outstanding” and then a month later, Lundstram was described as a “fantastic example of a professional player”.

Blades teammate Billy Sharp believes he’s a “real menace to other teams” and this is the sort of player who’d do well at the London Stadium in a similar vein to Noble, Lampard and so on.

Valued at just £7.2m by Transfermarkt, the Irons must swoop for Lundstram this pre-season.

AND in other news, Moyes ready to part with £45m star to fund new transfers

Tottenham Hotspur could look to continue their impressive summer of business with a delve into the defensive positions and one name fits the bill immensely…

What’s the word?

According to Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is “a big fan” of Benfica centre-back Ruben Dias and has been monitoring his situation all summer.

He claims that the club will try to sign a new central defender after the addition of a backup striker to Harry Kane and Dias is someone that the Portuguese boss wants in north London.

However, with. a reported £80m release clause, the 23-year-old could prove to be too expensive for Spurs, though Benfica’s exit from the Champions League is something worth considering.

A needed addition

Following the departure of Jan Vertonghen and the dubious futures of Juan Foyth and Cameron Carter-Vickers, a new colossus at the back is certainly something Spurs will need during this congested campaign.

On Sunday afternoon, Southampton stuck two past Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier and it could have been more but for a few calls from the linesman.

Dias fits the mould as someone who could spearhead their defence for the future.

Despite his relatively young age, the Portuguese beast has become a mainstay at both domestic and international level having picked up 19 caps – he was part of the side that won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 too.

Last season, Dias averaged 3.1 clearances, 2.6 aerials won, 1.3 tackles as well as an 88.6% passing accuracy rate in the Primeira Liga, via WhoScored.

Previous scout reports have labelled him an “impressively robust” defender with “significant potential” whilst he’s even been lauded as Benfica’s best prospect since Joao Felix.

Dias has even drawn comparisons to Matthijs de Ligt, Milan Skriniar and Niklas Sule, as per FootballBH, so he’s certainly the perfect mix of aggressive power with modern-day ball-playing abilities.

Now valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, Daniel Levy ought to try and push to sign the impressive Dias. He’d be a major improvement to Mourinho’s backline.

AND in other news, Spurs eye shock move for former Mourinho player he once lauded as “adaptable”… 

With the Premier League title already in the bag, it was perhaps inevitable Liverpool were going to ease off the gas pedal for the remainder of the season.

And just days after only managing a 1-1 draw against Burnley at Anfield, the Reds slipped to a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday night.

But whilst the nature of the goals they conceded to the Gunners would surely have irked Jurgen Klopp – both Virgil van Dijk and Alisson making some very uncharacteristic individual mistakes – the Liverpool boss may have been even more disappointed and frustrated with the performance of Mohamed Salah.

Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…



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The Egypt international of course is hunting down those ahead of him in the race for the Premier League’s Golden Boot, but against Arsenal, he looked completely toothless and was well shackled by Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney.

The former AS Roma man struggled to get himself involved in the game, with much of Liverpool’s best attacking moves coming down the left hand side and courtesy of Sadio Mane.

As per Sofascore, his 6.3 match rating was the worst of any outfield player for the Reds, and when you look at the underlying numbers behind his performance, it is clear to see why.

He missed his best opportunity for a goal when he failed to beat Emiliano Martinez from close-ranger after a nice piece of skill, and as well as his finishing boots deserting him (he didn’t convert any of his four shots), his all-round game was lacking too.

He made just ten total passes in the entire time that he was on the pitch, and provided no key passes or crosses either. He lost possession on ten separate occasions too, and was caught offside twice, with the Gunners’ back-five doing well to stop the supply line into him and marshaling him well.

So whilst Van Dijk and Alisson may be the big talking points after the game, Klopp would surely not have been happy with the performance of Salah either.

Plenty of Glasgow Rangers fans were not impressed with reports that Lille offered £13m plus bonuses for Alfredo Morelos.

Jordan Campbell reported for The Athletic that the above offer from the Ligue 1 club was turned down by the ‘Gers, with no currently active discussions between the two sides. He also shared a link to the piece on his Twitter profile @JordanC1107.

He added that the 24-year-old is keen on a move to France and has told Lille that he wants a move there this summer. Sky Sports claimed that he had even agreed personal terms with the Ligue 1 outfit.

Morelos, who cost the ‘Gers only £1.08m when he joined from HJK Helsinki three years ago (as per TransferMarkt), has scored 77 goals in 137 matches at Ibrox, including 29 last season in a prolific campaign for the Colombian. Fourteen of those goals came in the Light Blues’s Europa League run, which is a record tally in any UEFA cup competition before Christmas.

These ‘Gers fans took to Twitter to voice their unhappiness with Lille’s reported £13m offer for the striker:

‘Gers fans, what price would you deem acceptable to justify selling Morelos? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

West Ham United players have been stunned by “Championship quality” striker Albian Ajeti, according to Football Insider.

It is said that they have been unimpressed by the forward’s skill level and aptitude, which is certainly a worrying sign for the Switzerland international.

This follows a report from Claret & Hugh that the 22-year-old could be sold during the January transfer window, having only been signed in the summer.

All of this is a pretty damning indictment of Ajeti, the quality he possesses – or the lack of it – and his time in claret and blue.

The striker has managed just five substitute appearances in the Premier League, from which he averages 21 minutes per game.

He has been largely ineffective when coming off the bench, averaging just 3.6 touches, 0.4 key passes and 0.2 duels won, while he makes no dribbles and loses the ball 1.4 times per outing.

Did he really play for us?! No West Ham fan has managed to name all of these obscure Irons signings….

There is also his two starts in the Carabao Cup, that came against Newport County and Oxford United, in which he didn’t manage to score once. If he can’t even produce the goods against sides further down the English pyramid, it’s incredibly damning.

Perhaps a move to West Brom, a team he was linked with last summer, would have been the better option for him at the time.

The striker has been seriously underwhelming since moving to the London Stadium and it has become apparent that he is simply not good enough to be playing in the Premier League.

If the chance is there to cash in during January, West Ham must do so.

In other news, the fact that Ajeti could be sold embodies the shambolic nature of West Ham’s season so far.

Former Spurs star Paul Robinson believes Troy Parrott’s latest setback will be a massive “personal blow” after sitting on the sidelines for so long.  

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the player-turned-pundit feels Parrott’s injury will frustrate the teenager, but urged the 18-year-old to bounce back stronger than ever.

Tottenham announced the youngster has undergone surgery to remove his appendix after scans revealed early signs of appendicitis, which will keep him out for a number of weeks, via the club’s official website.

The young striker will now begin rehabilitation and return to training later in June.

Robinson told Football Insider correspondent Dylan Childs “it is a blow for him personally because he has been chomping at the bit and knocking on the door this season. He was so close without actually getting a proper chance.

“Fans and pundits have been calling for him to be given a chance so it is unfortunate timing for him.

“You just hope that he can get himself fit and right for the start of next season. He can take some time out now to get right and focus on hitting the ground running next season and put the disappointment of this season behind him.”

It is difficult to disagree with Robinson on this one, as Parrott recently signed a new contract with the club which will extend his time in North London until the summer of 2023.

Although the academy product has only played five minutes of Premier League football this season, he has enjoyed a prolific spell at youth level, scoring six goals in four UEFA Youth League appearances and two in a Premier League 2 game (Transfermarkt).

These performances have resulted in plenty of fans and pundits alike calling for him to be given a chance in the first team, although Jose Mourinho has been reluctant to use the Irishman so far, despite the fact he was Spurs’ only recognised centre-forward during Harry Kane’s absence.

The Lilywhites still haven’t signed a backup for Kane at the time of writing, which has definitely boosted Parrott’s chances of playing more regularly next season.

At this stage in his career, he needs to be testing himself on a regular basis, and this latest injury will surely throw a spanner in the works.

Spurs fans, do you think that Troy Parrott needs to go out on loan? Let us know below…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Jadon Sancho is one of the hottest prospects currently available in the market.

Of course, after Lucie Favre decided to bench the youngster in Borussia Dortmund’s big clash against Barcelona at the Camp Nou – claiming he only needs players who are focused and ready – it’s getting pretty clear that the young talent’s head is already far away from the Yellow Wall.

This actually goes hand in hand with The Telegraph’s recent reports. They stated the player is on the radar for many European giants, with Manchester United leading the line ahead of the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona for a teenager who might cost £100m.

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Still, that was not nearly the end of it and now new updates have surfaced claiming Sancho’s head has somewhat been turned and a move to Spain could now be on the cards – Zinedine Zidane’s troops are awaiting his acquisition.

Needless to say, the arrival of such a talent would definitely put Real Madrid’s young crop of players on alert, especially the 19-year-old Vinicius Junior, who has been left out of the squad for the last two games for reasons that are described as an “unknown injury”.

But with only 448 minutes under his belt even when he was fit, the Brazilian is starting to look like an outcast already.

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Sancho’s possible transfer could completely push him out of the squad and possibly give Rodrygo Goes a run for his money too.

After all, the Englishman has already bagged six goals and nine assists in 18 games played across all competitions. Let’s not forget we’re talking here about a guy Favre described as not focused.

“We need players on the pitch who are focused and ready.”

Either way, Los Blancos will have to fight Manchester United for the coveted signature since the Red Devils are in dire need of reinforcements that could take them to the next level.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s forward line is already young and talented – with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood leading the line – but Sancho, although really young, seems like a proven difference-maker in the final third.

United are currently sitting in ninth place in the Premier League table and obviously, changes are needed.

Even if it means coughing up £100m to land a teenager, it’s worth a shot.

In other news, Sancho is not the only man on Real Madrid’s radar as they might be looking to raid Arsenal’s ranks as well…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Wolverhampton Wanderers extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to a tenth straight match after they defeated West Ham United 2-0 at Molineux on Wednesday night.

Snapshot

It appeared to be going very much the same way for Nuno Santo’s side – the recurring theme of not being able to finish off games as the match teetered into the final stages at 1-0.

Leander Dendoncker bagged the opener in the 23rd minute from a Joao Moutinho corner.

Although, the Portuguese manager’s decision to make a change almost instantly paid off, showing that his side have learned from their previous errors.

Wolves now sit fifth in the top-flight as a result which is handy given the tough run of fixtures they face later this month in Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Off the Bench

In the 84th minute, Nuno introduced Patrick Cutrone for the faultless Raul Jimenez, 12 minutes after Diogo Jota was hauled off for Pedro Neto.

And this switch is something the Wolves chief is going to have to consider going forward as the Italian has been knocking on the door for so long having only played a total of one minute in their five previous Premier League games.

Within two minutes of being on the pitch, the £22.5m-rated (Transfermarkt) striker bagged the winner with what must have been his first touch – it was a fine slotted finish from the edge of the area which only goes to show he was ready to be called upon.

As a substitute, you can’t make more of an impact than that so not only did he justify his manager’s decision, but he also bolstered his claims to be handed a start.

Jota’s struggles have extended to an eighth straight game now, so it’s time to see Cutrone play that left-forward role at the next opportunity – Brighton on Sunday.

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In other news, Nuno has revealed his plans for the January transfer window…

Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after a transfer target for the club in Alfredo Morelos scored his 11th European goal of the campaign in Rangers’ 2-0 win over Porto on Thursday.The three-cap Colombia international has been in absolutely scintillating form so far this season, scoring an almost unbelievable 21 goals in just 25 appearances across all competitions.

To add further shine to the 23-year-old’s season so far, Morelos has also grabbed seven assists.

Palace’s Sporting Director Dougie Freedman reportedly went to scout the Rangers No.20 in the Gers’ recent 1-1 draw against Hearts, with the south Londoners said to be weighing up a £20m January move for the red-hot Colombian.

His goal against Porto on Thursday night was of the highest standard, opening his body to receive the ball before smashing into the bottom corner all in one swift motion – he is simply oozing confidence right now.

Let’s take a look at how the Palace fans on Twitter reacted to their transfer target’s strike…