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Aston Villa must finally land Manchester United and England star Jesse Lingard amid his recent comments.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks and months had suggested that Dean Smith’s side were ready to rival fellow West Ham in a move for the 28-year-old.

The Times then delivered an update on Lingard’s situation, name-checking Villa as one of the teams who have registered their interest in luring Lingard away from Old Trafford, and that the attacking midfielder had turned down a contract offer from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

And now, Lingard has admitted that regular first-team football is what he is interested in as he looks to force himself into Gareth Southgate’s England squad for next year’s World Cup.

He said: “Obviously, the World Cup is a long way away but… you need regular football. I was so close to going to the Euros and I think obviously it plays a huge part and it’s a big factor. If you’re playing over 20 or 25 games, of course you know you’re knocking on the door so I think it does play a big part in that.

“You want to start games. When I’m a sub I’m always ready to play. I’m always ready to be needed when I’m called up. It’s one of those things I’m going through at the moment but I think on recent performances hopefully we’ll see a change in the next few weeks.”

Goals from midfield

After joining West Ham back in the January transfer window on a short-term loan, Lingard racked up an incredible nine goals and four assists in just his first ten Premier League games for the club – it was no surprise then that he was lauded as being “absolutely phenomenal”.

His ability to score goals from midfield is exactly what Villa could do with going forward, with John McGinn their top scorer last season from a central area with just three.

What marks Lingard out as a real threat is his timing of his runs, and it’s something Michael Carrick has previously raved about.

The United coach said: “He senses where the space is and how to use it. I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a dribbler with skills and tricks but he’s dynamic. How he plays, he is unique in some ways. You don’t see so much of that now as everyone wants to get on the ball. Off the ball, he’s very effective.”

His performances with the Hammers showcased the kind of impact the £75k-a-week earning star can have when he’s on song and the confidence is flowing through his veins.

If he isn’t getting enough first-team football at United, then Smith and Villa must absolutely be all over a move for him in the January transfer window.

It would seal a dream midfield for the Villa boss.

Meanwhile, Villa could have another academy breakout in this star…

A deal for Antonio Rudiger would cost Manchester United €55million (£46million), according to a report from Marca’s Mario Cortegana. 

Rudiger’s Chelsea contract expires at the end of the season, so that sum comprises his salary and bonuses.

The German’s representatives are apparently holding ‘meetings and calls’ with various suitors.

Rudiger was said to be ‘upset’ with Chelsea’s renewal offer in the summer, but talks at Stamford Bridge have now resumed, and ‘with a much greater harmony’. The 28-year-old has plenty of options elsewhere however, including United.

Significantly, Ralf Rangnick enjoys ‘a good relationship’ with the player’s agent, according to this latest update.

Who else could sign Rudiger?

Also in the frame are Italian giants Juventus and Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Bayern Munich could make a move, depending on what happens with Nicklas Sule, and there’s been contact with Real Madrid too.

The defender has shone under Thomas Tuchel, earning a place in the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season for 2020/21 after Chelsea beat Manchester City in the final.

Fan feed Utd Report relayed Cortegana’s claim, and here’s what supporters made of it.

These United fans excited by Rudiger prospect

“Imagine rudiger x varane, finally rudiger can play with an actual rolls royce”

Credit: @UtdPatrick__

“Nice deal. He would improve our defence. Rudiger x varane”

Credit: @ZackMullerr

“Bailly is leaving , sell the fridge asap and get in rudiger .”

Credit: @xvenom07

“Rudiger and Varane backline could catch Lewis Hamilton”

Credit: @gregoryanwar28

“That’s less than Maguire’s transfer fees. Get him”

Credit: @blackvanpersie

“Bring this beast to La Theatre.”

Credit: @EthanGed

In other news, fans flock to this news on Lingard.

Last season was a torrid one for everyone associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wolves weren’t relegated but they seemed to be hit by a plethora of injury blows on a regular basis.

Two ACL issues in eight months for Jonny got the ball rolling before Raul Jimenez sustained a horrific fractured skull after a clash of heads with David Luiz. Marcal missed large periods and Daniel Podence was also absent at various parts of the season.

Pedro Neto even broke his kneecap in the final stages of the campaign, ruling him out until at least October.

However, just as Jimenez returns to the fray, he could be banned by FIFA.

It’s currently the international break but a host of players who would be travelling to red list countries to link up with their national teams have been stopped from doing so by the FA.

However, because of this, FIFA could impose a five-day ban on those players at the end of the international break, according to The Athletic. That means that Jimenez could miss Wolves’ next game with Watford on September 11.

This would be a colossal blow for the Old Gold, not just because he’s only just returned from a lengthy lay-off, but because he’s been their top scorer for so many years.

The Mexican has found the net on 48 occasions since arriving in the summer of 2018 and it was evident how much of a huge miss he was last season. Their top scorer was Neto but he only ended up finding the net on five occasions as Wolves slumped to a 13th-placed finish.

His absence will also be felt hard against Watford. The Molineux outfit have played some exciting offensive football under Bruno Lage but they are yet to pick up a single point or score a goal. That’s despite having no fewer than 56 shots in their opening three matches of the Premier League campaign.

Jimenez might have struggled himself, but considering his goal record for the club, losing him for a match will hardly help their cause in the penalty area.

After struggling so much when he was absent in 2020/21, fans should be gutted that he could receive a short ban.

They have just signed Hwang-hee Chan on loan but it would be a surprise if he’s up to speed with Lage’s style of play by the time that match rolls around.

AND in other news, Wolves may have their own Renato Sanches in rarely-seen 18 y/o who “catches the eye”…

An update has emerged on Schalke beast Matthew Hoppe, regarding Everton’s plans to bid for his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur, Everton are preparing to make a £2m offer for Schalke attacker Matthew Hoppe this month.

He claims that Toffees officials met with the German side to discuss a potential deal and learn their demands for his services.

Benitez would love him

Everton must get a deal over the line for Hoppe as he could be a fine addition to the squad in the short, mid and long-term future. He is a talented young player with potential who could come in and provide solid back-up to the frontline options whilst having the scope to take on a more prominent role further down the line.

The 20-year-old was relegated from the Bundesliga with Schalke last season, but posted some impressive statistics in spite of his team’s struggles. He managed six goals and one assist in 15 starts, whilst taking 0.9 shots per game – showing an efficiency in front of goal.

This suggests that his tally could increase with better service from the players around him, as he was already able to plunder six goals in 15 starts without taking a high number of shots. Having the likes of Richarlison, Andros Townsend, James Rodriguez, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Demarai Gray around him to create chances could increase his output in the final third.

The forward’s former academy director, Sean McCafferty, once said that the young talent is ‘of the highest level’.

He said: “In the Southwest Division you’ve got LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, two of the best academies in the country, and we were able to win the division. We’ve had tremendous consistency throughout the year, and we have the top goal scorer in the country in Matthew Hoppe. He’s of the highest level.”

This highlights the 6 foot 3  youngster’s potential, with McCafferty explaining how highly Hoppe was regarded as a young player in the USA. At the age of 20, Rafa Benitez would have the opportunity to coach him into becoming a better footballer, one ready to take the Premier League by storm.

Hoppe has also impressed former Spurs boss Christian Gross, who waxed lyrical about the striker, saying: “He’s a boy who’s unbelievably ambitious, has tremendous commitment and only thinks about Schalke. He wants to do whatever it takes to get us out of this situation. He really is a model professional. Even though he’s still very young, he doesn’t shy away from working extremely hard. Of course, he’s still very young and still has lots to learn in order to become a top-rate finisher, but we’re working on that.”

The ex-Newcastle boss could love moulding the American into the perfect player for his system, whilst also allowing him to learn from Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison. This is why this could be a shrewd piece of business for the Toffees. If Marcel Brands is able to bring him to Goodison Park for £2m then they could have one happy head coach in the building.

AND in other news, Forget Richarlison: £120k-pw Everton beast who won 11 duels had Goodison rocking again…

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Crystal Palace put in one of their most professional performances of the season on Saturday, but with a few tweaks they can go one better against West Ham next week.

On the chalkboard

Roy Hodgson must have enjoyed his Saturday, as the Palace boss watched his side put in a near-flawless display against relegation candidates Fulham.

The Cottagers had 63 per cent of the possession per Whoscored’s stats, but didn’t register a single shot on target, and goals from Luka Milivojevic and Jeffrey Schlupp were enough to give Palace all three points.

The Eagles will now welcome West Ham to Selhurst Park next weekend, and Hodgson should unleash his deadline day signing against a hurting Hammers back line.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Hammers in trouble

West Ham will welcome league leaders Liverpool to the London Stadium on Monday night, and it’s hard to see anything other than an absolute trouncing.

The Hammers are currently without commanding leaders Fabian Balbuena and Winston Reid, leaving the erratic and downright hopeless Angelo Ogbonna to partner young Issa Diop in defence.

If Manuel Pellegrini’s side do suffer a hefty defeat, then Palace can heap more misery on them next weekend by starting a front three of Wilfried Zaha, Michy Batshuayi and Andros Townsend, assuming Zaha does not receive a further ban from the FA for his red card at Southampton.

This front three has far too much movement, speed, trickery and guile for the Hammers’ makeshift defence to account for, and Batshuayi showed he is up to the task by setting up the second goal just minutes after coming on for his debut against Fulham.

Blessing in disguise for Benteke?

While throwing Batshuayi right into the mix against West Ham might seem harsh on Christian Benteke, who was decent on his return to the starting XI on Saturday, it could actually be a blessing in disguise for the big Belgian.

Aforementioned, West Ham are currently decimated by injuries and playing with absolutely no confidence, so the last thing they’ll want to see is Benteke coming on for the last 20 minutes of the match.

The 28 year-old could forge a new role at Selhurst Park as a super-sub, allowing the pace of Batshuayi to tire out the likes of Diop and Ogbonna before coming on to finish the job.

West Bromwich Albion have received a potentially significant injury boost ahead of their local derby with Championship rivals Birmingham City after defender Matt Clarke was declared fit enough to make a return to action.

What’s the word?

The Brighton and Hove Albion loanee has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since the end of August when he limped off before half time in the 2-1 win at Blackburn Rovers.

And while the Baggies have carried on their good form in his absence, the return of the 25-year-old centre-back will be a big boost to Valerien Ismael’s charges.

“The rehab went really well, and I felt in myself that I could have been ready to come back before I did, but I was happy to follow the advice of the medical team who told me that the location of the injury meant I had to be patient and not return too soon,” Clarke said (as relayed by the Birmingham Mail).

“You have to give it time to settle and heal, which obviously brings a little bit of frustration, but you have to make sure you’re right.”

With fierce rivals Birmingham arriving at The Hawthorns a week on Friday, Clarke is eyeing a return to the starting XI and feels the current break will give him further opportunity to get back to match fitness.

“I feel like I’m now ready, but it’s the international break, and there are no games to play,” he added. “It does give me a chance to catch up even further in terms of fitness and sharpness, so we will see where we are when the matches return.”

Valerien Ismael will be buzzing

Clarke is yet to complete a full 90 minutes for Albion since his arrival on a season-long loan over the summer, but the Midlands outfit have been victorious in all three of the games he’s started, leaving the manager elated that he’s set to return.

After suffering their first defeat of the campaign last time out against Stoke City, West Brom will be hoping Clarke’s comeback marks the return of winning ways and Ismael will be buzzing to have one of his first-choice centre-backs available once again.

The Baggies have been playing a back three involving Conor Townsend – a natural left-back – in recent weeks due to Clarke’s injury, and therefore, the Brighton ace’s reinstatement into the first-team setup will be a significant boost.

This term, the centre-back has won a colossal 5.7 aerial duels per game – the third-highest in the team – and has also produced 2.3 interceptions a match. That tally represents the highest in the entire Albion squad and indicates why his return to fitness is such a positive.

He’s proven himself to be an elite-level Championship defender during a previous spell with Derby County and his comeback will only enhance West Brom’s chances of a sustained promotion push.

And, in other news…Forget Diangana: Ismael must continue to unleash “first-class” £5.4m-rated WBA gem 

Celtic midfielder David Turnbull is definitely out of the trip to St. Mirren this evening through injury, Football Scotland report.

The Lowdown: Turnbull under Postecoglou

Turnbull has been an ever-present figure under Ange Postecoglou this season, featuring in every single game this season.

He’s scored nine times and registered seven assists in all competitions but hobbled off at Hampden Park on Sunday as the Hoops won the Scottish League Cup.

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Postecoglou recently praised the Scot and admitted that the 22-year-old has been given ‘information’ every week in regards to improving his game. However, it now seems as if he is the latest man to join Celtic’s long injury list, just as they showed signs of slowing up with Kyogo Furuhashi returning against Hibernian on Sunday.

The Latest: Postecoglou’s comments

Football Scotland shared comments from Postecoglou in a story on Wednesday morning.

The Hoops boss confirmed that on-loan winger Jota looks set to remain sidelined until after the winter break, before having this to say on Turnbull’s hamstring issue.

“Dave was the major one coming out of the Final. We have had the scan, but we haven’t had the results yet.

“He will definitely be out for St Mirren, but I’m not sure how long he will miss.

“Everyone else got through the game okay, but there are one or two minor niggles.”

The Verdict: Get to the winter break…

Celtic could do with the winter break coming as soon as possible, in all honesty. Postecoglou has had to deal with multiple injury problems all season at Parkhead, with Turnbull’s the latest. He’s been relied on heavily by Postecoglou and even filled in at centre-forward recently, with the likes of Furuhashi, Albian Ajeti and Giorgos Giakoumakis all out.

Celtic have actually made a request to the SPFL to bring forward the winter break to coincide with the three-week restriction on supporters attending games, and that would also give Postecoglou’s squad a much-needed breather and the chance to get some players back.

The Hoops have to face St. Mirren, St. Johnstone, Hibernian and Rangers before the scheduled winter break, and it seems as if they may have to do that without Turnbull, should the scan confirm the worst.

In other news: Celtic keen on signing ‘phenomenal’ Scot for Celtic in January, reliable journalist claims. 

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring James Maddison to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that both Spurs and their north London rivals Arsenal are in the frame to land the Leicester City attacking midfielder at the end of the season – for whom the Foxes are believed to be willing to part with if their £60m asking price for the 25-year-old is met.

The report goes on to state Antonio Conte is known to be a fan of the England international, with the 52-year-old thought to be keen to increase the number of his attacking options at Tottenham this summer.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-martinez-dybala-spence-conte-2” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

Conte can axe Lo Celso with Maddison

Considering how impressive Maddison has been for Leicester this season, in addition to the fact that the £55m Giovani Lo Celso – who John Wenham dubbed a “disaster” – looks as if he will be departing the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on a permanent basis this summer, it is easy to see why Conte would be interested in a move for the 25-year-old ahead of Spurs’ 2022/23 campaign.

Indeed, over his 28 Premier League appearances this term, the £45m-rated midfielder has been Leicester’s standout performer, scoring eight goals, registering five assists and creating eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of two shots and making 1.3 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £110k-per-week player who Brendan Rodgers dubbed both “unbelievable” and “immense” average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.19, ranking him as the Foxes’ best player in the English top flight.

As such, should Villarreal go on to make Lo Celso’s temporary spell at the Estadio de la Ceramica a permanent move this summer – as it has been reported the LaLiga side are keen to do – considering Maddison’s incredibly impressive returns this season, in addition to his excellent positional versatility and high resale potential, the player Rodgers also claimed is “a bit like Coutinho” would very much appear to be a huge upgrade on the outgoing Argentina international.

AND in other news: “Understand…”: Alasdair Gold now reveals “bad news” for Spurs, Conte will be fuming

Manchester United may have shown great resilience in their recent victory over Tottenham Hotspur, but there is still a lot of work to be done for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s charges.

The Red Devils bounced back commendably from their humiliating defeat at the hands of fierce rivals Liverpool, defeating Spurs 3-0 over the weekend with a disciplined display in north London.

However, that result only masks the issues that have been plaguing Solskjaer’s side all season and beyond.

Question marks rightly remain over the Norwegian’s tactical prowess, while the need for a new defensive midfielder was arguably illustrated in his setup against an out-of-form Tottenham.

After shipping five goals in their previous outing, Solskjaer lineup up with three centre-backs and two holding midfielders in order to protect David de Gea’s net, sacrificing both of his natural wingers as a result.

And while this proved to be an effective and intelligent way to play over the weekend, such a defensive-first, pragmatic approach is unlikely to win him many fans or major trophies in the long term.

Therefore, United’s hierarchy must grant their manager’s wish and add further reinforcements to his engine room over the coming months.

It was reported by the Manchester Evening News back in September that United’s hierarchy had identified West Ham United’s Declan Rice as a priority signing after missing out during the summer.

“Rice is contracted to West Ham until 2024, but he is not expected to sign a new contract, making a move probable next summer as the Londoners would be under pressure to cash in,” the report read.

“United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted a new midfielder in the recently closed summer window but accepted there was a high possibility the club would not sign one, as United had prioritised a right-winger and a centre-back.”

But now, with Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho firmly in the door at Old Trafford, football director John Murtough must turn his attention to the ever-improving Rice.

The England international has been in stellar form over the last couple of campaigns but has taken his game to another level in the opening weeks of 2021/22, with Gary Lineker labelling his latest performance “magnificent”.

Rice has played a pivotal part in the Hammers’ fast start to the season, and it’s clear he’d offer an upgrade to Solskjaer’s current options at the base of the midfield.

As per fbref.com, the 22-year-old has recorded a combined total of five tackles and interceptions per 90 this term, bettering Scott McTominay’s tally of 3.05 and Fred’s total of 4.47.

But in a side that is expected to be on the front foot as much as United are, it’s also vital that Rice has the ability to cause the opposition some damage when in possession of the ball, and his underlying numbers show that he’s more than capable of doing just that.

Not only has he recorded three assists already, but the youngster has produced two Shot Creating Actions per 90 and carried the ball into the final third of the pitch 3.22 times per 90, outperforming McTominay’s figures of 1.85 and 2.88 and Fred’s 1.59 and 0.39, respectively.

And Rice also appears to be a better passer of the ball than his Red Devil counterparts.

Not only has he got a pass completion ratio of 91% to McTominay’s 86.4% and Fred’s 84.7%, but he also fires the ball into the final third of the pitch more often too, doing so on 6.67 occasions per 90, whereas United’s Scottish and Brazilian duo do so 4.75 and 4.61 times on average.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that he’s been compared to a United stalwart of the past. Teddy Sheringham once commented: “He’s in the mould of Roy Keane and Michael Carrick, who were two top, top players.”

While Rice would not automatically solve all of Solskjaer’s problems and his purchase would undoubtedly be an expensive one, a player of his ilk is badly needed at Old Trafford, and Murtough must revive his interest in the £63m-rated beast before another potential suitor snaps him up.

And, in other news…Imagine him & Rashford: Man Utd can form frightening duo with “potent” £76m-rated gem 

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have erupted over a transfer update from The Daily Mail as reporter Simon Jones shares manager David Moyes’ plans for January.

The Hammers and recruitment chief Rob Newman are set for an interesting winter window as they aim to back Moyes in his quest to guide West Ham to a top four finish.

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The club also find themselves still competing in Europe after finishing top of their group but it is arguable that West Ham need some fresh faces this month if they are to stay at this level.

According to Jones of The Mail, the Irons and Moyes are eyeing a centre-back, left-back and forward this month as both Newman and Moyes work their way through targets.

It is believed that the West Ham chiefs could now target Lille star Jonathan David, Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly, Everton’s Lucas Digne and Sparta Prague attacker Adam Hlozek.

West Ham fans erupt…

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham fans have been left overjoyed by the four names allegedly on Moyes’ and Newman’s agenda this month – with one supporter calling this transfer claim ‘sensational’.

Another claimed landing all four men would be the Irons’ ‘best ever window’.

It’s not hard to understand their excitement either, with Digne racking up an impressive seven assists in his last full top flight campaign, while David has bagged 15 times this season and Hlozek six.

“ALL 4 PLEASE, DAVID”

Credit: @JamesGunn23

“Would be our best ever window. They should have all been signed and training by now if we were serious.”

Credit: @Onlywestham

“I think there might be some legs in us going all out for David possibly.”

Credit: @EthanP48445025

“Sensational stuff”

Credit: @_ghzst

“PLS

@WestHam”

Credit: @Icevain7

“yes, yes, yes and yes”

Credit: @WHUInfo

“Lucas Digne & Adam Hlozek would cost us around 25m for both of them. So i can see that happening and it would be a huge improvement over the squad.”

Credit: @DKouzas

In other news: West Ham set for imminent move to sign ‘phenomenal’ powerhouse as reporter drops Twitter message, find out more here.