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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has admitted via The Birmingham Mail that he has used suspended midfielder John McGinn at left-back in training this week, because of the number of options he has in the centre of the park ahead of the trip to Stoke City on Saturday.

What’s the word, then?

Well, McGinn has established himself as a key player for the Midlands outfit following his move to Villa Park last summer, but he will miss the clash against the Potters and the subsequent fixture against Derby County after picking up his 10th booking of the campaign against West Bromwich Albion last time out.

His absence gives the likes of Glenn Whelan, Mile Jedinak and Birkir Bjarnason to stake a claim for a spot in the starting XI, and Smith has admitted that he has played the former Hibernian man out of position as result.

The 47-year-old told The Birmingham Mail: “I’ve even been putting John at left-back in training this week! He’s missing for two games so I haven’t needed him in central midfield in training.”

Could he do a job there in future?

The 24-year-old probably could with Neil Taylor hardly pulling up any trees in recent times, but McGinn should only ever play there if it is a necessity.

The Scotland international has become such an integral player in the middle that he needs to be there whenever he is available, given the drive, quality and commitment he brings to the position and the team in general.

Villa will be looking for some momentum in the coming weeks for a promotion push either this season or next, and having McGinn in his best position is key to those aims.

Aston Villa and Manchester United are just two of the sides who are willing to make a January move for Atletico Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier, 90min report.

The Lowdown: Previous Trippier links

This isn’t the first time that Trippier, who Gareth Southgate described as a ‘warrior’, has been linked with a move to Villa Park.

Reports last year claimed that Villa wanted to sign the full-back to the Midlands, either on loan or in a permanent transfer. As we know, that never materialised, with Trippier still at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, where he has made 83 appearances under Diego Simeone.

However, links of a move to Bodymoor Heath have re-surfaced, with owners NSWE promising Steven Gerrard a huge transfer kitty for January.

The Latest: 90min’s report

90min shared an update regarding Trippier’s future on Wednesday afternoon.

Sources confirmed to the site that the £77,000-a-week full-back remains keen on a return to the Premier League, with Newcastle set to offer the England international a club-record contract.

A move to St James’ Park would cost in excess of £39m, with Villa, Crystal Palace, Everton and Manchester United also willing to move, should the La Liga side be willing to sell.

The Verdict: Club-record deal?

With Newcastle needing to pay over £39m for Trippier, you’d expect Villa would be in the same boat, meaning the defender could become Villa’s most-expensive signing of all time.

It would be a lot of money to bolster an area of the pitch that is nailed down by Matty Cash at this moment in time, so perhaps Villa should instead look at adding a defensive midfielder, a position Gerrard wants to add to in the New Year.

Adding Trippier’s quality would be a shrewd move, but for a fee over £40m, the club could be wise to use those funds elsewhere for now.

In other news: ‘Surely not?’ – Lots of Villa fans erupt at NSWE’s plans. 

Even though Leeds United have had eight different players scoring in the Premier League so far this season, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have only managed 15 goals in as many league games, 10 goals fewer than they had at the same point last season.

Taking this into account, it seems as though the club could do with a bit of a boost in terms of their creative and attacking power on the pitch.

With the January transfer window approaching, the Whites being previously linked with a move for Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley back in November and the fact that journalist Pete O’Rourke claimed recently that the midfielder is on a list of transfer targets at Leeds, this could be exactly what they need to turn their season around and bring a bit of extra attacking depth to the squad.

After completing a loan spell with Aston Villa last season, where he scored three goals and provided one assist in 24 outings, the 28-year-old has found regular game-time back at Chelsea hard to come by this season, with just eight appearances across all competitions under his belt, starting only twice.

Labelled a “tremendous” player by former Villa manager Dean Smith, Barkley averaged 1.5 shots at goal and 1.6 key passes per game in his 26 Premier League appearances last season across Chelsea and Villa.

With this in mind and Barkley, who is currently picking up £100k-per-week at Stamford Bridge according to Salary Sport, having a lot of Premier League experience with 230 appearances, 28 goals and 31 assists at that level, he could offer Leeds a lot on the pitch in an attacking sense.

Looking ahead to January, if Victor Orta can convince Barkley to make the move to Elland Road with the promise of regular game-time, the 28-year-old definitely seems to have what it takes to revolutionise Bielsa’s side and turn their season around after an underwhelming start by potentially giving them a fresh creative and attacking outlet on the pitch.

Also, with Leeds only having three players in their senior squad who predominantly play in the central midfield position, it would be a good idea to secure Barkley’s signature to add some depth in that area of the pitch in case any of their current options pick up injuries throughout the rest of the campaign.

In other news – Time to shine: Bielsa must now unleash “superb” £17k-p/w prodigy after big Leeds blow

With Valerien Ismael fielding a strong West Bromwich Albion side in Saturday afternoon’s FA Cup clash against Brighton, it is clear that the 46-year-old was hoping to secure something of an upset against Graham Potters’ Seagulls.

However, despite taking the lead through Callum Robinson’s strike shortly after half-time, all hope of securing a Premier League scalp at The Hawthorns vanished in a matter of minutes – two, to be exact – as Albion’s stand-in centre-back Cedric Kipre received two bookings in the space of just 120 seconds.

Indeed, Jakub Moder pulled the visitors level with just nine minutes of normal time remaining – ensuring that the fixture would go to extra time – before Neal Maupay completed the turnaround on 98 minutes. Ismael’s hope of a top-flight scalp was an opportunity very much missed, with the match finishing 2-1 to Brighton.

While it was undoubtedly the 25-year-old’s dismissal which turned the tide in the game, the £900k-rated defender’s overall performance today demonstrated exactly why Ismael is reportedly open to parting with the former Ivory Coast under-23 international this month.

Fewer touches than Button

Indeed, over his 69 minutes on the pitch, the £14k-per-week defender had just 34 touches of the ball – 16 fewer than David Button between the West Brom sticks – completed just 18 of his 25 passes (a success rate of just 72%) and lost possession of the ball nine times.

These returns saw the defender receive a hugely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.0, the lowest of any Albion player to feature this afternoon. The Athletic’s Steve Madeley also dubbed Kipre “daft” for giving “the ref a decision to make” regarding his second yellow card.

As such, while West Brom are currently short of options at centre-back – with Semi Ajayi away at the African Cup of Nations and Dara O’Shea not yet back from injury – Ismael must nevertheless do all he can to axe the 25-year-old before the month is up. His display against Brighton is only the latest time Kipre has cost Albion dearly, and we believe that the defender must surely have played his final game for the club.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops 4-word transfer update which will leave West Brom fans furious

As per reliable reporter Dan Kilpatrick of The Evening Standard, there has been a big update on Tottenham Hotspur’s bid to sign Lewes starlet Ollie Tanner.

The Lowdown: Tottenham table bid…

The Athletic first broke news that Tottenham had tabled an offer on Saturday to sign the non-League sensation as they aim to beat Premier League rivals Brighton to his signature.

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Tanner has been making waves for Lewes in the Isthmian League Premier Division, attracting interest from the English top flight as Spurs now aim to secure a deal for the forward.

Sharing an update on their pursuit, Kilpatrick says today could be big.

The Latest: Club chiefs set for talks…

According to the reporter, Spurs have indeed ‘made a bid’ to sign Tanner and Lewes club chiefs are ‘due to hold a board meeting’ today over whether to accept it.

Tottenham, however, are ‘not yet thought’ to have met the 19-year-old’s asking price amid ‘widespread’ interest from a number of other sides.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The teenager has attracted plenty of praise for his performances, with his manager Tony Russell calling Tanner ‘special’, and it is important that Tottenham find a like-for-like academy replacement for ex-winger Dilan Markanday.

Markanday completed a permanent move to Blackburn Rovers earlier in the window and his departure will have left a sour taste in the mouths of some within Spurs – especially going by his exceptional goal return at youth level this season.

Given Tanner’s demand across the Premier League, it is clear that he could slot into Markanday’s stead and make up the numbers as Spurs continue to nurture their prospering academy.

In other news: Conte ‘very, very close’ to signing which ‘could really excite the Tottenham fans’…find out more here.

Goalkeeper Liam Kelly has been tipped to potentially make a move to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers side in the future…

What’s the talk?

Livingston boss David Martindale is convinced that the shot-stopper would be able to compete whilst playing with the Gers or at Celtic.

He told The Daily Record:

“Could he go on and play for Celtic or Rangers? I do believe he could.

“I’m glad to see Liam playing every week, I’m gutted it’s not at Livingston.”

Key problem

Allan McGregor is out of contract at the end of the season and this leaves Gio van Bronckhorst in a difficult position in January. Does he sign someone to replace him now or wait until the summer to fix the issue?

The veteran Scotsman will be 40 next month and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be willing to play for another season. If he opts to hang up the gloves in 2022 then it would leave the Gers without a first-choice between the sticks, with back-up Jon McLaughlin also out of contract at the same time.

In Kelly, they could find their new number one for the foreseeable future and solve this big problem months before it becomes even more worrying. The 25-year-old, who started his career at Ibrox, has an impressive 76.9% save percentage in the Premiership this season, compared to McGregor’s 74.2%.

Graham Alexander also praised the “fantastic” goalkeeper earlier this year, saying: “He’s a great leader on and off the pitch, he’s brilliant on the training pitch, the will-to-win I want is epitomised by Liam in how he approaches the game.”

This shows that he has the quality to perform well by Premiership standards, which is why Rangers must take Martindale’s advice and swoop for Kelly in January.

At his young age, for a goalkeeper, he could take over from McGregor in the summer and spend the next decade as the club’s first-choice if he plays his cards right. He has plenty of time left ahead of him and his form for Motherwell this season shows that he is on the right track, which is why he could be an ideal target for van Bronckhorst.

Of course, it must be stressed that there are no official rumours linking Rangers with a move for Kelly, but the club need to be in the market for one, given McGregor’s contractual situation, and he appears to be someone who suits what they need.

AND in other news, “I’m sure”: Reporter drops exciting Rangers transfer claim that’ll leave fans buzzing…

An update has emerged regarding the make-up of new Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst’s backroom staff at Ibrox as he aims to bounce back from the Gers’ crippling defeat last weekend…

What’s the talk?

According to Gazet van Antwerpen, via Sport Witness, the Dutchman is hoping to complete a deal to land Royal Antwerp talent coordinator Zeb Jacobs in the coming days.

The report claims that there is a concrete interest from Rangers in the 26-year-old, who currently works on youth development with the Belgian outfit, and they are looking to finalise a move ‘soon’.

Buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggests that van Bronckhorst wants to place an emphasis on youth development at Ibrox. Jacobs is said to have impressed Gers chiefs with his work in Belgium – developing young players and helping them progress into the first team.

This means that he could come in and help to bridge the gap between the academy and the senior team. Whether that means he will come in and directly work with the starting XI with a specific focus on the younger players or in the academy helping the stars of tomorrow push on to reach van Bronckhorst’s side remains to be seen, but it is good news either way for supporters who want to see the next ‘one of their own’ play at Ibrox.

Nathan Patterson is currently part of the first-team set-up and playing a backup role to James Tavernier at right-back and Jacobs’ arrival could potentially help him kick on and nail down a starting berth.

The likes of Juan Alegria, Aaron Cervantes and Tony Weston could also benefit as they attempt to make the leap from academy football to making their Scottish Premiership debuts.

This is why the Ibrox faithful will be buzzing with this news as it could see a number of young players make their way at Rangers, should Jacobs have the desired impact upon his arrival.

They will also be delighted with van Bronckhorst wanting to make this a priority as it shows that he is willing to offer chances to younger players and will not rely on senior heads to get him out of every situation.

It is now down to Ross Wilson and the Dutchman to ensure that they can iron out a deal with Antwerp in the coming days to bring him to Ibrox.

AND in other news, Gio could save Wilson millions with Rangers beast who is a “winner and warrior”…

Lots of Glasgow Rangers fans have been left reacting to a revelation that has emerged from Jermain Defoe.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the striker was looking back on his time at Ibrox, and in particular the relationship that he had with his teammates: “My teammates… oh, I get emotional.

“The boys were fantastic. They were brilliant from day one.

“Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara call me ‘uncle’! These are special people.”

The fact that both Aribo and Kamara referred to the 39-year-old as ‘uncle’ emphasises how much togetherness there is in the current squad, and surely every fan wants their club to feel like one big family.

The Englishman was indeed a great servant to the Teddy Bears, scoring 32 goals and making a further 10 assists in 76 matches in total over all competitions across the last four campaigns (Transfermarkt), helping them towards winning the Scottish Premiership title last season.

Nonetheless, it is nice for the Light Blues supporters to get snippets like this of what players were like when Defoe was there.

Rangers fans on Defoe revelation

These Gers reacted to Defoe’s revelation as it was shared on Twitter:

“One of us man. Absolute hero.”

Credit: @LH1872

“That’s me away”

Credit: @afgavinstan

“Cheered me up this”

Credit: @Paul187255

“Someone’s chopping onions”

Credit: @P4MELAR

“I honestly love this man more than life itself”

Credit: @Richy_McG

“This man will be missed, oozes class”

Credit: @mark_loch

In other news, find out who was slammed by RFC fans against Aberdeen here!

While Leeds United starlet Illan Meslier has firmly established himself as the number one goalkeeper at Elland Road, had things turned out slightly differently a decade ago, it may well have been a certain Kasper Schmeichel holding the gloves.

Reports claimed that the Whites sold Schmeichel for less than £1m, with then boss Simon Grayson making it clear that the call to sell the Denmark international was one that was in the “best interests” of the Whites, and that it was the “right deal for the club”.

Speaking after a move to the Foxes was confirmed, the Denmark international let it be known that the decision for him to leave Elland Road was taken out of his hands, and that it was well and truly against his wishes.

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He said: “I want to put on record that I have never asked to leave the Leeds United, nor did I reject an offer for a new contract, since one was never put to me. I was enjoying being a Leeds United player and was looking forward to winning promotion this season with the club.

“I have spoken to the manager Simon Grayson and he has made it clear to me, that, in spite of having played well for him, this is something he believes is a good deal for Leeds United. I have been put in a very difficult situation and will spend some time considering my options for my future.”

Since then of course, Schmeichel has developed into a Premier League stalwart, having earned promotion to the top-flight with Leicester and being part of that now historic side that clinched the title against all odds in 2016.

Then, the goalkeeper added to his credentials as a Foxes icon and legend by delivering an impressive display in the FA Cup final victory last year, leading manager Brendan Rodgers to dub his performance as “special”.

All in all, he’s now played 466 games in total for Leicester, including featuring in the Champions League, Europa League and the Europa Conference League too.

The big Dane has also picked up 80 senior caps for his country, while he was even named by FIFA as one of the three finalists for the world’s best goalkeeper award back in 2018.

While Meslier has finally offset the impact of Schmeichel’s departure, you can’t help but feel a sense of what if with the goalkeeper.

Leeds suffered a bit of an embarrassment in letting the Dane go.

AND in other news: Orta can now axe “awful” £55k-p/w flop as Leeds eye “underrated” £12.5m-rated “threat”

Liam Kennedy has given his reaction to some early Aston Villa team news before their trip to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Konsa out

After Ezri Konsa was sent off for a second yellow card in Villa’s 3-3 draw at home to Leeds United in midweek, it means that he will now be suspended for the game at St. James’ Park.

Kortney Hause will likely partner Tyrone Mings in the North East, and while the inexperienced player may usually be the target for a big centre-forward like Chris Wood, it was the England international who had a tough time against the Tyneside outfit last time they played.

The Latest: Kennedy reacts

In an exchange with fellow Newcastle World journalist Jordan Cronin on Twitter, Kennedy has claimed that Wood should fancy his chances up against Mings, especially with Konsa unable to partner him in defence:

“Wilson did (bullied Mings) down there this season, until the referee showed him an unwarranted yellow.

“Wood must fancy a bit of that.”

The Verdict: Great opportunity

With no goals to show in his three matches so far the Magpies, Wood will no doubt be hungry to get off the mark at the weekend.

He actually has a decent record against the Villans, scoring four times in seven appearances, and with Konsa out, Villa’s partnership with Mings will be disrupted.

Described as having a ‘shocker’ against Leeds by Kennedy, the centre-back will no doubt be under pressure to perform, and Wood can certainly take advantage of that.

In other news, find out which ‘untouchable’ colossus could now be tempted by a summer move to NUFC here!