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Aston Villa have learned the latest information regarding the future of summer transfer target Matthias Ginter ahead of a potential swoop for the Borussia Mönchengladbach defender.

What’s the story?

Ginter, who is set to become a free agent this summer, was questioned regarding links to the Premier League club, with the 28-year-old responding by saying to German media outlet Sport1:

“I would like to hold back on specific clubs or domestic and foreign issues for the time being.

“But of course, you talk to different people and you have a few things that are important to you. Then you will see everything else.”

The 46-cap Germany international could sign a contract extension with Gladbach in the coming weeks, however, it appears as though the 28-year-old will be available to sign for free in the summer.

Earlier this week, Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas shared that Sky Germany had reported Aston Villa’s interest.

Villa need Ginter

It’s no secret that Villa manager Steven Gerrard will be looking to heavily bolster his squad as the Englishman prepares for his first full season in charge of the West Midlands outfit next term.

There’s no doubt that, under the 41-year-old, Villa have improved, however, there has certainly been inconsistency throughout.

After ending a run of just one league win in seven matches with three consecutive victories, the Villans have since gone on to lose their last four matches in the top flight.

Moreover, in the last four matches, Gerrard’s men have conceded nine goals, with the statuses of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa being regular centre-backs again next season now under scrutiny.

Therefore, signing a defender with the quality and experience of Ginter would certainly be a shrewd move, particularly signing the German on a free transfer.

The Germany international is still a regular fixture in his country’s squads, having been part of the World Cup-winning side in 2014 and has made 46 appearances for the national team, now managed by former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick.

In terms of the current campaign, the 28-year-old has also been a regular for Gladbach, missing just three Bundesliga matches all season.

However, in general, it’s been a disappointing campaign for the North-Rhine outfit – who currently sit 11th in the German top flight with European football looking extremely unlikely next term.

The £21.6m-rated centre-back currently averages a whopping 80.2 touches per league game, whilst completing 84% of his passes and making 1.3 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and three clearances per game.

According to SofaScore, Mings has been Villa’s best-performing centre-back this season. However, the 29-year-old averages fewer touches than Ginter with 59 whilst completing 81% of his passes and making 1.2 interceptions, 0.7 tackles and 3.9 clearances.

Although the 28-year-old has only played in the Bundesliga throughout his career, it’s clear to see the quality and experience Villa would be receiving by securing his signature, so now it’s on sporting director Johan Lange to strike as the centre-back is seemingly set on a new challenge elsewhere.

AND in other news: Forget Young: Gerrard must finally unleash Aston Villa’s £2.5k-p/w “mini Gareth Barry”

Everton’s academy is steeped in history, especially over the last 20 years where it’s flourished significantly.

The Toffees have brought through the likes of Wayne Rooney and Ross Barkley but in recent years, cracks are starting to emerge.

Thierry Small left the club after rejecting a new contract and refusing to train while they have also lost Mohamed-Ali Cho to French football and he’s already beginning to make waves in Ligue 1.

Despite this, Rafa Benitez has been keen to blood the new generation.

Lewis Dobbin made his first-team debut against Norwich, joining the impressive Jarrad Branthwaite and Anthony Gordon in earning senior minutes this season.

Gordon has particularly impressed and after a vibrant cameo against QPR, featured vs the Canaries in Everton’s 2-0 win on Saturday.

The winger was incredibly lively in their Carabao Cup defeat a few days prior, completing more key passes (4) than any other player on the field.

He will be seen as an example for the rest of Everton’s hot talent coming through the system at Finch Farm.

We’ve already tipped Charlie Whitaker and Ellis Simms for breakthroughs but another player who should be on Benitez’s radar is Stanley Mills.

The son of former England international, Danny Mills, the attacking midfielder is a vibrant player with enormous technical abilities.

Crucially, the 17-year-old is held in high esteem by David Unsworth too.

Speaking about the best talents in the academy, he commented: “Our Youth Cup team this year should be really strong with the likes of Charlie Whitaker, Lewis Dobbin, Reece Welch, Isaac Price, Luke Butterfield and Stan Mills. They are players who we feel have got great potential and they are already playing in the u-23s at the start of their second year of scholarship.”

Possessing the ability to play centrally or out wide, he could be the player to watch alongside Gordon in the coming years.

Just imagine the sight of Mills running rampant down one side while Gordon goes to town down the other.

Supporters always relish seeing young players doing well and that should be no different for the teenager in question.

A speedy and agile dribbler, Mills also has an element of poise and grace to his game as well. Describing the midfielder after he signed a new deal, the Everton website read:

“A quick, intelligent and composed midfield player, Mills has also shown impressive resilience and determination to battle back from a serious knee injury to establish himself as an important player for Everton Under-18s.”

Since that review, he has gone on to play at a higher age bracket, even featuring in the EFL Trophy against Morecambe.

During that clash, the teen played on the right where he managed one key pass and was involved in a mighty 21 defensive duels, prevailing in ten of them.

Matches like that against senior professionals will only help his development and hopefully, turn him into the future star Everton know he can be.

AND in other news, Brands masterclass: “Selfish” dud sees value collapse by £12.6m after leaving Everton…

Tottenham Hotspur could move on from Tanguy Ndombele before next week’s transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

According to Monday’s print edition of Italian publication Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), Spurs are among the clubs interested in Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.

They go as far as suggesting that the wantaway Frenchman could be offered as a makeweight in any potential deal, with sporting director Fabio Paratici a huge advantage to their pursuit, having been the man to originally sign him for the Serie A giants.

It is thought that Juventus have set an asking price in the region of €30m (£26m) but the Lilywhites appear to be facing competition from Bayern Munich, who have also reportedly shown interest in Ndombele.

Bye-bye Ndombele?

Whether or not the 24-year-old club-record signing is included in any deal, a move for McKennie would almost certainly spell the end for his time in north London.

Recently, Ndombele told Spurs that he wants to leave the club, as per the Telegraph, and his continued absence from Nuno Santo’s squad certainly leaves little to the imagination over whether or not such reports are true.

He did not feature in any of their pre-season friendlies, despite not being away on international duty at all this summer, whilst he is yet to be involved since the return of the Premier League over a week ago. It’s rather damning.

But would the Juventus midfielder be a good replacement? The evidence would suggest so.

McKennie struggled for minutes on the pitch last season, starting only 18 of his 34 league appearances, but he still managed to find the net on five occasions. Throughout his career, he has displayed some impressive box-to-box qualities which merely reinforce former Schalke boss David Wagner’s glowing endorsement of him.

“He’s an outstanding talent. In the No.6 or No.8 position he has the mentality, a real working mentality that you need,” he said, via Bundesliga.com. “And he’s brave on the ball as well. He can be one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga.”

Indeed, the 24-time USA international has averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 1.5 dribbles and one key pass every 90 minutes since the 2016/17 season, via WhoScored.

That only goes to show his ability in the engine room and perhaps gives some likeness to former Spurs beast Mousa Dembele, who was often the key cog in joining the defence to the attack. His powerful runs forward were often the difference and that’s something with which Ndombele has struggled immensely, managing only two assists in the top-flight last term.

Also lauded as a “unique individual” and “versatile” by USA coach Gregg Berhalter, the £22.5m-rated midfield dynamo would be a fantastic successor should Spurs be able to offload their £55m man.

Paratici must look to re-sign his former player, with the transfer window entering its final week.

AND in other news, Nuno dealt gutting Spurs transfer blow amid Fabrizio Romano claim, fans will be fuming…

West Ham United manager David Moyes has been hailed as ‘one of the best coaches’ by his former player, Nikica Jelavic.

The Lowdown: Jelavic under Moyes

Former Everton striker Jelavic played for the Toffees 69 times, scoring 21 games between 2012 and 2014, playing under Moyes for only one season.

After the Scotsman moved to Manchester United, Jelavic went on to play for Hull City, West Ham and enjoyed a few years in China before retiring in his nation Croatia with Lokomotiva.

In the 2012/13 campaign, Jelavic scored seven goals in 37 Premier League appearances in Moyes’ final season in charge at the club.

The Latest: ‘One of the best coaches’

Speaking to Croatian newspaper Večernji [via Sport Witness], Jelavic has claimed Moyes was different to other managers in the league because he would do it ‘all by himself’, and revealed a softer side to the Scotsman.

“Along with Walter Smith, Moyes is one of my favourite and best coaches in my career.

“You know that in England club managers have their many assistants who prepare and do training, but Moyes did it all himself, he’s a coach who liked to have everything under control. He worked a lot with the players.”

The Croatian also stated that the Hammers boss had ‘very good communication with the players’, revealing how personally supportive he is during spells of bad form.

The Verdict: Perfect at Rush Green

Jelavic’s words on Moyes will be brilliant to hear for West Ham fans. With the Hammers competing in the Europa League group stages for the first time in their history, having someone in charge like Moyes is crucial for a developing squad with limited high level experience.

With a smaller squad compared to most ‘big’ teams who compete in Europe, the manager’s accessible and personable approach will be a massive help if the Irons struggle while competing on four fronts.

Having such a hands-on coach who is comfortable with his players will be vital at Rush Green if the mood is low after a tricky Thursday night, with the turnaround to Premier League action at weekends so quick.

In other news, West Ham have set a minimum price for their star man amid further rumours. Find out more here.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been linked with a move to Real Madrid as the 28-year-old nears the end of his current contract with the club.

What’s the story?

The World Cup winner has been attracting the attention of a host of top European clubs for several months after refusing to put pen to paper on fresh terms at United.

And now, according to Spanish outlet AS (via Manchester Evening News), La Liga giants Madrid are eager to sign Pogba and will try to sign him on a free transfer next year.

He will be available to sign on a pre-contract agreement over the winter window which is good news for Los Blancos who want to secure his signature as soon as possible.

Solskjaer will be worried

Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain were heavily linked with a move for Pogba in the previous window before their shock move for Lionel Messi meant his arrival was no longer a financial possibility.

Since then, United are believed to have offered their academy graduate a new contract worth close to £400,000 per week, and although he’s open to re-signing, Pogba’s taking his time over what is a huge decision at this stage in his career.

However, United’s chiefs are set to face a battle to keep the France international on their books after Madrid reportedly rekindled their interest in the box-to-box dynamo over the international break.

Pogba’s impressive displays for Les Blues during their Nations League triumph were just the latest in what’s been an impressive 2021 for the engine room operator, with club teammate Bruno Fernandes lauding him after his magnificent tally of four assists against Leed United on the opening day of the season.

“I’m pretty sure Paul could do five or six (assists) in one game! Paul is a quality player; we all trust him, we all know his qualities,” Fernandes told MUTV after the emphatic victory.

“The point is making those performances and to help the team do better and I’m pretty sure Paul is here to do that.”

Therefore, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is likely to be very worried about this latest revelation, and the Norwegian tactician will be hoping one of his star players remains at Old Trafford for many years to come. After all, it would be a hammer blow to lose a player as good as the France star.

And, in other news…”They expect” – Romano delivers big Man Utd update, Red Devils fans may be concerned 

Lee Bowyer has seen his Birmingham City side get off to something of a mixed start to their 2021/22 Championship campaign, with the Blues winning one, drawing one and losing one of their opening three fixtures of the season.

Indeed, after a highly impressive 1-0 away victory at Sheffield United in their league opener and a solid 0-0 draw with Stoke City, things appeared to be looking on the up at Birmingham.

However, Bowyer’s side were brought back down to earth with a bump by AFC Bournemouth on Wednesday evening, as Scott Parker’s side rather comfortably secured a 2-0 win at St. Andrew’s, with the Cherries enjoying 65% of possession, creating two big chances and completing 272 more passes than their hosts.

And, while defeat to a Bournemouth side who will more than likely be there or thereabouts regarding promotion come the end of the season is no reason for Bowyer to panic, there were nevertheless a couple of players who particularly disappointed in the fixture, one of whom was Jeremie Bela.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £2.25m-rated left-winger completed just two of his eight attempted crosses, managed no shots on target, made a grand total of nine passes and completed just one of his five dribbles.

The 28-year-old also gave away possession of the ball on 18 separate occasions, won just four of his 12 duels, conceded two fouls and touched the ball 40 times – an amount fewer than Matija Sarkic’s number of touches between the Birmingham sticks.

These returns saw the £15k-per-week forward earn a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.4, ranking him as Bowyer’s second-worst player to feature in the match, with only Gary Gardner receiving a lower rating than Bela.

As such, with Birmingham undoubtedly hoping they can get back to winning ways in their clash with Luton Town this weekend, if Bowyer’s side are to have any chance of doing so, the Angola international will certainly have to up his level of performance against the Hatters.

In other news: “Outstanding” £5k-p/w gem drops transfer hint which will leave Birmingham fans gutted

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…

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”

Antonio Conte wants to bring Gareth Bale back to Tottenham Hotspur for a third time, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Spanish journalist Eduardo Inda has told Spanish outlet El Chiringuito, via OKDARIO, that the 52-year-old rejected the opportunity to sign Real Madrid flop Eden Hazard on loan following a suggestion from chairman Daniel Levy and instead asked for the former Spurs star.

“He wanted to sign Eden Hazard, but Conte has told him no because he knows him from when he trained at Chelsea and says that he has little intensity and that he is not a very hard worker,” he claimed.

“The most striking thing is the player that Conte has asked Levy to take him to London is Gareth Bale. Bale ends his contract at the end of the season, but in winter it would not be free.”

There are no plans to extend the Welshman’s contract at the Bernabeu, so there is an increasing possibility that he will be looking for a new club come to the summer and after a successful loan stint in N17 last term, perhaps another reunion could be on the cards.

Imagine him and Kane

This would be an intriguing decision from Conte and co but one that does make sense. You could argue that the Lilywhites failed to replace Bale during the summer as he actually provided plenty of goals and menace in the final third.

And that’s where the Italian’s biggest issue lies right now.

His side have not registered a shot on target in the Premier League in nearly four hours, with their last goal coming over five hours ago.

Only one team has scored fewer goals (nine) this season, Norwich City (five) and similarly, the north Londoners rank last for average shots per game (10.1), as per WhoScored.

Last season, Bale was their third-highest goalscorer with 11 goals in the Premier League and three goals in the Europa League, with only Heung-min Son and Harry Kane managing more.

After the trio, no other player found the net more than three times in the league, which is rather damning. It seems that is a problem that still lingers in N17 as Son has scored four goals in the top-flight, with four other players sitting on the solitary goal.

In total, Bale found the net 16 times and averaged a direct contribution once every 87 minutes, via Transfermarkt, which is pretty outstanding and is more reason to suggest why he could fix Conte’s big issue.

After a hat-trick against Sheffield United, former Premier League marksman Alan Shearer waxed lyrical about the 32-year-old on Match of the Day. “It was a magnificent performance. It was the very best of Gareth Bale, it had everything, the running off the ball, work rate and his finishing was lethal,” he said (via football.london).

Even ex-manager Jose Mourinho dubbed the 6 foot 1 winger “remarkable” for his “incredible” impact at the club, both on and off the pitch, so that’s certainly another factor that bolsters Spurs’ claims to re-sign him for the third time.

Capped 99 times by Wales and valued at just £9m by Transfermarkt, Bale could be exactly what’s needed to help get Kane and co firing again.

Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici could form a deadly duo up top by bringing the Wales star and the England skipper together again.

AND in other news, “One of Conte’s requests”: Spurs plot “extraordinary” signing, fans should be thrilled…

Leeds employee Noel Whelan has been reacting to an injury update regarding Jamie Shackleton, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Shackleton close to Thorp Arch return

Jesse Marsch has had a number of injury issues to deal with during his short time as Whites manager, one of which has been with Shackleton.

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The 22-year-old was named on the bench in Marsch’s first three games but hasn’t been involved in the previous three fixtures due to a knock.

Marsch confirmed prior to the win at Watford last weekend that Shackleton was close to making a return to training, whereas Junior Firpo was also set to return on Tuesday.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments on Shackleton

Former Leeds striker Whelan, who is now an employee of the club, labelled Shackleton’s absence as a ‘huge miss’ and described his imminent return to as ‘massive’ due to his versatility.

He told Football Insider:

“A huge miss.

“You mention the word versatility, I think he can play about three or four different roles in that team. Very much like Stuart Dallas. “He definitely gives you options and somebody that is very valuable on the bench. He’s somebody that can play those different roles and can adapt to it very quickly. A right-sided midfield player, right wing-back, central midfield, the left side too.

“He gives you those massive options where you don’t need to change anything around too drastically. If there are any injuries to a certain player, you know you’ve got someone that you can trust.

“He gives you 100 per cent and he’s got that tenacity about his game. Right now, after the couple of seasons that he’s had, he’s one of the more experienced young players that we have.

“He can come into the team. You can throw him in there and know that he can go do a job.”

The Verdict: Good news for Leeds

At the age of just 22, Shackleton has already racked up 78 appearances in a Leeds shirt, making him very much a senior member of the squad, especially when you look at Marsch’s substitutes at Vicarage Road.

Therefore, his return to the squad – along with Firpo – is a timely one ahead of the final six games of the season. He will be able to provide another option for Marsch at right-back and in midfield and hopefully will be able to make the trip to Crystal Palace on April 25.

With that match still nearly a fortnight away, it should give Shackleton ample time to get up to speed after his recent convalescence.

In other news: ‘I know’ – Journalist says Orta now ‘thinking’ of signing 28-goal midfielder alongside Aaronson