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When Bjorn Engels joined Aston Villa in the summer of 2019, Dean Smith would no doubt have been hoping that the 6 foot 4 giant would help create a formidable back-line for the club at Premier League level.

Signed for a reported £9m from French side Reims, Engels was among a clutch of signings spearheaded by the influence of then sporting director, Suso.

Speaking after confirmation of his arrival at Villa Park, Smith said: “Björn is a player that I’ve been watching for the past 18 months. We’re very happy to have secured his services and look forward to working with him.”

But, sadly for both Engels and Villa, things just haven’t quite worked out for either party.

Injuries have played a considerable part in his lack of game-time for the club, but it’s been quite telling that even despite recovering from a couple of different problems this season, he’s still yet to make a single competitive appearance this campaign – the Belgian has either been an unnamed substitute or just completely out of the match-day squad.

And, earlier this calendar year, former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor urged the club to get rid of him, saying: “It’s time for him to move on. The problem with the Premier League now is you have to have pace in defence.

“Unless you’re an unbelievable defender and you can read the game unbelievably you need to have the pace at the back. That’s what Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause allow you. If they make a mistake they’ve got the pace to make up for it. If they’re left one-on-one they’ve got the pace to stop the attacker. The problem with Engels is that if he’s left one-on-one he hasn’t got that pace so he’s going to get found out a bit.”

 Now, CIES have him valued at just £1.7m, a real statement of just how far his stock has fallen during his time at Villa Park, and perhaps throwing even further weight behind why the club should simply cut their losses on him.

With Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings fully established as the club’s main centre-back partnership, there’s simply no room for Engels. While £9m may not sound like too much in the modern market, it’s still surely a transfer blunder that Villa regret making.

Meanwhile, this Villa man was shocking in the defeat to Spurs…

Marcel Brands can secure Carlo Ancelotti his new Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a summer swoop for Everton target Sasa Kalajdzic of VfB Stuttgart.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Give Me Sport, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the Toffees are one of several Premier League sides with eyes on Kalajdzic.

The Goodison Park outfit were recently linked with the 24-year-old target man by reports in Italy, which cited Everton and Newcastle United as potential competition for Juventus in the race for the man dubbed the next Erling Haaland.

Kalajdzic has been in sensational form during his first year of German top-flight football, with the Austria international striking 13 goals in 25 Bundesliga games including eight in his last eight outings.

Stuttgart are understood to value Kalajdzic at between €20m and €25m (£17m-£21.5m) and Romano fully expects a Premier League side will present a move in the summer, although it remains to be seen if that is Everton.

“I think yes, he has chances to join Premier League,” Romano said. “To be honest with you, I don’t know about the club because all the clubs you mentioned (Everton, Newcastle and West Ham) are scouting this player, he’s an amazing player.

“At the moment, there is still nothing advanced, but I think yes, he has chances to join the Premier League. A lot of clubs are looking at him.

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“So, he’s the typical opportunity and this kind of summer we have after the pandemic, we are obviously in a difficult situation from an economic and financial point of view. Having this kind of opportunity is interesting for English clubs.

“So, I would say yes, I see him as a good opportunity in Premier League, but let’s see if they will pay what the club are asking. So, it’s still so far away, but I think it’s an opportunity.”

Should Everton sign Stuttgart’s Kalajdzic?

Kalajdzic burst out of the gates with three goals in his first three career Bundesliga games back in September before a difficult winter followed, but his form has been incredible since the end of January to now rank sixth in the German top-flight’s scoring charts.

The 24-year-old would have been forgiven for struggling to score prolifically in his first season of Bundesliga action, having missed much of last term due to a cruciate ligament rupture, though that has not been the case.

Kalajdzic’s goals have been a huge factor behind Stuttgart sitting ninth in the table heading into of the international break, with his strikes against Bayer Leverkusen, Union Berlin, Hertha BSC, 1.FC Koln and Eintracht Frankfurt directly returning seven points and avoiding defeat on four occasions.

Stuttgart would be looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone without those points, yet Kalajdzic can have an impact higher up the table in the Premier League next season if Brands were to strike a deal.

Doing so would see Everton’s Director of Football hand Ancelotti his new Ibrahimovic, having taken the Sweden icon – who Kalajdzic has been compared with – to Paris Saint-Germain for £15.5m back in 2012.

Ibrahimovic went on to strike 156 goals in 180 games for PSG across all competitions over four years in the French capital, including 35 in 46 games under Ancelotti during their sole season together.

Kalajdzic, who stands at 6 ft 6 to Ibrahimovic at 6 ft 4, is yet to boast the same record that the 39-year-old already claimed in 2012, but is on course to follow in his footsteps on a path that Brands should strive to see includes a spell at Goodison Park.

Click here to see the full interview with Fabrizio Romano.

AND in other news, Everton can potentially save £13m by turning to this Max Aarons alternative…

Now into the final three months of his Crystal Palace contract, the future of Roy Hodgson remains up in the air.

The former England boss has been at the helm at Selhurst Park since he replaced Frank de Boer in September 2017 and has kept the Eagles somewhat comfortably away from the relegation dogfight season upon season.

It has been reported that Sean Dyche has been lined up as a potential successor should he not sign a new contract, with the Burnley boss recently conceding that the rumours indicate “respect” for the job he has done at Turf Moor.

The Clarets tactician could indeed be the perfect successor for Hodgson at Crystal Palace.

Since being installed at Burnley, Dyche has done a wonderful job. He has led the club to two promotions, then establishing the Lancashire outfit in the top-flight of English football and even earning a venture into the Europa League.

In the past four seasons, the club have finished 16th, 7th, 15th and 10th. For comparison, the Eagles have finished 14th, 11th, 12th and 14th – the Clarets coming out on top in two out of those, whilst just four points separate the two sides in the current standings.

Whilst Hodgson currently possesses a better Premier League win rate – 33% to 30% – Dyche has managed to do that with a club earning promotion from the Championship, whilst the former had inherited a squad which had already established itself in the top flight since 2013.

The Burnley boss has certainly earned plaudits for that excellent work, with former Clarets’ striker Peter Crouch even labelling him as a “top” Premier League manager.

Should he arrive at Palace, he would have an instant understanding of the job on his hands, with the club having similar aspirations as well as transfer budgets. Indeed, the two clubs have spent near enough the same amount in the market over the past three seasons.

With Dyche on £50k per week at Turf Moor, whilst Hodgson is currently raking in almost £94k on a weekly basis with Crystal Palace, it seems a no-brainer to bring the Clarets boss in as his replacement at Selhurst Park.

AND in more news, Steve Parish must start making some tough calls on the future of a number of Palace players…

Leeds United hero Stuart Dallas is expected to be offered a new contract at the club, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

The Whites enjoyed one of their greatest Premier League wins on Saturday, securing a dramatic 2-1 victory away to Manchester City. Leeds managed to win at the league leaders despite having Liam Cooper sent off before half-time in what was a sensational team performance.

It was Dallas who was the hero for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, scoring both goals including the last-gasp winner on the counterattack.

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Hay tips Dallas to sign new Leeds deal

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after the game, with quotes provided by MOT Leeds News, Hay responded positively to a question about when Dallas will extend his stay at Elland Road:

“I don’t think it’ll be long.”

Transfer Tavern take

Dallas is such an integral part of this Leeds side, with his versatility, work rate and team ethic making him priceless for Bielsa.

Surprisingly, the Northern Irishman currently earns just £8,000 per week, which doesn’t feel like much given his influence at Elland Road and is among the lower end of the squad’s pay scale.

Saturday’s performance shows that he warrants improved terms and it looks as though his wish will be granted, even though his current deal runs until 2023.

In other news, one Leeds star has received high praise after his performance against Manchester City. Find out who it is here.

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been giving their thoughts on social media to a transfer update regarding the club’s interest in Bristol City attacker Antoine Semenyo.

According to a report from Football League World, Palace are ramping up their interest in the 21-year-old and are the early favourites for his signature in the summer.

Semenyo, who can play as a centre-forward and out wide, is valued at £1.17m by Transfermarkt and is under contract at Ashton Gate until 2023.

The Englishman has been a regular for the Robins this season, making 46 appearances in all competitions. He’s netted on five occasions and has registered seven assists in total, and it seems as if Palace like what they see in the versatile forward.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the update on Twitter on Friday morning.

It didn’t take long for a number of Palace supporters to have their say on the news, with one describing the Bristol City man as ‘class’.

“This don is needed”

Credit: @s_cpfc

“Want.”

Credit: @liamb0117

“Never heard of him, but bring him in”

Credit: @localpla7tic

“Would be good backup if we can get him for a decent price”

Credit: @Connormuz

“This is Palace we don’t do normal..”

Credit: @geraldcaterham

“People writing off a Bristol City winger.. Sounds familiar. (He’s class btw)”

Credit: @paIaceawayy

In other news: Many CPFC fans buzz at club’s interest in Fulham star, find out more here. 

Manchester United reached the semi-finals of the Europa League with a 4-0 aggregate victory against Granada at Old Trafford on Thursday.

In the end, the Red Devils’ 2-0 victory in Spain last week was more than enough to guide them through, with Edinson Cavani then adding to that advantage in the first half last night before Jesus Vallejo put through his own net late on.

Whilst the Uruguayan proved to be the match-winner for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men on the night, it was actually a thoroughly disciplined defensive performance from right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka which made it a relatively worry-free evening for Manchester United.

With Granada needing a handful of goals to progress at the Red Devils’ expense, the former Crystal Palace man proved a formidable wall for the Spaniards to get beyond.

According to WhoScored, Wan-Bissaka produced an impressive five tackles throughout the game. Only Paul Pogba, who was substituted at the break, matched that figure of all the players to take to the pitch.

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Meanwhile, the 23-year-old, who earns £90,000 per week at Old Trafford, also contributed two interceptions and a further two clearances as he continued to keep Granada at bay. His impressive performance did not end there, as Wan-Bissaka won eight of the 13 duels for which he competed, he won eight, only being beaten in the air once according to SofaScore.

Whilst the right-back’s normal assignment is to keep the ball out of the Manchester United net, he was also hugely effective going forwards. Throughout the game, the defender supplied one key pass and also completed two dribbles.

In all, it was a hugely impressive all-round display from Wan-Bissaka, even more so considering that was in a Red Devils’ defence which was missing the likes of first-choice pair Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw due to suspension.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should certainly be thrilled with the 23-year-old’s performance.

AND in more news, read more about the huge boost that Manchester United have recently received in their pursuit of Rennes’ Eduardo Camavinga…

Rangers have been handed a fresh update ahead of kick-off tonight, leaving Steven Gerrard with a big dilemma as his side head away from Ibrox Stadium to hopefully continue that unbeaten run…

What’s the latest?

As per The Sun, the Scottish champions had hoped to hear the verdict from an SFA hearing panel over potential punishments for three of Gerrard’s first-team stars, Nathan Patterson, Bongani Zungu, and Calvin Bassey after breaching regulations.

They were charged with ‘not complying’ with Scottish FA rules and for not acting in the ‘best interests of association football’ but the Gers’ appeal has set back the consequences for the time being, with no announcement due before tonight’s clash with St Johnstone.

This means that Patterson, and the others, are in line to feature.

Big dilemma brewing

After the 19-year-old’s impressive display over arch-rivals Celtic in the Scottish Cup over the weekend, his availability has now given Gerrard plenty to ponder as his first-choice right-back, skipper James Tavernier, is back from injury too.

In fact, Patterson has been remarkable filling in for the Gers leader ever since his absence in February.

The Light Blues face a double-header against The Saints this week, the second encounter being the Scottish Cup quarter-final, a competition that they haven’t won since 2009, when defeating Falkirk at Hampden Park.

Gerrard could stick with the teenage sensation knowing that there is a possibility that any ban comes into action before Sunday’s big match at Ibrox, with Tavernier also not being rushed back.

No.2 Gary McAllister revealed his thoughts on the situation in a pre-game press conference, he said (via the Daily Record): “What a wonderful position for the manager and everyone here at the club to have two outstanding players in the same position.”

But as Rangers’ clear standout performer in a title-winning season, the temptation to start the key man may prove too much.

Tavernier has recorded an average WhoScored rating of 7.76, which puts him top of the tree in Glasgow right now, and only one other player has matched his nine assists in the Scottish Premiership this term (Ianis Hagi).

The 6-foot beast is also among Gerrard’s most industrious players, managing to average 1.9 tackles, 1.9 shots and two key passes each outing, also as per WhoScored.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit cannot see Steven Gerrard leaving Rangers for PL giants…

While Raphinha may be the man stealing the headlines at Leeds, Stuart Dallas has been the real star of the show for Marcelo Bielsa.

The Northern Irishman has taken his game up a level since the step-up to the top flight and has been in superb form.

The 30-year-old spent a lot of the first half of the season at full-back, both on the right and left, but now playing in midfield, he looks like a star.

As per Transfermarkt, in the seven games that he’s played in a box-to-box midfield role, he has scored three times which is his best record in the opposition’s penalty area.

His match-winning display against Manchester City typified this when he scored twice at the Etihad Stadium.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay raved about Dallas and his worth to this Leeds side, insisting that on his current form, it would be difficult to leave him out of the team next season, even with some potential signings.

Writing in the Athletic he said the Leeds star was undroppable and looks like a quality asset in central midfield.

The Northern Irishman has certainly proven in recent matches that a midfield role can see him really shine at Leeds, and it would be silly to move him back into full-back.

As a result, Bielsa must unshackle Dallas as the club’s primary box-to-box midfield star from this point onwards.

Former Premier League striker Marcus Bent believes Tottenham Hotspur could make the mistake of overlooking Son Heung-Min if they sell Harry Kane this summer, telling Football FanCast that they will look to buy an elite-level replacement.

Kane has been heavily linked with a departure from his boyhood club ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Athletic broke a huge story claiming that Kane was ready to push for a move away if Spurs failed to qualify for the Champions League this season, and that does seem a long shot at this stage.

Ryan Mason’s side are five points behind Chelsea in fourth and they have won just two of their last five Premier League outings.

Son has been linked away too, with Bayern Munich credited with an interest, but he is in talks over a new contract at the club.

And Bent believes that if Kane were to go, there would be an opportunity for Son to step up and prove himself as the main man at Spurs.

Son has scored 20 goals in all competitions this season and, in total, has netted 105 goals in 275 games since his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen.

But Bent also thinks that Spurs would look to replace Kane with another elite striker, leaving Son overlooked.

He told FFC: “When you sell your best players this is not a good thing. You don’t want to be at a side where your team is selling your best players and not bringing any players in to replace them.

“I’m not saying Tottenham haven’t done that, and it hasn’t happened yet. But again, if you were to sell Kane, then where are the goals going to come from?

“Maybe Son might say, ‘okay, well I can stay and score the goals, and be number one’.

“But really, and truly, I think Tottenham will have to bring in someone on the level of Kane and Son will be again, overlooked and underrated, which is a shame.

“But that’s the way football is and you’ve got to kind of just stick at it and move on.”

A number of Liverpool fans have been calling for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to be sold following a report linking him with a move away from Anfield.

The 27-year-old has had a curious Reds career in many ways, with plenty of highs and lows but not much middle ground in between.

After making a slow start for Liverpool, Oxlade-Chamberlain became a key figure during the second half of the 2017/18 season, before a cruciate ligament injury struck him down in his prime.

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In truth, the midfielder has never quite managed to have the same impact since then, finding himself in and out of the team because of fitness issues and form.

According to Fichajes, Borussia Dortmund are interested in signing Oxlade-Chamberlain at the end of the season, which would bring an end to four years at Anfield for him. It remains to be seen whether Jurgen Klopp sees the former Arsenal man as part of his plans moving forward, but Liverpool could still get a healthy fee for the midfielder.

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Liverpool fans happy to see Oxlade-Chamberlain leave

These Reds supporters took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the matter, admitting they would be happy to see Oxlade-Chamberlain move on. One also took a pop at midfield team-mate Naby Keita, another Liverpool player with an injury-blighted stint at Anfield.

“I’ll drive him there myself”

Credit: @Okotb22

“Send him and Keita for Haaland please”

Credit: @FelsteadA

“Ox + £50m for Sancho??”

Credit: @EnamAnfield

“Swap him for Jude”

Credit: @ShakilMiah2

“Edwards might just pull this off”

Credit: @the_2nd_born

“Ox is likely to be frustrated at not playing (he’s not played well when given the chance) and may want a new challenge where he gets more game time. I’d let Ox go for sure and try to get Bellingham or Sancho”

Credit: @TaintlessRed

In other news, there has been a key update regarding Liverpool’s interest in Erling Haaland. Read more here.