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Manchester City are unlikely to trigger their buy-back clause on Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz this summer with Fernandinho set to remain part of the squad, according to a report from the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath.

City have the option until June to bring Luiz back to the Etihad for a fee of £25million.

Luiz was guilty of making what former Premier League star David Meyler called a ‘stupid tackle’ as Villa surrendered the lead in a 3-1 defeat against Manchester United last Sunday.

But that was a difficult moment in what’s largely been an ‘outstanding season’, in the words of Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson.

How has Villa’s Luiz performed in 2020/21?

Luiz has made 30 appearances for the Villans this season.

The defensive midfielder has averaged 1.5 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 1.3 clearances and 1.4 successful aerial duels per 90 minutes (via WhoScored).

He’s helped Villa progress from relegation candidates to a side with top-half ambitions.

Fan feed Villa Report relayed the detail from McGrath’s aforementioned report, and here’s how fans reacted.

Villa fans pleased by Douglas Luiz news

“Good. Time on his side to develop into a top top CDM with us, would’ve been so stupid if we’d let him go.”

Credit: @tom_avfc1

“Delighted if he stays. We’ve seen on his day he is immense, and he’s only 23”

Credit: @socraleese

“Having finally calmed down from Sunday I’m now quite happy with this, he needs to buckle down now and mature alongside a proper CDM”

Credit: @avfc4_alex

“He’s still very young for that position. He’s been immense for us at times and still developing at other times. We are better with him than without him.”

Credit: @thisisrichlord

“His dip in form was his plan all along, what a genius”

Credit: @catrinedwards18

“Wwwwwww”

Credit: @brazilianwizard

“LETS GOOOOOO”

Credit: @chanceeraps

In other news, Marcus Bent has urged this player to consider a move to Villa

Manchester United advanced into the last 16 of the Champions League in Michael Carrick’s first game at the helm thanks to two late goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho.

Following a cautious first half from the visiting side, things improved in the second 45 minutes, and Fred’s tackle on Etienne Capoue in the 78th minute sparked them into life.

The former Watford midfielder received a risky pass from goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, and the tenacious United player pounced, allowing Ronaldo to expertly lift the ball over the onrushing shot-stopper.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-manchester-united-news-manager-solskjaer-pochettino-enrique-rodgers-psg” title=”Check out the latest Man United manager news!”]

United looked well-organised and compact throughout the 90 minutes but rarely threatened the opposition goal until the final stages.

However, Jadon Sancho made up for a tame effort when one-on-one with Rulli in the final stages of the closely-fought encounter, smashing in the ball off the underside of the crossbar to slam home his first goal for the Red Devils.

Despite their success on the counter-attack late on, though, the most impressive element of United’s play was undoubtedly their resolute defending.

David de Gea was forced into two tremendous saves from Manu Trigueros, yet overall, the Old Trafford outfit’s back four stood firm against their Spanish opponents, and the standout performer was undoubtedly Victor Lindelof.

With summer signing Raphael Varane currently injured, the 27-year-old took his chance to shine, playing a pivotal part in United securing just their third clean sheet of the season.

As per SofaScore, Lindelof was awarded a match rating of 7.7 out of 10, the joint-highest total received by any player on the pitch at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

The Sweden international won all five of his duels, made a whopping eight clearances and achieved a passing accuracy of 92%, highlighting his impressive performance and reborn status under interim manager Carrick.

Manchester Evening News journalist Tyrone Marshall was also impressed with Lindelof, writing: “Stood up well to the task and tried to play out from the back,” after awarding him a seven out of 10.

With Varane set for an extended spell on the sidelines, Lindelof will be hoping he can maintain this level of performance in the weeks to come, cementing his place in the starting XI as a result.

And, in other news…Duncan Castles drops huge Man United manager update that’ll delight fans

Speculation has been rife regarding the possible transfers Newcastle could pull off in the January window following PIF’s takeover of the club.

The likes of Raheem Sterling, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Timo Werner are just a few of the many names linked with a switch to St James’ Park after Mike Ashley sold the club to the Saudi Arabian consortium.

However, the focus must now be drawn to the players who could lose their game-time as a result of incoming transfers as it would be beneficial to have some out the door before bringing in new arrivals, due to limitations on the size of the squad and preserving harmony among the group.

One player who should be sold in the January window is midfielder Jonjo Shelvey. The 29-year-old has been a liability for Newcastle in the middle of the park and should be replaced by PIF, or whoever the manager is come the opening of the transfer market, with an upgrade in that position being signed instead.

Whilst Shelvey has the silky skills on the ball and the ability to switch the play with his excellent range of passing, he often lets himself down with a lack of work off the ball and his poor decision-making. Despite playing in central midfield, he has a career average of just 0.9 interceptions and 1.2 tackles per game, showing that he does not put the hard graft in defensively.

He has picked up 27 yellow cards and four reds during his time at St James’ Park, with the latest dismissal coming in last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Tottenham. Shelvey was brought off the bench by Bruce to help rescue the game and instead ended up being sent off for two silly challenges, giving his teammates a taller mountain to climb.

In two Premier League appearances this season, racking up 94 minutes of play, the former Liverpool man has completed one tackle, made zero interceptions, blocks or clearances and received three yellows cards, with two of them leading to a red on Sunday. On the ball, he has not been his useful self either, as he failed to complete a single dribble and provided just one key pass.

Tellingly, the 29-year-old has recorded the lowest average WhoScored rating of anyone in the Magpies’ squad this season with a paltry 5.22, being by far the worst player in a team occupying a place in the Premier League relegation zone. That does not paint a pretty picture of his form.

With Steve Bruce reportedly set to be sacked, the £70k-per-week dud’s time at St James’ Park could also be up after his dismal cameo appearance against Spurs. If Newcastle’s next manager was watching that game, he may have already jotted down a mental note to get rid of Shelvey at the first possible opportunity.

He proved himself to be a liability and that is not the sort of character or player you want to have around when trying to rebuild the club to lead them into a future of positivity and success. Therefore, it could be time for the Magpies to ruthlessly axe Shelvey by cashing in on him in the next transfer window, based on both his style of play generally and his disciplinary record, which was highlighted against Tottenham.

AND in other news, “Sources say”: Craig Hope drops major Newcastle claim that’ll delight supporters…

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped a promising injury update regarding Giorgos Giakoumakis.

What’s the latest?

In a recent interview with The Scottish Mail on Sunday (via 67hailhail), the Bhoys boss revealed that the centre-forward is now back in training after recovering from a knee injury, as well as suggesting that the 27-year-old should be in line for a return to first-team football after the winter break.

Speaking about the condition of the Greece international, Postecoglou said: “Giako is close. One session was not enough for him to be right for Sunday. He is back now to almost being available. If we had one more game he would probably be available but we are now looking to get him back after the break.”

Fans will be delighted

Considering the excitement that surrounded Giakoumakis’ £2.5m move to Parkhead this summer, the news that the striker – who has so far started just two games in his Celtic career – is finally back in contention for first-team football is sure to have delighted the Hoops fanbase and the 56-year-old manager alike.

And, if the £2.25m-rated man can hit anywhere near the heights he did at VVV-Venlo last season in the second half of the current campaign, his return from injury will very much feel like a new signing for Postecoglou and his side.

Indeed, over his 30 Eredivisie appearances last time out, the £8.2k-per-week hitman scored a remarkable 26 goals, registered one assist and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.2 shots – 1.5 of which were on target – and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the centre-forward earn an extremely impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.35, ranking him as the joint sixth-best performer in the entirety of the division – a rather extraordinary feat when considering the fact that he was playing for a side that suffered relegation from the top flight.

As such, should Giakoumakis indeed be able to refind this form in the second half of the current campaign, it would undoubtedly come as a game-changing boost to Celtic’s chances of reclaiming the Premiership crown come next May – an outcome that would delight everyone involved with the club.

In other news: Ange can finally axe £41k-p/w Celtic deadwood with January swoop that “should happen”

Steve Bruce must look to let Elliot Anderson off the leash after Newcastle United’s hopes of signing Cardiff City talent Kieron Evans took a huge blow.

What’s the word?

Reports by Wales Online last month claimed that the Toon were one of a small group of Premier League clubs eying Evans’ situation at the Cardiff City Stadium with a view to a potential summer swoop.

However, the Bluebirds announced on Wednesday that the 19-year-old has now agreed on a new, two-year contract with the Championship side, he’d have been a free agent at the end of the season if he didn’t put pen-to-paper.

Evans is on the cusp of making his first-team breakthrough in south Wales after being listed in five senior squads so far this term, but is yet to step foot onto the field for his debut.

Cardiff rate the Wales U19 international’s potential highly and have now moved to avoid losing his services for nothing more than a compensatory sum, amid the alleged interest from Newcastle, West Bromwich Albion, Burnley and Sheffield United.

“Kieron Evans has been a standout performer since I’ve come in,” Cardiff’s U23 coach Steve Morison said following the attacking midfielder’s new contract. “He’s been excellent.

“To top it all off, he’s now adding assists and goals in every game alongside his performances, which have got him really noticed. He deserves it.”

Evans was noted to have attracted attentive glares from top-flight clubs last month after scoring and assisting as the Bluebirds U23s beat Millwall, while also finding the back of the net against Severnside rivals Bristol City.

Should Newcastle test Cardiff’s resolve?

Cardiff moving to tie Evans down to a two-year contract just goes to show how highly he is rated in south Wales, likely making any attempt by Newcastle to prise him away in the off-season a futile pursuit.

But United should not be overly concerned by missing out on the attacking midfielder, who can also operate on the wing, as the Magpies already have a promising rising star in their ranks in Anderson.

Bruce has previously stated that he has been “very pleased” by how Anderson has progressed and settled into the Toon senior fold, after coming on in the closing stages of regular time for his first-team debut against Arsenal in the FA Cup in January.

The 18-year-old did not look out of place among his more experienced teammates in north London, and was expected to force his way into Bruce’s plans more often before the Toon’s form derailed and were engulfed in a relegation battle.

“As soon as he comes on to the pitch, he accepts the ball and receives the ball,” Bruce said following the FA Cup clash, via quotes by Chronicle Live. “He never looks rushed. Everything is effortless to him and easy. We hope he’s got a big future.

“He’ll remember his debut. He could have scored in the last minute, couldn’t he? What a wonderful debut that would have been. I’m very pleased with his progress and he’s one that we hope can do us a good turn over the season.”

More recently, Bruce has shared that Anderson must wait for more opportunities despite the injuries for Miguel Almiron, Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson, as he needs experienced heads to help with a relegation fight.

But that should not be the case, and Bruce should be looking to unleash Anderson and let him prove that he is ready, while his age is just the number currently being used to hold him back.

AND in other news, Newcastle face a global battle to land a £8.5m striker with 18 goals in 26 league games this term…

In making a defining statement, Jose Mourinho may have just found the solution to one of his long-standing Tottenham Hotspur problems.

The Spurs boss named a surprise lineup for their trip to Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, and it paid off as they returned to north London with all three points and a clean sheet.

Mourinho sprung a bit of a surprise as young defensive duo Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon were preferred to Matt Doherty, Eric Dier, Toby Alderweireld and Serge Aurier.

In part down to performances, and in part down to illness. Either way, this decision clearly sent a rocket through the Spurs squad.

On the Chalkboard

As we outlined after the match, Rodon arguably stole the show – the likes of Harry Kane and Lucas Moura, who delivered key attacking contributions on their way to a 2-0 victory will take much of the plaudits but the Welsh starlet was a colossal presence against Villa, who are no relegation candidates this season.

That was the 23-year-old’s fifth Premier League start but you wouldn’t have known that judging by his display. He has never let Spurs down when featuring in the top-flight.

On debut, he spearheaded the backline towards a clean sheet against Mourinho’s former club, Chelsea, and his performance drew glowing praise from the Sky Sports team (via Wales Online).

Roy Keane claimed that Rodon had a “bright future ahead of him” as he “looked composed” against the vastly-experienced Olivier Giroud, whilst similarly, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink lauded the 6 foot 4 colossus  as a “proper Spurs player” who seemed “comfortable.”

Mourinho’s biggest problem has been in defence this season, as ex-goalkeeper, Paul Robinson told Football Insider:

“It has been the biggest problem area for Spurs all season, centre-half. Whoever it has been, Dier, Alderweireld, Sanchez or Rodon it has not worked or at least Mourinho has not liked it. There has not been a consistent pairing all season. Not one centre-half has shown good enough consistency this season.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-spurs-news-mourinho-levy-gossip” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs news, rumours and more!”]

That could now be about to change, if the Spurs boss keeps the faith with Rodon.

As per SofaScore, the £11m summer signing – who has been likened to his former skipper John Terry in the past – graded as the visitor’s best defender with a 7.4 rating.

He put in three clearances, made two interceptions and recorded one tackle, displaying an excellent reading of the game against the lethal threat of the 12-goal Ollie Watkins.

“He’s got every physical and mental attribute you need to be successful in that position,” explained Andy Hinchcliffe to Sky Sports in the summer. It’s no wonder Mourinho signed him before the end of the domestic window, but now he really ought to be given a proper run of matches.

If the £13.5m-rated beast half the player of Terry, then Mourinho will have stumbled across a very viable solution.

AND in other news, Spurs handed Sergio Reguilon transfer boost…

According to a report from the Daily Star, West Ham and by extension club owners GSB are plotting a move for Everton centre-back Michael Keane in the summer transfer window. 

The lowdown: Difficult season

The 29-year-old has endured a turbulent spell at Goodison Park following a then record-equalling £30million switch from Burnley in 2017 (BBC).

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Having amassed 181 appearances for the Merseyside club and earning England recognition in the process, Keane has struggled for any semblance of form this term as Everton battles against relegation from the Premier League.

Despite the issues, Irons’ boss David Moyes could be about to turn to Keane to bolster the defensive department at the London Stadium…

The latest: Daily Star makes claim…

As per the report from the Daily Star, the Hammers and GSB ‘will make a summer swoop’ for the 12-cap England man should Everton be relegated out of the top flight – plotting a bid behind-the-scenes.

It’s claimed that West Ham will ‘make an attempt’ to bring Keane to east London as Moyes looks to strengthen the centre-back ranks with Angelo Ogbonna sidelined through a serious knee injury.

Furthermore, the report states that the Scot is a ‘big admirer’ of the man once tipped to become a ‘top player’ by Rio Ferdinand having worked together at Manchester United.

The verdict: Another career rekindled?

Moyes has developed a penchant for revitalising stalling careers in east London, with the resurgence of Jesse Lingard during a loan spell with the Irons the most poignant example.

Whilst Keane has continued to feature for Everton, making 33 appearances across all competitions this term, a lowly 6.90 average Sofascore rating from 27 league games underlines the problems the Englishman has faced.

Under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), he would cost around £20 million, signing Keane wouldn’t be an inexpensive move for the Hammers and perhaps transfer chief Rob Newman would be best served to find an alternative option.

In other news: Agreement reached: ExWHUemployee also has some promising player news for West Ham supporters! Find out more here.

Grady Diangana has found life tough since making his permanent switch to West Brom this summer.

Indeed, the enigmatic winger has struggled to replicate the lucrative returns that saw him help the Baggies to promotion last season.

On Albion’s way to the Championship runner-up spot, the then on-loan Diangana delivered eight goals and seven assists from just 23 starts, via Transfermarkt.

Everyone at the Hawthorns got a glimpse of what was to come when he bagged himself a brace on debut against Luton Town, so it’s no wonder that sporting and technical director Luke Dowling pulled the trigger on signing him for the long-term.

The 22-year-old cost the Midlands outfit an initial £12m, which could rise to £18m in add-ons, according to the Express & Star.

That sum was a considerable chunk of their summer transfer budget. Karlan Grant cost the exact same fee, but one that is spread out in £2m instalments over six years, whilst they accounted for the permanent £9m addition of Matheus Pereira.

As a result of such an outlay, you’d want a huge bang for your buck – well, Diangana’s just not delivered in the big time.

Despite featuring in 15 of their 17 league outings this term, the 5 foot 11 attacker has contributed just one goal and has certainly struggled to repeat his attacking output from the second-tier.

Per WhoScored, Diangana has regressed from 2.4 dribbles, 1.6 shots and 1.4 key passes per game in 2019/20 to a pathetic 1.5 dribbles, 0.8 shot and 0.3 key passes per match.

This suggests that he’s struggling to combat the rise in quality of opposition as he’s clearly not been able to beat his man with his dribbling ability and as a result, he simply has not bee able to get near the goal to fire off chances.

Once dubbed an “explosive” threat who’s a “total nightmare” to play against by Sky Sports pundits Lee Hendrie and Keith Andrews, the young wide man has been wholly ineffective and is now bordering on becoming one expensive flop.

In some ways, it draws serious comparisons to that of Nacer Chadli, whose spell at the Hawthorns was disastrous – the irony being that he was once voted the ‘Flop of the Year.’

After splashing out a club-record £13m to Premier League rivals Spurs for his signature, the Belgian winger scored only six goals in 38 appearances before being relegated. An all too familiar position to that of Diangana and Albion right now.

The £10.8m-rated former Hammers ace is in grave danger of becoming another Chadli as a rate of two goal contributions in 32 top-flight appearances is currently way worse than even the ex-Baggies disaster achieved.

AND in other news, WBA must OFFLOAD £50k-p/w flop once dubbed a “manager’s dream”…

With news of Roy Hodgson set to leave his role as manager at Crystal Palace at the end of the season, Marcus Bent, who was signed by Palace for £405,000 in 1998, has exclusively told Football FanCast that his former club may regret appointing a younger manager like Frank Lampard.

There have been strong reports suggesting that Lampard is the favourite to replace Hodgson and now that it is official Hodgson will be leaving Selhurst Park, the board may decide a younger manager is required to take the club forward.

Lampard has had two jobs in his relatively short managerial career as he guided Derby County to an eventual play-off final defeat in 2019, before taking over at Chelsea when they were placed under a transfer ban, but he was sacked in January this year.

Palace will have to begin the search for a new manager after Hodgson manages his final game on Sunday and appointing a young manager may not be the right decision. That is according to former Eagle Bent, who spoke exclusively to FFC:

“Hodgson has always been consistent throughout his career and he’s done well at most clubs he’s been at, but there does come a time when you need to go forward as a club.

“So, if they bring Frank in then they might live to regret it, who knows? If Hodgson was to move upstairs at Palace then someone like Frank would have someone there to give him advice.”

Hodgson has had a long career as a manager which has seen him manage clubs such as Inter Milan, Liverpool and West Brom as well as winning eight trophies along the way.

Whoever does replace Hodgson as manager at Selhurst Park will have a rebuild on their hands as they have 16 players set to be out of contract at the end of the season.

Manchester United are targeting a new defensive midfielder ahead of the upcoming transfer window, according to reports.

What’s the story?

Well-known journalist James Cooper recently made a huge claim on a Sky Sports News broadcast, linking Man United with a signing that would dramatically alter how their team sets up. He said (as posted on Twitter by United Journal):

“United could be in the market for a player that lessens the need for a double-pivot and frees up Paul Pogba to express himself.” 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has often opted for a combination of Fred and Scott McTominay, aka McFred, for added protection in big games, but it appears as though the Red Devils boss is hoping to move away from that safety-first approach in the future.

Fans will be buzzing

The Old Trafford outfit made good progress in 2020/21, achieving a consecutive top-four finish in the Premier League for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

Winning the Europa League on Wednesday night in their first European cup final in four years would be the ideal way to end an impressive campaign for the English giants.

However, there is still a lot of work to be done to restore United to their former glory, with a 12-point gap to table-toppers Manchester City evidence of the distance between themselves and league title success.

Several star names have been linked with a move to Solskjaer’s charges in recent weeks. The likes of Jadon Sancho, Harry Kane and Raphael Varane are all reportedly attracting admiring glances from the club’s hierarchy, but it’s a less attractive position that appears to be taking priority.

In the modern era, a lot of Europe’s top teams, such as City and Liverpool, play with a single holding midfielder, allowing the other midfielders freedom to join the forwards in attack, creating a far more dangerous attacking unit.

City have had Fernandinho and then Rodri in that particular role, Liverpool have Fabinho and Real Madrid use Casemiro, but Solskjaer has very rarely felt comfortable enough to entrust that responsibility upon one man, instead opting to double up in the centre of the park.

What United gain in the defensive third, they lose at the top end of the pitch, and therefore, the club’s supporters will surely be buzzing at Cooper’s latest revelation that the manager plans to be a bit more attacking next year.

If Solskjaer can find the right man for the job, it will allow the likes of Paul Pogba license to roam forward and showcase their world-class creative talent much closer to the opposition goal, potentially causing havoc for opponents.

And, in other news…Forget Lindelof: Man United must swoop for “quality” £50m prodigy