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Aston Villa target Gerard Deulofeu would “definitely be interested” in working with Unai Emery, claims Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Emery’s transfer plan

With Villa currently sitting 11th in the Premier League table and suffering an embarrassing cup exit at home to Stevenage on Sunday, they may be likely to enter the January window in search of reinforcements.

BirminghamLive reported before their cup exit that Emery wants to bring his own players into the Villans squad, with that desire surely only heightened by the result at the weekend.

It was claimed that the Spaniard has made compatriot Deulofeu a key target, with the Midlands outfit tracking the winger.

The Latest: O’Rourke update

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed there’s a good chance of a Premier League return for the former Watford and Everton winger, with him fitting the bill of what Emery wants at Villa Park.

He said: “It does seem like he is looking at wide-men and Deulofeu could be a good fit if he is available in this transfer window.

“Due to his previous Premier League experience, it shouldn’t take them too long to get back into the swing of things in the top flight.

“I think Deulofeu would definitely be interested in working with somebody like Unai Emery, who has already made such a big impact at Aston Villa during this short time there.”

The Verdict: Exciting player

Across the 28-year-old’s previous three stints in England, he bagged 20 goals and 24 assists in 127 league appearances.

He struggled for regular minutes in two separate spells at Everton having originally arrived as a 19-year-old, while his later spell at Watford proved more fruitful, with him netting double figures in the 2018/19 campaign for a Hornets side that finished 11th and reached the FA Cup final.

With Villa currently in the same position in the table, the man dubbed a “magician” during his time in Hertfordshire by Phil McNulty could be an exciting injection of quality into the attacking third.

Over the past year, he’s ranked in the top 6% for assists as well as the top 1% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes amongst forwards at the top level (via FBref), proving the quality to become a potential shrewd acquisition for Villa.

Chelsea are willing to entertain offers for injured winger Raheem Sterling during the January transfer window, according to a report from Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Mudryk to join Chelsea

On Saturday, it was reported that the Blues had beaten Arsenal to an £88.5m deal for Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhailo Mudryk, in what was a significant development.

The Ukrainian is arguably one of Europe’s most exciting attacking talents, having registered 18 goal contributions in as many games this season, and the hope is that he will inject some life into a Chelsea team whose form since Halloween has been abysmal.

With Mudryk set to come in at Stamford Bridge, it could leave one high-profile player with doubts over his future in SW6.

The Latest: Sterling on the way out?

According to Football Insider, Chelsea ‘will listen to offers’ for Sterling this month following the imminent confirmation of Mudryk’s arrival.

With Joao Felix also joining on loan from Atletico Madrid and an abundance of forwards now available to Graham Potter, it could be that the Blues are happy to see the England international depart for pastures new.

The Verdict: Would be a surprise

In truth, it would be a huge surprise if Sterling were to leave Chelsea so soon, having only sealed a move from Manchester City six months ago on a £325k-per-week contract, making him the club’s highest earner.

Although the 28-year-old has somewhat struggled in a Blues shirt to date, scoring just six goals in 22 appearances, he remains a proven Premier League operator who has been dubbed ‘frightening’ by Tony Cascarino.

He is also one of Potter’s most favoured players at the club, with just four team-mates featuring for more minutes this season than the England international.

Sterling will certainly need to improve once he returns from his current injury absence but letting him go now would make little sense, worsening Potter’s squad depth at a time when Chelsea already have numerous players unavailable.

Pep Guardiola has been handed a significant injury boost at Manchester City, which might just serve to reignite the Premier League title race.

Defeat against Manchester United in the derby last weekend, combined with Arsenal’s north London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur, means that the Citizens are currently eight points behind the Gunners in the title race.

Poor recent displays against United, Southampton and Everton have cost City significantly, with Guardiola’s side struggling at both ends.

Erling Haaland has not looked nearly as prolific since the World Cup ended, with the Norweigian failing to score in each of his last three appearances, while a once-strong defence now looks susceptible, with clean sheets only coming in consecutive games against Chelsea.

This could be down to the absence of both Ruben Dias and John Stones, with the former picking up an injury at the World Cup which has ruled him out of all subsequent action, while the latter out of action since his superb display at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.

Fortunately for Guardiola, it seems as if both players are now pushing to start against Spurs on Thursday evening, as the club confirmed on Tuesday that they were back in training.

Although Spurs have been something of a bogey side for Guardiola in recent seasons, three points must be considered a must at the Etihad this week, especially as Arsenal face an in-form Man United side at the weekend.

The return of two arguably world-class defenders in Stones and Dias is likely to give the Citizens a significant boost and hopefully get them back to their best after some questionable recent defensive displays.

If their return can inspire City to three points against Spurs this week then suddenly the gap closes to just five points, with two fixtures against Mikel Arteta’s side still to come, which emphasises that the title race is far from over.

Considering WhoScored ranks Dias and Stones as the top-performing centre-backs in Guardiola’s side so far this campaign, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them resume a partnership in the defence in upcoming fixtures, which could subsequently see the Citizens rediscover the sort of form needed to win the title this term.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United could be keen on making a move for centre-back Nat Phillips this January.

What’s the word?

As per The Athletic, young Liverpool defender Rhys Williams is set to be recalled from his loan spell at Blackpool. It’s expected that he will return to Jurgen Klopp’s squad for the second half of the season after seeing his minutes diminish in the Championship.

This may come as a bit of good news for David Moyes and co. Indeed, West Ham have just sold Craig Dawson to Wolves and so should be on the lookout for a replacement.

While speaking about it all on The West Ham Way Patreon, Ex explained that Williams’ return could open the door for Phillips to leave this winter.

He said: “Interestingly, Liverpool look set to recall Rhys Williams from his loan spell at Championship side Blackpool with interest growing in Nat Phillips before next week’s transfer deadline.

“As we revealed at the start of the window we expected him to be a target. Liverpool appeared reluctant to let him go following Van Dijk’s injury but it seems like they could be preparing for his departure.

“West Ham have always been keen on the player and could also make a move for the player.

“It is thought that Moyes wants a domestic-based centre-back on loan, both [Michael Keane was mentioned too] of these are and they are over 6 foot 3 which Moyes seems to prefer for his centre-backs.”

Transfer chance

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT back in November, journalist Dean Jones claimed that West Ham have been keeping “a keen eye” on the defender for some time now.

This makes a lot of sense as the club likely would have been aware of Dawson’s impending departure seeing as he came so close to leaving last summer too.

With that in mind, the club have had ample opportunity to do their homework on Phillips and with Williams’s return now potentially opening the door for a deal to be done, the east London outfit could soon make their move.

The 25-year-old has never truly established himself as a first-team regular at Liverpool, but he has still managed to play 29 times for the club.

Incidentally, the defender actually put in a man-of-the-match display against the Hammers back in 2020 which caused Klopp to dub him a “monster”.

Phillips’ manager told the BBC: “He’s a brilliant guy, smart guy, intelligent, everything.

“He’s not easy on the eye, he’s not [Lionel] Messi but who cares? In the air, he’s a monster! He was incredible.”

Perhaps that was what first piqued West Ham’s interest in the centre-back.

Manchester United endured late heartache for the second game running, as Erik ten Hag’s men were undone by a rampant Arsenal side at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday evening.

Just days after slipping up away to Crystal Palace, the Red Devils again failed to build on their derby day momentum after suffering a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the league leaders, with Eddie Nketiah producing the decisive blow at the death.

The visitors had initially got off to the perfect start as Marcus Rashford netted his fifth goal from his last six Premier League games with a stunning, dipping strike from distance, only for that man Nketiah to nod home at the back post soon after.

The ever-dangerous Bukayo Saka then lashed in a sensational, curling effort from range to complete the turnaround for the Gunners, albeit with United’s Lisandro Martinez then levelling the scoreline once again with a looping and inventive header.

With the away side having been hanging on in the closing stages of the match, it was the north Londoners who then deservedly secured the win in the 90th minute, with the aforementioned Nketiah poking the ball past a helpless David De Gea.

That ensured a frustrating trip back to Manchester for the Old Trafford outfit, with Ten Hag and co having been dealt a “reality check” as a result of that defeat, as per club legend Roy Keane.

Despite the overall disappointment, however, the former Ajax boss can be encouraged by the performances of a handful of his key men, with the resurgent Rashford having particularly impressed with his fine, early strike, while also again going close after the break only to see his effort brilliantly saved by Aaron Ramsdale.

Those two moments of magic illustrated the rich vein of form that the Englishman is enjoying at present, although there was another United man who was arguably more impressive on the day, with summer signing Martinez having been “magnificent” according to Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

While the World Cup winner’s diving header was undoubtedly his most telling contribution in the match, the bruised and bandaged Argentine was also a leading figure throughout the fierce encounter, having shown his strength both in and out of possession against Arteta’s men.

The 25-year-old notably won four of his six total duels on the night, repeatedly putting his body on the line as he recorded four interceptions, three clearances and two blocked shots, as well as a further two tackles in total.

The 5 foot 10 menace was particularly crucial in denying Granit Xhaka in the second half after producing a vital, last-ditch tackle to deny the Switzerland international, with teammate De Gea having shown an unwillingness to come out and claim the ball himself.

Lauded by Luckhurst as arguably the club’s “player of the season” so far following the win over Fulham back in November, the menacing centre-back was also a real bonus when on the ball, having notably played six passes into the final third and enjoyed 76 touches in total.

As Luckhurst stated, the defender’s ‘line-breaking passes were a danger to Arsenal’, with it no doubt useful for Ten Hag to have a player who is both ‘handy in defence and attack’.

In truth, the Gualegay native was integral in ensuring that the Red Devils did not simply wilt amid the relentless attacking onslaught of the opposition, with the 15-cap monster likely to be left frustrated by the individual defensive errors of those around him that ultimately proved costly, namely Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the Gunners’ opening goal.

Despite the undoubted disappointment of the defeat, Martinez – who led the way for the visitors with a match rating of 8.0, as per Sofascore – can hold his head high after another commanding performance at the heart of the backline.

Tottenham Hotspur have seen their move to bring Pedro Porro to the Premier League collapse with less than 48 hours remaining of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to David Ornstein, with the journalist revealing in his latest article for The Athletic that, despite Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici having agreed a €45m (£39.5m) deal with Sporting Lisbon for the transfer of the right-back, the Liga Portugal side have now reneged on the terms of the 23-year-old’s proposed move to north London.

Subsequently, Fabrizio Romano revealed in a post on Twitter that talks between the two clubs will “continue today” in order to attempt to reestablish an agreement regarding the defender’s fee.

In his post, the Italian transfer insider said: “Pedro Porro – Tottenham had medical tests booked today in order to complete the deal, agreed on Saturday as player said goodbye to the fans. Sporting changed details/conditions of the deal right before signing documents. Talks continue today to resolve the issues.”

Forget Porro

While it is undeniable that Porro would represent a fantastic addition to Conte’s current options on the right of his backline at Tottenham, should Sporting continue to mess Paratici around heading into the final 24 hours of the transfer window, it would appear wise for the Italian sporting director to turn his attention back towards a long-term target: Denzel Dumfries.

Indeed, reports from Italy earlier this month suggested that Conte views the Inter Milan full-back as a dream alternative to the Spain international, with Tottenham said to be planning to ‘slingshot on Dumfries’ if ‘negotiations for Porro were to fail’ this month – with the Serie A side believed to be willing to part with the 26-year-old for a fee of €40m (£35m).

And, considering how similar the two players are in an attacking capacity – with Conte known to prefer his wing-backs to be predominantly forward-thinking rather than defensively focused – the argument that Dumfries would be a dream alternative to the Sporting star is an extremely easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 33 Serie A appearances in 2021/22, the £35m-rated Dutchman was in fantastic attacking form, scoring five goals, providing five assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 0.8 key passes and completing 0.4 crosses per game.

The £54k-per-week right-back has been in similarly fine form over his 18 league outings this season, having already hit the back of the net once, registered two assists and created eight big chances, as well as taking an average of 1.1 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 0.4 crosses per match.

In comparison, over Porro’s 23 Liga Portugal appearances last season, the £22m-rated talent was also in eye-catching form going forwards, bagging four goals, providing four assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.6 shots, making two key passes and completing 1.8 crosses per game.

It has been a similar story over his 14 league fixtures this season, with the £10k-per-week Spaniard having already scored two goals, provided six assists and created eight big chances, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots, making 2.4 key passes and completing 1.8 crosses per match.

As such, while it is true that Porro’s returns slightly better those of Dumfries over the last 18 or so months, considering the fact that the Dutchman looks to be available for roughly £4.5m less than the Sporting star, should Paratici fail in his negotiations for the 23-year-old, the Inter defender who Micah Richards dubbed “breathless” would indeed appear a dream alternative.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their plans to improve their squad before the deadline for the January transfer window passes…

What’s the talk?

Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed that the Villans are attempting to complete a “last-gasp” swoop to sign French talent Houssem Aouar from Ligue 1 side Lyon.

The accompanying article claims that the club are keen on adding a central midfielder to their squad before the end of play today to bolster Unai Emery’s side.

It is stated that they are trying to sign Aouar on loan until the end of the season and that they need to fight off interest from a number of other clubs to land his signature.

Morgan Sanson successor

One French midfielder leaves and another arrives? Villa sanctioned an exit for Morgan Sanson earlier this month as the 28-year-old dynamo joined Ligue 1 side Strasbourg on loan.

The former Marseille man struggled to push on and really compete for a place in the side at Villa Park as he only made ten Premier League appearances in 2021/22 and appeared in two matches this term.

Aouar, however, could come as a successor to his fellow countryman and offer competition for the likes of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, and Boubacar Kamara, instead of rarely playing and just picking up a pay packet.

The Frenchman, who journalist Matt Spiro once dubbed a “maestro”, has only played eight times in Ligue 1 for Lyon this term but caught the eye with some strong performances in 2021/22 as the midfielder averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.90 across 36 outings – a score that would place him joint-sixth with Emi Buendia in the current Villa side.

Aouar produced six goals and four assists from the middle of the park, whilst also making 1.9 tackles and interceptions per game, and could offer an attacking threat from a midfield position.

Meanwhile, no Villa midfielder managed more than six goals and only one created more than four goals in the Premier League last season, which suggests that Aouar could be a much-needed addition to bolster the side’s attacking potential in that position.

If Emery can get the Lyon man playing at his best then he could be a dream Sanson replacement as the possible impact the gem could make in the final third could make him a match-winner at times in the second half of the campaign.

Ben Jacobs has namedropped Newcastle United when discussing where Moises Caicedo could go in the summer.

The Lowdown: Newcastle will look for a midfielder

For the majority of the January transfer window, it was widely reported and accepted that Newcastle were looking to hand Eddie Howe a new central midfielder with the likes of Youri Tielemans and Caicedo being tipped with a move.

When Jonjo Shelvey departed for Nottingham Forest on a permanent basis many may well have expected PIF to be bullish in the market and replace him with an upgrade, although nobody arrived on deadline day.

While The Athletic documented Newcastle’s interest in Caicedo, Brighton’s unwillingness to even enter discussions with other clubs suggested that no matter what, he wasn’t going to be leaving.

The Latest: Caicedo to be looked at in the summer

Despite his eye-watering price tag, Ben Jacobs did indeed name-drop the Magpies on his Twitter Space when discussing what the future holds for Caicedo after his failed attempt to force through a January move.

He said: (1:24:55) “I genuinely believe it’s going to be very difficult for Brighton to get £70 million for Moises Caicedo in the summer, I think the valuation could easily drop to more like £60-65 million and then you start looking at is their value for Liverpool to enter the race who didn’t really want to go above that number.

“Somebody else who could surprise us with Caicedo as well, Newcastle United might be a team looking for a midfielder and Caicedo might come into the fore as well, especially if you consider Joelinton is playing in a more advanced role, Jonjo Shelvey has left so Newcastle could be quite active in the market for some kind of central or box to box midfielder as well.”

The Verdict: PIF could land a major coup

If it’s true what Jacobs says about Caicedo’s valuation likely to plummet by about £10 million in just a matter of months then Newcastle could well see that as value for money and try to move in the summer.

Newcastle would have likely wanted to bring in a new midfielder last month given their sheer lack of options and hindsight have been a wonderful thing when Bruno Guimaraes was handed a three-game suspension.

Caicedo ranks inside the top five for tackles in the entire Premier League (FBRef) so it’s obvious why the Magpies would be keen, much like so many other clubs, to add Caicedo to their side as it would indeed allow someone such as Guimaraes to venture further forward.

Chelsea will look to bring in a new centre forward during the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update from journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Blues struggling in attack

The Blues are experiencing a season to forget currently, with a top-four finish looking increasingly unlikely and Graham Potter still adjusting to his new surroundings.

Chelsea have only scored 22 goals in 21 Premier League games in 2022/23 to date, with Kai Havertz their top goalscorer in the competition with just five strikes to his name.

It has highlighted the need for a new striker to arrive this summer, in order for Potter’s side to go up another gear.

The Latest: New striker this summer?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke talked up Chelsea’s chances of bringing in a No.9 at the end of the season:

“I think a No.9 is a key target for Chelsea this summer.

“They’ve obviously spent big elsewhere around the squad to strengthen things, but they’ve lacked a real No.9 for a while. Kai Havertz is playing in there, but that’s probably not his best position.”

The Verdict: Makes complete sense

This has to be a primary area of focus during the summer transfer window, with none of Chelsea’s current striker options at the desired standard.

Havertz doesn’t look at home leading the line, excelling more as a No.10, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been a huge disappointment, scoring just three goals in 17 appearances.

Someone like Victor Osimhen would be the ideal summer signing by the Blues, with the Nigerian absolutely flying for table-topping Napoli this season.

The 24-year-old has been linked with a move to Chelsea – he has netted 16 times in as many Serie A starts this season – and his pace and physicality are not dissimilar to Didier Drogba, with Jose Mourinho comparing the two recently.

Manchester United are eyeing up Napoli striker Victor Osimhen ahead of the summer transfer window following his impressive 2022/23 campaign to date.

What’s the latest?

The Red Devils have been left scrambling for options at striker this season following the debacle with Cristiano Ronaldo in the early stages of the campaign.

This saw United bring in the Dutch striker Wout Weghorst over the January transfer window on a short-term loan deal until the end of the season.

However, it seems that United will be looking to bring in a longer-term option in the summer with the Nigerian striker believed to be one of the options.

Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has suggested Erik ten Hag is a big fan of the 24-year-old but will face competition from other European powerhouses:

“The player is in the list of many clubs. For sure, Manchester United appreciates the player. As I mentioned, he was on the list last summer. Erik ten Hag is understood to be a big fan of Osimhen’s skills.”

Long-term option

It does feel as if United have needed a focal point up top for a number of years now with the likes of Ronaldo only offering the club short-term stints in the side.

And with Ten Hag at the helm, it does seem United have the correct type of manager at the helm to bring in a striker who could play his football at Old Trafford for years to come.

There have been links to Harry Kane and the England captain could certainly provide them with a consistent output of goals in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time record goalscorer has proven to be one of the best strikers the league has ever seen and could, therefore, prove to be a sensible option for United this summer.

However, Kane will be 30 years old during the summer transfer window and perhaps this will raise some concerns that he may not provide the Red Devils the long-term option they may be looking for.

Whereas, with Osimhen – who’s been hailed as a “machine”, the 24-year-old is providing Napoli with a stunning return in Serie A with 16 goals to his name this season in 17 appearances.

This comes on the back of the Nigerian netting 14 goals last season in Serie A, showing a steady progression in the striker’s development.

Of course, Osimhen will prove to be a bigger gamble over Kane for United given he has never played in the Premier League before.

But you do have to question how many more years Kane has at the top level. Although he may still have a few more at his peak, Osimhen could certainly offer United a real focal point for years to come.