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Aston Villa make the trip to Stamford Bridge for the second time in as many weeks as they take on Chelsea in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

Dean Smith’s side fell to a 3-0 defeat in the Premier League against the Blues despite a battling performance, and will no doubt be hoping for a better result this time around.

With the cup perhaps not the biggest of priorities for Smith or Villa, it may give a chance to some of the club’s more fringe players, one of them, Morgan Sanson.

It’s been a rather frustrating first few months in English football for the January signing, making just nine appearances in the Premier League and that too only totalling 291 minutes worth of football.

Speaking after his signing back in the January transfer window, Smith waxed lyrical about the kind of qualities the Frenchman could bring, saying: “He has got a big game mentality, he has played at the top of the French league for the last five years, played in the Champions League.

“He is a great technician and has great tactical awareness. He can play in a number of positions, can set up goals and can score goals. He has a bit of everything in his game so we’re really pleased with the acquisition.”

According to The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece, a number of Villa’s substitutes were put through their paces on Saturday night by fitness coach Jack Sharkey, and “Frenchman Morgan Sanson was also a part of that running group despite not being named in Smith’s 20-man squad.”

Dubbed as a “warrior” by himself, the £12.5m-rated Sanson showed his qualities as a really effective box-to-box presence in his time at Marseille.Before his move to the Midlands, he averaged an impressive 1.8 tackles and 1.1 key passes per game in Ligue 1, both of which ranked him favourably compared to the rest of Villa’s squad. In fact, only two other players averaged more tackles per match than him, while again, only three others had averaged more key passes too.Given reports in recent months have suggested that Smith actually isn’t that convinced by the Frenchman – it’s even been suggested that they’ve made a mistake in signing him – tonight feels like a particularly crucial chance for Sanson to showcase why the club were right to splash out back in January.And, with the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka battling their way into first-team contention after impressing in the academy, Sanson has got far more competition for places now than he ever did before.Tonight feels like a potential now or never moment for the Marseille man to show that he belongs here at Villa Park.Meanwhile, Aston Villa have another exciting academy starlet…

Rangers have fielded an approach from Newcastle United for striker Alfredo Morelos, according to 90min. 

The lowdown

The Gers have already lost one player to an English Premier League club this month, with Nathan Patterson sealing a £16m move to Everton; while Morelos said publicly back in September that he hoped he would ‘soon’ be given the ‘opportunity’ to take the next step in his career.

The Colombian is into the final 18 months of his £33,000-per-week contract and is valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The report from 90min states that Morelos is one of the names Newcastle who have ‘asked about’, with Magpies manager Eddie Howe potentially looking to bring in two forwards this month.

Other targets include Liverpool’s Divock Origi, Manchester United’s Anthony Martial and Flamengo’s Gabriel Barbosa.

The verdict

Rangers might not want to part with Morelos midway through the campaign. If they sell him in the summer, they would at least have more time to find a replacement for him, and the new man would also have more time to bed in during the off-season.

Cashing in at the end of the campaign could be wise, though. Based on those comments from September, the 25-year-old is unlikely to sign a new contract at Ibrox, and as the expiry date of his current deal draws nearer, Rangers’ negotiating position becomes weaker.

Moreover, across his Ibrox career, Morelos has scored once every 1.97 games, but this season that has dropped to one goal every 2.2 matches.

He has been dubbed a ‘genius’ by the Heart & Hand podcast, but you can understand why Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge argued that he’s not the ‘ultimate must-stay’ anymore, given the Colombian’s decline in form this season.

In other news, Rangers have received a boost in this transfer chase

A big Newcastle United update has emerged on Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has revealed that the Magpies are keen on the Mali international heading into the summer transfer window, although he is not the only player in their sights.

Speaking with Football FanCast, Downie said: “I think Bissouma is a player of interest. I think that’s all it is at the moment.

“I think it’s going to be very much like January where they’re looking at a lot of players… a lot of players.”

Supporters will be delighted

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and the club’s supporters will be delighted by this claim, as they would surely love to have Bissouma in the squad for the 2022/23 campaign.

The 25-year-old has been in fine form this season and Brighton reportedly valued him at £50m in January. This shows how highly his current club rate him and his statistics for the Seagulls this term back it up as he has consistently showcased his quality in the middle of the park.

In the Premier League, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.06 across 21 matches, making a whopping 5.1 tackles and interceptions per game and winning 59% of his duels.

This is not a flash in the pan from Bissouma either, as he also caught the eye last season. In 2020/21, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.07 in 36 outings – making 4.7 tackles and interceptions per game and winning 59% of his battles – almost identical to his form in the current campaign.

These statistics show that he is a proven Premier League performer, as he has been able to consistently deliver quality displays on the pitch over the past 18 months or so.

Meanwhile, no central midfielder for Newcastle has averaged a Sofascore rating of higher than 6.95 (Bruno Guimaraes) this season in the top flight, while Jonjo Shelvey’s score of 7.04 was the highest in 2020/21.

Therefore, Howe will be delighted by PIF’s interest in signing Bissouma, who would be an upgrade on what the Toon boss currently has at his disposal. The Malian has been able to perform at a higher standard than the likes of Shelvey, Joe Willock and Joelinton, although it is hard to judge Guimaraes considering that he has only been at the Tyneside club for a few months.

At the age of 25, Bissouma also has room to grow and develop even further, and Howe may be eager to help the midfielder fulfill his potential. It is now down to PIF to work their magic…

AND in other news, “I’m hearing..”: Keith Downie drops big Newcastle claim which will infuriate Howe…

Leeds United will be aiming to build on what was just their third Premier League victory of the campaign last time out when they welcome Brentford to Elland Road this afternoon.

Raphinha slotted home a 91st-minute penalty against Crystal Palace on Tuesday night to put some daylight between the Whites and the relegation zone. However, Marcelo Bielsa will be desperate for his charges to secure their first consecutive top-flight victories of the campaign when they host the Bees.

In his pre-match press conference, the 66-year-old revealed that Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling and Patrick Stuijk will be available for selection, providing Leeds with a significant boost as they go in search of a positive result.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects Bielsa to line up to face Brentford, with only one change from the side which featured from the off in midweek…

In goal, Illan Meslier will keep his place between the sticks after making an impressive start to the season, and he’ll be looking to keep just his fourth Premier League clean sheet of 2021/22.

Ahead of the France under-21 international is set to be a back four made up of Stuart Dallas, Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente and Struijk. Summer signing Junior Firpo is yet to settle into life on English shores after arriving from Barcelona back in July, while Robin Koch is still sidelined through injury.

The midfield is likely to feature no alterations after some promising performances of late. Adam Forshaw has made a remarkable return from an extensive injury lay-off, and Kalvin Phillips has slowly been getting back to his best after impressing throughout the European Championship over the summer.

Mateusz Klich should complete the midfield trio, with wingers Dan James and Raphinha supporting lone striker Rodrigo, who comes in for the £5.4m-rated Tyler Roberts after drawing yet another blank against Palace.

In other news… Orta can seal Bielsa’s dream LUFC transfer with “powerful” £9m-rated “real goalscorer” 

Rangers have enjoyed a strong first transfer window under manager Gio van Bronckhorst as they have made two additions to their ranks at Ibrox.

James Sands has arrived on an 18-month loan from New York City FC and John Souttar is poised to arrive in the summer after penning a pre-contract agreement with the central defender.

Football Scotland reporter Mark Hendry has claimed that the Dutch head coach is now eyeing up a deal for a Scottish youth international this month.

He Tweeted: “EXCLUSIVE! Rangers interested in Motherwell and Scotland prospect Bailey Rice as Manchester City also weigh up move.”

Patterson 2.0

Van Bronckhorst could land the club’s next Nathan Patterson by securing a swoop for Rice this month as he is a promising young player with the potential to break into the first team down the line.

The right-back made the breakthrough at Ibrox and went on to play 27 times in the senior side before being sold to Premier League side Everton for a club-record transfer fee this month.

Managing director Stewart Robertson explained the thinking behind the sale, saying: 

“This is a deal which fits with our long-term, strategic vision for the club. We have been very clear that player trading is an important element of our business model but only when the circumstances suit Rangers.

“We are delighted for Nathan and his family, wish them all the best for the future and they will always be welcome back at Ibrox.”

This shows that the club are looking to bleed through youngsters from the academy and into the first-team in the hope of developing them into a player who can make them a large profit in the future.

Therefore, the signing of Rice could be a shrewd deal as he could follow in the footsteps of Patterson by impressing in the youth teams before breaking into van Bronckhorst’s side in the years to come.

Rice has captained Scotland at youth level and is said to be one of Motherwell’s most talented prospects, which suggests that he has the potential to grow into a top player.

The fact that Rangers and Manchester City have become alerted to his possible availability also indicates that they have seen enough from him at such a young age to believe that he could be a valuable asset moving forward.

This means that he could be the next Patterson for Rangers and Scotland in the future and that is why van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson must work hard to pip Pep Guardiola’s side to his signature.

AND in other news, Major development emerges in “groundbreaking” Rangers move, GvB will be buzzing…

Speaking to Polish news outlet Meczyki, West Ham United mainstay Lukasz Fabianski has made an intriguing comment involving Primeira Liga giants Benfica.

The Lowdown: Fabianski ‘untouchable’…

Despite the summer signing of Paris-Saint Germain shot stopper Alphonse Areola on a season-long loan with the option to buy, Hammers veteran Fabianski has remained one of the first names on manager David Moyes’ team sheet domestically.

This is despite a previous claim from Football Insider that the Scotsman was planning to steadily phase Areola into his starting eleven and eventually replace the ‘untouchable’ 36-year-old on a more regular basis.

Indeed, since signing from Swansea City back in 2018, the keeper has gone on to make 111 appearances in all competitions – but he has had opportunities to make a move elsewhere in that period.

The Latest: Fabianski drops Benfica admission…

Speaking to Meczyki, the former Arsenal man has lifted the lid on direct contact once made to sign him from Portuguese giants Benfica.

When asked about rumours of the specific offer from Portugal, Fabianski confirmed they were in fact real.

“Yes it’s true. It was after the first season at West Ham,” he explained.

“The people from Benfica contacted me directly and said they were interested in me.

“They wanted to discuss the details so I redirected them to my agent. He already had further talks, but to be honest I did not take this proposal seriously.”

The Verdict: Interesting admission…

Given Fabianski had opportunities to move elsewhere, as now confirmed by the man himself, the fact he chose to remain in east London, even during some of the darker days, should only endear him to Irons supporters more.

The keeper has gone on to become a good servant for Moyes and some fans may even be hoping he decides to extend his stay past 2022.

Whether that would be as a back-up to Areola or another new signing remains to be seen.

In other news: ‘Incredible’, ‘Bargain’…Pundit blown away as West Ham eye ‘very, very good signing’ for Moyes, find out more here.

Newcastle journalist Liam Kennedy has made a claim on Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, regarding a potential January swoop.

What’s the talk?

When asked about whether or not the England international is a player the Magpies could target, the reporter told GIVEMESPORT:

“He’s exactly the profile of player they’ll be targeting in the first couple of windows.”

This comes after Danny Mills tipped the midfielder to leave Tottenham in January in order to recapture his best form. He told Football Insider:

“Yes, I think he needs a fresh challenge of some description.

“Don’t forget he was on fire, he was absolutely outstanding in his younger days, when he first came to Spurs.

“Somehow he needs to rediscover that mojo. That could well be a new club, a new challenge, a new set of fans, whatever it might be, to re-energise himself.”

Imagine him & Wilson

PIF must secure a deal for Alli in January because he could form a dream partnership with Callum Wilson at the top end of the pitch.

Wilson has scored 16 goals in 29 Premier League starts for the club since joining from Bournemouth at the start of last season, proving that he has the quality to be a regular goalscorer at this level. Imagine how many goals he would score if he had a playmaker behind him capable of providing him with a higher quality of service – that player could be Alli.

The Tottenham midfielder has enjoyed three top-flight seasons with nine or more assists and has 67 goals and 61 assists in all competitions for the club in 263 appearances. This shows that, at his best, he is able to score and create goals in the final third.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-newcastle-pif-news-martinez-ward-prowse” title= “Read the latest Newcastle news!”]

Ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino once claimed that Alli is a ‘fighter’ and that his mentality is not affected by his minutes on the pitch. He said:

“Dele is not one to be affected if he plays or if he does not play.

“He’s so strong, he is a fighter, very competitive.”

These comments suggest that he could stand up to the challenge of a relegation battle in the second half of the campaign. His quality in the number 10 role could help the Magpies avoid the drop, whilst creating a dream partnership with Wilson, proving in the past that he has the ability to regularly provide assists and the former Bournemouth man has shown that he can score goals.

Therefore, PIF must secure a deal for the £100k-per-week England international. If they could strike an agreement to sign him on loan with the option to make it permanent if they stay in the division, it could be an ideal transfer for all involved.

AND in other news, “Sources telling”: Journo drops major NUFC manager update that’ll leave fans ecstatic…

A report has shed further light on Fulham’s deadline day deal to bring Domingos Quina to Craven Cottage.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, Marco Silva’s side fought off competition from the likes of Southampton, LOSC Lille, Swansea City, AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest in order to land the 21-year-old on the final day of the summer transfer window – with the Cottagers securing a season-long loan deal for the central midfielder, while also holding the option to purchase the Portugal U21 international next summer.

Major coup

Considering the sheer amount of potential Quina quite clearly possesses, the fact that Silva managed to fight off what appeared to be some extremely strong competition for the signing of the youngster this summer represents something of a real coup for the Championship side.

Indeed, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona having enquired about signing the 21-year-old prior to his move from West Ham United to Watford back in 2018, the £2.7m-rated man is a player who boasts impressive positional versatility – having been deployed at left-back, defensive midfield, left midfield, central midfield, right midfield, left-wing, right-wing and at centre forward during his time with the Hornets – the ability to score a variety of goals from almost any position around the penalty area and incredible athleticism – particularly his speed.

As such, while it may take a little while for the man Slaven Billic dubbed a “talented” player to establish himself as a first-team regular under Silva, having only played a handful of games over the past few seasons, it would undoubtedly appear as if the youngster could go on to play a key role for Fulham in the not too distant future, with his signing looking to be a very exciting one indeed.

In other news: Fulham issued warning on “fantastic” gem, Silva may be heading for unforgivable error

Crystal Palace have already given up hope of turning Conor Gallagher’s stay at Selhurst Park permanent next summer, according to pundit Carlton Palmer.

What’s the story?

The 21-year-old has impressed since joining the Eagles on a season-long loan back in July, playing a pivotal part as Patrick Vieira’s charges have risen to 12th in the Premier League table.

However, it now appears unlikely that Gallagher will be plying his trade in south London next term following a string of eye-catching performances, with ex-England international Palmer believing a return to parent club Chelsea is on the cards.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think they’re resigned to the fact that they won’t sign him permanently, that is for sure.

“I don’t believe that Chelsea will let him go permanently, so you’ve always got to be in the hunch and looking for good players.”

Crystal Palace fans will be gutted

Vieira made Gallagher one of his first acquisitions after arriving at the capital club, and his performances in the opening period of the campaign have illustrated why the 45-year-old tactician was so keen to secure his services.

Since being ruled out of action against Chelsea on the opening day of the season, Gallagher has started every league game for Palace, bagging six goals and laying on a further three assists in his 15 appearances.

The £17k-per-week gem’s outstanding performances at club level caught the eye of Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate, who rewarded him with his first senior England cap during the 10-0 thrashing of San Marino.

Therefore, with Gallagher’s growing importance to this improving Palace side, the club’s supporters will be extremely gutted about Palmer’s latest revelation.

He put pen to paper on a new five-year contract at Stamford Bridge last year following a breakout campaign on loan at West Bromwich Albion, meaning any potential suitor would have to pay a substantial fee to prise him away from his boyhood club.

It remains to be seen where Gallagher’s long-term future lies, but Palace will want to make the most out of the youngster during the limited time they have him at their disposal, before signing a worthy replacement ahead of 2022/23.

And, in other news…“Unbelievable” £30k-p/w beast is already solving Vieira’s big CPFC conundrum

Former All Leeds TV pundit Joe Wainman insists that Raphinha will end up playing for a club with ambitions of reaching the latter stages of the Champions League, and has tipped him to star for Brazil following his call-up this week.

Raphinha enjoyed an excellent first season in the Premier League following his £17m move from Rennes.

The flying winger made a total of 30 appearances in the top-flight and scored six goals, while also registering nine assists.

The 24-year-old has subsequently been linked away from the club, with Liverpool touted with an interest, and Wainman is unsurprised that big clubs are already exploring Raphinha as an option.

Indeed, he does not believe that he will be remaining with Leeds for the duration of his career, and thinks he will eventually move on to a truly elite club.

Raphinha has also yet to make an appearance for any Brazilian team, even at youth level, but that could changed after he received his maiden call-up this week.

The JustJoe Football Show host said: “I think he will be playing in a team that plays regularly in the Champions League, in the latter stages as well, I think he is that good.

“I still think it’s mad he’s only just been called up by Brazil. I think there’s something amiss there.

“I can understand why clubs are looking at him, why wouldn’t you? And £17 million? Wow.”