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Aston Villa have not been reluctant in bringing new players to the Midlands during the January transfer window, with Lucas Digne, Robin Olsen, Calum Chambers and Philippe Coutinho all making their way to Villa Park in the past few weeks.

However, it appears as though the Villans have put an end to the possibility of one particular deal being struck before the 11pm deadline arrives.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, Villa have “decided against pursuing a deal” for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma this month.

Having been linked with the Mali international earlier this month, with a reported bid of £25m rejected by the Seagulls for their midfielder, it seems as though the Midlands club will not be making any further attempts to try and lure him to Villa Park before the end of the transfer window.

Furthermore, with Brighton reportedly wanting a fee in the region of £50m for Bissouma, this could be a factor as to why Villa have seemingly given up their attempts to sign the 25-year-old after already splashing out £25m to bring in Digne from Everton.

NSWE are taking a big risk

Even though it would take a club-record transfer fee from Villa to sign Bissouma this month, it would be a big risk in the short-term for the club owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris not to secure the Brighton maestro given how Marvelous Nakamba is out of action through injury, and after missing out on signing Rodrigo Bentancur this month as well.

Thinking on a long-term basis, with Bissouma being young but experienced in the Premier League and recent reports casting speculation over the futures of Douglas Luiz and Carney Chukwuemeka, adding the Brighton star to their ranks could be a great investment for the Villans for the foreseeable future.

With that in mind, depending on how Villa’s midfield situation looks at the end of the season, they should definitely try and make a move to bring Bissouma to the Midlands during the summer transfer window, if Brighton would be willing to negotiate a suitable deal for him.

In other news: Gregg Evans drops big AVFC deadline day update which will surely leave fans thrilled

Giovanni van Bronckhorst continued his perfect start to life at Rangers with a 3-1 win in the Premiership on Sunday.

The Gers swept Livingston away in what ended up being a fairly comfortable victory, despite some nervous moments in the first half.

Allan McGregor was forced into a couple of terrific saves, but goals from Joe Aribo, Scott Arfield and Fashion Sakala ensured that they came away with the three points.

Forget Tavernier

Whilst James Tavernier may grab the headlines with two assists from right-back, perhaps the real star of the show for the Gers was Alfredo Morelos.

The Colombian bulldozer led the line brilliantly and was crucial to everything Rangers tried to do going forward with his work rate and movement up front. He was constantly harassing the Livingston defenders and trying to hold the ball up, whilst making runs off the ball to create space for the likes of Ianis Hagi, Aribo and Scott Arfield to run through.

Arfield’s goal to open the scoring came from him sprinting through the middle of the pitch after Morelos dragged a centre-back over to the far side. This highlights how much of an impact he can have without even touching the ball in the move.

However, the 25-year-old also made his mark in possession. As per SofaScore, he created an impressive four chances for his teammates throughout the game, whilst completing 81% of his passes and managing one shot on target. One of the opportunities that he created led to Aribo firing them 2-0 up, with his clever first-time pass finding the ex-Charlton man in the box to sweep it into the top corner.

He also put in a shift defensively. As per SofaScore, Morelos won five duels, including four of his seven on the ground, and completed two tackles for Van Bronckhorst’s side. This shows that he was willing to put in the hard yards for his team to win possession back and hold his own against Livingston.

Therefore, he was able to piece together a complete performance by making an impact at both ends of the pitch, which is why he was the real star of the show for Rangers. The Gers’ number 20 may not have managed to get himself on the scoresheet, but he was still crucial to their play and led the line superbly today.

AND in other news, 35 G/A: Rangers secured dream £4m deal for “outstanding talent”, he’s a match-winner…

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” 

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli…

What’s the talk?

According to the Northern Echo, the Magpies’ chances of landing the England international in January have diminished, with there now being an expectation that he will remain at Spurs until next summer.

The report claims that Newcastle previously viewed him as a realistic transfer target due to his lack of game time, but they could now abort their plans to sign him.

Save NUFC’s season

Nick Hammond has been appointed as a short-term transfer consultant for the club and he must now use his expertise to secure a deal for Alli in January.

He needs to convince Tottenham to part ways with him and then make sure that he is able to offer him a suitable package to go along with whatever pitch Eddie Howe produces to tempt him into making the switch.

The former Reading chief could save Newcastle’s season by doing this, as Alli has previously shown that he has the quality to be a difference-maker at this level.

In 266 games for Spurs, he has produced 67 goals and 61 assists. This includes 51 strikes and 37 assists in 180 Premier League matches. The 25-year-old has proven himself in the top-flight of English football and, therefore, would surely come in and provide a lift to the Magpies.

Ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino previously handed him high praise by comparing him to two footballing icons. He said:

“You smell Maradona’s energy, his charisma is amazing.”Ronaldinho at Paris Saint-Germain was similar. And it’s similar with Dele. People love him in this way. When you add the charisma to the talent, that’s what makes a special player. When he was scoring goals, kids loved him like he was Ronaldinho.”Kids feel this charisma, this energy, and with Dele it’s the same; he has this charisma that kids love and follow.”The £100k-per-week dynamo, who was previously dubbed a “freak” of a talent by Darren Anderton, has enjoyed four seasons scoring eight or more goals in the Premier League in his career. Last term, Callum Wilson (12) was the only Newcastle player to find the back of the net more than eight times.Howe’s side are 19th in the table after 18 matches and have only picked up one win all season. This shows how dire the situation is and why Alli’s goals and assists could be crucial for them, as he could come in and pop up with match-winning contributions that win vital points in the battle against relegation.That is why Hammond can save Newcastle’s Premier League season by working hard to complete a deal for Dele, whether that is by getting Spurs or the player himself to push for it to happen.

AND in other news, Sissoko 2.0: Howe could unearth a new beast for NUFC in “extraordinary” 6ft1 machine…

Fans of Aston Villa have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the club confirmed the appointment of Mile Jedinak as a part of Dean Smith’s backroom staff at Bodymoor Heath.

In a short statement on the Villa website, the club confirmed that Jedinak – who made 80 appearances for the club as a player over a three-year spell at Villa Park, playing an important role in the club’s 2018/19 promotion-winning campaign – will be taking up the role of Loan Player Development Coach at the club.

In addition to confirming Jedinak’s return, Villa also revealed that Adam Henshall has been appointed as the club’s new Head of Emerging Talents & Loans.

And, after Aston Villa relayed news of these appointments on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the prospect of Jedinak being a part of the Villa setup once again.

So, what exactly did these Aston Villa fans have to say in reaction to Mile Jedinak’s appointment?

“Oh yes.”

@avfc_jf

“More key work behind the scenes looking after our future.”

@StephenArnold78

“Fantastic to see Mile still involved in the club.”

@BobBobb70447781

“Wow!!! Planning, that’s a novelty…”

@onmyshoe

“Love to see it.”

@liamhaddon1

“Great news.”

@BoysieBaldock

“Mile omds.”

@jlancaster0

In other news: Loads of Aston Villa fans called for this £42k p/w ace’s summer exit – find out more here!

According to a report from Turkish outlet Fanatik (via the Liverpool Echo), Liverpool are interested in signing Getafe striker Enes Unal. 

The lowdown: Career so far

The 24-year-old has taken a rather nomadic path to stardom having moved to Manchester City from Bursaspor for £2million in 2015 (Sky Sports).

Since then, Unal has spent time on loan at Genk, NAC Breda and FC Twente before making a permanent switch to Spain. Having initially signed for the Reds’ UEFA Champions League semi-final opponents, Villarreal, the Turkey international was loaned to Real Valladolid ahead of a move to current club Getafe.

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Now, after finally finding some career stability, another move could be forthcoming for the well-travelled star…

The latest: Liverpool interested

As per Fanatik (via the Liverpool Echo), the Anfield club are believed to be keen on signing Unal as Jurgen Klopp prepares for life after popular cult hero, Divock Origi.

It’s claimed that the 26-cap Turkey ace is the ‘most suitable name’ on the list of targets as incoming sporting director Julian Ward attempts to replace the enigmatic Belgian in the Liverpool squad.

Described as ‘very good’ by legendary Brazil frontman and Real Valladolid president Ronaldo, Unal is currently under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt).

The verdict: Worth the risk

This season has been a coming of age campaign for the Turkish ace and Liverpool have certainly developed a knock of plucking out the hottest talents just as they enter their prime, most notably the signing of previous Premier League flop Mohamed Salah.

So far this term, Unal has scored 15 times and provided one assist in 32 La Liga outings whilst also earning an impressive 7.04 average Sofascore rating in the process – the highest out of the entire Getafe squad.

Standing marginally over 6 foot, unsurprisingly Unal possesses strong aerial ability as well as finishing, long-range shooting and defensive contribution (WhoScored), making the Turkish centre-forward an ideal addition to Klopp’s ranks as a direct replacement for super-sub Origi.

In other news, an expert has made a Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Considering how poor Celtic have been this season, the idea of adding nobody to their squad in January seems hard to believe.

Yet, that’s the conclusion we look to be reaching. Despite sitting 23 points behind Rangers in their quest for a tenth SPFL crown in a row, they are seemingly happy with their squad.

If we’re searching for positives then they have at least kept hold of their best players. Kristoffer Ajer is still in Glasgow while the highly sought after Odsonne Edouard remains a Hoop for now.

Though, they do look as though they’ll see Olivier Ntcham walk through the exit door. The Frenchman has been out of Neil Lennon’s plans in recent months and is now being linked with a loan move to Newcastle. If that does materialise, it’s likely there will be an option to buy in the terms.

Celtic arguably needed an extra protective layer in their midfield anyway but if Ntcham leaves, that only becomes even more important.

Fortunately, they have a player on their radar that could fix a number of their problems. That happens to be former Stoke City midfielder Giannelli Imbula.

The 28-year-old is out of contract and available on a free transfer after departing Sochi earlier this season so represents a fantastic option in the market. Not only would he give them more depth, but he’d help to replace Ntcham and also potentially make the Bhoys better defensively.

Celtic have been terrible at the back this season and have shipped 13 more goals than Rangers in the league, despite playing two fewer matches. An eye-watering number of individual errors have plagued their backline but in signing Imbula, it could ensure that the ball doesn’t reach the centre-backs as regularly.

That’s because the Frenchman is a tough-tackling brute in the middle of the park, earning comparisons to one of the greatest box to box midfielders we’ve ever seen. During his time at Stoke, Xherdan Shaqiri only had praise for Imbula, saying: “You can compare him to Patrick Vieira, only Gianelli is all left-footed.”

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At his peak, the midfield general won 2.4 tackles per match for Marseille. With someone like that added to Celtic’s ranks, just imagine the incredible force they’d have with both Imbula and Ismaila Soro.

The Ivorian has very quickly become one of Lennon’s most important players and has won a colossal 3.7 tackles per game in the Europa League. He’s also recorded 1.8 successful challenges per match in the Scottish Premiership.

Only a few days ago, Soro made as many as eight tackles in a Man of the Match display against Hamilton. He may have given more protection to this Celtic team but they are still leaking goals, something emphasised during the 2-1 defeat to St Mirren.

Therefore, signing another defensive midfielder in the shape of Imbula is vital. Celtic recruiter Nick Hammond must get this deal done if Celtic have any desires of improving at the back.

AND in other news, Celtic could have their Frimpong heir in rarely-seen 20 y/o with “excellent pedigree”…

Celtic bounced back to winning ways after securing an emphatic victory over Kilmarnock last night. The Bhoys triumphed 4-0 thanks to goals from Odsonne Edouard (2), Albian Ajeti and skipper Scott Brown.

Neil Lennon opted for several changes in his starting lineup and they definitely paid off. For instance, Shane Duffy dropped to the bench in favour of 21-year-old Stephen Welsh, who put in an impressive performance at centre-back alongside Kristoffer Ajer.

Another man who is new to the Celtic first team this season, is summer signing David Turnbull, and he is rapidly becoming one of the Hoops’ biggest stars.

David Turnbull vs Kilmarnock

Once again, the 21-year-old proved exactly why he is a rare shining light in a turbulent season for the Bhoys. Turnbull assisted two of his side’s four goals, but also contributed an awful lot more than that as well.

No one came near the Celtic midfielder in terms of creativity, with FotMob revealing that his impressive five chances created were more than anyone else managed on the pitch. The £7,500 per week play-maker ran riot from the engine room against Kilmarnock, making three key passes and completing 100% of long balls and 50% of his attempted crosses.

The rest of his teammates combined for five key passes among themselves, whilst his total of two accurate crosses were as many as everyone else put together.

Turnbull also had two shots on target as he looked to get in on the score-sheet himself, and that desire to get in dangerous positions has been one of the key reasons behind why he has an impressive 11 goals contributions in his debut campaign for the club.

Nick Hammond may be under increasing pressure over his future at the club as head of football operations, but one thing is for sure, he pulled off a masterstroke by landing Turnbull from Motherwell last summer.

Meanwhile, this Celtic player surely impressed Lennon on Tuesday night…

Pundit Alan Hutton has dropped a bold take involving Tottenham Hotspur and their links to Brendan Rodgers, claiming the 48 year-old will still be their number one target ‘behind the scenes’.

The Lowdown: Tottenham have targeted Rodgers

As per Football Insider, Spurs were prepared to ‘offer Rodgers the earth’ in order to bring him over to North London from Leicester City.

However, speaking to talkSPORT, the former Celtic, Liverpool and Swansea City boss claimed that he was ‘200 per cent’ staying at the King Power Stadium despite missing out on UEFA Champions League football on the final day of the 2020/21 term.

The Latest: Hutton on Rodgers to Tottenham

Speaking to Football Insider, despite Rodgers’ claim to talkSPORT, former Lilywhites player Hutton thinks that they would still ‘love’ to lure the Northern Irishman away from the Foxes, and was full of praise for what he has done with the East Midlands club:

“I think that’s who, behind the scenes, they’ll be trying their hardest. 

“Leicester have got a fantastic squad, new training ground, he’s done really, really well there. But you can’t argue Tottenham are a big draw. They’re a huge football club with everything there that’s needed to challenge the top four on a regular basis.

“I don’t know, I’ve just got this feeling that is who they would love to have. I’m not saying they can do it, I just think they would love to have him there.

“Obviously, with Leicester just dropping out the top four, you wonder if that could sway it. Obviously, Spurs aren’t in the Champions League but Leicester aren’t either. You just wonder if that may sway him one way or another.” 

The Verdict: Tottenham must not give up on Rodgers

THFC must not give up hope of trying to lure Rodgers away from their Premier League rivals.

The 48-year-old has a great track record in the top flight, having guided LCFC to two recent consecutive fifth-placed finishes, just missing out on the top four on both final days, while also achieving a very respectable second place with Liverpool in the 2013/14 season (Transfermarkt).

With Tottenham currently on somewhat of a trophy drought, Rodgers has proved that he can win silverware as well, most recently masterminding a win against Chelsea in the FA Cup final while also winning a remarkable three league titles and four domestic cups with Celtic (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, while it would be very difficult, Spurs must try and do all that they can to make him their next permanent manager.

In other news, find out which ‘incredible’ defender THFC could return for here!

Following a failed move for Jadon Sancho last summer, Manchester United have continued to be linked with a number of different wingers throughout Europe.

Interestingly enough, a couple of Premier League stars are reportedly on the Red Devils’ shortlist according to The Sun, those men being Leeds United’s Raphinha and Pedro Neto of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

When compared, the two wingers are remarkably similar players but it is the Brazilian who Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be pushing to sign over the Portuguese ace?

In his first season in the Premier League, Raphinha has impressed for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, netting six goals and providing five assists. Meanwhile, Wolves’ Neto is almost matching those numbers having plundered five goals and four assists in all competitions throughout the current campaign.

Despite that similarity in output, Raphinha has played almost six full matches fewer than Neto in the Premier League this campaign so it could be expected that those numbers would have been even higher with more minutes under his belt.

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He has also been praised from various corners of the game, with Dean Windass labelling him as “unbelievable” in a recent exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

Away from their direct contributions, the two remain to be very similar, with Raphinha just edging ahead of the Portuguese in some stats.

According to WhoScored, the former Stade Rennais man has averaged 2.4 shots per game and provided 2.1 key passes, whilst Neto is averaging 1.9 and two per game – extremely similar numbers. However, the fact that Raphinha just continues to edge the statistics makes the argument for Manchester United to sign him all the more convincing.

Having said that, the 21-year-old Portuguese is far more reliable on the ball. He overcomes Raphinha on both dribbles and fouls won, whilst also racking up a considerably better pass percentage at 88.1% compared to 73.1%.

Nonetheless, it could be suggested that it would take a considerably lower fee to bring the Brazilian to Old Trafford. He is rated at £22.5m, whilst Neto sits at £31.5m, whilst having a year longer left on his current contract.

Once again, the two are very similar players and both of them will certainly be of interest to Manchester United and rightly so.

However, for us, it is Leeds’ Raphinha who should be higher up on the Red Devils’ candidates for the vacant position on the right flank as an alternative to Jadon Sancho.

AND in more news, read about which Man Utd starlet has been hit by a disappointing injury on international duty…