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Aston Villa are believed to be ‘working’ on a last-gasp deal to sign exciting Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Aouar a huge talent

The 24-year-old has arguably been considered one of the most gifted French players for some time now, having racked up 224 appearances for Lyon since breaking into their first-team as a teenager.

Aouar is out of contract at his current club at end of this season however, at which point he would be able to seal a free transfer to another club.

It could be that Lyon are willing to the sell Frenchman before January comes to an end in order not to lose one of their top assets for nothing, which is where Villa come into play.

The Latest: Villa linked with late move

According to Football Insider, the Villans are looking at sealing a late move for Aouar before deadline day ends on Tuesday night.

It is stated that Unai Emery is still ‘in the market’ for a central midfielder this month and NSWE have now ‘turned their attention’ to the Lyon star, with negotiations ongoing over a short-term deal.

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The Verdict: What a signing

Aouar could be a superb signing for Villa if they manage to get a deal over the line, bringing in genuine star quality and bags of experience, despite still only being 24.

The one-cap France international has been hailed as an ‘incredible’ footballer by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, which says a lot about his ability, and his attacking metrics for a midfielder are off the scale, sitting in the 75th percentile or higher in every single piece of FBRef’s goalscoring and playmaking data.

Aouar’s creativity is outlined by a tally of 35 assists for Lyon and he could bring a sprinkling of unpredictability alongside the industriousness of Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara.

Everton could look to Andre Ayew now the January transfer window is over as a short-term signing until the end of the campaign.

What’s the latest?

The Toffees ended the January window without bringing a single new face in through the doors at Goodison Park for Sean Dyche to work with.

This comes amid the club’s struggles in the Premier League which has them sitting second bottom with just 15 points from their opening 20 games.

However, there have been some reports suggesting the Merseyside club could potentially make a move for the Ghanaian forward Ayew.

And speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke has supported this possibility suggesting the 33-year-old could bring something to Dyche’s side:

“He’s a versatile forward as well, he can play in several positions. So if Everton are desperate to bring in a forward, which we think they are, I think Andre Ayew will be a sensible short-term signing.”

Top flight experience

Ayew is no stranger to the Premier League having spent some time with West Ham United and Swansea City between 2015 and 2018.

Indeed, the 33-year-old was able to rack up 89 appearances in the English top flight where he was able to return 21 goals and 12 assists (via Transfermarkt).

And Ayew could potentially land at Goodison Park in some relatively impressive goalscoring form with 18 goals in 30 appearances in the Qatar Stars League.

However, scoring in the Premier League is a different matter and his previous record with West Ham and Swansea may concern some of the fans at Goodison.

But the reality is, as a result of their dismal January window, there wouldn’t be any harm done in bringing in a free agent like Ayew over the coming days.

Scoring goals has been a major issue for the Toffees this season and with their second-highest scorer this season, Anthony Gordon, now not at the club, any extra help may prove huge.

And as O’Rourke has hinted at, Ayew is an incredibly versatile player who has played in a number of positions across his career which may prove incredibly useful for Dyche in the remaining games this season.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has urged Leeds United to hire “revolutionary” coach Ange Postecoglou as their manager after Jesse Marsch was fired.

What’s the word?

On the weekend, the Whites slumped to a disappointing 1-0 away loss against Nottingham Forest which saw them drop to 17th in the Premier League, only out of the relegation zone thanks to goal difference.

As a result of their struggles for consistency, by Monday afternoon, the club’s hierarchy had decided to let their American manager go and so are now looking for Marsch’s replacement.

Already, Celtic manager Postecoglou has been a name spoken about in the media and it looks as though he could be under consideration for the Leeds job.

In reaction to all this, while speaking on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan urged the Whites to go out and bring in the Australian.

He said: “I do like Ange Postecoglou. I can’t tell a lie. I love his football. I love what he’s done at Celtic. And he’s not only improved it there as well, he’s done bits in Australia, he’s done it in Japan.

“A little bit of a revolutionary when it comes to football. So we’ll see what happens.”

Right man for the job

Postecoglou certainly has impressed in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic. Indeed, the manager managed to win the double in his first season in charge – lifting the league and a domestic cup – and looks on course to win another title this season with the Bhoys nine points clear at the top of the table.

What’s more, while that experience of football management in the United Kingdom could help him integrate quickly into life in England and the Premier League, he has top experience elsewhere.

Indeed, Postecoglou has won four domestic league titles in Australia – two each with Brisbane Roar and South Melbourne FC – as well as a league title in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos.

With his ability to adjust and succeed across the footballing world, it’s easy to see why McGilligan describes him as a “revolutionary”. The Australian certainly would be an interesting appointment.

Dan Cook has stated on the HLTCO podcast that Crystal Palace and their supporters should brace themselves amid the speculation surrounding Marc Guehi’s future.

The Lowdown: Palace looking to hold firm

Palace appeared to pull off a major coup in the summer of 2021 when they landed the young defender from Chelsea for just £18m, with Guehi going on to rack up 65 appearances for the Eagles.

Guehi isn’t just impressing Palace fans and Patrick Vieira, but also England boss Gareth Southgate, who has handed him three caps for the Three Lions since his move to Selhurst Park.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that clubs pushing for silverware and the top four are interested in the young centre-back, and it was claimed earlier this month that Tottenham Hotspur were said to be very keen on the former Chelsea man, according to journalist Alasdair Gold.

In fact, the rumours show no signs of stopping, with speculation rife as links between Guehi and the north Londoners continue to emerge.

The Latest: Guehi will attract interest

While Cook won’t want to lose Guehi – and isn’t convinced they will this summer – he is bracing himself for a summer of speculation and wants fans to do the same.

He said: “It just seems like a player-and-club marriage that ticks all the necessary boxes – other than, of course, Crystal Palace being a little bit higher up the Premier League table, which I’m sure Marc would absolutely love – but with Brighton on the horizon, you don’t want to think too deeply about the potential of one of our key players leaving in the summer.

“It’s just something to keep an eye on because it’s the second or third time that I have seen Spurs linked with a move for him in the next transfer window, so I would suggest there’s no smoke without fire in terms of this particular story and we may well have to be braced for a summer of rumour and gossip in relation to Marc and a potential move to north London.”

The Verdict: Palace must match Guehi’s ambitions

Given that Guehi has missed just one game all season in the league, the thought of losing the England international this summer will be a tough one for Vieira to stomach, especially when he looks set to lose Wilfried Zaha as well.

However, the fact Palace have won just one of their last 10 matches will be a cause for concern and something that Guehi may not wish to be part of if there is interest from sides playing European football.

Vieira and Steve Parish will know that in order to keep their best players, the Eagles will have to do better than slugging it out in a relegation battle, or they will jump ship very quickly to progress their own careers.

The Express & Star’s Lewis Cox highlighted an ‘interesting’ comment made by West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan about goalkeeper David Button following his side’s defeat on Friday night.

The Lowdown: Button errors

The Baggies shot-stopper was at fault for both of the goals they conceded during their Championship clash against Birmingham City.

Button was caught napping as he left his goal exposed at a free-kick, with Hannibal Mejbri capitalising as he whipped the ball into the corner and scored.

Birmingham’s second came from a corner where the Albion stopper ought to have claimed the ball, only for Krystian Bielik to head home.

The Latest: Corberan comments

Speaking on the Express & Star’s YouTube channel, Cox discussed the conversation he had with Corberan about Button following the conclusion of the match, stating that he was affected by the nature of the opening goal from Mejbri’s set piece.

He said: “We’ve had a chat with Carlos Corberan just there and he actually said an interesting thing in that that first goal really knocked Button and he was just unable to sort of recover, rediscover his composure – which says a lot.

“We know he’s had a tough season before he was dropped in October, and you would imagine his confidence and mentality took a real beating tonight after a high at The Hawthorns last week, a clean sheet, he’s right back down to Earth with a bump.”

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The Verdict: Weak area

With Alex Palmer ruled out with an injury at the moment, we believe that the goalkeeper position is an area of weakness for West Brom.

Palmer aside, they only have Button and 21-year-old Josh Griffiths available for selection for their upcoming fixtures.

Furthermore, the error against the Blues is not Button’s first mistake of the season, as he also produced a howler earlier in the campaign against Swansea City.

Meanwhile, Griffiths has recently returned from a loan with Portsmouth in League One and has no experience of playing in the Championship.

Our view is that it all comes down to whether Corberan has completely lost faith in Button for the time being – in which case, it could a good chance for Griffiths to get some game time and develop until Palmer returns.

However, you could argue that it’s a big ask, and with West Brom fighting for a spot in the play-offs, it could be too risky to play such an inexperienced ‘keeper, while further depleting Button’s confidence must surely be in Corberan’s thinking.

Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez will undergo a scan on the shoulder injury he picked up in the Reds’ 2-0 victory away to Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Nunez injured in Reds win

The Merseysiders faced a massive game in the top-four battle on Saturday and ended up picking up three precious points in the Premier League at St James’ Park.

It was Nunez who opened the scoring, firing home emphatically, before Cody Gakpo doubled Liverpool’s lead and Nick Pope was sent off for deliberate handball.

Unfortunately, the Uruguayan had to go off in the second half after falling awkwardly on his shoulder, and there is now an anxious wait to find out the severity of the injury.

The Latest: Forward to undergo scan

Sharing an update on Twitter, James Pearce confirmed in a piece for The Athletic that Nunez will have a scan on his shoulder, with Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid looming:

“Darwin Nunez set to undergo further assessment on his shoulder amid fears he could miss game v Real Madrid.”

The Verdict: Bad to worse

Liverpool’s ongoing injury problems are just cruel at this point, with key players continually ruled out of action and Jurgen Klopp never once having the whole group fit, which hasn’t helped the Reds at all this season.

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They are already without Luis Diaz in that left-wing spot while Diogo Jota has only just returned from a lengthy spell out, so now losing the £140,000-a-week Nunez for a stint would be another huge blow. The 23-year-old is improving by the week, causing defenders problems with his pace and physicality, recently being called ‘scary’ by Jamie Carragher.

His goal against Newcastle was his 11th in 28 appearances for Liverpool, which is still a solid enough return when you consider some of the unfair criticism he has taken this season.

It would now be a surprise if he was fit for Madrid on Tuesday given the quick turnaround, which is yet another major setback, with his speed on the counter-attack something that could really frighten the European champions.

Leeds United face Southampton in a relegation six-pointer in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, with Javi Gracia taking charge of his first game as manager of the club.

The Spanish boss won’t have had long to work with his new squad but if he has done his due diligence on the players available at Elland Road, and spoken to coaches at the club, then he should realise that Crysencio Summerville needs to be dropped from the starting side.

Will Crysencio Summerville start against Southampton?

The Dutch winger established himself as a first-team regular under Jesse Marsch and caught the eye ahead of the World Cup break earlier in the season, scoring in four consecutive games, including a late winner against Liverpool at Anfield.

Marsch was no doubt hoping that he could push on during the extended break, as he wasn’t part of the Netherlands’ squad in Qatar, but his form since then has been disappointing, to say the least.

In seven appearances in all competitions, the 21-year-old has no goals and just one assist, which came in the 2-2 draw against West Ham.

WhoScored has awarded the young winger below a 6.8 rating in every game since domestic football resumed which suggests that he was living off his pre-Qatar form under Marsch, as he continued to earn starts despite his lack of goal involvements.

Summerville starting has also meant that marquee signings such as Luis Sinisterra and Georginio Rutter have been forced to warm the bench in recent weeks and for such an important game against Southampton, it is surely time that Leeds gave their big investments a chance to impress.

The Saints picked up a morale-boosting three points against Chelsea last time out and another win at Elland Road would see Leeds drop to the bottom of the table, so Gracia has to be ruthless and give his side the best possible chance of winning.

Summerville, who earns around £15k-per-week at Leeds, is ranked as the 13th-best performer at Elland Road this season, while he also ranks 13th for key passes per game, which represents an underwhelming return for an attacking player.

Therefore, after a poor few months since the World Cup, it is time that Summerville was dropped to the bench in what would be Gracia’s first big call in the Whites dugout.

Newcastle United went through a difficult period during the ownership of Mike Ashley and have thankfully come out on the other side of it in a much better position, finally attracting and retaining important players to help them compete.

The Ashley era is an unforgettable time for the St James’ Park faithful and for most, the former owner’s handling of players, transfers and the general care invested into the club was non-existent and ultimately a nightmare in comparison to the experience they have had since the takeover.

During the 14 years of frustration and failure, there were many decisions that left a bad taste in the Newcastle supporters’ mouths and one of the most controversial was without a doubt the sale of youth academy ace Andy Carroll.

The Geordie striker became a breakthrough star in the North East tallying up 33 goals and 22 assists before Ashley found an opportunity to cash in on the club’s prodigy and perceived second-coming of legendary goal machine, Alan Shearer.

In January 2011, an unforgettable transfer Deadline Day unfolded when Newcastle fans’ worst fears came true with Carroll making a last-minute move to Liverpool in a £35m deal. Although at the time it caused an uproar on Tyneside, in hindsight the club hit the jackpot financially on the sale.

Where is Andy Carroll now?

It is no secret that Carroll’s move to Anfield was an absolute disaster and was even voted the worst transfer in Premier League history in a survey last year.

Within just 18 months, 58 appearances, 11 goals and six assists, the Gateshead-born forward was swiftly moved onto West Ham United where Carroll settled for the next seven years when his season-long loan in 2012 turned into a permanent £15m deal in the summer of 2013.

In 2019, Carroll returned to St James’ Park to reprise his centre-forward role at the club with former manager Steve Bruce hailing the striker a “local hero” upon his reunion with his boyhood club.

However, the 34-year-old – dubbed “reckless” by Samuel Luckhurst – was unable to meet the high expectations he left behind eight-and-a-half years before – scoring once and registering four assists before leaving the North East for the second time as a free agent.

Since then, Carroll has returned to the Championship with Bruce snapping up his services during his time at West Bromwich Albion and is currently in his second spell at Reading.

There, the colossal forward has managed six goals in 21 outings, while even being shown a red card against Manchester United in the FA Cup.

With that being said, Newcastle supporters will surely always wonder what Carroll could have become if he had remained in the first place, however, when reflecting on his career following the move to Liverpool it is hard to determine whether he could’ve really been the massive influence that they would have hoped for.

Wolves will be looking to repeat their performance against Liverpool from February when they travel to Anfield on Wednesday night.

Julen Lopetegui’s side thrashed the Reds 3-0 at Molineux early last month and can distance themselves further from the relegation places with another three points this evening.

How should Wolves start against Liverpool?

The Old Gold looked impressive on Friday evening against Fulham but only came away from Craven Cottage with a point after Manor Solomon’s excellent equaliser.

Lopetegui will be forced into some changes due to injury but may rotate his team ahead of an extremely tough game against a fairly resurgent Liverpool side.

Here is how Football FanCast expects the Spaniard to line his side up in Merseyside, with three changes from the team that started against Fulham:

(4-3-3) Sa, Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Ait-Nouri, Neves, Nunes, Lemina, Traore, Podence, Jimenez.

Unsurprisingly, Jose Sa looks likely to keep his place in between the sticks, as they were unfortunate not to keep a clean sheet at Craven Cottage and earned Wolves a point thanks to his late save from Carlos Vinicius.

There is just one change in defence, as Rayan Ait-Nouri replaces the inexperienced Hugo Bueno at left-back, in the hope that the Frenchman can contain Mohamed Salah, as he did in the 3-0 win at Molineux.

Craig Dawson will also be hoping to replicate his performance from that game after scoring Wolves’ second, and he partners Max Kilman at centre-back, with Nelson Semedo keeping his place at right-back.

Wolves’ midfield looked to have a good balance to it at Craven Cottage, with Ruben Neves dictating the play from deep, while Mario Lemina broke up the play and Matheus Nunes pushed on, so Lopetegui should select the same three at Anfield.

He will be forced into changes in attack, however, as Matheus Cunha looks unlikely to start after picking up a knock at Fulham, so Daniel Podence comes in for him.

Adama Traore, who Jurgen Klopp once called “unplayable,” should come in for Pablo Sarabia to add counter-attacking threat at Anfield, with Raul Jimenez completing the attack.

Newcastle United are reportedly set to reward Nick Pope with a new contract worth £100,000-per-week.

The Lowdown: Top signing

Hailed as an ‘exceptional’ goalkeeper by Eddie Howe upon arriving from Burnley in the summer, Pope has been a top signing for Newcastle.

The six-foot-three colossus boasts the most amount of clean sheets in the Premier League so far this season with 12, and his team have conceded the fewest goals by far with 17.

The Latest: New bumper contract…

As per The Sun, the St. James’ Park outfit are set to reward Pope with a bumper new deal worth £100,000-per-week.

His basic salary at the moment is £60,000-per-week, but that is thought to increase with appearance money, clean sheet and win bonuses.

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The Verdict: Deserved

Pope’s new contract is well-deserved considering his form this season.

He has established himself as not only one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, but in Europe as well, ranking in the top 20% for a number of key metrics for shot-stoppers in Europe’s top five leagues.

Pope’s current £60,000-per-week wage does not reflect his importance in the squad, and a new £100,000-per-week contract would put him among Newcastle’s highest earners.

Thus, the Magpies should be looking to wrap this deal up as soon as they can, so that it does not become a distraction for the rest of the campaign.