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Aston Villa sporting director Johan Lange wanted Morgan Sanson to be given a chance under Dean Smith prior to his injury, according to Gregg Evans.

The Lowdown: Sanson’s struggles

Sanson, on £48,000-a-week at Villa Park, hasn’t had the best of starts to his career in the Midlands following his move from Marseille in January.

The 27-year-old missed the final nine games of the 2020/21 campaign through injury. However, before then, the French midfielder only started three of 12 and failed to complete a full 90 minutes under Smith.

Lange was the man who pushed through a New Year move, and it appears as if he wanted Sanson to have featured more prominently at Villa Park.

The Latest: Evans’ claim

Evans, Villa’s reporter for The Athletic, shared a story on Villa’s transfer business on Wednesday.

Within his report, he spoke in detail about the club’s central midfield ranks after they failed in an attempt to sign Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse.

Evans admitted that Lange was very keen for Sanson to be given a chance to show what he is made of, presumably before his injury last season.

The Verdict: Crucial campaign

Sanson made his first appearance for Villa in 149 days on Tuesday for the Under-21’s against Wycombe Wanderers, registering an assist in a 3-1 win.

The midfielder is working his way back and this season appears to be crucial when it comes to Sanson making the grade in the Midlands.

He wasn’t starting on a regular basis prior to his injury, and if he continues to struggle, a transfer worth over £14m won’t look good business.

In other news: ‘Welp’ – Many Aston Villa fans fume as news emerges.

Aston Villa loanee would ‘welcome’ a permanent move from Manchester United, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Tuanzebe’s third loan spell

Tuanzebe was one of five Villa signings over the summer, sealing a third loan move to Villa Park.

He’s started two of four Premier League games this season but won’t be able to feature in Villa’s trip to Old Trafford later this month.

The 6ft defender still has two years remaining on his Manchester United contract, but it seems as if he is open to a permanent transfer to the Midlands.

The Latest: Transfer update

The Sun shared a story on Monday afternoon regarding Tuanzebe’s future.

They were informed by an insider that the 23-year-old is ‘very happy’ at Villa Park and would ‘welcome’ a full-time move to the club, should that arise.

Tuanzebe believes Dean Smith can get the best out of him and would relish the opportunity to make his stay at the club permanent.

The Verdict: Sign

Reports back in May suggested that an offer of £7m could have been enough for Tuanzebe on a permanent basis, and if that is still the case, it could be a wise move by Villa.

Tuanzebe, who was handed his Manchester United debut by Jose Mourinho, is capable of playing as a centre-back and a right-back and is still in the early stages of his career even though he has racked up over 75 senior appearances.

Villa are fairly short of centre-back and right-back options, so keeping hold of a player who wants to be at the club seems a smart call.

In other news: ‘Bad attitude’ – Aston Villa ace’s comments have got loads of fans talking. 

Reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Manchester United youngster Amad Diallo is closing in on a return from injury.

As to be expected, a number of Red Devils supporters were quick to react to the update on social media.

The 19-year-old officially made the move to Old Trafford at the beginning of the year for a fee worth close to £20m. He netted once in eight senior appearances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season and was set to join Feyenoord on loan in the summer.

However, a temporary move away collapsed after the winger picked up an injury. Romano has now claimed that Diallo is set to return from a muscular issue this month, with a January loan move a possibility with many clubs interested in him.

United fans react

Romano posted the latest news regarding the teenager on Twitter on Friday afternoon. Here is what these United fans had to say in reply, with plenty not holding back in their thoughts on the update, and indeed on Diallo’s short-term future.

“Premier League loan, I’m on my knees”

Credit: @SAMlR2SHIESTY

“YEEEEESSSS, I really believe in this kid, I hope he gets used when he comes back!”

Credit: @KrishnanUTD

“Here we go”

Credit: @RichieMnene

“We’ve wasted him at this club”

Credit: @Tari______

“OR– we could play him. A revolutionary idea, I know.”

Credit: @patrickmcdona10

“Banter FC”

Credit: @dhegec

In other news: ‘Take him ASAP’ – These Man Utd fans buzz as exit rumour emerges

An update has emerged on Portsmouth forward Ronan Curtis, regarding his potential exit this month.

What’s the talk?

According to The News, there has been no movement behind the scenes on an exit from Fratton Park for winger Ronan Curtis.

The report claims that the attacker has made it clear that he would like to test himself at Championship level, but there is nothing in the works to see him make the step up this summer. Cardiff, Preston and Blackburn are said to have been keen on the Irishman but nothing has materialised as of yet.

Pompey fans will be buzzing

Portsmouth fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it appears to indicate that there is a strong chance Curtis will still be at the club by the time the window closes next week. Never say never in football, of course, but with nothing imminent, at the moment, Pompey fans can afford to be hopeful of the forward being available to Danny Cowley until January, at least.

Despite failing to register a goal or assist in the first four League One matches of the season, the overall standard of Curtis’ performances has been impressive. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.05, creating 1.5 chances and making an eye-catching 2.8 tackles per game.

This comes after he averaged a score of 7.11 in the 2020/21 campaign, scoring 10 and assisting seven in 42 matches for the club. Last season, Cowley claimed that Curtis is going to become a top player if he can control his emotions on the pitch. He told The News:

“There’s a lot of work to do on that because he’s going to be a top player – and to become a top player you must always be in emotional control otherwise the opponent is going to see that as a weakness and try to exploit that.

“The higher level you go, the more emotional it is and the more you’ve got to show control.

“We are working really hard with Ronan. He is so willing and keen to want to improve in that area and he was brilliant on Saturday.”

This highlights how valuable he is to Portsmouth and why fans would be delighted to see him remain at Fratton Park for the foreseeable future.

It could be difficult for Cowley to replace a player who is able to deliver consistent performances along with goals and assists, especially if he left in the final few days of the window.

Hopefully, the Ireland international will be able to hit the heights of his 2020/21 campaign and his goals and assists will be able to fire Pompey to the Championship, which is where he wants to play.

Steve Howey believes losing Youri Tielemans would come as a bigger blow to Leicester City than seeing James Maddison depart this summer.

Belgium international midfielder Tielemans, who scored the winner as the Foxes got their hands on the FA Cup for the first time in their history in May, has been attracting interest from Liverpool.

Reports published by Belgian media outlet Voetbal24 suggest the 24-year-old is keen to leave Leicester for Anfield.

However, Brendan Rodgers’ side have made keeping Tielemans, who has two years remaining on his current deal, a priority this summer and they are eager for him to pen a new contract.

Meanwhile, creative midfielder Maddison is being courted by Arsenal, with the Gunners looking to bounce back after a disappointing season which means they will not be involved in European football for the first time since 1995.

Howey, the former Leicester defender, feels the Foxes would be more inclined to let Maddison depart instead of Tielemans.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Tielemans would be the bigger loss, for me.

“Maddison is an excellent player but I think there were a couple of issues off the field last season. We all make mistakes, so I haven’t got a problem with that.

“Sometimes players just feel as though they could do with a move to give their career another spark. He might fall into that category. But, if I were him, it would have to be a very good offer from a very good club to tempt me away from Leicester.”

Aston Villa announced on Tuesday that Austin MacPhee has joined the club as their new specialised set-piece coach, and that appointment has had a lot of Villa supporters talking on social media.

The 41-year-old, who retired as a player back in 2006, has held numerous assistant roles in recent years. He worked alongside Michael O’Neill with Northern Ireland, while also being a number two with Hearts, St Mirren and most recently FC Midtjylland.

The Express and Star suggest that it was with Hearts where MacPhee’s set-piece coaching reputation began.

Reports at the beginning of July claimed that Villa were looking to bring in a set-piece coach, and Dean Smith has seemingly had his wish granted with the appointment of MacPhee.

Smith knows what it’s like to work with a set-piece coach during his time as Brentford boss, and MacPhee’s work will hopefully help Villa with the small margins of attacking and defending dead-ball situations.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the news regarding MacPhee on Tuesday lunchtime. Here is what these fans had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘great’ and a few now hoping to see free kick specialist and reported  Villa transfer target James-Ward-Prowse follow MacPhee to the Midlands.

“To work alongside JWP? good timing”Credit: @TyBracey”it’s all happening”Credit: @catrinavfc”ANNOUNCE WARD-PROWSE”Credit: @Dips_avfc”Great bit of business this. We’ve under utilised set pieces since the days of Laursen & Mellberg. Could be the difference this”Credit: @Reece_AV”YEEEEESSSSS FINALLY”Credit: @AVFC_AP”Needed”Credit: @GW_94″Need Ward-Prowse or otherwise there is absolutely no point”Credit: @Harry34740948

In other news: ‘Jeez’, ‘Genuinely gutted’ – Many Aston Villa fans react to John Percy’s update on this player

Dean Windass has told Football FanCast that son Josh Windass is delighted to have ended speculation over his future by signing a new deal with Sheffield Wednesday.

Windass has penned a fresh contract, which will keep him with the Owls until the summer of 2023.

The 23-year-old had been heavily linked with a move away from Hillsborough after suffering relegation to League One on the final day of last season.

Championship trio Queens Park Rangers, Millwall and Birmingham City were keen to strike a deal that would have seen the attacking midfielder make an immediate return to the second tier of English football.

But the former Rangers attacking midfielder, who joined Wednesday on a permanent basis following a loan move from Wigan Athletic last year, will be looking to guide the Owls to promotion instead after agreeing terms on a new deal.

Windass, who has missed the start of the new campaign through injury, is keen to repay the faith shown in him by Wednesday when he returns from the sidelines.

His father Dean exclusively told Football FanCast: “He is delighted to sign a new contract.

“The football club have made it clear they didn’t want to sell him so it’s over the line now.”

Nottingham Forest have failed in their attempts to bring Filip Krovinovic back to The City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Nottinghamshire Live, who claimed that the Benfica midfielder has put an end to the speculation surrounding his future after agreeing a transfer to Croatian side Hajduk Split.

It had been reported that Forest were desperate to keep hold of the 25-year-old ahead of next season, having impressed during a loan spell with Chris Hughton’s side last term.

However, with it being said that the Portuguese team wanted to secure the former Croatia U21 international a permanent move away from the club this summer, Forest’s chances of securing a second temporary deal for the Krovinovic always appeared slim.

Hughton surely gutted

While Forest endured something of a campaign to forget last season, with the Reds finishing in a lowly 17th place in the second tier, Krovinovic nevertheless impressed during his time at the club, with the Garibaldi’s failure to bring the midfielder back to The City Ground this summer sure to have left Hughton gutted.

Indeed, over his 19 Championship appearances last term, the £2.7m-rated man scored one goal and provided two assists for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.7 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

The 25-year-old also made an average of 0.8 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and won possession 0.7 times per league fixture, in addition to winning an impressive average of 5.2 duels in each match.

These returns saw the man Steve Madeley dubbed an “influential” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.96, ranking him as Hughton’s fourth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, the loss of the £14k-per-week Krovinovic is sure to come as a blow for the 62-year-old, who will now have to turn his attention in the transfer market elsewhere in a bid to bring in reinforcements to the Reds’ midfield ahead of their upcoming Championship campaign.

In other news: Nixon drops 15-word transfer claim that’ll surely have Nottingham Forest fans buzzing

Leeds United could land an incredibly exciting signing by making a move for Italy’s EURO 2020 star Leonardo Spinazzola this summer.

What’s the story?

Speaking exclusively to This is Futbol recently, former Leeds star Carlton Palmer claimed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side should be after a player like Spinazzola in the transfer window, and insisted that when stars perform at an international tournament, it catches people’s attentions.

When asked about the possibility of Leeds targeting Spinazzola, Palmer said: “Anybody who’s got energy and can get up and down the pitch will fit into the style that Bielsa wants and the way that he’s going to play. Once you go into a European Championship and you play well and you do well, obviously you’re going to get a lot of suitors.”

He’s faster than Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo

If ahead of the EUROs, you were asked to name who would be the quickest players on show this summer, then you’d likely put France’s Kylian Mbappe near the top of that list.

But, according to UEFA’s official stats, it’s Spinazzola who is actually surprisingly at the top of that list, clocking a quite ridiculous 33.8km/h – to put that into context, that’s ahead of French flier Kingsley Coman (33.6km/h), and Wales speedster Dan James (33.5km/h).

Dubbed as being “electric in attack” by UEFA EURO 2020’s official Twitter account, and as “outrageously good” by ESPN’s Matteo Bonetti, the winger-come-left-back has been in superb form for Roberto Mancini’s Italy.

In the three games he’s played, he’s assisted once, and averaged an impressive two shots, 1.7 key passes and 2.3 dribbles per game, and will no doubt be a key figure when the Azzurri take on Belgium in the quarter-finals later tonight.

While Mancini has used him as a marauding left-back, the £100k-a-week earning ace is more so a left-sided winger like he is at club level with AS Roma, and could form a devastatingly quick wing partnership with Raphinha at Elland Road.

Given how Leeds look so good and dangerous on the counter-attack – their tally of seven goals on the break was the highest in the Premier League last season – Spinazzola’s pace and directness would surely fit in perfectly.

Amid speculation Leeds are still interested in Wolves and Spain flier Adama Traore, Spinazzola may be the kind of exciting signing that Bielsa would love.

Meanwhile, Leeds facing major transfer blow as fresh twist emerges…

Pep Guardiola has reportedly made contact with Barcelona star Antoine Griezmann about a potential summer move to Manchester City, and the Frenchman could be a superb addition to his squad at the Etihad ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, Guardiola has made a personal call to the former Atletico Madrid man and City are in ‘good contact’ with his agent.

The report suggests that City’s interest in Harry Kane has cooled due to Tottenham Hotspur’s asking price for the England captain and that they could look towards Griezmann as an alternative option.

Would he be a good signing for Man City?

Although Griezmann perhaps hasn’t hit the heights many expected of him when he completed a £107m move to Barcelona in 2019, he has still managed a decent return of 35 goals and 17 assists in 99 appearances for the Catalan side.

Barcelona included a £717m release clause in his contract when he signed, but they are now in a desperate financial situation and perhaps could look to cash in on the 30-year-old this summer, as a way of easing their substantial wage bill, with it claimed that he earns a ridiculous £594k per week at the Nou Camp.

Whilst City would surely have to negotiate a substantially lower wager should he move to the Etihad this summer, his performances last season, as well as at the Euros with France, suggest that Guardiola would be adding an extremely talented player to his squad.

In 36 La Liga appearances in the 2020/21 campaign, Griezmann would contribute an impressive 13 goals and seven assists, averaging a superb 7.17 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He averaged the same rating for Didier Deschamps’ side at the European Championships, despite France’s shock quarter-final exit at the hands of Switzerland, which again emphasises how good he can be.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-manchester-city-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Manchester City transfer rumours and news!”]

The French manager was full of praise for the forward earlier in the summer, saying:

“He is one of those players who is capable of changing games,” Deschamps told a news conference on Friday. “He is very creative, he has this ability to think outside the box, it is remarkable to watch.

“He beat a (starts) record. He is playing in consecutive games, wonderfully so for him. He may not be 20 anymore, but he takes very good care of himself.”You can see the influence he has with the goals he scores and assists he makes. Then add to that the capacity he has to change the game, while getting back and doing his defensive duties. He is one of the greatest players of all time, both in Europe and worldwide.”

Given that Guardiola played much of last season with one of Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne or Bernardo Silva in a ‘false nine’ role, Griezmann could be the ideal man to evolve his attack next season, as he excels at link-up play but can also be clinical in front of goal, which is something City arguably lack now that Sergio Aguero has left.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936″]

Therefore, if a realistic deal can be done for Griezmann this summer, then Guardiola and Manchester City should definitely consider it.

And, in other news… Guardiola could be set for huge Man City boost with “incredible” star after Romano claim