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Aston Villa have a record of being particularly active in the transfer market, even before Steven Gerrard was appointed as their manager back in November.

Now that the Villa boss will have his first summer window ahead of him once the season ends, it seems as though the 41-year-old may already have some plans in place regarding one area of his squad he wants to strengthen at Bodymoor Heath.

What’s the talk?

According to a recent report from Football Insider’s sources, Villa will be looking to bring in a left-sided centre-back during the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report also claims that this could put the future of Tyrone Mings into doubt, who they say “has not completely convinced” Gerrard in terms of his capabilities on the pitch.

Thrilling news for fans

Villa originally signed the defender on a loan deal from AFC Bournemouth back in the 2019 January window before securing him on a permanent basis in the following summer.

Overall, the Englishman has gone on to make 121 appearances for the Villans across all competitions, chipping in with seven goals and seven assists along the way.

In terms of why the Villa boss may yet to be convinced by Mings, only four other outfield players in the Premier League have made more errors that have led to an opponent’s shot this season.

This shows that the 29-year-old has been known to be a bit of a weakness at the back for his team at times.

In fact, 66% of voters in a poll ran by Football FanCast earlier this season claimed that the centre-back is a liability for Villa and could therefore be over the moon to hear that his place in the team could be at risk next season.

While Gerrard’s reported efforts to see a new left-sided centre-back enter the frame at Villa could spell the end of the road for Mings, it could have a positive effect and make him step his game up if he knows that his place in the side will be at risk if he doesn’t.

With that in mind, the England international will have to make sure he uses the final games of the season to show his manager that he has what it takes to be an important figure in the team for the foreseeable future.

In other news: Source: AVFC’s “difficult” dud could now leave Villa Park, it’s great news for Gerrard

Luke Edwards ripped into Ryan Fraser despite Newcastle United winning 1-0 away from home against Leeds United in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Poor game

Fraser had a poor game by his standards, as he failed to record a single shot on target, successful dribble or key pass, while the winger was also inaccurate with three of his four crosses (SofaScore).

The former AFC Bournemouth man was also guilty of losing possession of the ball on no fewer than on 12 separate occasions throughout the match, and managed fewer touches than his own goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, highlighting his lack of impact.

Luckily for him, Jonjo Shelvey managed to score with about 15 minutes to play to give the St. James’ Park faithful all three points.

The Latest: Edwards reacts

Taking to Twitter, The Daily Telegraph journalist Edwards ripped into Fraser during the clash, claiming that he, along with Joe Willock and Chris Wood, were ‘anonymous’:

“Ryan Fraser, Joe Willock, Chris Wood all anonymous and that’s three of your four supposed goal threats alongside Saint-Maximin.”

The Verdict: Place under threat

With the likes of Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy on the bench for the away team, Fraser’s starting place in the side now has to be under threat.

He is still yet to get on the scoresheet so far this season, and has only produced one assist (Transfermarkt), which is simply not good enough for an attacking player.

Thus, Eddie Howe must seriously consider dropping him ahead of the next few fixtures.

In other news, find out what worrying NUFC transfer insight Liam Kennedy has dropped here!

Sheffield Wednesday have been dealt a major blow in their bid to keep Barry Bannan at Hillsborough this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that the Premier League trio of Burnley, Crystal Palace and Watford are all monitoring the situation of the Owls midfielder ahead of a potential swoop in what remains of the summer transfer window.

In comments made earlier this month, the 31-year-old stated his belief that he would still be a Wednesday player beyond transfer deadline day, as well as claiming that he wants to help get the club back to the Championship this season.

Moore will be gutted

While Bannan’s comments about his future may well have been sincere, considering the Scotland international’s age, should a Premier League side firm up their interest in the midfielder with an acceptable offer, it is an extremely difficult scenario to imagine that the 31-year-old would turn down the opportunity to play top flight football.

And, should one of Burnley, Palace or Watford ultimately secure a deal for Bannan, it would undoubtedly leave Darren Moore gutted, as the former Aston Villa man is quite clearly a very important part of the 47-year-old’s Owls side.

Indeed, over his three League One appearances so far this season, the £1.6m-rated club captain has scored one goal, as well as taking an average of 2.3 shots and making one key pass per game.

These returns have seen the man Moore dubbed an “important” player earn a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 7.43, ranking him as Wednesday’s second-best performer in the third tier of English football.

Furthermore, Pep Guardiola’s glowing endorsement of the Scottish maestro highlights just how much quality he possesses. After the Owls met Man City in the FA Cup in 2019/20, the Spaniard described him as an “incredible player.”

As such, it is clear that losing the services of Bannan would come as a huge blow to the former West Bromwich Albion and Doncaster Rovers manager, who will undoubtedly be keeping his fingers crossed that none of the interested parties come forward with a decent offer for the £27k-per-week midfielder in the coming days.

In other news: Fewer touches than Peacock-Farrell: Owls dud who lost 77% of his duels badly betrayed Moore

David Moyes is sweating on the fitness of two of his West Ham stars ahead of this afternoon’s Premier League clash with Brentford…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, right-back duo Vladimir Coufal and Ryan Fredericks will be assessed before kick-off, having both missed their Europa League triumph over Rapid Wien in midweek.

The Czech Republic international was absent from training in the build-up to Thursday’s 2-0 win with a minor injury but according to manager David Moyes he has “a chance” of being involved today.

Meanwhile, his fellow full-back suffered a groin injury just 17 minutes into the Irons’ Carabao Cup victory against Manchester United a little over a week ago and has been missing ever since.

Both players are facing late fitness tests ahead of today’s encounter with the Bees at the London Stadium.

A big worry

The Scotsman should be concerned heading into kick-off as he could be without his first-choice and backup right-back against a side that have already beaten Arsenal and frustrated Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in recent weeks.

Brentford are just two places behind the Hammers in the table and could leapfrog them should they clinch the three points in east London later this afternoon.

Thomas Frank has plenty of firepower at his disposal, having bagged the most goals of any side 10th or worse. The likes of Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Sergi Canos can deal damage to any top-flight team, as we’ve already seen this campaign.

Coufal is an integral player in Moyes’ system.

He provided the second-most assists (seven) in the squad last season and he makes a big impact at either end of the pitch – as per WhoScored, he managed a team-high 2.1 tackles, on top of 1.2 interceptions and 1.3 key passes per game in 2020/21.

His form led to a glowing endorsement from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who described the 29-year-old as “a manager’s dream” on Monday Night Football [4th May 2021, 22:24pm]

If he is absent, then usually Fredericks would be called upon and he’s been a steady and reliable backup for Moyes. In fact, it was he who provided the winner against Manchester United just minutes before picking up his injury.

It means Ben Johnson may need to be called upon once again, should both players miss the game, having made just his second start of the season on Thursday night.

There will also be another dilemma ringing around Moyes’ head as he may not want to risk either player unless they are truly 100% ready to feature. He will not want to see a returning player pick up another problem straight away, so it is certainly a major call to make.

The Hammers boss will be sweating on the fitness of Coufal and Fredericks ahead of their clash with the Bees this afternoon.

AND in other news, Moyes must axe “impressive” £27m-rated West Ham dynamo today, he’s struggled for weeks…

West Ham United return to Premier League action as they welcome newcomers Brentford to the London Stadium this afternoon.

It’s the seventh match in three weeks for the Irons, who have started the 2021/22 campaign on fire, losing just once across all competitions thus far.

With another international break soon on this horizon, David Moyes will want to sign off in style with yet another victory, though after defeating Rapid Wien in the Europa League on Thursday night, the Scotsman is facing plenty of selection headaches.

Just two places split the two teams heading into kickoff, so the newly-promoted Bees aren’t a side that can be taken lightly.

Moyes has utilised squad rotation to some extent with these midweek matches, so players like Tomas Soucek and Kurt Zouma should come straight back into the starting XI, though one name that shouldn’t feature is fellow summer signing Nikola Vlasic, who has looked very underwhelming since joining the club.

As per SofaScore, the £27m-rated Croatian playmaker was the only Hammers player to record a rating below 7.0 as his early-season struggles continue at the club.

He flattered to deceive on his debut for the Hammers – as explained by Football FanCast here – despite it being in the most perfect of circumstances after returning to his home country to face Dinamo Zagreb.

Against Wien, he managed to record fewer touches (25) than goalkeeper Alphonse Areola (28) and he also registered the fewest touches of any West Ham starter (nine) and that’s the last thing you want from your creative option in the no.10 role.

The 23-year-old midfielder may well come good for the Irons eventually but in games like this, Moyes is better off turning to his tried and tested, such as Pablo Fornals, instead.

Moyes has already been impressed by what he’s seen from Vlasic on the training pitch, revealing to reporters:

“He can play several roles for us which is important, but we also want to give him the chance to adapt and adjust. He’s only been really impressive since he’s been at the club and we’re really hopeful that he’ll turn into a really good player for us.”

But the former Everton flop has struggled for weeks now, so he must not keep his place in the starting XI for this encounter. Brentford pose plenty of threat themselves, having beaten Arsenal and drawn to Liverpool already this campaign.

Moyes may well like what he sees in Vlasic but at the London Stadium this afternoon, he must be brutal and leave the 5 foot 10 maestro on the bench. His faith in the summer signing is yet to be rewarded with any sort of promising performance, so he must now be axed from the starting XI.

AND in other news, Newman could become an instant hit at West Ham by signing £36m-rated “world-beater”…

West Ham United may have received their biggest boost yet in their pursuit of Jesse Lingard…

What’s the word?

Irons boss David Moyes made it no secret of his intentions to try and secure the Manchester United loanee on a permanent basis at the end of last season.

“I hope Jesse’s here, we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there’s no guarantees, he’s not our player,” Moyes told the Evening Standard following their final game of the season. “But I hope Jesse realises we’ve been good for him as well, and that he joined a club on the up.”However, the East Londoners have faced plenty of bumps in their attempts to bring him back. Last month, The Athletic claimed that Lingard wanted to stay at Old Trafford to fight for his place, whilst Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed he was part of his plans for the new season to Sky Sports.But it has now been suggested by Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News that United are prepared to offload him before the transfer window closes on August 31st, especially as they need to sell before there are any more incomings. Has the door now opened?

If this fresh development is to be believed, then the Hammers have surely been given a free shot at securing last season’s loan sensation, who provided nine goals and five assists in just 16 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

Lingard is in the final 11 months of his £75k-per-week contract and hasn’t started for United in the league since New Year’s Day in 2020. He is likely to be the one player available for transfer that could garner a substantial amount of finance.

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Transfermarkt currently value him at £19.8m, which seems fair based on his exploits at the London Stadium last term.

The 28-year-old playmaker ended the campaign as Moyes’ second-best player, as per WhoScored ratings, which shows just how important he was to the side as they recorded a phenomenal sixth-place finish, one year on from avoiding relegation with just one game to spare.

Moyes must now urge a move for Lingard as it seems that United are very much prepared to sell him, it would be inexcusable not to, at this point, considering they have only signed one senior player all summer – a back-up goalkeeper on loan.

Plenty of the Hammers faithful are just as eager to see Lingard return as the manager, so this major update should come as rather encouraging news.

If the 29-time England international can make a sensational return to the Irons before deadline day, then supporters and Moyes will be absolutely buzzing.

GSB must act, fast.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Antonio: West Ham must seal move for “special” £31.5m-rated goal-machine…

Manchester United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick will be aiming to secure his second consecutive victory when BSC Young Boys visit Old Trafford in their Champions League encounter this evening.

The German tactician’s reign got off to a perfect start over the weekend when he guided the Red Devils to a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

But it wasn’t just the result that would have pleased Rangnick. United recorded their first clean sheet on home territory in the Premier League since March on Sunday, having previously kept just three clean sheets in the current campaign.

Rangnick didn’t just manage to shut up shop by adopting a defensive, backs-to-the-wall approach, though.

United won back possession of the ball 12 times in the final third of the pitch, a record number for the 20-time English champions since Opta began recording such data.

“Possession won in the final third was a massive one,” said Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville in his analysis. “What they did is they sustained attacks, and they stopped teams cutting through them, and they stopped counter-attacks. They won the ball back quicker.

“Everyone assumed it would be Jurgen Klopp-style heavy-metal football. They did not run more but what they did do was work smarter.”

And now Rangnick must give other players an opportunity to impress in his new-look set up for the visit of Young Boys, unleashing the likes of Mason Greenwood into the starting XI.

He could be a game-changer

The 63-year-old already revealed in his pre-match press conference that fringe players Dean Henderson and Donny van de Beek will be afforded rare opportunities to impress from the off, with United already assured of their place in the last-16.

Therefore, Greenwood should also be brought back into the fold. After suffering from the ongoing pandemic last month, the versatile forward has failed to start a game in all competitions since 6 November and is currently enduring a five-game goal drought.

The £45m-rated forward’s recent showings in front of goal have been in stark contrast to those in the opening weeks of the campaign when he bagged three strikes in his first three league games.

“The kid is on fire,” said David de Gea after he well-taken finish at Wolves. “Top finisher, he is clinical, he has the goal in his mind all the time, so he’s being very important for us at the moment.

“Hopefully he can keep the level up and keep scoring goals like he did today.”

Unfortunately for Greenwood and United, the youngster hasn’t been able to maintain that form as De Gea had hoped, but today’s clash could be the perfect opportunity for him to get back on track.

After all, he has the potential to be better than a host of club legends according to pundit Jason Cundy who once said: “Every game I see, he gets better and better and better.

“He is better than Marcus Rashford, he will be better than David Beckham, he will be better than Ryan Giggs.”

The youngster’s deadly combination of intelligent movement, natural pace and unerring finishing always has the ability to change any game, and if he puts in an impressive display, it could alter the course of his season under Rangnick.

And, in other news…Rangnick could seal bargain Man Utd swoop for £287k-p/w “phenomenon” compared to CR7

The future of Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos may depend on ‘what happens with [Giovanni] van Bronckhorst’, Danny Mills has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

Morelos’s £33,000-per-week Rangers contract is due to expire at the end of next season.

That means this summer could be the club’s last opportunity to cash in, with Morelos able to line up a free transfer to a foreign club from January unless he pens an extension.

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The frontman stated back in the autumn that he hoped he would be soon be allowed to leave Glasgow.

Morelos has scored 113 goals in 224 appearances for the club, better than one every two games, and is their all-time top European goalscorer.

Former Rangers midfielder Nacho Novo has urged the Light Blues to ‘do something very soon’ as they face the prospect of losing an ‘incredible’ player.

The latest

Mills, a pundit for Sky Sports News, says there are plenty of factors that may determine Morelos’ next move, including Van Bronckhorst’s future.

“It will depend on where Rangers finish in the league, what happens in the Europa League and what that means for their finances,” he told Football Insider.

“Then what happens with Giovanni van Bronckhorst going forwards? There is a lot in the mix at Rangers and it depends on these next few weeks, effectively.

“If they finish behind Celtic, how far will they finish behind Celtic? Can they turn it around in the Europa League?

Mills warned that Rangers may be forced to sell the Colombian to fund further recruitment.

But on the other hand, the opportunity to play in the Champions League could compel him to remain at Ibrox.

“What is the plan going forward?” he said. “Do they need to sell a player like that to get some money to help bring players in?

“If they were to overtake Celtic and win the league, get in the Champions League with all that money they might be able to keep him and he will want to play in the Champions League.

“If not, they might need to reassess the situation.”

The verdict

There are two possible routes for Rangers into the Champions League – winning the Scottish Premiership and winning the UEFA Europa League.

The first looks decidedly unlikely after Celtic beat Rangers 2-1 earlier this month to open up a six-point cushion at the top of the table. There is still one more Old Firm to play, though, which would could revive the Gers’ hopes.

As for the European path, Rangers will first have to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Braga on Thursday. That would earn them a place in the semifinals, but RB Leipzig or Atalanta would be the favourites for the tie.

Rangers, then, have only an outside bet of making it into Europe’s premier club competition, but it could prove to be a trump card if they can get it done.

Many of the clubs interested in Morelos – like Leicester City, Newcastle United and Everton – won’t be playing at that level next season.

In other news, a significant contract update has emerged.

Leeds United moved out of the relegation zone with a much-needed victory over fellow Premier League strugglers Norwich City on Sunday afternoon.

Marcelo Bielsa has two of his attacking players to thank in Raphinha and Rodrigo after they scored a pair of sublime solo goals to seal all three points at Carrow Road.

The Brazilian winger dribbled past three of the Canaries’ backline before firing home and the Spanish attacker bagged the winner from range after Andrew Omobamidele had levelled almost instantly after their opener.

In reality, it was quite a tight affair and even though the Whites edged it on the day, it could have easily gone the other way. And that has got to concern the Argentine in the visiting dugout.

He should be less than impressed with the performance of Jack Harrison, too.

The 24-year-old winger was Leeds’ lowest-rated player (6.5) and it’s easy to see why as he offered Bielsa very little in attack.

As per SofaScore, the former Man City graduate failed to register a shot on or off target and managed just one successful dribble from three attempts. He also did not put in a single accurate cross and made only 18 passes, managing the lowest accuracy of any outfield Leeds star.

Harrison was also weak with and without the ball, having lost it 11 times, on top of winning only three of 13 duels (23%) and being dribbled past three times.

LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross was less than impressed with the winger as he graded him a 4/10 in his post-match column. ‘Another meek performance on the whole, though. Not bringing anything to the party around the box,’ he wrote.

Indeed, it’s a disappointing outing from one of Bielsa’s biggest influences in the attack. He managed fewer touches (37) than even goalkeeper Illan Meslier (41), which speaks volumes itself.

The £60k-per-week dynamo is yet to score or assist in eight appearances, a stark contrast to last season when he provided eight goals and eight assists

It now leaves the Whites boss with plenty to ponder heading into their clash with Leicester City next weekend as he cannot afford to carry passengers when they are still in dire need of results.

The win took them out of the dropzone but only just, they still remain in 17th place. Harrison’s form is a big cause for concern.

AND in other news, Leeds eyeing “super talented” 40-goal machine, he’s a massive Tyler Roberts upgrade…

Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold has provided an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur winger Steven Bergwijn.

The Lowdown: January exit

The Netherlands international was at the centre of heavy transfer speculation during the January window.

Ajax were extremely keen on bringing the 24-year-old back to the Eredivisie and even had a £15m bid rejected for the player, with Spurs demanding closer to the £27m they paid for Dutchman in 2020.

However, this deal seemed to fall through and Bergwijn has warmed the bench ever since, barring one miraculous cameo in the win against Leicester City.

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The Latest: Gold’s update…

In football.london’s latest QnA, Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold received questions over the future of Bergwijn.

In response, Gold claimed:

“I think it’s going to depend on Steven Bergwijn himself and perhaps how hard Ajax push for him this summer. Conte likes him a lot and if it was down to him, he would keep him. The Dutchman is full of confidence right now after his three international goals in two games and the strike against Newcastle but he’s just unfortunate that Spurs’ front three are flying at the moment.

“Opportunities will arise next season and there should be plenty of matches to be played, but for Bergwijn he will obviously want to be a regular starter rather than a bit part player.

“It would be Spurs’ loss if he were to go and Conte will no doubt attempt to convince him to stay, but much depends on where the player’s head is at and just how much Ajax can throw at a transfer they desperately want to make.”

The Verdict: Would be a big loss

Whilst the winger has now dropped to the bench since the arrival of Dejan Kulusevski in N17, Bergwijn would be a big loss to Antonio Conte, given his ability to come on and make an instant impact on a game.

This was illustrated in Spurs’ away clash at the King Power Stadium, when the attacker came off the bench in the dying minutes and scored two emphatic injury time goals to secure the Lilywhites a 3-2 win.

Furthermore, given Conte’s own assessment of Bergwijn being a “quality” player, a move away from Hotspur Way would comes as a big blow to Tottenham’s squad.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Alasdair Gold drops verdict on the futures of Lo Celso and Ndombele