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Chelsea have been put on high alert concerning the future of a touted target following recent reports, but the Blues will face stiff competition from Premier League competitors…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Everton and England No. 1 shot-stopper Jordan Pickford has not yet sealed a new contract with the Merseyside outfit, despite agreeing on an extension before jetting off to Qatar for World Cup duty.

Such revelations have piqued Chelsea boss Graham Potter’s interest, although the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have also registered an intrigue in acquiring his signature.

With his current deal set for expiry in the summer of 2024, Everton will likely be looking to cash in on their coveted keeper before the start of next season at the latest if a renewal indeed fails to materialise.  

Pickford is better than Mendy 

Due to Everton’s woes over the past several seasons, certain casual observers would be forgiven for lamenting Pickford for his role in the club’s decline. 

The £24.8m-rated ace was central to the team that shipped 66 goals over the course of the 21/22 campaign, playing 35 of the 38 league outings, but despite a leaky defence that needed reinforcing, the Englishman’s performances maintained a level of respect. 

Signed for Everton for £30m from Sunderland in 2018, Pickford made 117 saves in the English top-flight last term, and his 62 parries this year is bettered only by Brentford’s David Raya.

A large proportion of his side’s woes lay in the hands of the shoddy defence in front of him, failing to deal with threats and offer protection that is imperative in order to thrive in the Premier League. 

Should Chelsea instigate a transfer, it is felt that Pickford might thrive in the hands of a more capable defence, with an upturn in performance this season already illuminated by Toffees boss Frank Lampard’s action in the transfer market to reshape the defence with the likes of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski.

Pickford would be a sterling improvement on the likes of Edouard Mendy, who has failed to replicate the resounding form that earned him the regular spot following his £22m move from Rennes in 2020.

As per Sofascore, the 28-year-old Pickford has recorded an average rating of 7.19 over the current league campaign, dazzling with an impressive 77% save percentage and keeping three clean sheets, also displaying his ball-playing acumen with a fine long-ball assist for Demarai Gray’s late equaliser against Nottingham Forest.

Mendy, in retrospect, has recorded a poor rating of 6.69, failing to demonstrate his prowess and consequently being demoted from his position in the team, with Kepa Arrizabalaga stepping up to the plate.

His save percentage of 68% is bettered by Pickford, with the Senegalese shot-stopper also making a direct error leading to goal.

And with both goalkeepers shipping goals at a rate of 1.3 per match this season, Pickford’s presence is highlighted – with Everton scraping for form at the bottom of the table, one can only imagine the upturn if situated at Stamford Bridge among world-class defenders. 

Once dubbed a “monster” by journalist Joe Crann, the 50-cap English colossus would be a fine addition to the Blues, and Potter must finally give him the move to prominence he deserves after years of stalwart service for Everton.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter will be delighted with the performances of some of his players at the World Cup in Qatar, having welcomed the midseason World Cup break following a strenuous start to his Chelsea tenure.

Indeed, the Blues have not been performing to the standards their proud fanbase demands, having lost four of their past five matches across all competitions in the weeks preceding the international tournament in Qatar.

But with the seasonal pause, comes the chance to rectify wrongs and stabilise the ship, with the likes of USA’s Christian Pulisic and Croatia’s Mateo Kovacic playing vital roles for their respective nation.

But it is the 38-year-old Thiago Silva, still a colossus at the back for the dazzling Brazil, who has perhaps offered the displays throughout the tournament that offer the most promise for Potter.

Still starring

Silva is defying expectations, still a destructive defensive presence after an illustrious and lengthy career, and he is not quite showing signs of slowing down that will deter the likes of Potter and Brazil manager Tito from withdrawing him from contention just yet.

At the World Cup, Silva has started three matches, missing out during the tournament opener, and has contributed effectively as the five-time world champions secured victory in every match, and a place in the quarter-finals after emphatically dispatching South Korea.

During the previous fixture, the round-of-16 tie against the gallant Asian side, the Brazilian squad ripped them to shreds, and Silva played a vital role from the back, rebuffing the few meaningful Korean offences that were mustered and providing a composed presence at the back.

But crucially, the 112-cap international served a gorgeous assist to Richarlison for the second, combining to unravel the opposition backline like a loose ball of string.

As per Sofascore, Silva earned a match rating of 7.6, also making two interceptions and one tackle while completing all three of his duels, both aerial and on the ground.

By completing 94% of his passes too, Silva encapsulated his aura as a supreme modern centre-back, and cemented his unwavering position in the Brazilian starting line-up, as the nation chases World Cup glory for the first time in over 20 years.

And across his first two appearances at the tournament, he received a rating of 7.2 on each occasion, leading to a tournament average of 7.3, continuing to display a quality that belies his twilight years.

He’s also notched a passing accuracy of 93%, despite registering around 76 attempts per game, so forget about Pulisic’s contributions, Silva has arguably stole the show and it’s his team still in the tournament in Qatar.

The “Rolls-Royce“, as described by Joe Cole to BT Sport (via The Sun), is not done yet, and Potter will seek to utilise his unparalleled defensive skills and knowledge to return to the right track at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal’s season is going from strength to strength, with the club sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table and through to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion in the EFL Cup won’t put a downer on things at the Emirates as this means fewer matches in their pursuit of bigger prizes.

It’s an exciting time to be an Arsenal supporter and Mikel Arteta is not resting on his laurels either as he looks ahead to the January transfer window in order to further bolster his side.

The Spaniard has reportedly put in an offer for Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, however, he is also interested in another winger, Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze.

Gabriel Martinelli 2.0

According to reports in Spain, Arsenal are targeting a move for Chukwueze in January, and the £31k-per-week trickster would bolster the club’s attack.

Indeed, Chukwueze could be Arteta’s next Martinelli, with the Brazilian winger ranked first when compared to the Villarreal star via FBref’s player comparison model.

Chukwueze averages 4.34 shot-creating actions per match, with Martinelli just edging him with 4.37 per game, proving they pose a significant attacking threat from a wide position.

The Arsenal winger has made 1.8 key passes per match so far this season, compared to 1.1 for Chukwueze, while also creating four more big chances than the Villarreal winger (5 to 1). However, the 23-year-old has started just five games for the La Liga side this season, having to rely on opportunities from the bench.

Former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o even lavished praise on Chukwueze, dubbing him as an “incredible player” and there is no doubt that a move to the Premier League will allow him to get even better.

Martinelli has shone this season, registering seven goal contributions in just 13 matches and if Arteta does land the Nigerian winger, the added competition may prove to be a good thing.

Arsenal should make their move in January and sign him before it’s too late and if they do, the 40-year-old will be adding a Martinelli clone.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a notable setback in their bid to reach the Champions League knockout stages, having been held to a frustrating 1-1 draw with Sporting Lisbon on home soil on Wednesday evening.

That disappointing stalemate has ensured that the north Londoners’ hopes of progression are still very much in their own hands, although it is seemingly a far from ideal scenario to have to go Marseille in need of a positive result on matchday six.

The overriding feeling in the aftermath of that match will likely have been one of fury for Antonio Conte’s side, with the Lilywhites having seemingly had victory snatched away from them at the death following a typically contentious VAR decision.

It had, however, been a rather limp first-half display from the home side prior to the eventual late drama, with the Portuguese outfit perhaps deservedly taking the lead midway through the first half, as former Tottenham youth starlet Marcus Edwards almost inevitably returned to haunt his previous employers with a stunning effort from range.

A much-improved performance would follow after the break from the hosts, although it would take until the 80th minute for an equaliser to finally emerge, with Rodrigo Bentancur continuing his recent fine form to header home.

The Premier League side then looked to have completed their comeback – and secured their place in the last-16 – with almost the final kick as Harry Kane lashed home from close range, only for the goal to be controversially denied following an excruciatingly long VAR wait.

That agonising end to what was an eventful night in N17 has left Conte’s men still in need of a point heading into their final group stage game next week, with it potentially set to prove a pivotal moment in the club’s Champions League future.

For all that undoubted rage, there may well be question marks as to why Spurs could not have started the game in the same manner in which they finished it, having again looked somewhat lethargic off the back of two successive top-flight defeats.

One figure who notably underwhelmed was summer signing Ivan Perisic, with the experienced Croatian having proven particularly wasteful from his wing-back berth, losing possession 19 times from his 68 touches.

While the 34-year-old did tee up teammate Bentancur with a delightful corner for his side’s goal on the night – as well as play a role in the eventually disallowed late effort – the former Inter Milan machine was largely ineffective from his wide berth.

The £9m-rated man was found wanting with his “poor” delivery – as per journalist George Sessions – with the attacking asset having completed just five of his 19 crosses, while also proving something of a liability defensively as he was dribbled past three times and won just three of his nine total duels.

As the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick noted, the 115-cap veteran ‘could surely be doing more from open play’, having shown a “lack of quality” since making the move to England in the recent window, according to The Athletic’s Alex Kay-Jelski.

For all the finger-pointing at that notable late refereeing decision, Conte could well be better served looking at the problems within his own ranks, with concern potentially growing over Perisic’s recent struggles.

Celtic are currently preparing to take on their closest rivals in the SFA Cup final at Hampden Park in the final game of the season on Saturday.

The Hoops can sign off from the 2023/24 campaign with a second trophy, completing a domestic double, after they lifted the Scottish Premiership title last weekend.

Brendan Rodgers and his men had secured the trophy with a 5-0 win over Kilmarnock away from home last week before they ran out 3-2 winners against St Mirren on the final day of the league season at Parkhead.

The Northern Irish coach will now be hoping for another impressive performance from his team at Hampden Park when they take on Rangers in the final this weekend.

After that big clash, the focus will then turn to the summer transfer window and there is no hiding from the club's need to sign a new first-choice goalkeeper.

Joe Hart is due to retire at the age of 37, when his contract expires this summer, and this has left the Scottish giants in need of a number one between the sticks ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Celtic working to sign Austrian star

According to Football Insider, the Hoops are working on a deal to bring Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Patrick Pentz to Parkhead this summer.

The report claims that the Austrian shot-stopper has just one year left on his deal with the German side, who have just completed an unbeaten season in the Bundesliga, and that could provide the Bhoys with a chance to swoop in for his services.

It states that the 27-year-old star has emerged as a 'strong' option for the Scottish giants to bring in to bolster their goalkeeping options ahead of next term.

Football Insider adds that signing a new goalkeeper to replace Hart is the primary objective of the upcoming summer transfer window for Rodgers, with Pentz seemingly identified as one of the key targets in that position.

However, it may not be a simple deal to get over the line as Southampton and PSV are also said to be interested in the talented colossus, who just spent the season on loan with Brondby in Denmark.

The Saints are in the Championship play-off final against Southampton on Sunday and could be promoted to the Premier League, which could strengthen their position in negotiations should they still be keen on a move for Pentz.

Should Celtic win the race for his services, though, then the club could land a goalkeeper who is perfect for Rodgers' style of play moving forward.

Why Patrick Pentz is perfect for Brendan Rodgers

Football Insider's report claimed that the Leverkusen ace's ability with the ball at his feet caught the eye of the Hoops boss, who wants his number one to be able to play out from the back.

The article described Pentz as a 'modern' goalkeeper and that was on display during his time on loan with Brondby in Denmark this season.

He made 25 appearances in the Superliga and completed 91% of his attempted passes in his own half, without making a single error that directly led to a shot or goal for the opposition.

In fact, you have to go back to the 2020/21 Austrian Bundesliga season, when he was playing for Austria Wien, to find his last error that led to a goal or shot at league level.

Patrick Pentz's errors

Season

Appearances

Error led to shot

Error led to goal

2020/21 Bundesliga

32

0

1

2021/22 Bundesliga

32

0

0

2022/23 Ligue 1

7

0

0

2023/24 Superliga

25

0

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old star has not made a single direct error in the last three seasons, and has only made one in the last four campaigns combined.

Whereas, Hart made five errors that led to shots for the opposition and one that led to a goal in his 109 Scottish Premiership appearances in three years at Parkhead.

This suggests that the 37-year-old veteran is far more prone to a mistake when playing out from the back than Pentz, given the greater volume of errors when passing the ball to the opposition over the past three seasons.

Therefore, that, along with the Austrian's high pass success rate within his own half, suggests that the Leverkusen gem would be perfect for Rodgers and how he wants to build from the back, due to his reliability in possession of the ball.

Why Patrick Pentz would be an upgrade on Joe Hart

Along with his impressive work on the ball, Pentz could also be an upgrade on Hart because of his quality as both a shot-stopper and a goalkeeper who can command his area.

Firstly, the Austrian titan ranked within the top 23% of his positional peers in Ligue 1 last season for percentage of crosses stopped (7.8%), whilst the Englishman ranked within the bottom 22% of Champions League goalkeepers this term at just 1.2%.

This suggests that Pentz, who Leverkusen chief Simon Rolfes claimed last year is "in his prime", could be far more dominant when it comes to collecting crosses to take pressure off his defence.

23/24 season

Joe Hart (Premiership)

Patrick Pentz (Superliga)

Appearances

37

25

Sofascore rating

6.85

7.31

Save success rate

68%

75%

Run-out success rate

85%

89%

Duel success rate

77%

100%

Ground duel success rate

40%

100%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Brondby loanee also outperformed Hart as a shot-stopper, with a great save success rate, and was flawless in his duels against opposition players, whereas the Hoops star let himself down on that front.

These statistics, along with his aforementioned suitability to the style of play wanted by Rodgers, suggest that the Bhoys target could be a fantastic addition to the squad to replace the former Manchester City titan moving forward.

Related Rodgers must drop 2/10 Celtic man this summer after "horrific" mistake

The Hoops liability’s time at Parkhead should be up at the end of the season, based on his performances this season.

Posts ByDan Emery May 19, 2024

His age is also a key factor for Celtic. At the age of 27, he is ten years younger than the retiring ace and could, therefore, be Celtic's number one for many more years to come if he can hit the ground running and adapt to Scottish football, which is another reason why this could be a superb deal for the club.

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed notable success over the years with regards to their desire to promote from within, with a number of exciting talents having emerged from the Lilywhites’ youth set-up.

Arguably the most impressive academy graduate that the north Londoners have produced in the modern era is that of current talisman Harry Kane, with the England skipper having enjoyed a remarkable rise over the last decade or so.

There may well have been initial doubts over the Walthamstow-born striker following what was a stop-start to his senior career, with the striker having failed to really catch fire while on loan at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City, scoring just 16 goals across each of those temporary stints combined.

It was until the 2014/15 campaign that the 6 foot 2 marksman truly emerged as a leading light for the club – after netting three goals in ten top-flight games a year earlier – having scored 21 Premier League goals under Mauricio Pochettino.

No mere one-season wonder, the prolific forward has only gone from strength to strength since then, with his total tally with Spurs now standing at 254 goals in just 395 games in all competitions.

Not just a lethal goalscoring presence, the £81m-rated star has also proven himself an elite creative force in recent seasons, having been dubbed “one of the best passers in world football” by pundit Jamie Carragher.

Such an all-round asset is seemingly a rare commodity, although Antonio Conte and co may well have a potential successor in their midst in the form of young Jamie Donley, with the 17-year-old having sparkled in the club’s youth set-up in recent times.

The Northern Ireland-born centre-forward boasts an impressive record for the Premier League outfit at U18 level having scored 21 goals and laid on six assists in just 33 games, while he only recently netted in the UEFA Youth League triumph over Marseille.

That display saw him receive glowing praise from journalist Josh Bunting, who stated: “Jamie Donley scoring for Tottenham Hotspur Under 19’s in the UEFA Youth League this afternoon. Fantastic young talent, a natural finisher, comfortable driving with the ball. Powerful carrying the ball forward. Has a lot of good attributes, brilliant left footed forward.”

Unsurprisingly, such quality has seen the teenager tipped to be the ‘new Harry Kane’, having also been included in the Guardian’s ‘Next Generation’ list last year, seeing him named among the best prospects at top-flight clubs.

Previous reports have suggested that prior to moving to his current side at the age of eight, the youngster had scored a staggering 175 goals for Colchester Villa Youth, while both England and Northern Ireland are currently vying to secure his services at international level.

The signs all appear to point to a player who could well explode onto the scene in the coming years, with the aforementioned Conte – who has typically shied away from promoting young talent – potentially unable to ignore what could be a star in the making.

If Donley is able to have anything like the success of Kane, then the Tottenham faithful could well be in for a real treat.

Glasgow Rangers have endured two back-to-back 4-0 defeats to Celtic and Ajax in the past seven days and although not yet at a crisis stage, questions are beginning to be asked of Giovanni van Bronckhorst and the Rangers board.

With the club having made it through to the Champions League group stages for the first time since 2010/2011 and the vast riches that go with it, many of the Ibrox faithful were asking for at least one of two more signings before the window shut.

This decision might already have come to haunt them following the thrashings in the Premiership and on the continent and the squad doesn’t look up to the required standard.

One player the Dutchman should have made more of an effort to sign was Brazilian midfielder Evander, who could have added some dynamism to this stagnant Rangers midfield.

Van Bronckhorst missed opportunity on Evander

The 24-year-old was valued at £8.5m by Danish side FC Midtjylland which would normally be a price tag too high for the club, but the money guaranteed from Champions League qualification would have allowed Ross Wilson to splash out on the player, and judging by how things have gone since they really needed to.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke spoke to Football FanCast lavishing praise on the Brazilian, saying:

“He’s a good player, Evander, very versatile (and) can play in a number of roles in midfield, can play defensively or as an attacking midfielder as well so he will bring a lot of options to van Bronckhorst’s squad if he was to make the move to Ibrox.

“24-year-old Brazilian, so he’s got a little bit of Brazilian class as well in the final third, if he does play as an attacking midfielder, and he’s done well for Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga, as well as in Europe as well.”

High praise indeed, and it looks like the Gers have missed out on a talented individual.

Last season he provided 35 goal contributions).

Van Bronckhorst may regret missing out on Evander, especially with the recent woeful performances and the club need someone who can replace the creativity that was lost when Joe Aribo left for Southampton in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to complete a deal for Ashley Phillips…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim that sporting director Fabio Paratici is in attendance for Blackburn Rovers’ clash with Reading in the Championship after the 17-year-old centre-back broke into the first-team squad.

The 6 foot 4 defender is out of contract at the end of the season and Spurs are set to beat the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to his signature.

It remains to be seen if there will be any fee involved and for how much. The Lilywhites have already surpassed the £100m mark, having signed seven new players this transfer window.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-paratici-conte-levy-gossip-more” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and so much more!”]

Imagine him & Udogie

This move would be another sign of Paratici planning well ahead for the future.

Last summer, he brought in Bryan Gil and Pape Matar Sarr and now it appears as if the Rovers teenager could join the likes of Djed Spence, also signed from the Championship, and Destiny Udogie.

In fact, in Phillips and the Udinese wing-back, Spurs could have two key pieces of their future tied up.

After being named on the bench against Swansea a few weeks ago, the 17-year-old excelled in Blackburn’s 4-0 over Hartlepool in the Carabao Cup last week and on Monday night, he started a crucial encounter against promotion favourites West Bromwich Albion, lasting 71 minutes alongside the experienced Daniel Ayala.

As per SofaScore, the youngster won 66.6% of his ground and aerial duels, registered seven clearances and made 20 accurate passes, which is pretty good going on your Championship debut.

It could now be his place to lose under their new manager Jon Dahl Tomasson.

“He’s 6ft 4′, he’s fast, mobile and can pass it really well. He can use both feet, he’s composed. Ash is just a phenomenal young boy; if you were to create a defender in the mould of how you would want one, this kid has got every attribute,” claimed his former boss, Tony Mowbray, to LancsLive.

“He’s an exciting prospect, is all I’d say. But it’s in a position where there is a lot of responsibility, it’s not as easy to put a really talented young defender in as opposed to a talented young striker where it doesn’t matter if he loses the ball every now and then.”

At 17, he’s by no means going to challenge an Eric Dier or Cristian Romero to a starting spot under Antonio Conte but in the next four or five years, he could easily be the main man in defence.

The same goes for Udogie, who isn’t going to surpass Ivan Perisic or Ryan Sessegnon anytime soon but later down the line, that position is surely his.

With the pair likely to be the latest two signings at Hotspur Way, the intent to build for the long-term future of Tottenham is certainly there and it’s encouraging to see.

Paratici can get a first-hand glimpse of the youngster tonight before surely giving the green light to the deal.

AND in other news, After Udogie: Spurs plotting swoop for £17m “playmaker”, he’s better than Zaniolo…

Liverpool have already let go of nine players this summer and now a reliable source has given an update on the club’s plans for their 10th Anfield exit before the transfer window closes.

What’s the latest?

According to The Express journalist Ryan Taylor, Liverpool have reduced the asking price for Nathaniel Phillips as they plot the defender’s exit from Anfield.

In the reporter’s Transfer Tuesday segment for the publication, Taylor claims that the club are now ready to sell the defender and their intention is clear after reducing their asking price for the player this summer.

It is reported that Bournemouth are interested in securing a permanent deal for the player following his loan at the club, Liverpool have lowered their asking price from £15m to £10m to entice more interest and attract a club to Phillips.

He’s “not good enough”

There is no doubt that Liverpool supporters appreciated Phillips’ impact in the team during the season of 2020/21 when the side suffered a huge injury crisis that saw Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip suffer long-term injuries.

The defender dubbed ‘The Bolton Baresi’ by fans even earned a brand new four-year deal to secure his future at Anfield as a reward for his contributions in the troubling season for the Reds.

However, now that the defensive line is looking solid and fitness has returned to normal, there hasn’t been an opportunity for the centre-back to continue to feature in the team, so a move away now makes perfect sense for the 25-year-old.

Former Aston Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor made a scathing claim that the player  is “not good enough” to play for Liverpool in an interview with Football Insider, saying:

“Nat Phillips is not a Premier League centre-half.

“I’ve watched a bit of him now at Liverpool and he’s not good enough.

“For me, he’s a Championship player at best, he’s not good enough for the Premier League, especially at the top end.”

Whilst Jurgen Klopp may not be able to offer Phillips a future or first-team football with the Merseysiders, he is attracting interest from newly-promoted Premier League clubs, so Agbonlahor’s assessment of the player may well be considered unfair by those in recruitment teams across the top-flight, especially when you look at his impact on Bournemouth over his loan spell.

Over 17 Championship starts for the Cherries, Phillips created one big chance and made 1.5 interceptions per game. He also produced 4.1 clearances per game and won the majority of his duels (65%) and totalled up a pass completion rate of 90% in his own half.

In fact, Bournemouth only lost twice with the central defender in the team upon his arrival, proving that the player clearly contributed to the side’s promotion into the top flight and has the defensive attributes to be a great player for the team that secure his signature this summer.

However, that was indeed in the Championship and making the step up to Premier League life might be tricky. Quite clearly good enough for a second-tier outfit or a team towards the bottom of the top-flight, he isn’t up to scratch when it comes to matching the likes of Matip and van Dijk.

With that being said, it is clear that with the player no longer in Klopp’s plans, selling him could, in the long term, be the best decision for Phillips’ interests as he seeks first-team football elsewhere.

Journalist Ashley Preece has provided an update regarding the future of Aston Villa striker, Keinan Davis…

What’s the word?

In a Q and A for Birmingham Mail, the Villa correspondent has suggested that the 24-year-old is attracting attention from a number of potential suitors, having impressed during his spell on loan at Nottingham Forest in the second half of last season.

Asked about the club’s striking department, the trusted insider said in response regarding the Englishman: “Still a lot of interest in Keinan Davis, as we know.”

The suggestion is that clubs are keen on another loan move for the academy graduate, although Preece has previously claimed that a permanent deal would be the better option for those at Villa Park.

A return to the City Ground had been mooted, although Steve Cooper and co have since opted to sign Nigerian starlet, Taiwo Awoniyi on a club record, £17.5m deal.

Supporters will love it

Despite his strong form in the Championship last term – in which he scored five goals and provided two assists in just 15 league games – the 6 foot 3 menace appears in need of a fresh start away from Steven Gerrard’s side, with it seemingly good news that there are clubs circling for his signature.

The hope will be that the Midlands outfit can generate something of a bidding war for the Stevenage-born gem in order to recoup a sizeable sum for the homegrown asset, amid reports that he could demand a fee in the region of £15m.

There will undoubtedly be few tears shed among those at his parent club if he is to depart, with the former England U20 international having failed to ever nail down a regular role for the Villans, having scored just six goals and provided only seven assists in 86 games in all competitions thus far.

Supporters may also have their fingers crossed that the departure of the £25k-per-week brute could open the door for another incoming, with reports suggesting that Gerrard is keen to add a new striker to his squad this summer.

Last term saw Ollie Watkins top the scoring charts with just 11 goals in all competitions, with a more prolific presence needed if the club are to improve upon last season’s disappointing 14th-place finish.

In truth, Davis is seemingly never going to be the man to lead the line for the Premier League side, with it making sense to cash in before the start of next term, if a suitable fee is put on the table.

Seeing the transfer kitty bolstered will only serve to help sporting director Johan Lange bring in additional recruits, with supporters set to love the chance to see more new faces come through the door.

AND in other news, Lange eyeing Villa move for £30m “goalscoring machine”, he’d be their own Darwin Nunez