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Aston Villa suffered a poor 4-1 defeat to Manchester City in midweek which could derail the momentum they were building following the international break.

Despite trailing just 2-1 heading into the interval, Phil Foden scored twice more during the second half to condemn Villa to their eighth league defeat of the campaign.

With seven games left, they hold a two-point advantage over Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place, albeit Spurs have a game in hand.

The Midlands side takes on Brentford this afternoon and Unai Emery will likely rejig his starting lineup, dropping a midfielder who was poor against City.

Tim Iroegbunam’s game in numbers vs Man City

The youngster was given his first Premier League start of the season against the champions yet failed to really showcase his talent during the match.

The midfielder was deployed alongside Douglas Luiz in the heart of the midfield but completed just 12 passes during his time on the pitch, managing to take only 28 touches of the ball too, as he failed to really get involved.

Iroegbunam also won four of his ten ground duels contested, lost possession six times and succeeded with just one of his three dribble attempts, while being dribbled past on two occasions.

The midfielder was utilised due to John McGinn serving the last match of his three-game suspension, but with that ending, the Scot is in pole position to reclaim his position in the starting XI.

Iroegbunam will learn from this experience, but with much at stake over the coming weeks, unleashing McGinn against Brentford will be the most logical thing for Emery to do.

John McGinn’s season in numbers

McGinn was sent off against Spurs a few weeks ago due to a poor challenge on Destiny Udogie, subsequently receiving a three-match ban.

Prior to this, the former Hibs gem had played every single league match for the club, scoring six goals and grabbing three assists, proving to be one of Emery’s best players.

Not only that, but McGinn also ranks fifth in the squad for big chances created (9) in the top flight, along with ranking third for key passes per game (1.4), third for successful dribbles per game (1.6) and fourth for tackles per game (1.7), showing how effective he is across a range of metrics.

The £120k-per-week maestro had previously been described as a “relentless creature” by journalist Mat Kendrick during his first season at Villa Park, going from strength to strength ever since.

His availability ahead of the Brentford game will give Emery a massive boost as he aims for three points.

McGinn has shown time and time again – for both club and country – that he can make a difference when it really matters. The next seven games in the league are all must-win if Villa are to qualify for the Champions League next season.

With the Scot back in the starting XI alongside Luiz, Emery has his first-choice midfield partnership available and raring to go against the Bees this afternoon.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Manchester United are tussling with Real Madrid to complete the signing of a player who is among the "most-watched" in his position, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

Man Utd transfer news

Erik ten Hag will already be eyeing up summer additions, especially with Sir Jim Ratcliffe seemingly keen on having a big transfer window at Old Trafford as his influence grows.

Juventus attacker Samuel Iling-Junior is seen as someone who could provide competition for the likes of Marcus Rashford out wide, and while he wouldn't arrive as the finished article, he could have a big future in the game.

Centre-back is also an area of the pitch that United could look to bolster their options, especially with Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans all in their 30s. Jarrad Branthwaite and Jhon Lucumi have both emerged as reported targets at Old Trafford in that position.

The former has been a rare bright spark for a disappointing Everton side this season, averaging 4.2 clearances per game in the Premier League, while the latter has caught the eye for Bologna, completing 93.3% of his passes across 20 appearances in Serie A.

Teenage Boca Juniors defender Aaron Anselmino has also been linked with a summer move to United, with the 18-year-old a "dominant" player who only has a £15m release clause in his current contract.

Man Utd eyeing "most-watched" players

According to a report from Spain, Manchester United are interested in signing Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka, seeing him as a good summer option to snap up.

However, the Red Devils aren't alone in expressing a willingness to acquire his signature, with La Liga giants Real Madrid also very much in the mix.

While Andre Onana has improved after a worrying start to life at United, bringing in Bulka could provide him with the extra competition that he needs moving forward. It could be argued that the jury is still out on the Cameroonian with some supporters, rather than him having the complete support of the fanbase.

Bulka is an impressive figure, shining for both Nice at club level and Poland internationally, and his current manager Francesco Farioli has heaped praise on him, saying:

"In the space of four months, he went from a luxury substitute to one of the most-watched goalkeepers in international football. He knows the level that he has to stay at. He is a serious, hard-working boy who has his head well screwed on. He knows he has to continue to work with his hunger, for himself and for the team."

At 24, Bulka is still a young goalkeeper with so many years ahead of him, but history would suggest that United have not had too much success in the goalkeeping department over recent years, with even David de Gea coming in for criticism throughout his time at Old Trafford.

That inevitably means there will be plenty of scrutiny over their next move for a goalkeeper, which could lead to plenty of pressure riding on Bulka's shoulders if he is chosen to compete with Onana for the No 1 slot.

Wilfried Zaha is reportedly 'desperate' to return to the Premier League amid links with Leicester City and Crystal Palace.

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• Zaha leaves Palace for Galatasaray in 2023
• Winger 'desperate' to return to Premier League
• Wanted by Leicester and Crystal Palace

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Zaha left Palace for a second time last summer on a free transfer to the Turkish giants but a year on, he may be heading back to the Premier League. The 31-year-old was left out of Galatasaray's squad to play Hatayspor in the league this week and now the Eagles are looking to bring him back to Selhurst Park. Now, claims the ex-Manchester United man has set his sights on leaving the Super Lig side as soon as possible.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reports suggest Palace are interested in bringing Zaha back to the club on a permanent deal, while Leicester are exploring a season-long loan move. If he did return to the Eagles, that would be his third stint at the club after starting his career there, heading to United in 2013 and then moving back to Palace in 2014. As Oliver Glasner's men have already lost winger Michael Olise to Bayern Munich, bringing back the Ivory Coast international may be a shrewd move.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In Zaha's first spell at Palace, he scored 18 goals in 143 games before heading to Old Trafford. In his second stint, he added an extra 72 in 315 matches. Last season for Galatasaray, he scored 10 goals and bagged five assists over 43 matches in all competitions.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Zaha, whose contract at the Turkish outfit runs until 2026, does not have too long to find a new club, however. The Premier League transfer window shuts on August 30, so while there is time to return to the English top-flight, there isn't a great deal of time left for a move to happen.

Nothing in football is ever certain but Tottenham Hotspur supporters can rest assured that their team is in for a gripping finale to Ange Postecoglou's first season at the helm.

Fifth-placed in the Premier League with just ten matches left to go, Spurs are on the heels of Aston Villa in the top four with Manchester United snapping at their feet in sixth.

Only a few days ago, Tottenham were buoyed by a resounding victory over fourth-placed Aston Villa and knew that by winning their game in hand they would leapfrog Unai Emery's side, but last weekend's sobering loss against Fulham at Craven Cottage comes as a bitter reminder that this is squad is a work in progress.

Radu Dragusin endured a starting debut to forget after signing from Serie A side Genoa in a £27m deal in January, but the Romanian centre-back was certainly not the only player at fault, with Yves Bissouma flattering to deceive and continuing to ebb and flow this year.

The tough-tackling midfielder is so talented and offers a singular quality in the centre of the park that no other Lilywhite can replicate to the same degree.

But Postecoglou has displayed a ruthless streak throughout his maiden year in charge and while Bissouma is a good player, would it be unjust to suggest there's an upgrade out there, somewhere?

Why Spurs signed Yves Bissouma

Tottenham secured the signing of Bissouma from Brighton & Hove Albion for a fee rising to £35m in July 2022 after his stellar efforts on the south coast, with Graham Potter, Seagulls manager at the time, hailing him an "incredible" talent.

Champions League football had been achieved under Antonio Conte and it was the allure of Europe's elite club competition that had persuaded the 27-year-old to close the door on his Brighton career and join the Spurs project in the capital.

The prominence that he had achieved with the Seagulls dissipated rather quickly at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the £55k-per-week ace only starting 11 Premier League matches all campaign, averaging just 0.7 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per match, as per Sofascore, while succeeding with just 47% of his contested duels.

Yves Bissouma's 2023/24 season in numbers

Described as a "monster" by journalist Aaron Stokes, Bissouma has enjoyed plenty of success when on the pitch this season but has missed five Premier League matches due to suspension and was culpable for a dreadful performance against Fulham on Saturday evening.

Writing in his post-match comments, football.london's Alasdair Gold handed the midfielder a lowly 3/10 score and wrote: 'Wasn't helped much by his wandering fellow midfielders but he struggled to make his presence felt in the game or inspire confidence in those around him.'

Make no mistake, Bissouma is a high-class midfielder with a range of qualities in the engine room that suit Postecoglou's system well, but the best ability is availability and his recklessness has hampered Spurs' campaign.

As per FBref, the Malian midfielder ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive passes, the top 10% for successful take-ons, the top 5% for tackles, the top 6% for interceptions and the top 12% for clearances per 90.

Clearly, he's blessed with some pretty remarkable attributes, an adept distributor, a fearsome recycler of possession and a deceptive dribbler.

But Bissoma has got to ensure that he sees out the remainder of the campaign with a level head and a focused drive toward ensuring Tottenham succeed in their pursuit of Champions League football.

Yves Bissouma's market value in 2024

According to Football Transfers' player valuation model, Bissouma is currently worth just £10m, which marks a startling £25m depreciation in less than two years since joining.

Sure, this is largely down to the dismal 2022/23 campaign, and this price tag should see a rise over the coming months given his comeback and cementation of a starring spot in the Tottenham team. However, the fact remains that Bissouma is continuing to flicker up and down, lacking the stability and consistency needed in this N17 squad.

The fact that Bissouma is valued lower than Oliver Skipp, who is firmly a utility presence at the club, is indicative of his inconsistent performances, but he would be most disgruntled to learn that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg remains a more valuable asset than himself.

Hojbjerg is out of contract in 2025 and was expected to have completed a transfer away from Tottenham in January, only to reject interest from outfits such as French club Lyon.

Moreover, the Danish midfielder has only started six Premier League matches in 2023/24 and is too conservative and static on the ball to truly flourish in Postecoglou's system, averaging just 0.2 key passes, 0.9 tackles and two successful duels per game this season, as per Sofascore.

Spurs must bin forgotten player who's worse than Sessegnon

Ange Postecoglou’s squad bears no future for this dud…

By
Angus Sinclair

Mar 17, 2024

While a prosperous future at Tottenham could be on the cards for Bissouma, he's not quite proving himself an immovable starter at the heart of this new project, and a discussion regarding his sale certainly wouldn't be a bad move as Tottenham look to gauge whether cashing in and reinvesting on a more reliable star could be worthwhile.

Victor Osimhen was left out of Napoli's squad for their pre-season friendly against Egnatia as talks over a Paris Saint-Germain transfer stall.

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• Osimhen linked with Napoli exit
• Conte leaves him out of friendly
• Talks with PSG over transfer stall

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Osimhen is one of the highest-rated strikers in the world but he is proving difficult to sell as the Napoli star has a £110 million ($142m) release clause. PSG look the most likely to sign the 25-year-old forward but talks are currently at a standstill. However, new manager Antonio Conte did not pick the Nigerian international for the pre-season friendly, throwing fresh doubt on his future.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to Fabrizio Romano, Osimhen – whose contract runs until the summer of 2026 – wants to leave Napoli and the Italian team want to recruit Chelsea outcast Romelu Lukaku, who previously played under former Inter boss Conte. However, with no progress made, Osimhen could be playing at Napoli next season and Lukaku may be desperately searching for a new team, other than the Serie A outfit.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The striker began his career at Wolfsburg after being discovered at the Ultimate Strikers Academy in Lagos, Nigeria. From there he moved to Belgian side Charleroi and then to Lille in 2019. After scoring 18 goals in 38 games for the Ligue 1 team, he joined Napoli a year later.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Napoli's next pre-season game is against Brest on Wednesday and then Girona on Saturday. It remains to be seen if Osimhen will be included in the squad for those matches and if he will be still be at the club for the new season on August 18.

West Ham will formalise their interest in Watford’s Ismaila Sarr, according to ExWHUemployee. 

The lowdown

Watford finished down in 19th in the Premier League, meaning they will be back in the Championship just a year after promotion.

It’s the second time Sarr has suffered relegation since he joined the Hornets in a £27million move from Rennes in August 2019.

And he’s reached an understanding with the club’s hierarchy, who will allow him to leave this summer under the right conditions (via The Athletic).

Watford may be satisfied if they’re given the opportunity to break even three years after signing Sarr.

The latest

West Ham will advance beyond mere interest by making an approach for Sarr, the Hammers insider reported on his Patreon page (via West Ham News).

They also intend to initiate a move for his team-mate Emmanuel Dennis, but the pursuit of Sarr is regarded as more important.

The verdict

Sarr, 24, may have only managed five goals and two assists last season, but those numbers have to be put in context.

Watford were a desperately poor side last season, scoring only 34 goals and picking up a mere 23 points.

And Sarr showed what he was capable of on the international stage with Senegal, returning from injury to score in the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal against Equatorial Guinea before providing an assist in the semifinal against Burkina Faso. He would then play 77 minutes in the final as they beat Egypt on penalties to win the tournament.

Compatriot Sadio Mane raved about Sarr following his arrival in England, describing him as ‘rapid’ and warning team-mate Andrew Robertson that he could ‘kill’ him with his pace.

In other news, a major West Ham United departure has been predicted by this pundit.

Everton are reportedly now in contact over the potential signing of James Tarkowski.

The Lowdown: Contract expiring

The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the month, meaning that he can leave Burnley on a free transfer once it expires.

Given that they were relegated from the Premier League, it seems very unlikely that he will stay at the Clarets, with a number of clubs in the top flight expected to fight for his signature.

The Latest: Everton in contact over Tarkowski

As per i News, Everton are now hoping that they can wrap up a deal for Tarkowski, although Leeds United, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are also monitoring his situation.

Frank Lampard has promised the defender a platform to regain his place in the England squad before the World Cup starts in November, and the Merseyside club have been in contact over him in recent weeks and submitted a long-term contract offer.

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The Verdict: No-brainer

To sign a player of Tarkowski’s quality and experience for free is surely a no-brainer for the Toffees.

Once dubbed an ‘outstanding‘ defender by his former Burnley boss Sean Dyche, and a ‘real leader‘ at the back by ex-Premier League striker Noel Whelan, he should certainly help with Everton’s defensive problems from the 2021/22 season. They conceded no fewer than 66 times in the league, the fifth-most of any team.

Also, given the strong interest from other top-flight clubs, signing him would be a shrewd and satisfying coup from the Blues.

In other news, find out whose future now lies away from Everton

Manchester United’s era has hardly started with a bang under Erik ten Hag but some key decisions have already been made at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

On Wednesday it was confirmed that Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard would indeed be leaving United behind at the end of their contracts this summer.

It marks a sad end for the midfield duo but it’s now crucial ten Hag gets to business in the transfer market.

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One player he could sign is Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio with fresh reports dictating that his agent is set to offer the Spaniard to Man United.

That’s according to sources in Spain, via Sport Witness, who report that Jorge Mendes wants to take the 26-year-old to the Premier League in the coming months.

The player has not closed the door on an exit from the Bernabeu but it’s not known at this stage whether United actually want the player.

Asensio has a whopping €700m (£596m) release clause in his Madrid contract but Transfermarkt values the attacker at £36m.

Their own Foden

It will be interesting to see how ten Hag attacks the transfer window after being appointed the new manager of United.

It’s clear that a number of areas need reinforcing throughout the summer and they will need to unearth someone who can not only create more goal-scoring opportunities but also find the back of the net.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes surpassed double figures for goals in 2021/21 so Asensio could certainly help improve that.

He found the net 12 times throughout the current campaign, which included ten strikes in 31 La Liga outings.

Capable of playing on the wing or in a number 10 role, his versatility and overall qualities are similar to that of Manchester City’s Phil Foden.

The young Englishman is the very definition of a wonderkid and helped himself to a haul of 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions as Man City won the Premier League title.

According to FB Ref’s similar players model, the pair are comparable and when you look at the stats, it’s clear to see why.

They both score 0.16 goals per shot and have the exact same xG per 90 minutes of 0.39. Furthermore, they are both similarly measurable when it comes to short pass success, with Asensio completing 89.3% compared to Foden’s 90.8%

Furthermore, the Madrid star makes 6.93 passes under pressure per 90 compared to the Man City starlet’s 7.37. There is a small gap but it still makes them incredibly alike.

To further illustrate how similar the offensive duo are, Foden produces 3.51 shot-creating actions per 90 compared to Asensio’s 3.38. Finally, their carries in possession of the ball are almost identical with the former registering 42.8 to the latter’s 42.3.

Although the Spain international is four years older than the Premier League title-winner, he’d still be a superb signing. After all, the attacker has been dubbed “magical” by teammate Casemiro.

This is certainly someone that ten Hag should be looking to build his new team around.

AND in other news, MUFC can sign their answer to Haaland in “magical” £222k-p/w gem who’s “like Maradona”…

Leeds United are still keen on signing Hoffenheim star Florian Grillitsch, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Grillitsch links

Grillitsch, hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, was linked with a move to Elland Road last month.

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The Austria international is out of contract at the end of June and his agent has already held talks with a number of clubs in England, one of which is believed to have been Leeds and Victor Orta.

The Whites managed to avoid relegation on the final day and have already made the most of that by signing long-term target Brenden Aaronson, and it looks as if Grillitsch could be next.

The Latest: Leeds interest

Jones provided GiveMeSport with a Leeds transfer guide on Thursday evening, shortly after Aaronson penned a five-year deal in Yorkshire.

He told the site that Grillitsch is still a target and may join even if Kalvin Phillips remains at the club, acting as a partner for the England star rather than a replacement.

The Verdict: Perfect

Grillitsch is valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt and is primarily a defensive midfielder who can also play as a box-to-box midfielder.

Jesse Marsch has a small senior squad, so if he wants to implement his 4-2-2-2 system next season, Grillitsch could be the perfect partner alongside Phillips at the base of the midfield.

The 26-year-old also has plenty of experience in the Bundesliga and would be able to provide another option at centre-back if required, making a potential free transfer a no brainer for Leeds chiefs.

In other news: ‘Wow…’ – Sky Sports man now reacts to big update on Kalvin Phillips’ Leeds United future.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Djed Spence.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that Antonio Conte’s side are still interested in a move for the right-back this summer, despite Nottingham Forest confirming their promotion to the Premier League on Sunday.

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In his tweet, the transfer insider said: “Djed Spence: ‘Nottingham Forest means everything to me. Playing for Forest next season? Hopefully.’ Bayern [Munich] left the race after signing [Noussair] Mazraoui while Tottenham are still interested, but there’s no official bid yet.”

Supporters will love Romano’s update

Considering just how promising a talent Spence clearly is, Romano’s update revealing that Fabio Paratici is still pursuing a deal for the Middlesbrough full-back – despite Forest’s promotion and subsequent move to sign the 21-year-old permanently – is sure to be news that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful will love.

Indeed, over his 42 Championship appearances for Steve Cooper’s side this season, the £7.2m-rated talent played a crucial role in the Reds’ promotion to the top flight, scoring two goals, registering five assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.0 key passes, taking 0.6 shots and completing 1.8 dribbles per game.

The £4.4k-per-week defender also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.5 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.4 clearances and winning 5.8 duels per fixture.

These metrics saw the England U21 international average an extremely impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.05, ranking him as the Garibaldi’s sixth-best player in the second tier.

As such, it is clear to see that Spence would be an excellent replacement for the potentially outbound Emerson Royal this summer, leading us to believe that Romano’s update concerning Tottenham’s continued interest in the former Fulham starlet is fantastic news for everyone involved with the club.

AND in other news: “I understand…”: Gold reveals huge Spurs transfer update, supporters will be buzzing