With reports emerging that Aston Villa have decided against signing Ross Barkley on a permanent deal this summer, Dean Smith must surely consider giving Aaron Ramsey a chance to shine in the first-team.
Amid a disappointing campaign on loan at Villa Park, it’s now being suggested that Smith’s side will wave goodbye to Barkley at the end of the season, thus opening the door for a new number ten to come through.
And in the 18-year-old Ramsey, Villa have got a superb talent on their hands.
Smith described him and his brother Jacob as “two talented players who we believe have a lot of potential”, with Aaron actually even captaining England’s U17 side previously.
The Athletic revealed that he’s more of a “fiery character” than Jacob, with one source saying he “wears his heart on his sleeve”. With the likes of Grealish, and even more recently Louie Barry, Villa have got a couple of outstanding academy break-outs.
According to England’s U17s coach Kevin Betsy, one of Ramsey’s strong points is his leadership qualities.
He said: “Aaron deserved the armband because of his performances for his club and his character around the place. We try to develop leaders across our pathway… but you can’t just talk about it and say ‘be a leader’. We have to give them the opportunity to do it and feel it on the grass. Aaron was given that opportunity.”
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Bringing the younger Ramsey into the fold, just when his older brother is beginning to make his mark – Jacob’s played 15 times in the Premier League already this season – would help kick-start a new era at Villa Park.
The likes of Barry, the two Ramsey’s and even players like Kaine Kesler and Carney Chukwuemeka are all knocking on the door for a first-team opportunity.
But with Barkley set to go, it’s Aaron who could ensure Villa’s burgeoning academy takes their chance to impress.
Meanwhile, Dean Smith must finally unleash this “outstanding” talent…
Carlo Ancelotti can still urge Everton to launch a summer swoop for Tariq Lamptey as the Brighton and Hove Albion defender’s season-ending injury should not stop a move.
That’s the view of former England international Kevin Phillips, who has told Football Insider that the right-back may still be on the move at the end of the current campaign.
The Seagulls have confirmed that Lamptey’s campaign is done and dusted, as club staff feel the 20-year-old’s hamstring has not responded to treatment as well as they would have liked and will now need an operation.
Lamptey had visited a specialist at the start of the month after suffering a setback in his recovery, having been expected to be in contention for his first Premier League minutes since December when Brighton hosted Leicester City.
Being ruled out for the remainder of the season could have thrown a spanner into the works for any side wishing to sign Lamptey after The Athletic claimed in January that Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City were not discouraged by the right-back’s new contract.
Phillips does not believe those clubs will see the right-back’s hamstring problems as reason to walk away, as his performances on the south coast rightly attracted their interest.
“He’s a fantastic young player, it’s no surprise that he’s being linked with some big clubs,” the 47-year-old said. “At the end of the day, it’s not dead. Years and years ago it probably would’ve been but nowadays with the medical side of it, you wouldn’t say so.
“The way they bring these players back so quick and the professionalism of those players who want to get back and do things right. I don’t see it as a major issue, if a club wants him now, I don’t think being injured for the rest of the season will damage it at all.
“Not just Everton, he’s been linked with other clubs. I still think he could move on in the summer, injured or not, because he’s a quality player.”
Brighton had been expected to listen to offers for Lamptey at the end of the season despite his new £40,000-per-week contract, providing Albion receive a suitable offer having not upped their asking price from before he penned the deal.
The Liverpool Echo claimed that the fee is in the region of £30m and that Everton staff consider the electric wing-back to be a ‘great talent’, having established himself as one of the Premier League’s in-form right-backs before his crushing injury problems.
Lamptey’s issues not being expected to block a move away from the Amex Stadium should now be seen as a positive for the Toffees, as Ancelotti can persist with bringing the defender to Goodison Park as his Seamus Coleman successor.
Some clubs may baulk at a deal with Lamptey not featuring since mid-December, but that may just free the path for Ancelotti and Marcel Brands to sign a target who had taken the top flight by storm.
In his 11 outings this term, Lamptey provided three assists and scored once – only Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Fulham’s Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Tottenham’s Serge Aurier and Leeds’ Stuart Dallas (two each) have scored more from right-back.
Lamptey also ranks sixth in his position, among those who have played five or more times, for accurate crosses per game (0.9), while Coleman and Mason Holgate both offer just 0.3, per WhoScored. The Brighton youngster has also recorded some of the fastest sprints in the top flight this season, clocking 22.8mph at one stage against Newcastle earlier in the campaign.
Accurate crosses from the right-hand side is considered to be a growing concern for Ancelotti as Everton have become heavily lopsided with their efforts, making a swoop for Lamptey evidently worthwhile despite his injury setback.
AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti is eager for Everton to sign a £32.5m-rated titan who top clubs would sign “without thinking twice”…
West Brom face a mammoth battle to remain in the Premier League this season, and Sam Allardyce’s task isn’t getting any easier as they welcome Manchester United to the Hawthorns this afternoon.
Heading into the encounter, the Baggies are 11 points adrift of safety and have won just once under the 66-year-old since he took over from Slaven Bilic in mid-December.
Albion also hold the unwanted record of being Europe’s leakiest defence while in the English top-flight alone, they have leaked 15 more goals than any other team – 54 goals.
So, what sort of side could we see today? Here’s our predicted XI as well as the latest team and injury news…
There could be as many as four changes from the side that was defeated by Spurs last weekend, including a debut for January arrival, Celta Vigo loanee Okay Yokuslu.
The 26-year-old could sit at the base of midfield alongside fellow winter signing Ainsley Maitland-Niles with Matheus Pereira returning to the starting fold in a slightly more advanced role.
It means Romaine Sawyers and Chelsea loan starlet Conor Gallagher are in line to face the chop, as a result.
Back in defence, Allardyce could bring Darnell Furlong back into the mix over Lee Peltier at right-back.
However, the rest of the back four, namely Semi Ajayi, Kyle Bartley and Conor Townsend should remain untouched in front of impressive goalkeeper and arguably the only shining light this season, Sam Johnstone.
Robert Snodgrass, another Allardyce addition, should keep his place on the flank but we may see Callum Robinson replace Karlan Grant.
The £9m-rated forward has seen his position put at risk following the signing of Mbaye Diagne, who will once again start up top for the Baggies.
It means club captain Jake Livermore will have to settle for a place on the bench for the second successive league outing, whilst Matty Phillips and Hal Robson-Kanu are too substitute options.
AND in other news, Waste of money: West Brom’s “competitive animal” proving to be a big Dowling disaster…
Crystal Palace defender Patrick van Aanholt appears to be approaching the end of his time at Selhurst Park.
The Dutch defender is out of contract at the end of the season, with Galatasary having reportedly made an offer to acquire his services on a free transfer, according to Turkish publication Fanatik.
However, the hierarchy at the Eagles must ensure that doesn’t happen and instead convince van Aanholt to commit to a new contract.
The £7.2m-rated left-back, signed from Sunderland in the 2016/17 January transfer window, has become a club stalwart in the time since.
He has made 129 appearances for the Eagles. The Dutchman has certainly had his impact in forward positions, too, scoring 14 goals and providing six assists – a very positive record for a defender.
It’s not just his influence on the pitch as to why Palace should be desperate to keep the 30-year-old defender at Selhurst Park, though.
Should van Aanholt depart, that would only leave Roy Hodgson with Tyrick Mitchell as the only natural left-back in the squad.
Whilst the 21-year-old is showing immense promise and could go on to be a reliable first-team player, it might be too early to rely on him for consistent performances in the Premier League.
By allowing him to learn from Van Aanholt, who is supremely experienced in the top-flight of English football, he is only going to improve.
Even if the Dutchman does leave and Hodgson elects to promote Mitchell, this would leave the Eagles extremely light should he ever suffer injury, possibly leading the club into the transfer market for a new left-back.
In order to bring in someone of Van Aanholt’s quality, a considerable fee may have to be forked out.
It makes sense then for Steve Parish and Palace to save their money and instead continue to rely on Van Aanholt at Selhurst Park, considering that he is already a reliable member of the squad.
AND in more news, read more analysis on Wilfried Zaha’s dreadful return to the Crystal Palace team…
Speaking exclusively to FootballFanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has urged the club to make a summer transfer move for Josh Brownhill.
What’s the story?
Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested Dean Smith’s side are very much interested in signing the Burnley midfielder, with the club also said to be eyeing Sheffield United’s Sander Berge.
When discussing Villa’s reported interest in Brownhill in an exclusive interview with FFC, Hendrie said: “Josh Brownhill, I think he is a fabulous player, I really do. Out of (Sander) Berge and him, I’d take Brownhill all day just because Josh Brownhill reminds me of John McGinn.
“He’s very energetic, he’s very neat and tidy on the ball, he gets up and down the pitch well and you know what you’re getting when you’re getting a player from Burnley, Sean Dyche, what he expects. And, obviously, he’s proved that he can do this step up, coming from Bristol City, so I’d certainly take him all day.”
Lange’s priority
Valued at £26m by CIES, Brownhill has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign at Premier League level with Burnley this season – he has been a permanent fixture in Dyche’s starting line-up, playing 24 times in the top-flight.
As Hendrie noted, the midfielder’s energetic style of play sees him be an effective presence at both ends of the pitch, with his average of one shot per game in the Premier League only slightly below McGinn’s 1.1.
Crucially however, Brownhill outshines Villa’s Scotland international considerably when it comes to making a defensive impact, no doubt thanks to Dyche’s work on ensuring Burnley remain a solid outfit.
As per Whoscored, the 25-year-old averages an impresive 2.5 interceptions per game in the top flight, which actually ranks him as the joint-highest among all players in the division.
Not only that, he also wins 1.4 tackles per match, and both those key defensive metrics are far superior to McGinn’s measly 0.7 and 1.2 respectively.
That box-to-box presence and combination of offensive threat and defensive stability surely makes him a perfect midfield signing for Smith, and as Hendrie says, he should be someone who Villa really look to sign this summer.
Meanwhile, Villa must make a move for this Championship sensation this summer…
As the end of the January transfer window creeps closer, Leeds United continue to have their name linked with several potential blockbuster signings. One name to appear on the radar is former Liverpool winger Ryan Kent, who has risen into the spotlight with his power performances for Rangers.
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Victor Orta is an admirer of the 24-year-old, who could be ready to embark upon a new adventure. Recent reports have claimed that the Gers may be tempted to cash in on Kent, providing the right price is met for his talent.
Would Ryan Kent fit in at Leeds?
Kent is not a stranger to the Premier League, but his spell with the current league champions wasn’t as fruitful as he’d have liked. The England youth international made just one senior appearance for the Reds before his loan move to Glasgow was made permanent in 2019.
He has since been one of Rangers’ top players, notching a total of 20 goals and 24 assists for the runaway Premiership leaders. This season alone, Kent has enjoyed netting six goals and providing a further 11 assists in 33 appearances across all competitions, according to Transfermarkt.
As it stands, Jack Harrison could leave Leeds at the end of the season to return to Manchester City if they fail to take up the option to buy him permanently. He is currently Marcelo Bielsa’s only option on the left-wing and his departure will leave a gaping hole in the Argentinian’s squad.
In order to boost creativity and bolster his ranks, owner Radrizzani and Bielsa should be heavily considering adding Kent to their arsenal. The £18,000 per week wide man would undoubtedly relish in the chance to become a regular starter for a Premier League club, and it would give him the perfect opportunity to really show the world what he can do with his raw talent.
Steven Gerrard is a huge fan of the playmaker, lauding him as “sensational” back in September and tipping him to win the Player of the Month award.
Kent could prove to be the ideal replacement for Harrison, who has contributed three goals and four assists so far this season. Judging by the former’s numbers, he is already looking to be an upgrade on the Pep Guardiola castaway and could add a serious edge to Leeds’ attack.
In other news, Leeds target Louie Sibley can put huge pressure on Jamie Shackleton…
Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League table after earning a huge 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.
Roberto Firmino’s late header secured the three points for Jurgen Klopp’s side and whilst the Brazilian will earn a lot of deserved plaudits, the performance of young Rhys Williams should not go unnoticed.
The 19-year-old was making his Premier League debut and he couldn’t have asked for a much sterner test at Anfield, as he was up against the in-form Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, with the duo having been standout performers in the top-flight so far this season.
However, Williams showed his quality throughout the match and rarely looked overawed on what was undoubtedly a huge occasion for the academy graduate.
As per SofaScore, the centre-back earned an impressive 7.2 rating for his display on Wednesday with only four Reds players rated higher.
During the game, the youngster won all seven of his duels, which is incredibly impressive when you consider the experience and physicality of Kane.
He also made two clearances and two interceptions, highlighting his defensive contribution against Jose Mourinho’s side, whilst he wasn’t dribbled past all during the 90 minutes, suggesting he was well on top against the Spurs attackers.
Williams’ passing could have been slightly more accurate, as he lost possession 11 times during the game but his overall performance was absolutely superb and he has shown that in the absence of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, he can definitely fill in at centre-back in Klopp’s side.
Earlier in the season, when he impressed in the 5-0 win against Atalanta, the German manager was full of praise for the defender, saying:
“We can start with Rhys – exceptional.
“I cannot imagine being 19-years-old and playing my second professional football game in the Champions League against Duvan Zapata, it’s incredible!
“I would have been nervous as hell, but the boy was not. Defending is obviously a common thing, and how the team defended tonight was absolutely incredible.”
It was a superb overall performance from the youngster and considering the impressive displays from a lot of Liverpool youngsters so far this season, perhaps a second successive title win is on the cards, despite the sheer number of injuries they have picked up in 2020.
It will be interesting to see if Williams keeps his place in the starting XI for the Reds’ next game, which sees them take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
And, in other news… Liverpool handed transfer blow in pursuit of “gem” loved by Lothar Matthaus
Sheffield Wednesday are back at square one as Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri searches for his third manager of the season following the shock sacking of Tony Pulis earlier this week…
What’s the word?
And according to The Athletic’s Nancy Frostick, the same names are once again being linked with the vacant role at Hillsborough Stadium.
Garry Monk was axed by the Thai businessman at the start of November due to the Owls’ poor run of form before he was quickly succeeded by Pulis, who has left after just ten matches in charge in south Yorkshire.
She wrote:
“Familiar names linked to the job when it became vacant just over a month ago, including Paul Cook and Danny Cowley and Ryan Lowe, the Plymouth Argyle manager, have once again been linked with the position, while Sven-Goran Eriksson retains an interest as The Athletic reported last month.”
Not the right man
On the face of it, Chansiri and Cook partnered together already looks like a disaster waiting to happen, considering how things went at the DW Stadium.
The 53-year-old resigned from the post after relegation on the final day of the season last term, and he has since claimed that he nearly went before that 1-1 draw with Fulham because the administrators sold a star player without his consent.
Cook has also revealed that he is “desperate” to return to management, as per talkSPORT (via Wigan Today).
With spells at Chesterfield and then Portsmouth, the former central midfield accrued a very impressive record – a League Two title in 2013/14 and playoff campaigns in 2014/15 and 2015/16 – but his record in the Championship isn’t great.
After gaining promotion from League One with the Latics, he managed only 28 wins from 92 matches (30.5%) and ultimately, took them back down – even if the circumstances were heavily against him.
That feels all too similar to the situation in south Yorkshire – points deductions, finances in a mess and likely contenders for relegation.
The Owls could be dealt further misery if Cook puts himself through all that again – if they do go down, then perhaps he’s the man for the job but for now, move on quickly.
AND in other news, Howard Wilkinson 2.0: Owls must appoint 42 y/o Tony Pulis’ successor
Much like Celtic’s season as a whole, the January transfer window has been an insipid affair.
They are currently 23 points behind their fierce rivals in the race for the SPFL title and remarkably, they are yet to welcome any new players to the club.
This is a big month for the club’s hierarchy but they are only failing their supporters more.
It’s a desperate time at Parkhead but that being said, not even a couple of additions to the playing staff would bridge the current gap.
On the chalkboard
Come the summer window, Celtic could have plenty of holes to address in the squad. Odsonne Edouard continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League while Kristoffer Ajer has attracted the interest of AC Milan.
Though, they will also have to find someone to replace Mo Elyounoussi – that’s if he doesn’t pen permanent terms in Glasgow. He’s only on loan at the moment and given their lack of depth in a wide position, will need someone new.
That player could well be Karamoko Dembele’s brother – Siriki Dembele. The Hoops have been tracking the attacker since November but face increased competition for his signature. He has reportedly handed in a transfer request at Peterborough which has led to a bid for his services from Nottingham Forest.
Though, if the Bhoys stole a march in the race to sign Dembele, they could well find themselves their new Aiden McGeady.
The Irishman is undoubtedly one of the most exciting players we’ve seen in the green and white over the last 20 years, bringing unrivalled trickery and energy to the Celtic team.
In making 200 appearances for the Bhoys, McGeady scored 32 times, racking up 48 assists in the process. Furthermore, the 34-year-old won the Fans Player of the Year and became a 2x winner of the Player’s Player of the Year. If that wasn’t enough, his senior professionals voted him the best player in the Scottish Premiership for the 2007/08 campaign.
He was a brilliant winger for the Hoops, going on to create his own trick – the McGeady spin – and offering dribbling skills that not many players in Scotland could provide.
For a glimpse of what he’s offered in his career, the former Republic of Ireland international managed 2.3 dribbles per game for Spartak Moscow in the 2010/11 Champions League.
At Preston in the English Championship, he managed 2.5 dribbles an outing and then for Sunderland at the same level, he amassed a tally of 2.3 successful take-ons per match.
That’s remarkably similar to Dembele, a man currently playing his football in League One – the same division as McGeady. Just 24 years of age, the flanker – who can also play as a striker – has scored six goals.
Pivotally, though, is his ability to trick defenders and beat them with his dribbling. Described as “absolutely outstanding” by Posh manager Darren Ferguson, he has completed 2.9 dribbles a match this season.
For context, no player in the third tier of English football is more successful. The next best happens to be on 1.8 dribbles – that’s how good Dembele is.
A rampant attacker, his skills in this regard have huge similarities to McGeady. Nick Hammond may well have a chance of finally finding his successor this year.
AND in other news, Time to go Lenny: Desmond could revitalise Celtic by appointing “fantastic” 60 y/o…
Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have helped turn Arsenal from an underachieving sleeping giant into one of the best teams in Europe over the last few years, and while they are yet to win a major honour, it feels more like a matter of when and not if.
The manager has helped instil a steeling determination to fight in every moment, as we saw against Manchester City on Sunday, while the Brazilian has helped him to bring in the players he needs to carry out his vision.
Moreover, the pair have also overseen a huge number of player departures during their time at the club, be that superstars like former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or academy products who just weren’t of the required level like Eddie Nketiah.
It’s impossible to deny the profound impact they have had on the North Londoners over the last four years or so, but as always, there is more work to be done to the squad, and one former fan favourite, who earns more than David Raya and Leandro Trossard, must be moved on this season.
Raya and Trossard's salaries at Arsenal
Arsenal paid an initial £3m to sign Raya on a season-long loan with an option to buy from Brentford last summer, and saying there was some pushback at the time would be an understatement.
The Gunners had just come off of an brilliant campaign in which Aaron Ramsdale had impressed between the sticks, so when Arteta told the media he now had two number ones, there were more than a few eyebrows raised, with pundits like Gary Neville particularly scathing early on in the season, and towards the end when he described his distribution against City as “terrible.”
However, the manager stuck by his player and spent the £27m needed to make his move a permanent one, and so far this season, he has more than repaid him with match-defining performances in almost every game so far, particularly against Atalanta and Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut.
It would be fair to say that the Spanish shot-stopper is more than justifying his £100k-per-week wages, as is Belgian superstar Trossard, who may have stitched up his teammates on Sunday but has otherwise been imperious in red and white.
The talented winger joined the Gunners from fellow Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion for £27m in January 2023 and ended that season with a seriously impressive haul of one goal and ten assists in 22 appearances before doing just as well last year and racking up 17 goals, and two assists in 46 games.
Leandro Trossard scores for Arsenal
The Waterschei-born ace currently has just one goal in six matches this season, but like Raya, he has more than proven his value to the North Londoner, which is unfortunately not something that can be said about one of their teammates who earns more than the pair of them.
Kieran Tierney's salary at Arsenal
Yes, the player in question is Scottish international Kieran Tierney, who was once tipped to become the ‘Gunners’ future captain thanks to his old-school, no-nonsense style of play.
Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney.
However, despite looking impressive here and there in the five years since his £25m move to the Emirates, the former Celtic ace just hasn’t played enough football to justify his hefty £110k-per-week wages.
For example, in his first three seasons in North London, the Douglas-born star missed a whopping 55 games through injury, and by that point, he was firmly out of Arteta’s plans, and despite remaining fit for the 22/23 campaign, he was sidelined by new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko.
19/20
1
96
19
20/21
4
83
19
21/22
2
114
17
22/23
0
0
0
23/24
3
100
21
24/25
1
97
–
Total
11
490
76
With it clear he wasn’t going to get much game time, the Scotsman joined La Liga side Real Sociedad on a season-long loan last year. While he looked good on the pitch, he was once again blighted by injury problems. He ended up missing 21 matches due to hamstring and adductor injuries, with the former keeping him out of action this season as well.
In all, the 27-year-old dynamo has officially missed a frankly absurd 76 games through injury since joining Arsenal in 2019, and though he can be exceptional at times and would offer the club a more traditional option at left-back, it’s clear he cannot be relied upon.
Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney.
Therefore, Arteta and Edu must move Tierney on either this January if he’s fit or in the summer. He cannot justify his £110k-per-week wages, and the longer he spends on the sidelines in North London, the more his career is going to stall.
He's outscoring Saka: Arsenal may regret selling "Henry-esque" star for £1m
The sensational attacker has started this season in brilliant form.