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Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has revealed the latest on the respective recoveries of injured duo Leon Bailey and Marvelous Nakamba ahead of the Villans’ home clash with Manchester United.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to the media ahead of Villa’s second meeting with United this week, Gerrard said: “Leon Bailey and Marvelous Nakamba are still out. They’re progressing well in their rehabs.”

The Villa boss also added that young winger Jaden Philogene-Bidace will miss out whilst midfielder John McGinn is serving a one-match suspension for picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.

Villa fans will be buzzing

Although they’re not available, Villa fans will be pleased to know that Bailey and Nakamba are both progressing well and will be excited at the prospect that they could return earlier than planned.

Bailey has been absent for over a month since picking up a thigh injury in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in early December. The 24-year-old’s start to life in the Premier League has certainly been frustrating, having made the squad for just nine league games whilst only starting four of them.

There was plenty of excitement from Villa fans after their capture of the Jamaican from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen for around £25m. However, his career in the West Midlands is still yet to fully get up and running.

As for Nakamba, the midfielder had been one of Steven Gerrard’s top performers in the 41-year-old’s first weeks at Villa Park but now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury sustained in the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool last month.

Alongside John McGinn and Douglas Luiz, the 27-year-old was part of a solid midfield trio that proved to be a major contributor to the West Midlands club’s impressive early form under the Englishman as Gerrard oversaw three wins from his first four games in the Villa dugout.

What Villa fans won’t be pleased about though is that, according to Premier Injuries, the Zimbabwean still may not be available until early April.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops major Villa transfer update that’ll have fans buzzing

According to a report by Record, via Sport Witness, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte may have been handed a boost as the club pursue Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Tottenham make contact over Nunez…

The Lilywhites are allegedly in contention to sign the Uruguay marksman this summer alongside a plethora of other Premier League clubs.

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Sharing news last week, 90min claimed Tottenham have already made contact with the striker’s entourage alongside the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester United.

It is also believed that West Ham are showing an interest, backing Fabrizio Romano’s previous point that Nunez could be one of the ‘big name’ transfers of the summer window.

However, according to a fresh update, it appears that Conte may now have an ‘advantage’ over Spurs’ competitors.

The Latest: Record share Spurs update…

According to Portuguese news oulet Record, via Sport Witness, Tottenham do indeed have a ‘small advantage’ in the race for Nunez, with teams who are closer to Champions League qualification apparently having a better chance of signing him.

This propels Spurs above the likes of West Ham and Newcastle in the pecking order, but it is claimed that Manchester United are currently head of the queue as it stands.

The Verdict: Boost for Conte?

In a potential boost for Conte, Record’s update also exemplifies the sheer importance of European qualification for Spurs as the 52-year-old looks toward a vital run of fixtures leading to the end of 2021/22.

Tottenham’s finish could gift them either a stronger or weaker footing in the summer transfer market as Fabio Paratici aims to attract the cream of the crop.

Nunez, who has scored an incredible 28 goals in all competitions this season, would certainly boost Conte’s sparse centre-forward options at N17, with Breaking The Lines scout writer Maxi Angelo raving over the ‘incredible talent’.

Valued at around €80m (£67m), Benfica are willing to sell for much less than his €150m (£125.2m) release clause, but a move would still require significant investment on Tottenham’s part.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder! Find out more here.

Celtic might have a key advantage in the race to sign Cameron Carter-Vickers, according to sports journalist Pete O’Rourke. 

The lowdown

The American is approaching the final two months of his season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur, although Celtic are hopeful of signing him permanently and held talks with the Premier League club in January to that effect.

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Hoops team-mate Greg Taylor has raved about the ‘outstanding’ performances of the on loan defender, who the Scot described as ‘quick’ despite being ‘some size’.

The loan agreement includes a purchase option of around £10m, which would make the American Celtic’s record signing. However, they will still need to agree a contract with Carter-Vickers, and other suitors have emerged for the 24-year-old.

According to TEAMtalk, five Premier League clubs – Leicester City, West Ham, Wolves, Burnley and Watford – are all interested in the player.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke suggested that Celtic would have the ‘edge’ over their rivals for Carter-Vickers’ signature because of the faith they have shown in the defender.

The journalist claimed: “Because of his top performances, it might give them the edge of securing Carter-Vickers’ signature on a permanent basis this summer.”

The verdict

Carter-Vickers knows where he stands at Celtic. Since he joined the club, he has been one of the first names on Ange Postecoglou’s team sheet, starting every Premiership game for which he has been available.

Also, the manager regards him as a ‘really calm character’ who has demonstrated a maturity ‘beyond his years’.

Were the 24-year-old to join one of his English suitors, there might be no such guarantees about his playing time. There is also the potential carrot of playing Champions League football at Parkhead, should Celtic win the Premiership and secure group stage qualification for Europe’s premier club tournament.

The challenge for Celtic will be footing the mooted £10m fee, but his £22,000-per-week salary should at least be affordable, especially if they have the riches of Champions League group stage participation to come.

In other news, read this BBC man’s Kyogo Furuhashi claim

Newcastle fans finally have something to shout about after the Magpies broke their transfer record to land Miguel Almiron.

The Paraguay international was the star of the season in the MLS, guiding Atlanta United to the MLS Cup thanks to some impressive performances. He was identified by Newcastle as the perfect January signing and the deal was finally closed after weeks of speculation. Almiron penned a long-term contract at St. James Park, joining for a fee of around £20m.

His addition will greatly increase Newcastle’s chances of survival in the Premier League and improve the likelihood of Rafael Benitez staying at the club. The Spaniard has finally been backed in the transfer market which needs to continue in the summer. More investment is needed to get Newcastle challenging at the right end of the table again.

One man Benitez could target in the summer is Basaksehir maestro – Irfan Kahveci. Valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt, the midfielder has been a key player for his side since joining in January 2017. Kahveci has been one of the most impressive performers in the Super Lig during his 22 appearances in all competitions this season.

The 23-year-old is a versatile midfielder who can occupy a number of roles in the engine room making him a useful option for Benitez to have at his disposal. Kahveci can play in a defensive midfield position but has the creative ability to be used in a more advanced role up the field. Scoring four goals and registering four assists this season, Kahveci could help unlock Almiron’s potential on Tyneside.

Potentially available at a great price, this move could prove to be a masterstroke.

Newcastle fans, thoughts?

Celtic have been involved in a number of significant deals over recent years where players have either joined or left the club for substantial amounts of money.

One that immediately springs to mind came back during the 2019 summer transfer window when the Hoops sold full-back, Kieran Tierney, to Premier League club Arsenal in a deal worth a reported fee of £25m.

As a product of the Parkhead club’s youth system, the left-back made 170 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions before making the move to north London, scoring eight goals and providing 37 assists along the way.

Prior to joining the Gunners, it was claimed by Barry Ferguson that a transfer fee of £50m for the Scotland international would have been cheap, highlighting just how highly rated he was at the club.

Now that some time has passed since the 24-year-old waved goodbye to Celtic Park, the current Hoops boss, Ange Postecoglou, has the chance to unearth his own version of Tierney.

Signed from Shamrock Rovers back in August last year, Irish defender Liam Scales has made just 13 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions.

Despite predominantly being a centre-back, the 23-year-old has been deployed in the left-back and left-midfield positions, as Tierney was during his time there.

In those 13 appearances, Scales has been able to score two goals and provide two assists, showing that he has an eye for goal as the current Arsenal full-back did.

When discussing the defender on the RTE Soccer Podcast, Ex-League of Ireland star Graham Gartland had this to say about him.

“I think he can go places. He’s a good height, he’s athletically very good, he doesn’t get done for pace too much, he’s quick without being lightning. He’s aggressive. He’s only going to get better the more experience he gets and the more he gains from playing against and with better players.”

In comparison to Tierney, he was reportedly told to tone down his aggressive intensity during training sessions after he joined Mikel Arteta’s side, once again highlighting the similarities between the two players.

Taking all of this into account, it certainly feels that Scales could go on to become a regular first-team player under Postecoglou if he manages to make the most out of any opportunities he gets to play.

In other news: Ange must finally unleash “outstanding” £18k-p/w “menace” after huge Celtic setback

West Ham United’s top-six hopes were dealt a big blow this afternoon as the Hammers were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Burnley.

The managerless Clarets, who parted company with Sean Dyche on Friday after ten years in charge, took the lead through Wout Weghorst in the 33rd minute and could’ve had a two-goal lead at half-time when awarded a penalty. However, the spot-kick was missed by Maxwell Cornet.

Irons midfielder Tomas Soucek was able to equalise with 16 minutes to go for the hosts to ensure they took something from the match, although after Thursday’s 3-0 win in Lyon, the result will certainly be a disappointment.

Depsite the result, there were some shining lights for David Moyes’s side with attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini particularly impressive.

According to SofaScore, the Argentinian was the Hammers’ joint-second best player, picking up a 7.4/10 rating alongside right-back Ben Johnson with goalscorer Soucek the highest-ranked with a score of 7.5.

The Czech Republic international’s goal was assisted by the 29-year-old, his fourth of the campaign, who also managed to impressively complete 93% of his passes whilst making 65 touches in a lively 79 minutes.

With three key passes and a 100% dribble success rate, the playmaker was a handful to deal with for Burnley. Moreover, Lanzini also won half of his duels.

Eyelids certainly wouldn’t have been batted outside the London Stadium when team news was announced if the Argentinian wasn’t starting having played from the off three days prior in Lyon.

Furthermore, the attacking midfielder was recently involved in a serious car crash that left him with a knock.

However, once again being deployed in the middle of an attacking midfield trio, the 29-year-old, who was labelled as a “special, special player” by captain Declan Rice earlier this season, impressed.

There’s plenty of competition for places in West Ham’s attacking midfield with the likes of Said Benrahma, Nikola Vlasic, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen all able to play behind the striker.

The Argentinian is easily the longest-serving of them all though and is certainly a fan favourite after seven seasons at the East London club.

Although, his time as a Hammer may soon come to an end with the maestro’s contract set to expire next summer with few signs suggesting an extension will be signed.

For now, though, Lanzini must continue performing well to maintain a starting spot in both the Premier League and Europa League as the Hammers look to push for European qualification for next season.

AND in other news: West Ham plot bid for £21.6m-rated “leader”, Moyes can now axe “shocking” £61k-p/w dud

Aston Villa can afford to part ways with left-back Matt Targett, currently on loan at Premier League rivals Newcastle United, with the Englishman looking to leave the West Midlands outfit permanently this summer

What’s the latest?

The 26-year-old recently spoke publicly of his desire to make his stay in the North East permanent, saying: “I’m sure and hope they can sort something out for me.

“For sure [decision time] is coming closer so, at the moment, I am really enjoying my time here and loving playing in front of the Geordie fans here.”

Toon boss Eddie Howe was made aware of those comments after Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Leicester City and reacted by stating: “If that’s what he said then it’s a lovely thing to hear from our perspective that he’s happy at the club and enjoying everything Newcastle has to offer.

“I’d be surprised if there was any other feeling from him because he’s looked so happy and settled in well.

“There are still games to play this season and opinions to be fully formed but I think he’s done very well. He’s fitted into the team and the group very well. He’s been very consistent with his performances.”

The Englishman made the move to Tyneside in January in an attempt to guarantee playing time after Villa’s £25m purchase of Lucas Digne from Everton.

Now, with the Frenchman undoubtedly Steven Gerrard’s first choice, it seems as though Targett will have to leave the West Midlands club permanently for regular game time in the top-flight.

Villa can afford to part ways with Targett

Despite a tricky start to life in claret and blue for Digne with numerous injury issues, the 28-year-old will start next season as Villa’s favoured left-back.

As a result, Targett has every right to seek a new challenge, particularly after an impressive three months as a Newcastle player.

Whether or not the North-East outfit’s expected heavy investment for high-profile talent this summer will shut the Englishman out of a permanent move is yet to be seen. However, from a Villa perspective, they can let Targett go with few consequences.

Granted, the Villans will have to seek a new backup left-back with 36-year-old Ashley Young’s contract set to expire this summer but this shouldn’t prove to be too tall a task.

The 26-year-old has proven to be a solid purchase for two-and-a-half seasons of service after his move from Southampton in 2019.

However, this campaign had since mixed displays from the left-back in claret and blue, with his opening day performance in the 3-2 defeat at Watford particularly alarming.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans tweeted on the day: “Feeling a little bit for Matt Targett here. 14 mins in and Sarr is causing him all sorts of problems. Hard to watch.”

Even with injury issues, Digne has performed slightly better for Villa than the 26-year-old had prior to his move to St.James’ Park, according to SofaScore, with Targett’s average rating standing at 6.84 whilst Digne’s has been 6.9.

With Villa, like Newcastle, looking to make the next step up, the £59k-per-week Englishman may have to seek a completely different alternative when it comes to a permanent move. However, it won’t be a loss for Aston Villa.

AND in other news, Cost £0, now worth £19.8m: Villa struck gold on £15k-p/w gem who “demands attention”…

A major update has emerged in Newcastle United’s attempts to sign Bayer Leverkusen beast Mitchel Bakker…

What’s the talk?

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, the Magpies have agreed a deal in principle with the Bundesliga club as they close in on their third signing of the window.

The report claims that they are now poised to discuss personal terms with the full-back, as Eddie Howe looks to add to the two signings he has already made this month in Chris Wood and Kieran Trippier.

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope claimed over the weekend that he is valued at £16m by Leverkusen, although the exact figure Newcastle have now agreed for Bakker remains to be seen.

Delight

Newcastle fans will be delighted with this news for several reasons.

Firstly, it suggests that the club’s third signing of the window is not a million miles away as PIF have been able to agree a fee with the German outfit, which shows that they are working hard behind the scenes to get things completed.

Supporters will also be happy with the club’s efforts to bolster Howe’s squad, with this news making it clear that bids are going in and negotiations are happening as the window progresses.

They want to add to the team to improve their chances of avoiding relegation and the signing of Bakker could be a strong step in their journey to doing so.

The left-back position has been a big problem for the ex-Bournemouth head coach this season and the Dutchman could come in and nail down the role.

Paul Dummett started at left-back in the 1-0 win over Leeds and was dribbled past twice, whilst losing 50% of his ground duels, before being taken off with an injury – with Jamal Lewis also having been out since the 16th of December.

Bakker has played 13 times in the Bundesliga for Leverkusen this season and featured in 26 Ligue 1 matches for PSG last term, showing that – at the very least – he is reliable in terms of his availability. He has also made 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game in the German top-flight, whilst registering one goal and three assists.

This suggests that he could add an extra attacking dimension to Newcastle’s side along with being a strong defender who can step in and win the ball back for his side.

Therefore, fans will be delighted to read that the club have agreed a deal for him.

AND in other news, Howe plotting late NUFC swoop for “outstanding” £61k-p/w beast, fans will be amazed…

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Duje Caleta-Car to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to David Ornstein’s recent report for The Athletic, in which the journalist claimed that David Moyes and his West Ham transfer team are weighing up a move for the Olympique de Marseille centre-back in the closing stages of the winter market.

Ornstein goes on to state that, while the Hammers are more inclined to sign the 25-year-old on a loan deal, the Ligue 1 side would prefer to part with the Croatia international on a permanent basis, in order to raise funds for their own transfer business this month.

Finally, the journalist reports that both Liverpool and Newcastle United are also interested in a move for the centre-back, whose current deal at The Stade Velodrome is set to expire in the summer of 2023.

Fans will be buzzing

While the early return of Kurt Zouma from a hamstring injury has somewhat lessened West Ham’s need to sign a new central defender this winter, considering just how impressive Caleta-Car has been for Marseille this season, in addition to the fact that Moyes could still do with greater depth in the heart of his defence, Ornstein’s claim will undoubtedly have left the London Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 11 Ligue 1 appearances in the current campaign, the £14.4m-rated man has been in astonishing form for Jorge Sampaoli’s outfit, helping his side keep five clean sheets and scoring one goal, as well as making an average of 0.7 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, 1.9 clearances, 68.2 passes and winning 74% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the £47k-per-week defender average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as Marseille’s fourth-best performer in the top flight of French football.

As such, with Angelo Ogbonna out until the summer with a knee injury, it would indeed appear a wise move for Moyes to bring in an upgrade on both Issa Diop and Craig Dawson this month – with Caleta-Car looking to be an extremely strong candidate to fulfil this role.

In other news: GSB must sanction West Ham swoop for “unplayable” £5m gem, he’s Lanzini’s perfect heir

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side have been handed a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final clash, with bad news emerging from the opposition camp.

What’s the latest?

In his pre-match press conference prior to Rangers’ Europa League quarter-final clash against Sporting Braga this evening, Giovanni van Bronckhorst revealed that, following his withdrawal at half-time in the 4-0 win over St Mirren last weekend, Filip Helander now looks set to miss the remainder of the season due to injury.

Regarding the centre-back’s knock, the Dutchman said: “Filip Helander’s injury is not good, we won’t have him for the remainder of the season.”

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Considering that the key Rangers duo of Alfredo Morelos and Ianis Hagi have also been ruled out for the rest of the club’s 2021/22 campaign, the news that the Light Blues have suffered yet another injury setback is sure to have left Postecoglou buzzing.

While it is true that Helander had not been a regular in Van Bronckhorst’s starting XI this season – with the 28-year-old making just six Premiership appearances due to a long-term knee injury – the Sweden international has nevertheless proven just how important a player he can be for the Gers.

Indeed, over his 22 league outings in 2020/21, the £3.15m-rated defender played a key role in Rangers’ title-winning campaign, helping his side to keep 13 clean sheets, along with making 0.7 interceptions, 1.7 tackles and 2.2 clearances and winning seven duels (at a success rate of 68%) per game.

These returns saw the £14.5k-per-week centre-back average a very impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Gers’ 12th-best player in the Scottish top flight.

As such, the fact that Helander will not only miss the Scottish Cup semi-final clash with the Hoops this Sunday but also the Old Firm meeting in the league on May 1, plus Rangers’ remaining four Premiership fixtures this season, will undoubtedly come as a huge boost to Postecoglou and his Celtic side.

AND in other news: Sold at £6m, now worth £25m: Celtic will be having nightmares over £35k-p/w “unicorn”