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Kelsey Mooney could be the next player to make his way into the Aston Villa first-team.

The 20-year-old is back in the fold at Villa Park after returning from a loan spell with Cheltenham Town and will be out to make his way into Dean Smith’s plans.

A striker who can also play on the left wing, Mooney played nine times for Cheltenham in League Two, and scored once, while also providing an assist.

He has been in electric form for Villa’s youth team, too, scoring a total of 14 goals in 29 games for the Under-18s before making the step up to the Under-23s.

Even there, he has been hitting the back of the net, scoring five times in 27 outings, including a strike in a 5-1 thumping of Manchester United.

It should not be a surprise that Mooney is attempting to break through and make it as a striker, given that he is the son of Tommy Mooney.

Mooney Sr started off at Villa before embarking on something of a nomadic career where he played for the likes of Watford – for over seven years –  Swindon Town, Oxford United and UD Marbella.

He ended his career in 2008, having scored 185 professional goals, and his son admits that he was always likely to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Speaking to Gloucestershire Live in September, he said: “Yes, 100 per cent. I used to go and watch all of his games, for many years, so watching it day in, day out and even going to training with him sometimes, it just had to happen.”

His father is now loans manager at Villa and will have had significant input into Mooney’s move to Cheltenham, where he scored his first senior goal.

He will surely not be getting any favours as he looks to rise through the ranks for Villa but his goalscoring record is such that Mooney may not need them.

Villa have a long track record of promoting from within, with the likes of Jack Grealish and Andre Green two academy graduates currently playing for the first-team.

As Villa’s season progresses, and the club looks to lighten the load on Tammy Abraham, the current top scorer with 20 goals, don’t be surprised to see Mooney called into the first-team squad.

After all, goals are in his blood.

Liverpool are in ‘advanced talks’ with Mohamed Salah regarding him signing a new deal at the club, according to journalist Pedro Almeida.

The Lowdown: Salah’s future unknown

The Egyptian has been the Reds’ star man this season, scoring 20 goals and registering 10 assists in the Premier League.

While his form has dipped in recent weeks, he is a priceless figure at Anfield, so speculation regarding him not extending his stay has been worrying.

However, a recent update suggested that the 29-year-old was close to agreeing a new contract, and a fresh claim has now echoed that sentiment.

The Latest: Salah deal close

Taking to Twitter on Sunday evening, Almeida claimed that a new deal was close to being done, one which would be historic in terms of the wages being paid to a Liverpool player.

He posted: “Advanced talks between Liverpool and Mo Salah for the contract extension. The last meeting between the English club and the player’s agent it was positive, the player could become the Reds’ highest paid player ever.”

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The Verdict: Promising signs

If true, this is a huge breakthrough for Liverpool, with Salah arguably one of the club’s greatest players of all time and someone who has been a monster ever since joining the Reds in 2017, scoring 153 goals in 240 games.

He is possibly the world’s best player at the moment, particularly when you consider the season as a whole, and he should remain at the very top for several more years at least.

Losing Salah doesn’t bear thinking about, even though teams can move on from such exits (as Liverpool did after selling Philippe Coutinho in 2018), and if the Egyptian signs a new deal it would perhaps feel bigger than any new signing who comes in this summer.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a move for an exciting player. Find out who it is here.

It’s fair to say that the purchase of midfielder Morgan Sanson from Marseille hasn’t gone to plan for Aston Villa.

The West Midlands outfit signed the 27-year-old Frenchman for £16m last January, but are yet to see any justification for the purchase 14 months later.

Having been bought by former manager Dean Smith, Sanson has been offered limited minutes under current boss Steven Gerrard, with the midfielder starting just two Premier League matches under the Englishman this campaign.

A lack of game time also meant that the 27-year-old was made available for the U23s’, playing in the EFL Trophy win over Wycombe Wanderers, in which the Frenchman registered an assist.

However, the former Marseille maestro has made just 19 first-team appearances for the Villans and is yet to record a goal contribution, which has therefore seen his market value start to decline.

When Villa signed Sanson for £16m, the fee appeared to be somewhat of a bargain with the midfielder valued at the time at £18m by Transfermarkt.

Since being at Villa Park though, the Frenchman’s market value has progressively declined, with the 27-year-old now worth £12.6m.

With the midfielder’s contract set to expire in 2025, Gerrard and the Villa hierarchy will have a decision to make this summer, cut their losses or give the Frenchman another opportunity to showcase his talents and justify his price tag.

Based on the evidence of how the first 14 months of his Villa career have gone, Sanson is unlikely to turn things around, particularly after his constant “raging” in the Midlands.

Gerrard already has a decent number of options in midfield with John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz all having good seasons whilst young Carney Chukwuemeka is coming through and Marvelous Nakamaba could return from injury next month.

Moreover, the West Midlands outfit are expected to make another approach to sign Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma in the summer after a January bid was rejected.

Simply put, it seems as though chances are only going to become more limited for Sanson.

The £47k-per-week Frenchman was linked with a return to his homeland this summer by French outlet Foot Mercato, with Ligue 1 outfit Nantes reportedly keen on adding the 27-year-old to their ranks.

Aston Villa have nine games left this season and will be keen to secure their first top-half finish in 11 years with Gerrard’s side currently sat in ninth.

How many of those matches Sanson will play in is unknown, however, it almost certainly feels like this final spell of games will be the Frenchman’s last chance to make an impact at Villa Park with Johan Lange ready to wield the axe on his Villa career.

In other news: Imagine him & Coutinho: Gerrard must now unleash Villa maestro who “can do anything”

Sunderland have now been gifted a double boost before they play Doncaster Rovers at home in League One this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Busy deadline day

The Stadium of Light faithful signed both Jermain Defoe and Jay Matete on Transfer Deadline Day in the hope that they will help them push for automatic promotion up to the Championship.

Their last outing was quite frankly an abysmal one, getting thumped 6-0 away from home by Bolton Wanderers, which ultimately resulted in Lee Johnson losing his job.

Mike Dodds will now take charge of the game against Doncaster, as the board continue their search for a permanent replacement.

The Latest: Defoe and Matete in squad

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Dodds has now revealed that both Defoe and Matete will be in the squad for the clash:

“Both will be in the squad this weekend.

“Jay oozes quality and class and he will give us a different dimension in midfield, so he is a fantastic addition for the football club.

“It’s a big move for Jay and I have felt a little sorry for him because his arrival has been somewhat overshadowed by Jermain’s return, but I think he’s a very clever signing.

“We don’t really need to talk about Jermain’s quality, but the thing that has struck me, which shouldn’t surprise you but often does, is his human qualities.

“He’s come into the club with Under-23 staff overseeing the first team and treated everyone with the upmost respect – he has a real charisma in the way he holds and conducts himself.

“We know he will have big moments for the football club on the pitch throughout the remainder of the season.”

The Verdict: Double boost

To have both signings available straight away is certainly a double boost for Dodds and his team.

The qualities that Defoe possesses speaks for itself, having scored 37 goals in 93 matches over all competitions across three campaigns for the Black Cats in his previous spell (Transfermarkt), including a memorable winner at home to North East rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League in 2015.

Dodds also spoke very highly of Matete, who comes from fellow League One side Fleetwood Town, having made no fewer than 25 appearances for them in all competitions this term, scoring twice (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, both will no doubt strengthen the squad, and will be itching to make an instant impact this afternoon.

In other news, find out when SAFC fans can expect a manager announcement here!

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Stefan de Vrij to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla (via Sport Witness), who revealed that, with Inter Milan pursuing a deal for Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer, the Serie A side have decided they would be willing to part with De Vrij at the end of the season.

Pedulla goes on to state that the centre-back himself has also come to the conclusion that he will not renew his current deal at the San Siro, something that is sure to come as a huge boost to Antonio Conte – who is reported to have requested the 30-year-old’s signing this summer.

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Speaking about the future of the Netherlands international, the journalist said: “In January, [Bremer] gave his word to Inter; there is a fictitious and unpublicised clause for the transfer at €25m-€30m (£21m-£25m). In my opinion, it should cost at least €40m (£33m) or more.

“I don’t know if there will be any quid pro quo, but the choice has been made, as has the transfer with De Vrij. There have been evaluations, and Inter have chosen Bremer. De Vrij will not renew his contract; we’ll see if he has requests from Tottenham or other teams.”

Conte’s dream Spurs signing

Considering the amount of success Conte enjoyed with De Vrij in the heart of his Inter Milan defence, the argument that the centre-back’s signing would be a dream deal for Fabio Paratici to get over the line this summer is a rather easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 32 Serie A appearances under the 52-year-old manager last season, the €30m (£25m) Dutchman was a key player within Inter’s title-winning side, helping the Nerazzurri keep 11 clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 2.9 clearances, 57.4 passes and winning 3.3 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per game.

These metrics saw the £116k-per-week man who journalist Deep Dastardly dubbed a defender “in the Vertonghen mould” average a very impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as Conte’s 10th-best player in the Italian top flight last time out.

And, with it being reported that a left-sided centre-back – the position in which De Vrij featured for the Spurs coach at Inter – will be Paratici’s priority in the summer transfer window, the suggestion that the 30-year-old will be available to sign is undoubtedly fantastic news for everyone involved with Spurs – not least Conte himself.

AND in other news: Time’s up: Gold drops update on “embarrassing” £115m Spurs talent, Conte must now act

Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a potentially huge injury blow regarding Ianis Hagi.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Football Scotland, Giovanni van Bronckhorst dropped an update on the injury picked up by the 23-year-old in the 13th minute of Rangers’ 4-0 Scottish Cup win over Stirling Albion on Friday night, with the forward appearing to take a knock to his knee in a collision with Jordan McGregor.

Speaking about the condition of the Romania international, the 46-year-old said: “He’s okay, he had a problem so we have to wait to see what he actually has but so far I can’t say anything about the injury.”

Fans will be fuming

With one of Rangers’ biggest games of the season coming up on February 2, namely the Old Firm derby, the Ibrox faitful will be fuming if Hagi is ruled out of that game as a result of an injury picked up against Scottish League Two side Stirling.

Indeed, the £6.3m-rated winger has been one of the Gers’ best performers over his 15 Premiership appearances so far this season, having already scored two goals and created two big chances for his side, as well as taking 2.4 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £21k-per-week Romanian average a SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Van Bronckhorst’s seventh-best performer in the Scottish top flight.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Rangers are a much weaker side without Hagi, with the absence of the 23-year-old from the Gers’ upcoming trip to Parkhead potentially reducing their chances of taking all three points back across the city. Such an outcome could well have disastrous consequences in the Light Blues’ bid to retain their Premiership title this season, so the fan base won’t be pleased to hear of him being injured in a one-sided cup clash so close to the derby.

In other news: Van Bronckhorst must avoid a Rangers repeat of Pena disaster with South American dud, fans would be fuming

Eddie Howe will be thrilled that his team rotation paid off this afternoon at Carrow Road, with Newcastle United taking all three points from the game in an impressive performance that has put his side ninth in the Premier League table.

The Magpies took a comfortable 3-0 win from their visit to Norwich, with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton finding the back of the net to secure their fourth win on the bounce to put them 15 points clear of the relegation zone.

Howe’s men completely dominated in possession, with 55% of the ball over the 90 minutes, taking seven shots on target and completing over 500 passes in what was a masterclass in both an offensive and defensive regard from the North East outfit.

Despite the spotlight being firmly on the goal-scoring moments of the game, Dan Burn yet again provided a solid performance as the unsung hero worked hard to keep the clean sheet this afternoon.

The £19k-per-week titan said in an interview that he wanted to bring his “passion off the pitch, on to it” at his boyhood club, and he certainly delivered in today’s performance with a defensive showing he should be proud of.

The 6ft4 centre-back won 71% of his duels, made six clearances, four interceptions and one tackle, as well as completed 33 of his 40 passes in the clash, really getting stuck into the game and leading his line with a huge presence.

Burn was one of the signings acquired in January to improve the side and boost the chances of survival in the top flight this season, and to say he has been successful in being a part of that is an understatement with Newcastle winning eight, drawing one and losing just three games the defender has been involved in.

Newcastle have now climbed into the top half of the table and are surely safe from the relegation nightmare they had found themselves in earlier in the season, and with players like Burn joining the side the future is looking bright for the club.

AND in other news: NUFC plot £33m bid for “phenomenal” ace with “magical powers”, he’d get SJP rocking

Frank Lampard wants Duncan Ferguson to be part of his team at Everton, according to The Times’ Paul Joyce. 

The lowdown

Lampard has been appointed as the Toffees’ new manager, according to Sky Sports, and he will be the permanent successor to Rafael Benitez, who was sacked on 18 January.

Ferguson was placed in temporary charge of the team while the search was ongoing, and he oversaw the recent 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa.

The latest

Joyce tweeted on Monday morning that ‘Lampard has asked’ Ferguson to remain at Goodison Park and be a part of his backroom staff.

The verdict

It looks like Ferguson will be accepting the 43-year-old’s offer, with journalist Alan Myers assuring Everton fans that the ex-Toffees striker would be ‘going nowhere’ after talks with the new boss.

The former Derby County and Chelsea manager will likely want to bring fresh faces to the Goodison Park dugout as he looks to implement his vision. Indeed, The Telegraph’s Matt Law said that the likes of Ashley Cole and Paul Clement could form part of Lampard’s backroom staff.

However, perhaps the new manager realises that keeping Ferguson on will score him some early points with Everton supporters, many of whom idolise the 50-year-old. After all, the Scotsman is something of a legend at Goodison Park, having made 260 appearances, scored 68 goals and won the FA Cup.

In other news, Everton have made a move for this Champions League star

Manchester United are currently in the middle of trying to appoint their new manager to take over at Old Trafford this summer, however, it hasn’t stopped the transfer interest from continuing with another player potentially set to join the club this summer.

What’s the word?

Journalist and transfer insider, Dean Jones, claims that Pau Torres is on the list of players Manchester United would like to sign this summer.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Pau Torres has always remained on the list, he just hasn’t been as talked about as some others in recent times, but they’ve always wanted him to be considered.”

Maguire upgrade

It has been no secret that Harry Maguire has come under a lot of criticism since he joined Man United, and with a new manager coming into the club this summer, it might be the perfect opportunity to move on the defender and bring in a younger centre-back.

According to Squawka, when you compare Torres to the Red Devils’ captain, the Villareal player has made more ball recoveries, completed more passes, won more ground duels and kept a higher number clean sheets this season. That’s all on top of the Spaniard scoring three more goals.

The £45m-rated monster who was hailed “brutal” by Santi Cazorla, is also the second most successful dribbler and is seventh for pass completion in La Liga this season, which is incredibly impressive when you consider he is amongst the likes of Toni Kroos and Vinicius Junior in La Liga.

When you consider his statistics compared to Maguire, signing the player would clearly be an upgrade for the Man United backline and could have a great impact on the improvement needed in the squad to get the club back to competing for and winning trophies.

Torres is currently excelling in Europe too this season, with Villareal progressing to the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, beating the German giants 1-0 in the first leg with a huge chance of reaching their first semi-final in the competition since 2006.

United are not currently looking likely to qualify for the Champions League following their defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday, with Tottenham Hotspur moving six points clear of the Red Devils, which could have an impact on the players they can attract this summer, including Torres.

In other news: Man United suffer big setback in ten Hag chase, supporters will be fuming

Leeds United duo Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper could return from injury earlier than predicted, according to journalist David Anderson.

The Lowdown: Phillips and Cooper missing

The Whites have had to make do without two of their most important players during an extended period this season, having an obvious effect on their struggles.

Phillips hasn’t featured since the start of December because of a hamstring injury, while captain Cooper also hasn’t played since that 2-2 draw at home to Brentford due to a similar knock.

The Leeds pair had been expected to be ruled out until March but a positive update has now emerged in that respect.

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The Latest: Journalist makes positive claim

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Anderson claimed that Phillips and Cooper could potentially return before the predicted date.

He revealed: “Bielsa keeps talking about March at the earliest for those two, although some people at the club seem to think that’s maybe unnaturally gloomy. They think there may be a chance they could be back maybe a little bit before that.”

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The Verdict: Potential major boost

Having Phillips and Cooper back before the end of February would be an enormous boost, given how important they have been for the Whites down the years.

The midfielder and centre-back have made a total of 466 Leeds appearances between them, making up the all-important spine of the team and being at the club since the Championship days. Also, they were both among the squad’s five best performers last season according to WhoScored as they started 53 league games combined, illustrating their importance to the team.

If they could return to action in the next few weeks, along with Patrick Bamford, there is no reason why Marcelo Bielsa’s side can’t have a strong finish to the season.

In other news, Leeds have been backed to sign a Championship player; it isn’t Lewis O’Brien. Find out who it is here.