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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.

Crystal Palace have been dealt an injury blow ahead of their trip to Leeds United in the Premier League after manager Patrick Vieira confirmed Joachim Andersen will not travel with the squad.

What’s the word?

The 25-year-old was unable to play any part in the Eagles’ 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa over the weekend after picking up a thigh problem, and it now appears as though he’s set for an extended stint on the sidelines.

“Joachim is not going to travel, he is not 100%,” revealed Vieira in Monday’s press conference, although there was also some positive news.

Star forward Eberechi Eze made his long-awaited return to first-team action last time out, coming on as a 60th-minute substitute following six months on the treatment table with an Achilles issue.

“I think it’s good for him, for the club and the fans,” said Vieira when asked for an update on his situation. “He needs to play games, he needs time to get to his best, and we will give him the support that he needs.”

Crystal Palace fans will be gutted

Despite Eze’s impressive progress in his quest to return to full fitness, Palace supporters will be gutted to learn that Andersen will be absent for the potentially crucial clash at Elland Road this evening.

The south London outfit’s seven-game unbeaten run came crashing down on Saturday, and Vieira will be desperate to get back to winning ways as soon as possible.

With only four points separating Leeds and Palace in the top-flight table, this midweek encounter could have a sizeable impact on the two sides’ fortunes for the rest of the campaign, and Andersen will be a big miss.

As per WhoScored, Andersen has averaged 1.5 interceptions per league game throughout 2021/22, 2.9 clearances and a whopping 6.3 long balls, placing him in the top three for each metric when compared to his teammates.

With winnable fixtures against the likes of Southampton, Everton and Watford coming up over the next few weeks, Palace will be hoping to see Andersen back in the starting lineup sooner rather than later.

And, in other news…Palace “lining up” swoop for “complete” £12.6m-rated gem, Vieira surely buzzing

Since the new owners at Newcastle United took charge of the Tyneside club back in early October, the Toon have only managed to win one league game.

Taking the focus away from the players on the pitch and how the team are getting on, with it being well documented in recent weeks that Newcastle are looking to appoint a director of football to take the club forward off the pitch, it seems as though they could be set to miss out on one of their potential candidates.

What’s the latest?

It was recently reported by Newcastle journalist Craig Hope in the Daily Mail that ex-Swansea recruitment chief Andy Scott has been mentioned with the role

However, in a fresh twist, a different report from Football Insider has now claimed that Scott has agreed a deal to join Championship club Middlesbrough instead.

He left his role at Swansea only a few days ago after being appointed back in July 2019 by ex-Swansea chairman Trevor Birch, around a month after Steve Cooper was named head coach at the Championship club.

Huge blow

If this report from Football Insider is true and Scott does end up joining Middlesbrough in the coming days, this surely won’t be good news for Amanda Staveley and co as one of their targets will have to be chalked off the list and therefore narrow down their remaining options for the role.

Moving forward, it would be in the club’s best interest if they secured a director as soon as possible but make sure they get the right person in to give them the best chance of not only potentially securing the best possible incoming transfers in January but to make sure the club is running how it should be and how the owners want it to be run for the foreseeable future under their reign.

It’s a shame because Scott would have been an impressive capture by the Magpies. He helped steer the Swans to consecutive play-off finishes while acquiring the likes of Ryan Manning and Jamal Lowe. Per SofaScore, the former ranks as the club’s seventh-best performer this term while Lowe bagged 14 in his debut campaign in Wales.

Thus, he evidently has a keen eye for spotting talent and surely could have brought a great deal of expertise to St James’ Park. In turn, Staveley will quite understandably be gutted if he moves elsewhere, especially to a rival in the northeast.

Nonetheless, they will have to find somebody else and with the Toon managing to concede 30 league goals in their 15 games so far this season, they need to identify a candidate quickly to fix their vast issues.

In other news: NUFC could land the next Xavi with £31.5m-rated gem who “always finds the best escape” – opinion

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!

Lots of Everton fans have been left gushing over some transfer news that has emerged on Bruno Guimaraes.

As per Football.London journalist Chris Wheatley, the Goodison Park faithful, as well as both Newcastle United and Arsenal, are now ‘monitoring’ the Brazil international ahead of a potential move in the January transfer window, although a summer exit from Lyon is ‘more likely’.

Guimaraes has been a mainstay in the Lyon team for the past two seasons, and has recently been adding assists to his game (call-ups to the Brazil squad.

Comparing his stats to both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan in their respective domestic leagues this term, Guimaraes is currently averaging more dribbles and key passes at a higher success rate (WhoScored), suggesting that he would be an upgrade for the Merseyside club in the middle of the park, at least in attacking sense.

Everton fans on Guimaraes transfer news

These Toffees supporters gushed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one Blue saying they are ‘really excited’ by the news, while another said that he would be a ‘top signing’:

“Would be a top signing if we cant sort it”

Credit: @evertonfanatic

“Much needed”

Credit: @Rixzuh

“Now this would get me really excited very talented player indeed”

Credit: @toffee18781

“Ahhh about time we want one of Kia’s good clients. He’d be an excellent buy and would work perfectly alongside Allan and Doucoure in a 3.”

Credit: @siewakes20

“What a signing that’ll be”

Credit: @maxhornby14

“Now this player is superb.”

Credit: @BT_1878

In other news, find out what transfer update has Evertonians buzzing here!

After securing a top-half finish in the Premier League last season, Leeds United have had a rocky start to their latest campaign this time around with three wins, seven draws and seven defeats under their belt, the latest of which being a disheartening 7-0 thrashing against Manchester City.

Despite this, in his pre-match press conference ahead of Leeds’ next Premier League match against Arsenal at the weekend, Marcelo Bielsa said that his sole focus is continuing with his job until the end of the season, putting to bed any concerns some Leeds fans may have about the Argentine potentially leaving before then.

Leeds journalist Phil Hay also shared some interesting insight regarding Bielsa’s immediate future at Elland Road, assuring his Twitter followers that there is ‘zero’ chance that sacking Bielsa is ‘in any way a thing’ at Elland Road.

Since being appointed at Leeds back in 2018, the 66-year-old has gone on to take charge of 160 games with the Yorkshire club, winning 79, drawing 29 and losing 52, taking Leeds from the Championship to the Premier League after a 16-year absence.

Given the major love and respect that Leeds fans have for Bielsa and what he’s done for the club since his arrival, they will be delighted that not only does Bielsa have no intention of leaving his position before the end of the season but also that the club apparently shares that stance, per Hay.

However, with the Whites currently sitting in 16th place in the league table with Arsenal and Liverpool for their next two fixtures, Bielsa will have to oversee one incredible turnaround in form in order to end 2021 on a high.

The boss claimed the performance at the Etihad Stadium was the worst they have produced in four years under his reign, and even if they don’t pick up points against the irrepressible Reds and in-form Gunners, they must ensure there are positives in the display to take forward into January.

Given the current injury issues that have plagued the club in recent weeks, if Leeds can have players such as Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper and Patrick Bamford among others back fit again as soon as possible and stay fit for the rest of the campaign, this should put them in a good place to avoid the drop.

In other news: Leeds dealt yet another injury blow ahead of Arsenal that’ll surely leave fans fuming – opinion

Aston Villa must finally sign Rangers star Joe Aribo amid Ashley Preece’s recent transfer claim involving new boss Steven Gerrard.

What’s the story?

Following Gerrard’s appointment as the club’s new manager, it’s been no surprise that conversation has focused on who he could potentially lure away from Ibrox over the upcoming transfer windows.

And, according to The Birmingham Mail’s Preece, along with the likes of Glen Kamara, Joe Aribo could be someone who emerges as a target once again.

He said: ” Yeah, (Kamara) is the one that appears most-likely from Gerrard’s Rangers links. We’ll see what materialises. Aribo, or the left-footed Yaya Toure as he’s been labelled by close pal Konsa, has been on Villa’s radar before like you say. Can he cut it in the Premier League, that’s the question… Kamara most-likely out of them but Gerrard will have his own players he likes knowing Villa’s budget blows Rangers’ out of the water. Intrigued to see how Gerrard will work with Johan Lange. Ross Wilson was Gerrard’s sporting director at Gers.”

Gerrard loves him

Having initially signed him for Rangers from Charlton, Gerrard has been very vocal in his praise of the midfielder, even going so far as to saying that he hoped he would be able to manage him for a long time.

Speaking after a particularly impressive performance against East Fife, Gerrard said of Aribo: “I am not sure how many good players have been at this stadium, but I don’t think you will see many better than Joe. Top players turn up anywhere, it doesn’t matter if it is in front of 50,000, or 1500, your standards are always the same and from day one Joe has done that. He was outstanding from start to finish.

“He can go as far as he wants. I hope he stays alongside me for many years, but he’s got the world at his feet.”

The 25-year-old Aribo ended up playing 112 times for Gerrard’s Rangers in his time north of the border, scoring 20 goals and providing another 18 assists as he embraced a real box-to-box role at Ibrox.

Given how well the Villa boss will know the midfielder, he would surely be able to hit the ground running at Villa and understand what he wants from him.

The 6 foot 2 Aribo’s arrival at Villa Park would surely leave Gerrard buzzing.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has revealed what Steven Gerrard has already “transformed” at Villa Park…

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.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

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.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-31/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

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.

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

Leeds United have big plans for the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Eurosport transfer insider Dean Jones, who delivered a pretty big bombshell to GIVEMESPORT this week, where he revealed:

“They have huge ambition and they’re going to be big hitters – they feel – in the transfer market, maybe from the summer.

“They certainly will be by this time next year.

“They think they can be going for some big names, but they couldn’t really buy those players in January.”

Time will tell

It remains to be seen exactly who the Yorkshire giants could target heading into next season, especially with uncertainty in the dugout. Marcelo Bielsa’s contract is set to expire and there is yet to be any indication whether he will stay or leave.

That makes recruitment somewhat harder for Victor Orta as he’ll need to sign the right players for whoever is in charge of the Whites.

One name that seems certain to join is RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson as the club looks to tap into the American market with a hugely promising midfielder. TEAMtalk believe Leeds are confident of tying up a deal despite having two bids rejected in January.

That influence from across the pond from the San Francisco 49ers Enterprises could play a big part in the aforementioned transfer plans as they have the financial clout to make substantial moves in the transfer market, whereas current chairman Andrea Radrizzani doesn’t.

As of November 2021, the group have increased their share of the club to 44%, so it’s only a matter of time before they take over fully from the Italian supremo.

Either way, you’d have to say it’s an exciting time to be a Leeds supporter right now and this “huge” claim from Jones is only going to raise expectations and enthusiasm heading into the rest of 2022.

The Elland Road faithful must be thrilled by this update.

AND in other news, Lifeline: Bielsa’s £34k-p/w Leeds passenger a big winner from January transfer window…