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According to a recent report from The Daily Star, Aston Villa are interested in bringing in striker Tammy Abraham on loan. The 20-year-old currently plays his football at Premier League heavyweights Chelsea but has only mustered three senior appearances for the Blues since breaking through the youth ranks, with his struggles for regular football seemingly opening up the possibility of another loan spell.

And Steve Bruce’s Villa are reportedly keen on the £9 million-rated (as per Transfermarkt) striking sensation, as should Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds, who as such must seek to hijack the Villans’ move for the forward in a bid to strengthen their own hand when it comes to sustaining a promotion push.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Bruce’s men will be on the lookout for that extra bit of quality that can take them that extra step this season after falling short in the play-off final last term, and given Jonathan Kodjia was injured for much of last season, adding to the forward ranks could see them reap the rewards.

Thus, Abraham appears to be the ideal man, and while one cannot detract away from the outstanding start Leeds have made to the new season by beating Stoke City 3-1 on the opening day and then thumping Derby County 4-1 on Saturday, the Whites have started brightly in each of their last two seasons, and failed to sustain a promotion challenge come the end of the campaign.

As such, they themselves could be on the lookout for further reinforcements, and some of their struggles last season were arguably down to the lack of goals from the front men, with Kemar Roofe and Pierre-Michel Lasogga the only men to reach double figures in all competitions.

And with the latter no longer at the club following the expiry of his loan deal, it’s clear that, despite the arrival of Patrick Bamford earlier in the summer, further reinforcements are needed in the striking ranks at Elland Road if Bielsa’s men are to challenge for promotion – Abraham will certainly add that quality and depth.

While the two-times England international has struggled for regular football at Chelsea, he certainly proved his worth on loan at second tier side Bristol City back in the 2016/17 season in netting 23 goals in just 41 league games for the Robins, single-handedly keeping them in the division.

And having lured Kodjia away from Ashton Gate a few seasons ago, another player who excelled for Bristol City, it’s not hard to see why Villa are interested in Abraham, who netted just five times in the Premier League for Swansea City last term to suggest that he maybe isn’t quite ready to produce the goods on a regular basis in the top-flight.

However, it’s pretty evident that he is in the second tier, and while Leeds have been free-scoring so far this term, the long, hard slog that is a Championship season will ask testing questions of their squad depth, and it’s arguable that the depth isn’t quite there in the striking ranks – Abraham’s arrival would take care of that though.

Thus, while Villa will hope to lure the 20-year-old to the Midlands before the August 31 deadline, Bielsa’s Leeds must seek to hijack that move in a bid to bolster their own forward ranks ahead of the rest of the Championship campaign.

Leeds and Villa fans… what do you think? Let us know!

After the disappointment of losing the Championship playoff final last season, Aston Villa have started the season positively in terms of results.

The Midlands outfit won their opening two league games and also progressed in the early rounds of the EFL Cup with a 1-0 win over Yeovil Town.

On Saturday, though, the club suffered their first wobble on the pitch as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Ipswich Town.

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Jonathan Kodjia put the Villans ahead, but Trevoh Chalobah found an equaliser, which was enough to knick a point for the Tractor Boys.

Even though Villa have been getting desired results, they have not been displaying their best football.

One of the head-scratching decisions made by manager Steve Bruce is playing Mile Jedinak at centre-back.

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The Australian international is traditionally a defensive midfielder, but he has been partnering James Chester since John Terry’s departure in the summer.

Against Ipswich, Jedinak failed to impress, and some fans are getting frustrated by Bruce’s experiment.

Fred was billed as the signing to finally strike the right balance in Manchester United’s midfield, providing the platform for Paul Pogba to thrive while offering something offensively himself as well, but we’re still waiting to really see that from the Brazilian since moving to Old Trafford.

While there were no innocent parties in the abysmal performance against Brighton last time out, Fred’s overall contributions in the Premier League have been largely underwhelming for a new arrival Transfermarkt value at £45million.

Indeed, from two appearances thus far in the top flight, the South American has been dispossessed as many times as he’s won the ball and committed five more fouls than he’s made tackles.

Hardly resounding numbers for a player who should really be pushing to make himself a key part of Jose Mourinho’s starting XI.

After the woeful 3-2 defeat at the Amex Stadium, it’s clear changes are needed for United’s coming clash with Tottenham Hotspur or else it could end up being a really embarrassing evening at Old Trafford.

So, is dropping Fred the answer? Let us know by voting below…

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Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to the win over Norwich, and plenty of praise is going towards Pontus Jansson.

Leeds continued their incredible start to life under Marcelo Bielsa on Saturday, combining clinical finishing with heroic defending to win 3-0 at Carrow Road.

Mateusz Klich continued his hot start to the season with another goal, and Ezgjan Alioski put Bielsa’s side two up before the break.

There were chances at both ends before Pablo Hernandez ended any hope of a comeback with a delightful goal, but it’s the Leeds defence that is drawing lots of plaudits.

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Jansson has split opinion at times during his stay at Elland Road, as the defender seems to look completely disinterested in some games, despite being absolutely heroic in others.

Well this was certainly one of those heroic displays, as the towering Swede won three aerial duels, three tackles, and made five clearances.

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If Leeds are going to continue their brilliant start then Jansson must add consistency to his obvious ability, but fans are certainly enjoying this one.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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According to Calciomercato, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Porto midfielder Hector Herrera in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino decided against bringing any new players to the club during the summer transfer window, which was a surprise.

Indeed, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all boosted their squads with new additions, and there was a fear from the Spurs fans that the London club could be left behind this season.

Pochettino’s side won their first three matches of the 2018-19 Premier League campaign – including a 3-0 victory away to Man United – but lost at Watford last time out.

According to Calciomercato, Tottenham are considering making at least one signing during the January transfer window, and Herrera has emerged as a leading target.

Herrera might well be seen as a replacement for Mousa Dembele, with the Belgian international again being linked with a move to the Chinese Super League.

Would Herrera be a good signing?

A 70-time Mexico international, Herrera joined Porto from Pachuca in 2013, and has made 197 appearances in all competitions for the Portuguese club, scoring 27 times.

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Herrera, who helped Porto win the Portuguese title last season, also impressed for Mexico at the 2018 World Cup, and would bring a new set of skills to the Tottenham midfield.

Indeed, he is completely different to the type of midfielders that Spurs can currently call upon, and his box-to-box energy would be perfect for Pochettino’s style of football.

Herrera is also a sharp tackler and impressive user of the football, and valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, it is unlikely that Tottenham would have to break the bank for his signature.

It is not the type of signing that would turn Spurs into Premier League winners, but there is no question that it would be a very clever addition at the right price.

Loads of Everton fans have been enjoying a joke about what would surely be the singing of the century, after the club tweeted a video of Richarlison on Brazil duty with Neymar.

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While his wonderful goals have no doubt helped, part of the reason Everton fans have fallen in love with Richarlison so quickly is his personality.

The young winger plays football like each game is his last, and his infectious positivity off the pitch is already turning him into a fan favourite at Goodison.

He seems to be having the same effect on the Brazil national team, and Neymar particularly enjoyed the youngster’s trademark chicken dance, which he posted on social media.

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The Toffees have signed two skilful Brazilian attackers this summer with Bernard joining on a free transfer, and fans are calling for them to grab a third.

The tweets are of course tongue-in-cheek, but after Neymar seemingly dissed Liverpool’s top four hopes this week, who’s to say he’s not a closet Blue?

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Adrien Rabiot, but they would be much better served doing more business with Red Bull to sign Salzburg’s Amadou Haidara.

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What’s the story?

According to ESPN, Liverpool have made contact with the mother and agent of PSG star Rabiot.

The French midfielder has rejected multiple contract offers from the Ligue 1 champions, and is expected to leave Paris when his contract expires next summer.

The report claims Jürgen Klopp has already spoken on the phone with the 23 year-old, but the Liverpool boss could go one better by swooping for Red Bull Salzburg’s Haidara.

Rabiot is a wonderful passer, but he doesn’t have anywhere near the athleticism required to play in Klopp’s midfield. Haidara is only 20, but is already showing signs of being the next “perfect fit” for Klopp’s trademark gegenpressing, just like Naby Keita.

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The next Keita?

Haidara has already been linked with a move to replace Keita in Leipzig, and it’s not hard to see why. The young Mali international was superb in Salzburg’s Europa League campaign last season, scoring a phenomenal solo goal in the semi-final against Marseille.

His stats through the competition are truly remarkable, as he averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per 90 minutes, while also winning 2.7 aerial duels per 90 minutes, despite standing at just 5 ft 8 in.

To put those numbers in perspective, Georginio Wijnaldum averaged 0.9 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 0.6 aerial wins per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season.

He’s not bad on the ball either, completing 1.5 dribbles per game, while Wijnaldum averaged 1.6. His acceleration and technique allow him to weave himself out of tight positions, and his passing is improving as he earns more experience.

Just like Wijnaldum, his one weakness right now is his end product, scoring just 11 times in 72 appearances for Salzburg, although he has added 14 assists as well. The difference between the two is of course their age, and the Mali youngster could become truly world class under Klopp.

While Fabinho hasn’t made his Liverpool bow yet, a midfield trio of Fabinho, Keita and Haidara would have a combination of speed, technique and nastiness that the Premier League has never seen before, and would make the Reds’ impressive recent defensive record even better.

So, Liverpool fans, would you rather go with the more proven player in Rabiot? Or take a gamble on Haidara? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

According to The Teeside Gazette, Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis has insisted that wantaway striker Martin Braithwaite will not be leaving the club in January. 

It was heavily speculated over the summer that the Dane would be leaving The Riverside, but ended up staying put in the northeast.

However, since the striker was embroiled in these transfer rumours, he has not started for The Boro.

That was understandable for the club’s fixture against Leeds two weeks ago, as Pulis may have sought to field a more defensive outfit. But it seemed more strange that Braithwaite did not start in Saturday’s loss to Norwich.

This raises the question of whether the striker has fallen out of favour with Pulis. Alongside Britt Assombalonga, Braithwaite was in scintillating form before this saga, helping The Boro race to the top end of the Championship table. However, since he has been dropped, the team have failed to win, albeit in only two matches.

Pulis has a long history of butting heads (literally) with some of his player, and this could be another case. Nacer Chadli, James Beattie and Jermaine Pennant can all attest to the wrath of the Welshman, and Braithwaite (valued at £7.2m on Transfermarkt.co.uk) may be the newest member on that list.

However, Middlesbrough fans will hope that the manager and player can bury the hatchet if there are any lingering problems. For the sake of Middlesbrough’s promotion bid, they will need their electric forward back in the starting XI.

If Braithwaite has made an enemy of Pulis, it will be the team that pays the price.

Newcastle United supporters have been reasonably satisfied in recent times after seeing their team pick up their second point of the Premier League season on Saturday.

Rafa Benitez’s men went into their meeting with Crystal Palace having lost four of their opening five league games, albeit those defeats did come at the hands of Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal. And the Magpies doubled their points’ tally at Selhurst Park at the weekend in drawing 0-0 with Roy Hodgson’s misfiring Palace, a result which leaves the North East giants in the bottom three, but did at least end their three-match losing run.

Thus, there have been many satisfied Newcastle fans up and down the country in recent times, although they are unlikely to be overly thrilled with the goal-scoring exploits of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who they sold to fellow top-flight outfit Fulham during the summer.

And while Benitez’s side made a £9 million profit on the Serbia international, they are being the shown the error of their ways given the striker’s outstanding start to the new Premier League season, alongside the Magpies’ own difficulties in front of goal.

Ultimately, things didn’t really work out for the 24-year-old at St James’ Park during his three-year stint at the club between 2015 and 2018, with the forward mustering just 17 goals in 72 appearances for the Magpies.

And in managing just four goals in 26 Championship appearances for Benitez’s side in their run to the second tier title in 2016/17, it on the surface looked like the right call to let Mitrovic go during the summer, as the striker simply failed to regularly produce the goods for the North East heavyweights.

However, his brilliant form for Fulham, both this term and indeed last season in the Championship, highlights that things aren’t wrong with the 24-year-old, but instead Newcastle as a whole.

The Serbian star has been sensational for Slavisa Jokanovic’s men in netting 16 goals in just 27 appearances for the Cottagers, 12 of which coming in 17 league games last term to help them reach the Championship play-off final, which they won 1-0 over Aston Villa at Wembley – thus, why couldn’t he produce that level of performance on Tyneside?

And while some weren’t overly sure whether Mitrovic could reproduce that level of performance in the top-flight, he has proven those doubters wrong so far in bagging five goals in just six Premier League games for the West London outfit – and given Fulham have only netted eight times overall, it’s clear that he is a hugely influential figure at Craven Cottage.

And all this must serve as massive frustration to Newcastle supporters up and down the country, as Mitrovic looks and simply is a completely different player for Fulham than he was during his time on Tyneside – and given how blunt the Magpies have looked going forward in the last 12 months, the Fulham Mitrovic would be a huge asset to Benitez’s side.

As such, while the North East giants did make a £9 million profit on the forward, having signed him for £13 million back in 2015 and then selling him for £22 million during the summer, it’s a situation which shows everything that is wrong at Newcastle United, given Mitrovic has gone on to become the player his potential always suggested he could be by moving to Fulham – a player that rarely produced that level of performance at St James’ Park.

Newcastle fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Celtic got back to winning ways on Wednesday night after beating St. Johnstone 1-0 at McDiarmid Park in the Scottish League Cup. 

The Bhoys were coming fresh off a 2-1 SPL defeat away at Kilmarnock, piling more misery on what has been a disappointing start to the season for the club.

Brendan Rodgers, however, is confident his side’s fortunes will change while also being adamant that his future is in Glasgow having turned down approaches on multiple occasions — including a recent one from China — since arriving in Glasgow back in 2016.

The Breakdown

Speaking to Sky Sports after Celtic’s win against St. Johnstone, Rodgers said: “Since I have been at Celtic I have had a few offers. So that [China one] is no different to any of the others.

“My focus is very much on Celtic, trying to help us rise to the challenge of this season. What you know with China is it’s an awful lot of money, big money, but I have found happiness here. I spoke to the owners of the club and the board and we find an agreement and move on.

“I have had other opportunities but I am very much here, I have this year and two more years on my contract.”

With the influx of money in Chinese football, a host of high-profile coaches have taken to the Chinese Super League to take up managerial roles.

And while the financial gain obviously makes any proposition an attractive one, Rodgers has made the correct call in staying at Celtic Park.

After a very disappointing end to his Liverpool tenure, Rodgers’ stock took quite the hit. However, at Celtic, the 45-year-old has managed to rebuild his reputation having gone a season unbeaten at the club on top of winning back-to-back domestic trebles playing an attractive brand of football.

There will come a time where Rodgers will be interested in seeking a new challenge, but that challenge should not be in China at this stage of his career.