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Many Aston Villa fans are reacting to the latest comments from Dean Smith on injured star and attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.

Grealish’s return date is unconfirmed at the moment, but the Villa manager tried to shed as much light as possible as he said: “I saw him before the game and he said to me if he gets on the grass he’s playing (vs Newcastle). But I said to him, ‘I’ve got to pick you first!’ which he laughed at…”

The Villans are definitely missing an attacking threat without the talisman as they drew 0-0 against rivals Wolves on Saturday night. With the English international picking up six goals and ten assists this season (WhoScored), he could have been the difference between a draw and a win.

The only worrying thing about this latest update on the player is that he is still not back on the grass, and this may be a cause of concern for many fans of the club.

Hopefully the fact that they are mentioning the Newcastle game as a possibility means that he will be back, but for now it seems “touch-and-go”, in the words of Birmingham Live reporter Ashley Preece.

Here is how Villa fans reacted to the comments from Smith:

“I don’t get it. Surely if he’s pain free and the players wants to play, no-one knows better than the player? Our medical staff are OTT.”

Credit: @AvfcSims

“That sounds hopeful that he will be back for Newcastle. Thought that midfield in first half was excellent, jack in the team and Traore other side or another winger and that is a real strong team”

Credit: @NashNash194

“We need Jack even if he is limping!”

Credit: @techvesting1

“Shouldn’t be needing to rush Jack against the likes of Newcastle, on the bench would still be a boost.”

Credit: @CS_UTV

“Don’t rush him back half fit we’re not in a relegation battle now.”

Credit: @jamsey55

“Judging by the second half display today, he will need to pick Jack even if he is half of his usual self”

Credit: @Berdan08914685

In other Villa news, some fans have been piling praise on one star at the club following his latest comments. Have a read who it is here!

Several Crystal Palace fans have been having their say on James Ward-Prowse after the Southampton midfielder commented on a 2019 clash with Wilfried Zaha.

The Saints star went past 300 appearances for the club earlier this season and was shown some of his best bits in a video shared on the club’s official YouTube account.

Numerous goals and free-kicks were on show, but one heated moment included was between Ward-Prowse and Zaha in January 2019 during a 1-1 draw – a game in which both players were on the scoresheet.

Zaha was sent off after two quick yellow cards following an altercation with Ward-Prowse, who celebrated with the Saints fans after the Palace star was dismissed.

Ward-Prowse simply said ‘oops, second yellow’ when he watched the footage back, which seems to have irritated plenty of Eagles supporters.

The clip was shared on Twitter by Southampton fan @JoshW_SFC on Tuesday evening and has been viewed over 29,000 times as of Wednesday lunchtime.

This is what these Palace fans had to say, with many hitting out at the England international…

“Same club who lost 9-0 twice, irrelevant and always in Pompey’s shadow”

Credit: @joe_cpfc_01

“Never seen a club milk something so much, really weird behaviour”

Credit: @paIaceawayy

“This is incredibly embarrassing omg”

Credit: @cpfcpaddy0

“This is up there with the very most embarrassing things I’ve ever seen…”

Credit: @unknownbald

“Please tell me this is fake, he’s reacted to a moment in a meaningless 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace?”

Credit: @CiaranCPFC

“Celebrating a 1-1 home draw against a Roy Hodgson managed side tells you all you need to know. Wilfried Zaha is gargantuan and lives in their heads rent free.”

Credit: @SomePalaceGuy

“Memorable game, you drew 1-1 at home to ten man Roy Hodgson palace. We are massive”

Credit: @TalkCPFC 

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa should urge the club to make a summer move for West Brom’s Okay Yokuslu amid Paul Robinson’s transfer claim.

What’s the story?

Yokuslu joined Sam Allardyce’s side on loan from Celta Vigo until the end of the season, and when asked if he could join a Premier League side if the Baggies get relegated, Robinson suggested Leeds as a potential destination.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Whites goalkeeper said: “He will be highly sought-after this summer. He plays in a very similar way to Kalvin Phillips and that is the type of player that Leeds need.

“It is going to be a difficult one to sell though. Would he want to be Kalvin Phillips’ backup? He is playing week in, week out right now. I would like to see him play across the midfield in other positions.”

Victor Orta’s chance

With West Brom heading for relegation back to the Championship, there will be no questioning that some of the Baggies’ best players will look to be prised away by those still in the Premier League.

Chief among those will surely be the £3.6m-rated Yokuslu, who has been nothing short of a revelation since joining West Brom earlier this year.

His teammate at the Hawthorns, Kyle Bartley, has waxed lyrical about the kind of impression the holding midfielder has made at the club, saying: “He’s been brilliant. He seems to have settled in really quickly which is always important for a player at a new club. You can see already that he’s a really good player.

“I thought he was great against Manchester United on his full debut and then he backed that up with another impressive performance on Saturday against Burnley. He’s tenacious. He’s good on the ball. He’s calm and composed.”

As per Whoscored, Yokuslu’s average match rating of 6.91 in the Premier League is the highest of any Baggies player who’s featured more than at least once for the club – a real indication of just how big of an influence he already is and how he’s hit the ground running.

The Baggies’ relegation would give Victor Orta the perfect chance to snap up a potential bargain, and given the way he has performed for Allardyce’s side, it’s a player Bielsa should urge Leeds to make a summer move for.

Given all the talk has been about how Leeds go about trying to find cover for Kalvin Phillips, bringing in Yokuslu from a potentially already relegated West Brom seems like an absolute no-brainer.

Meanwhile, this man could be Leeds’ new Ben White…

Leeds United have been boosted in their attempts to sign Douglas Costa, with Juventus potentially allowing him to leave this summer.

Marcelo Bielsa is expected to dip into the transfer market at the end of the season in order to add more quality and depth to his squad.

The Whites have done well in their first season back in the Premier League, sitting 11th at the moment, but that doesn’t mean new faces won’t arrive.

Leeds have been linked with a move for Costa in recent weeks and they could now continue to express their interest following fresh developments.

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Leeds handed boost in quest to sign Costa

According to Calciomercato, Juventus are willing to allow the on-loan, £10.8m-rated Bayern Munich star to leave on a free transfer this summer, despite his current deal not expiring until next year.

The Serie A giants see no future for Costa at the club and his substantial wages are also proving to be problematic.

Transfer Tavern take

Costa is a renowned name who would likely be an exciting addition at Elland Road, even if his very best days are behind him. Maurizio Sarri, his former manager at Juventus, hailed him as an “extraordinary weapon” for his attacking abilitities, with the Brazilian often hitting double figures in terms of goal contributions per season.

Blessed with quick feet, great skill and a constant threat in the final third, the 30-year-old could bring another attacking dimension to Bielsa’s team if he comes to Yorkshire.

In other news, Leeds’ interest in one player has seemingly been confirmed in an interesting way. Read more about it here.

Liverpool are believed to have Leicester City centre-back Caglar Soyuncu on a list of potential transfer options this summer.

The Reds look almost certain to bring in a new central defender at the end of the season as Jurgen Klopp look to freshen things up in that area.

Liverpool currently have Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all ruled out until the summer, with the latter pair proving to be injury-prone over the years.

Liverpool eye up Soyuncu move

Jurgen Klopp is believed to have a host of options he is considering, with The Times’ Paul Joyce reporting that RB Leipzig youngster Ibrahima Konate is the latest player to have been added to the list.

He also mentions that Soyuncu is one of those being monitored, having impressed for Leicester since joining from Freiburg in 2018, making 73 appearances to date for the Foxes.

Transfer Tavern take

Soyuncu has arguably been one of the Premier League’s standout defenders over the past couple of seasons, averaging 3.7 clearances per game in the division in 2020/21. His aggressive style and pace could be tailor-made to thrive in Klopp’s system.

At just 24, the £36m-rated Turkey international should also be considered a long-term option who could end up being at Liverpool for close to a decade, all going well.

In other news, Liverpool are believed to be interested in a shock signing for an in-form Premier League star. Find out who it is here.

Rangers youngster Josh McPake is starting to attract interest from English Championship sides as a result of his impressive performances on loan at Harrogate Town, but sporting director Ross Wilson and manager Steven Gerrard should do everything they can to keep him at Ibrox this summer.

According to the Daily Record, the 19-year-old is being scouted by both Bristol City and QPR as a result of his displays in League Two so far this season.

The report suggests that Wilson, along with the rest of the Rangers hierarchy, are delighted with the way the teenager has developed this season in England and feel that he has the potential to be a first team regular with the Light Blues in the future.

McPake joined Harrogate Town on loan in January and has been a regular in Simon Weaver’s side ever since, making 15 appearances and contributing two goals.

In fact, the right midfielder looks to have established himself as a key player with the League Two side despite only joining two months ago, as nearly all of his appearances have seen him play the full 90 minutes.

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McPake was handed his Rangers debut by Gerrard in a Europa League qualifying match against St Joseph’s when he was just 17, so it seems clear that he is held in high regard by the 40-year-old and the rest of his coaching staff.

Although it is difficult to see him challenging Ianis Hagi or Joe Aribo on the right-wing in Gerrard’s side next season, the youngster is contracted until 2022 and there seems no reason why, perhaps with another season of experience under his belt, he can’t make it in the first team at Ibrox in the future.

During a previous loan spell with Morton, manager David Hopkin was full of praise for McPake, saying: “He gives you something different. You keep forgetting he’s a 19-year-old kid. He gets us up the pitch.”

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Therefore, if we see QPR, Bristol City or any other club make an official approach for the Scotland under-19 international this summer, Wilson must stand firm and ensure that he remains with the Gers.

In other news… Gerrard handed huge potential Rangers transfer blow with “outstanding talent”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Peterborough Director of Football Barry Fry has slated Jose Mourinho’s “defensive” style, but believes the Tottenham boss will be given the season.

Mourinho’s team topped the Premier League following their north London derby win over Arsenal in December, but their campaign has taken a sudden turn for the worse in recent months, with Spurs exiting both the FA Cup and Europa League.

Tottenham did win their final match before the international break against Aston Villa, but are still three points outside the top-four, which means there’s every chance of spending another season out of the Champions League.

Three victories on the bounce earlier this month saw Mourinho’s get back on track, but their north London derby defeat and brutal European exit saw the pressure mount once again on the Portuguese.

But with a chance to end their 13-year trophy drought in next month’s Carabao Cup final, Fry reckons that Daniel Levy won’t sack Mourinho just yet.

He told Football FanCast: “I think he will probably let him see it out, they’re still in the cup final. I would like to see them win a bit of silverware, that’s why Jose Mourinho went there, but it’s a tall order against Manchester City.

“Tottenham are very exciting team when they go forward, but I think where the Spurs fans and Levy himself gets very frustrated is when Mourinho plays a bit negative, a bit defensive-minded, and it doesn’t suit the players that he’s got.

“His defence isn’t good enough and his forwards are. Tottenham are always brought up with great football, entertaining. And there’s been a few games this season where they have been pretty boring. The Tottenham fans don’t want to see their team like that.”

A top-four place is far from ruled out for Spurs, and with a chance to win silverware against Manchester City next month, it’s unlikely that Mourinho is going to be sacked any time soon.

With that in mind, Levy is better off giving him until the summer before assessing the situation.

Manchester United could be set to commit a huge transfer clanger with a decision they have made on the future of defender Teden Mengi.

The 18-year-old joined Derby County on loan in January for a first taste of senior football and has suitably impressed, with reports from The Athletic indicating that a decision has been made for the youngster to rejoin the Rams next season as well.

Considering the rumours that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to bolster his defensive options next season, allowing Mengi to leave Old Trafford once more next term could be a glaring mistake from the manager.

After joining Wayne Rooney’s struggling side, the youngster has racked up eight appearances in the Championship, six of those being starts.

Mengi has certainly caught the eye in that time, with Rooney labelling his performances as “excellent”, and that form could have seen him forge a space in the Red Devils squad, especially in the vacant centre-back spot.

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It could potentially be argued that it is slightly too early for Mengi to be in contention considering his age and inexperience.

However, the Red Devils have seen in the past that a vast number of their academy graduates are ready for first team football even with little opportunities out on-loan – Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams all being excellent examples in the current squad at Old Trafford.

Should Solskjaer bring in a new centre-back whilst Mengi is plying his trade on loan at Derby County for a second season, this could potentially see his chances of first team football evaporate with the Red Devils.

Linked with potential big-money arrivals such as Gianluca Mancini, Edmond Tapsoba and Raphael Varane, it therefore seems unfathomable that Solskjaer would fork out a huge amount when Mengi is surely ready to be afforded an opportunity.

Allowing the youngster a place in the first team would also allow transfer funds to be spent elsewhere, potentially in attack with the likes of Erling Haaland apparently on the club’s shopping list.

Sending Mengi out on loan once again could be a huge error on behalf of the Old Trafford club.

AND in more news, find out which Man Utd colossus the club must sell in the summer…

Rangers’ decision to sign Ryan Jack on a free transfer from Aberdeen has certainly proven to be a bargain, with the midfielder’s value having significantly increased during his time playing under Steven Gerrard at Ibrox.

The defensive-midfielder made the move to Ibrox from Pittodrie in the summer of 2017 and he has been a key part of the Rangers squad ever since.

In 130 appearances for the Light Blues, he has contributed 11 goals and 12 assists, which already eclipses the total of goal contributions he managed in 250 appearances for Aberdeen.

Jack enjoyed an excellent start to the season for Rangers, contributing two goals and one assist in 19 Premiership appearances, resulting in a solid 7.03 average rating, which ranks him as the 10th-best performer for the Gers in the top-flight so far this season.

Unfortunately, the 29-year-old picked up an injury in the 4-1 win against Dundee United back in February and hasn’t been seen since, with assistant manager Gary McAllister confirming recently that he travelled to London to see a specialist about his injury problems, which suggests that he is unlikely to feature again this season.

However, it has still proven to be an excellent decision to sign Jack on a free transfer, as he is now valued at £2.7m by Transfermarkt, which represents a big increase considering Rangers paid nothing for the Scottish international.

It is clear to see how the midfielder’s value has increased during his time at Ibrox, with the arrival of Steven Gerrard in 2018 also seemingly having a positive impact, as his £2.7m current value is the highest of his career.

Jack, who reportedly earns £13k per week, is one of the best passers in Gerrard’s squad, having registered a 90% pass accuracy in the league so far this season, whilst his tackling and interception stats also score highly compared to the rest of the squad.

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The 40-year-old manager was full of praise for his midfielder last season, saying:

“When we came in we inherited a good player, without a doubt. Aberdeen had done a really good job with Ryan in terms of his development and giving him the opportunity to play at the top level. He obviously became a leader.

“So there was coaching prior to us that deserves a lot of credit in Ryan’s development. We obviously saw a winner when we came in.”

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Therefore, it seems clear that Rangers were able to unearth a gem when they signed Jack on a free transfer, as he has proven himself to be one of the most consistent members of the squad during his time at Ibrox.

And, in other news… Wilson must swoop for 12-goal gem who had £36m star on toast

After their elimination from the UEFA Champions League in midweek, Liverpool turn their attentions back to the Premier League tonight by travelling to Elland Road to take on Leeds United.

Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to secure three points as the Reds aim to secure a top four finish, despite the looming prospect of the Super League proposals.

In order to do that, he must start midfielder Curtis Jones for the first time in the league since early March.

At just the age of 20, the Reds’ academy graduate is already the club’s highest-scoring midfielder this season with four goals. Couple this with the four assists that he has already managed to accumulate and that takes his total direct goal contributions to eight.

For comparison, the next most productive midfielder in the Reds’ squad is Georginio Wijnaldum who has only managed to score on three occasions, whilst having not managed to tee up his teammates at all.

Considering Jones has started just 21 matches in all competitions for the reigning Premier League champions, that is a remarkable achievement.

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It is no surprise then when looking at Jones’ statistics per match, he continues to outperform his somewhat more illustrious teammates.

According to WhoScored, the £27m-rated midfielder attempts one shot per game, a figure not matched by any other Liverpool option in the centre of the park.

Meanwhile, only Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara account for more key passes per 90 minutes than Jones in league play, whilst the latter only just outdoes his 1.1 dribbles per game.

It goes without saying then that should Jones be included, the Reds will surely be more of a threat, of course, a useful asset as Liverpool attempt to seal what could be a key three points in their pursuit of a top-four finish.

Previously labelled as “unbelievable” by the Reds’ U23 coach Gary O’Neil, the England U21 midfielder simply has to be selected from the start at Elland Road if he’s passed fit after missing out against Aston Villa and Real Madrid.

AND in more news, the Reds could find their perfect Wijnaldum replacement with a current England star…