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The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has revealed that Coventry City midfielder Gus Hamer is “admired” by Steven Gerrard.

What’s the story?

During a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece claimed that both Gerrard and assistant Gary McAllister were both at Coventry’s clash with Birmingham recently, and that Hamer is someone they have had their eye on.

He said: “As for January, usual names are sticking given Gerrard’s Rangers links but position-wise; a left-back, DM and possibly a forward could be added. Villa, Gerrard and Lange still assessing squad (three weeks into six-week review process). Bailey/Traore injuries are a concern for me.

“There could also be something in Gerrard and Gary Mac being at Coventry vs Birmingham the other week as well with Gus Hamer (Cov) admired.”

Perfect for Villa

Despite playing in a deeper position last season, Hamer was Coventry’s third top scorer with five goals while he also provided three assists too.

That all-round facet to his game is reflected by the fact he also averaged an impressive 1.4 interceptions and 1.3 tackles per game, and a team-high 1.5 key passes and 1.8 shots per match.

It’s no surprise then that his boss, Mark Robins, raved about his talents on the Sky Blues Extra podcast, where he called him “unbelievable” (via the Coventry Telegraph), whilst pundit Ali Maxwell simply dubbed the Dutchman as the “class act” of this Coventry side.

In fact, Robins has already tipped Hamer to move to the Premier League in the future and praised his “frightening” technique, and given the kind of dynamic midfielder he is, could be absolutely perfect for this new era under Gerrard at Villa.

The 5 foot 6 machine could bring some vital depth and quality to Villa’s engine room, especially when you consider that they tried to sign James Ward-Prowse in the summer and are now currently dealing with injuries and potential AFCON absences with Marvelous Nakamba next month too.

Meanwhile, Gerrard must finally unleash this Villa star…

Adama Traore had a rather frustrating season for Wolves with a lot of his running and crosses coming to nothing, however teams will still be looking to take him from Wolves, according to former striker Steve Bull.

Last season, Traore managed just two goals and three assists and a lot of that could be down to not having the ever-reliable Raul Jimenez in the box to finish off the chances he usually creates.

Despite a relatively poor season, Chelsea reportedly have him on their transfer wish-list this summer and with their wealth of attacking options, Traore would have no problem racking up the assists, even if his game time was limited.

Traore often cut a frustrated figure last season and that may have triggered teams such as Chelsea to take a serious look at him this summer, with Bull expecting there to be a lot of interest in their speedy winger when he spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern on the topic:

“I think he’s a talented player but he is very hit and miss on the pitch, but when he’s on the hit side he’s also absolutely top drawer and I can understand why a lot of teams are interested in him, because he can either win or change a game for you.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if more clubs than just Chelsea came in for him, even if he doesn’t have a good Euros, because he’s done enough to say to teams, ‘come and get me.’ “

Wolves are reportedly looking to receive a significantly lower amount than the £70 million they were quoting clubs such as Liverpool last year with the pandemic appearing to have hit them very hard.

Bruno Lage may have a huge rebuild on his hands with the likes of Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Trasore all reportedly on the club’s list of players they are willing to move on.

Aston Villa look set to be one of the busiest sides in the transfer window with the Midlands club already signing Emiliano Buendia.

They followed that up with approaches for both Emile Smith Rowe and James Ward-Prowse with Steve Howey claiming that the latter would be a fantastic signing for Dean Smith’s side.

Ward-Prowse is so often the integral cog that keeps Southampton ticking over and his set pieces are in a bracket of their own with Pep Guardiola even labelling him as “the best” set-piece taker in the Premier League. So, if Villa could follow up their interest in him with a solid offer, Smith’s side could make a serious push for the top seven next season.

In the midfield, Villa already have the likes of Douglas Luiz and John McGinn but Ward-Prowse would bring a swagger on the pitch and something a little bit different on the pitch – especially with Jack Grealish around to win free-kicks in dangerous areas.

It would certainly not be a simple deal to get done as the midfielder has been at Southampton his whole career and he is also club captain, but if Villa could bring him to the Midlands then he would certainly be a fantastic acquisition, that’s according to Howey, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“I’m not sure what you could do to prise Ward-Prowse away from Southampton because he’s been there so long and he’s also captain and pretty much their main man.

“I’ve always liked him so for a team like Aston Villa to get him, I think it would be fantastic.”

Villa appeared to be making a surprising push for a European spot last season before Jack Grealish’s shin injury ruined their end to the season as they won just three of the 12 Premier League games that their captain missed.

It would be a huge disaster for the Saints this summer if they ended the transfer window without both Ward-Prowse and star striker Danny Ings, who has also been linked with a move away as his contract is set to expire in 2022.

Everton are back in action this evening with another home clash in the Premier League, this time against Leicester City.

Heading in off the back of their 1-0 victory over Manchester United earlier in the month, Frank Lampard and the Everton fans will undoubtedly be looking to see their team secure another win this time out to move further away from the relegation zone.

Looking ahead to tonight’s showdown and their remaining league games of the campaign, it seems as though the Merseyside club have been handed a major boost over one of their key players.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from journalist Patrick Boyland relaying news from Lampard’s latest press conference, Toffees defender Yerry Mina will be in the squad to take on the Foxes.

The centre-back has been out of action since February with a hamstring injury and has only made ten league appearances for his side due to previous issues.

Great news for Lampard

With the Toffees only losing four of the ten league games that the Colombian has played in and only two of the games he completed a full 90 minutes in, having him back in the squad as another option will be a great thing for Lampard going forward.

To highlight what a useful option he will be, the 27-year-old has won nine tackles and made 14 blocks and 36 clearances in the league this season.

If he can make a return to action and continue being a tough figure at the back for his side, he could end up being the difference between Everton staying up or going down.

In terms of tonight’s showdown, it seems unlikely that the Toffees boss will immediately throw Mina back into the team considering how long he’s been out of action for.

With that in mind, if Lampard wants to have the defender available for the rest of the season, the 43-year-old will have to manage Mina’s minutes, for the time being, so he doesn’t risk getting injured again.

Also, with the centre-back pairing of Ben Godfrey and Michael Keane managing to keep a clean sheet last time out against the Red Devils, it would make sense for Lampard to stick with those two on this occasion to see if they can do the same again against Leicester.

In other news: Insider drops behind-scenes Finch Farm update that’ll leave Everton supporters furious

Fans of Aston Villa have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed the ‘significant’ news that Jaden Philogene-Bidace has put pen to paper on a new deal with the club.

According to a statement on the club website, Philogene-Bidace has signed a new deal with Dean Smith’s side that will see him remain at Villa Park until the summer of 2024.

The 19-year-old forward, who is yet to make a senior appearance for Villa, is said to have highly impressed for the club’s U23 side this season, bagging five goals and providing two assists over his 11 appearances.

And, after the club relayed the news of the England U19 international’s new contract on Twitter, fans of Villa flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the prospect of  Philogene-Bidace remaining at their club for the foreseeable future.

So, what exactly did these Aston Villa fans have to say in reaction to the news regarding Jaden Philogene-Bidace?

“Our club is doing all the right things. This kid is special.”

@hill_hilly18

“Fantastic news!! I love the approach our club is taking to promoting youth and building for our future!”

@jamesupnorth

“YESSSSSSSSS UTVVVVV.”

@Finleydb10

“Fantastic news! A lot of big clubs been sniffing round him, one to watch for sure.”

@TheWillRoss

“This is great news. Chukwuemeka next, hopefully.”

@SimonLRead

“Class news.”

@vill1874

“Outstanding. This club is amassing all the best young talent out there. Well done Jaden. Great choice.”

@EvoflashUK

“This is super, super news and shows the ambition and pull of the club – up the villa!!! Aaron Ramsey next!!”

@StephenArnold78

“Superb Jaden.”

@gazswain

“Excellent news. Future star! Massive statement on intent by Villa.”

@tonywoots69

“Incredible.”

@DOUGLASLUlZ

“This is significant. Congratulations.”

@richallen10

In other news, these Villa fans are loving this crazy statistic – find out more here!

Portsmouth have potentially been handed a transfer boost, regarding their pursuit of West Brom’s Josh Griffiths.

What’s the talk?

Cheltenham Town have officially confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Owen Evans from Wigan on a two-year deal this week. This could come as a boost to Portsmouth, as Cheltenham were interested in signing West Brom goalkeeper Josh Griffiths following his excellent spell with the club in the 2020/21 campaign.

Portsmouth are thought to be looking at Griffiths as Danny Cowley attempts to bolster his squad this summer to launch a promotion push in League One. Yorkshire Live has claimed that Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Lincoln are all eyeing the starlet.

Earlier this year, Cheltenham boss Michael Duff labelled Griffiths as top drawer following a string of strong performances for the club. He told the Express and Star:

“He’s at a Premier League club and the reason why they send him out on loan is so that he makes his mistakes with teams like us rather than in the Premier League.“He’s been top drawer for us, he kept us in the game on Saturday against Bolton, and he’s got a chance of going right to the top. He’s got a good presence and good demeanour and he’ll learn from it.”Fans will be buzzingPortsmouth fans will be buzzing with this development as it could lead to the club sealing a deal for Griffiths ahead of next season. The club has a gigantic hole to fill in the coming months as they are set to lose Craig MacGillivray on a free transfer.MacGillivray is out of contract at the end of the month and is poised to depart from Fratton Park as Portsmouth are unable to match his wage demands, which means that Cowley will be losing his number one goalkeeper.Griffiths could, therefore, step in this summer and take over the number one spot. The 19-year-old could join on loan and provide a stop-gap for the next 12 months before Portsmouth are able to invest in a long term number one option if they are able to secure promotion to the Championship – rather than signing a cheaper goalkeeper who may not be able to make the step up if they achieve their goals.

The West Brom starlet was excellent for Cheltenham in League Two as they won the title last season. He kept 21 clean sheets and conceded 37 goals in 44 appearances in the league, which shows the consistency and quality he was able to provide Cheltenham in spite of his young age.

This suggests that he could be a great addition to Portsmouth’s team.

AND in other news, Major transfer news emerges on “aggressive” £4.3k-p/w dud, Pompey fans will love it…

Ange Postecoglou has finally touched down in Glasgow and it would appear that Celtic are targeting all the right areas of improvement.

The Hoops shipped 16 more goals than the eventual league winners last term so evidently need to sign fresh faces to bolster their backline.

What’s the word?

Fortunately for Bhoys supporters, the club is ramping up their business in terms of defensive recruitments.

They’ve reportedly made offers to sign Sporting Lisbon’s Valentin Rosier while Aaron Hickey looks set to be the subject of an offer from Postecoglou’s side.

According to the managing editor of SBI Soccer, Larry Henry Jr, Celtic are interested in signing Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The American centre-back spent last term on loan at Bournemouth but has now returned to Tottenham ahead of a potential permanent move away.

Fulham and Cardiff have also been attracted by the 23-year-old but their interest has quietened down.

Bye-bye Ajer

Celtic’s aerial colossus Kristoffer Ajer is edging ever closer to a move to Norwich City but fans should rest easy if they bring Carter-Vickers in as his replacement.

Although the centre-back stands 6 inches shorter than Ajer at just 6-foot, he is imperious in the air and he also knows how to play out from the back.

When analysing the Norwegian’s game, those are two of the more outstanding qualities in his armoury.

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Last term, the Celtic defender was the beating heart of their backline and without him, their defence would have been significantly worse.

Ajer won 3.2 aerial duels per match while completing an eye-catching 88.2% of his passes in the Premiership.

If we compare that to Carter-Vickers, you’ll notice instant comparisons. The United States international prevailed in 2.8 aerial battles per game last term, a number that was slightly down from the 3.8 he won with Luton Town in 2019/20.

On top of that, he knows how to play in a team that play with the ball on the floor. The defender completed 84% of his passes for Bournemouth last season, a team renowned for playing more vibrant football.

One of his best spells was under Graham Potter at Swansea City. Carter-Vickers completed 91.6% of his passes in the English second tier, the best tally of any player in the entire division.

Following his time in Wales, Luton boss Graeme Jones hailed not only his ability on the field of play but his mentality off it after he sealed a loan spell with the Bedfordshire club.

“Graham Potter is one of my best friends and I spoke to him about Cameron, having had him on loan at Swansea last season. He said the character he’s got is incredible, so I’m looking forward to working with him,” Jones commented.

Carter-Vickers has always had potential but it’s yet to be completely extracted following numerous temporary stints away from Tottenham.

A move to Celtic could be profitable, however. The £20k-per-week earner suits their style of play and would fit seamlessly into their defensive line with Ajer potentially departing.

AND in other news, McKay must complete Celtic swoop for “tireless” 16-goal ace who can “destroy” teams…

Plenty of Aston Villa supporters have been giving their thoughts on Dean Smith’s recent comments regarding the club’s plans for the summer transfer window.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash with Fulham, the manager admitted he hasn’t spoken with the board about spending big this summer.

The club spent more than £88m during the current campaign, with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Bertrand Traore, Emiliano Martinez, Matty Cash and Morgan Sanson all arriving in the Midlands in eight-figure deals.

Recent reports have suggested that the club will look to bring in at least one more winger and another centre-forward to challenge Watkins ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

However, Smith kept his cards close to his chest regarding the club’s upcoming transfer market plans. Asked if he has held conversations over another spending spree, as reported by Birmingham Live, the 50-year-old said:

“No, not really. We haven’t spoken about spending big. We’re in a good place at the moment with our squad. We feel that we’ve got a really healthy squad as I said last season.

“If there’s areas and players we find out there that are good value for money then we’ll look to go and bring them in.

“But, we feel we’ve got a good squad at the moment knowing that we don’t need to add too much to.”

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared Birmingham Live’s report regarding Smith’s comments on social media on Friday evening.

Here is what these fans had to say in reply, and some are not happy with the Villa boss.

“Very very worrying if he thinks we are in a good place – deluded”

Credit: @GHIECO2

“Very worrying comments if true. I think taking Jack out the side for the last 6 games proves him wrong here. He also said you forget how good Jack is when he hasn’t trained for a while. What does that say about the quality of the rest?”

Credit: @MTrezzy1981

“If this is true we don’t invest in better quality we won’t move forward. It’s quite simple”

Credit: @Peachy1223

“Dear Mr Smith. If you believe you have a good squad with good options, can you explain please your total reluctance to rotate players and use substitutes? Thanks. x”

Credit: @bozzystuff

“If his expectations are to be in Europe next year, we need several big buys and that includes cover for Grealish when he’s injured.”

Credit: @Martin10041965

“He’s answered that in the same vein as the Jack G return date There is no way on earth we won’t speculate to accumulate this summer”

Credit: @nicknackjames1

In other news: £55k-a-week Villa star not in Smith’s plans, find out more here. 

Leicester City are set to open talks with Youri Tielemans over a new contract at the King Power Stadium, and Brendan Rodgers will surely be delighted at the prospect of the midfielder extending his stay.

The 24-year-old hit a stunning strike over the weekend to seal a historic FA Cup final win for the Foxes against Chelsea, and the Midlands outfit are set to reward the Belgium international with improved terms.

According to the Daily Mail, Leicester are planning on significantly increasing Tielemans’ wages, making him one of the club’s top-earning players alongside Jamie Vardy and Kasper Schmeichel.

The former Monaco man has been crucial to the Foxes’ success this season, starting 35 of Leicester’s 36 Premier League games, scoring six goals and providing four assists in the process. His exploits have helped the 2015/16 champions to break into the top four once again, and a place in the 2021/22 edition of the Champions League is well within their grasp.

As the Foxes continue to assert themselves at the top end of the table and disturb the established ‘Big Six,’ keeping hold of their best assets will be critical to their continued progression.

Tielemans’ impressive 7.09 WhoScored rating illustrates his importance to Leicester and his quality was further highlighted by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola after an impressive display against the Cityzens earlier in the campaign.

“Tielemans is a top, top-class player. I remember when I arrived, my first season, and Vincent Kompany started speaking about him when he was in the national team for Belgium, how good he was in that period. Vincent, as always, he was right,” recalled the Spaniard.

Building on their incredible FA Cup triumph will now be the main focus of Rodgers and everyone at Leicester, and the importance of Tielemans in those plans cannot be downplayed.

His 1.3 key passes, 82.6 touches and 2.1 tackles per game (SofaScore) this season showcase how the Anderlecht academy graduate is at the centre of everything his team does, and if Tielemans puts pen to paper on this proposed new contract, then it could be the start of an exciting new chapter for Leicester.

In other news…Forget Tielemans: “Colossal” Leicester gem who won 78% of his duels was Rodgers’ FA Cup star – opinion

A number of Liverpool supporters are ecstatic after Jordan Henderson signed a new deal with the Reds, extending his stay at the club.

The 31-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable Liverpool career, overcoming a tough start to become arguably one of the best captains in the club’s history.

Henderson was given the huge task of replacing Steven Gerrard as skipper, but he has thrived in the role over time, making it his own.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Not only that, but the midfielder has lifted the Premier League and Champions League trophies in recent years, cementing his place as a Liverpool great.

On Tuesday, Paul Joyce confirmed on Twitter that Henderson has signed a new contract at Anfield that will keep him at the club until 2025, news which was later announced on official club channels.

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Liverpool fans flock to Joyce’s tweet

It may not be the transfer news that some were hoping for on deadline day, but nevertheless, these Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their love for the Reds captain in response to Joyce’s tweet.

“CMOOOOON”

Credit: @AntonioHysen

“VAAAAMOOOSSS”

Credit: @LonningLudvig

“YES! ITS LIKE A NEW SIGNING!”

Credit: @Neboneid

“Great news”

Credit: @TacticallyLfc

“This is obviously fantastic news but hilariously predictable that they would announce it today”

Credit: @ChrisMors1

“Beautiful!”

Credit: @NathanALinley

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly eyeing up a deadline day signing. Find out who it is here.