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The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has dropped a teasing Aston Villa transfer update that will leave fans excited.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side have enjoyed a rollercoaster ride of a summer transfer window thus far, losing Jack Grealish to Premier League champions Manchester City, but strengthening the squad with a number of key additions.

And now, Evans has delivered the latest update on where things currently stand at Villa Park.

He said: “With a couple of weeks still left in this window, Villa remain open to one late move. James Ward-Prowse has been on the radar all summer but, as previously reported, the chances of Southampton letting him go after already selling Ings and key defender Jannik Vestergaard in the current window are slim.

“They will only accept a huge bid for Ward-Prowse — somewhere around half of what Grealish cost City — so that appears unlikely now. Villa may move on to an alternative target, or even wait until the window reopens in January.”

Fans will be excited

While Evans may have poured cold water over a potential move for Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse, the journalist does deliver a teasing claim about Villa doing some kind of late business towards the end of the transfer window.

The opening day defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road in the Premier League no doubt raised some concerns in Smith’s eyes over his team, and he will be aware that Villa will face some early problems in getting his new team to gel – both in terms of the number of signings he’s made and fitting them in, and losing the influence of Grealish.

Bringing in a new central midfield to bolster the spine of the team seems like the logical thing to do, given they’ve already brought in Axel Tuanzebe at centre-back, Emi Buendia to bring some creativity further forward, and Danny Ings to shoulder some of the goal-scoring burden.

If Villa can end the transfer window with another marquee signing late on, then they can be very pleased with the work they’ve done in replacing Grealish this summer.

Fans will be very excited to see whether Evans’ transfer claim about a late move comes to fruition.

Meanwhile, this Aston Villa man was shocking vs Watford…

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a major injury boost regarding Quevin de Castro.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, Baggies boss Valerien Ismael confirmed that the 20-year-old midfielder has returned to first-team training after suffering a shoulder injury two weeks ago.

The Frenchman went on to state his belief that the Portuguese youngster has a tremendous amount of potential, and, after highly impressing in training with the club, hinted that Quevin could be playing first-team football at The Hawthorns before too long.

Ismael said: “He came back into training last week. Quevin has a lot of quality. He has a lot of principle, aggression for the six position, he’s on the front foot.

“Technically he is very good, he’s a young player who needs to learn a lot but he plays a part in our process. He needs to learn, but in that position he’s got great players in front of him to learn from.

“It’s just a question of time with him, when we will see him. I want to see him as well in the games, so at some point he’ll have to play to make sure that our feeling with him is the right feeling.”

“He’s impressed, he’s very young. I was really surprised when he told me his age. But it’s not about age. It’s about whether you’re able to play like we want, to put the principles on the pitch.

“We want to see that, and if so then it doesn’t matter whether you are 18, 19, 30, 33, you’ll play. That was the message from me and my staff from the guys – it was all about the focus on us, on our philosophy and principles. We need players who are ready to go with us. Quevin is part of the process.”

Fans will be buzzing

With central midfield being appearing to be something of a problem area for Ismael, with the Frenchman only being able to rely upon the likes of Jake Livermore, Alex Mowatt and Romaine Sawyers in the position, the latter of whom has been heavily linked with a move away from the club this summer, the manager’s comments regarding the return from injury of Quevin, as well as the midfielder’s impressive performances on the training pitch, is sure to have fans buzzing.

Indeed, while the 6 foot 4 talent does not have much first-team experience to speak of, the fact the midfielder has spent time in both the Arsenal and Chelsea academy in recent years would certainly appear to suggest that he has the potential to go on and have an extremely successful career in the game.

And, with Ismael being well-known for his impressive development of youth prospects, it would not surprise us at all to see Quevin in and around Albion’s matchday squads in the not too distant future, an eventuality that is sure to delight fans of the club.

In other news: Ismael must unleash £23k-p/w West Brom “leader” vs Sheffield Utd, could be a game-changer…

Celtic have now been backed to lose Odsonne Edouard before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Edouard out?

As per Football Insider, Nice are lining up a move to sign Edouard, and the Parkhead club would be willing to listen to offers of less than £20m for their star striker.

However, as quoted by Glasgow Live, Ange Postecoglou has admitted that there is a ‘concern’ about cashing in on him, despite only having a year left on his current deal.

The Latest: Campbell on Edouard

Speaking to Football Insider, former Everton and Arsenal striker now pundit Kevin Campbell has backed the Hoops to lose Edouard before the window shuts, even going as far as to claim that it is ‘inevitable’:

“Here’s the thing, Edouard’s been touted everywhere.

“I think it will happen, it’s inevitable. If it doesn’t I think he can help his new strike partner a lot.

“He’s seen it, he’s done it. If you take him away, maybe they are a lot weaker.

“It will be interesting to see how that dynamic works, if he stays and if he goes.

“But I expect him to go before the window closes.”

The Verdict: Sell now

Given that he only has a year left on his contract, and that he has been linked with a move away, there seems to be no desire at all for Edouard to sign a new one, and so the Celts must look to cash in on him now or risk losing him for free next summer.

Of course, he is such a key player for them, scoring no fewer than 85 goals and making a further 39 assists in 176 games in total over all competitions across the last five consecutive seasons (Transfermarkt).

However, considering that he is only valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt right now, getting close to £20m for him in the next ten days would be great business.

The Bhoys should be looking to sell the Frenchman now, so that they leave themselves enough time to replace him before the window closes.

In other news, find out who has now flown in for a Celtic medical here!

Many Crystal Palace fans have been angered on Twitter, following a poor first half showing from Jordan Ayew in their Premier League clash away to West Ham United [Sky Sports].

West Ham United enjoyed the bulk of possession in the first half and got their just rewards with a Pablo Fornals opener, and many Palace spectators will be hoping that manager Patrick Vieira makes some changes at half time – the Hammers have eight of the nine shots in the match.

One man who could be susceptible to being substituted off before too long is Ayew, who has endured a lonely 45 minutes for the Eagles on the left-hand side, making little impact on either side of the ball.

Failing to really stamp his mark, the Ghanaian has had to take up deeper positions than his role on the left-wing would suggest, but that didn’t exactly help keep the Hammers at bay.

In light of his display, loads of supporters flocked to Twitter to voice their fury at his performance.

Fans react to Ayew display

Replying to various outlets on Twitter, here is what some spectators had to say about Ayew’s display:

“What position is Jordan Ayew playing? Dm? #WHUCRY”

Credit: @NalikemPecius”Ayew a liability. Always. #CPFC #WHUCRY3″Credit: @CHSCPFC”It’s like palace are playing with 2 LBs where Ayew is so far back”Credit: @CFCSIMMONS7″I know i’m a better footballer than Jordan Ayew”Credit: @Pinocchio1957″Ayew is so slow at passing! Tekkers in miles of space begging for the ball at jogging speed and Ayew waits til Tekkers is offside to pass the damn ball! Drop him already!”Credit: @Midgecpfc”Why is ayew taking way more touches then needed man”Credit: @bentekefan0In other news, Crystal Palace fans react to links with a reported target. Find out more here.

Sheffield United are one of a number of clubs interested in making a move for Oostende and Scotland defender Jack Hendry.

The Lowdown: United in need of signings

The Blades were likely expecting to be Championship promotion hopefuls this season, but they have made a poor start to the campaign, sitting 23rd in the table.

Slavisa Jokanovic may feel the need to do some late business in the transfer window, in order to add depth and quality to a currently ailing squad.

The Latest: Hendry linked with Blades move

According to The Daily Mail, United are in the mix to sign 26 year-old Hendry from Oostende in the next few days, with the Belgian side happy to sell him on for a quick profit after recently making his loan from Celtic permanent.

Premier League trio Burnley, Southampton and Newcastle United are also thought to be interested, however, as are fellow Championship side West Brom.

The Verdict: Tough to get him

Hendry is a formidable 6 foot 5 centre-back who has seven caps to his name for Scotland – he made an appearance at Euro 2020 – so he could be a great addition for the Blades.

Unfortunately, the competition comes for clubs in a better position at the moment, making it less likely that he would choose Jokanovic’s side over any of them.

The hope is that Hendry sees the appeal of moving to Bramall Lane given the club’s incredible rise and first campaign in the top flight under Chris Wilder, but it could be a hard sell currently.

In other news, a fellow Championship club have reportedly opened talks with one Sheffield United player. Read more here.

Wayne Rooney’s Derby County side could be handed yet more transfer sanctions by the EFL.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Alan Nixon’s report for The Sun, in which the journalist revealed that Derby could be handed a two-year transfer ban by the EFL – if the Rams do not settle their outstanding transfer debts.

Nixon continued by stating that these reported unpaid transfer fees are now late for a second time, with the governing body giving Mel Morris until the end of September in a final chance for the owner to settle the debts, or else the Championship club could be restricted from signing players until the summer of 2023.

Fans will be fuming

With Rooney already having to operate under strict EFL transfer guidelines this summer, with the 35-year-old having brought in five free agents on restricted wages, the news that the former England captain may now not be able to bring in any further new signings over the next two years is sure to have left fans of the club fuming.

Indeed, while the Rams boss has done an impressive job so far this season considering the testing off-field circumstances – with Derby picking up six points over their opening five fixtures of the Championship campaign, suffering defeat just once – should the club indeed be forbidden from bringing any fresh faces in over the next two seasons, the chances of Rooney’s side remaining in the second tier of English football by the end of the potential transfer ban would appear to be slim to none.

As such, the 35-year-old manager and fans of the club alike will undoubtedly be hoping that Morris can resolve the situation prior to the EFL’s deadline, or else the owner could well be consigning the club to relegation to the third tier come the end of the season.

In other news: £180k-rated Derby County flop who lost possession 22x let Rooney down badly vs Blades

Some Everton fans have been left fuming as a transfer update emerged on Tom Davies.

As per The Athletic, the central midfield player was made available for transfer by the Goodison Park faithful in the summer window, but he preferred to stay and fight for his place.

Davies picked up form toward the end of the 2020/21 term, after often finding himself criticised by some supporters of the Merseyside club earlier on in the season.

Being a local boy, it would have been a real shame for Rafa Benitez’s team to have decided to let him go, and his attitude in terms of wanting to fight for his place has to be admired.

Thus, it is not a surprise at all to see so many Toffees raging over the news.

Everton fans on Davies transfer update

These Blues fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one EFC fan even going as far as to claim that it was ‘appalling’:

“Rafa out”

Credit: @efcdoyley

“Never understand this me, had his best season since he broke through. Low wages, versatile and great squad player”

Credit: @Haydfie96

“No. Sell the crabs and let our Tom blossom.”

Credit: @wilmotoffee

“Literally the perfect squad player makes no sense selling him”

Credit: @thatguysjokes

“If this is true it’s absolutely appalling. Had some great games last season. Lives and breathes Everton. Yet we are willing to put him up for sale while we still employ Delph, Gylfi, Tosun etc. Disgusting.”Credit: @Shanetaylor_”Pointless selling him. Smallish wages and a squad player. We’re at the bare bones already.”Credit: @Stu17666455In other news, find out what transfer update has Evertonians raging here!

Jesse Lingard remains a priority for West Ham manager David Moyes ahead of the January transfer window, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claim that the Irons will ‘maintain dialogue’ over a potential move after failing to secure him during the summer following his successful loan spell at the London Stadium.

Talks are set to continue behind the scenes with the 28-year-old’s representatives but there are several hurdles to overcome, including Manchester United’s £30m asking price and convincing the player to move down south permanently.

The Old Trafford outfit recently tried to increase Lingard’s value by offering him an extension to his £100k-per-week contract but that was rejected due to concerns over his playing time this season.

Bring him back!

Lingard should hardly be surprised by his lack of game time at Old Trafford this season, with the likes of summer signing Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes ahead of him in the pecking order, and now there’s the small matter of Cristiano Ronaldo, too.

After providing nine goals and five assists to rank as Moyes’ second-best player in 2020/21, he should’ve snatched at a potential return to east London and continued his cult hero status amongst the fanbase as a first-choice regular – something which would bolster his claims to make England’s squad for the World Cup in 2022.

Of course, as evident above, the chances of that happening aren’t completely dead in the water, even despite the arrival of attacking midfielder Nikola Vlasic in this transfer window.

Both Moyes and his assistant Stuart Pearce were very keen to see Lingard back at the club this summer, publicly expressing their interest on numerous occasions, so if the club’s new recruitment team can seal him in January, then you’d imagine that the pair will very much be delighted.

After their final day win over Southampton in May, the 58-year-old Scot told reporters, via the Evening Standard: “I hope Jesse’s here, we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there’s no guarantees, he’s not our player.”

This was then reiterated by Pearce during an interview on talkSPORT just a week before deadline day.

“We would like him to come and join us. That has been an open secret. He was wonderful last year,” the Hammers assistant boss said, before later adding: “He’s a special lad and was very good around the players – the players really like him.”

The £19.8m-rated dynamo certainly seems to still be a key target for Moyes, so it’s now on the club to deliver at the turn of the year when the transfer window reopens for business.

Many around the London Stadium would love to see Lingard back in the claret and blue.

AND in other news, Moyes could fix alarming West Ham problem by unleashing 19 y/o gem who’s “on fire”…

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has been left concerned for Harry Kane following something he’s seen at Tottenham Hotspur when Son Heung-min is absent.

The Lowdown: Spurs suffer blow…

Following the most torrid international break in recent memory for Spurs, the Lilywhites are sweating over star forward Son’s fitness ahead of their highly-anticipated clash with Chelsea.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news-2/” title=”Spurs latest news…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The South Korea star sustained a calf injury during the break and hasn’t been able to feature for Spurs since, with Campbell now dropping a claim involving Kane.

The Latest: Campbell makes Kane and Son claim…

Speaking to FI, the former Premier League striker has claimed that Son’s injury could have a very negative impact on Kane after seeing just how much Son’s presence benefits the Englishman.

“Kane is in the positions but he is not getting the service.

“When you have a striker as good as Harry Kane up top you have to create.

“Son is a key part of what Harry Kane does because the defence has two things to think about. But when Son is not there the whole defence concentrates on Kane so it makes it harder for him.

“When Son is there the defence is more stretched because he is the runner. It gives Kane more space and time.

“Who is the real threat in behind when Son is not there? There isn’t one. Kane suffers when Son is not there. He is a big absence.”

The Verdict: Spurs sweat…

Taking this and Son’s brilliant 2020/2021 season into account, it’s safe to say Nuno Espirito Santo will be praying for the 29-year-old’s return to action on Sunday.

Indeed, the pair became the most prolific duo in a single Premier League campaign last season.

Amid the Tottenham manager’s selection crisis, a return for the star forward could come as a very timely boost indeed – not only to supply quality, but also to free up Kane.

In other news: Levy could now agree blockbuster new deal for another ‘magnificent’ Spurs player, find out more here.

Many Liverpool fans have been reacting to a claim that Naby Keita is set to reject contract talks if he isn’t handed a more prominent role in the team.

The 26-year-old central midfielder has been at the Merseyside side since his July 2018 move from RB Leipzig and has made 82 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

However, Keita has struggled to become an instrumental part of the Reds squad and has only started 45 games of his 82 Premier League fixtures – with players like Gini Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago often ahead of him in the pecking order.

Speaking on BILD Sport, Christian Falk has claimed the Guinea international is set to snub contract renewal talks with Liverpool if he isn’t handed a more key role in the side. His current contract runs out in 2023, so he has just over a year before he is free to talk with foreign clubs over a possible free move.

Keita came on in the 62nd minute in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace and scored the Reds’ third goal with a thunderous strike, before being replaced at half-time in Tuesday’s 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Norwich City.

Liverpool fans flock to Keita news

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react to the latest news regarding their midfielder, with one fan claiming the loss of Keita would not be ‘much of a loss’.

“He needs to stay fit and well before seeking a more prominent role.”

Credit: @okekemezie1

“Needs to earn it, so far he hasn’t done near enough for me.”

Credit: @AaronFitzLFC

“Hahahah let him go. I was so for Keita but it’s time we accept the project has failed

Credit: @kajeinn

“How about producing more prominent performances then he’ll get his prominent role.”

Credit: @RedRivelino

“Lot of nerve from a guy who just hurt himself kicking the ground”

Credit: @KeeganLMoyer

“Off you pop”

Credit: @zenmakiin

In other news, Liverpool fans have bemoaned links with this PL winger. Find out more here.