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Aston Villa are looking at strengthening their midfield even further this window, with recent reports revealing one name they are targeting in that area.

Unai Emery has already welcomed Youri Tielemans on a free transfer from Leicester City to add to the quality available in the middle of the park for the Villans, however there could be more movements made before the end of the transfer window.

The Midlands club had an enjoyable summer, recruiting strongly through the acquisitions of Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby and Tielemans, as well as performing to a good standard during pre-season, however a devastating double injury blow has shaken things up.

It’s thought that the Spaniard could delve back into the transfer market to cover for the long-term injuries of Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia.

Who could Aston Villa sign this summer?

To cover the spell on the sidelines Buendia is due to endure, it’s expected that attacker Nicolo Zaniolo will arrive at Villa Park on an initial loan deal from Galatasaray.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

The Villans have been linked to a host of talent alongside the Italian, with news this week revealing the club’s interest in teen sensation Carlos Baleba.

According to TEAMtalk, Villa are one of the Premier League clubs interested in the Lille midfielder, joining Liverpool, Brighton, Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle.

The report claims that the Midlands club have been ‘keeping tabs’ on the 19-year-old, who could be available for £30m, which is the Ligue 1 outfit’s speculated asking price.

What is Carlos Baleba’s style of play?

Deployed in central midfield, the Cameroon international has been described as a “highly energetic” figure in the middle of the park by U23 scout Antonio Mango, who also lauded the youngster as “incredible”.

The teenager is skilled in all areas it takes to be a top central midfielder, with the capabilities to perform both defensive and offensive actions in the bid to help his team.

Such claims are supported by his numbers, with FBref highlighting his strengths last season in Ligue 1, where he averaged 2.45 tackles, 6.21 progressive passes and 2.82 successful take-ons per 90, showcasing just how much of a handful he is for the opposition.

For Villa, the potential acquisition of the rising star could come at a perfect time, with there being speculation regarding the future of current defensive midfielder Douglas Luiz.

Both Tottenham and Arsenal have been linked to the Brazilian, who was Villa’s best performer last season based on Sofascore match ratings for the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

Should the 25-year-old leave Villa Park, Emery could find his able successor in Baleba, who has similar strengths to the former Manchester City man, who averaged closely to the 19-year-old last term.

Luiz in fact averaged below the Cameroonian in his per 90 statistics provided by FBref, recording 2.24 tackles, 4.55 progressive passes and 0.74 successful take-ons in the Premier League for the Villans.

With the season already away, it would be against Villa’s favours to lose a player as integral to the squad as Luiz at this point, however, Emery could ease his potential exit by chasing the Lille sensation.

Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca is 'confident' he can keep hold of Belgium international Timothy Castagne this summer despite interest in his services from elsewhere, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is Timothy Castagne leaving Leicester City?

According to Tutto Juve, Castagne would like to return to Italy this summer and join Juventus amid uncertainty over his future at the King Power Stadium, which has also alerted Fulham and several other Premier League clubs.

The 27-year-old is believed not to be phased by Juventus being banned from competing in the Europa Conference League and his signature is viewed as a 'concrete goal' for the Old Lady as they aim to bolster their options in the full-back areas.

Alongside Fulham, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth are also interested in offering Castagne a return to the English top-flight; however, it is expected that Leicester City will hold out for a 'substantial fee' before allowing the £65k-a-week ace to depart, as per The Evening Standard.

Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri claimed earlier in the window that Arsenal were also keen to add Castagne to the ranks and had started talks with Leicester City over a potential transfer in the event they couldn't convince their preferred target, Real Sociedad right-back Ivan Fresneda, to move to the Emirates in the off-season.

Last campaign, Castagne made 42 appearances across all competitions for Leicester City, registering two goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jacobs thinks that Leicester City boss Maresca will be keen to keep hold of Castagne alongside his teammates Wilfried Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho, who have also been linked with an exit from their current employers in recent times.

Jacobs stated: "They'd like to keep hold of Kelechi Iheanacho and Timothy Castagne, even though there's Premier League interest.

"That's why I think if Enzo Maresca is confident of keeping that spine – and Wilfried Ndidi counts, and again, there's interest in him as you'd expect – then he can really build for the future because he's got enough now in his squad to help Leicester get back up, as long as he doesn't lose too many between now and the end of the transfer window."

What now for Leicester City?

Leicester City manager Maresca will be hoping to add some extra depth to his squad this summer to follow the additions of Conor Coady, Harry Winks, Mads Hermansen and Callum Doyle, as per Transfermarkt.

According to Football Insider, newly-relegated trio Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton are all in competition to sign Swansea City striker Joel Piroe.

Former Aston Villa youngster Arjan Raikhy is in talks over a move to the King Power Stadium and could join the Foxes as a free agent to help their promotion push, as per The Daily Mail.

Montpellier attacker Stephy Mavididi has signed a five-year contract at Leicester City and is set to be announced imminently after undergoing a medical at the club, as per Football Insider.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their efforts to bolster the club's ranks during the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

According to the Daily Mail, the Light Blues are one of the clubs interested in signing Sunderland attacker Tom Watson to improve their academy options ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Teddy Bears boss Michael Beale is eyeing up a swoop for the 17-year-old marksman alongside a number of unnamed Premier League sides, who have been alerted to the player's contract situation.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

The report claims that the talented starlet is now in the final year of his deal at the Stadium of Light and talks have stalled over an extension with Tony Mowbray's side, which has opened the door for the Gers to move in.

He is yet to put pen to paper on a professional deal with the Black Cats and this means that Beale would be able to sign him for a 'minimal' fee due to it being a cross-border switch.

How many goals did Tom Watson score last season?

The exciting young forward reportedly struck 13 goals at U18 level and chipped in with two goals in seven appearances for Sunderland's U21 outfit as he made the step up towards the end of the campaign.

Watson's impressive progression at such a young age suggests that the dynamo has the potential to be Zak Lovelace 2.0 for the Light Blues.

His compatriot joined the Gers from Championship side Millwall last summer, at the age of just 16, and enjoyed a phenomenal debut campaign in Scotland.

The 17-year-old prodigy plundered 18 goals and ten assists across 36 academy appearances, which earned him a first-team debut against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership in May.

Lovelace showcased his versatility across the frontline during the 2022/23 season as he played at least five matches as a right winger, left winger, and as a centre-forward. This makes his return in front of goal all the more impressive as the prolific finisher maintained consistent form despite being deployed in different areas of the pitch.

Watson, meanwhile, has played in all three of the aforementioned positions for Sunderland's academy over the years and displayed his ability to score and create goals.

The Black Cats teen scored seven goals and assisted nine in 20 league appearances at U18 and U21 level combined last term, which caught Mowbray's eye as the English manager decided to reward him with a first-team bow against Huddersfield in the Championship in April.

These statistics show that the emerging hotshot, who scored eight goals in 19 U18 league matches throughout the 2021/22 campaign, is a versatile attacker who can contribute with goals and assists on a regular basis, like Lovelace.

Watson, who was hailed as "inventive" by journalist Josh Bunting, has clearly shown enough promise to attract interest from Rangers and the Scottish giants must now push to win the race for his signature.

The England U17 international could be Lovelace 2.0 for the Light Blues if he is able to adapt to life in Scotland in the same way that the ex-Lions prodigy did last season, which could leave Beale with two terrific young prospects with the potential to break into his first-team over the years to come.

Manchester United will focus on "new midfielders" in the coming weeks, and Fiorentina's Morroco star Sofyan Amrabat is "one of the big names on the list", claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Sofyan Amrabat joining Manchester United?

The transfer window is in full swing at Old Trafford following a sluggish start that was dominated more by takeover talk than it was transfer talk.

The first name Erik ten Hag welcomed through the doors was former Chelsea academy star and full England international Mason Mount, who joined the side for just £55m after a protracted back and forth saga that felt like it would never end.

Just two weeks later, the club welcomed their new number one to the Northwest, Inter Milans highly rated goalkeeper Andre Onana. The Cameroon international was already a priority target for the Red Devils, but after David de Gea left the club on July 1st, his signing went from important to essential.

The next name that looks to be on the way to the Theater of Dreams following Onana is Atalanta's Danish prodigy, Rasmus Hojlund. According to the Daily Mail, the three-time European champions are 'poised' to make their opening offer to the Bergamo side.

However, even with these three new starters coming into the side, ten Hag will look to add at least one more body to his midfield before the new season gets underway, especially once the club have completed the sales of Fred and Scott McTominay.

The name most touted to fill that gap in midfield has been Fiorentina and Morocco star Amrabat, who had a brilliant campaign last year and, according to transfers expert, Fabrizio Romano is definitely on the club's list.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"Once they complete the outgoings, Man United will focus on new midfielders and Sofyan Amrabat, for sure, is one of the big names on the list."

How good is Sofyan Amrabat?

The last 12 months might've been Amrabat's best as a professional footballer thus far. He excelled for I Viola on the domestic scene and was an instrumental player in Morocco's run to the World Cup semi-final in December.

So good were his performances for the Atlas Lions that journalist Nigel Adderley declared him Morocco's "player of the tournament."

His performances also won plaudits from Sky Sports, who placed him at the heart of their Team of the Tournament.

His underlying numbers are interesting as they demonstrate that he shines in certain areas, like his passing, whereas in others, like his defensive contribution, he somewhat flatters to deceive. However, systematic changes around him could potentially mitigate any of his shortcomings.

According to FBref, who compare players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the 26-year-old "monster" sits in the top 5% for pass completion, the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 11% for passes attempted and the top 33% for progressive carries, all per 90.

However, he also finds himself in the bottom 42% for interceptions, the bottom 34% for clearances, the bottom 32% for tackles, and the bottom 30% for blocks, also all per 90.

While a few elements of his game could potentially be worked on, Amrabat has more than proven his quality over the last year and would be a brilliant signing for United.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
1:35

Tait: South Africa lacked someone with calmness when batting

Faf du Plessis scored 36 in the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup. He scored 36 again in the virtual quarter-final of the 2017 Champions Trophy. On both those occasions, he was involved in the run-out of AB de Villiers. On both occasions the run-out proved to be the moment the match went away from them. Du Plessis went on to run David Miller out as well, and South Africa contrived to lose eight wickets for 51 runs from 140 for 2 in the 29th over.It will be all the more heartbreaking for South Africa that on a used pitch, slower than the ones The Oval has laid out, 275 might have turned out to be a pretty competitive total, but chasing 192, India could take their time when South Africa asked questions of them, and then Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli sealed their semi-final spot in style.India didn’t need to indulge in the mind games that New Zealand resorted to six years ago; they were just excellent with their defensive bowling in the first half, took the run-outs on offer, and then circled in for the kill with aggressive bowling changes. A measure of their discipline was how Quinton de Kock scored just five runs out of 53 square or behind square on the off side; one of them was a reverse sweep. India fell short of being magical in the field, but they showed they were not to be pushed around, reaching six run-outs, the highest in this tournament.Kohli was relieved when he won the toss and passed the onus of how hard to go in the middle overs when setting a target to South Africa. The ball refused to swing or seam once again, but India still thrived by bowling to contain. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah cramped de Kock up, giving him nothing outside off. Bhuvneshwar even brought the third man up to afford a deep point, which resulted in the batsman’s failed attempts to drag the ball to leg from just outside off. Hashim Amla struggled to time the ball, which was a sign the pitch was slow, and there was a need to recalibrate their total.By the time Amla walked across and took a risk to hit Hardik Pandya for a six – his first boundary in 25 balls – India had kept South Africa down to 52 in 14 overs. There were hardly any bad balls. Three of those 14 overs were bowled by R Ashwin, coming back into the side ahead of Umesh Yadav. Ashwin got Amla when he went back to hit a fullish ball square instead of hitting cover. MS Dhoni accepted the thick deflection coolly.Du Plessis made a fluent start to his innings, scoring off each of the first seven deliveries he faced. The energy rubbed on to de Kock, who showed remarkable patience in not playing low-percentage cricket. The run-rate gradually went up from 3.5 in 10 overs to 4.7 in 20 to 4.83 in 24. De Kock reached 50 for the sixth time against India – his previous five had been hundreds – and South Africa were back on course. Then Ravindra Jadeja, fresh from an ordinary game against Sri Lanka, began his fifth over. The room outside off remained elusive, and finally the low-percentage sweep arrived, claiming de Kock.De Villiers and du Plessis started promisingly, adding 24 off 23 without breaking a sweat. Then du Plessis hit to point, and de Villiers, coming off a hamstring niggle, didn’t shout no. The call here was the non-striker’s, de Villiers was well within his rights to send du Plessis back, but he didn’t. The big dive in the end did nothing for him.In the next over, du Plessis got a ball to the left of Jasprit Bumrah, India’s weakest fielder, at short third man. Du Plessis set off for the run, then stopped, then set off again, and by now David Miller just responded. Suddenly, though, du Plessis made a U-turn and beat Miller to the striker’s end. Bumrah’s throw was bad, but that worked in India’s favour as they completed an easy run-out at the non-striker’s.Du Plessis was on 27 off 31 when de Villiers was run out. He managed nine off the next 18 before chopping Pandya on in a manner identical to his dismissal against Pakistan. India could have easily set into template and bowled their spinners out. However, they bowled spin at one end and actively looked for wickets at the other. And the wickets arrived: Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo to Bumrah, and Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel to successive Bhuvneshwar deliveries.Just to sum up how dysfunctional South Africa had been, last man in Imran Tahir was run-out too, not clear enough in his mind that it was his job to give the strike to JP Duminy, who was left unbeaten on 20. South Africa were bowled out with 33 balls unused.Run-outs seemed contagious as India got off the mark with a suicidal run. Miller missed the stumps, and Dhawan batted on. Rohit Sharma played a rare loose shot early in the innings to bring Kohli out in the sixth over. A string of 17 dots followed as Rabada and Morkel found some spongy bounce from the slow pitch. South Africa packed the region behind square with two slips and a gully for Kohli. A bigger chase might have brought about a big shot but Kohli just dropped one wide of cover and went to the other end. Dhawan took charge of the chase, and as is his habit, Kohli remained not out at the end.

Newcastle massively over-achieved last season.

After a sensational campaign under the stewardship of Eddie Howe, the Magpies have found themselves in the unlikely position of playing Champions League football in the upcoming season.

Therefore, the club is now in a frantic phase of getting the squad capable of competing in domestic and European competitions.

They are targeting a new left-back, and Antonee Robinson has been tipped for a move to St James Park.

What’s the latest on Antonee Robinson to Newcastle?

According to the Evening Standard, Fulham are prepared to sell the defender for around £35m this summer.

This outlet revealed that the £25k-per-week ace is refusing to sign a new contract, and with his current deal expiring in 2024, the Cottagers could be set to cash in to avoid losing him on a free transfer.

As well as Newcastle, Marseille, Manchester City, and AC Milan are also interested in the American.

Would Antonee Robinson be a good signing for Fulham?

The pacey full-back spent the majority of his youth career within the youth ranks at Everton, but he was unable to break through into the first team and was eventually sold to Wigan Athletic.

He then found himself at the west London outfit in 2020 and has emerged as one of the club’s most consistent and admirable performers.

During the 2021/22 season, in which Marco Silva’s side cantered to the Championship title, the 33-cap international made 36 appearances, averaging 1.3 tackles and 1.7 interceptions.

He has continued this impressive consistency in the top flight with figures of 1.8 and 1.5 for the same metrics respectively across 35 outings, as well as managing a 77% pass accuracy and being responsible for nine clean sheets, as per Sofascore.

The 6 foot ace has often displayed his defensive solidity, but he has shown he is a formidable force going forward as he ranks within the top 20% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for successful take-ons and progressive carries per 90.

Described as “electric” by Alexandre Gangue-Ruzic, Robinson looks ready to make the next step in his career and could be a cheaper, more attainable alternative to Theo Hernandez.

Gianluca Di Marzio tweeted that Newcastle are “monitoring” the Milan star, but it has been suggested that the Frenchman could cost more than €80m (£69m).

Nevertheless, Robinson is still a fabulously capable option with Premier League experience, defensive tenacity and offensive verve who could seamlessly slot into Newcastle’s plans.

Manchester United have reached a £60m agreement with Chelsea to sign Mason Mount, Fabrizio Romano reports.

Is Mason Mount signing for Man United?

The Red Devils have been heavily linked with a move for Mount in recent weeks, with an approach first made at the beginning of the month.

Personal terms were quickly agreed between United and Mount, however, shaking hands on a transfer fee with their Premier League rivals has proven to be complicated for the England international, who is out of contract at Stamford Bridge next year.

An opening £40m offer was turned down by the Blues in recent weeks, as was an improved £50m bid. A third offer worth £55m remained on the table in recent days, however, and an agreement has now finally been reached.

Romano took to Twitter in the last 24 hours to share a breakthrough when it came to Mount and a move to Manchester. The transfer expert said that an agreement has now been reached following face-to-face talks between the two sides.

“Manchester United agree £60m package deal for Mason Mount with Chelsea — it’s done, here we go!

“Personal terms agreed weeks ago and face to face talks between clubs made it clear: the agreement is done. Mount becomes Utd player — they NEVER left the race.”

How much will Mason Mount earn at Man United?

Romano stated that personal terms have already been agreed on, and it looks as if Mount will get a huge pay rise from his current £80,000-a-week salary. Reports have suggested that the player will pocket £250,000-a-week at Old Trafford, although that could rise to £300,000-a-week with bonuses.

Dubbed a "mad player" by Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand, Mount will arrive at Old Trafford and provide manager Erik ten Hag with a versatile midfield option.

Still just 24 years of age, Mount can play as an attacking, central or left midfielder. He’s also made 129 appearances in the Premier League and has turned out on 36 occasions for England so will add experience to United’s midfield.

Mount has shown that he can shine in all midfield aspects. As per FBref, the player ranks in the top 7% for midfielders when it comes to progressive passes, the top 1% for shots blocked and the top 15% for passes into the final third, so Ten Hag may see him as the ideal addition to potentially play alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, occupying a box-to-box role.

Newcastle United enjoyed an incredible season under Eddie Howe's tutelage and returned to Champions League qualification with a top-four finish, and have now identified Chelsea's Marc Cucurella for transfer.

What's the latest on Marc Cucurella to Newcastle?

According to the Mirror, Magpies technical director Dan Ashworth has added the Spanish full-back to the club's list of transfer targets after signing Cucurella while the pair for €18m (£15m) were both at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Having completed a stunning season with the Seagulls, the 24-year-old was signed by Chelsea for a mouth-watering £63m last summer, but after an uninspiring year Newcastle could look to provide him with a fresh start on English soil.

The Magpies have been in fine fettle indeed, but with the introduction of European football, the depth of the club will need to expand, and Cucurella could be the perfect choice to enrich the left flank, especially given that the Blues are considering a cut-price sale of just £30m.

How would Marc Cucurella perform at Newcastle?

Despite failing to produce the desired results at Chelsea, Newcastle could reignite a player who demonstrated he is Premier League quality and then some on the south coast.

Recording an average rating of 7.11 (Sofascore) with Albion over the 21/22 campaign, Cucurella completed 82% of his passes, averaging 1.2 key passes, 2.7 tackles and 1.9 clearances per game, also winning 61% of his ground duels, hailed for his "brilliant" performances by former teammate Leandro Trossard.

The disparity to his time at Stamford Bridge could not be greater, branded a "defensive liability" by journalist Okon Nya and at the core of the west London outfit's woes as they finished 12th.

However, provided a license to flourish at St. James' Park, Cucurella could return to the top of his game and leave observers waxing lyrical in their throngs once again.

Linking back up with his former teammate Dan Burn, who completed a £13m move from Brighton to Tyneside in January 2022, the £175k-per-week Chelsea ace could snatch the defensive left flank from the 31-year-old, cementing a starting berth for the most pivotal of encounters next season.

A centre-half by trade, Burn played 39 times at left-back this year after impressing in the makeshift role, with the 6 foot 5 colossus being heralded as "solid as a rock and immense" by journalist Aaron Stokes, but his stagnancy in transition is undoubtedly a weakness and the variation that Cucurella would bring is an enticing thought, with Burn having been 'dragged all over the place' on occasion, according to journalist Jude Summerfield.

As Newcastle progress and creep closer toward the forefront of European football, Cucurella's progressive presence could lead to him taking the baton and transcending Burn's performances in the team, proving to be the ultimate attacking heir down the left-hand side.

And given that the former Barcelona youngster can also play as a central defender, he could offer the dynamic assurance to win Howe over and play a pivotal role in a thriving Premier League outfit once again.

Glasgow Rangers are edging closer to the signing of goalkeeper Jack Butland following recent developments coming from England.

What’s the latest on Jack Butland to Rangers?

According to The Sun, Crystal Palace have passed on the chance to extend Butland’s contract by another year, leaving him free to move to Rangers this summer in a big boost for Michael Beale.

They had the chance to trigger a one-year extension, yet they have decided against this due to the fact they already have two top-class ‘keepers at the club.

This comes just a week after Fabrizio Romano revealed on Twitter that the Ibrox side were in looking to sign him:

"Rangers are advancing in negotiations to sign Jack Butland as new goalkeeper on free transfer from Manchester United, deal getting closer.”

Could Jack Butland replace Allan McGregor?

The Light Blues' failure to challenge Celtic and compete in the Champions League stemmed from a variety of factors, however, their goalkeeping situation was arguably the main contributing issue.

Both McGregor and Jon McLaughlin conceded 51 and 18 goals across 36 and 18 games respectively, with a major improvement required between the sticks ahead of 2023/24.

Robby McCrorie came in at the backend of the Premiership season and kept three clean sheets from four games, yet will Beale perhaps go for the slightly more experienced Butland in order to solve his key issue?

The nine-cap England international has made 87 appearances in the Premier League during his career, with his best season coming back in 2017/18, as he averaged 4.1 saves per game while succeeding with 96% of his run-outs across 35 matches for Stoke City.

The 30-year-old didn’t make a single appearance last season for either Palace or Manchester United, spending the final six months of the campaign out on loan at the Old Trafford side, however, a fractured finger suffered last summer ruled him out for 16 games.

Former Palace boss Patrick Vieira was full of praise for Butland however in 2022 amid a lack of playing opportunities, saying: “Jack is a real professional – he is a positive professional.

“He has been frustrated by not playing, but he has never complained and never showed that. He has kept working hard, and when forward players want to do extra finishing, he is always the first to put his hand up.”

If the 42-year-old could get the 6 foot 5 colossus to replicate his performances for Stoke, then there is no doubt he could shine in Scotland with the Gers desperately needing a top class ‘keeper, that’s for sure.

Newcastle United have now completed their seasonal odyssey for Champions League qualification and must now fix their attention on making astute movements in the transfer market to effectively bolster the squad ahead of the new campaign.

The Magpies ended years of turmoil under the ownership of the loathed Mike Ashley when a Saudi-led consortium completed a £300m takeover in October 2021, swiftly ascending from relegation trouble to a comfortable mid-table finish last year before exceeding expectations this term.

Indeed, Newcastle have secured a top-four place with a game to spare, but the foundations have barely been laid when considering the club's grand stratagems, and reliable reports suggest first-rate quality is being targeted across the offensive flanks, central defence and midfield this summer.

The midfield, in particular, is attracting a lot of attention, and Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is one of the latest to find themselves whirling around the rumour mill, with Spanish outlet AS stating that the mercurial midfielder has been earmarked.

Eze has been in stellar form of late and has attracted the attention of other Premier League outfits including Tottenham Hotspur, and with an affordable fee of €30m (£26m) touted, United must act with conviction to ensnare their man.

What is Eze's style of play?

Having flourished in the Championship with QPR, Eze completed a £20m transfer to Crystal Palace in 2020 and has since been an exciting component to a steady top-flight outfit, hailed as "magic" by former Eagles teammate Christian Benteke.

This term, Eze has enjoyed his most prolific season to date, scoring ten goals and providing four assists from 37 divisional outings as he continues to blossom in the latter phases of the campaign – netting six times from his past eight games.

His progress had previously been hampered by a severe Achilles tendon injury suffered in May 2021, which confined him to just six starts across the entirety of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

Nevertheless, he's back with a resounding bang this term, and his talismanic presence over the past several weeks has been imperative to steering Palace away from the pit of the Premier League table – before Roy Hodgson assumed the reins once again in March to expunge the threat of relegation altogether.

The £30k-per-week star ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals over the past year, as well as the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for successful take-ons and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, illustrating the threat that he imposes on the opposition as a box-surging, destructive central force – almost a mezzala for his efficacy in drifting to the offensive right flank.

He would offer a different, but perhaps just as propitious, threat to James Maddison, who has also been linked with a move to St James' Park this summer after United's technical director Dan Ashworth failed in his bid to acquire the dynamic midfielder from Leicester City last season, unsuccessfully mounting a £50m bid.

Maddison is facing relegation from the Premier League with Leicester City, who are inside the bottom three with just one match to play and two points behind Everton, but the 26-year-old has maintained an attacking prowess throughout his team's tumultuous year, scoring ten goals and providing nine assists from 29 matches.

The two-cap England international, who can play across a range of positions, both centrally and out wide, ranks among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers for assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and the top 13% for progressive passes, and it may come down to whether Ashworth and co decide that Eze's blistering approach or Maddison's more nuanced and dynamic skill set is preferred.

Should 24-year-old Eze be the man picked for the job, he could even blossom into every bit the star Maddison currently is, perhaps even eclipsing the Foxes phenom.