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Aston Villa showed an element of desperation following the £100m sale of Jack Grealish, as not only were they tasked with replacing their main attacking threat and captain, but they also possessed essentially unlimited money to do so.

Whilst this may seem like a dream, it presents two directions with which to pursue.

 The first is to invest heavily into one big asset to directly replace him, and risk that big money signing might not work out.

The second, seemingly safer, and approach that ex-manager Dean Smith took, was to spend a multitude of smaller amounts of money to see his output spread out amongst various new additions.

During the 2021-22 campaign, he and Steven Gerrard spent around £116.84m on numerous players, including two wingers and a striker. It is a damning assessment of Smith’s work this window that he is no longer in a job anymore.

None of these arrivals has lived up to the name they were brought in to replace, with Leon Bailey arguably the most disappointing due to his lack of playtime.

The Jamaican joined with a great recommendation from Germany, having recorded nine goals and nine assists the season prior in the Bundesliga.

He featured 40 times that campaign in all competitions, yet after a full year at Villa Park has only managed 27 appearances, scoring three and assisting three.

The fact that he cost a whopping £25m makes this underperformance even more frustrating, as the 25-year-old has also been sat on a £65k-per-week wage.

That means that in total, across his 62 weeks at the club, he has cost £29m – just over £1m per appearance.

Injuries have halted his progress at the club, of course, but even when given the chance he has disappointed.

This season he has featured eight times in the Premier League, yet only has an average SofaScore rating of 6.67.

He is a luxury player that they simply cannot afford, and with Philippe Coutinho and Emiliano Buendia also vying for starting places, he has fallen well behind in the pecking order.

Gerrard must surely consider ditching this injury-prone and underwhelming dud, whilst he still has any money attached to his name.

Do you know which celebrities you could see at St. James’ Park cheering on Newcastle United at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon? 

There is so much excitement around the North East following the takeover of the Magpies from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) consortium, and they have been able to bring in stars like Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak from Lyon and Real Sociedad respectively.

The start to the season has been a little shaky, with five draws from their opening seven games in the Premier League, but Eddie Howe will be confident that his team can put a string of wins together after the international break.

Meanwhile, while waiting for the Toon to return to your TV screen, why not test your knowledge of famous NUFC supporters with our Celebrity Newcastle Fan Quiz! Just simply tell us if you believe any of these to be a Magpie…

Nottingham Forest failed to sign Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi on deadline day because of paperwork issues, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Forest miss out Batshuayi

The Reds were hopeful of bringing in yet another new player on Thursday, following the most productive summer in the club’s history.

Batshuayi emerged as a very late target with the 11pm cutoff approaching all the time, with Chelsea happy to sell their out-of-favour Belgium international.

Unfortunately, the transfer fell through, meaning Forest had to make do without the 28-year-old, who would have been their 22nd signing.

The Latest: Romano explains collapsed deal

Writing on Twitter, Romano confirmed that it was Chelsea’s inability to get the required paperwork signed in time that ultimately proved fatal to the deal happening:

“Michy Batshuayi deal collapsed with Nottingham Forest because Chelsea didn’t send paperwork in time, busy on many deals.

“Fenerbahçe are now trying to enter the race and sign Batshuayi from Chelsea.”

The Verdict: Sour end to a great window

Missing out on Batshuayi is a blow, considering this is a player who has scored 25 goals in 45 caps for Belgium, but this should still be considered a monstrous summer at Forest.

Steve Cooper ended up bringing in a remarkable 21 players, with Loic Bade the last of those, giving him a plethora of squad options for the rest of the season.

The key now is managing to keep everyone happy and rotate effectively, in order for Forest to stave off the threat of relegation from the Premier League.

Everton have secured two new signings this week with Conor Coady and Amadou Onana joining the side, and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target that could join the club before the transfer window closes.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Everton have registered their interest in Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.

As per the report, sources have told the publication that the player is ready to push for a move after returning to full fitness and wanting first-team football, with Everton not the only club keen on securing the player’s signature this summer.

Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Borussia Dortmund, West Ham United, Leicester City and Southampton are named as potential suitors for the player.

Imagine him & McNeil

Everton are desperate to identify the perfect striker signing over the coming days and weeks remaining in the transfer window following a hamstring injury that has seen Dominic Calvert-Lewin sidelined for over a month, but they could now turn to a goal-scorer who usually plays in a wider role.

The club are not just toying with the idea of bringing in another forward this summer, it has become an absolute necessity that a deal is done as soon as possible with Frank Lampard having to play Anthony Gordon in the central role against Chelsea last weekend.

Granted, Hudson-Odoi has only played in the centre-forward position eight times in his career so far but didn’t struggle to continue his goal-scoring consistency, netting four goals and delivering two assists over those performances.

The Champions League-winning forward doesn’t have any difficulty finding the back of the net scoring 47 goals and delivering 40 assists over his career so far, with a goal contribution in every 2.1 of his 187 appearances, but he has had difficulty getting game-time at Chelsea, something that shouldn’t be a problem at Everton right now.

The Everton boss is, of course, no stranger to the boyhood Chelsea talent managing Hudson-Odoi back in the 2020/21 season when he was head coach at Stamford Bridge and lavished praise on the player after scoring in the Champions League against Rennes:

“There are loads of great things about Callum and there are things he can improve in his game and he knows that. He’s a big player for Chelsea, he’s [got] a big future with us. I’m delighted for him, his all round game today on and off the ball was fantastic and he gets his goal.”

If the versatile 21-year-old did make a move to Merseyside this summer, the Everton manager could form a formidable forward-line partnership between Hudson-Odoi and new signing Dwight McNeil who is still finding his feet in the team.

Combining the two young player’s creativity skills in front of goal could amount to more goal-scoring opportunities with McNeil ranked in the top 25 creative players in the Premier League last season with 47 chances delivered.

Something McNeil does lack though is finishing skills scoring no goals last season, and that is where Hudson-Odoi comes in. The player’s ability to find the back of the net or make the last pass to deliver a goal has been improving, and the pair together could be a huge threat to opponents as a result.

With all considered, Lampard could now finish the development he started with the £25m-rated Englishman by bringing him in at Goodison Park to help with the challenge ahead of the Toffees in the Premier League, where he can gain the consistent game time he clearly desires.

Tottenham are still interested in completing the signing of Wolves winger Adama Traore this summer, according to journalist Alex Crook.

The Lowdown: Traore’s future unclear

The 26-year-old is back at Molineux during pre-season, having been allowed to join Barcelona on loan midway through the 2021/22 campaign.

Traore’s time in Spain proved to be unimpressive, failing to score despite a promising first five appearances as he registered four assists (Transfermarkt), with manager Xavi having no interest in retaining his services on a permanent basis.

The Spanish winger has been linked with a move to Spurs this summer, and one journalist has suggested that it is a transfer which could still go through.

The Latest: Spurs still keen on Traore

Speaking to GiveMeSport, transfer expert Crook claimed that the north Londoners see Traore as a potential summer option to bring in.

He stated:

“The other name that I’ve been told that is still on their list is Adama Traore, to add some right wing-back competition.”

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The Verdict: Better to sell this summer

It became clear last season that Bruno Lage doesn’t consider Traore a key player, with only 10 Premier League starts coming his way before his loan departure last season.

For that reason, it makes complete sense for Wolves to sell him permanently this summer and receive a healthy fee for his services, spending the money on new signings instead.

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Traore can still be very effective on his day – Andy Townsend has described him as ‘devastating’ in the past – but there is an inconsistency in his game which seemingly will never go away.

An overall tally of 11 goals and 18 assists in 154 appearances simply isn’t good enough for such a fast attacking player, and perhaps that is why Lage has not been sold on the 26-year-old up to now.

Aston Villa have been tipped to make a move for West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek in the current window, amid uncertainty over the player’s future at the London Stadium.

What’s the word?

The Midlands outfit are believed to be on the hunt for a new midfield addition this summer, despite having already brought in Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara, with recent weeks seeing the Hammers man emerge as a potential target.

The suggestion is that the Czech international – who could cost in the region of around £40m – could be moved on by David Moyes and co this summer, with negotiations having hit an impasse regarding a contract extension for the 27-year-old.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has now delivered his verdict on the situation in an interview with Football FanCast, revealing that Villa are “monitoring” the 52-cap gem: “I think obviously Villa and a number of clubs will be monitoring Soucek’s contract situation at West Ham. He’s still seemingly no nearer to signing a new deal.”

He went on to state that: “West Ham might have a decision to make on Soucek’s future if he’s not going to sign a new deal”, before adding, however, that: “I’m sure West Ham will be hoping to make a breakthrough in negotiations with the Czech Republic international as he’s been such a key player for David Moyes over the last couple of seasons.”

Laimer alternative

With the 6 foot 4 giant’s future still clearly up in the air, it could be a perfect time for sporting director Johan Lange to pounce, particularly amid reports that fellow target Konrad Laimer could well be set to join Bayern Munich this summer.

The versatile, RB Leipzig ace – who has drawn comparisons to Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante – had emerged as a potential option for the Villans of late, although it would seem that Steven Gerrard will be forced to look for alternatives to the Austrian international.

The Liverpool legend could well have found an ideal man to sign instead of the 25-year-old, however, in the form of Soucek, with the two men having been noted as similar players according to Football Transfers.

While Laimer is perhaps a more front-foot, relentless midfield presence – ranking in the top 1% for pressures made among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues – the West Ham man is also a defensive asset in his own right, ranking in the top 1% for clearances made and the top 2% for aerial duels won.

Equally, the latter man also provides perhaps a greater goal threat, having netted 18 league goals over the past two-and-a-half seasons at the London Stadium, while the Salzburg-born menace has only netted seven league goals during his five-year spell in the Bundesliga.

Throw in the fact that Soucek already has that vital Premier League experience and it could well prove something of a blessing in disguise if their failure to land Laimer leads to the signing of the former Slavia Prague brute, with the £40.5m-rated ace offering a destructive and devastating presence at both ends of the pitch.

The £47k-per-week star may still have two years, plus the option of a one-year extension, on his current deal with the Hammers, although the signs are that an exit could well be on the cards sooner rather than later, allowing Gerrard and co the chance to strike.

AND in other news, Lange eyeing Villa move for £30m “goalscoring machine”, he’d be their own Darwin Nunez

Leeds United will reportedly look to secure a deal with fellow Premier League club Wolves this summer which would see Adama Traore move to Elland Road.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones gave some insight on the transfer link from Football Insider.

He said: “There’s definitely some negotiating to be done. Wolves are going to try and push the price up as high as they can, and they’re not going to get what they want. So, Leeds are basically going to try and get Traore at a really good price.”

After scoring five goals and providing 13 assists in 71 appearances for Middlesbrough, the winger joined Wolves four years ago after the Old Gold triggered his £18m release clause.

Having found the net just 11 times and delivered 18 assists in 154 games for the Midlands club, Traore joined Barcelona on loan in January.

During his recent stint at the Nou Camp, the Spaniard made 17 appearances across the Europa League and La Liga, supplying four assists in the process.

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Leeds fans will be delighted

Even though Traore temporarily waved goodbye to Molineux in January, only two other players in Bruno Lage’s squad ended the season with a higher rate of shot-creating actions made per 90 minutes in the Premier League than the 26-year-old’s 4.22.

Despite not being a regular goalscorer, the winger has proved that he has what it takes to be a nuisance for opposition defences and create goalscoring opportunities for his team-mates, duly showing how he could be a useful asset for the Whites.

In a recent poll by Football FanCast, 55% of Leeds fans claimed they would take the Wolves attacker at Elland Road, so it’s clear to see that the player would need to convince the other 45% that he has what it takes to be a good prospective signing for Jesse Marsch’s side.

However, with Jones suggesting that the Yorkshire club are looking to negotiate a suitable price with Wolves behind the scenes to sign the winger, this should delight Leeds supporters, especially if the club end up getting him for a fairly cheap price.

This would then give Marsch the chance to get Traore’s Premier League career back on track and potentially turn him into a vital player for the Whites, which would surely please the Elland Road faithful.

In other news: Leeds in the mix to sign £19.8m-rated “pure talent”, Marsch would love him

Leeds United are lining up a move for Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge, according to Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Phillips to Man City rumours

Manchester City have been heavily linked with a move for Kalvin Phillips and have reportedly firmed up their interest with an offer this week.

The Premier League champions view the boyhood Leeds fan as a replacement for Fernandinho and to provide competition to Rodri at the Etihad Stadium. Ian Abrahams believes that a move is edging closer, and it looks as if the Whites are now preparing for life without their star midfielder.

The Latest: Berge interest from Leeds

Writing in a column for GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Berge is emerging as a Leeds target to replace Phillips.

The transfer insider stated that Victor Orta will have a good chance to sign the 24-year-old, should a pursuit receive the green light, with Sheffield United valuing Berge at £25m.

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The Verdict: Too expensive?

A valuation of £25m appears to be quite expensive when you take into consideration that Berge’s Transfermarkt valuation has never hit £20m.

The Norwegian has been labelled a ‘complete midfielder’ by former Blades boss Chris Wilder but he missed large parts of last season with a hamstring injury and played mainly as a box-to-box midfielder.

Berge does have 18 months experience of playing in the Premier League and is primarily a holding midfielder.

However, Orta may well get more value for money outside of England, having looked to do so already this summer with moves for Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen and prospective new arrival Marc Roca.

In other news: Leeds now want to sign £20m ‘game-changer’; Orta’s already made contact

Aston Villa look like they are about to announce their fourth summer signing as Steven Gerrard continues his early transfer business.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who tweeted: “Robin Olsen will join Aston Villa on a permanent deal, agreement done and set to be announced.”

Roma will receive €3.5m (£3m) for the goalkeeper and Villa look set to confirm yet another transfer, which will be their fourth in what has already been a very productive off-season for Gerrard and the club’s hierarchy.

Villa fans will be buzzing

The signing of Olsen on a permanent deal would follow already-completed moves for Philippe Coutinho, Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos.

Gerrard has built a solid spine to his new-look team, and he will be hoping that Olsen can challenge Emiliano Martinez for the number one spot next season.

The Swede joined Villa on loan from Serie A outfit AS Roma in January until the end of 2021/22 to provide cover for the Argentine, although he didn’t make his debut until the final match of the Premier League season, a 3-2 defeat to Manchester City which was marred by crowd trouble at the end.

While he may have conceded three goals on the day, the 32-year-old still pulled off two saves during a pulsating encounter at the Etihad Stadium, while he also boasts the vast experience of 58 caps for Sweden, being their first-choice ‘keeper at Euro 2020 and the 2018 World Cup.

Olsen played on loan at Everton in the 2020/21 season, where he kept three clean sheets in 11 appearances, and he appears a more than capable deputy for Martinez.

There is no doubt that Villa struggled defensively over the last few months, conceding 54 goals in the Premier League. This is something that Gerrard will be aiming to improve next season, and the signing of Carlos should bolster the heart of that shaky backline.

Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa underperformed in 2021/22, with WhoScored ratings of 6.74 and 6.43 putting them 10th and 17th respectively among the Villa squad, so Gerrard could certainly do with making his team harder to break down.

Supporters would surely be buzzing with yet another signing in Olsen and this could give them a taste of what is still to come over the next couple of months as the manager continues to rejuvenate the squad.

AND in other news, Gerrard must axe “frustrating” Aston Villa liability in deal for “unreal” £10m dynamo

After witnessing Simone Zaza’s infamous – and frankly spectacular – penalty miss at Euro 2016, clubs would have been forgiven for halting any interest in the striker, such was the shambolic nature of the Italian’s stuttering run-up and blazed effort in a game of such magnitude.

No strangers to making bold – and often bizarre – deals in the transfer market, though, West Ham United were unperturbed by that spot-kick horror show, eventually signing the player from Juventus on a season-long loan deal later that summer.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing in football, with GSB likely wishing they had heeded the warning signs, as the journeyman forward went on to distinctly underwhelm in a Hammers shirt.

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One of many notable names to have failed to make the grade for the east London outfit over the last decade or so, Zaza’s time in English football is only noteworthy for just how brief it was and how little impact he made.

Having been signed for a reported £5m loan fee by then-Irons manager Slaven Bilic, the Policoro native went on to feature just 11 times for the club in all competitions, spending a mere 571 minutes on the pitch and failing to register a single goal.

In the end, all that came of his Premier League stint was two yellow cards, with those bookings costing the club £2.5m apiece in relation to his loan fee.

Such was the dire nature of Zaza’s time in east London, Bilic and co eventually severed ties with the player just a matter of months into his loan spell in order to avoid having to pay an appearance-related £20m purchase option, as the striker secured a January move to La Liga side Valencia.

Upon his departure, the Italian’s father insisted that it had been a “huge mistake” to make the move to the London Stadium, with the club and their supporters seemingly thinking the same.

Since then, the 30-year-old has somewhat faded from view, eventually making his return to Italy after an 18-month stint in Spain, with the 18-cap international now plying his trade for Serie A outfit Torino.

He has scored just 20 goals in 102 games across all competitions for his current club, notably failing to find the net in ten league appearances so far this term, all of which have come as a substitute.

Such has been Zaza’s decline since his stint in the Premier League, he is now valued at just £1.8m by Transfermarkt, despite having reached a peak of £22.8m back in January 2018 after a brief purple patch at the Mestalla.

As for West Ham, the only saving grace is that they hadn’t agreed to a permanent deal in the first place, with Simone Zaza now just another name on their list of failed centre-forward additions.

In other news, West Ham eyeing swoop for “aggressive” £45m-rated warrior, just imagine him and Rice