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An update has emerged on Watford midfielder Will Hughes, regarding Fulham’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Mirror’s Darren Witcoop, as relayed by Football League World, Fulham boss Maco Silva wants to bring Will Hughes to the club from Watford to bolster his squad this summer. The Englishman was promoted to the top-flight with the Hornets last season and now the Whites are hoping that he will return to the second tier.

Witcoop also claims that Slavisa Jokanovic wants to sign Fulham’s Tom Cairney for Sheffield United, having managed him when he was in charge at Craven Cottage.

Cairney replacement

Tony Khan could land a dream Cairney replacement by bringing Hughes to the club this summer. The Fulham chief must ensure that he does everything in his power to tempt Hughes into returning to the Championship for another promotion push.

However, if Watford are preparing to make him a key player in their Premier League survival bid then he may not want to join Fulham as it would mean giving up regular minutes in the top-flight without any guarantee of ever getting the chance to get back there again. So, it remains to be seen how likely a transfer is at this stage, but Khan should work hard to pursue one regardless as there is no harm in trying.

Cairney is now in his 30’s and only played 10 games in the Premier League last season, which suggests that the time could be right for him to part ways with the club. Whilst it may not be ideal to sell to a rival in the form of Sheff United, Fulham would not need to worry about what the competition are doing if they can seal a deal for Hughes as he could be a big upgrade on the Scotland midfielder.

Former Watford central defender Adrian Mariappa once lauded the Englishman, hailing him as “outstanding” for his performances at Vicarage Road. 

He said:

“He’s an outstanding player. To see the quality he’s got, he has so much flair and a terrific player.”

Hughes averaged an exceptional WhoScored rating of 7.19 in his 18 starts as a central midfielder for Watford in the Championship. Cairney, meanwhile, has not been able to average a score of 7.00 or higher since the 2017/18 campaign, highlighting his drop-off in form in recent seasons.

Therefore, the £30k-per-week beast arriving at the Cottage could be a major piece of business by the club and be the dream replacement for Cairney, which is why Khan must work hard to land him if there is any possibility of a deal being done.

AND in other news, Fulham dealt transfer blow over “quality” £6.3m-rated dynamo, Silva will be gutted…

Aston Villa pipped Arsenal to reach an agreement with Norwich City for Emiliano Buendia earlier this week.

More details have now emerged regarding the deal from The Athletic, which has led a number of Villa supporters to react to the update on social media.

Villa confirmed on Monday that an agreement had been reached, with an up front fee of £33m which can rise to £40m with add ons.

The Athletic ran an inside scoop on the move on Thursday, claiming Buendia will be on £80,000-a-week at Villa Park, with Villa tabling multiple bids for the Argentine last week.

More importantly as far as fans are concerned though, the right-winger apparently made it clear to Norwich and Arsenal that Villa was the move he wanted during a bidding war that began at the end of May.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the news of Buendia always favouring a Midlands move over a London switch on social media.

Here’s what some Villa fans had to say in reply, with many delighted…

“This transfer gets better and better”

Credit: @Wulfstan15

“We are massive”Credit: @itschaboyThomas”I love it. I absolutely love it.”Credit: @ReubenOwen_”Buendia knows.”Credit: @ConorFulford”Hahahahahaha I love that man”Credit: @tom_avfc1″Hahahahaa arsenal in the mud”Credit: @brazilianwizard”we’re actually massive”Credit: @catrinedwards18

In other news: ‘Could cry’, ‘Shocking’ – Many AVFC fans distraught at ‘heart wrenching’ late-night news, find out more here. 

Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn has been linked with a move to Premier League giants Liverpool, as reported by the Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Aston Villa prepare for 2021/22

As Aston Villa prepare for the 2021/22 campaign, they have shown no sign of complacency as they bid to improve upon their 11th-placed finish last time out.

Already active in the transfer window, they have swiftly moved to acquire the signing of Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City for a club record fee [avfc.co.uk], alongside the signature of former Claret Ashley Young on a free transfer [BBC Sport].

However, keeping hold of prize assets may be integral to the Villans’ hopes of challenging for Europe next season. Jack Grealish has been linked with a move away, with Manchester United and Manchester City believed to be admirers [The Athletic].

In an interesting turn of events, attention may now turn to the Scottish international after latest developments.

The Latest: Liverpool interested in bringing McGinn to Anfield

Champions League qualifiers Liverpool are said to be interested in bringing McGinn to Anfield ahead of the forthcoming campaign, and Aston Villa are said to be holding out for at least £20m for the man affectionately dubbed “Meatball” by his teammates [Daily Record].

Advantageously, the Villains hold the trump card of McGinn signing a new contract at Villa Park last December. Scheduled to stay in the Midlands until 2025 after agreeing an extension, it may be difficult for Jurgen Klopp’s men to get a deal over the line for McGinn [avfc.co.uk].

The Verdict: Villa can ill afford to lose ‘integral’ McGinn

If McGinn’s rumoured exit did come to pass, it would come as a bitter blow to everyone involved with Aston Villa.

His efforts were pivotal to Dean Smith’s side last season, registering nine goal contributions in 37 Premier League appearances, with three goals and six assists [Transfermarkt].

He has also shone as a ball carrier, completing the most dribbles from defensive areas on average in the entire Villa squad with 1.5 per match, indicating his propensity to drive his team forward regularly [WhoScored].

Unsurprisingly, Smith has previously labelled McGinn as ‘integral to everything we do at Aston Villa’ [Express and Star]. Moving into the new season, keeping hold of the former Hibernian midfielder should be a top priority for the Aston Villa hierarchy.

In other news, Danny Mills has dropped his verdict on Villa talisman Jack Grealish.

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has been nominated for Premier League player of the season, as confirmed by the Aston Villa official website [Aston Villa FC].

In what was an outstanding Premier League season for the England international, he notched six goals and ten assists catapulting his boyhood heroes to an 11th placed top-flight finish [Transfermarkt].

Up against some fierce competition, Grealish will need to see off the challenge of fellow nominees Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias, Bruno Fernandes, Harry Kane, Mason Mount, Mohamed Salah and Tomas Soucek, with Kane and Dias likely to be frontrunners.

Pitching up against some of the best individuals in the country, few could argue against the creative midfielder achieving such a prestigious accolade. Averaging 3.1 key passes and 2.5 dribbles per game for the Villains [WhoScored], his ability to open up space has been a thorn in opposition backlines this campaign.

Loads of Villa fans have been sure to back up Grealish for the award and who could blame them! One supporter called the news ‘amazing’…

Villa fans joyous at Grealish recognition

“He won’t win it because of the time out injured but a total class act. If he’d stayed fit all season, firmly believe villa would be in Europe now. Onto next season for hopefully a higher finish providing we can keep hold of him and strengthen the squad UTV”

 Credit: @craigta64695079

 “Can you imagine the scenes if he wins this”

 Credit: @LawsAVFC

 “Some player”

 Credit: @coley_avfc

 “Amazing”

 Credit: @TAJ20_UTD

  “Player of the season nominee and missed 13 games guys different gravy”

 Credit: @jackscastleton2

 “Wow congratulations Jack”

Credit: @gillevilla

In other news, Celtic have earmarked a former Aston Villa man to spearhead their rebuild.

Dean Smith has expressed uncertainty over a potential Aston Villa pursuit of Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown

Since wind broke that Tammy Abraham may potentially be available for a transfer, Aston Villa have been credited with an interest in the poacher alongside West Ham and Newcastle United [ESPN].

Despite finishing as joint-top scorer alongside Timo Werner (12) for the Blues in 2020/21 [BBC], the Champions League winners are reportedly ready to jettison the 23-year-old to raise funds for new summer recruits [Daily Mail].

Many thought this may pave the way for the Villains to make an approach, however manager Dean Smith is said to have major reservations.

The Latest

Peculiarly, Smith is said to have concerns over Abraham’s ability to stay convicted in-front of goal, as a Villa source told Football Insider the striker is on a ‘list’ of targets, but the gaffer has serious doubts.

This is in spite of the England striker enjoying a sparkling 2018/19 loan spell at Villa Park under the 50-year-old, registering 26 goals in 42 outings [Transfermarkt].

Of course, these efforts were crucial in the eventually successful top-flight promotion bid [BBC].

Perhaps, the news that Chelsea are looking to offload Abraham for £40 million may also be playing into Smith’s thinking [FourFourTwo].

Potentially, Villa could look to offload Wesley in order to finance any pursuit for their former man [Football Insider].

Verdict: Abraham would be a great signing, but at a considerable cost

Undoubtedly, adding another quality striker to the ranks would make Aston Villa a force to be reckoned with. Already in possession of a talismanic figure in Ollie Watkins, who started 37 of 38 Premier League fixtures this term, there would be real potential for Watkins and Abraham to share the goalscoring brunt, taking some pressure off the former Brentford man.

Conversely, the 6 foot 3 striker would cost a pretty penny – the reported price tag of £40m would make him Villa’s record signing, consequentially taking a large chunk out of Villa’s summer expenditure.

Less expensive targets may well be the way forward if the Midlands club want to bolster their ranks in multiple positions ahead of 2021/22.

In other news, Aston Villa have received a boost in their pursuit of a key target.

A surprising new name has emerged in Tottenham Hotspur’s manager search this week…

What’s the word?

According to Rai Sport journalist Ciro Venerato, Daniel Levy has put Gennaro Gattuso on his list of potential candidates, as it’s widely expected that the 43-year-old will leave Napoli this season.

Speaking on Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli (via CalcioNapoli24), he said: “Gattuso will not be the Napoli coach from Monday, the Napoli players have known for months that Rino will no longer be the Napoli coach. Lazio and Juventus are on Gattuso, but the news of the day is that Tottenham have put Gattuso on the list of candidates for the next coach.

“The English club have been dealing with [Antonio] Conte for a month but now also like Gattuso. Tottenham president Daniel Levy has seen many Napoli matches and has watched Gattuso closely. He was impressed by the quality of the game and the quality of the ideas, seeing the matches against Milan and Roma.”

Watch out Spurs stars

Spurs have been linked with plenty of candidates since the sacking of Jose Mourinho just over a month ago and this one certainly comes out of left-field.

Most recently, The Athletic suggested that there were four names on the shortlist – Graham Potter (Brighton), Erik ten Hag (Ajax), Roberto Martinez (Belgium), and Ralf Rangnick (unemployed) – whilst the reliable Alasdair Gold has suggested that strong new names are emerging all the time.

Could Gattuso be one of those?

Many in North London will know all about the former AC Milan midfielder, as he was involved in a controversial incident during a Champions League tie in 2011. The skipper headbutted Harry Redknapp’s assistant Joe Jordan on the sidelines following a 1-0 win for Spurs at the San Siro.

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“Gattuso had a flare-up with Joe Jordan. I don’t know why,” claimed the former Spurs manager, via The Guardian. “He obviously hadn’t done his homework. He could’ve picked a fight with somebody else. Putting his head into Joe’s face, it was crazy. He lost his head.”

This sort of attitude has hardly changed as he’s transitioned into a coaching career. Back in November, Corriere dello Sport (via Daily Mail) reported that the Italian had clashed with his Gli Azzurri squad.

“I’ve been talking about this for months now. I see an attitude I don’t like and it hurts me. We need to sort this aspect out as soon as possible,” Gattuso fumed.

It was thought that this remark left the players furious and that’s hardly a surprise given his previous comments on the ‘modern-day footballer,’ once claiming: “When I lost a match I broke down in frustration. Today players lose, take a selfie and put it on the Internet. They make me sick.”

His record is actually quite respectable, but it has mostly been his time in Naples which has drawn success, clinching the Coppa Italia last season and registering a 58.75% win rate in charge.

In fact, former Milan superstar Kaka described him as “a phenomenon”, as he demands the best from his teams in training and tries to motivate them with the same sort of energy his displayed on the pitch, as per Football Italia.

What is clear, though, is that his potential appointment could certainly fire a rocket right through this Spurs squad – players like Dele Alli, who was dubbed “lazy” by Jose Mourinho, and Erik Lamela, who has done very little in the eight years he’s been here, should be worried if Gattuso gets the gig.

The same players who let Mauricio Pochettino down in those fateful few months after their Champions League heartbreak in 2019 are pretty much the ones which saw Jose Mourinho face a premature departure from north London.

If there isn’t much of a squad overhaul in the coming months, then Gattuso could be the man to get Spurs back on the straight and narrow.

AND in other news, Levy could secure Spurs’ perfect Kane replacement in “unplayable” £45m-rated “beast”…

Lee Ryder has dropped some promising insight from close sources on the Newcastle United takeover consortium.

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, the football journalist has shared that sources close to the proposed deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group have said that the consortium are still ‘interested’ in coming back to the table if the St. James’ Park faithful were to win their pending arbitration case against the Premier League.

Perhaps just as crucially, he also shared that takeover sources expect the legal battle to start in the summer but whether new owners would be in place by the start of pre-season is ‘unclear’ at the moment, which could of course throw a spanner in any transfer plans for the summer window.

Newcastle takeover hope?

If the North East club can find a positive result in their arbitration hearing against the top flight, then it certainly gives hope that the potential takeover bid can still be revived after Ryder’s update.

It would clear a pathway for the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to come back to the table and then the process could be sped up, and fans would be praying it goes fast enough to give the potential new owners a chance to operate in the transfer market.

Of course, there is also that fear that if this drags on and the takeover is not completed, Ashley will have had the perfect excuse to avoid spending money all summer.

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With the legal battle expected to start this summer, it is not clear how long it would be expected to last, but one thing for sure is that the Toon Army still have something to cling on to in terms of the takeover potentially being resurrected in the future.

In other news, find out what worrying Allan Saint-Maximin transfer update has been dropped by Mark Douglas here!

Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard appears to be closing in on a move to Leicester City this summer.

The Lowdown: Edouard’s made his Hoops intentions clear

The 23-year-old has been linked with a number of clubs during the current campaign.

The likes of AC Milan, Juventus, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool and West Ham have all reportedly shown an interest in the Frenchman, however, it seems as if all those clubs may miss out on his signature.

Edouard made his Hoops intentions clear last month, with the striker having his heart set on quitting Parkhead this summer, regardless of who comes in as Neil Lennon’s successor.

The Latest: Source provides Edouard update

TEAMtalk now claim to have been informed by sources with knowledge of the situation that Brendan Rodgers’ side are confident of landing Edouard over the coming months.

The report claims that the forward is almost certainly heading to the King Power, so it appears as if he will provide competition to the likes of Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho in a central role.

No financial details were revealed in the recent report, but it seems as if the Frenchman has chosen his next destination.

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The Verdict: Celtic must bring in a proven replacement

With the number of teams showing an interest, and the player’s stance on a move away clear to see, we’re not surprised to see Edouard’s likely departure come to light.

What’s important now, though, is that the Hoops receive the best deal possible and bring in a proven replacement.

Edouard, who Lennon described as ‘magnificent’, will have just 12 months remaining on his Celtic deal in the summer and the Hoops reportedly owe Paris Saint-Germain a whopping 50% of a deal due to a sell-on clause.

On that basis, every penny may matter, which could then be put towards a new signing.

The Hoops have recently been linked with a move for Young Boys striker Jean-Pierre Nsame, and the Cameroon international appears to fit the bill required to fill the void set to be left by Edouard.

He’s scored 97 goals for his current employers and has Champions League and Europa League experience, so that could be an option for Celtic.

In other news: ‘We hear’ – 62 y/o drops unconfirmed ‘done deal’ claim at Celtic, find out more here. 

In all the delight of Aston Villa’s impressive win away from home at Spurs in the Premier League, the most eye-catching feature was no doubt the debuts of both Carney Chukwuemeka and Jaden Philogene-Bidace.

Dean Smith embraced the opportunity to hand a couple of Villa’s standout academy players a chance to take to the field in the top flight, and with the final day now upon us, it’s surely time for the manager to hand them a start.

While all the talk has been about Chukwuemeka – understandable given his superb performances in the FA Youth Cup – Philogene-Bidace is also pushing hard to make his mark on the first team.

The 19-year-old has been in fine form this season for the club’s under-23s, scoring five goals in just 14 games at Premier League 2 level, as well as providing three assists. That’s not to mention the superb hat-trick he scored on his England under-19 debut back in November.

His former coach Ahmed Abdulla has raved about his ability as an out-and-out winger, who – judging by the coach’s comments – someone who seems perfectly ready to grab his opportunity in the top flight.

Abdulla said: “He can come inside or go on the outside. The model winger. He hugs the touchline and can beat his man. (He’s) Very confident and very light on his feet and skips past tackles, not one of them that gets hit and goes down. He bounces off tackles. He’s very strong and outstanding in one-v-ones.”

With nothing but pride at stake for Villa, Smith must go one step further than he did last week and give Philogene-Bidace the chance to start from the off against Chelsea.

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It would be an exciting end to what has been a fine Premier League season for Villa.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a summer move for this Scottish star…

Liverpool are set to open negotiations over new deals for Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Mohamed Salah, according to journalist Paul Joyce.

The Reds suffered a night to forget on Tuesday, losing 3-1 away to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.

It was a sobering evening for Jurgen Klopp’s men, with far too many players performing well below their usual level and the manager also having a bad day at the office.

The hope is that this season is just a one-off poor campaign for Liverpool – it hasn’t yet ended, in fairness – with key players staying put and helping launch a recovery in the coming years.

Joyce gives major update on Reds quartet

The Times‘ Joyce has provided a key update, in that respect, saying the club are looking to nail down Alisson, Van Dijk, Fabinho and Salah to new long-term deals.

It is stated that ‘discussions on a new contract will take place at some point’ for all four Liverpool heroes, in order to keep them at Anfield for the foreseeable future, in what would provide a huge boost to Klopp’s hopes of getting this side back to its best.

Transfer Tavern take

The aforementioned foursome have all been magnificent players for the Reds – modern-day legends, in fact – so this is a hugely positive update, with FSG giving Klopp a big helping hand.

Salah’s future, in particular, has been up in the air, but he scored his 27th goal of the season against Madrid and again showed how priceless he is.

Alisson, Van Dijk and Fabinho are all young enough to remain pivotal figures for four or five years, too, and they are a formidable trio that the rest of the team is built around – it is since the arrival of these three players that Klopp’s side have gone from contenders to winners.

In other news, one Liverpool player has been linked with a move to another Premier League team this summer – find out who it is here.