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Aston Villa’s transfer priority remains a number 10, with Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe a top summer target, according to The Athletic’s Villa correspondent Gregg Evans.

And plenty of Villa fans have been sharing their thoughts on the news on social media.

According to Evans, Smith Rowe is the club’s top choice regarding a number 10, whereas there is no rush to sign a striker.

Recent reports abroad claimed that Villa were in advanced talks with Chelsea over a move for Tammy Abraham, however, Evans revealed the forward isn’t on the club’s radar, for now.

Villa have already brought in Emiliano Buendia in a club-record deal and re-signed Ashley Young on a free transfer, but it seems as if there is still plenty of work to be done.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared Evans’ claim on Twitter on Friday, highlighting the club’s number 10 priority and Smith Rowe as a top target.

These Villa fans weren’t so sure on Villa’s thinking, though, with one describing the update as ‘strange’.

“We have the best number 10 in the world and have glaring problems in 3 positions. What are they doing?”Credit: @DOUGLASLUlZ”Don’t see this happening so it being the priority is a bit concerning”Credit: @M10Packed”Isn’t jack our 10? Strange”Credit: @bbqguy21″Should be prioritising a dm”Credit: @OllyAVFC_”It’s never gonna happen, irdk why were so driven to get him”Credit: @escapeinpixels”We’re still going for this? I don’t think Arsenal want to sell lads”Credit: @Tom_Price_AVFC_

In other news: ‘Absolute madness’, ‘Leave us alone’ – Many AVFC fans erupt at ‘garbage’ transfer news, find out more here. 

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Pete O’Rourke has dropped a teasing West Ham United transfer hint involving Liverpool striker Divock Origi.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye new forward…

As per manager David Moyes himself, West Ham have been on the look out for new striker over 2021 with the Scotsman saying last summer he was ‘desperate’ to bring one in.

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The club have cast their eye on numerous targets, including the likes of Andrea Belotti and Adam Hlozek, with claims there may have been pre-January offers made for FC Basel forward Arthur Cabral.

Now, sharing what he knows on Origi’s links to West Ham, O’Rourke has dropped a teasing hint in an interview with GMS.

The Latest: O’Rourke drops hint…

Speaking to the outlet, the reporter hints West Ham could indeed sign the Belgium international and it’s one to ‘keep an eye on’.

He explained:

““Divock Origi finds himself down the pecking order at Liverpool and we know West Ham have been long-term admirers of the Belgian. It’s an interesting one, that one, it’s one to keep an eye on.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Despite being a bit-part player at Anfield, the 26-year-old has actually impressed when called upon by manager Jurgen Klopp – so much so he has attracted real praise.

Klopp branded Origi ‘incredible’ and a ‘monster’ to the press recently while West Ham fans will remember his sublime finish to pull a goal back for Liverpool at the London Stadium in a 3-2 thriller last month.

Still having yet to reach his peak, Origi has managed 64 senior career goals and when given an opportunity he should surely be set for far more.

West Ham, amid their search for a Michail Antonio alternative, could be the club to grant him a new lease of life.

In other news: ‘I’m hearing’ – Journalist makes big money transfer claim involving West Ham, find out more here.

Sam Johnstone should not play for West Brom again this season in order to prepare for his inevitable exit, according to reliable journalist Steve Madeley.

The Lowdown: Johnstone set to leave WBA?

The 29-year-old stayed put at the Baggies last summer despite their relegation to the Championship and he has continued to be a key figure in 2021/22, making 36 league appearances.

There does seem to be a potential inevitability about Johnstone moving on, though, with Albion’s promotion hopes effectively over for this season and his contract expiring in June.

The goalkeeper has been strongly linked with a move away in recent months, having been hailed as a ‘wonderful’ player by Micah Richards in the past and winning the WBA Supporters’ Player of the Year award in 2021.

The Latest: Madeley makes big Johnstone claim

Taking to Twitter on Monday as he shared a corresponding article from The Athletic, Madeley claimed that Johnstone should not play for the rest of the season, allowing West Brom to transition and prepare for life without him next term. He claimed:

“Sam Johnstone’s status as a successful Albion player is secure but he should not play again this season – there is no point.”

The Verdict: There’s sense to it

With the Baggies completely out of the promotion picture and with little to play for in the remaining weeks, Madeley’s suggestion does make sense in many ways.

It would give Bruce an opportunity to use others in the role, with those of a West Brom persuasion knowing what Johnstone can offer and also realising that he is coming to the end of his time at the Hawthorns.

In truth, the hope is that a high-quality replacement comes in, given the 29-year-old’s aforementioned influence, but giving David Button a chance to prove himself over the next few weeks shouldn’t do any harm for the time being.

In other news, West Brom reportedly face competition for one player. Find out who it is here.

With 11 Premier League games played so far this season, Southampton have only managed to find the back of the net on teen occasions, leaving only Norwich City (5) and Tottenham Hotspur (9) having scored fewer than Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

Taking this into account, it doesn’t come as a surprise that they have been linked with a transfer move for a fairly familiar Premier League attacking player.

What’s the news?

It has recently been claimed by journalist Ekrem Konur that Southampton, alongside fellow Premier League clubs West Ham United and Newcastle United are interested in signing Jesse Lingard, who Manchester United are apparently willing to sell for a fee of £12m.

After completing an impressive loan spell at West Ham last season where he managed to score nine goals and provide five assists in 16 appearances, the Englishman has made just eight appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions.

He has started just once but has managed to bag two goals and provide one assist in the process, even though United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said back in July that Lingard is in his plans for this season.

Dream move?

Given his lack of playing minutes this season at Old Trafford, it’s not surprising to see that reports linking the 28-year-old, who is currently valued at £19.8m according to Transfermarkt, with an exit.

However, Man United’s loss is Southampton’s gain and a move is something that the club’s sporting director Matt Crocker should definitely be looking to explore to add an extra attacking option to Hasenhuttl’s squad.

He is someone who has a total of 154 appearances Premier League appearances under his belt with 29 goals and 17 assists. That sort of offensive ingenuity, therefore, could make the difference during the back end of the campaign.

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Southampton had no hesitancy in splashing out a fee of £15m for Adam Armstrong, a player who had very little prior experience of playing the Premier League, in the previous summer transfer window.

Therefore, potentially securing Lingard, who has been described as a “unique” player in the past by Michael Carrick, for a fee of £12m would be a dream move for the Saints.

Unlike the aforementioned Armstrong a few months back, he possesses experience in the top flight and his attacking talents which would almost certainly make the team much more of an attacking threat as a whole. The Saints simply have to make sure he’s making the trek to the south coast in January.

In other news: Ralph dealt potential injury blow on “excellent” Saints beast, fans will be gutted – opinion

A number of Wolves supporters have hailed Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho following a club tweet after the 1-0 victory at Manchester United.

Wanderers enjoyed a famous Premier League win on Monday evening, clinching all three points at Old Trafford for the first time in more than 40 years.

It was an exceptional performance by Wolves all round as they used the ball intelligently, defended well and ultimately got over the finish line.

It was Moutinho who scored the only goal of the game, firing home from 20 yards late in the match, and both he and fellow Portuguese hero Neves were superb in the middle of the park. As per Sofascore, their combined statistics saw them complete 99 passes, win 10 duels, execute 14 accurate long balls and win six tackles.

After the game, Wolves’ official Twitter channel posted a photo of the pair embracing warmly following an iconic evening for Lage’s side.

Wolves fans hail Neves and Moutinho

These Wolves fans took to Twitter to heap praise on the “unbelievable” duo, who one hailed as “the best ever” midfield partnership at Molineux.

“Better than Man Utd’s midfield”

Credit: @HombreSinatra

“The best ever midfield partnership to grace the Wolves, be amazed if we ever see anything like it again. Both absolutely world-class on their day”

Credit: @HarryGoring10

“‘bUt thEy CAnT pLaY toGethER’. Both are simply world-class. We are so, so, so, so lucky to have them. The ultimate away day today”

Credit: @mattgrubb47

“Unbelievable”

Credit: @samwolves89

“Can you believe these two play for our club”

Credit: @alexjjones_

“Both absolute class this evening”

Credit: @olly_stock

In other news, Luke Hatfield has talked up a potential Wolves move for one player. Find out who it is here.

Former referee Keith Hackett believes Celtic forward Leigh Griffiths will receive a ban for his antics on loan at Dundee, Football Insider report.   

The Lowdown: St Johnstone flashpoint

Griffiths, who headed out of Parkhead on a temporary basis on deadline day, was in the headlines for the wrong reasons during his third game for Dundee.

The £15,000-a-week striker kicked a lit flare into the away crowd during a 2-0 defeat to St Johnstone in the League Cup and was charged Police Scotland with culpable and reckless conduct two days later.

Sky Sports then shared an update at the end of September in regards to Griffiths also being charged by the SFA.

The Latest: Hackett reacts

Former FIFA referee Hackett was asked by Football Insider for his thoughts on Griffiths ahead of the hearing on October 16 when club action returns.

This is what the 77-year-old had to say in reply, believing the forward will get a ban.

“He can absolutely expect a ban.

“I’ve heard fans get heated, but kicking objects isn’t acceptable. It’s a silly situation, at the end of the day.

“It’s a pity but the actions from the player will send a signal to others not to do the same.

“It will also make people think what action the referee could have taken to avoid it. What action did the stewards take to avoid this as well?

“The stadium controller, the police, the authorities, they have to analyse how we can steer clear of these scenarios.

“The mitigating factor for the player is that the flare should not have been thrown onto the field of play.

“In his defence, he is rightly saying he saw it as a danger and removed it. You and I might kick it five yards, but he’s a professional footballer…

“Maybe he didn’t expect it to go that far, but he shouldn’t have done it. I’m not defending him.”

The Verdict: Celtic mistake

This wouldn’t have been as relevant for Celtic if they had cut ties with Griffiths in the summer, however, they decided to extend his Hoops deal by a further 12 months under Ange Postecoglou.

That now looks like an extremely poor call by the club, who were happy to let him leave on loan just months later.

It now seems as if he’ll be hit with a ban for his on-field antics, and you’d expect the Hoops won’t be offering Griffiths a new deal at the end of the season.

In other news: Coach with 17-honours may be open to replacing Postecoglou; he’s a Celtic fan. 

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester City supporters have been left excited by news on Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic as the Sky Blues continue their search for a centre-forward.

Pep Guardiola guided City to a Premier League title and Carabao Cup-winning campaign last year, as well as a Champions League final, while barely playing with a natural centre-forward.

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Club legend Sergio Aguero was the subject of many absences through fitness issues or coronavirus, while Gabriel Jesus was arguably struggling to find his best form at some points.

As such, Guardiola often deployed a false nine or makeshift centre-forward options like Raheem Sterling, and despite their success, much of City’s summer window was dominated by discussion of signing a star striker.

The likes of Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo were targeted by sporting director Txiki Begiristain with news now emerging on yet another target.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the club ‘dream’ of signing La Viola star Vlahovic amid his ongoing contract dispute at the Artemio Franchi Stadium.

His deal runs out in 2023 as it stands, meaning City could have some leverage in potential negotiations to sign the dazzling 21-year-old who scored 21 Serie A goals last season and 35 in all competitions since his move to Fiorentina (Transfermarkt).

Begiristain and co are showing an intense interest as as supporters get excited by this news, find all of their best verdicts from Twitter down below.

Man City fans excited by Vlahovic news…

“MY BABY”

Credit: @ZinnySZN

“Vlahovic would be a Beast under Pep”

Credit: @izzy900is

“Go all out!!”

Credit: @Hiz_Zam

“SIIIUUU”

Credit: @rubenbias_

“YESSSSSSSSSSS”

Credit: @Kelvinclasher

“Get it done

Sterling + cash”

Credit: @Dhayveed15

“Bring him home in January I beg”

Credit: @LordAtrexia

“He’s coming to Manchester”

Credit: @Jacob4rmstrong

“a competent striker at this club am I dreaming”

Credit: @c_c__cc_c

In other news: ‘Finally’, ‘Yesssss’, ‘Get him home’ – Many Man City fans erupt as claim emerges on 163-goal superstar, find out more here.

Many West Ham United fans want the club to sign Salomon Rondon after it was revealed that the Hammers are looking to hijack the Venezuela international’s reported move to Premier League rivals Everton, as per The Daily Mail.

The end of the transfer window is fast approaching and the Hammers are in a mad rush to get their business done. They have recently captured the signing of Kurt Zouma from Chelsea (whufc.com), while they are also believed to be close to signing both Nikola Vlasic (Sky Sports) and Nicolas Tagliafico (De Telegraaf).

It now appears they are looking to bring in another striker – after all, David Moyes currently has just Michail Antonio up front in terms of centre-forwards. According to The Daily Mail, the Irons are looking to take Rondon to the London Stadium before the transfer window slams shut. The deal for the forward with 151 career goals, 35 of those in the Premier League (Transfermarkt), would be a loan.

The news has attracted plenty of attention from Hammers fans on Twitter, and these supporters took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on the development.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Rondon link

“Wouldn’t say no to this”

Credit: @westham_latest

“YES PLEASE”

Credit: @danielluker10

“I’ll take him as a back up and as long as he knows he’s just a back up. Can score goals, good in the air, sometimes good to bring on a lump up top in the 88th min against United in the cup”

Credit: @sam_lummis

“I’d be happy with this. Wouldn’t be a starter but a very good option to bring on later in the game. Shown what he can offer with his time at Newcastle.”

Credit: @samcwhufc

“Seeing loads of people saying no to Solomon Rondon at West Ham. We literally have no back up striker. He’s tall and imposing, played in the league before and gives another option. If we can get him fairly cheap it’s a no brainer if you ask me.”

Credit: @Elliotttaylor_

“Welcome back to 2019. Tbf for right fee and wage I’d be down for this. Always thought he was underrated and would work as a very good backup to Antonio. Has a link with Vlasic to help both also.”

Credit: @MarkHarrison23

In other news, West Ham are set for talks with this 28-year-old.

Newcastle United have made a ‘request for information’ about Lille’s Renato Sanches, according to Calciomercato. 

The lowdown

The 24-year-old helped Lille to see off Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title last season, but they have struggled so far this term. With just four games to go until the halfway point of the season, they find themselves down in 13th place, placing their hopes of European qualification in serious doubt.

The Portuguese maestro missed seven of the first eight games through a meniscal injury and has been limited to four league starts so far in 2021/22 (via Transfermarkt).

Another Premier League club in Wolves actually tried to sign the midfielder on loan in the final hours of the summer transfer window (via The Athletic).

The latest

According to Calciomercato, Sanches’ agent Jorge Mendes apparently wants to arrange a move away from Lille as soon as January. The Ligue 1 champions have set his asking price at €35m, which equates to about £29.8m.

Serie A giants AC Milan have identified the 24-year-old as a potential replacement for Franck Kessie, but Newcastle, who have made enquiries over the past few weeks, can offer him a significantly larger pay packet thanks to PIF’s lucrative takeover.

The verdict

Sanches would be quite a coup for Newcastle. He may be remembered on these shores as a Swansea City flop, but he’s come a long way since that ignominious spell in south Wales back in 2017/18.

He was hailed as ‘terrific’ for his performance against reigning world champions France at Euro 2020 and has continued to shine on the biggest stages.

Tutto Mercato Web (via Sempre Milan) showed him with praise following his display in last week’s Champions League victory over RB Salzburg, dubbing him a “giant” who was “physically and technically perfect”.

However, the worry for Newcastle is his alarming injury record, and that ought to make them think twice about a near-£30m move for the Portugal midfielder.

In other news, this £9m-valued ace could leave St James’ Park in January

Some Glasgow Rangers fans do not seem too happy after it was confirmed George Edmundson has completed a move away from Ibrox.

The Gers enjoyed a fantastic term last time out as they won the Premiership for the first time in 10 years, and their success was built on a very strong backline. They conceded just 13 goals in the league, which is actually a British record (The Scottish Sun).

Steven Gerrard has several centre-backs to choose from. Leon Balogun, Connor Goldson and Filip Helander all played big roles last term, whilst Jack Simpson and Nikola Katic should provide even more cover for this coming campaign. As such, there was no place left for Edmundson, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Derby. He has now completed his move to Ipswich Town in the English League One (rangers.co.uk).

The news of the 23-year-old’s exit was shared on Twitter by Rangers’ official account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters – they seem disappointed as they feel he had more to give. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Edmundson exit below

“Bad decision this one Imo. Feel like we’ll regret this in years to come, let one hell of a player go. Thanks for everything George”

Credit: @Joshuafry2310

“Genuinely gutted about this one, will miss you ‘fridge’”

Credit: @CallumMcClung

“Bit gutted by this. He was decent in the games he played. Needs game time, but won’t get in ahead of Goldson, Helander, Balogun, Katie and Simpson.”

Credit: @garymiller_85

“All the best Fridge. Our loss is Ipswich’s gain. Good luck fella.”

Credit: @RangersBear_55

“Had big hopes for the fridge, sad to see him go. Pacey and solid. Wish him all the best and hope to see him back at Ibrox in the future one way or another.”

Credit: @blueblood1872

“Better than Simpson, huge L”

Credit: @valentine_gavin

In other news, Rangers fans slam this man’s article.